PGN 21 May 24 2019 by The Philadelphia Gay News

pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976

Vol. 43 No. 21 May 24-30, 2019

Family Portrait: Marc Dickstein IBA communicator PAGE 37

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM The Road to Stonewall: Barbara Gittings

LGBTQ Fertility Conference PAGE 2

PAGE 6

New director for Philadelphia Gay Mens’ Chorus PAGE 4

Arrest made in transwoman’s City reacts to LGBTQ primary results A mixed night for LGBTQ primary candidates as North Philadelphia murder By Laura Smythe laura@epgn.com Police arrested a suspect in last weekend’s murder of a transwoman and commnity advocate in the city’s Franklinville section. Michelle Washington, a transwoman of color, was shot to death in the early hours of May 19 on the 3400 block of North 11th Street. Police responded to the scene at approximately 5:07 a.m. Washington, 40, suffered gunshot wounds to the head, body and buttock, according to police. She was transported to Temple University Hospital and pronounced dead at 5:33 a.m last Sunday. Homicide detectives arrested Troy Bailey, 28, a resident of the 1100 block of West Venango Street, around 9 p.m. May 20. Bailey was charged with murder, possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer’s number and violations for carrying a firearm as a former convict and without a license, among other offenses. Police believe Washington didn’t know her attacker and that the shooting stemmed from a robbery, Capt. Sekou Kinebrew said in a May 20 email. Washington’s gender identity “doesn’t appear” to have motivated the shooting, Kinebrew added via email. “However, the investigation is still in the early stages, and it would be premature to rule out the possibility of a hate crime,” he

wrote. Washington was known as Tamika, said Deja Lynn Alvarez, trans advocate. The victim also was a longtime advocate for the city’s transgender community. Washington was a “no-nonsense” person who “didn’t take s--t from anyone,” said Alvarez, who knew her for more than 20 years. Alvarez said the issue surrounding Washington’s murder affects the trans community more than it does the LGBTQ community at large. “It’s very important that we stress that because we’re not seeing LGB people murdered every other day,” she added. “It’s time that we say this is happening to transwomen, it’s happening to black transwomen, it’s happening to transwomen of color. …It’s time that we shift the focus to that.” In a statement, Amber Hikes, executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs, said Washington was a “brilliant and outgoing member of Philadelphia’s transgender community” who will be “profoundly missed.” “The epidemic of violence that continues to plague the transgender community, disproportionately impacting trans women of color, is heartbreaking, frightening, and infuriating,” she added. “The Office of LGBT Affairs will continue combating hate and providing support for the LGBTQ community in Tamika’s memory.” Mayor Jim Kenney PAGE 15

Tiffany Palmer took home a win and others came up just short.

THE DECISION COMES IN: Judicial candidate Tiffany Palmer and Katey McGrath, vice chair of the friends of TIffany campaign committee, realize with 83 percent of votes reported, Palmer’s definitively won the primary. Friends and supporters gathered for an election-night celebration at Earth Bread and Brewery in Mount Airy.

By Laura Smythe laura@epgn.com Tuesday proved to be a difficult night for LGBTQ candidates in Philadelphia’s primary election. Tiffany Palmer, a lesbian who lives in Mount Airy, prevailed in the Court of

Common Pleas judgeship race. Meanwhile, Republican candidate Daniel “Duke” Orsino proceeds with his unchallenged District 1 bid. But all the Democratic City Council candidates — Deja Lynn Alvarez, at-large; Lauren Vidas, District 2; and Adrian RiveraReyes, at-large — lost. PAGE 24

Philly Pride Parade will be televised for first time ever By Laura Smythe laura@epgn.com For the first time in its 31-year history, the Philly Pride parade will be aired on TV. Local network 6abc will film the June 9 procession and air a one-hour segment June 30 at 1 p.m. The broadcast will include an approximately 20-minute segment of the Penn’s Landing celebration commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. It will follow a 30-minute history special on Philadelphia’s LGBTQ-rights movement, which will air at 12:30 p.m.

The history special is produced in partnership with 6abc’s sister news station, New-York based WABC-TV. The program will highlight Philadelphia’s Gayborhood, key locations and players in the city’s gay-rights movement and the 50 years after Stonewall. John Morris, 6abc’s vice president of content development and innovation and the station’s programming director, said Pride is “the missing gem” in the parades already televised by the company. The network broadcasts the Puerto Rican Day Parade, Polish-American celebration Pulaski Day Parade and Juneteenth, an annual celebration com-

memorating the end of slavery, among others. “We always try to represent the entire community and for a few years we tried to see if we could add this parade to our year-round representation of what’s happening in the community,” Morris said. “With the 50th anniversary [of Stonewall] this year, we stepped up that effort.” Morris grew up in Center City and said he witnessed the evolution of Philadelphia’s “rich” LGBTQ history over the decades, and how the city accepted what was not well-received in mainstream culture. He hopes the broadcast will expose viewers to other communities, Morris added.

Bernie Prazenica, 6abc president and general manager, said he also aims to show the city’s diversity. “[The station] has a long heritage of community involvement and support,” Prazenica told PGN. “We are so delighted to celebrate with our LGBTQ community by broadcasting the Pride march on 6abc. We look forward to showcasing this event and bringing our community a bit closer together.” This year’s parade will feature 130 marching groups, said Franny Price, executive director of Philly Pride Presents, the event organizer. It’s the largest lineup PAGE 14 ever, compared to 96

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

Resource listings Legal resources • ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215-592-1513; aclupa.org • AIDS Law Project of PA: 215-587-9377; aidslawpa.org • AIDS Law Project of South Jersey: 856-784-8532; aidslawsnj.org/ • Equality PA: equalitypa. org; 215-731-1447

• Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations — Rue Landau: 215-686-4670 • Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-7603686; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com • SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-920-9537

• Office of LGBT Affairs — Amber Hikes: 215-686-0330; amber.hikes@phila.gov

Community centers • The Attic Youth Center; 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331, atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. • LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania; 3907 Spruce

St.; 215-898-5044, center@dolphin.upenn.edu.

• Rainbow Room: Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center

Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065, rainbowroom@ppbucks.org.

• William Way LGBT Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220, www.waygay.org.

Health and HIV testing • Action Wellness: 1216 Arch St.; 215981-0088, actionwellness.org • AIDS Healthcare Foundation: 1211 Chestnut St. #405 215971-2804; HIVcare.org • AIDS Library: 1233 Locust St.; aidslibrary.org/ • AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800-6626080 • Bebashi-Transition to Hope: 1235

Spring Garden St.; 215769-3561; bebashi.org • COLOURS: coloursorganization.org, 215832-0100 • Congreso de Latinos Unidos; 216 W. Somerset St.; 215-7638870 • GALAEI: 149 W. Susquehanna Ave.; 267-457-3912, galaei. org. Spanish/English • Health Center No. 2: 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1821

• Mazzoni Center: 1348 Bainbridge St.; 215-563-0652, mazzonicenter.org • Philadelphia FIGHT: 1233 Locust St.; 215-985-4448, fight.org • Washington West Project of Mazzoni Center: 1201 Locust St.; 215985-9206 • Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207

Other • Independence Branch Library Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection: 215-685-1633 • Independence Business Alliance; 215-557-0190, IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com

• LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK • PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833 • Philly Pride Presents: 215-875-9288

Conference to explore LGBTQ fertility treatment A recent study found 63 percent of LGBTQ millennials are considering growing their families By Laura Smythe laura@epgn.com Doctors using the wrong pronouns. Considering freezing eggs or sperm before transitioning. Deciding which person in a couple should carry the child. These are some of the many concerns LGBTQ individuals and couples encounter in the world of fertility treatments. Lisa Schuman, founder and director of New York-based The Center for Family Building, will train medical and mental-health professionals on how to interact with LGBTQ people doing fertility treatments at the sixth-annual Jefferson Infertility Counseling Conference. The convention hosts medical professionals to explore psychological, ethical and legal issues in their field. It will run May 29-June 1 at the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District on Fourth and Arch streets. Thomas Jefferson University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology will present the event. Schuman has advocated for LGBTQ families in the medical field for more than 20 years. “It’s very frustrating having been in this industry for so long, feeling like everyone doesn’t feel totally comfortable at every clinic. You don’t just always feel comfortable,” she said. “I really want to educate people in the medical field about issues in the LGBTQ community and how to think about those issues and how to think about treating their patients.” A February study by the Family Equality Council, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing LGBTQ family rights, found that 63 percent of LGBTQ people ages 18-35 are considering becoming first-time parents or having more children. The family-planning gap between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ millennials has narrowed compared to older generations, the report indicates, with 48 percent of LGBTQ millennials actively planning to grow their families and 55 percent of nonLGBTQ millennials doing the same. Most of these LGBTQ people will use foster care, adoption or assisted reproductive technology to expand their families, according to the study. For Schuman, this uptick in LGBTQ child-rearing makes it important to educate medical professionals on the gay community, especially about transpeople. Her talk emphasizes trans fertility issues like transitioning teens who want to freeze their eggs or sperm, how going off hormones will affect transpeople emotionally and whether transwomen can produce

sperm if they feel uncomfortable in their bodies. These struggles could impact patients’ mental health and family-planning choices because fertility treatment is hard to begin with, Schuman said. “If you feel like your doctor is not accepting of you, if you’re feeling frustrated or resentful because you...can’t believe you have to pay so much money for these treatments, that, ‘If I were gay I wouldn’t have to deal with this,’” Schuman said, “and on top of it you’re not comfortable in the clinic, I can understand if people would want to give up [fertiilty treatment].” Schuman appeared on the May 6 “Shrinks and Family Planning?” episode of “If These Ovaries Could Talk,” a podcast launched in 2017 that is hosted by two lesbians and centers around LGBTQ sex, families and relationships. Cohosts Jaime Kelton and Robin Hopkins, who live in New York City, have each undergone fertility treatments. “I wanted to be treated just like a person who needed something, versus a person who was broken, because that’s what it felt like,” Hopkins said of her experience with fertility treatment. “You were in those big lobby rooms with women crying and all that and there was a lot of emotion and energy in those huge waiting rooms.” Hopkins had an 8-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter via intrauterine insemination, a type of fertility treatment. Many LGBTQ people find fertility treatment clinics through “gay drafting,” or going to places recommended by friends within the gay community, Kelton said, because websites don’t always make it clear whether an institution is gay-friendly. “They might say they’re gay-friendly, but the reality is they have worked with one gay couple at all and they are for heterosexual couples and they are just trying to plug us into their system,” said Kelton, who gave birth to her 18-month-old child through intrauterine insemination. While LGBTQ-friendly clinics are becoming more prevalent, there is still a long way to go, she added. Schuman said she hopes the medical professionals attending her Philadelphia talk will leave with a better understanding of LGBTQ fertility issues that “they’re not quite familiar with yet, but will be in their world soon.” “That’s really important that they are familiar with the things that their patients are going to go through, because they’re going to be faced with them,” she added. “It’s going to feel very lonely for their patients if they don’t understand.” n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

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Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus welcomes new director David Bielenberg will be the first-ever executive director in the organization’s 37-year history By Laura Smythe laura@epgn.com

In his teen years, David Bielenberg sang in school musicals and church choirs. He later grew into the LGBTQ choral movement. “It became a way to tell the LGBTQ story, in addition to a hobby, he said. On June 1, Bielenberg will begin a new chapter of his own story,and that on an iconic singing group. He will become executive director of Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus — the first ever in the group’s 37-year history. Bielenberg has more than two decades of experience as an arts director and recently served as executive director of Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. He will lead the group’s newly launched, three-year strategic plan that emphasizes funding, membership engagement, increasing diversity and other initiatives. The hiring committee selected Bielenberg out of nearly 100 candidates during a multi-month search. He stood out because of his prior experience, as well as his enthusiasm for the arts, said Joseph Buches, PGMC artistic director. Bielenberg also shared the organization’s vision for growing the group and enhancing its diversity. “Especially in the city of Philadelphia, there’s been so much fighting over different things around diversity,” Buches said. “[We’re] just trying to bring the community together in all that we do, to have that openness.” Bielenberg aims to showcase the diversity in the choral-arts group and use music to empower members’ personal experiences. “It’s a way for people who are still struggling with their identity to become part of a community that’s not a bar or, way back when, not a bathhouse,” he said. “[It’s] very much a social-support network. There’s an internal community that’s built among the membership that we all take care of each other.” Executive and arts directors are PGMC’s two full-time staff positions. Part-time marketing, administrative and development-consultant positions were eliminated to fund the new position. As executive director, Bielenberg will concentrate on the choral group’s longterm growth, particularly securing grant funding. The need for this focus is why the position was created, said Adam Funck, PGMC’s president. “There were certain things that can

only be done on an ongoing basis by an executive director,” he added. “You need somebody full-time who can attend

News & Opinion

“I thought, this is not about me. There is nothing here about love or happiness. There has to be something better. ” ~ Barbara Gittings, page 6

PGN 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147-1506

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all of the networking events and social events and the donor-cultivation pieces where they can really put the time forward writing grant applications and all that.” By securing additional funding, the group can grow its artistic side and diversity emphasis. “Art touches everything,” Funck said. “Our goal is to really be the premiere LGBTQ arts organization [where] everyone can feel like they’ve got a place and a home.” Bielenberg said he also hopes to help the choral group make a splash on a larger scale through performances at well-known city venues like The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. He added he’ll focus on community outreach and youth education programs. PGMC began partnering with local organizations in 2014 to perform outreach concerts in the city’s schools. Members have worked with more than 10,000 high-school and university students across Philadelphia, according to the organization’s website. “That’s where we can have the most impact with our message,” Bielenberg said, “reaching the next generation and sharing our stories in that way with them.” n

10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Mark My Words OUTPour Letters

Columns

12 — Positive Thoughts 18 — Transmissions 19 — Mombian

Arts & Culture 29 30 32 35 37 00

— Feature: Whitman at 200 — Out & About — Comics — Scene in Philly — Family Portrait — Q Puzzle

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

COMFORT. It’s A Beautiful Thing.

ARIZONA

(NEW) HOPE AND PRIDE: Thousands of LGBTQ Pride celebrants and allies marched in the two-state parade, lining the streets May 18 from Union Street in Lambertville to Bridge Street and across the Delaware River onto Main Street in New Hope. The festival shattered all previous records for vendors and spectators alike on a weather-perfect day. Photo: Scott A. Drake ARIZONA

By Gary L. Day PGN Contributor A bill that would greatly enhance the rights of and the resources for LGBTQ elders passed its first major hurdle. The bill, S3484, the Bill of Rights for LGBT Older Adults, was voted out of the state’s Senate Health Committee last week. The initiative, shepherded by Garden State Equality, has three principle sponsors in the Senate, Troy Singleton and Richard Codey, and two additional cosponsors are listed, Loretta Weinberg and Vin Gopal — all are Democrats. The Bill of Rights has several provisions, including the establishment of an explicit Bill of Rights for LGBT older adults in long-term care facilities; protections for LGBT seniors under the federal Older Americans Act, thereby directing critical funding and resources; prohibition of discrimination against LGBT seniors in longterm care facilities; cultural-competency training for employees in long-term care facilities; and protecting people living with HIV in each of these areas. Many of the provisions of this state law deliberately echo and complement similar provisions in the federal Inclusive Aging Act, recently introduced into Congress by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM). According to GSE Communications Director “Our purpose with this law is to pursue equality beyond the letter of the law,” said Jon Oliveira, director of communications and membership at Garden State Equality. “Laws alone don’t guarantee equality. They’ve got to be backed up with enforcement and policies and programs and resources.”

According to Aaron Potenza, policy director at Garden State, getting voted out of the NJ Senate Health Committee is but the first hurdle to be surmounted for the bill to become law. “Now that it’s been voted out of the Senate Health Committee, it goes to the Senate Budget Committee,” explained Potenza. “Then it gets voted on by the Senate. Then it has to go through a similar process of committee hearings and votes in the Assembly. Once it passes both houses of the state legislature, it goes to the governor’s desk for his signature.” With the legislature coming up on summer recess, it’s likely the lawmakers will be preoccupied finalizing the state’s budget. This could mean that consideration of the Bill of Rights won’t resume until the fall session begins in September. “I’m not saying we won’t be able to make any progress over the summer,” said Potenza. “It’s possible — but unlikely.” However,GSE plans to continue shoring up support for the bill. Current tallies show the proposed legislation has a comfortable level of bipartisan support, and Potenza is optimistic about its eventual chances. While it comes as no surprise that the bill’s sponsors are Democrats, Potenza said a fair number of New Jersey Republicans have expressed a willingness to support the bill’s passage. “New Jersey’s Republicans are much more centrist than the national party leaders,” asserted Oliveira optimistically. Given all these factors, how would Oliveira rate the Bill of Rights’ chances of eventual passage? “Very good.” n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

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Road to Stonewall: Barbara Gittings By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor Barbara Gittings is one of the single most important figures in American LGBTQ history. Before Stonewall, Gittings was performing groundbreaking work for lesbian and gay people throughout the U.S. In one iconic photo of her, a 33-year-old Gittings pickets Independence Hall on July 4, 1966. She’s holding a sign that reads, “Homosexuals should be judged as individuals.” It’s a striking image — Gittings in a sleeveless dress and sunglasses, looking like a 1966 soccer mom. Less than a decade after her longtime partner Kay Lahusen took that photo, Gittings would get the American Psychiatric Association to drop homosexuality as a mental illness from its diagnostic manual — an incredibly important step toward equal rights.

Gittings described her life’s mission as shredding the “shroud of invisibility” that had cloaked lesbians and gay men for generations and refute the image of lesbians and gay men as criminals and perverts, and homosexuality as a mental illness. Gittings was an iconoclast, a leader, a pioneer. Tall and sturdy, Gittings always looked serious, but she had a ready laugh and was quick to outrage for anything that oppressed those she called “my people.” She favored embroidered blouses and corduroy pants and was devoted, utterly and implicitly, to lesbians and gay men and the cause of queer equality. Born in 1932 in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of a diplomat in the Foreign Service, Gittings was always challenging the status quo. She was as radical as any ACT UP or Queer Nation activist at a time when there were a mere handful of out lesbian and gay men taking the kinds of risks

she took. Gittings said she first heard the term “homosexual” in high school when she was rejected for the National Honor Society despite being a top student. She said that the teacher told her she’d been rejected based on her “homosexual inclinations.” The teacher was right that Gittings was gay, but the incident would stoke Gittings’ activism and her desire to prove homosexuals were no different from their heterosexual peers. In an Inquirer interview in 2001, Gittings described how she spent several years seeing a psychiatrist and then reading all there was on homosexuality in an attempt to understand — if not cure — herself. What she read was depressing and centered on gay men. Gittings said, “I thought, this is not about me. There is nothing here about love or happiness. There has to be something better.” There was — activism. By the 1950s Gittings was the editor of The Ladder,

the first magazine for lesbians in the U.S. She founded the New York chapter of the lesbian group Daughters of Bilitis in 1958 and was its president for several years, until she became too political for the group. She then cofounded the Homophile Action League in Philadelphia, with her life partner, Lahusen. In the era in which Gittings had come of age — the pre-Stonewall, pre-Internet, pre-LGBTQ-plus era — there was a vast closet filled with queer people asking “Am I the only one?” Gittings was out, in public, in broad daylight, in front of Independence Hall, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, carrying placards declaring that not only was she one, but the one of which she was should be treated equally under the law. Gittings said in a 1982 interview, “I joined the movement in 1958, when the subject of homosexuality was still shrouded in complete silence. There were no radio talk shows or TV documentaries. In all the United States, there were maybe a half dozen groups, 200 people active in all.” A heady image when in 2019, the Equality Act was just passed in the House and not expected to pass the Senate. In 1999, Gittings described her life of activism: “As a teenager, I had to struggle alone to learn about myself and what it meant to be gay. Now, for 48 years, I’ve had the satisfaction of working with other gay people all across the country to get the bigots off our backs, to oil the closet door hinges, to change prejudiced hearts and minds, and to show that gay love is good for us and for the rest of the world, too. It’s hard work — but it’s vital, and it’s gratifying, and it’s often fun!” Her activism was risky, and it was serious. Gittings’ cohort and visual biographer was her partner, Lahusen. The photographs she took spanning nearly 50 years are now archived in the Manuscripts and Archives Division at the New York Public Library. They detail Gitting’s activism, the burgeoning gay liberation movement (when lesbians were not yet included in the name), the couple’s relationship and the major events that occurred throughout the period of Gittings’ activism. A few years post-Stonewall, Gittings decided to take on the APA. She had never found convincing evidence that gay people were mentally ill, and she devised a plan to prove they were not at the annual conference in Philadelphia. Gittings believed that PAGE 25

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Equality Act vote makes history By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor

“I now commend the bill to the House and the House to history.” So ended the four-hour debate on the House floor on the most important civil rights legislation since the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Rep. Jerry Nadler, who had chaired the debate called the vote for HR5, also known as the Equality Act. The bill will protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, credit and the jury system. In its current form, the bill was first introduced in 2015. It is sponsored by Representatives David Cicilline (D-RI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) in the House and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in the Senate. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) prioritized passage of the legislation, which now heads to the U.S. Senate. In a sweeping assent from the Democratic Party, the bill passed 236-173. Eight Republicans, including the bill’s co-sponsor, Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), joined 228 Democrats in passing the legislation. House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) called one of the most historic bills in American history. The bill faces likely defeat in the Senate where Democrats do not have the votes for passage. On May 13, a senior aide to President Trump said he was against the bill, signaling veto even if the Senate were to pass it. Nevertheless, the overwhelming support in the House was a historic event because it marked the first time the legislation had gotten a full vote in Congress. In an emotional speech, Hoyer said, “It’s a shame that the House is not full and the gallery not packed with people because this is an historic day.” Hoyer said the Civil Rights Act and the ADA were voted in through bipartisan actions. He said, “Every Democrat will vote for this bill. The Equality Act is about America. It’s about who we are and what we believe.” Rep. John Lewis, one of the great Civil Rights icons in American history spoke with eloquence and passion. “Today is May 17. On May 17, 1954 the Supreme Court ruled on Brown versus Topeka Board of Education. I remember that day,” Lewis said, his voice rising. “I was 17 years old. I thought I would be attending desegregated schools. It never happened for me. Today we have the opportunity to cast this vote and set all of our people free.” The floor erupted into spontaneous applause. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX18),

another leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, read from a pocket copy of the Constitution. Lee said the bill had been “germinating for five years plus.” In response to Republicans who asserted that the bill harms religious freedom, Lee said, “Religious liberty is not dead but it is alive. This bill stands up for transgender people denied the right to serve in the U.S. military, stands up for transgender women killed in my area of the South.” Lee held up a pocket version of the Constitution and asserted, “the Constitution will be alongside of the Equality Act. The Civil Rights Act will stand alongside for fair housing and accommodations and no matter who you are in this country you will have this act.” Lee urged people in the religious community to vote for the Equality Act. Newly elected Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA04) said simply, “This is a historic day, I am proud to be a part of it” as she urged everyone to vote for the bill. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), chair of the Democratic Caucus, quoted from the Declaration of Independence, noting, “these words are incomplete in their application.” Jeffries cited “the legendary Barbara Jordan,” a black lesbian member of the House, and her observation that those words “did not apply to African-Americans, to people of color, to Native Americans, to women, to the LGBTQ community.” Jeffries said, “If you truly believe in liberty and justice for all, support the quality act, if you truly believe in equal protection under the law and if you truly believe that we are created equally under the law, we are all God’s children. Love does not discriminate and neither should the law, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.” Most of the Republicans who spoke, claimed the bill would harm both religious freedom and women’s rights. Rep. Ross Stano (R-FL15) said he was a “proud Christian” and spoke about the “fundamental importance” of the First Amendment, quoting Coretta Scott King to undermine the bill. Rep James Comer (R-KY-01) and Rep Bradley Byrne (R-AL01) focused on women’s sports. Both said they were “deeply troubled” that there would be “unintended consequences–serious, harmful consequences” by eradicating all protections based on gender and subverting them to gender identity. Comer said the Equality Act “delivers a serious blow to one and totally redefines the other.” Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO04) insisted, “a vote for this bill is a vote against women.” Describing herself as a former teacher and coach, she made a detailed case that teams and even the Olympics would be “recruiting men who identify as women” to “win medals.” She deconstructed how all of women’s sports would become “men competing as women” PAGE 15

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Sims apologizes, ignites new outrage By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor After hundreds of anti-abortion activists held a rally against him outside the Planned Parenthood clinic at 11th and Locust Street on May 10, pressure has been put on Rep. Brian Sims to issue an apology for the actions that spurred the protests. In a fundraising letter May 18, Sims issued his first apology since the furor began May 1. But the letter has only fueled more outrage from his critics. Prominent New York Post columnist and CNN contributor Salena Zito posted Sims’ letter on Twitter May 18, with the comment, “@BrianSimsPA is sorry not sorry. What he really is, is angry. REALLY ANGRY. Check out his fundraising email he sent out. Wonder if @RepTurzai will censure this guy?” Rep. Turzai is Michael Turzai, Speaker of the P.A. House. His office had no comment at press time. Sims opened his letter saying, “Team, if you saw any of the national coverage of my actions throughout the last 10 days, I wanted to send an apology. I recognize my behavior was aggressive and that I acted in an inappropriate way. For that, I am truly sorry.” Sims wrote, “My emotions took over because I was, and am, angry. I’m angry that pro-life protestors use white privilege and racism to attack people of color in my district and across the nation, for seeking critical health care. I’m angry that there doesn’t seem to be a “pro-life” sentiment for all — for all Americans and for all Philadelphians.” The letter continued to enumerate Sims’ anger toward the anti-choice movement and the lack of concern for both Philadelphians and women nationwide. But Sims did acknowledge his role in creating problems for the clinic by energizing anti-abortion activists at a time when restrictive anti-abortion rulings have threatened women’s constitutional rights. Sims ends his letter with another apology, “All of this makes me angry, but in that moment, in that video, I should not have let my emotions get the best of me. I should not have disrespected Planned Parenthood’s policies of not engaging with protestors. For that, I’m absolutely sorry.”

Sims continued, “I will always fight to protect women’s rights, especially now when they continue to be under attack. To the staff, volunteers, and patients of Planned Parenthood, I’m sorry to have created this distraction. I vow to do better. I vow to keep fighting for the same values of progress for all that I’ve always fought for. I am committed to being a better advocate and ally.” Zito may have been the first complainant, but since her comment was posted, the outrage has grown. Sims made headlines in conservative news including Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Daily Caller, Red State and National Review. The letter was also reported on by every local TV news organization in Philadelphia. Local and national media have kept the story in the news for several weeks since the May 1 videos Sims took of himself castigating women and girls praying outside the clinic. Sims’ videos received several million views on social media. In one video, Sims offered $100 to anyone who could identify the teenage girls saying the rosary outside the clinic. In another he berated an older woman praying the rosary in front of the clinic calling her “disgusting.” The woman never spoke during the nine-minute video. The parents of two of the teenagers have raised more than $130,000 for “pro-life causes” on a GoFundMe account calling for a response to Sims. Sims previously posted an explanation of his actions on Twitter May 7, which received 39,000 responses before he locked his account to all but his 57,000 followers. In that video, Sims detailed his concerns as a patient escort at the clinic for the well being of women and girls who use that clinic. He also explained that he had lived on that block of Locust Street for 15 years and had witnessed the harassment experienced by those using the clinic. He explained he used the clinic himself for PrEP. Sims said, “I will fiercely protect a woman’s right to make the best choices for her health and her body, unimpeded. I also know that two wrongs don’t make a right, especially on the front lines of a civil rights battle. I can do better, and I will do better, for the women of Pennsylvania.” n

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EDITORIAL PGN EDITORIAL

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Rep. John Becker

Editorial

Abortion does not only affect women Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, Mississippi and Ohio have all passed legislation commonly known as “heartbeat bills,” effectively banning abortions after as early as six weeks of pregnancy/gestation. Alabama’s is the strictest, outlawing abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. As the abortion debate continues, LGBTQIA-plus members are being neglected. Many news sources are writing about the anti-choice legislation as if it is a women’s-only issue. It is necessary to acknowledge that these new conservative laws overwhelmingly and appallingly affect women, particularly women of color and those with lower incomes. It is also essential we acknowledge that women aren’t the only people at risk of losing authority over their bodies with abortion bans and more-limited healthcare access. Our community knows (or should know) that uteruses do not only belong to cisgender women, but also to a variety of other identities. Transmen in our community carry children, as do nonbinary and intersex folks.

While some organizations are shifting language around abortion, including Planned Parenthood — stating on its website, “Millions of people face unplanned pregnancies every year, and about 4 out of 10 of them decide to get an abortion — social media is still a place where organizations and individuals can be found using the word “woman” to encompass all those affected by the abortion laws. Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Sims (D-182nd Dist), in several statements, used only “women” when speaking about anti-choice protesters. In his apology, he stated, “I’m angry that women can’t access the care they need and deserve.” No statistical analysis is available regarding how many men have received abortions or experienced pregnancy. However, Australia’s 2014 official Medicare statistics revealed 54 men gave birth. A lack of research and understanding adds to the absence of representation of transgender, intersex and nonbinary folks in a conversation about abortion. n

Hopefully by the time you read this, the United States isn’t routinely opening up criminal investigations into women who have miscarriages. And I say routinely because there are already cases where women have ended up in prison after their miscarriages were called baby murders. So imagine how much worse it will get for women if the radical right-wingers have their way and overturn Roe v. Wade. And if you can’t imagine it, I challenge you to talk to your grandma about what it was like back in her day, or just read a goddamn book. Conversely, you could also watch “The Handmaid’s Tale” on Hulu, which is on track to win an Emmy for Best Documentary. Right now conservative state governments — like Georgia, Ohio and Alabama — are hot to pass anti-choice legislation with the intent that these laws will be challenged all the way to the Supreme Court and that the end result will be to make abortions illegal. Now, there are plenty of voices in the media and on Twitter (aka Trump’s Hellmouth) calmly reminding that nobody’s making abortion illegal right this very minute in the these states. And that’s true. But when women’s right to make decisions about their own bodies is on the chopping block, don’t tell ladies to calm down — especially since by and large, men are writing and passing these bills, and, from the looks of it, most of them don’t know a damn thing about health or anatomy. Take state Rep. John Becker (R-Ohio) who thinks that you can magically take an ectopic pregnancy and abracadabra it into a viable pregnancy inside the uterus. Don’t know what an ectopic pregnancy is? Well, neither does Rep. Becker but that didn’t stop him from writing laws about what happens inside women’s bodies. If you do know what an ectopic pregnancy is, then you know that Becker and other supporters of this bill are deeply ignorant, and/or they clearly think that all women are witches. The thing is, Becker doesn’t even care that he’s ignorant. He told Local 2 news, “I’m not smart enough to know what causes abortions and what doesn’t. The bill’s just written ‘if it causes an abortion’ and people smarter than me can figure out what that means.” Here’s the thing: People smarter than

him already know what that means and they are called doctors! He is not a doctor. And yet, here he is deciding what goes on between women and actual medical professionals. Now, you might be wondering, what does this abortion stuff have to do with LGBTQ politics? The answer is, well, everything. If you were to make a Venn diagram of anti-reproductive choice folks and anti-LGBT folks, you’d basically have a total eclipse of the hate. I’ve been saying this for decades, but the same people who want to take away a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions and turn her into a mandatory incubator also aren’t very keen on LGBTQ people having any kind of legal rights. I remember being told by a heterosexual person that it was “a stretch” when I claimed that the anti-LGBTQ folks would not be satisfied with keeping same-sex couples from getting married, but that they would move on to banning birth control and imposing Puritanical laws on all things sex, no matter who is doing it. It wasn’t a stretch then, and it sure as hell isn’t a stretch now. Rep. Becker also supported the “Ohio Pastor Protection Act,” a so-called “religious freedom” bill that sought to “protect” pastors from being forced to marry same-sex couples. On his website he writes, “Marriage can only be between one man and one woman. (It really is that simple.)” He is also very concerned about transgender people being allowed to use public restrooms. If you identify as heterosexual but you think the LGBTQ equality fight isn’t yours, you are wrong. If you identify as LGBTQ and think the reproductive freedom fight isn’t yours, you are wrong, too. The bigots want to divide us and gain power when we ignore our collective humanity. So don’t let them. (It really is that simple.) n

“If you identify as heterosexual but you think the LGBTQ equality fight isn’t yours, you are wrong. If you identify as LGBTQ and think the reproductive freedom fight isn’t yours, you are wrong, too.”

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

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

Stonewall 50 excitement Around the nation, people are begintoo, because a program this week spoke ning to notice something stirring in the to that fateful evening as part of a six-part LGBT community. documentary series called “1969.” It’s excitement surrounding the drum For those of us who were particibeat of Stonewall 50, and that pants and went on to create World Pride will be in New this grassroots movement of York, meaning people from social justice, creating Gay all over the world will be conLiberation Front from the ashes verging in the Big Apple. of Stonewall, this is an emo The celebration culminates tional time. In 50 years, we’ve with the Pride March on June been a part of and seen changes 30, when American celebrates we fought for and were jailed the 50th anniversary of the because of. The progress Stonewall riots, which created is incredibly worth it, even a revolution that changed the though we lived through jeerworld. ing, at times by our own com As one of the people onsite munity — those who stayed that night in 1969, I’ve been safely in the closet, while we traveling the nation the last were out, loud and in your few months speaking about face. that night at the Stonewall Inn Mark Segal We created change without so many years ago and how it Internet, cell phones or email. changed our community, the We did it by being out in pubworld and me personally. lic, willing to go to jail or worse. ABC-TV must have thought about it We were creative. We moved the dial,

Mark My Words

OUTPour

and now it is time for a new generation to take what we created and build upon it. This could begin to be achieved by petitioning our federal government to finally pass the Equality Act. Votes exist in both the House and Senate, but to pass the legislation, Majority Senator Mitch McConnell needs to be moved, as he has the Act tied up in committee. So, this Stonewaller has only one request of you: Get creative and move that one man. If we can move the world, you can move a man. This year’s World Pride celebration will be much larger than the actual riot. While the riot only had hundreds of participants, the celebration, according to New York tourism officials, expects 3-4 million attendees, proving beyond anything that we were successful. We took a community of hundreds and translated it into a mass movement of millions around the world. That is what I call a revolution. Now it’s your turn. n

Antar T. Bush

More, Darnell Moore, Please! “No Ashes in the Fire” by writer and activist Darnell Moore is a beautifully written memoir of a young black queer boy finding his freedom in America. Darnell Moore is considered one of the most prolific, important voices in young Black American culture. Drawing from a traumatic event in his youth, Darnell speaks of being “jumped” by a group of neighborhood kids, then having gasoline poured on top of him and attempting to set him on fire. Darnell does not tell this story in the book for you to feel sorry for him but to explore the commonality all adolescents experience when they are viewed as “other” or different. Being bullied a lot for his gender expression in the 1990s in Camden, N.J., this memoir gives the

reader a crash course in resiliency 101. I personally love when Darnell speaks about how we must stop playing the oppression Olympics in the United States. Meaning when someone says, “I am black and queer,” one is not greater than the other, because as black queer people, we have learned how to navigate both simultaneously. Oftentimes when Darnell is asked howhe feels about being black and gay he states, “Wonderful!” Darnell is keenly aware this question would not be posed to other populations in our country, however white America tends to fantasize about what intersectionality feels like. Darnell states, “cages cannot be doorways to freedom,” meaning the antiquated ideologies we have on gender expression,

sexual orientation or race will not lead us to liberty. So, as we head into Pride month, we all have to strike a balance of celebration, understanding there is a lot of work we all need to do. Darnell understands we need a space to celebrate and honor our queer legacies, “however,” he said, “we cannot be committed to all the ideas and norms that continue to keep us from being uninhibited.” I think Darnell knows why Dr. Maya Angelou’s caged bird sings; it’s singing to simply be free. n

Antar Bush is a public-health advocate, professor at West Chester University and executive producer of the online talk show OUTPour LGBTQ. He is committed to advocating for health equity in all communities. Follow him on Instagram @antarbushmswmph.

Letters to the editor Dear Editor: For what my opinion is worth, I would not ask Brian Sims to resign. I would be surprised if he has enough believers to get re-elected, assuming he would consider running for re-election. Personally, I have approached Brian Sims’ office, Val DiGiorgio’s office and Scott Perry’s office for a simple question-and-answer advice session. I could not get an appointment with any of them. I could hardly get attention

from their staffers. So, given the general expectation that politicians are to be expert showpeople, I myself would not point an accusatory finger at Brian Sims to demand his resignation. His voters will decide how much the public needs him anymore. Respectfully, Daniel Kane Dear Editor: Ed Rendell has been a fixture in Philadelphia politics for

my entire adult life. He’s been a strong LGBTQ ally. Neither of those things is reason for him to be a grand marshal in Philadelphia’s Pride parade. Pride is for us — LGBTQ people. While we can and do appreciate our allies, we don’t need them to seek some kind of legitimacy from the straight community in 2019. We do not need old straight white men leading our diverse LGBTQ community on our most important day to affirm that it’s really OK we’re gay. We not

only know it’s OK, we’re tired of having to give straight people credit for our accomplishments and for being our allies. Rendell has a problematic history with women and people of color too. In this era of #MeToo, why would we choose a man who has spoken out dismissively against that movement and has himself been accused of sexual improprieties to represent us? Many also see Rendell as the Philadelphia face of the 1994 Crime Bill PAGE 14

Street Talk Have you ever been bullied? “No, thank goodness. But I’ve seen a lot of it. A member of my family was intimidated by a bunch of mean Pat Capaldo girls in her retired school. You Queen Village know how teenage girls can be. They didn’t want her to be part of their clique and made her feel uncomfortable. She definitely was bullied.” “Yes. Because I'm not a hypermasculine male, I've been teased a lot. Occasionally, I've been called Michael Kirby a faggot. clerk I'm quiet Kensington and artistic. In school, students ridiculed me for that. They also would make remarks about my clothing and long hair."

“Yes, absolutely. I’ve been bullied about my weight, my looks, my sexuality. I’m straight but I’ve been called a Brian Wackwitz fag, simply artist because I Queen Village like musicals. Apparently straight men aren’t supposed to like musicals. But I fought my way through it — mentally, physically and spiritually.”

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

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Last night a drag queen saved my life How drag queens are becoming the heroes of HIV prevention My love affair with drag queens goes speaking out on bullying and suicide preway back. Since my childhood in the subvention, transgender awareness, marriage urbs of East L.A. (an area noticeably lack- equality, substance dependence and HIV ing in glitz and glamour), I have been fasawareness and prevention. cinated with these magical creatures. My Of course when the ’90s hit, along first glimpses of queens were with RuPaul and his 1993 on daytime talk — which, in album “Supermodel of the the pre-internet ’80s, was also World,” my drag curiosity had my only window into “the real become a full-blown obsession world” that existed beyond my –– and now I had a Queen ’hood. “Geraldo” would have Motha to worship. the club kids on, and on “The Of course, I’ve gone on to Jenny Jones Show” and “Ricki become a fan of “RuPaul’s Lake,” my beloved queens. Drag Race” (though I admit I (I made sure to scour the TV feel a vague sense of resentguide daily for such appearment toward all you Johnnyances.) come-lately fans). One of the Part of my devotion is due to most amazing and powerful the fact that — aside from the aspects of the show is its abilpure fun, fantasy and escapism ity to bridge gaps that would that they have to offer — drag not otherwise seem traversqueens often bring hard-earned Desiree able. Not only have many wisdom, strength, love, empaestranged familial relationGuerrero ships been healed through the thy and support, especially for the LGBTQ-plus community. series, but it has also been And many queens have used their platinstrumental in increasing HIV awareforms for good, both literally and figuness among both queer and straight audiratively. These hardworking performers, ences. most often gay men but sometimes trans Famously in season one, petite and women, are also often fierce activists bubbly queen Ongina (Ryan Palao)

Positive Thoughts

disclosed his poz status after winning a challenge in which contestants created their own HIV awareness PSA. Though in its fledging season on Logo, the show was not nearly to its current level of viewership, the moment was historic. Palao was one of the first people since Pedro Zamora (“The Real World,” Season Three) to come out HIV-positive on reality TV and helped reignite the conversation in the new millennium. And that was just the beginning. Since June of last year, the show has started showing Truvada ads, Gilead’s branded PrEP treatment, which features gay men and cis and trans women of color. In case you haven’t heard, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a highly effective HIV prevention pill. If taken daily, Truvada can be up to 99 percent effective in preventing HIV transmission. With the show’s now-massive VH1 audience, this could easily become one of the most effective PrEP campaigns to date. In addition, season eight winner, Bob the Drag Queen, has become a major PrEP ambassador. Shortly after taking the crown, Queen Bob (aka Christopher Caldwell) was quick to use his new national platform to increase PrEP

awareness with an educational and entertaining video. “I have three goals: to give back to the community, [support the] children, and make people laugh,” he told The Advocate at the time. “Now that I’m America’s Next Drag Superstar… I’m not gonna stop being political.” As effective as things like national ads and star-power are, sometimes our local queens are the ones bringing PrEP awareness to where it’s needed most –– in the club. Astoria, N.Y. queen Gilda Wabbit, who incorporates PrEP awareness into her live shows, told the The Advocate last summer that the stigma of the “Truvada whore” label is “real and damaging. It is sex-negative, cruel, and discourages safer-sex practices. I understand the fear . . . but my friends who [use PrEP] are tested more often and are more informed about their sexual health than any people I’ve met before.” So the moral of the story? Listen to a drag queen. It just may save your life — or at least your health. n Desirée Guerrero is the associate editor of Plus magazine. For more information about the National AIDS Memorial Grove and the Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship, visit AidsMemorial.org.

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LETTERS from page 11

that former VP Joe Biden wrote. That bill incarcerated thousands of people of color and exponentially increased the numbers in Pennsylvania’s prisons — most of whom are Philadelphians. Such laws have disproportionately impacted LGBTQ people of color. Two queer people of color just ran for City Council, making us all proud. A lesbian just ran for a judgeship and won. Why aren’t we celebrating those people? Don’t they represent who we are as a queer community in Philadelphia? Why are we still looking to straight people to affirm our existence? As a college professor, I see the changing face of LGBTQ Philadelphia every day on campus. I see young women, men, trans and nonbinary people speaking up

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participating groups in recent years. Price added she is excited for the parade to be televised and is expecting a large turnout. “Every news channel gives you their one minute on the news, but they never show the festivity of it, how beautiful our parade is,” she said. “A lot of us do have Mummer blood in us, so our gay Pride parade is different than other cities’. We have performances, presentations, so you have to be there to see it.” Representatives from local organization dmhFund, which funds programs for Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community, alongside tourism group Visit Philadelphia, worked with Price for months to implement televising, said Mark Segal, dmhFund president and PGN publisher. “We brought 6abc onboard and are excited to produce the special segment showcasing Stonewall 50 and LGBTQ history,” Segal said in a statement. In 2014, dmhFund partnered with Penrose Properties to develop the LGBTQ-friendly John C. Anderson senior apartments at 13th and Spruce streets. In 2005, it produced the Philadelphia Freedom Concert and Ball, an event that raised awareness of HIV and AIDS by donating $1.1 million to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

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and out for our place at the table of power. It’s an affront to those people — and to me, old enough to be their parent — to continue this back-patting of allies, when it’s our own who deserve the kudos. The fact is, it’s the job of public officials to support all our communities. It was Rendell’s job to do that as D.A., as mayor, as governor and as head of the DNC. He’s not queer, he doesn’t represent our community and he doesn’t belong in a place of honor in our parade. We have a wealth of progressive activist LGBTQ people to lead us and represent us at Pride. It’s beyond disappointing that we would choose the past over our present and our future. Sincerely, Maddy Gold

“Mark’s work and the work of many others from Philadelphia have positively affected change in the LGBTQ community worldwide,” said Visit Philadelphia president and CEO Jeff Guaracino in an email. “Mark is an example of the Philadelphia pioneers who were and are brave leaders and changemakers. The 50th anniversary of Stonewall represents the first time that LGBTQ history will be authoritatively and comprehensively told to the world through the power of mass media.” The TV network also developed a special logo for televising Pride. It combines the Liberty Bell, a rainbow and the symbol for 6abc’s existing Philly Proud series that highlights local people and organizations working to improve their communities. Throughout June, 6abc will produce a wave of stories focusing on gay rights and pride in the region, Morris said. The network will also air LGBTQ-related stories from seven other stations across the country, including Chicago and San Francisco. Beginning next month, all of the network’s Pride-related content will be available online. “We hope this will be the start of a long relationship with this parade,” Morris added. “We hope to learn more about the organization and the creation of the parade this year and have it just lead to many more years of a good partnership.” n

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and repeatedly referred to trans women athletes as men pretending to be women in order to win easily against female competitors instead of men. “Men are taking home the Gold in women’s sports,” she said. Hartzler claimed, “In case after case, men competing as women are out-competing, out-cycling, out-running, out–fighting women. Welcome to the brave new world of HR5.” Hartzler added, “Women’s scholarships would be ended by HR5” and declared the Equality Act “Devastating legislation.” Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX01) quoted Antonin Scalia and said, “Gender dysphoria is the opposite of euphoria.” Gohmert invoked images of rape victims “triggered” by being forced to share public bathrooms “with men” and battered women forced to share shelters with men. But Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX29) said the Equality Act would mean having “explicit protections for LGBTQ people for the first time–first time. Finally in Texas when we say ‘y’all’ we will mean you all.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), whose district includes San Francisco, was smiling and beaming as she laid out a history of anti-gay legislation that had been overturned. She referenced longtime lesbian activists and San Franciscans Del Martin and Phyllis Lyons as “an inspiration to many of us” who had taught her and many others about the need for comprehensive civil rights for LGBTQ people. Pelosi said, “Tolerance–that’s a condescending word to me. Respect. That’s what we need.” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD08) invokes Abraham Lincoln and the original Civil Rights

Act which he said passed in 1964, 334-85. “We brought down the walls of segregation. Today is a triumphant and glorious moment for the House and the United States of America. Let us finally bring down the walls of discrimination against all Americans. Let us vote for this bill.” LGBTQ activist groups argue that federal law should shield LGBTQ people from discrimination, because bans on sex discrimination should extend to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This has been the basis for all discrimination lawsuits in recent years. HRC President Chad Griffin said, “Today’s historic vote is a major milestone for equality and sends a powerful and profound message to LGBTQ people, especially LGBTQ youth, that the U.S. House has their backs. No one’s rights should depend on which side of a state or city line they live on, and today we took a giant step forward in our journey toward full equality. This historic victory would not have been possible without the millions of LGBTQ people and our allies who organized, mobilized and turned out to elect a pro-equality majority in 2018. “Now, we will take our fight to the U.S. Senate and turn up the pressure on Leader McConnell to allow a vote on this crucial legislation. And we won’t slow down in working to turn out the 10 million eligible LGBTQ voters and our millions more allies to elect a pro-equality president in 2020 who will sign the Equality Act into law.” A majority of people in every state support laws protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination in jobs, housing, education and public accommodations. This applies even in red states in the Deep South. The bill now moves to the Senate. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

HOMICIDE from page 1

thanked police for their quick action in Washington’s case and condemned the violence the trans community experiences. “We must speak up when these acts strike our communities and demand an end to the violence and discrimination our transgender siblings face. …The City of Philadelphia stands with Tamika’s friends and family, and all members of the LGBTQ community, during this difficult time,” Kenney said in a May 21 statement. “We will continue to ‘say her name’ as we work toward a safer Philadelphia for all our residents.” Wa s h i n g t o n previously studied nursing at the Community College of Philadelphia, according to her Facebook page. Mikal Woods, a female impersonator at Tabu Lounge & Sports Bar, according to his Facebook page, posted May 19 on his profile that he was “devastated,” identifying Washington as his mother. He later took to Facebook live to

thank those who reached out with condolences. Washington’s death is part of a recent national uptick in homicides of people who identify as LGBTQ. In 2017, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs determined 27 hate-related homicides of transgender and nonconforming people occurred in the United States. Transwomen of color accounted for 22 of these incidents. This represents a 42-percent increase in these crimes from the 19 reported incidents in 2016. On Sept. 5, 2018, Philadelphia transwoman Shantee Tucker, 30, died of a gunshot wound to the back. On May 18, transwoman Muhlaysia Booker, 23, was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. Booker’s murder occurred weeks after an April 12 incident in which several men assaulted her, said Major Vincent Weddington of the Dallas Police Department in a May 19 press conference. The April assault was captured on video and made national headlines. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

PGN

Nun speaks out for Equality Act By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Sr. Simone Campbell, a Catholic nun, says she disagrees with three high-ranking Catholic leaders who recently sent a letter to Congress in opposition to the Equality Act. The bill would add gender identity and sexual orientation to existing federal nondiscrimination laws. It passed the House of Representatives in a 236 - 173 vote last week but faces an uphill battle in the Senate. “They [letter signers] are misguided, in my opinion,” Sr. Simone told PGN. “They’re spending too much time in their offices. As a result, they’re out of touch with ordinary human beings who are discriminated against on a regular basis. They’re focused on an institutional teaching, not the lived experience in our nation.” The letter was signed by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky;

Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska; and Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida. They are all high-ranking members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which opposes the Equality Act. In the letter, they claim passage of the Equality Act would intrude on religious liberties, hinder quality healthcare by making it easier for people to obtain gender-affirmation surgery and violate privacy rights by allowing transgender people to use restrooms that align with their gender identity. “They have a right to send the letter,” Sr. Simone said. SR. SIMONE “But I disagree with their stance. It’s wrong. Everyone has inherent dignity because we are creatures of God. That’s our faith. To deny someone’s dignity is to deny the love

of God in them. So we can’t do it.” Sr. Simone, 73, is a member of the religious order Sisters of Social Service. She also serves as executive director of NETWORK, an advocacy group for social justice. She’s addressed numerous issues of public concern over the past 50 years, including affordable healthcare, clergy child-sex abuse, immigration reform, and economic justice. She advocates for open dialogue on those issues and others, including LGBTQ rights. Sr. Simone emphasized that religious beliefs can’t CAMPBELL justify discrimination. “The U.S. is not about promoting Catholic doctrine,” she added. “The U.S. is about caring for all of its residents. If we’re the land of the free and home of the brave, we need

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to make sure all of our people can live that freedom.” On May 14, Sr. Simone participated in an Interfaith Vigil for LGBTQ Rights across the street from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. “It really was a very moving experience,” she said, adding that about 50 people participated. The rally was organized by the Faith in Equality Coalition, which is composed of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists. After the vigil, the group presented a petition to members of Congress signed by 5,000 people of faith in support of the Equality Act. Sr. Simone said momentum is growing for passage of the measure and she’s willing to wait for as long as it takes. “Perseverance is a virtue for a reason,” she concluded. “We will continue to persevere. Even if we don’t get it in the Senate this year, we’ll keep pushing. We’re not going away.” n

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

Transmissions

OP-ED PGN

Gwendolyn Ann Smith

It’s my body Traversing transgender medical care is a handful. When I started out, you had to go to two different therapists for evaluation — which took months if you were lucky — before you could even access hormones, and you were required to live at least one year in your “chosen” gender before surgery. While I had good therapists to work with, who had a better grasp than most regarding transitioning, many were not so lucky. In some cases, transwomen had to exist in a pastiche of femininity in order to meet the expectations of their provider — profressionals even focused on the artifice of womanhood, having an often-regressive view. Think skirts, dresses, and makeup, as well as having to talk about societally imposed feminine topics in order to unlock the door to care. Some people were required to not associate with other transgender people, not be gay or lesbian, and even to cut off contact with anyone or anything from their past. In the worst examples, you would face probing — literally and metaphorically — about your sexuality, or even be held hostage by doctors who must find themselves attracted to you before you could access care. If they did not find a given transwoman attractive, they would refuse care, saying that she wasn’t somehow “real” or “committed.”

A lot of that has changed, and many — including myself — receive what’s known as an “informed consent” model. As long as I am given all information about what may happen due to the hormones I ingest, and, as long as I still want to take those hormones, then I can get a prescription of pretty, blue estradiol pills. The place I go for care is one of the local Planned Parenthood clinics. They treat both transmen and transwomen, as well as those who are gender fluid or nonbinary. They’ve been pretty good to me. Planned Parenthood, for the uninitiated, provides reproductive medical-care services targeting women. This can range from checkups, birth control, cervical cancer screenings and STD testing to — at some locations — abortion services. At the clinic I visit, people with signs decrying abortion stand outside, even though that location doesn’t provide such services. In the last couple of weeks, states across the country have geared up to destroy Roe v. Wade and usher in another era of restrictive, anti-abortion laws. The gloves are off, and restrictive bills are passing across the country, outlawing abortion at six weeks or so — long before most people even realize they might be pregnant — with no exception for rape or incest.

Many of these bills put criminal penalties on medical providers who provide abortion-related services and, yes, that includes providers like Planned Parenthood. I don’t think it’s a mistake at all that transgender people are being attacked by the same people who attack others and care providers over abortion rights. Really, both groups are seeking the same thing: body autonomy. I doubt the concept is foreign to many of you reading this, but just in case, I’ll explain. Bodily autonomy is the right a person has over their own body, and personal control over what their body is used for. It is thanks to the notion of body autonomy that one cannot be forced into donating blood, or having one’s organs harvested after death without consent. This same right is why a person shouldn’t be forced to undergo a pregnancy they don’t want, or why a transgender person should not have care withheld because their appearance did not give their care provider an erection. Plenty of people will try to justify why body autonomy might apply when it comes to a blood transfusion, but why it doesn’t when it comes to transgender people or abortion care. They’ll talk about pregnancy and cells forming a new body. They might tell you transgender people are “delusional”

and therefore not able to make decisions for themselves. The same people may say that those providing transgender care and abortions are going against “God’s will,” as if they have the right to speak for the whims of their deity. I’ve said it before: the number one right any person has is the right to exist. Part of existence surely involves the body you inhabit and what you choose to do with it. Those choices should not be up to any religion or political party or, frankly, anyone but me. Transgender people, in spite of what some might tell you, don’t make the decision to transition lightly. We often try everything we can to avoid a transition that can alienate us from family and friends, make it hard to gain and keep jobs and housing, and force us to face a far greater chance at death. We do it anyway, because for us it is the best. Likewise, those seeking abortion are not rushing headlong into such a decision. It’s not such a careless thought as some might want you to believe, but something agonized over. It’s something chosen because the alternatives are not bearable. I stand very much opposed to any law that would take away the body autonomy of any person. It is unnecessary and cruel. n

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PGN FAMILY

Making babies the new-fashioned way tial.” Having gone through reciprocal IVF with When my spouse and I first tried to start our family 17 years ago, we searched vainly for a book my spouse without such a professional, I know it may not be true in all cases — but I would agree on assisted reproduction that was authoritative, that speaking with a mental health professional can detailed, and inclusive. A new book by a fertility provide much value. expert — who also happens to be a lesbian mom herself — is just the book we would have hoped to Bergman dives into the details of what it takes to have. make a baby, including finding sperm and egg (as Your Future Family: The Essential needed), conception and embryo formaGuide to Assisted Reproduction, by tion, and what happens in the womb and Kim Bergman, Ph.D., (Conari Press), during the birth process. People wonderoffers a detailed look at assisted ing, “How should I choose a sperm or egg reproductive technology (ART), donor?” “Which partner’s sperm should we including assisted insemination, in use?” “How many eggs should I transfer vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrothrough IVF?” or “How should I choose gacy, written in a way that doesn’t a surrogate?” will find much information take a medical degree to understand. to help guide them. Bergman also assures Her goal, she explains, “is not just to readers that research shows children born provide the nuts and bolts of assisted through ART are just as healthy as those that are non-ART. reproduction but also to share the Throughout, Bergman offers encourhuman element of the process.” To agement and optimism, even titling one this end, the book is filled with sto“You Can Build a Family, No ries of real individuals and couples Dana Rudolph section, Matter What.” At the same time, she (same- and different-sex) on their paths to parenthood. doesn’t shirk from describing the chal Bergman tells us the book is for “anyone who is lenges people may encounter. She suggests ways contemplating having a baby with the help of othof coping with them, such as finding an online or ers.” Additionally, she hopes that families, friends in-person support group, journaling and meeting and others, “in particular, grandparents, aunts, and with a mental health professional. Bergman devotes a whole chapter to the ways of uncles,” will read it in order to support those havtalking to the world and your child(ren) about their ing the baby. She is as inclusive of families who creation. Here she does not hold back her opinion, choose ART from the start (mostly same-sex cou“I believe very strongly that you should tell your ples and single parents by choice) as of those who child the truth about how he or she came into the turn to it because of fertility problems. Bergman herself is a licensed psychologist who, world. And the earlier you do this, the better.” for nearly three decades, has specialized in helping As for the rest of the world, she says, “Your story same-sex couples, single parents and others using belongs to you and your child, so you can share it assisted reproduction. She is a senior partner at or withhold it as you please. Just don’t withhold it Growing Generations, an egg donation and surrofrom your child.” My one criticism is that the book gacy agency, and serves on the could be more inclusive of transgenCorporate Board of the American der and nonbinary identities. Phrases Society for Reproductive like “eggs can be removed from the Medicine, where she also chairs intended mother” or “the intended the LGBTQ Special Interest Group. father’s sperm” could have been Just as relevant as her profeschanged to “intended parent” and the sional expertise is that she and sentences would still be understandher spouse Natalie of (now) 35 able, while also being inclusive of years started their family through transgender men who use IVF and assisted reproduction. Their two transgender women who provide daughters are now in college and sperm. Similarly, “A woman is congraduate school, meaning that sidered pregnant when . . ..” could Kim and Natalie “were in the have been “A person is considered vanguard” of queer families formpregnant when . . ..” After I commuing through assisted reproduction. nicated with Bergman online about She weaves in parts of her story when relevant (e.g., describing this, however, she told me she would her feelings about an early misupdate this language to be more inclusive if she ever has the chance. Let’s hope that carriage), but also does so for families whose stomeans the book will have future editions; the rest ries differ from hers. All readers will appreciate Bergman’s sensible of it is good enough to warrant a long life. and calming tone and her holistic awareness of Prospective parents of all sexual orientations what goes into creating a family. “Being aware of who by choice or necessity turn to ART should where you’re at emotionally, spiritually and finanappreciate the information and reassurance cially is an important first step in the process,” she Bergman offers. More importantly, they will appreadvises. She then introduces readers to the people ciate her overarching premise that “Biology is not they are likely to meet in their journey, such as the determining factor in parenthood. It’s love that a reproductive endocrinologist and a reproducmakes a family, not genetics.” n tive attorney. A psychologist herself, she opines, “Having the support of a mental health profesDana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (momsional specializing in fertility and ART to help you bian.com), a GLAAD Media Award-winning blog and resource through the process is not just a luxury; it is essen- directory for LGBTQ parents.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

International Mexican Consulates to perform same-sex marriages Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary has instructed the country’s consulates throughout the world to allow all citizens — regardless of gender — to marry in their offices. Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said a democratic country can’t be built by excluding part of society. More than 12 Mexican states and the capital allow same-sex marriage and courts have allowed it in individual cases in other states when petitioned. The Foreign Affairs Ministry said the change was announced in anticipation of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia held May 17.

Taiwan approves same-sex marriage, a first for Asia Taiwan’s legislature passed a law

PGN

allowing same-sex marriage — the first Asian country to do so. The May 17 vote allows same-sex couples full legal marriage rights, including in areas such as taxes, insurance and child custody. Taiwan’s Constitutional Court said in May 2017 the constitution would allow same-sex marriages and gave parliament two years to adjust laws accordingly. Taiwan’s acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships began in the 1990s when leaders of today’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party championed the cause to help Taiwan stand out in Asia as an open society. Although claimed by China as its own territory, Taiwan is a self-governing democracy with a vibrant civil society.

Australian political leaders agree gays don’t go to hell The leaders of both of Australia’s major political parties agreed that gay people don’t go to hell because of their sexual orientation, as Christian beliefs have risen to extraordinary prominence in the final days of an election campaign. Prime Minister Scott Morrison opposed gay marriage while opposition leader Bill Shorten argued for marriage equality ahead of a national vote in 2017 that led to Australia legally recognizing same-sex unions.

Morrison accused Shorten on May 14 of a “desperate, cheap shot” ahead of elections on May 18 by challenging the prime minister to say whether he believes gays went to hell. Morrison said he did not believe gays went to hell, after failing to directly answer the same question from a journalist the day before.

including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, “in the future I would like to settle down with her.” Chand said nobody had the right to judge her as an athlete because of her sexual orientation.

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand has revealed she is in a same-sex relationship, becoming the first openly gay athlete in the socially conservative country. Chand, 23, said May 19 she was in a relationship with a woman from her village in eastern Odisha state, explaining she got the courage to come out after India’s top court scrapped a colonial-era ban on gay sex last year. “I have found someone who is my soul mate. I believe everyone should have the freedom to be with whoever they decide they want to be with,” said Chand, the fastest woman in the country. “I’ve always supported the rights of those who want to be in a same-sex relationship. It is an individual person’s choice.” Chand, who won two silver medals at the 2018 Asian Games, said about her partner that while her focus was on upcoming international competitions,

of Australian rugby wasn’t enough to save his job in the wake of a social media post that condemned gay people and other so-called sinners to eternal damnation. Rugby Australia on Friday terminated Folau’s four-year contract, 10 days after an independent panel found the 30-yearold fullback guilty of a high-level breach of the players’ code of conduct for his contentious post in mid-April. Folau can appeal the decision, but it appears, at least for now, that his career has gone down in flames. The whole saga has thrown Australia’s preparations for the Rugby World Cup into turmoil. A self-described devout Christian, Folau said he was merely posting a passage from the bible, and he refused to take down the online post. Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle said PAGE 21

Folau fired by Rugby Australia for contentious Dutee Chand becomes first online posts openly gay Indian athlete Israel Folau’s status as unrivaled star

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

Cathy Renna, spokeswoman for the main march, says she hopes the other event is a success.

Media Trail Court: Adoption agency can’t reject same-sex couples A federal court says New York officials weren’t infringing on a Christian adoption agency’s religious freedom by requiring it to serve same-sex couples, reports the New Jersey Herald. A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Albany in December sought to stop the Office of Children and Family Services from shutting down New Hope Family Services in Syracuse because of its “discriminatory” policy regarding child placements. In dismissing the lawsuit May 16, the court said it found no anti-religious bias in the state’s nondiscrimination policies. Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal organization representing New Hope, said an appeal is likely. It said New Hope has had no formal complaints from prospective parents. The state agency said it’s reviewing the court decision and will determine what action is appropriate.

New York City activists plan alternative gay pride march for same day Activists who believe that New York City’s massive gay pride parade has become too corporate are planning an alternative “Queer Liberation March” on the same day. The Washington Post reported both events on June 30 will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots that helped spark the modern gay rights movement. The alternative march is slated to start at 9:30 a.m., while the main pride march will start at noon. Organizers of the alternative event said Tuesday that they are negotiating with the city Parks Department for a rally in Central Park after their march. Lawyer Norman Siegel says the alternative march will live up to “the spirit of what happened here 50 years ago.” INTERNATIONAL from page 20

during a news conference in Sydney, broadcast live on TV, that Folau had left them with no choice but to terminate his contract. “We want to stress that this outcome is a painful situation for the game,” Castle said. “Rugby Australia did not choose to be in this situation but Rugby Australia’s position remains that Israel, through his actions, left us with no choice but to

D.C. Catholic school will acknowledge LGBT alumnae couples A 220-year-old Catholic girls’ school in Washington, D.C., will now allow news about same-sex unions in its alumnae magazine, ABC News reported. The president emerita of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, Sister Mary Berchmans, announced the change this month. She says she was asked to reflect on what it means to “Live Jesus” when it comes to LGBTQ alumnae, and the policy change follows “the Gospel commandment of love.” She says the church is clear about its stance on same-sex marriage, but it’s equally clear in teaching that all people are children of God. An Archdiocese of Washington statement expressed disappointment that the school didn’t consult the diocese on a matter involving Catholic identity. It says the church’s stance on marriage doesn’t conflict with the Gospel message of love.

Arizona pastor banned from Ireland over anti-gay sermons An Arizona pastor known for preaching anti-gay views is causing controversy in Ireland, where he has been banned from entry, Tuscon.com reports. Irish broadcaster RTE reported May 13 that the Irish Council for Civil Liberties questioned if the decision to bar Pastor Steven Anderson was too extreme. Meanwhile, the LGBT Ireland group applauded Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan’s signing Sunday of an executive order prohibiting Anderson from visiting. Irish media say Anderson is the first person subject to such an order since they were allowed 20 years ago. His Tempe church, Faithful Word Baptist, still has a May 26 event in Dublin listed on its website. Anderson did not return messages seeking comment. Anderson is known for anti-gay sermons and once saying he prayed for President Barack Obama’s death. n pursue a course of action resulting in today’s outcome.” The code of conduct charge sparked debate in Australia about freedom of speech and the right of players to express their beliefs. It also followed a warning Folau received from Rugby Australia last year over a social media post that drew criticism from some rugby followers, as well as a major sponsor of the game. n

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Visit Philadelphia embraces LGBTQ Pride Month By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor It’s the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion that propelled the gay rights movement — now the LGBTQ movement. The celebrations are going on all year in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly, sisterly and gender non-conforming love. Visit Philadelphia, the city’s official tourism marketing agency, has included the LGBTQ community in its latest summer-long marketing effort. This year, the city office is upping its diversity efforts. Along with the LGBTQ communities, the $1.25 million budget includes a new Latinx campaign and further focus on the African American community. Visit Philadelphia’s president and CEO, Jeff Guaracino is hoping to draw in new visitors by making Philadelphia a destination for LGBTQ people. “Philadelphia’s momentum continues to build, and there are so many great reasons to visit the region and stay a few nights this summer,” said Guaracino. “Our marketing approach is a bold mix of innovative and traditional advertising tactics aimed at attracting firsttime visitors and people in the untapped

RENDERING OF THE STAIRS AT PENN STATION. Photo: markets of DC, Maryland and Virginia, where we see good potential for visitation growth.”

Courtesy of VISIT PHILADELPHIA

Visit Philadelphia will have its own float, Philadelphia Pioneers On The Road To Stonewall, featuring trailblaz-

ers of the LGBTQ civil rights movement in the Philly Pride Parade June 9 as well as the New York City Pride March, June 30. The float will also be part of the Salute to America Independence Day Parade, July 4. Before or after the Dyke March, LGBTQ people and their allies can attend a float-decorating event at Cherry Street Pier on June 8. Visit Philadelphia will also take over New York’s Penn Station. For those coming in to Philadelphia by train or leaving to go elsewhere, Penn Station will be decorated with rainbow stairs and a massive floor graphic that features the hashtag #IamStonewall. The Wawa Welcome America concert July 4 will feature LGBTQ ally Jennifer Hudson as the headline musical guest. Mayor Jim Kenney, long an LGBTQ ally, said, “Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, is a welcoming place for all people at all times of the year. Visit Philadelphia is using its marketing muscle to make sure that potential visitors know they’re wanted and appreciated here this summer and every other season.” n

PHILLY PRIDE! The Philadelphia Pride Parade and Festival is June 9

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

ELECTION from page 1

Sherrie Cohen, a gay LGBTQ activist, also dropped out of the City Council race in April. No LGBTQ candidate has ever been elected to Philadelphia City Council. The large number of out candidates in the 2019 primary is a notable occurrence and has been nationally recognized as a historic “rainbow wave.” Palmer will duke it out against the other left-leaning victors and Beth Grossman, the Republican winner, in the Nov. 5 general municipal election. The Philadelphia Bar Association “highly recommended” Palmer earlier this month. Of the 25 candidates who ran for the Court of Common Pleas judgeship, only four received the organization’s highest endorsement, and Palmer was the only woman who did. “I’m just really excited to be a part of progressive reform in our government systems,” Palmer said, adding she’d like to see future LGBTQ candidates collaborate with other communities in the city. “I have so many ideas to help improve our system of justice and I’m really excited to finally be in a position of power where I can implement some positive changes for the people of our city.” If elected in fall, Palmer wants to ensure the institution recognizes the diversity of all types of families. This will begin with small administrative changes, Palmer said, like implementing court forms that change language like “mother,” “father,” “husband” or “wife” to gender-neutral choices of “parent” or “spouse.” “If [a form] says ‘mother’ and ‘father’ and you’re in a two-mom household, you immediately feel like this is a system that doesn’t accept [your] family,” she added. “We need to make sure that every family feels accepted within our court system.” Many celebrated Palmer’s victory with her Tuesday night. “I’m not sure that there’s a more genuine or compassionate person that could have run,” said Heather Kemp, who worked on Palmer’s campaign. “It’s a long, hard road to win something like this, and she has done everything in an upstanding way, and I’m really proud of her for that.” The other out candidate in the Court of Common Pleas judgeship primary was Henry Sias, a transman and lawyer who lives in Passyunk. Sias could not be reached for comment.

PGN

In November, Orsino, who received 1,994 votes in the City Council District 1 primary, will go against incumbent Councilman Mark Squilla, a Democrat who earned 16,506 votes Tuesday. Unlike Palmer, Orsino has a difficult road ahead in a primarily Democratic city. He could not be reached for comment. Despite losing the City Council at-large race Tuesday with his 34,897 votes, RiveraReyes, 26, said he wants to stay politically involved in Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community and does “not discard” the possibility of running again.

ity here in Philadelphia,” Hikes added. “I’m excited that at least one of those candidates will be moving on to the general election in November, and I hope that in the future even more members of the community will feel comfortable throwing their hat into the ring. We deserve to be in the rooms where decisions are made, and the more LGBTQ people we can have at the table the better.” In District 2, Vidas won 40 percent of the vote Tuesday, losing to incumbent Councilman Johnson’s 60 percent. Johnson received 13,164 votes in the primary and will run against Republican Michael

JUDICIAL CANDIDATE TIFFANY PALMER CELEBRATES HER ELECTION WIN WITH HER WIFE, LEE CARPENTER AND THEIR DAUGHTER, ELLIE.

“Since I got to the city, the community opened its arms and has been nothing but receptive and loving and kind toward me,” said Rivera-Reyes, who moved to Philadelphia from Puerto Rico. “I absolutely want to be involved in our community and making sure that our issues are at the table and that we are doing what’s necessary for our communities and elevating our voices together, especially as a man of color.” Amber Hikes, executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs, said the record number of out candidates in this year’s primary was “inspiring” in a statement to PGN. “Representation of marginalized communities within government is vital, and the 2019 primary showed us that there are plenty of qualified LGBTQ individuals who are eager to take on that responsibil-

Bradley, who nabbed 1,429, in November. If elected, Johnson said he wants to explore “the relationship with the Philadelphia Police Department and the transgender community, and making sure that community has a voice and as instances of hate take place, or violence, they’re addressed.” He said he’d encourage communication between police and transpeople, ensure crimes against transpeople were thoroughly investigated and that police department personnel were appraised on how they interact with the trans community. Johnson supported the historical markers recently resurrected to commemorate the residence of Barbara Gittings, an LGBTQ civil rights movement activist, and what is widely known as the nation’s first LGBTQ rights sit-in protest in 1965 at Dewey’s restaurant in Rittenhouse

Square. He said he is committed to preserving LGBTQ history. “I’m humbled I have the opportunity to serve and make sure the gay community knows that they have access to me and my office,” Johnson added, “and mostly they have a voice and I will fight on their behalf.” Other surprising victories in the primary include Rochelle Bilal, who won the sheriff’s race against two-term incumbent Jewell Williams, and Jamie Gauthier, who prevailed in City Council’s third district. Bilal won’t face a Republican challenger in November, positioning her to become the first woman elected as Philadelphia’s sheriff in the department’s 181-year history. Meanwhile, Gauthier beat out 27-year incumbent Jannie Blackwell, whose husband, Lucien Blackwell, held the seat before her beginning in 1974. Gauthier said she is excited to work with LGBTQ residents in her West Philadelphia district and plans to engage with them by listening to their concerns and building a council office that is representative of her constituents and includes members of the gay community. She plans to focus on stopping gentrification in her district, which has recently been dominated by major colleges like the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel, and the displacement of long-time residents. “We have to work really hard to ensure the third district remains a place where everyone can afford to live,” Gauthier said. “The diversity here is one of the things that makes it so special and I think we really have to fight to keep it.” For Rivera-Reyes, there are still “glass ceilings” that LGBTQ people must break in the political world. He hopes having several out candidates in this year’s primary pool will encourage members of the gay community to run for various government positions in the future. “We really have the talent and the qualified people to do so, and I hope that, at the very least, children in the city, especially black and brown children from working-class communities and LGBTQ children, see that they can and they have the ability,” Rivera-Reyes said. “We are fighting for all of us and I hope they see that there’s a future where they can and they should.” n All primary election vote counts are representative of the 98% of precincts accounted for at time of publication.

pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

GITTINGS from page 6

The Ladder should have been used to address the “experts” who defined homosexuality as a mental illness and who Gittings asserted were the foundation for anti-gay attitudes in society. A 1964 report from the New York Academy of Medicine had called homosexuality a “preventable and treatable illness.” Gittings queried that presumption by the NYAM, writing, “It’s a reminder of the sly, desperate trend to enforce conformity by a ‘sick’ label for anything deviant.” Gittings wrote to the NYAM on The Ladder’s stationery, challenging them on their labeling of homosexuality. This was the first time anyone had done so. Gittings’ letter was reprinted in The Ladder: In her letter, she wrote: “I keep trying to convince people in the movement that the charge of sickness is perhaps our greatest problem ... we can’t really progress in other directions until the unsubstantiated assumption of sickness...is demolished! It’s almost always there, however slyly or covertly or even unconsciously, however ‘sympathetic’ the person: the attitude that homosexuality is somehow undesirable, some sort of twist or malfunction or failure or maladaptation or other kind of psychic sickness. And in our society sick people, by any definition of sick, just DO not get equal treatment. Equal treatment — no more, no less — is what we want! And compassion — which many homosexuals gladly swallow because they think it represents an improvement in attitudes toward them — is not equal treatment.” Then, she began the public fight she’d been waging behind the scenes for a decade. She bought a booth at the APA convention in 1972 with the banner “Gay, Proud, and Healthy: The Homosexual Community Speaks” and organized lesbians and gay men to kiss at the booth. Gittings also secured a position for herself and fellow activist Frank Kameny on a panel about homosexuality at that 1972 convention, and she found a gay psychiatrist, Philadelphia’s Dr. John Fryer, for the panel that also included two heterosexual psychiatrists. Gittings was responsible for many other actions before and after, but none with the incalculable impact of getting homosexuality removed from the DSM which has benefitted every queer American in the decades since. Gittings made myriad other inroads — protesting the firings of federal workers for being gay in the 1950s and 60s. She forced the American Library Association to address lesbians and gay men in books, and an ALA literary award is named after her. Kameny called her the mother of the movement, and she was definitely that: an omnipresent activist who fought her entire life so that “her people” could be themselves in the sunlight. She died at her home outside Philadelphia February 18, 2007 after a long battle with breast cancer. n

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February 9 • 6pm – 10:30pm

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Earn entries from 2/3 – 2/9 for your chance to win a romantic getaway to Aruba! Two lucky finalists will be selected every half hour to participate in the grand prize giveaway. One finalist wins the trip to Aruba – remaining finalists receive big free slot play prizes up to $1,000!

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

The Philadelphia Gay News won eight Keystone Press Awards this year, an honor that recognizes professional excellence and journalism that “consistently provides relevance, integrity, and initiative in serving readers, and faithfully fulfills its First Amendment rights/responsibilities.” The Keystone Press Awards are sponsored by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. PGN earned top honors in the categories of investigative reporting, news, ongoing news coverage, news beat reporting, series, news photo, photo story/essay, and diversity, for Division V — weekly publications that have a circulation over 10,000.

Second Place Timothy Cwiek Investigative Reporting: Coverage of the Nizah Morris case

Honorable Mention Scott Drake Photo Story/Essay: Pride 2018

Second Place Scott Drake News Photo: Dr. Martin Luther King Installation

Second Place Jen Colletta Series: Family Forward

Second Place Timothy Cwiek News Beat Reporting: PGN courts’ coverage

Honorable Mention Kristen Demillo General News: “Upscale Cancun resort rejects same-sex wedding.”

Honorable Mention Timothy Cwiek Ongoing News Coverage: Coverage of Foster Care Dispute

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

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FEATURE PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

“INDECENT” INTERVIEW PAGE 31 Q PUZZLE: PAGE 32

FAMILY PORTRAIT: PAGE 37

FILM REVIEW: PAGE 32

DINING OUT: PAGE 36

ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS: PAGE 30

Expect more than candles and cake from Whitman at 200 By A.D. Amorosi PGN Contributor Much is to celebrate when it comes to Camden-born Walt Whitman — naturalist, poet, activist, journalist, humanist, transcendentalist, realist, the father of free verse and one of America’s first LGBTQ icons. Though the Whitman at 200 program started at the beginning of 2019, the month of May is central to the celebration, as Whitman’s birthday is May 31. “A number of programs underscore Whitman’s importance as a forerunner to gender studies and LGBTQ issues,” said Whitman at 200 head Judith Tannenbaum. One such event, Whitman Vignettes: Camden and Philadelphia – an exhibition by Penn Libraries, steered by project director Lynn Farrington, covers the last two decades of Whitman’s life and includes Anne Gilchrist’s “romantic, yet unrequited love” for Whitman, his preference for her son, and what Mr. Leaves of Grass represented to heterosexual women during that time period. Whitman’s correspondence

THE ENSEMBLE, “CONTRADICT THIS”

with Gilchrist and her family is an important piece of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries’ Whitman Collection. “Whitman’s poetry recognized women as sexual beings, something that resonated with Gilchrist, whose marriage — she was widowed at a young age and left to raise four children — emulated Victorian views that men were sexual beings and women were nurturers whose bodies were intended to give, but not necessarily get, pleasure from sexual encounters,” noted Farrington. After she read “Leaves of Grass,” Gilchrist thought she had found in Whitman a soul mate. Instead, it was Gilchrist’s son, Herbert — an artist who read and admired Whitman’s poetry — to whom the Camden author was drawn. The exhibition follows the trajectory of the trio’s letters and the wrought emotions they caused. Another event, Tom Wilson Weinberg’s “Oscar Visits Walt,” concerns the meeting of Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman. Wilson Weinberg paints the two brilliant poets at a crossroads — the former, at age 27, hadn’t published anything of sub-

Photo: Plate 3

stance and was known only for his participation in the aesthetic movement, his attire and his wit. “Sixty-two, frail and feisty, was Walt,” said Wilson Weinberg. “They spar, they dish, they jest, they show off to each other. Wilde was a social snob and Whitman was a lower-case emocrat, a poet of the people. The events in the play, sung and spoken, are heavy and light, stand-offish and très flirtatious. The two meet with different needs and expectations of each other. The actors and the audience and I are flies on the wall. We watch and listen as these two dudes work it out.” Wilson Weinberg said he envisioned this one-act piece as both an admirer of “Leaves of Grass” and also as someone who didn’t find Whitman particularly heroic. “The poet and the poetry are flawed, which appeals to me greatly,” said the queer playwright. “Whitman revised ‘Leaves of Grass’ over and over for OSCAR VISITS WALT, FEATURING 40 years, and it still reads like a first ANDREW BOYASK AND CALEB J. TRACY Photo: Kevin Broad draft. The book’s astonishing words, phrases and verses, its boastfulness to our advantage.” and its candor, are thrilling.” Whitman is a flawed hero. With a For John Jarboe, Artistic-Directing funeral, birthday, and trial, onlookcofounder of the always-outrageous ers can celebrate, call out or put to Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Whitman rest the iconic literary figure. They was an ancestor, “a sort of queer pro- can revel in the artistic freedom genitor.” and real-time collaboration afforded “I was drawn not to the expansionist by the Beards — all 11 members Whitman or even the nurse Whitman, and guest/longtime associate Mary but to the animist Whitman, the one Tuomanen. who combines sexuality, spiritual “This piece is massive and full of ity and nature. I also loved his wild spectacle,” said Jarboe. “It starts ‘Calamus’ poems for obvious rea- looking like a birthday party, a big sons,” said Jarboe. birthday party, and like a birthday party In BLC’s commissioned queer cab- we will have presents and cake — and aret, “Contradict This!: A birthday unison dancing and opera singing, and funeral for heroes,” the group plays a choir, lots of puns and, of course, a with Whitman’s famed lines, “Do I wish. We hope that audience members contradict myself? / Very well then leave with some joy and with a sense I contradict myself, / (I am large, I that they are not alone in their need.” contain multitudes.).” BLC “woos With many other events, 2019’s celthe audience with a birthday party, ebration of Whitman is only beginning. and gives them a trial instead.” Whitman at 200 tackled an almost insur “The great thing about this com- mountable feat, and is offering a yearlong mission is that we are part of a whole dedication to a flawed but famous, Walt festival offering a diverse array Whitman. of responses to Whitman,” Jarboe added. “However, many people are For all dates, times, locations and prices,visit thinking of it as merely a celebration www.whitmanat200.org/. n of Whitman. We are going to use that

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT PGNLISTINGS

Pop-up gallery centers on queer black and brown voices By Alex Smith PGN Contributor In a storefront cozily tucked into a nook on West Philly’s Baltimore Avenue, a former tattoo shop now serves as a nurturing space for LGBTQ artists and activists of color. MOVES Gallery is enriched with work

brown queer people to manifest and reflect, to hopefully lead to greater success.” The space opened April 27 with performances that included Ashley Davis, DJ Jamz and Hyped-Up Reese and art from Hamilton and Mshinda, as well as Jaq Masters and Naima Merella. With the kinetic energy of an open-mic poetry slam but the intention of centering voices that often get misunderstood and underserved, the opening set the

Theater & Arts Arte Povera: Homage to Amalfi ’68 Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition recreating one artist’s reactionary exhibition against minimalism and pop art, through July, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Civil War Stories Walnut Street Theatre presentsa show featuring a cast of actors/musicians immersing the audience in stories of real people from both sides of the USA’s most divisive conflict, through May 26, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550.

John Witherspoon The comedian seen in “Friday” and “The Boondocks” performs May 24-26 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215496-9001. Mimi Imfurst Presents Drag Diva Brunch Mimi Imfurst and special guests perform 11 a.m.-2 p.m. May 25 at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.; 215-606-6555. Minors Lantern Theater Company presents a compelling new work of musical theater that gives voice to the families who fought back against a corrupt political machine turning children into commodities, through June 30 at St. Stephen’s Theater, 923 Ludlow St.; 215-829-0395.

experiences of everyday Americans in the 1930s-40s, through July 24, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Weeding Out The Stoned The cannabis-infused comedy show wherein the audience tries to figure out which of the performers isn’t stoned, 8:30 p.m. May 31 at Good Good Comedy Theater, 215 N. 11th St.; 215-399-1279. Whitman, Alabama Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition bringing Walt Whitman’s poem, “Song of Myself” to life through the voices of Alabama residents, through June 9, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

PRETTY SHREWD IN PINK: Walnut Street Theatre is presenting “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” based on the hit-comedy movie and novel about a SoCal sorority girl who takes on the establishment and defies expectations as a law student, through July 14, 825 Walnut St. For more information or tickets call, 215-574-3550.

from black women artists such as Kara Mshinda, whose dense collages evocatively depict distorted faces in an avalanche of newspaper clippings, frayed and affected tissue paper and other ephemera; and Jasmine Hamilton, whose art features striking, spectrally melanated bodies in empowering poses. While these depictions are serious, there’s an air of playfulness and unbridled joy in the space — a loungy black couch acts as the centerpiece as is flanked by art tables and supplies. Photos of queer black and brown bodies in motion adorn the walls. Among them are radical trans activist Marsha P Johnson and singer Grace Jones. MOVES was inspired by other blackowned art spaces like Urban Art Gallery, Art Department and Life Do Grow Urban Farm, whose joint venture party JUICE has been successfully carving out space for marginalized audiences to dance, feel free and heal through music and art. According to MOVES co-director Daiyon Kpou, the idea behind the gallery is to “create an affirming space for black and

tone for meeting MOVES’ core goals. As a pop-up, MOVES is set to close June 15, but while in West Philadelphia, according to Kpou, the gallery wants to present African-American art “as a means to reclaim space in the face of gentrification.” Events still on the calendar include the Womanist Working Collective’s Replenish: Black Joy Healing Space, designed to connect art to cultural healing and joy for black women; Tea and Tunes curated by Merella on May 26 to celebrate QTPOC healing through herbs and music; and a film festival featuring shorts from black auteurs. A quick walk up and down Baltimore Ave., and it’s clear that the area has changed — from a self-sustaining, mostly black neighborhood to one where hip fusion restaurants and crystals have taken over. However, the MOVES Gallery, even if temporary, provides a nurturing space for queer black arts. n MOVES Gallery is located at 4920 Baltimore Ave. For more information visit movesphilly.com.

Heather McDonald The comedian seen on “Chelsea Lately” performs May 24-26 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215496-9001. The Impressionist’s Eye Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition featuring the works of Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, Vincent van Gogh and others, through Aug. 18, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Indecent Arden Theatre Company presents Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel’s critically acclaimed plays with music, about the creation of the controversial Yiddish play “God of Vengeance,” through June 23, 40 N. Second St.; 215-922-1122.

New Chinese Galleries Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring 4,000 years of Chinese art, through summer, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Queer Bait: The 180 BPM Tour Philly alt-comedy duo Rose Luardo and Shannon Fahey perform a high-fashion comedy spectacular, 10 p.m. May 25 at Good Good Comedy Theater, 215 N. 11th St.; 215-399-1279. We the People: American Prints from Between the World Wars Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of prints depicting the good times, hard times and wartime

Yoshitoshi: Spirit and Spectacle Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition featuring the brilliant colors and spirited lines of Yoshitoshi, the last great master of the traditional Japanese woodblock print, through Aug. 18, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

Music Slayer The metal band plays a farewell performance, 6 p.m. May 24 at BB&T Pavilion, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 856-3651300.

ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

The Amy Ray Band The out Indigo Girls singer and her band perform 8 p.m. May 24 at World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-2221400. Billy Joel The pop-rock singer performs 8 p.m. May 24 at Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way; 215463-1000. The Smithereens with guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw The rock band performs 8 p.m. May 25 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

performs 8 p.m. May 30 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215922-1011. David Gray The British singersongwriter performs 8 p.m. May 31 at The Met, 858 N. Broad St.; info@ TheMetPhilly.com.

Nightlife Problematic Effervescence, Poochie, Miss Troy and Rita Brujeria perform on this first-anniversary show, 7 p.m. May 25 at L’Etage, 624 S. Sixth St.; 215592-0696.

The Dirty Dozen The action film is screened 1:30 p.m. May 26 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-9171228. Led Zeppelin 2 The tribute band performs 8 p.m. May 26 at The Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 202-730-3331. Robert Klein The comedian and actor seen on “Will & Grace” performs 8 p.m. May 31 at Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol; 215-7850100.

GRUNGE GODDESSES: L7, a group of influential alternative rockers, is back in action with new album, “Scatter the Rats” and a national tour that finds the band scurrying into Philly 8:30 p.m. May 29 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St. For more information or tickets, call 215-232-2100.

The Who The classic rock band performs 8 p.m. May 25 at Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way; 215463-1000. Apocalyptica The hard-rock cellist group performs 8 p.m. May 29 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650. L7 The alt-rock band performs 8:30 p.m. May 29 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215232-2100. Duff McKagan The rock musician and Gun N’ Roses member

Tri-Curious The drag and burlesque show returns, 9 p.m. May 25 at Tabu, 254 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675.

Outta Town Untitled Project #213 Theatre Horizon presents a heartfelt story of learning how to carry on when true love goes missing, May 31June 2, 401 N. Dekalb St., Norristown. 610-283-2230. Louie Anderson The comedian and actor seen on “Baskets” performs 7 p.m. May 25 at Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol; 215-785-0100.

Big Gay Motorcycle Weekend Rainbow Mountain hosts the popular annual event, May 31-June 2, 210 Mount Nebo Road, East Stroudsburg; 570-2238484. n

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

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

A queer Jewish tale By A.D. Amorosi PGN Contributor It is hard to imagine Paula Vogel’s “Indecent” set to music. The tale of Jewish playwright Sholem Asch’s controversial Broadway debut, “God of Vengeance” and the illicit lesbian love affair contained within is so fraught with angst that crowding the play with music is risky. But Arden Theatre’s score of incidental klezmer music celebrates Yiddish culture and adds depth to the already astounding work. “Indecent” director Rebecca Wright speaks to PGN about the transcendent theatrical work, beginning with her thoughts on Pulitzer Prize winner and out lesbian, Paula Vogel. PGN: What is your overall take on Vogel? What makes “Indecent” incandescent and different from the pack? RW: She’s definitely influenced a generation of American playwrights as a teacher. I appreciate how dedicated she is to creating scripts that invite practitioners into the process. Her famous stage direction “She turns into an almond” from “Melancholy Play” is a prime example of this: How do you do that on stage? Who knows! You’re invited, as the director, actor, team of people making the production, to figure it out. “How I Learned to Drive” and “Baltimore Waltz” were very important plays to me when I was young. And so it’s been lovely to finally get to work on one of her plays — to spend time puzzling it out with an ensemble and a design team. “Indecent” very much reads to me like the record of somebody’s devising process, and I love scripts like this. You can tell that a group of people were figuring stuff out in the room and your job is to read between the lines and get a sense of what prompts they were giving themselves, so you can connect with the spirit of the impulses that led to the particular choices. PGN: How did you internalize all of that? RW: I connect personally with the subject matter — as a theater practitioner, as a Jewish person descended from Eastern European Jewish immigrants and as a woman. PGN: Vogel has been quoted saying that Sholem Asch’s play “God of Vengeance” positioned “that Jews are no different than Catholics or Buddhists or people of any religion, in terms of having people in the tribe who may sell religion for a profit, or who are hypocrites.” How do you play with this notion? RW: Oh, this is so interesting. I haven’t read this quote from her, though she does put this idea in the mouth of Eugene O’Neill in the play, who makes a brief cameo. I think because this play so devotedly depicts Jewish characters who are artists, writers, scholars — the literati, the intelligentsia, the bohemians of a forgotten age — it invites us to

consider Jewish heritage more broadly than just the dominant givens of religious practices, the more recent history of World War II, and the state of Israel. To some, these characters might seem very unusual or unexpected. But most of the people we meet in the play are Jewish, and so I think it asks us to consider the relationship between religion and identity, the nature of religion in shaping identity and culture, the tricky business of articulating religious ethnicity and so forth. Jewishness in the play has much to do with immigration and the language of Yiddish, and I think the themes of immigration and cultural erasure are very pertinent to our con-

MICHAELA SHUCHMAN AND LEAH WALTON temporary political moment. In the end, it is these enduring themes — and the mourning of a lost language, and therefore a lost cannon — that animate the bones of the play. PGN: How does the play’s lesbian storyline fuel the action of “Indecent” for you and your crew? RW: It’s amazing and mind-boggling and beautiful that someone wrote a play featuring a lesbian love story in 1906. It’s impossible to work on “Indecent” without being moved and floored by “God of Vengeance.” We read through it out loud on the first day of rehearsal and were all kind of blown away at how gripping and provocative it still is. The characters are so complex. The questions are so deep, and the love-story storyline is so tenderly crafted. I think because so much of queer history has been subaltern, young queer people are often cut off from it. Like other radical histories, it takes some digging to find. It’s not necessarily going to be part of the dominant narrative, which is a straight, cis, white, male, Christian, Euro-centric narrative. For those of us who want a world where a more polyvocal, multiplicitous history is told, “Indecent” makes a real contribution by amplifying the story of this early 20th-century queer play. PGN: And what, in your opinion, makes it so contemporary? RW: It’s an ensemble-cast piece about immigration, censorship, cultural erasure, LGBTQplus identity, and the politics of representation. I’d call that a pretty contemporary collection of themes. Moreover, it’s about the enduring transformative power of love and art — a meaningful claim that people can come together and make something powerful and beautiful even in very dark times. n “Indecent” runs May 22-June 23. For more information and tickets, visit ardentheatre.org.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

FILM PGN

‘Booksmart’ is a whipsmart comedy By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor Offering dozens of belly laughs, “Booksmart” is an absolutely hilarious highschool comedy, opening May 24 in area theaters. The feature directorial debut of actor Olivia Wilde, the film focuses on two best friends on the day before they graduate high school. Molly (Beanie Feldstein) is the valedictorian who remedies graffiti on the bathroom wall. Her best friend is Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), who came out two years ago but has still never kissed a girl. These two overachievers may be intelligent, but they lack social skills. They look down on their classmates, such as Triple A (Molly Gordon), who got her nickname for scandalous roadside behavior, and they can barely tolerate the obnoxious Jared (Skyler Gisondo) or his wacky friend Gigi (Billie Lourd). Moreover, Molly is reluctant to admit she’s crushing on the irresponsible Nick (Mason Gooding), while Amy lusts after the enigmatic Ryan (Victoria Ruesga).

BEANIE FELDSTEIN AS MOLLY AND KAITLYN DEVER AS AMY. Photo: Francois Duhamel / Annapurna Pictures

When Molly learns Triple A is attending the same college in New Haven that she is in the fall, she realizes that four years of studying while her peers were partying may not have been the wisest decision. So, Molly and Amy decide to make up for all the fun they missed in one night. The girls plan to crash Nick’s blowout party — if only they can find out where it is. “Booksmart” is not high-concept, but it is aware of itself and funny. A frustration comedy of sorts, it’s the kind of coming-of-age film where the likable nerdy and obnoxious characters learn life lessons. They also discover secrets that change their thinking, making new memories and impressions in the process. The teens’ journey through the night is fraught with weird and often-raunchy situations. A very funny sequence in a Lyft involves a lesbian pornographic video — Molly was showing it to Amy for “educational purposes,” of course — with amusing jokes involving masturbation, as well as

vomit and body orifices. But “Booksmart” is also quite poignant. The two best friends are supportive of one another, and the messages of feminism are valuable. Molly and Amy find strength in each other when things don’t go according to plan. Real emotion is had when a setback or heartbreak occurs. The film also makes Amy’s story quite touching as she goes from a shy, gawky teen to an empowered young woman. Her inexperience and inhibitions, especially around Ryan, are awkward and sweet. One of the film’s highlights involves Amy’s unexpected sexual encounter with one of her classmates in a bathroom. (To describe it further would ruin the magic of the scene). Still, laughs are had throughout, like when Molly and Amy’s gay classmates, George (Noah Galvin) and Alan (Austin Crute), the drama guys, camp it up in school, at a party, or when singing karaoke. The film is refreshing and thoughtful as the queer teens are as accepted as everyone else. “Booksmart” benefits from the airtight script — credited to four female screenwriters — which is clever and never smug or smarmy. Some of the lines are downright hysterical, as when Molly or Amy drop the name “Malala” with delicious, deadpan timing. With no wasted moments, the main characters go from encounter to encounter, moving the story forward with little clues that pay comic gold dividends later. Witty nerdy sight gags range from a character playing the harpsichord to the sign on Amy’s bedroom door that reads, “A Room of One’s Own.” In addition, one pricelessly funny sequence has Amy and Molly, tripping on psychedelics, envisioning themselves as animated dolls (that are not anatomically correct). “Booksmart” may poke fun at the characters, puncturing their egos and showing that everyone has moments of insecurity, but the film is never truly mean. Even if the characters are built on stereotypes, they feel authentic. The actors lean into their roles in ways that enhance them for comic effect. Feldstein is terrific as control-freak Molly. She injects her character with just the right amount of superiority to make her come-uppance hurt, and she aggressively show her peers she can break the rules and be fun. Dever is equally strong, making Amy relatable as she endures a night that takes her way out of her comfort zone. The friendship between them is never forced, and the actors have great chemistry together. The supporting cast is also wonderful with Lourd, whose character Gigi keeps popping up out of nowhere, talking sense before doing something completely reckless and irrational. “Booksmart” is a great teen comedy. Its message about knowing oneself — and others — is never preachy. Wilde delivers in a way that will leave viewers laughing. n

Q Puzzle Nonbinary Across

1 Rainbow banner 5 Mops a pirate ship deck 10 Panhandler’s confession? 14 Gay activist Chaz 15 Eagle on a par five 16 Lacking manners 17 _Firebird_ composer Stravinsky 18 Enjoying a hottie from afar 19 Healthy ___ ox 20 With 22-Across, series with Sheridan Pierce 22 See 20-Across 23 Beneath contempt 24 D. Feinstein’s title 25 Had dinner at home 28 Nancy Botwin’s older son 32 Always, to Emily Dickinson 35 Port in Scotland 37 Series with Yael Baron 39 Russian gymnast Korbut 40 Witherspoon, who played Elle 42 Comparison phrase 43 Series with Asia Kate Dillon 45 Castro, in San Francisco 47 Air quality watchdog org. 48 Lorca’s shore

50 Boneheads 51 Last in a series 53 New York gay magazine, once 55 Series with Ser Anzoategui 57 Series with Izzy Stannard 62 Bad day for Caesar 63 Part of UHF 64 “The Music Man” setting 66 Employment extra 67 Beat at chess 68 “Three Tall Women,” for one 69 Abuse orally 70 Precipitates material for balls 71 Satisfy fully

Down

1 G-man employer 2 HRC’s equal sign, e.g. 3 At once, to queens of old 4 Myra Breckinridge author 5 One way to get to second base 6 “Now that you mention it...” 7 Diva’s piece 8 Not straight 9 Nintendo rival 10 About to blow 11 The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce promotes them 12 Big cheese in Amsterdam

13 Drag queen ___ Pool 21 Sup in style 24 Georgia once, but not O’Keeffe 25 Reader computer program 26 Bulb from Holland 27 New ___ (many Connecticut Sun fans) 29 That is, to Caligula 30 “ ___ Mis” 31 Misrepresented stats, perhaps 33 First name in makeup 34 Stonewall disturbances 36 Switch suffix 38 Places for Amelia Earhart to land 41 Print measures 44 I, to Rilke 46 Jodie Foster’s “___

Driver” 49 Writer Tobias 52 Blow job and and other jobs 54 “Great balls of fire!” 55 W.H. Auden and k.d. lang 56 Nonheterosexual conception 57 Eats without one’s dentures 58 “The Good Earth” heroine 59 Palindromic fellow 60 Marlene’s “Blue Angel” role 61 Hit flies 65 Always, to Shakespeare 56 ___ UP (advocacy org.) 57 Cries of surprise 56 Cruising locale

DANCE PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

Circus dance company revisits acclaimed performance piece

Photo: Elyssa Goodman

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com The award-winning Almanac Dance Circus Theatre is returning to Philly to revive an incarnation of its acclaimed show, “Communitas,” through May 26. The show is a wordless acrobatic performance telling the story of the founding of a society in which all members are equals. We can dream, cant we? Out performer and founding company member Ben Grinberg said the version of the show that Almanac is performing now has evolved from what the company originally created that took over North America. “We premiered the show in May 2014 and then toured a version of that show that was pretty much the same until the summer of 2016,” Grinberg said. “Then we stopped performing the show for about three years. This is our first reimagining of it since then. It’s 85 percent a new show now because we are working with only two of the original four cast members, and also brand new live musicians. It feels like it’s a pretty different show, but its built on some really deep and lasting relationships that have been emerging over the last five years.” The founder added that the “artistry and technical skill have been maturing.” The show has the same concept as they had originally conceived, but the content has changed.

Because the show expresses itself through music and movement, it can mean different things to different people, Grinberg added. “We have some pretty risky partner acrobatics that require a lot of trust and a lot of support,” he said. “I think that there’s obviously some pretty huge themes that come in layers.” A wordless piece, “it is about encounters, interactions and development of relationships, and the ways that we start to rely on each other and play with each other and emerge into conflict and get through that conflict.” Grinberg said he hopes audiences leave the performance with an enhanced appreciation of a collective sense of community. “We want to create an experience that’s completely legible, even through all of its idiosyncrasies. It’s a really moving show. By the end, I hope that people will have laughed pretty hard and seen the ways that we need to rely on each other when doing these risky physical things, and see those as a metaphor as the way that they need to rely on their own communities and we need to rely on our own communities, even in the community we are forming inside the theater on any given night.” n Almanac Dance Circus Theater performs “Communitas: Five Years Later,” through May 25 at Funicular Station, 416 West Coulter St. in Germantown, and a special encore performance 8 p.m. May 26 at Penn Treaty Park. For more information or tickets, visit www.thealmanac.us.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

PGN ART

‘I’m From Driftwood’ proves it: LGBTQ folks are everywhere By Gary L. Day PGN Contributor When Nathan Manske and his compatriots began their road trip on Sept. 4, 2010, they didn’t know exactly what to expect. They only knew there were people to meet and stories to record. When the 50-state tour wrapped up on Jan, 10, 2011, the work that would become the “I’m From Driftwood 50-state Story Tour” had only just begun. Now, after eight years, Manske and his people have put together a touring retrospective exhibit that explains its origins, highlights some of the people and locales visited and displays some artifacts and anecdotes accumulated from the journey. “I was inspired to create ‘I’m From Driftwood’ after seeing a photograph of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, riding on the hood of a car and holding a sign that read, ‘I’m From Woodmere, N.Y.’ The sign showed just how far people came to attend the 1978 San Francisco Gay Pride march, but it meant something

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mission statement reads, “‘I’m From Driftwood’ aims to help LGBTQ people learn more about their community, straight people learn more about their neighbors and everyone learn more about themselves through the power of storytelling and story sharing.” To that end, Manske managed to accumulate more than 10,000 photos, over 30 hours of audio recordings and a large array of video interviews. The exhibit has representative samplings of all of this. A large map detailing the routes the group took on each leg of their journey is included. The original tour was done in four legs, and in order to achieve their 50-state deal, sometimes the group had to cover thousands of miles in the course of a week. A kind of gay travelogue, the exhibit was displayed in the ballroom of the William Way LGBT Community Center for a one-night-only showing. Perhaps the most interesting artifacts on display were the pink cowboy boots. Early on, Manske wanted to find something that would serve as a symbolic identifier for the tour. He settled on the boots as both some-

NATHAN MANSKE (RIGHT) WITH AN UNIDENTIFIED FRIEND AND THE PINK BOOTS, IN A CORNFIELD OUTSIDE OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA more to me: It meant that there are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in every small town and every big city across America and the world,” said Mankse. “I was thinking about that photo the morning after watching ‘Milk,’ the biopic of Harvey Milk written by Dustin Lance Black. Harvey’s from Woodmere, New York; I’m from Driftwood, Texas.” The intent of the “I’m from Driftwood” tour was to meet LGBT people in all 50 states, to document their lives and, as much as possible, record their stories. The project’s

thing whimsically gay, and appropriately symbolic of the LGBT American stories being recorded. The boots became the tour’s unofficial mascot, and the group made a point of taking a photograph with them wherever they stopped. The “I’m from Driftwood” tour hopes to publicize the ongoing archival and historical work of the project. n For the entire story and video archive, visit imfromdriftwood.com.

SCENEPGN IN PHILLY

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

A PHOTO REVIEW OF THE 2019

PRIMARY ELECTION 1

3 1- CELEBRATING THE MAYOR’S PRIMARY VICTORY 2- ELIZABETH COFFEE WILLIAMS, HENRY SIAS AND HIS DOUGHNUTS 3- MATTHEW FLASCHEN, GABRIEL HOHMANN, CRYSTAL CHEEPUDOM, DEJA LYNN ALVAREZ, MARIEL J. K. MARTIN AND JOHN BRADY 4- VOLUNTEERS AT THE POLLS AT THE JOHN C. ANDERSON APARTMENTS, JULIAN DOMANICO, ANGEL BETANCOURT AND MICAH MAHJOUBIAN 5- WATCHING THE POLLS 6- PA STATE REP. MALCOLM KENYATTA 7- JOHN BRADY, POLITICAL DIRECTOR FOR VOTE FOR ALVAREZ CAMPAIGN 8- STATE REP. MALCOLM KENYATTA, MAYOR JIM KENNEY AND COUNCILWOMAN CHERELLE PARKER CELEBRATE KENNEY’S VICTORY

PHOTOS BY KELLY BURKHARDT

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

has received seven SPJ Keystone Spotlight awards from the Society of Professional Journalists.

DINING PGNOUT

Blume bar and restaurant blooms in Rittenhouse

If you go The Common Blume 1500 Locust St. 267-761-5582 http://blumephilly.com/

SPJ KEYSTONE SPOTLIGHT Staff

First Place, Best Overall Newspaper

Adrianna Fraser

Third Place, News story “Philly’s first out trans police officer buried as a man”

Scott A. Drake

Second Place, Photo Essay 2018 Pride

Kristen Demilio

Second Place, Online Breaking News “Upscale Cancun resort rejects same-sex wedding”

Scott A. Drake

Third Place, News Photography “Freedom of Assembly”

Victoria Brownworth

Third Place, Health & Medical Reporting “Wave of Aging”

PGN is the most award-winning LGBT newspaper in the country.

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com A vibrant and colorful addition to the Rittenhouse neighborhood, Blume offers a feast for the senses the minute you step through the door. The bar/restaurant has a striking decor that overflows with plants, moody neonpink lighting, psychedelic butterfly artistic motifs and youthful energy. As a result, the tables on a weeknight are packed with those who presumably have ever owned a pair of yoga pants, a henna tattoo kit or a Mariah Carey album. The bar menu boasts a nice selection of local beers and wines. The food menu seems to have the modus operandi of taking classic items and finding unique and bold ways to twist the familiar. The best example of this are the deviled eggs ($6), which have a healthy portion of lobster meat and roe sunk into the filling — and it’s the best thing ever. Blume found the perfect place to add lobster, unlike many new establishments that sink it into mac and cheese where its subtle flavor and texture almost always get lost. Vegetarians can delight in the blistered shishitos and green beans ($10), a dish that works well enough on its own

Mon.-Thurs. 4-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.: noon-midnight Sun.: noon-11 p.m.

but can be amped up by the chili sauce and soy miso aoli served on the side. The Kung Pao calamari ($12) takes a familiar seafood starter and gives it a complex makeover with peanuts, chilis and a sweet glaze. Blume’s formula works, for the most part, but in one instance instead of reinventing a dish, the chef created something completely different. The bahn mi sandwich ($12), while tasty, barely feels like a bahn mi because Korean fried chicken with a thick and sweet glaze was substituted as the main protein. While it plays well with the jalapeños on the sandwich, it overpowers the crispness and flavor of the vegetables and the cilantro that would normally shine with a traditional protein like juicy, thinly sliced beef or pork. So, while delicious, it feels more like you are eating a General Tso’s chicken sandwich that a bahn mi. It’s a small nitpicky issue but significant all the same. Blume seems well on its way to becoming a hot spot in the Rittenhouse area, and after sampling the drink and food menus, we can understand why. The aesthetic, along with a pleasing selection of libations and noshes, makes the venue stand out in such a competitive part of the city. n

PGN PROFILE

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

Suzi Nash

Marc Dickstein: From advertising to advising The Independence Business Association is a great source for organizations and companies in the greater Philadelphia area. I was perusing IBA’s website when one company jumped out at me, “Out in Tech.” One look at their website and I wanted to find out more. Under core values, the company listed: Kindness (to one another, on- and offline); knowledge (timely and thought-provoking content); belonging (events for the full LGBTQ+ spectrum, and those who love us); and joy (we take your time and our community seriously, not ourselves). I located the organization’s founder, Marc Dickstein, and had a chat about joy and what brings it to him these days. PGN: Where do you hail from? MD: I’m from Scranton — well, actually, Clark Summit, Pennsylvania. Ever since skater Adam Rippon hit the scene at the Olympics, I’m able to get some recognition for Clark Summit, which I have to say beats mentioning Scranton and having everyone say, “Ah yes, ‘The Office.’” Adam’s really changed the game. PGN: That Adam is fabulous! Tell me a little about the family. MD: I’m the product of high-school sweethearts. My parents are still married and still living in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I grew up in a happy family. I have one older brother named Eric who lives in Philadelphia with his wife, so we’re all reasonably close. I grew up in Clark Summit, went to Penn for undergrad. I loved it — it’s when I fell in love with Philly. After that, I moved to New York City where I spent about 10 years before moving to San Francisco, and then returned to Philly about a year ago. But I’m probably getting ahead of you and your flow. PGN: No worries. Were you an athlete like Mr. Rippon? MD: [Laughs] Most definitely not! I am a broad-shouldered man of 6-foot-4, so most people assume I played football or rugby or even ice hockey, but I did none of those things. I did play some tennis and a little bit of soccer and basketball, but I would hardly have described myself as an athlete. PGN: Ah. How would you have described yourself? MD: I was very social; I loved creating opportunities for people to come together. I wouldn’t have described it as this at the time, but I was all about creating and investing in community. In grade school and high school, I was all about bringing people together from different clubs, different groups and walks of life to have a good time and learn from each other. Even the fraternity I ended up joining at

Penn was a voluntarily diverse group of students. At Penn, of course, there’s an incredible amount of diversity, but for better or worse, it’s a natural inclination for people to self-segregate. But I wanted to make the most out of being in a diverse community and be a part of bringing different people together. That theme continued both professionally and personally after Penn, most notably through “Out in Tech,” which is a global LGBTQ nonprofit that I cofounded in 2014. PGN: [Laughing] OK, now you are jumping ahead. So, as a kid you liked bringing different people together. How did you do that? Party at Marc’s house? MD: Actually, yes! It started with my birthday. I recognized early on that a party would be a good opportunity to bring different friend groups together. PGN: So you weren’t an athlete. Were you a tech nerd? MD: That’s a good question. Not necessarily. I was sort of a blend between a social butterfly and nerd. I walked the line. I think I benefited from going to a public school where it was possible to be all things. You could study and get good grades and have fun and be sociable, and it was all cool. PGN: What did you study at Penn? MD: Communications and marketing. I had the phenomenal opportunity to speak at the Annenberg School’s graduation ceremony when I graduated, and the prompt they gave me was to discuss the most important things I learned, which was somewhat amusing because “communications” is considered a little light as an academic major. So in the speech, I said that while we may have learned nothing but “things and stuff,” what we really learned was how to learn. I’m probably part of the last generation to use microfiche and the Dewey Decimal System before everything shifted toward everything being online. PGN: What was your first job out of school? MD: I worked as a recruiter for a retail store called Steve and Barry’s. It was started right on Penn’s campus, and they sold college-branded gear: Penn hoodies and T-shirts, etc., at a fraction of the costs of the college bookstore, since college bookstores are notorious for ridiculously gouging prices. They opened up shops all over the country at or nearby campuses. I took a role running the recruiting program; they’d grown from about 75 stores to over 200 in a short amount of time. It was an exciting time, and I got to travel all over. Here I was a student not more than a year ago, and now I was helping people find opportunities for themselves. We had

30-40 different functions to recruit for, and it was amazing to be able to help people find passions. PGN: And to have that power at such a young age. MD: Yes, that too. PGN: First job ever? MD: I worked in the samples department of my father’s hat company — Jacobson’s Hat Company. They manufactured and imported all sorts of hats, lots of novelty hats sold in zoos and theme parks. My department sent samples to salespeople all over the world and it was fun. PGN: What’s the farthest you’ve traveled? MD: Australia. I went there for my honeymoon in 2018. PGN: What was your craziest travel adventure? MD: I was rescued out of the water by a

helicopter in Brazil, a cautionary tale about the dangers of sneaky undercurrents — and that’s tied with having been bitten by a monkey in Mexico. I wasn’t comfortable going to an infirmary in rural Mexico, so I came back and went to the Penn Health Center and told them I’d been bitten by a monkey. They said, “Oh, you work in a lab?” I said, “No, it happened in Mexico” and they were not happy about that. They wrestled me off to do all sorts of testing. Fortunately everything was fine but this was right when the movie “Outbreak” had come out, so it was a little disturbing. PGN: When did you come out? MD: I was 26 — a little late — but it correlated with finally meeting some people for whom being gay wasn’t their defining characteristic. I suspected I’d be fine, but

it took meeting people who I could see myself in. People living vibrant lives with all sorts of wonderful things going on, with being gay just one of them. Before that, I think I was up against what media showed us and my own mind, as to what being gay was all about. Once I was able find a different understanding of what it could be and that I could have a life that was not only doable but would be thriving, I came out. PGN: And now you’re a married man. Where did you meet the hubby? MD: We met on his first day of work; I’d taken a job in the tech sector at an advertising technology startup in New York. I stayed there about six years and about halfway through, I met my husband, whose name is also Mark, but with a K. I met him on his first day. I was sitting in on his orientation program because I was developing one for my team, and there he was. I told myself that I was helping as a mentor fig-

ure, but it was soon clear that sparks were there on both sides. PGN: Your recruiting skills were still intact. MD: Exactly. Fortunately, while we were on the same team from an LGBT perspective, we weren’t on the same team at work, so there was no conflict. And despite the dangers of dating in the workplace, ours was a success story. PGN: What is advertising technology? MD: Basically it’s the technology that enables advertising to be bought and sold online in real time. PGN: Like the popups that come up on your screen? MD: Sort of. So the banner PAGE 38

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

The

Guide to the Gayborhood

The Philadelphia Gayborhood is roughly centered at Locust and Camac streets. Look for the rainbow street signs at intersections and remember to be aware of your surroundings wherever you go. Boxers

1330 Walnut St. facebook.com/ boxersphl Sports bar with a TVs, pool table, brick pizza oven, sports specials

1316 Walnut St. 215.546.8888 Festively lit women-owned bar complete with a “beer” pong table

1221 St. James St. 215.735.5772 voyeurnightclub.com After-hours private club; membership required

202 S. 13th St. 215.545.1893 woodysbar.com Includes attached Walnut Street bars Rosewood and GloBar

m <—

206 S Quince St. 215.627.1662 Levi Leather men’s bar; pool tables, second floor sports; basement has enforced dress code

Chancellor St.

St. James St.

m Locust St.

Manning St.

Quince St.

11th St.

Latimer St.

12th St.

<—

Camac St.

13th St.

The Bike Stop

Walnut St.

Juniper St.

Voyeur

Toasted Walnut Woody’s

m Spruce St.

Pa. bars close at 2 a.m. unless they have a private-club license. Please drink responsibly.

Cypress St.

Writer’s Block Rehab William Way 1342 Cypress St. 267.603.6960 A cozy, comfortable bar and lounge perfect for escaping the norm

Frankie Bradley’s

LGBT Community Center 1315 Spruce St. 215.732.2220 waygay.org A resource for all things LGBT

1320 Chancellor St. 215-735-0735 Resaturant, dance club, live performers and entertainment

<—

1220 Locust St. 215.546.6660 Relaxing corner bar, easy-going crowd, popular for happy hour and window watching

Tavern on Camac

<—

West of Broad Street The Attic Youth 1705 Chancellor St. Center Stir Lounge

215.732.2700 stirphilly.com Fun two-bar lounge, DJ in the back, regular poker games and specials

U Bar

255 S. 16th St. 215.545.4331 atticyouthcenter.org Safe space and programs for LGBTs age 16-23 weekday afternoons and evenings

255 S. Camac St. 215.545.8731 Piano lounge with upstairs dance floor; Tavern restaurant below is open late.

Knock

225 S. 12th St. 215.925.1166 knockphilly.com Fine-dining restaurant and bar, outdoor seating, piano in back room

Tabu

254 S. 12th St. 215.964.9675 tabuphilly.com Three floors with a dance floor,, drag shows, lounge and rootop deck.

Bar X 255 S. Camac St. Bar and dancefloor

PORTRAIT from page 37

stars — you name it.

ads and popups that appear on your screen that have to do with you are the result of an auction. Advertisers have decided in advance how much they’re willing to pay to show you their ad based on how well you meet their target. When you land on a webpage, an auction happens instantaneously and the winner of that auction is the ad you see. The technology that enables that to occur is the technology that our company provided.

PGN: Tech skills are so important. Do you do mentorship programs? MD: Yes, one of our missions is to inspire queer youth to enter the tech field. We have Out in Tech U, which pairs young people with mentors for an eight-week program that includes trips to cool tech companies like Spotify and Snapchat. It’s a free program, and we have the Out in Tech Coding Scholarship.

PGN: Wow. Tell me more — MD: Well, a lot of people are upset by that — it’s kind of creepy when you Google cars and, next thing you know, you’re getting emails from AAA and Goodyear, and it can be invasive. But at the same time, the reason that so many of the things you get on the Internet are free, like websites and search engines, are because of advertising. Ads on the Internet are never going away, so do you want to see ads that are completely irrelevant to you or do you want to see ads for things that you care about and that could be useful for you? So while I realize it can be disconcerting and personal data and information should be respected, there is an area where consumers and businesses can find common ground that is beneficial for all. And if it still bothers you, there are ways to opt out. PGN: So as a tech guy, when you get that “I agree to the terms and conditions” notice with 40 pages of fine print, do you sign it? MD: Ha! I do, I do. Sometimes if I have a moment, I’ll scan through it. I’m not even sure what I’m looking for, but I’ll do it anyway. But mostly I just blindly hit “agree” like everyone else. PGN: Why did you start Out in Tech? MD: When I first came out, I had no gay friends, and since I was new to the field, no real friends who worked in tech either, so I went from a life driven by community to a life and job where I really had no connections. I wanted to change that, so I connected with a few other out employees at our company, and we decided to do a social event to invite other tech people to meet each other. We reserved space at a bar in Hell’s Kitchen for about 30 people and put up a Facebook invitation hoping we’d get a few people to come out and network. We had close to 900 RSVPs. It was clear we were onto something, so we created a board and became a 501(C) nonprofit and away we went. We started producing events. At this point, we have over 25,000 members internationally and hold a huge conference in New York about every 18 months. PGN: That’s incredible! I saw that you had Don Lemon as the guest for one of your Out in Tech Talks. I had him host the Lambda Awards here in Philly when he was a budding reporter. MD: Yeah, we’ve had some incredible lecturers, businesspeople, activists and sports

PGN: Since you mentioned mentoring — that kind of segues into what you’re doing now. MD: Yes, I’ve actually left the tech world, and I now have a company called “Plus Marc.” Through my own coach that I utilized when I was switching careers, I realized that my passion was helping others achieve their goals and reach their potential. Finding a way to feel engaged and fulfilled in their personal and professional lives. So I now work as a leadership and career coach helping individuals and companies find ways to figure out the best paths for them to find what they’re passionate about, and how to align what they’re doing, either personally or professionally, with those values and goals. It was a pretty big jump from tech, but as soon as I took my certification course, I realized this was for me. Enabling people to learn how to get out of their own way and to navigate obstacles to be able to start a life that’s great instead of just fine or good enough. I love it. PGN: OK, random questions. Something you dislike that everyone else seems to enjoy? MD: A hot day at the beach. I’m all about the snow and cold. PGN: What time period would you go back to? MD: Oh, I would have liked to be part of the ’70s, specifically the ’70s in New York City. I know it’s a double-edged sword, but it seems like a dream. PGN: What’s the screensaver on your computer? MD: Our dog, Bubbie. She’s the best. A Miniature Schnauzer, she’s our little bearded lady. PGN: If I owned a racehorse or a boat, I would name it … MD: Soup Dumpling, for either. PGN: Secret talent? MD: I can make veggies taste good for anyone. I recently was volunteering for Vetri Community Partnership, teaching kids about produce — what it is, how to cook it, and ways to integrate vegetables into your life. I love to cook. The talent I secretly wish I had is to be able to sing with an a cappella group. I’ve never been formally trained but, on occasion, you may find me sneaking onto Penn’s campus to try to join some offbeat concert. n

OVEMENT DIRECTORY PGN

Classifieds

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

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

Real Estate Rent

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

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________________________________________43-2

Help Wanted CHIEF OF POLICE

Legal Notices Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, April Term, 2019, No. 1904046468. NOTICE is hereby given that

on April 29th 2019 the petition of Paige Isabella Mazeika

was filed, praying for a decree to change petitioner’s name to Adam Joseph Mazeika.

The Court has fixed June 11th at 11:00 A.M., in Courtroom No. 691, in Philadelphia City Hall as the time and place

for the hearing of said petition. All persons interested may

appear then and there and show cause, if they have any,

why the prayer of the said petition should not be granted. ________________________________________43-21

For Sale

City of Sunbury in Northumberland County is accepting

applications for the position of Full-Time Chief of Police. Deadline for application submission is June 14, 2019 at 4:00 PM. Salary range beginning at $80,000 with an ex-

cellent health and pension benefit package. Specific job

description, qualifications and Chief of Police application are available online at www.sunburypa.org or email jbarner@ sunburypa.org for more information. EOE.

pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976

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Get FAA approved hands on Aviation training. Financial

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Friends Men WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. ________________________________________43-24 Bruce, Philip and Michael, Please find Teddy Boy, King of Kings. Theodoremichael@hotmail.com 745 Cedar Street. Mqt 49855. _____________________________________________43-21 I am a 60 y old mixed race DL (Not Out) seeking a WM or PR male for friendship and companionship regularly. Please no one over 40 and no physical restrictions preferred. Please feel free to call 215-845-5117 or 267-339-5378. Serious inquires only please!!!! _____________________________________________43-21

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 24-30, 2019

PGN