PGN June 8-14, 2012 Pride by The Philadelphia Gay News

Wendy Williams Proud PAGE 71

Family Portrait: Suzi Nash (Yes, the writer!)

10 years of gay nights with the Philadelphia Phillies

PAGE 79

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June 8-14, 2012

Vol. 36 No. 23

Pope to visit Philly to promote ‘traditional’ marriage in 2015 By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

HALL OF HEALTH: Guests at the 11th annual Philadelphia TransHealth Conference took in the wealth of resources at the vendor hall June 1 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. About 2,500 people attended the multi-day conference, a program of Mazzoni Center, which featured more than 200 panel discussions and workshops, as well as opportunities for legal and medical professionals and social and entertainment outlets. Photo: Scott A. Drake

In three years, Philadelphia will host an international Catholic celebration — and the head of the Roman Catholic Church — for an event that will likely seek to empower supporters against marriage equality. The Vatican announced last weekend that the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection had been selected to host the 2015 World Meeting of Families, an international program that focuses on the preservation and development of the Catholic family unit. Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled

to attend. This will mark the first time the event has been held in the United States and the first papal visit to Philadelphia since 1979. The event is organized by the Pontifical Council for the Family, which, according to its website, is charged with pastoral care of the family and “defense of life,” as well as dealing with issues relating to sex education, “ethical and pastoral problems related to AIDS” and marriage-related legislation. In a statement released after the announcement, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput alluded to the topic of marriage equality playing a role in the

PA paper rejects, reinstates gay engagement

Prop. 8 cleared for Supreme Court By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A federal appellate court in California has paved the way for the much-embattled Proposition 8 to head to the U.S. Supreme Court. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday declined to review a February decision by a panel of its judges that upheld a lower court’s finding that PAGE 31

Fed. appeals court rules against DOMA By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The Defense of Marriage Act made its way one step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court last week. A federal appeals court in Massachusetts on May 31 declared that a portion of the law, which bans federal recognition of same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional — becoming the fifth federal court and first appellate court to do so. PAGE 31

event. “ T h e family is founded on a deep a n d l ov ing union between one man and one woman PGN FILE for mutual support and the nurturing of children,” Chaput said. “This meeting in Philadelphia will be a wonderful opportunity to highlight the family as the basic evangelizing unit of the church. Every effort to PAGE 63 promote mar-

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

COUNTDOWN TO PRIDE: Philly Pride Presents volunteers gathered at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing June 4 to map out their duties for this weekend’s Pride festival. About 80 volunteers got their assignments and scoped out their stations for Sunday’s event, which will run from noon-6 p.m. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Pride events Gayborhood Block Party: New Pride kickoff celebration with music, food and drink specials, 6-11 p.m. June 8 on 12th Street between Spruce and Walnut streets

A same-sex couple from Central Pennsylvania saw a sea of support last week after their local newspaper rejected a notice announcing their engagement. The Lancaster Sunday News, run by Lancaster Newspapers Inc., notified Brent Weaver and fiancé PAGE 57 Jeffrey Clouser, residents

FOR RELATED PRIDE COVERAGE SEE PAGES 52-54, 71-72, 74, 76, 78 Philadelphia Dyke March: Annual rally and march, meeting at 3 p.m. June 9 at Kahn Park, 11th and Pine streets

Homecoming: William Way LGBT Community Center fundraiser with dinner and entertainment, 6-10:30 p.m. June 9 at 1315 Spruce St.; tickets $35-$50

Pride Parade: More than 50 groups will step off at noon June 10 from 13th and Locust streets, then head down Locust to Seventh, over to Market and to Penn’s Landing.

Pride Festival: Featuring headliner Wendy Williams, food, drinks and vendors, noon-6 p.m. June 10 at Penn’s Landing’s Great Plaza; admission is $10

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

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PRIDE ISSUE

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

LONGTIME FIGHTER: Katie Dunphy (from left) and Tiffany Thompson presented Mazzoni Center education manager Louis Ortiz with the 2012 Kiyoshi Kuromiya Award for prevention work at the opening reception of Philadelphia FIGHT’s AIDS Education Month. About 250 people attended the event, held May 31 at The College of Physicians. The kickoff also included the presentation of awards to Dr. Jennifer Cohn and the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, as well as remarks by honorary chair District Attorney Seth Williams, state Sen. Vincent Hughes and his wife, activist Sheryl Lee Ralph. FIGHT will host AEM events throughout June. Photo: Scott A. Drake NEWS

International Media Trail Millennial Poz News Briefing Out Money

47 37 43 38 42

Contents

EDITORIAL/OP-ED

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

10 10 11 11 11

Which Pride event are you most excited about? Poll results from our online survey as of June 6:

19% 22% 25% 34%

The Friday night block party Homecoming at William Way The parade The festival at Penn’s Landing

Go to www.epgn.com to weigh in on this week’s question:

How would you make your engagement or wedding announcement? 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147-1506

For advertising inquiries: advertising@epgn.com or 215-625-8501 ext. 218.

Phone: 215-625-8501 Fax: 215-925-6437 E-mail: pgn@epgn.com Web: www.epgn.com

Advertising Director Dan Calhoun (ext. 218) dan@epgn.com

Publisher

Mark Segal (ext. 204) mark@epgn.com Editor

Sarah Blazucki (ext. 206) sarah@epgn.com Staff Writers Jen Colletta (ext. 215) jen@epgn.com Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) timothy@epgn.com

Advertising Manager Greg Dennis greg@epgn.com Advertising Sales Representatives Prab Sandhu prab@epgn.com National Advertising Rivendell Media: 212-242-6863 Office Manager/ Classifieds Don Pignolet (ext. 200) don@epgn.com

Art Director/Photographer Scott A. Drake (ext. 210) scott@epgn.com Graphic Artist Sean Dorn (ext. 211) sean@epgn.com Executive Assistant/ Billing Manager Carol Giunta (ext. 202) carol@epgn.com Philadelphia Gay News is a member of: The Associated Press Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Suburban Newspapers of America Published by Masco Communications Inc. © 2012 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-5155

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

PRIDE ISSUE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PAGE 5

New route, inclusion for Philly Dyke March By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Queer women of all identities will march through Philadelphia this weekend in their own show of pride, and this year will swell their ranks with allies. Philadelphia Dyke March supporters will gather at 3 p.m. June 9 at Kahn Park at 11th and Pine streets for a rally, which will be followed by the annual march at 4 p.m. Marchers will this year embark on a new route, which will be announced at the site. While the march was traditionally limited to women-identified participants in years past, PDM organizers this year sought more inclusion. “We want to get as many people who are allies to march with us in solidarity,” said organizer Morgan Levine. “Having the presence of all communities creates a space for us to be more empowered. So when we all can come together for dyke empowerment, it’s a powerful thing to see.” Levine said the event is expected to draw record numbers, with an attendance goal of 750, up from last year’s 500. Planning for the event began in March,

and support from across the LGBT community has poured in throughout the spring, Levine said. In addition to utilizing social media like Facebook, organizers have gotten the word out and raised funds for the event with initiatives like a happy hour at Tabu and with the support of groups like Liberty City Drag Kings & Burlesque and the Philly Roller Derby Girls. “We’ve seen great community support,” Levine said. “A lot of organizations have wanted to get involved and that’s really helped.” A host of lesbian activists and speakers will take the stage at the rally and will be joined by live performances from poets, drag artists and musicians. Topping this year’s entertainment lineup is Mr. Philly Gay Pride Rough Rydeher, Liberty City performers, singers Ami Verrill, Crystal Cheatham, Anessa LaRae and Cara McCartney and poet Jha D. The official after-party will be held at Arouse at Adesso, 1519 Walnut St., from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. For more information, search Philly DykeMarch on Facebook. ■

BEST OF PHILLY: Outgoing Delaware Valley Legacy Fund executive director John Moeller (fourth from left) congratulated the newly minted 2012 HEROES: Andi Rivera, Jeffrey Fishberger of Trevor Project, David Torres of Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, Morgan Levine and Amber Hikes of Stimulus Productions, Ari Flaks and Ronda Goldfein. The fourthannual event brought in $14,000, more than double last year’s profit, for the LGBT grantmaking agency. Photo: Scott A. Drake

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wellsfargo.com/lgbt

Wells Fargo Advisors is the trade name used by two separate registered broker-dealers: Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Members SIPC, non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company. Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor� is a service mark of the College for Financial Planning® © 2012 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. 719421 10.125x5.6 4c.indd 1

5/11/12 8:47 AM

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PRIDE ISSUE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

Local artists win group show at center By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Last month, LGBT artists from around the region competed for the chance to have their work showcased in a group exhibit next year at the William Way LGBT Community Center. Thirty-five pieces of artwork were submitted for consideration in a juried-art competition at the William Way LGBT Community Center, with 15 works eventually making it into the show — on display through June 29. The submissions were judged by Kaytie Johnson, director and chief curator of the Galleries at Moore at Moore College of Art & Design. Johnson eventually selected the works of Brett Kuri, Nicole Donnelly and Tom Sonnenberg for the top prize, and the trio will combine their talents to produce a wide-ranging artistic review in 2013. Brett Kuri “Malakye” Oil paint and mixed media Kuri, 26, is a native of Long Island, N.Y., who first moved to Philadelphia in 2004 to take classes at the University of the Arts. He left school two years later and headed back to the Empire State, where he earned a cosmetology degree. However, his love

MALAKYE

of art — starting with his first oil painting in the seventh grade — drew him back to UArts in 2010, and last month he completed his bachelor of fine arts. In creating “Malakye,” which was inspired in part by a break-up Kuri went through, he blew up a vintage photo of a gay couple found in “Dear Friends” and used paint to add his own interpretation and influence on the picture. “These photos are 3-4 inches and I started blowing them up to about six feet to see what that says both for the photo and for myself as the artist,” he said. “I synthesized this false reality world where these perfect, romantic situations exist where clearly they didn’t exist in my own life. And then the paint comes in to act as a veiling and shifts the space and figures.”

Learn about the adop�on process and hear from LGBT adop�ve parents at the

LGBT ADOPTION CAFÉ Thursday, September 20, 2012 5:30 PM—7:30 PM William Way Community Center, 1315 Spruce St., Phila. For more informa�on call Beth 267-443-1873 www.adopt.org

Kuri said he’s tried similar techniques with other vintage photos that tell stories of childhood and other experiences, some of which he may submit for next year’s show. He said he’s grateful that friends pushed him to submit “Malakye” to the center show. “I was really, really happy when I found out,” he said about learning he had won. “My friend, who volunteers at the center, and a professor of mine both came to my thesis show and kept telling me that if I didn’t try to get this work into this exhibition, they were going to do it for me. So they kept on me, and I’m really glad it worked out.” Nicole Donnelly “Pillar” Oil paint and acrylic Growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs, Donnelly said she was surrounded by an “art desert,” and it wasn’t until college that her interest in the art field was able to flourish. Now 31, Donnelly has a master’s in painting and drawing, and divides her time

PILLAR

between her own art and curating a private paint collection. In crafting “Pillar” last year, Donnelly relied on a practice she’d developed in the last few years to draw artistic inspiration from her everyday surroundings. “I started taking impressions from everything I’m exposed to so I feel as though I’ve acted as a filter,” she said. “I would take a half-hour walk to start my day and then arrive at the studio and just draw and not think a lot about the image I was making, but just allow it to develop, like you do with a Polaroid picture.” Donnelly’s “Pillar” was also influenced by her listening to National Public Radio which, at the time, was focusing heavily on the nuclear-reactor disaster in Japan. “The two nuclear reactors are in the background in the distance and the ladder

I think is the imaginary escape hatch,” she explained. “A lot of people call the figure in the foreground different things, but I think of it as tree trunks, or people see it as a human figure, that is frozen in time, segmented or separated from home.” Donnelly plans to submit older pieces as well as some yet-to-be-created work for the group show next year. Her art is also being shown June 14-Sept. 9 at Seaport Museum. Tom Sonnenberg “Unchained” Silk screen Artist and teacher Tom S o n n e n b e rg b eg a n s i l k screening decades ago and, after a lengthy hiatus, returned to the art form in 2007. “I took a class in silk screening a UNCHAINED few years ago and then just started doing it all the time again and it’s really worked out,” he said. “It’s the process that I like. I’m a real process-oriented person and love the art process.” A native of Wisconsin, Sonnenberg has lived in the city for more than two decades and has exhibited in an array of LGBT outlets, including a one-man show at William Way several years ago. Recently Sonnenberg has done a number of silk screens based off of photos he took of sculptures, both in Philadelphia and New York City. “Unchained,” which he created last year, depicts a sculpture by Maurince Sterne, “Welcoming to Freedom,” which stands on Kelly Drive. “The sculpture is of two men and they’re like giants, larger than life and they have chains around their arms,” Sonnenberg said. “It was very subtle, and I was attracted to the idea of breaking free. I think that piece was about finding freedom in America but mine is more about having the freedom to be whoever you want to be.” Sonneberg manipulated the color separation and utilized neons to emphasize the notion of individual freedom. He has also taken photos of heroic-type sculptures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and played with the concept of heroism by adding a layer of baroque and a layer of damask, finishing one in pink and another in beige. “It’s like combining heroism with interior decoration,” he joked. Sonnenberg is going to Italy later this month, where he plans to draw inspiration for new work, which could be used for next year’s show. ■

PRIDE ISSUE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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After HEROES success, DVLF head to step down By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Guests at Delaware Valley Legacy Fund’s HEROES fundraiser last weekend raised a glass to an array of community leaders, including the agency’s executive director, who announced at the event that he is departing the organization. DVLF head John Moeller will serve his last day June 8, ending a year-and-a-half run in the position. Mark Dann, a mentor for DVLF’s Distinctive Officers program, will take over as interim executive director. Moeller, 33, will begin as vice president of external affairs at Planned Parenthood Northeast and Mid-Penn June 11, a position for which he was recruited. He will oversee the agency’s external affairs, fundraising and marketing efforts and commute from Philadelphia to the organization’s headquarters near Allentown. Moeller came to DVLF in January 2011 and said he believes he was able to help the LGBT grantmaking agency expand its reach into new and diverse areas. “What I’m most proud about is how DVLF is now really seen throughout the Delaware Valley and how we have been able to connect with all different communities within our own LGBTI community,” he said. “I’ve worked to raise visibility and to help DVLF

be seen as a community resource.” Moeller said that in recent months the agency has seen an influx in organizations utilizing its technical-assistance program, graduated its first class of aspiring LGBT leaders through its Distinctive Officers program and successfully completed a funding cycle of its Racial Equity Initiative. His time at the helm has also been personally beneficially. “This has made me a stronger leader,” he said. “I feel much more confident, and I think DVLF was a great opportunity for me to grow professionally. In this new position, I will be doing big-picture things, looking at fundraising and reaching out into the community, and DVLF has really helped to prepare me for that.” Moeller has spent the last month-and-ahalf working with DVLF supporters to prepare for the transition. “I’m really excited to have Mark in place and we’ve been working closely to make sure this is a smooth transition and he’s up to date on everything going on at DVLF,” Moeller said. “And we not only have Mark in place but we have a board that is very strong and very proactive and committees with amazing volunteers. They’re all engaged in this process and will help with the transition.” Dann, 33, officially came on board June 1 and spent the last week learning the ropes

MARK DANN (LEFT) AND JOHN MOELLER

from Moeller. A Realtor with Keller Williams Realty, Dann will work part-time at DVLF and focus on fundraising efforts, with DVLF director of operations Sandra Thompson concentrating on the agency’s programs. Dann has worked on fundraising campaigns for state Sen. Larry Farnese, for the 2006 Liberty PA effort to oust thenSen. Rick Santorum and elect pro-LGBT candidates and, most recently, for the William Way LGBT Community Center’s Homecoming event this weekend.

He said he’s eager to now lend his support to DVLF. “I want to continue all the good work John and the board have done,” Dann said. “We have a lot coming up, like Wonder Women, the second Distinctive Officers program, financial-literacy and estate-planning events and getting ready for TOY. There’s a lot to look forward to, and I’m very honored to be a part of this.” The search for a permanent executive director will be a regional, and not national, one. The agency’s board is in the process of developing search criteria, which Dann said should be finalized in the coming weeks. The transition announcement was made during HEROES, held June 3 at Sofitel. After collecting nominations from the community, the agency’s outreach and grantmaking committee made recommendations to the board for the top nominees in each category. For the first time, the agency released the names of the candidates and announced the winners live at the event. This year’s HEROES were Individual Andi Rivera, Youth Ari Flaks, Straight Ally Ronda Goldfein, Nonprofit Organization Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, National Nonprofit Trevor Project and Business Stimulus Productions. HEROES 2012 netted about $14,000 for DVLF, double last year’s fundraising. ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

Concert celebrates ‘legacy’ of gay chorus By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Next week, Philadelphia will get a performance 30 years in the making. The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus will take to the stage with its 30th-anniversary concert, “Legacy,” June 15-16 at Prince Music Theater. The show will include a diverse body of works that reflect the range of the chorus over the past three decades. “This concert showcases the chorus’ past 30 years and its mission of performing different types of music and creating challenging music to entertain, inspire and affirm the audience and chorus members,” said PGMC artistic director Joe Buches. The chorus reviewed programs from the past 30 years to identify pieces that were of import to the group to resurrect for the “Legacy” concert. The result is a concert that includes popular hits, choral classics and works with a specific LGBT focus. “I think there will be something for everybody,” Buches said. “We have our lighter shows and our more serious shows, and I think this brings the two together and gives the audience a nice package of the work that we’ve performed over the years.” “Legacy” will also feature the world premiere of a piece that was commissioned specifically for PGMC’s 30th anniversary. “Raise Our Voice” is a libretto written by PGMC member Chip Alfred, tracing the chorus’ storied history, with composition by PGMC collaborative accompanist Michael Djupstrom. Alfred began working on lyrics for the four-piece song cycle in January of last year, utilizing questionnaires that PGMC members filled out, as well as individual interviews and independent research. “Raise Our Voice” explores the organizational history of the chorus as a community hub, from its early days raising funds for HIV/AIDS causes, and also brings in the meaning it holds for its individual members, as they learned to embrace the power of song and the strength of the relationships the chorus fosters. “We sing because we love music, we sing because of the camaraderie, but even more importantly, we sing for the LGBT

community as a whole and to present the positive face of the LGBT community to mainstream audiences,” Alfred said. “We’re about music with a message.” As Alfred developed the words, Djupstrom worked alongside him to put them to music. “This piece was a little different than most because I was working with a living writer instead of utilizing preexisting poems or prose,” he said. “Being able to talk with Chip and see the text as it developed made it easier for me to start imagining the music before I set pencil to paper.” This is the first lyricist endeavor for Alfred, a freelance journalist. He said he was initially nervous about the undertaking when Buches approached him but found the process to be rewarding. “I thought to myself, Can I really do this? But Mike is such an accomplished composer and I respect Joe so much, so I thought, If he thinks I can do it then I can do it,” Alfred said. “So I learned about what other lyricists were doing, talked to other lyricists and had a lot of help from Mike. And I’m really proud of what we created. It’s a piece that I think people will be moved by, entertained by and it speaks to what the chorus is really all about.” Djupstrom added that, while “Raise Our Voice” explores the many facets of the chorus and its history, its main message is clear. “The chorus provides a sense of solidarity and strength for its members, and this sense of belonging and acceptance is communicated outwardly to the greater public through the group’s music,” he said. Buches credited the commitment of the group’s members and board with PGMC’s longevity in the past three decades. “They have all worked together to keep the chorus going without a full-time staff person to help, which is a really good testament of their dedication to the organization and to the mission,” he said. “It is to their credit that we have continued to grow and be such a strong organization, and they’re continuing to help move us forward.” ■ PGMC will perform “Legacy” at 8 p.m. June 15 and 2 and 8 p.m. June 16 at Prince, 1412 Chestnut St. Tickets range from $25$55. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.pgmc.org.

��

Have a great Pride weekend!

PRIDE ISSUE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE EDITORIAL ISSUE

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Bryan Fischer

Editorial

Season of Pride

It’s that time of year again: Pride Month. Once again, the LGBT community comes together to celebrate the progress that has been made in the 40-some years since the start of the gay-rights movement. It’s been a long fight, marked by incremental progress. Of recent note, President Obama declared his support of same-sex marriage, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of overturning the federal Defense of Marriage Act and another federal appeals court let stand the decision that found Proposition 8 in California unconstitutional. In a few less-weighty matters — though not necessarily less meaningful on a personal or societal level — the Miss Universe pageant reversed its decision to ban a transgender contestant, and a local Lancaster newspaper reversed its decision to refuse the engagement notice of a same-sex couple. In the past year, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” came to an end, allowing gay, lesbian and bisexual servicemembers to be open about their sexual orientation. New York state passed marriage equality. The Obama administration announced new rules ensuring hospital access to loved ones for same-sex couples. Despite this progress, there are still challenges to full equality. Many states do not have antidiscrimination protections for sexual orientation or gender identity, much less at the federal level. Only a few states allow for or recognize same-sex marriage. While Philadelphia has antidiscrimi-

nation protections and a domestic-partner registry, there aren’t protections at the state level. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not included in the state’s hate crimes or bullying laws. Religious leaders still think it’s OK to suggest that gays and lesbians be quarantined. Queer kids are still bullied. They still commit suicide because they think they aren’t good enough. There is much yet to do. And though the community may not agree on priorities (marriage, antidiscrimination protections, HIV/AIDS funding) or tactics (radical direct action, civil disobedience, political lobbying), there needs to be a certain amount of communal, concerted effort to gain equality. No one segment of the community could achieve what the community as a whole — working with its allies — can. Far better to join efforts and work together toward common goals than to let internal strife and divisions reduce our collective power. This isn’t to say that there won’t be divisions and disagreements within the LGBT community. Or even that one has to like everyone else in the community just because. But it’s important to appreciate the efforts of others and to promote respectful dialogue. The LGBT community has enough common enemies, without turning on its own. This month, Pride Month, let’s be proud of who we are and grateful for the talents and contributions of others. And let’s push for progress — across the board. ■

Antigay stalwart Bryan Fischer got out a copy of Webster’s Dictionary so that he could remind any and all who have not yet fallen under the spell of the “Homosexual Agenda” that discrimination is actually a good thing. According to a June 1 column by Fischer, liberals have gone and messed up a perfectly good term by not allowing upstanding moral citizens like himself to single out and treat LGBT folks unfairly. Fischer is right when he says that discrimination isn’t always bad. People have to be discriminating when, say, it comes to whether or not to buy and eat a loaf of bread covered in green fuzz or when a man dripping with blood and reeking of alcohol knocks on the door in the middle of the night and asks to use the bathroom. But when it comes to Fischer’s defense of discrimination against gays and lesbians, well, he’s not talking about the kinds of decisions people make every day. He’s talking about oppressing an entire group of people based solely on the fact that he doesn’t like them. In addition to “rightly discriminating against homosexuals,” Fischer says it’s the same as discriminating against “people who rip off convenience stores, burgle houses, drive while drunk, eat the faces off homeless people, gun down servicemen on military bases, embezzle funds from employers or clients or beat their wives.” To Fischer, there’s no distinction to that guy in Florida who was shot because he wouldn’t stop gnawing on another man’s face, and a man or a woman who wants to have sex with a person of his or her own gender. That’s not to say Fischer has no compassion for gays. “We should not ... discriminate against a man for his sexual inclinations, only for his sexual conduct,” Fischer writes. “We don’t punish people for what they think about doing, or even for what they want to do, but only for their actions, only for the times when they yield to socially destructive impulses.” Got that? Only homos who are getting some action will be subjected to discrimination in Fischer’s fantasy police state. All the other gays, just get into one of those “pray the gay away” programs and marry someone

of the opposite sex and your life will be just fine. The idea that gays are born that way is a load of hooey in Fischer’s opinion. He writes, “Regardless of one’s sexual ‘orientation,’ which might even be to have sex with children, sexual behavior is always a matter of choice. You can ask Tiger Woods about what happens to an individual who yields to every sexual impulse that comes along.” OK, wait, did Fischer just disclose that Tiger Woods is gay and/or that he had sex with kids? I mean, I get that Fischer is trying to link the roundly disproven notion of homosexuality = pedophilia, but what does Woods have to do with this? Perhaps Fischer is just confusing being gay with being a whore. Actually, Fischer doesn’t know the difference. He is firmly wedded to the idea that homosexuality = rampant unstoppable sex urges that, with God’s help, just need to be reined in so that gays can stop being such lonely, disease-ridden, non-human beings. But don’t worry, it comes from the goodness of his heart. “We should discriminate against this kind of behavior not because we hate people but because we love them,” he writes. My goodness, if this is how Fischer says “I love you,” I’d hate to get on his bad side. ■

“We don’t punish people for what they think about doing, or even for what they want to do, but only for their actions, only for the times when they yield to socially destructive impulses.”

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

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

PRIDE OP-ED ISSUE

New book reveals more on Gay Raiders’ CBS News/Cronkite ‘zap’ One of the rewards of time is that recalled. “The network went black while eventually everything becomes public. they took me out of the studio.” While the 1973 disruption of the “CBS On the surface, Cronkite was unfazed by Evening News with Walter Cronkite” has the disruption. Technicians tackled Segal, wrapped him in cable wire and ushered been known for years, much of it has not him out of camera view. Once back on live been made public until now, in esteemed TV, Cronkite matter-of-factly described author Douglas Brinkley’s new best-seller, what had happened without an iota of “Cronkite.” Last Sunday on CNN, Don Lemon inter- irritation. “Well,” the anchorman said, “a viewed Brinkley on the book rather interesting development in the studio here — a protest (link below). His last question demonstration right in the midwas, “Are there any surprises in dle of the CBS News studio.” the book?” Brinkley mentions the disruptions and my friendHe told viewers, “The young ship with Walter that followed man identified as a member of something called Gay Raiders, and, for the first time, reveals an organization protesting that CBS news executives, alleged defamation of homounder the direction of Walter, sexuals on entertainment prothen took steps to assure the fair grams.” and unbiased coverage of the Segal had a legitimate comgay and lesbian community. In a sense, I became a consultant plaint. Television — both news to CBS News and Walter on the and entertainment divisions subject. It is also a timestamp — treated gay people as pariahs, lepers from Sodom and for gay history, since it was the Mark Segal Gomorrah. It stereotyped them first time attitudes in broadcast as suicidal nut jobs, flaming media began to change. This was long before “Ellen” or “Will & Grace.” fairies and psychopathic villains. Part of the Gay Raiders’ strategy was to bring It was a time when there were no LGBT public attention to the Big Three networks’ characters on TV or only negative news. discrimination policies. What better way GLAAD hadn’t even been founded. This was the very beginning of that change, and to garner publicity for the cause than waving a banner on the “CBS Evening News”? Brinkley captures it well. Brinkley gave “So I did it,” Segal recalled. “The police me permission to print an excerpt from the book; for Lemon’s interview with Brinkley, were called, and I was taken to a holding go to CNN.com and search for “Cronkite’s tank.” But both Segal and Langhorne were cozy White House relations.” Brinkley talks about me and the Gay Raiders at 4:15 charged with second-degree criminal trespassing as a result of their disruption of the in the video. Hope you enjoy. “CBS Evening News.” It turned out that From “Cronkite,” by Douglas Brinkley: Segal had previously raided “The Tonight The days of lax security at CBS News Show,” the “Today” show and “The Mike abruptly ended on Dec. 11, 1973, when Douglas Show.” At Segal’s trial on April 23, 1974, Cronkite, who had accepted a 23-year-old Mark Allan Segal, a demonstrator from an organization called the Gay subpoena, took his place on the witness Raiders, with accomplice Harry Langhorne stand. CBS lawyers objected each time at his side, interrupted Segal’s attorney asked a Cronkite broadcast, the anchorman a quescausing the screen to tion. When the court recessed to cue up a go black for a few seconds. Cronkite was tape of Segal’s disruption of the “Evening delivering a story about Henry Kissinger in News,” Segal felt a tap the Middle East when, on his back — it was about 14 minutes into Cronkite, holding a the first “feed,” Segal fresh pad of yellowleapt in front of the lined paper, ready to camera carrying a yelWALTER CRONKITE IS ‘ZAPPED’ take notes with a sharp low sign that read, BY AN OFF-SCREEN pencil. MARK SEGAL IN 1973 “Gays Protest CBS “Why,” Cronkite Prejudice.” More than asked the activist with 60 million Americans were watching. genuine curiosity, “did you do that?” Segal had insinuated himself into the CBS “Your news program censors,” Segal newsroom by pretending to be a reporter pleaded. “If I can prove it, would you do from Camden State Community College something to change it?” Segal went on to in New Jersey. He had been granted perrattle off three specific examples of “CBS mission to watch the broadcast live in the Evening News” censorship, including a studio. “I sat on Cronkite’s desk directly in CBS report on the second rejection of a New York City Council front of him and held up the sign,” Segal PAGE 28

Mark My Words

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PAGE 11

Street Talk What LGBT icon should have a street renamed in his or her honor? “Lady Gaga. I love her music. She’s unique. I like everything about her. She doesn’t care what people say about her. She’s her Layra Diaz own person. department manager I’m the same Oxford way.”

“Harvey Milk. I saw the movie about him. He was a voice for the little guy. In his day, LGBTs were Robert Herman voiceless. mortgage-sales He gave analyst them a voice. Bella Vista His death left an enormous void in the community.”

“Freddie Mercury. I’m a huge Queen fan. I listen to their music whenever I can. I don’t see why we can’t have a street named Brett Mason for Freddie. cook I’d also like a South Philadelphia street named for Liberace. He was very flamboyant — and sometimes you need flamboyance to shake up the world a bit.”

“Billie Jean King. I’m a big supporter of women’s rights. I think it’s so cool that she beat Bobby Riggs in that tennis Karina Rodriguez match. She’s sales associate a tough lady. West Grove And I admire strong women.”

Letters and Feedback Name-change fees can be minimized Editor: I am writing to thank Angela Giampolo for bringing the issue of the name-change process for transgender individuals to light in her most recent column (Out Law, “What’s in a name?” June 1-7). This is obviously an important part of assisting trans individuals with securing documentation that reflects their gender identity and can assist them in avoiding legal complications and unnecessary run-ins with law enforcement or other folks in positions of authority. I do want to point out that while the column accurately reflected the potential costs associated with such a process, many of these can actually be addressed or waived for lower-income clients. For example, at Mazzoni Center Legal Services, we regularly file “in forma pauperis” petitions to have all of the filing fees waived based on our clients’ income levels. Such a desig-

nation often also waives the fees associated with judgment searches. Similarly, while the statute requires that people publish notice of their name changes in the newspaper, this can also be waived in certain situations where such publication would jeopardize the safety of the individual seeking the name change. Such actions can be undertaken whether clients have legal representation or choose to represent themselves in court. So, while it is indeed true that the name-change process, like all laws, should be examined to see if they can be amended to best serve the public, there are plenty of ways that already exist to cut down on most, if not all, of the costs identified in the column. For more information, interested individuals can contact Mazzoni Center’s legal hotline at 215-563-0657. — David M. Rosenblum Legal director, Mazzoni Center

PAGE 12

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

COMPLERA (emtricitabine/rilpivirine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) is a prescription medicine used as a complete single-tablet regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV medicines before. COMPLERA does not cure HIV or AIDS or help prevent passing HIV to others.

The

one

for me

Patient model. Pill shown is not actual size.

INDICATION COMPLERA® (emtricitabine 200 mg/rilpivirine 25 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) is a prescription HIV medicine that contains 3 medicines, EMTRIVA® (emtricitabine), EDURANT™ (rilpivirine), and VIREAD® (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) combined in one pill. COMPLERA is used as a complete single-tablet regimen to treat HIV-1 infection in adults (age 18 and older) who have never taken HIV medicines before. COMPLERA does not cure HIV and has not been shown to prevent passing HIV to others. It is important to always practice safer sex, use latex or polyurethane condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with any body ﬂuids, and to never re-use or share needles. Do not stop taking COMPLERA unless directed by your healthcare provider. See your healthcare provider regularly.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Contact your healthcare provider right away if you get the following side effects or conditions while taking COMPLERA: ��Nausea, vomiting, unusual muscle pain, and/or weakness. These may be signs of a buildup of acid in the blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical condition ��Light-colored stools, dark-colored urine, and/or if your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow. These may be signs of serious liver problems (hepatotoxicity), with liver enlargement (hepatomegaly), and fat in the liver (steatosis) ��If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B virus (HBV), your liver disease may suddenly get worse if you stop taking COMPLERA. Do not stop taking COMPLERA without ﬁrst talking to your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will monitor your condition COMPLERA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how COMPLERA works, and may cause serious side effects.

Do not take COMPLERA if you are taking the following medicines: ��other HIV medicines (COMPLERA provides a complete treatment for HIV infection.) ��the anti-seizure medicines carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®, Epitol®), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®), phenobarbital (Luminal®), phenytoin (Dilantin®, Dilantin-125®, Phenytek®) ��the anti-tuberculosis medicines rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifater®, Rifamate®, Rimactane®, Rifadin®) and rifapentine (Priftin®) ��a proton pump inhibitor medicine for certain stomach or intestinal problems, including esomeprazole (Nexium®, Vimovo®), lansoprazole (Prevacid®), omeprazole (Prilosec®), pantoprazole sodium (Protonix®), rabeprazole (Aciphex®) ��more than 1 dose of the steroid medicine dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate ��St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) ��other medicines that contain tenofovir (VIREAD®, TRUVADA®, ATRIPLA®) ��other medicines that contain emtricitabine or lamivudine (EMTRIVA®, Combivir®, Epivir® or Epivir-HBV®, Epzicom®, Trizivir®) ��rilpivirine (Edurant™) ��adefovir (HEPSERA®) In addition, also tell your healthcare provider if you take: ��an antacid medicine that contains aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA ��a histamine-2 blocker medicine, including famotidine (Pepcid®), cimetidine (Tagamet®), nizatidine (Axid®), or ranitidine hydrochloride (Zantac®). Take these medicines at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA ��the antibiotic medicines clarithromycin (Biaxin®), erythromycin (E-Mycin®, Eryc®, Ery-Tab®, PCE®, Pediazole®, Ilosone®), and troleandomycin (TAO®) ��an antifungal medicine by mouth, including fluconazole (Diflucan®), itraconazole (Sporanox®), ketoconazole (Nizoral®), posaconazole (Noxafil®), voriconazole (Vfend®) ��methadone (Dolophine®) This list of medicines is not complete. Discuss with your healthcare provider all prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements you are taking or plan to take.

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PRIDE ISSUE

Save up to

200

per month

COMPLERA.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

You may be able to save on the co-pay for your COMPLERA prescription with a Gilead HIV Co-pay Assistance Card. Call 1-877-505-6986 for more information or visit www.COMPLERA.com.*

A complete HIV treatment in only 1 pill a day. Ask your healthcare provider if it’s the one for you.

Before taking COMPLERA, tell your healthcare provider if you: ��have liver problems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection ��have kidney problems ��have ever had a mental health problem ��have bone problems ��are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn child ��are breastfeeding; women with HIV should not breast-feed because they can pass HIV through their milk to the baby Contact your healthcare provider right away if you experience any of the following serious or common side effects: Serious side effects associated with COMPLERA: ��New or worse kidney problems can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. If you have had kidney problems in the past or take other medicines that can cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may need to do blood tests to check your kidneys during your treatment with COMPLERA ��Depression or mood changes can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: feeling sad or hopeless, feeling anxious or restless, or if you have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself ��Bone problems can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do additional tests to check your bones ��Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the main part of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The cause and long-term health effect of these conditions are not known ��Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to ﬁght infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider if you start having new symptoms after starting your HIV medicine

Common side effects associated with COMPLERA: ��trouble sleeping (insomnia), abnormal dreams, headache, dizziness, diarrhea,

nausea, rash, tiredness, and depression Other side effects associated with COMPLERA: ��vomiting, stomach pain or discomfort, skin discoloration (small spots or freckles),

and pain Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of COMPLERA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Take COMPLERA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it ��Always take COMPLERA with a meal. Taking COMPLERA with a meal is important to

help get the right amount of medicine in your body. A protein drink does not replace a meal ��Stay under the care of your healthcare provider during treatment with COMPLERA and see your healthcare provider regularly

Please see Patient Information for COMPLERA on the following pages. *The co-pay program covers up to $200 per month for 1 year from card activation or until the card expires, up to $2400 in a calendar year. The program is subject to change or cancellation at any time.

Learn more at www.COMPLERA.com

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

FDA-Approved Patient Labeling Patient Information COMPLERA® (kom-PLEH-rah) (emtricitabine, rilpivirine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) Tablets

COMPLERA may help: � Reduce the amount of HIV in your blood. This is called your “viral load”. � Increase the number of white blood cells called CD4+ (T) cells that help ﬁght off other infections.

Important: Ask your doctor or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with COMPLERA. For more information, see the section “What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA?”

Reducing the amount of HIV and increasing the CD4+ (T) cell count may improve your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or infections that can happen when your immune system is weak (opportunistic infections).

Read this Patient Information before you start taking COMPLERA and each time you get a reﬁll. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment. What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA?

COMPLERA does not cure HIV infections or AIDS. � Always practice safer sex. � Use latex or polyurethane condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with any body ﬂuids such as semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. � Never re-use or share needles.

Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions about how to prevent passing COMPLERA can cause serious side effects, including: 1. Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in HIV to other people. some people who take COMPLERA or similar (nucleoside analogs) medicines. Lactic Who should not take COMPLERA? acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. � Do not take COMPLERA if your HIV infection has been previously treated with Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like HIV medicines. symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you � Do not take COMPLERA if you are taking certain other medicines. For more get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: information about medicines that must not be taken with COMPLERA, see “What � feeling very weak or tired should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA?” � have unusual (not normal) muscle pain � have trouble breathing What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA? � have stomach pain with Before you take COMPLERA, tell your healthcare provider if you: - nausea (feel sick to your stomach) � have liver problems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection - vomiting � have kidney problems � feel cold, especially in your arms and legs � have ever had a mental health problem � feel dizzy or lightheaded � have bone problems � have a fast or irregular heartbeat � are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn child Pregnancy Registry. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. Its purpose is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms � are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. The Centers for Disease Control and of liver problems: Prevention recommends that mothers with HIV not breastfeed because they can pass � your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice). the HIV through their milk to the baby. It is not known if COMPLERA can pass through � dark “tea-colored” urine your breast milk and harm your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best � light-colored bowel movements (stools) way to feed your baby. � loss of appetite for several days or longer Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription � nausea and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. � stomach pain 2. Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take COMPLERA or similar medicines. In some cases these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis) when you take COMPLERA.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are COMPLERA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking COMPLERA or a similar affect how COMPLERA works, and may cause serious side effects. If you take certain medicines with COMPLERA, the amount of COMPLERA in your body may be too low and medicine containing nucleoside analogs for a long time. it may not work to help control your HIV infection. The HIV virus in your body may become 3. Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you also have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection resistant to COMPLERA or other HIV medicines that are like it. and you stop taking COMPLERA, your HBV infection may become worse (flare-up). A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Do not take COMPLERA if you also take these medicines: COMPLERA is not approved for the treatment of HBV, so you must discuss your HBV � COMPLERA provides a complete treatment for HIV infection. Do not take other HIV medicines with COMPLERA. therapy with your healthcare provider. � the anti-seizure medicines carbamazepine (CARBATROL®, EQUETRO®, TEGRETOL®, � Do not let your COMPLERA run out. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare TEGRETOL-XR®, TERIL®, EPITOL®), oxcarbazepine (TRILEPTAL®), phenobarbital provider before your COMPLERA is all gone. (LUMINAL®), phenytoin (DILANTIN®, DILANTIN-125®, PHENYTEK®) � Do not stop taking COMPLERA without first talking to your healthcare provider. � the anti-tuberculosis medicines rifabutin (MYCOBUTIN®), rifampin (RIFATER®, � If you stop taking COMPLERA, your healthcare provider will need to check your health RIFAMATE®, RIMACTANE®, RIFADIN®) and rifapentine (PRIFTIN®) often and do regular blood tests to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare � a proton pump inhibitor medicine for certain stomach or intestinal problems, provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking including esomeprazole (NEXIUM®, VIMOVO®), lansoprazole (PREVACID®), omeprazole COMPLERA. (PRILOSEC®), pantoprazole sodium (PROTONIX®), rabeprazole (ACIPHEX®) � more than 1 dose of the steroid medicine dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium What is COMPLERA? COMPLERA is a prescription HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) medicine that: phosphate � is used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV medicines before. HIV is the � St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). If you are taking COMPLERA, you should not take: � contains 3 medicines, (rilpivirine, emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) � other medicines that contain tenofovir (VIREAD®, TRUVADA®, ATRIPLA®) combined in one tablet. EMTRIVA and VIREAD are HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency � other medicines that contain emtricitabine or lamivudine (EMTRIVA®, COMBIVIR®, virus) nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and EDURANT is an EPIVIR® or EPIVIR-HBV®, EPZICOM®, TRIZIVIR®) HIV-1 non-nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). � rilpivirine (EDURANT™) It is not known if COMPLERA is safe and effective in children under the age of 18 years. � adefovir (HEPSERA®)

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PRIDE ISSUE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

Also tell your healthcare provider if you take: The most common side effects of COMPLERA include: � an antacid medicine that contains aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium � trouble sleeping (insomnia) carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take � abnormal dreams COMPLERA. � headache � a histamine-2 blocker medicine, including famotidine (PEPCID®), cimetidine � dizziness (TAGAMET®), nizatidine (AXID®), or ranitidine hydrochloride (ZANTAC®). Take these � diarrhea medicines at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. � nausea ® ® ® � the antibiotic medicines clarithromycin (BIAXIN ), erythromycin (E-MYCIN , ERYC , � rash ERY-TAB®, PCE®, PEDIAZOLE®, ILOSONE®), and troleandomycin (TAO®) � tiredness � an antifungal medicine by mouth, including fluconazole (DIFLUCAN®), itraconazole (SPORANOX®), ketoconazole (NIZORAL®), posaconazole (NOXAFIL®), voriconazole � depression (VFEND®) Additional common side effects include: � methadone (DOLOPHINE®) � vomiting Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if your medicine is � stomach pain or discomfort � skin discoloration (small spots or freckles) one that is listed above. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your � pain healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. Your healthcare provider and your pharmacist can tell you if you can take these medicines with COMPLERA. Do not start any new medicines while you are taking COMPLERA without first talking with your healthcare provider or pharmacist. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that can interact with COMPLERA. How should I take COMPLERA? � Stay under the care of your healthcare provider during treatment with COMPLERA. � Take COMPLERA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. � Always take COMPLERA with a meal. Taking COMPLERA with a meal is important to help get the right amount of medicine in your body. A protein drink does not replace a meal. � Do not change your dose or stop taking COMPLERA without first talking with your healthcare provider. See your healthcare provider regularly while taking COMPLERA. � If you miss a dose of COMPLERA within 12 hours of the time you usually take it, take your dose of COMPLERA with a meal as soon as possible. Then, take your next dose of COMPLERA at the regularly scheduled time. If you miss a dose of COMPLERA by more than 12 hours of the time you usually take it, wait and then take the next dose of COMPLERA at the regularly scheduled time. � Do not take more than your prescribed dose to make up for a missed dose. � When your COMPLERA supply starts to run low, get more from your healthcare provider or pharmacy. It is very important not to run out of COMPLERA. The amount of virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. � If you take too much COMPLERA, contact your local poison control center or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away. What are the possible side effects of COMPLERA? COMPLERA may cause the following serious side effects, including: � See “What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA?” � New or worse kidney problems can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. If you have had kidney problems in the past or take other medicines that can cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may need to do blood tests to check your kidneys during your treatment with COMPLERA. � Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: - feeling sad or hopeless - feeling anxious or restless - have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself � Bone problems can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do additional tests to check your bones. � Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the main part of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The cause and long term health effect of these conditions are not known. � Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider if you start having new symptoms after starting your HIV medicine.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of COMPLERA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088). How do I store COMPLERA? � Store COMPLERA at room temperature 77 °F (25 °C). � Keep COMPLERA in its original container and keep the container tightly closed. � Do not use COMPLERA if the seal over the bottle opening is broken or missing. Keep COMPLERA and all other medicines out of reach of children. General information about COMPLERA: Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use COMPLERA for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give COMPLERA to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them. This leaflet summarizes the most important information about COMPLERA. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about COMPLERA that is written for health professionals. For more information, call (1-800-445-3235) or go to www.COMPLERA.com. What are the ingredients of COMPLERA? Active ingredients: emtricitabine, rilpivirine hydrochloride, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate Inactive ingredients: pregelatinized starch, lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, povidone, polysorbate 20. The tablet film coating contains polyethylene glycol, hypromellose, lactose monohydrate, triacetin, titanium dioxide, iron oxide red, FD&C Blue #2 aluminum lake, FD&C Yellow #6 aluminum lake. This Patient Information has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Manufactured and distributed by: Gilead Sciences, Inc. Foster City, CA 94404 Issued: August 2011 COMPLERA, the COMPLERA Logo, EMTRIVA, HEPSERA, TRUVADA, VIREAD, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc. or its related companies. ATRIPLA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. 202123-GS-000 02AUG2011 CON12392 3/12

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

Phillies’ gay night celebrates a decade By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

30TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON 2011-2012 Joseph J. Buches Artistic Director

PRESENTS

LEGACY:

Feel the Strength of 30 Years of Song June 15, 2012 - 8pm June 16, 2012 - 2pm & 8pm Tickets $25-$55.

FREE CD

OFFER Insert code: June2012C

when ordering to receive your FREE PGMC CD! Pick up at Prince Box Ofﬁce day of show.

In the past 10 years, the Phillies have gone from a struggling franchise to one of the most successful and popular teams in Major League Baseball — growth that has also been shared by the team’s Gay Community Night. The Aug. 28 Phillies game will mark the 10th annual Gay Community Night, an event that has transformed from an organizational outing to a citywide LGBT celebration that draws sell-out crowds each year. The first LGBT night was started as a venture by the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. “We were thinking of a joint summer event for our members and as we discussed it we realized, why limit it to just our groups? We decided to open it up to the whole community,” said Larry Felzer, lead organizer of the event. The organizations approached the Phillies to inquire about launching an LGBT-themed night, modeled after similar events that had been staged in Chicago and Atlanta, and Felzer said the ball club supported he concept. Felzer said the event has continued to be well-received by the Phillies each year, despite a hiccup a few years back in which protestors were permitted into the stadium with anti-LGBT banners. The club later revised its signage policy to prohibit discriminatory messages within the stadium. When the event first started, the Phillies were playing at Veterans Stadium, which has since been demolished, with games now played at Citizens Bank Park. One of the other major changes in the last decade has been the overall appeal of the Phillies, Felzer said, which has fueled ticket demand for Gay Community Night. “A lot of excitement has built around the Phillies in the past few years,” Felzer said. “They’ve been doing so well and selling out all of their games so quickly that even season-ticket holders are on a waiting list. They could’ve cut the number of tickets available to groups like us, but I’m very happy that they haven’t.” Last year, organizers of Gay Community Night bought a block of 850 seats, which

sold out more than a month in advance. Felzer said the opportunity for LGBTs to attend the game in unison has been one of the event’s greatest benefits. “People have asked me over the years why we need to have this specific Gay Community Night, and I tell them that gay people are at Phillies games every single day, but this is the one and only time of the year where we can all sit together as a community and have fun together,” he said. While the event was created as a social outlet, it may have also had some educational byproducts. Felzer said one year he heard a caller on a sports-radio show the day after Gay Community Night describing the antiLGBT protest he witnessed at the game. “He had gone to the game with his son and said he saw the protestors and didn’t know where the gay people were but knew they were there just to enjoy the game. The protestors were the ones who were in his face,” Felzer said. “We in the LGBT community are so used to seeing protestors that we forget other people aren’t used to seeing this bigotry and hatred the way we do. So having others witness this was really eyeopening.” It has also helped to break down barriers between the LGBT and sports communities. “This hasn’t been organized as an event to increase LGBT visibility in sports, but one thing I really like about this is it helps break stereotypes that gays not only don’t play sports, but also aren’t interested in sports,” Felzer said. A portion of sales from each ticket sold for Gay Community Night in the past few years has gone to support the Sean Halpin Memorial Scholarship Fund for LGBT law students, with about $6,000 being generated so far. The Phillies will face off against the Mets at 7:05 p.m. Aug. 28. Gay Community Night guests are advised to be seated by 6:40 p.m. Felzer will throw out the first pitch of the game this year, in honor of the 10th anniversary, and the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, celebrating its own 30th anniversary, will sing the national anthem. Felzer strongly recommends purchasing tickets early. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.phillygaydays. com. ■

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Prince Music Theater 1412 Chestnut Street

www.pgmc.org 215-731-9230

Have a great Pride weekend!

PRIDE ISSUE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

Lesbian couple launches events, nightlife site

For Better Oral HEALTH City Paper and Rainbow Awards

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

BEST DENTIST Medical Arts Bldg. 1601 Walnut St. , Suite 1302 Phila. PA 19102

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Visitors to Philadelphia, as well as locals, now have one more resource when planning a night out on the town. EVNTblazr.com gives Web surfers the low-down on all the best places to eat, drink and be merry in the city of Philadelphia — a venture started by a local lesbian couple. Lauren Kelly, 22, and partner Alicia Fasciocco, 24, created the site in February with the full launch two months later. “We were talking about how difficult it is to find the destination that you want, no matter if you live here or if you’re from out of town,” Kelly said. “We were saying that we wanted something where you could find information on different things to do and places to go, and could also search for specific things, like places for intimate dinners or places to go with a big group.” Unable to find an option that suited their needs, the pair decided to design their own site. EVNTblazr offers unbiased and detailed reviews on a wide range of venues to help visitors design their day or night out in Philly. Watering holes are categorized by such features as those that offer outdoor seating, venues with a BYOB option and according to weekday or weekend specials, and visitors looking for eateries can narrow their search by perusing such options as vegetarian-friendly restaurants or those with more pricey menus. The site also offers neighborhood-specific information, covering locales from Fairmount to Fishtown to the suburbs, and depending upon the “scene” a visitor may seek, from LGBT to “hipster” to dive joints. Kelly, who works in the circulation department of a magazine, and Fasciocco, a sales administrator, have been together

about nine months, and Kelly said that EVNTblazr, while a challenge to balance with their other commitments, has meshed well with their lifestyle. “We’re foodies and we go out to dinner a lot and go out to bars, so LAUREN KELLY now we’re just (LEFT) AND ALICIA looking at things FASCIOCCO Photo: with a different Mario Manzoni angle when we go out,” Kelly said. “We’re now more observant and have more of a purpose when we go out.” One criteria the couple always looks for is a venue’s LGBT-friendliness. Kelly said the LGBT market is one of the site’s largest, and many of the restaurants and bars included are LGBT-owned or cater to a large LGBT clientele. Working on the site has exposed the couple to new locales that are also welcoming of LGBT patrons, Kelly said. “Somewhere like Old City isn’t necessarily what I would think of for [LGBT] couples, but we’ve found that there are many places in that area where we have gone and felt comfortable,” she said. “We go to all of these places as a couple, so we want to show people about all of the places that have welcomed us and where they should also feel comfortable going.” This Friday, EVNTblazr is partnering with DJ Deejay for the 6 Divas of Dance party on the Moshulu, and heading forward, Kelly said she’d like to see the site further expand into the events-planning and promotions field. For more information, visit www.evntblazr.com. ■

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Philly law firm creates LGBT group By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com One of the nation’s largest law firms is now home to a group that will serve as a resource for LGBT and ally employees. P e p p e r H a m i l t o n L L P, b a s e d i n Philadelphia, last month launched an LGBT Affinity Group, open to all attorneys and staff members. The group will work to enhance ties between the firm and the LGBT community, both internally and externally. The effort was suggested through Pepper’s Diversity Committee, which also recently created affinity groups geared toward veterans and African Americans. The firm’s women’s affinity group launched in 2003. Jim Epstein, an openly gay partner at Pepper who is now in his 25th year with the firm, headed up the LGBT Affinity Group’s planning committee. He said Diversity Committee chair Kassem Lucas approached him about get-

ting involved, and he immediately agreed. “I think it’s a great thing, and I’m really pleased the firm wanted to start affinity groups in general and include the LGBT community,” Epstein said. “It says a lot to me about what the firm stands for.” In the planning process, organizers decided to not limit the group to the company’s 500 attorneys but to open it to the hundreds of staffers as well. “I think that’s critical,” Epstein said. “We talked about it and, at the end of the day, the consensus was that the issues we’ll be dealing with are firmwide and will not just affect lawyers but all employees.” The firm has 11 offices nationwide, and last month’s kickoff meeting, which drew about 40 people, included call-ins from members in other cities. Group chair Nick Kouletsis said future events will likely include video conferencing. Kouletsis, an out partner who started with the firm in 1980, said he has long found the environment at the firm to be “remarkably

positive” for LGBT employees. However, some newer staffers shared stories of negative experiences at former employers, and Kouletsis said the group will strive to ensure that all LGBT employees feel welcomed and valued at Pepper and supported by the group. “Our initial effort is going to be focused on making sure everyone feels that they have a safe place to talk about whatever it is they need to talk about,” he said. “We want to make sure they’re in a comfortable environment and can bring up the issues that they deal with on a day-to-day basis.” In addition to the social support, Epstein added that the group can also serve as a conduit to keep firm hierarchy abreast of topics pertinent to LGBT employees as well as enhancing the company’s profile in the community by working with agencies that serve LGBT populations. Kouletsis said he’d also like to see the group focus on helping the firm to attract and retain a new pool of LGBT employees.

LGBT employees comprise about half of the group’s initial membership, with many of the others joining on behalf of LGBT family members and friends. “I’d definitely like to see more folks at Pepper who themselves are LGBT become part of this, but I really welcomed the fact that we had such a healthy number of allies join,” Kouletsis said. “These are people who thought this was important enough to support even though these issues may not be directly affecting them personally, so we really appreciate that support.” The group will meet monthly for a brownbagged lunch and will determine its future course as it develops. “We’re not going to be overly structured right now,” Kouletsis said. “The main thing is that people get comfortable with one another and then we can decide where the group wants to take itself. This is a group that is good for the interests of the firm and also for the interests of the individuals, and that’s what we’ll be focusing on.” ■

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PRIDE ISSUE

Out photog, supporters bike for LGBT youth and against MS By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com This fall’s Bike MS: City to Shore Ride to raise funds for and awareness of multiple sclerosis will have one contingent that is also seeking to heighten visibility of LGBT youth. The 150-mile bike ride, which starts near Cherry Hill and will head to Ocean City, N.J., in late September, will include participation from a Philly-based team with the moniker “Speaking OUT: Queer Youth in Focus,” named after an ongoing photo project that sheds light on the experiences and ideas of queer young people. Rachelle Lee Smith, 31, launched the project in 2001, when she was a student at the University of the Arts. Since that time, she has captured a broad collection of more than 70 LGBT young people. She features the subjects encased in a black film border with a white background, on which the subjects themselves pen a message that highlights their LGBT identity. Smith’s project wasn’t inspired by her own coming-out experience, which she said went smoothly, but more by the struggles of LGBT friends. “It wasn’t until I went to college that I met people who had had drastically different experiences than I did — who were

being harassed and tormented daily,” she said. “I wanted to have a place where people can share their stories and experiences and read about other people’s as well.” She started photographing people she knew and, as the project grew, so did the pool of subjects. Smith has concentrated her photography career on journalistic settings and said “Speaking OUT” pushed her out of her own comfort zone. “I put people in the studio with no environmental influence and just stripped it all down,” she said. “The only influence on the photo is the words, which the people themselves wrote on the photos.” The messages that the subjects inscribe on the photos run the gamut — from personal stories of discrimination to simple statements about their identity to expressions of hope for the future. At one of her first exhibitions at a college campus, Smith said she was impressed by the photos’ impact on young people grappling with coming out. “There were young people looking at this and realizing for the first time that

RACHELLE LEE SMITH

there were other people experiencing similar things. And they got through it,” she said, noting that while the effort can have an “It Gets Better”-like impact for LGBT youth, she is also eager for it to educate non-LGBT audiences. “I want people to see this who say they don’t know any gay people, that they have no gay people in their town, that their own kid could never be gay,” she said. “The stories and experiences that people share aren’t just that of the LGBTQ community but rather of the whole human experience. When people can relate their stories to someone of a different perspective, that’s

when change can happen.” Smith has exhibited “Speaking OUT” throughout the country, including at the headquarters of the Human Rights Campaign, and is continuing to photograph subjects with the eventual aim of compiling the photos into a book. This summer, she’ll be focusing on prepping for the ride. Smith completed the Broad Street Run last month, her first distance run, and said she was intending to sign up for the MS ride in honor of a friend who was diagnosed with the disease. While brainstorming new ways to get the message out about “Speaking OUT,” a friend suggested she brand her City to Shore team in support of the project. “We want to be a really powerful force riding through the streets, helping to raise funds to fight MS and also raising awareness for LGBT youth,” she said. Nine riders are currently on the team, and Smith said they’re looking for more recruits as well as sponsors, who can donate up until the day before the ride. Each rider must raise a minimum of $300 to participate. For more information, visit www.rachelleleesmith.com. To donate to the City to Shore team, visit main.nationalmssociety. org and search for “Speaking OUT: Queer Youth in Focus.” ■

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PRIDE ISSUE

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

Founded on the principles of

TOLERANCE and LOVE – of the brotherly and sisterly variety

This is PHILADELPHIA–

PRIDE you can’t hide. �

CELEBRATING THE 2012 LGBT PRIDEDAY PARADE AND FESTIVAL

STREET Domestic & Foreign Care State Inspection & Emissions Inspection

215-928-0376 820-22 S. 11th Street at Christian

CONGREGATION BETH AHAVAH

A GLBT synagogue welcoming people of all gender and sexual identities since 1975

JOIN US MONTHLY FOR SHABBAT SERVICES AT 8:00 PM

Coffee, cake & conversation at the oneg following services

Join us for a BA “Pride Weekend” Shabbat Service on June 8, 2012 at 8 pm State Senator

ANTHONY HARDY WILLIAMS Representing Philadelphia and Delaware counties

Led by RRC Student, Nathan Weiner

Dinner at 6 pm at Blue Cat 1921-1929 Fairmount Avenue Latin American, 267-519-2318 RSVP for dinner to Rich at 215-763-0842 or rpardys@aol.com

MAIN DISTRICT OFFICE

2901 Island Avenue • Suite 100 • Philadelphia, PA 19153 (215) 492-2980 • Fax: (215) 492-2990

“Beth Ahavah Takes Pride In All Of Our Communities”

A D V O C AT I N G F O R C I T I Z E N S ’ R I G H T S

Web: SenatorAnthonyHWilliams.com Facebook: Senator Anthony H. Williams Twitter: @sentonywilliams

Beth Ahavah and Rodeph Shalom are afﬁliated in spirit and share a sacred home. In July 2007 Beth Ahavah afﬁliated with Rodeph Shalom. Beth Ahavah retains its congregational status within the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and proudly offers its congregation dual membership at both synagogues.

Visit www.bethahavah.org for additional information, programming and directions 615 North Broad Street, Phila., PA 19123-2495 Phone: 215.923.2003 E-mail: BethAhavah@rodephshalom.org Free secure parking: Cross Spring Garden at 13th St., left at next light, Mt. Vernon St. Parking lot entrance on left.

PRIDE ISSUE

Siloam hanging tough in building dispute By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com In Biblical times, Siloam was a pool of water in Jerusalem where miraculous healing took place. In present-day Philadelphia, Siloam is a local AIDS-services agency where healing also is said to take place. In 2006, the small agency — currently employing two staff and some 70 volunteers — sought to establish its first sanctuary, figuratively, and purchased the old Church of the Assumption on Spring Garden Street from the Archdiocese. The property included a rectory, convent, storefront and parking area. Because of the dilapidated state of the

CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION PGN file photo

church, the agency planned to tear it down and install a reflective garden with a labyrinth for meditative strolls. “It would have been open to everyone,” executive director Sister Catherine T. Maguire told PGN. “And it would have beautified this area. It was a real possibility. We had plans drawn up. But the only way we could move forward with the garden would be to bring down the church.” But now Siloam is locked in a protracted legal dispute with neighbors over plans to tear the church down. Now, with demolition blocked indefinitely, construction of the garden is “extremely unlikely,” Maguire said. The entire complex of buildings — located on the 1100 block of Spring Garden Street — was purchased for about $800,000. In 2006, Siloam received a state grant of about $400,000 to assist with the purchase. The following year, the group received a $300,000 state grant to assist in the church’s

demolition. In June 2009, Siloam sold the storefront for about $186,000. The current mortgage is estimated to be about $475,000, according to court papers. Siloam, which uses the rectory building as its base of operations, was founded in 1995 as a nondenominational organization focusing on a holistic approach to health for people impacted by HIV/AIDS. Maguire said Siloam had hoped to expand operations into the church after the compound was purchased, and to lease space inside the church to other HIV/AIDS agencies. But those plans fell through, largely due to the dilapidated state of the building, Maguire said. When the Archdiocese closed the church in 1995, it removed much of the interior furnishings, she noted. By the time Siloam purchased the compound a decade later, the church had fallen into a state of disrepair — and would have cost an estimated $5.4 million to bring the structure up to code in 2007. Siloam did not have the money to pay for refurbishment, Maguire said. Now, that figure has risen to about $6.3 million, due to inflation and continued deterioration of the building, according to court records. Siloam continues to function Despite the building dispute, Maguire emphasized that Siloam remains focused on its mission and serves up to 1,200 people annually. Though most live in poverty, they’re invariably vibrant and highly motivated, she said. They come for a variety of services: respite retreats, weekly support groups, personal pastoral counseling and spiritual direction, tai chi and yoga classes, massage therapy and nutritional programming. Jane Shull, executive director of Philadelphia FIGHT, said Siloam’s services are sorely needed in the community. “Siloam is one of FIGHT’s most important places to be able to refer patients to,” Shull said. “They have programs that directly meet people’s needs that are unique in the city. And they also have a capacity to treat the most disenfranchised people with great dignity and respect. So people who sometimes have difficulty accessing services elsewhere are able to go to Siloam and receive services and feel better about their lives.” Maguire said the agency’s annual budget fluctuates, but it was about $700,000 when the building dispute began. She said much of her work involves fundraising for Siloam, and she’s gratified by the numerous individuals and groups that have stepped forward to contribute to the organization. PAGE 24

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE SILOAM from page 23

“We have a wonderful, wonderful group of donors and supporters who’ve been with us through it all,” she said. Recently, Maguire has been busy planning Siloam’s 13th Golf Classic fundraiser, set for June 11 at the Llanerch County Club in Havertown. Maguire said Siloam has consulted with many experts, trying to figure out what to do with the church. “None of our decisions has been made lightly,” she said. Currently, the entire property is up for sale, and the future of the church — and the agency — remains in question, she said. Neighbors oppose demolition The fight to preserve the church has been led by Andrew R. Palewski, an architectural preservationist who nominated the church for historic designation in 2009. Palewski said the church, built in 184849, is the oldest surviving building of noted architect Patrick Charles Keely, who has some 700 churches and other buildings to his credit. As a newborn, the future St. Katharine Drexel was baptized in the church, he said. Palewski maintains that preservation of the church would be a fitting tribute to both Keely and Drexel. He would like to see a state historical maker honoring Keely at the site, if the church is preserved, he said. “Keely was the most prolific ecclesiastical architect of 19th-century America,” Palewski said. He said replacing the church with a reflective garden would have been a less desirable option for the neighborhood. “The church is a very important resource,” Palewski said. “Ever since Siloam acquired that property, they’ve demonstrated a pattern of neglect — not only of the church, but of the convent, rectory and surrounding parking lots. I think a likely conclusion would be that a garden would suffer the same fate.” Palewski also maintains the church could be renovated for much less than $6 million. He said the building could be rehabbed as a meeting place that could lawfully accommodate up to 650 people for about $1.75 million. “If it’s kept as a gathering space, you don’t trigger all the new code-mandated necessities, which would be very expensive,” he said. The Callowhill Neighborhood Association shares Palewski’s interest in saving the building. The CNA challenged a 2010 decision by the Philadelphia Historical Commission that approved the church’s demolition due to the financial hardship it posed to Siloam. In May 2011, the city’s Board of License and Inspection Review sided with the neighbors, effectively blocking the demolition for now. Siloam appealed that action in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, where the matter is pending. Palewski said neighbors aren’t interfering

with Siloam’s right to control its property. “Siloam has received at least $700,000 in state grants for the property,” Palewski said. “The taxpayers are heavily invested in that property. And the public should have a say in what happens there.” Legal turmoil strains, distracts Maguire called the building dispute “very disappointing.” She added, “But at Siloam, we prefer not to spend the bulk of our time on the legal dispute. We want to devote the majority of our time on our mission. It’s one-of-a-kind work that nobody else is doing. It’s very hard to find a body-mind-spirit wellness center for the HIV community.” Palewski said he respects Siloam’s mission, but disagrees that demolition of the church is necessary for Siloam to fulfill it. “The property is getting to be so valuable in that area now. It’s way more valuable than what they paid for it. When they finally sell, they’re going to walk away with a lot of money. And there’s no doubt in my mind that the property will be sold, if it’s marketed correctly. Siloam stands to double or triple its initial investment. They longer they wait, the more money they’re going to walk away with. Is it necessary to tear down the church — when they stand to make so much profit off of a property they paid very little for?” Palewski also questioned whether Siloam has sufficient funds to demolish the church, stating that it could cost about $750,000 to do the job properly. “It would be a major project, without harming the other buildings next to the church,” he said. Maguire said Siloam has sufficient resources to demolish the church in a proper manner. Agency’s future Maguire declined to comment on whether any potential buyers have stepped forward with a feasible proposal to purchase the entire property, which has been listed at $1.7 million for almost a year. “In a sense we’ve been forced to put this whole property up for sale,” she said. “We’ve been tied up with this litigation for so long. A small nonprofit cannot continue to exist indefinitely with this kind of strain.” She declined to comment on the option of demolishing the church, selling the land it’s situated on and using the proceeds to continue operating at the current location. “Our intention is to continue this work, either here or elsewhere,” she said. “ I don’t know what’s going to happen to the church.” Siloam will thrive wherever it’s located, Maguire added. “This organization is very resilient. And we will bring the same beautiful atmosphere that is present here to another location, if necessary. It would break my heart if we have to leave. This property has been a spirit-filled place and a healing place. It’s a place that I love. And it’s dear to my heart. But the ministry is dearer.” ■

PRIDE ISSUE

Miss PA resigns, critics cite trans inclusion Miss Rhode Island takes title after trans question The Associated Press PITTSBURGH — The Miss USA pageant representative from Pennsylvania resigned her crown this week, claiming the contest is rigged. But according to organizers, the beauty queen was upset over the decision to allow transgender contestants to enter. A posting on Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin’s Facebook page claims another contestant learned the names of the top five finishers on Sunday morning, hours before the show was broadcast. Monnin, who did not make the top-16 cut in the June 3 Las Vegas-based contest, claims another contestant told her the names of the top five she spotted on a planning sheet for the telecast, and she decided to step down as soon as those same contestants were named during the show. “In my heart I believe in honesty, fair play, a fair opportunity and high moral integrity, none of which in my opinion are part of this pageant system any longer,” Monnin wrote in one of her Facebook posts. Monnin, of Cranberry, Butler County, did not immediately respond to a Facebook message from The Associated Press. The 27-year-old holds a bachelor’s degree in human service, a master’s in psychology and, according to a contestant bio, aims to earn her doctorate in theology. Her Facebook account describes her political views as “conservative.” Donald Trump, who runs the Miss Universe Organization, called Monnin’s claims that the pageant was fixed “totally ridiculous” in a live interview Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and said the pageant organization plans to sue Monnin for making the “false charge.” “We’re going to be suing her now. She made a very false charge and she knows it’s a false charge,” Trump said. Pageant organizers confirmed Monnin resigned, but said it wasn’t for the reason she claimed. According to a statement from the Miss Universe Organization, the contestant who Monnin claimed saw the sheet vehemently refuted Monnin’s account. The statement includes text from an email organizers said Monnin sent citing the decision to allow transgender contestants into the competition as the reason she’s resigning. A transgender contestant was initially denied entry to the Miss Universe Canada pageant, but Trump subsequently overruled that decision. That contestant made the finals before being eliminated. The pageant’s winner, Miss Rhode Island Olivia Culpo, told WPRO-AM she knew Monnin “fairly well” because contestants were often positioned alphabetically by state. She said Monnin’s original resignation was based on her stance on the pag-

INCLUSIVE ANSWER: Andy Cohen (from left), Giuliana Rancic and Miss Rhode Island Olivia Culpo listen to a question about transgender pageant contestants during the 2012 Miss USA pageant, June 3 in Las Vegas. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

eant’s policy on transgender contestants and called it “strange” that Monnin is now saying something else. “It’s a little iffy to me,” Culpo said. Trump downplayed the role transgender contestants had on Monnin’s decision, even though pageant personnel claimed that was her motivation. “I don’t think that she had an issue with that,” Trump said. “I think her primary issue is that she lost and she’s angry about losing. And frankly, in my opinion, I saw her barely a second and she didn’t deserve to be in the top 15.” Culpo, the winner, expressed support for transgender contestants during the competition. In her Q&A segment, she was asked via Twitter, “Would you feel it would be fair that a transgender woman wins the Miss USA title over a natural-born woman?” “I do think that that would be fair, but I can understand that people would be a little apprehensive to take that road because there is a tradition of natural-born women, but today where there are so many surgeries and so many people out there who have a need to change for a happier life, I do accept that because I believe it’s a free country,” Culpo said. Culpo said after the pageant that she wasn’t put off by the question when she heard it. “This is a free country and to each their own,” she said. The judge’s panel included out chef Cat Cora, TV personality Arsenio Hall, singer Joe Jonas and reality TV star Rob Kardashian. Openly gay television personality Andy Cohen and Giuliana Rancic stepped in to host. Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella crowned Culpo her successor at the end of the night. Culpo will represent the United States at the 61st Miss Universe pageant in December. An American has not been named Miss Universe since Brook Lee won the title in 1997. ■

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PRIDE ISSUE

Philly-based LGBT-rights site launches By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

FROSTED FRIDAY: The Youth Planning Committee of The Attic Youth Center sponsored a Cupcake Battle and bake sale June 1 at the William Way LGBT Community Center. Attic members Haneef Gary (from left), Scythe Devish, Ibrahim Vicks and William Bailey were among the tasters, who picked from such unique flavors as pink lemonade and French toast. A guest panel of judges eventually selected a Death By Chocolate cupcake — which included an Oreo cookie and a chocolate-chip cookie — created by Attic executive assistant Ashlie Pollard. The initiative raised $453 that will support a youth-leadership retreat later this month. Photo: Scott A. Drake

The nation’s vast patchwork of LGBT rights is now accessible in an easy-to-use online database that was conceived of in Philadelphia. LGBTrights.me, spearheaded by PGN editor Sarah Blazucki, allows users to find information on where their state stands on LGBT-rights issues — from nondiscrimination to relationship recognition to anti-bullying protections. Visitors can input a specific address or use a GPS function to search for the rights that exist in a given location. Local-level information has been added for the Pennsylvania counties and municipalities that ban LGBT discrimination, and Blazucki plans to expand the local information for other states as well. The initiative was first developed at April’s News Hackathon, staged by the Center for Public Interest Journalism at the Annenberg School of Communication at Temple University, and gained further traction at Random Hacks of Kindness last weekend. The effort, which Blazucki created in partnership with a team of computer developers, won second-place in both challenges. Blazucki said the site can shed light on the disparities that some LGBTs face in their

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own state. “In Pennsylvania, there are 28 counties that have protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity and this shows you that, if you live in one place you’re protected and, if you don’t, you’re not,” she said. “This helps to show the inequalities.” Those inequalities are also evident through state comparisons, which Blazucki said can be a compelling tool to demonstrate the need for LGBT-rights legislation to lawmakers. “It’s a really tangible, visible and immediate way to see who has rights and who doesn’t,” she said. “In Pennsylvania, we have a lot of red X’s, but if you change the state to New Jersey, they have mostly green check marks. It can help to make the case for the rights that we need.” Blazucki said state organizations like Equality Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition are considering how to utilize the tool, and she’s working to garner support from national LGBT organizations as well. She is in talks with the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association about taking the site international, which would necessitate the creation of new categories — such as the legality of same-sex sexual relations. Blazucki is also working with the development team to introduce an RSS feed to keep the site up to date with the latest LGBTrights legislation. ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE MARK MY WORDS from page 11

OUT AT THE THEATER: Arden Theatre Company hosted an LGBT-themed night June 1 that kicked off with a performance by Bearded Ladies Cabaret’s artistic director John Jarboe. Following the show by the gender-bending troupe, guests took in a showing of Arden’s “Tulipomania: The Musical” and a postshow piano sing-along led by composer and author Michael Ogborn. On stage through July 1, “Tulipomania” depicts the 17th century Tulip bulb craze in Holland, the world’s first recorded financial bubble. Photo: Scott A. Drake

gay-rights bill. “Yes,” Cronkite said. “I wrote that story myself.” “Well, why haven’t you reported on the other 23 cities that have passed gay-rights bills?” Segal asked. “Why do you cover 5,000 women walking down Fifth Avenue in New York City when they proclaim International Women’s Day on the network news, and you don’t cover 50,000 gays and lesbians walking down that same avenue proclaiming Gay Pride Day? That’s censorship.” Segal’s argument impressed Cronkite. The logic was difficult to deny. Why hadn’t CBS News covered the Gay Pride parade? Was it indeed being homophobic? Why had the network largely avoided coverage of the Stonewall riots of 1969? At the end of the trial, Segal was fined $450, deeming the penalty “the happiest check I ever wrote.” Not only did the activist receive considerable media attention, but Cronkite asked to meet privately with him to better understand how CBS might cover gay pride events. Cronkite, moreover, even went so far as to introduce Segal as a “constructive viewer” to top brass at CBS. It had a telling effect. “Walter Cronkite was my friend and mentor,” Segal recalled. “After that incident, CBS News agreed to look into the ‘possibility’ that they were censoring or had a bias in reporting news. Walter showed a map on the ‘Evening News’ of the U.S. and pointed out cities that had passed gay-rights legisla-

tion. Network news was never the same after that.” Before long, Cronkite ran gay-rights segments on the CBS News broadcast with almost drumbeat regularity. “Part of the new morality of the ’60s and ’70s is a new attitude toward homosexuality,” he told millions of viewers. “The homosexual men and women have organized to fight for acceptance and respectability. They’ve succeeded in winning equal rights under the law in many communities. But in the nation’s biggest city, the fight goes on.” Not only did Cronkite speak out about gay rights, but he also became a reliable friend to the LGBTQ community. To gays, he was the counterweight to Anita Bryant, a leading gay-rights opponent in the 1970s; he was a heterosexual willing to grant homosexuals their liberties. During the 1980s, Cronkite criticized the Reagan administration for its handling of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and later criticized President Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding gays in the military. When Cronkite did an eightpart TV documentary about his storied CBS career — “Cronkite Remembers” — he boasted about being a champion of LGBTQ issues. And he ended up hosting a huge AIDS benefit in Philadelphia organized by Segal, with singer Elton John as headliner. ■ Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. He can be reached at mark@epgn. com.

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PRIDE ISSUE

NJ Senate nixes gay nominee By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The New Jersey Senate has rejected both of Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s nominees to the state’s top court, one of whom is openly gay. The Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday voted 7-6 against the appointment of Bruce Harris, the current mayor of Chatham Borough. Harris was the first openly LGBT and third African-American person to be nominated to the New Jersey Supreme Court. The vote was nearly on party lines, with all Democrats except one voting against Harris. The previous week, the committee also rejected Christie nominee Paul Kwon with a 7-6 vote, marking the first time that the Senate Judiciary Committee had rejected the governor’s nominee for the New Jersey Supreme Court in decades. Before taking its vote, the committee spent four hours questioning Harris. The Democrats pointed out that Harris, a finance attorney, lacked courtroom experience and took umbrage with his pledge to recuse himself if a case regarding marriage equality were to come before him. One Democrat suggested that the recusal offer was motivated by political calculation, which Harris denied.

“No one made me do it,” he said, noting that, while he believed he could be impartial in such cases, his previous public backing of same-sex marriage would make his involvement inappropriate. While Republicans on the panel championed his recusal commitment as evidence of his moral fiber, Democrats argued that his status as an LGBT community member should not necessitate a recusal. Garden State Equality chair Steven Goldstein said he had mixed feelings about the committee’s rejection. Goldstein said he had been a proponent of Harris prior to Thursday’s hearing, although he had reservations about his intent to recuse himself from marriage-equality cases. But, after hearing his reasons for recusal, Goldstein said he supported the “no” votes. “Though I so very much wanted Mayor Harris to make it onto the court and make history, his answers on recusal were nonsensical,” he said. Goldstein said that Harris’ belief in his own impartiality but continued commitment to recusal did not add up. “Because of that, no one, including us members of the LGBT community, could possibly fault any senator on the committee for voting his or her conscience, including voting no on the nomination,” he said. ■

After suicide, NJ youth charged in connection with bullying law By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Officials in New Jersey have filed charges against three teenagers who allegedly harassed a fellow student to the point of suicide, marking the first time the state’s tough, new antibullying law has been invoked to support criminal charges. Prosecutors in Morris County announced May 31 that three Morristown High School students would face various charges of assault, robbery, conspiracy and other counts, stemming from several incidents earlier this year that prosecutors allege led to the March suicide of 15-year-old Lennon Baldwin. Charges were filed against two of the students, who are not being identified as they are minors, in March, and obstruction charges were added last week. Nineteenyear-old Michael Conway was also charged with lying to authorities. Investigators say the one of the youth assaulted Lennon, a freshman, March 6 and was summarily suspended by the school. It is unclear why Baldwin was targeted, and there is no indication the bullying was related to his sexual orientation. To retaliate for the suspension, the accused student and a friend allegedly robbed Baldwin of cash at an off-campus location a few days later. Prosecutors say Conway was present for the robbery.

The day after the youth were charged, Baldwin committed suicide. Morris County Prosecutor Michael Bianchi said in a statement last week that the state’s new antibullying law enabled law enforcement to aggressively pursue the incident. “The new law addresses the reality that school harassment, intimidation and bullying has a potentially devastating effect on the individual offenders and the entire community,” Bianchi said. “The ‘Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act’ set forth standards for preventing, reporting, investigating and responding to incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying of students on school grounds, at any school-sponsored function, on a school bus and off school grounds. When these bullying incidents surround acts that constitute assault, harassment, threats, robbery and sexual offenses, we will criminally prosecute.” Bianchi noted that the law requires school officials to report incidents of bullying to law enforcement, which helped with the swift prosecution of the alleged offenders in March. Gov. Chris Christie signed the measure into law last year, and it is considered to be one of the toughest in the nation. The law requires antibullying policies in all schools, sets down strict reporting policies and creates training and education programs — all of which must be LGBT-inclusive. ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

Enjoy

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PRIDE ISSUE PROP. 8 from page 1

Prop. 8 is unconstitutional. Backers of Prop. 8, a November 2008 ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage in California, had asked for an enbanc hearing of the case by 11 of the court’s judges, as opposed to the three-judge panel that decided the case earlier this year. Supporters will now have 90 days to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. A stay was immediately placed pending the possible appeal. If backers do not appeal, or if the nation’s top court declines to review the case, marriage equality will again be the law of the land in the country’s most populous state. The case, Perry v. Brown, was filed on behalf of two same-sex couples in 2009 and, after a lengthy trial, District Court Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the following year that Prop. 8 violated the federal constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process, a ruling affirmed earlier this year by the appellate panel. An en-banc hearing would have required majority support by the 25 judges on the 9th Circuit, which it failed to achieve. Chad Griffin, co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the sponsor of the case, called Tuesday’s order “yet another federal court victory for loving, committed gay and lesbian couples in California and across the nation.” Griffin added that the “final chapter” of the Prop. 8 case has been set in motion. “Should the U.S. Supreme Court decide to review the 9th Circuit’s decision in our DOMA from page 1

The appeals court decision was followed by a similar ruling June 6 by a federal judge in the case of “Windsor v. United States.” In the Windsor case, the judge ruled in favor of Edie Windsor, who sued the government after she was forced to pay over $363,000 in estate taxes after the death of her wife, Thea Spyer, in 2009. The Massachusetts decision, handed down by a unanimous three-member panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals, affirms a 2010 decision by the District Court in Massachusetts, which found that the federal government cannot deny same-sex couples equal access to tax, health and pension benefits given to heterosexual couples. Judge Michael Boudin wrote in the opinion that the denial of benefits to legally married same-sex couples “has not been supported by any permissible federal interest.” Boudin and another judge on the panel are Republican appointees. Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, noted that Boudin is “one of the most wellrespected conservative federal judges in the country,” which he said signals a “death knell for this discriminatory law.” “Every day that DOMA remains on the books, it is causing serious harm to samesex couples and their children and branding all lesbian, gay and bisexual people as inferior,” Minter said. The ruling was applied to two con-

case, I am confident that the justices will stand on the side of fairness and equality,” Griffin said. Last week, a federal appellate court in Massachusetts found the Defense of Marriage Act, which prevents the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage, to be unconstitutional, weeks after President Obama came out in favor of marriage equality. The dissenting opinion in Tuesday’s ruling was authored by Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain with two supporters, who cited Obama’s recent call for “respectful” conservations among states about marriage equality as a basis for sending the case to an en-banc hearing. The judges also expressed hesitance to overrule the majority of California voters and doubt that antigay animus was the only motivation for the state to “remain committed to a definition of marriage that has existed for millennia.” “We should not have so roundly trumped California’s democratic process without at least discussing this unparalleled decision as an en-banc court,” the judges wrote. Judges Stephen Reinhardt and Michael Hawkins said in the majority opinion, however, that they were “puzzled” by the dissenting judges’ “unusual reliance” on the president’s views, especially since Obama never addressed the narrow constitutional issues regarding Prop. 8. The judges went on to note that the appellate panel only dealt with the constitutionality of Prop. 8, and not the larger issue of whether banning samesex marriage is constitutional. ■ joined cases — one filed by the state of Massachusetts and another brought by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders on behalf of a group of same-sex couples. The decision was stayed by the panel, with an acknowledgement that an appeal to the Supreme Court was “highly likely,” adding that “Only the Supreme Court can finally decide this unique case.” An appeal will be handled by the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the U.S. House of Representatives, which stepped in to defend DOMA when the Obama administration declined to do so. BLAG could appeal directly to the Supreme Court, which has the discretion to decline to hear the case, or ask for consideration by the full First Circuit Court, although that route is not likely since the court is comprised only of five judges, and last week’s decision was unanimous. The constitutionality of a state DOMA is also headed toward the Supreme Court with the challenge of California’s Proposition 8. A federal appellate court last year found the measure to be unconstitutional, and a district court recently declined to re-hear the case; the next step is likely the U.S. Supreme Court. Also in California, a federal judge earlier this year found DOMA to be unconstitutional in a challenge brought by a federal employee who was denied benefits for her partner. That case is pending before an appellate court and could also eventually wind up before the Supreme Court. ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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PRIDE ISSUE

Media Trail NY court: Calling someone ‘gay’ isn’t slander News 10 reports a New York appeals court ruled it’s no longer slander to falsely call someone gay because it’s not something society sees as negative anymore. The mid-level appeals court says that although falsely calling someone gay or lesbian has for decades been grounds for slander, that’s no longer the case. The decision May 31 by the court involved the case of a Broome County man who sued a woman who called him gay in what he says was an effort to get his girlfriend to leave him. He said it hurt his relationship. The court stated that a “tremendous evolution of social attitudes” and rights afforded to gays prompted the decision that overrules previous rulings.

Book on gay parents removed from library Utah’s KSL.com reports a book about two lesbians who raise children in a “non-traditional household” has been removed from the shelves of elementary school libraries in Davis County after a group of parents complained about it. Davis School District spokesperson Chris Williams said the book, “In Our Mothers’ House,” by Patricia Polacco, only remains accessible behind the counter to students who bring a signed permission slip from their parents to check it out. Also targeted for removal are “And Tango Makes Three,” a book about two male penguins who sit on an egg until it hatches, and “Totally Joe,” a book about a gay teenager.

Maine same-sex marriage backers raise $359K Maine’s WCSB 6 reports supporters of the same-sex marriage proposal on Maine’s November ballot have raised $359,000, far more than their opponents. Financial reports filed June 1 with the state show that Mainers United for Marriage’s total compares with the nearly $10,000 raised by Protect Marriage Maine, the main political action committee that opposes same-sex marriage. Supporters of same-sex marriage claimed contributions from about 2,800 individual donors compared with nearly two-dozen listed by opponents. The finance reports include money raised and spent between April 1 and May 29. Mainers will vote Nov. 6 on whether

to allow marriage licenses to be issued to same-sex couples. The state’s voters repealed a law that allowed same-sex marriages in 2009.

Green Lantern relaunched as brave, mighty and gay Yahoo News reports Green Lantern, one of DC Comics’ oldest and enduring heroes, is a beacon for the publisher again — this time as proud, mighty and openly gay. The change is revealed in the pages of the second issue of “Earth 2,” and comes on the heels of what has been an expansive year for gay and lesbian characters in comic books. But purists and fans note: This Green Lantern is not the emerald galactic space cop who’s in the Justice League and has a history rich in triumph and tragedy. Instead, says James Robinson, who writes the new series, Alan Scott is the retooled version of the classic Lantern, whose first appearance came in “All-American Comics” No. 16 in 1940.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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N.M. court lets partner seek child custody The Albuquerque Journal reports New Mexico’s highest court has ruled in a precedent-setting case that a same-sex partner of an adoptive mother has legal rights as a parent and can seek child custody. The state Supreme Court issued its unanimous ruling June 1 in the case of a woman who wanted joint custody of a child adopted by her partner during their 15-year relationship. Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights said the court’s ruling was very significant because the justices concluded that New Mexico’s “parentage statutes must be applied in a gender-neutral way to men and women equally, and regardless of a parent’s sexual orientation or marital status.” ■ — compiled by Larry Nichols

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

News Briefing AIDS antibias case to remain in Philadelphia An AIDS-discrimination lawsuit filed against the Milton Hershey School will be heard in Philadelphia, a federal judge has ruled. A 14-year-old Delaware County boy wants to attend the school, but was denied admission due to his HIV-positive serostatus. Last November, the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit on behalf of the boy in federal court in Philadelphia. Attorneys for the school asked U.S. District Judge C. Darnell Jones 2d to transfer the case to federal court in Harrisburg, noting that it would be more convenient for the school’s employees and witnesses to attend a trial there. But in an 11-page ruling issued June 1, Jones denied the school’s request. “Defendant has failed to carry its burden of proving that the interests of justice would be better served by a transfer to the Middle District,” the judge wrote. Ronda B. Goldfein, executive director of the law project, was pleased with the ruling. “We’re grateful that this judge has spared this low-income family the undue hardship of traveling to Harrisburg — when the Hershey School has $8 billion in assets, and seemingly a greater ability to make travel arrangements,” Goldfein told PGN. “Our client was harmed. The law supports him filing in the appropriate venue. And the suggestion that the rules that favor the plaintiff should be set aside in favor of a defendant with $8 billion in assets shows a certain insensitivity to our client.” Connie McNamara, a spokesperson for the school, had no comment for this story. The school has about 20,000 disadvantaged students who live on campus. They range in age from pre-kindergartners to 12th-graders. According to court papers, the school claims the boy’s attendance would pose a “direct threat to students who cannot be supervised by an adult 24 hours a day.” A new judge would have been assigned to the case if it were transferred to Harrisburg, according to court papers.

PAC members meet with Gillison Members of the Police Advisory Commission’s executive committee met

June 4 with Everett A. Gillison, the city’s deputy mayor of public safety, to discuss personnel matters related to the PAC. Ronda B. Goldfein, the PAC’s chair, declined to comment about specific matters discussed at the meeting. “We have concerns about how the PAC is functioning,” Goldfein told PGN. ”In response to those concerns, we had a meeting with Mr. Gillison. He thoughtfully listened to our concerns. He did his own research. It’s clear that he’d given this some thought and consideration before we met. And he gave it thought and consideration during the meeting. He promised to get back to us within the next week about the next steps.” Mark McDonald, a spokesperson for Gillison, said he had no comment for this story. In the past, PAC members have expressed concern with the job performance of PAC executive director William M. Johnson. A recent PAC meeting got particularly stormy when Johnson publicly disagreed with the commissioners’ decision to close about 100 police-misconduct cases. Johnson, 54, supervises four PAC staffers and oversees an annual budget of about $300,000. He’s served as executive director of the PAC since June 2004 and has an annual salary of $74,984. Johnson had no comment about the meeting. The PAC was formed 14 years ago, in response to concerns from LGBTs and others that city officials weren’t properly addressing allegations of police misconduct. Though it has no enforcement powers, the PAC investigates individual complaints of police misconduct and makes recommendations for corrective action when appropriate. The PAC is currently investigating the case of Nizah Morris, a transgender woman found with a fatal head wound in 2002, after she received a ride from Philadelphia police. In the past, some commissioners have criticized Johnson for accepting redacted and/or incomplete Morris evidence from police, rather than pursuing the complete pieces of evidence. A new set of commissioners reopened the Morris case two years ago, and they hope to issue a revised report within the next few months. — Timothy Cwiek

T-shirts to fundraise for EQPA LGBTs and allies can contribute to their wardrobe this Pride month while also contributing to Pennsylvania’s statewide LGBT-rights agency. Socially Conscious Shirts will donate

$5 from the sale of each of its $15 “Love is Love” T-shirts to Equality Pennsylvania’s outreach and educational activities. The shirts come in a variety of colors and proclaim the “Love is Love” message with a logo that highlights both male and female same-sex partnerships. The company, co-owned by Joel Bridger and Maria Allison, was founded in the fall. Its first T-shirt fundraising effort brought in more than $1,000 for Occupy Philadelphia. Company representatives will team up with EQPA to sell the shirts at Prides throughout the region this month and will also be canvassing the Gayborhood in the coming weeks. The shirts are also available for purchase at www. SociallyConsciousShirts.com. “I am so excited to be able to partner with this excellent local company,” said EQPA president Adrian Shanker. “And I am even prouder that this partnership helps to expand the marriage-equality message throughout the state.” EQPA executive director Ted Martin added that the shirts “sum up our message and the thoughts of LGBT people and allies everywhere. Not only are they really great-looking, they will be seen by many people who will continue to spread the message that our families deserve nothing less than equality.”

Bullying booklet offers rewards Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays has teamed up with two national corporations for a fundraising and awareness-building campaign against bullying. PFLAG is launching its Care with Pride antibullying initiative in partnership with Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies and Walgreens. The team has assembled a Safe Schools Action Pack, a booklet with resources for promoting safety for all students that also contains $65 in coupons for 20 J&J brands. For each coupon redeemed at Walgreens, $1 will be donated to PFLAG’s safe-schools work. “We are pleased to work together with local Johnson & Johnson and Walgreens personnel in the Care with Pride effort,” said Myra Taksa, president of PFLAG Philadelphia. “Educating the public and protecting our children from bullying is critical.” To download the Safe Schools Action Pack, visit www.walgreens.com/pride or text PRIDE to 467467. PFLAG Philadelphia will march with J&J and Walgreens representatives in this weekend’s Pride parade and will distribute the Action Packs at the event. ■

Have a great Pride weekend!

— Jen Colletta

PRIDE ISSUE

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PRIDE ISSUE

Diversification: A fundamental strategy for reducing portfolio risk Q: I like to think that my investments are well-diversified. But even though I own a lot of different stocks and mutual funds, sometimes everything just goes down at the same time. Am I missing something? A: You’re likely not alone on this. Just because you own many different investments, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re taking on less risk. Let’s review the concept of diversification to hopefully help you see it in a new way. Diversification is one of the most basic investment concepts. It is used by novice investors and sophisticated portfolio managers alike to help reduce portfolio risk and dampen the negative effects of market volatility. The premise behind diversification is easy to grasp: When you own a range of investments, you may reduce risk by creating the potential for better performers to compensate for poor performers. Effective diversification involves more than simply holding a jumble of different investments, though. It means selecting a mix of securities that may not react in the same way to a given set of conditions — in other words, investments that carry a low “correlation” to one another. Correlation is a statistical measure of the degree to which two securities perform the same under particular market conditions. For instance, if you choose stocks of two companies that make the same product and serve the same market, chances are that they will move in tandem when conditions affecting their industry change. Owning both would be unlikely to lower risk in your portfolio. By contrast, owning stocks of companies that operate in different segments of the economy may help improve your risk-adjusted return, although past performance is no guarantee of future results. Diversification vs. asset allocation — an important distinction First, be sure you have a handle on the concept of asset allocation, which is often confused with diversification. Assume for a moment that you are assembling a port-

folio from scratch. Before you select specific investments, you will need to decide what percentage of your money to put into each of the three major asset classes: stocks, bonds and money markets, or cash. That is your asset allocation: spreading your money among asset classes based on your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. Once you have determined your target asset allocation, you can then turn to the task of diversifying your portfolio. Within the different asset classes, you can diversify your holdings by investment type or style. For stocks, there are a number of different styles to choose from: growth vs. value, large cap vs. small cap, domestic vs. foreign or by sector or industry group.1 For bonds, there also are many different types to select from. You may choose to diversify by type (government, agency, municipal, corporate), maturity, credit quality or specific bond features, keeping in mind that different bonds react differently to market interest rates and other factors.2 Technically speaking, asset allocation may potentially reduce market risk, while diversification may potentially reduce company-specific risk. And together, they may help reduce portfolio volatility over time. Keep in mind that neither diversification nor asset allocation guarantees against investment losses.

imately 64 percent of his investment. If the same investor had diversified his holdings to encompass a broader representation of U.S. stocks that paralleled the S&P 500 index, he would have lost only about 34 percent over this period. Had he further diversified his portfolio by allocating 20 percent to cash and 30 percent to bonds and invested the remainder in a broad mix of domestic stocks, he would have narrowed his losses to about 13 percent.3 However you choose to diversify your portfolio, remember that diversification works two ways. Although it can cushion the impact of a falling market, it can also dilute returns on the upside. Ultimately, you Jeremy should balance your degree of Gussick diversification with your overall appetite for risk. ■

Out Money

Protection on the downside Both asset allocation and diversification are particularly important when a market takes an unexpected downturn. In such a situation, some investments inevitably are more affected than others, but the overall effect of a downturn on a diversified portfolio may potentially be mitigated. Consider the investor who invested 100 percent in financial stocks as represented by the total returns of the S&P 500 Financials index during the height of the financial crisis from Jan. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2008. He would have lost approx-

1 Securities of smaller companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies. The illiquidity of the small-cap market may adversely affect the value of these investments. Foreign investments involve greater risks than U.S. investments, including political and economic risks and the risk of currency fluctuations, and may not be suitable for all investors. Sector funds may be more volatile than funds that diversify across many sectors or industries. 2 Bonds are subject to market and interest rate risk if sold prior to maturity. Bond values will decline as interest rates rise and are subject to availability and change in price. Government bonds and Treasury bills are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest, and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value. Municipal bonds are subject to availability and change in price. They are also subject to market and interestrate risk if sold prior to maturity. Interest income may be subject to the alternative minimum tax. Municipal bonds are federally tax free, but other state and local taxes may apply.

3 Source: Standard & Poor’s. Bonds are represented by the total returns of the Barclays U.S. Aggregate index. Cash is represented by the Barclays 3-Month Treasury Bills index. Individuals cannot invest directly in an index. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Jeremy R. Gussick is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer.* Jeremy specializes in the financial planning needs of the LGBT community and was recently named a 2011 FIVE STAR Wealth Manager by Philadelphia Magazine.** He is active with several LGBT organizations in the Philadelphia region, including the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, the Greater Philadelphia Professional Network and the Independence Business Alliance. Out Money appears monthly. If you have a question for Jeremy email jeremy. gussick@lpl.com. LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. *As reported by Financial Planning magazine, 1996-2011, based on total revenues. **Award details can be found at www.fivestarprofessional.com. This article was prepared with the assistance of S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. Consult your financial advisor, or me, if you have any questions. Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications or its sources, neither S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscribers’ or others’ use of the content.

PRIDE ISSUE

Bug chasers “I don’t know my status,” he said with too. a smile, bearing an almost-smug sense I delved into his family life, work life, social life, hobbies, passions, the full specof enlightenment. “But when I find out, I trum of anything I could glean that would want it to be poz.” bring light to this destructive enterprise. I A bug chaser. Someone wanted me to hate saying anything is purely destructive, infect him with HIV. To him, the sky was especially since, to this man, his goal was red, when to me, it was plainly blue. But in fact affirming and good. this was his world — one that I never But what continued to confound me expected to encounter. was that despite his admirable “Bug chaser” — such a foreconviction, his conception of boding moniker. Modern bug chasers — as opposed to those his life and the world he lived from the late ’80s and early in seemed very narrow. Where ’90s — have life-saving medihe worked and lived was of no cation at their fingertips. This consequence, only that it was exclusive HIV club no longer relative to people with whom bears the death-defying spirit it he was having sex. Like any of used to — unless, that is, said us, he had dreams, but they had remained nascent flames for so bug chasers reject life-saving medication, out of something long that their only real mani— perhaps a harrowed sense of festation was what he spoke meaning, purpose, belonging or into being. love in greater forms than what When he left, I was lost in they’ve ever known. thought. The travails of my Or is it that poz life bears life, the absurd sorts I’ve met some dogged glamour to it? Aaron Stella (including myself) and all the The above bug chaser wanted irony of the world I’ve witthe virus; and I’m a nice guy, a thoughtful nessed first-hand cultivated my belief that guy, so he wanted it from me even more. people can and should live their lives the I knew that reprimanding him wouldn’t way they want, even if that means taking do anything except spur on his quest and their own life, or purposely contracting a deadly disease. deprive me the chance of understanding him. But what about the burden on the state to We all — poz and neg folk — must provide medicine? What about the people he might infect in a moment of weakness remain objective, if there is such a thing. I’m not a trained scientist or HIV psycholfrom non-disclosure? What about the qualogist, but I do sympathize with the flaming ity of his life as what it means to the people who love him? hoops we’ll jump through to feel like we Yes. What about all of this? I honestly belong. I’ve reeled through my emotions surrounding this phenomenon: In an obtuse don’t know. I know what is right. All I sense, it’s flattering that someone would do know is that if anything were going to want to join the ranks of poz folks, as if we change his mind, it wouldn’t be you or me are esteemed in some way. But in another telling him to change; it would be some force completely outside of our control. sense, I’m mortified — stunned that anySometimes, people quickly solidify their one would openly accept the burden of purpose in life such that it cannot change. everything that comes with being poz, and taking responsibility for it. Everyone can change whenever they want, There’s the line in the sand. but not everybody does. Responsibility. Now we must find the strength to accept “I probably wouldn’t change much this reality, and change the way we show about my life if I became poz,” he said love to others so that they live their lives casually. “I mean, you haven’t changed for the better — for both themselves and much, have you? You take medicine and everyone else. sleep with more poz people than you did We’re all in this together, folks. Now get before, right? I already sleep with lots of out there and talk about it. ■ poz dudes. I’ll probably go on medicine at Aaron Stella is former editor-in-chief of Philly some point, but I’ll probably exclusively sleep with poz men once I’m poz, so I Broadcaster. Since graduating from Temple don’t have to worry about disclosure, you University with a bachelor’s degree in English, know?” he has written for several publications in “But what if you fall in love with somethe city, and now devotes his life to tackling one who’s neg? Or, what if someone you the challenges of HIV in the 21st century. sleep with doesn’t ask about your status Millennial Poz, which recently won first place and you don’t know his and ... ” for best column writing from the Local Media I stopped myself there, because I already Association, appears monthly in PGN. Aaron knew the answer, and he knew I knew it can be reached at millennialpoz@gmail.com.

Millennial Poz

��

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PRIDE ISSUE

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PRIDE ISSUE

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PRIDE ISSUE

either ignored church teaching on core issues of human sexuality or treated it as merely one opinion among many. Farley said June 4 she never intended the book to reflect current official Catholic teaching. Rather, she said, she wrote it to explore sexuality via various religious traditions, theological resources and human experience. The Farley critique, signed by the American head of the congregation, Cardinal William Levada, comes amid the Vatican’s recent crackdown on the largest The Vatican on June 4 sharply criticized umbrella group of American sisters. The a book on sexuality written by a prominent Vatican last month essentially imposed martial law on the Leadership Conference American nun, saying of Women Religious, accusing it of underit contradicted church mining church teaching and imposing certeaching on issues like tain “radical feminist themes” that were masturbation, homoincompatible with Catholicism. sexuality and marriage It ordered a full-scale overhaul of the and that its author had group and appointed three bishops to carry a “defective underit out. standing” of Catholic The crackdown on Farley, a top American theology. theologian, will likely fuel greater resentThe Vatican’s orthoment in Rome among more liberal-minded doxy office said the SISTER American sisters. b o o k , “ J u s t L ove : MARGARET A Framework for FARLEY Christian Sexual Ethics” by Sister Margaret Farley, a member of the Sisters of Mercy religious order and emeritus professor of Christian ethLuka Rocco Magnotta, the gay porn star ics at Yale Divinity School, posed “grave who Canadian officials believe filmed himharm” to the faithful. The Congregation for the Doctrine of self murdering a former lover, dismemberthe Faith said that in the 2006 book, Farley ing him, partially eating the corpse and

International

Vatican criticizes nun’s book on sexuality

Alleged dismembering killer arrested in Berlin

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

mailing body parts to government officials, was arrested June 4 in Berlin. Magnotta allegedly mailed parts of his former lover’s body to Canadian politicians and dumped other body parts in suitcases. Police say there is an 11-minute video of the gruesome crime. The murder victim is 33-year-old Jun Lin, a computer and engineering college student who was Magnotta’s onetime lover. While Lin’s murder likely took place near Montreal, Magnotta was arrested in Berlin at an Internet café after a barista recognized him.

Poland, Latvia host Pride marches

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PROMOTING PRIDE ABROAD: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Melia (left) and U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Judith Garber take part in a gay Pride parade June 2 in Riga, Latvia. Several-hundred activists from the Baltic states braved rain and hail to participate in an annual parade. U.S. diplomats who took part in the Saturday event stressed the importance of equal rights and freedom of expression and urged participants to keep battling for their cause. AP Photo: Roman Koksarov

Hundreds of gay and trans men and women, together with their supporters, marched through the capitals of Poland and Latvia June 3, demanding greater acceptance and rights in their respective societies, where they still face high levels of homophobia and transphobia. Although several of the former-Soviet countries joined the European Union in 2004 and have moved toward more liberal policies for LGBT people, homosexuality

still remains a taboo subject, with outright hostility from right-wing groups and politicians. The marches both in Warsaw and Riga required heavy police protection, though this year the opposition was smaller in number and force in the previous ones. In addition, the march in Riga included the participation of the U.S. Ambassador to Latvia, Judith Garber, under instructions from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “Human rights PAGE 48

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PRIDE ISSUE INTERNATIONAL from page 47

belong to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. So we are marching in support of LGBT people here in Latvia, in the Baltics, in Europe and throughout the world,” Garber said. Meanwhile, Poland’s LGBT community used the occasion to mark the inclusion of Poland’s first gay and transgender MPs into the parliament last year, which marked a significant improvement in a country where politicians have repeatedly denounced gay and trans people. The party to which these MPs belonged, Palikot’s Movement, had its own float in the Warsaw march. A group of about 20 people from Belarus also marched in Warsaw, local media reported, ahead of a pride parade in Minsk in October. In response to President Alexander Lukashenko’s statement that it was “better to be a dictator than gay” — directed at Germany’s gay foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle — the marchers carried a banner that stated: “It’s better to be gay than a dictator.”

Russian judge rules LGBT event bans unlawful A judge in St. Petersburg has ruled that bans on gay events put in place by officials under the city’s “gay propaganda” legislation were unlawful. The Smolninsky district court handed down a decision May 31 stating the authorities lacked the competence to determine whether the events would amount to propaganda before they took place. It also denied the officials’ standing to cancel events, saying they only had authority to suggest alternative times and places for rallies. The two planned events were for the Day of Silence on March 7 and the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17. The group said the reasoning for the decision would be made public on June 12.

who saw this state backing as proof that homosexuality could be cured or changed. Schippers said, “There’s no question of a psychiatric diagnosis [for homosexuals], no psychiatric treatment and therefore there should be no insured care.” Different will still be entitled to provide pastoral counseling for anyone who is unhappy with their homosexual feelings, but this is to be paid for by the individual.

French PM: Marriage to be introduced ‘quickly’ The newly installed French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told a French television station June 1 a change in legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children will be done “quickly” and that a draft is “ready.” It was not clear whether the prime minister meant a draft bill had been drawn up, but it has been reported that remarks made by Gilles Bon-Maury, the president of the Socialists’ Homosexualités et Socialisme faction, suggested such a bill could be presented to Parliament for discussion “before the autumn.” Ayrault recently became prime minister of France after Francois Hollande won the presidential election. Gay and straight French couples can currently enter Civil Solidarity Pacts, or PACS, but only opposite-sex couples can marry. Though affording many legal protections, a PACS does not give couples the right to joint adoption or artificial insemination. A case at the European Court of Human Rights this year determined that the system was not discriminatory to a lesbian couple as opposite-sex couples are also eligible for the union. In line with previous decisions, the court did not determine that there was a Europewide right to marriage equality for gay couples, leaving the issue to the French authorities.

Ontario approves Dutch minister ends ex-gay antibullying bill therapy health insurance Gay “cure” therapy will no longer be available in the basic health-insurance package in the Netherlands, Dutch Health Minister Edith Schippers announced June 5. In a letter to Parliament, Schippers said gays and lesbians who suffer psychologically because of their sexual orientation should be offered pastoral guidance rather than medical treatment, since homosexuality is not a psychiatric disorder. The announcement will affect groups such as the Christian-inspired mentalhealth organization Different, which claims to provide therapy for homosexuals to help “repress their sinful urges.” Insurance companies could not refuse to pay for treatment as these groups were officially recognized as providers of psychological help, further fueling right-wing groups

Ontario’s antibullying bill, also known as Bill 13 and the Accepting Schools Act, passed through the legislature June 5 by a margin of 65-36. Only the Progressive Conservatives voted against the legislation. Catholic educators and church leaders oppose the bill because it requires schools to allow students to call anti-homophobia clubs “gay-straight alliances” if they wish. The bill’s sponsor, Premier Dalton McGuinty, said the issue of protecting kids from bullying transcends all faiths and partisan politics. He added Catholics would understand the true significance of the bill is to build a stronger, more cohesive society. This bill could be the first passed through the Ontario legislature since the election last October. ■ — compiled by Larry Nichols

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PRIDE ISSUE — SPECIAL PRIDE ISSUE COVERAGE

Standing on the shoulders of giants: Local By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor

As we come together as a community to celebrate Pride, there is much to be raucous about. Over the last year, there was the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and amazing strides being made for marriage equality. However, queer youth continue to attempt (and unfortunately, succeed at) suicide, and many teens are at risk for drugs and/or alcohol abuse. There are staggering HIV rates in the African-American and gay communities. Issues of hate-crime violence toward LGBTQ folks continue to make headlines. Despite greater acceptance, many queer individuals have had to develop considerable resilience over the years. Living in a tolerant city as large as Philadelphia, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that individuals growing up in small towns or rural communities do not have visible gay role models. But even LGBTQ youth struggling to come out in the Philadelphia suburbs or New Jersey can have trouble finding a mentor or someone to talk to about being different. In recent interviews with folks ranging from Kelby in the film “Bully” to Lance Bass, I heard the refrain that, had folks known more out and proud gay people, their journey to self-acceptance would have been easier. So who do people in Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community look up to and why? I asked 12 people who inspires them. The responses I received ranged from the personal to the professional to the political. Adrienne N. Williams, co-founder of Elements Organization, found her role model, Audre Lorde, when she was introduced to the writer/activist’s work at age 12. She effused, “I absorbed her poetry like a sponge, and admired the way she stood by her convictions as a self-proclaimed ‘black, lesbian, feminist, mother, poet warrior.’ “She was my first role model because she was an activist, educated, artistic woman and I could see myself in her. Learning that it is OK to live authentically is a freedom some many people in the world will never experience as they seek to conform, and

Lorde taught me just how boring uniformity truly is.” Now a dual master’s degree student at Widener University studying human sexuality education and social work, Williams has incorporated the life and work of Lorde in her own life and continues to honor her legacy as a self-identified queer woman of color. Likewise, when performer, theater technician and model Alia Hatch came out 11 years ago, she had a number of influential black artists in her life. But very few of them were out lesbians. Luckily, she recalls,

Men’s Health Crisis and the impetus for the formation of ACT-UP. I truly believe that the fury and rage demonstrated within his written works and political activism stem from the deepest sense of love and compassion for his community. His words illicit strong reactions and he has angered me in the past, but as I get older I realize the truth to his sentiment. Our younger generation has much to learn from him. We can all use a healthy dose of his brazen call to arms during this era of complacency and pride in assimilation.” Joe Ippolito, a psychologist, filmmaker and trans activist who has been fighting for LGBTQ rights for close to 20 years, said he’s had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful people along the way. “In some respects, I have dozens of trans-identified role models, but if I had to choose two, those two people would have to be Miss Major Griffin-Gracy and Jamison Green. “I have known Miss Major for close to 10 years and continue to find myself mesmerized by her passion for trans activism and people. Miss Major, who is almost 70, has spent the past 40 years, since Stonewall, advocating for the lives of trans people,

ALIA HATCH Photo: Zoe Strauss

“I had the good fortune of meeting Aishah Shahidah Simmons. A dynamic filmmaker, activist and cultural worker, she showed me what it was to be a proud, powerful AfricanAmerican feminist lesbian artist, and she used her art to create social change. Her presence and influence gave me hope that one day I too would be able to artistically

ELISABETH FLYNN

to Watch Out For,” “Fun Home” and “Are You My Mother?” “Bechdel is working in a somewhat underappreciated medium [first comic strips, now graphic novels] and has managed to do what I think all great art does, which is to take a very personal and specific subject and transform it into something universal about the human experience. If you’ve read her book ‘Fun Home,’ you know that it’s unflinching, courageous, deeply sad and beautiful all at once. And it has the power to speak to anyone who picks it up about the nature of family, identity and truth. She went from having a small but dedicated following for years to suddenly reaching a very wide audience with that book, but she’s done it on her own terms, through a tremendous dedication to authenticity and craft. I really admire that, and I think it can apply regardless of what your particular calling

JOE IPPOLITO Photo: Suzi Nash

GABRIEL MARTINEZ

contribute to the world around me and be my full, true self.” Visual artist and educator Gabriel Martinez sees writer-activist and provocateur Larry Kramer as his hero. “Although he’s been criticized for his outspoken and controversial perspectives on the gay community, no one has ever fought so consistently and vehemently for our rights and well-being,” he said. “Kramer is the co-founder of the Gay ADRIENNE N. WILLIAMS

regardless of their age, gender, race, culture or class. She is extremely smart and highly compassionate. The work she does for our community far exceeds most people’s expectations.” Of his second role model, Green, Ippolito said that, in the 10 years that he’s know him, he finds himself “continuously amazed by his intelligence, dedication and love for the trans movement.” “Jamison is an amazing writer, an awesome advocate and a wonderful friend. In my opinion, the primary reason Major and Green stand out from all the rest is their unique ability to advocate hard for an issue, for example, but do so in a diplomatic, professional and transgressive manner. Their ability to do this is uncanny, and that is what I appreciate most about them.” Elisabeth Flynn, senior communications manager at Mazzoni Center, is a big reader, so nearly everyone who came to mind for her was a writer. But she said her role model is Alison Bechdel, author of “Dykes

STEPHANIE HAYNES Photo: Sarah Bork Hamilton

or profession is. It seems like a worthwhile approach to life.” Stephanie Haynes, community coordinator for Philadelphia Family Pride and board member of the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club, named a more personal mentor. “I came out at the University of Miami in 1990, at a time when the only out lesbian I knew of was Martina Navratilova. When I overheard a student talking about going to play softball with a group of women, I invited myself along, and went

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community members talk about role models from knowing zero to 15 lesbians in a day. The woman who came to be my lesbian ‘mom’ shortly thereafter was Martha Fugate, one of the softball mainstays. “Over the rest of my time in Miami, Martha had me over to her house that she shared with her partner. She offered me nononsense advice when asked, but mostly listened. In addition to taking care of me, Martha talked about and, shortly thereafter, actually started an organization, the YES Institute in Miami (yesinstitute.org) to prevent suicide and ensure the healthy development of LGBT youth. The group

liberated living to her.” For Tracy Buchholz, operations coordinator of Equality Forum, her role model was a leader on a more local level — former PGN Person of the Year Tami Sortman. Buchholz met Sortman when she was on the board of Sapphire Fund. “I pitched an idea to the board about a women’s dance benefit [Emerge], and Tami came on board to volunteer and oversee marketing.” Buchholz praised Sortman for being “a strong, creative and brilliant leader,” and fondly remembers Sortman convincing a room full of women to get completely naked and pose for an Emerge palm card photo shoot. But what she most admires about Sortman is how “she always guided me — offering encouraging advice. But she also gave me the room to make mistakes and learn from them. I’ve known her for 10 years, and I’m still learning from her. I hope to make her proud!” Bob Szwajkos, board member of Team Philadelphia, selected an athlete for his role model. “Throughout my years participating in sports, I had no awareness of any ‘gay’ athletes. To the contrary, living an open gay life was not an option. All that changed in 2006

JEREMY TAYLOR

is flourishing and has become a model for other similar groups around the country.” Jeremy Taylor, president of Philly Black Pride, also found guidance from a friend and mentor. He acknowledged Bishop Yvette Flunder, an openly gay pastor in San Francisco, as his role model. “She came from a Christian church background that didn’t accept her. This in turn caused her not to accept herself. Many years later, after some self-counsel, she found that there was a better path to live by, and she still maintains her belief system.” He explained her influence further: “At one point in my life, I was looking at that issue as well. Bishop Flunder taught me that no matter how staunch your upbringing was, the best thing in this consciousness to do is to ‘live in your truth,’ which is why I felt so compelled to come out. I owe my

BOB SZWAJKOS Photo: Scott A. Drake

when I decided to attend the Gay Games in Chicago and participate in the marathon. Researching the history of the Gay Games I became inspired by Tom Waddell, one of the founders. His motto was, ‘Doing one’s personal best should be the paramount goal in any athletic endeavor.’ “Tom, like me, had participated in gymnastics and track and field. He brought the dream of participating in Olympic-style competition to the gay community and me. Seeking to share one of the most inspiring experiences of my life, I became active with Team Philadelphia, which organized local athletes to attend the 2010 Games in Köln, Germany. That event has been a springboard for Philadelphia’s LGBT sports’ success in expanding by hundreds of new athletes and joint efforts locally and with other regional teams and national organizations. When I attend the IX Gay Games, running the TRACY BUCHHOLZ marathon, I will be sharing Tom Waddell’s

dream with LGBT athletes from the world: doing our best in athletics.” However, some folks have struggled to find role models in their lives. Amanda J. Dean, a bisexual artist and nonprofit professional, grew up in a caring but conservative household in the New Jersey suburbs. “I learned at a young age that girls ‘being’ with girls was wrong, and that

AMANDA J. DEAN Photo: Scott A. Drake

confident, straight woman who openly expressed their enjoyment of their sex lives was ‘improper.’” Dean remembers seeing k.d. lang’s “Constant Craving” music video and being “fascinated and bewildered at the same time. I didn’t understand quite what she was, but what she was stuck with me.” “When it comes to people I look up to, I think it is two-fold: the ordinary people that live normally in your community but don’t hide who they are, and the more wellknown people like Ellen, who just amazes me. When my teenage sister comments on how much she loves Ellen, I think, Wow! Ellen is who she is: a great person, and a great ‘lesbian’ person. “Role models need to start at home — teaching acceptance and openness, rethinking how we build confidence in children without demeaning them if they are more effeminate or masculine than they are ‘supposed’ to be,” said Dean. Temple University student Josh Hoagland has a similar outlook on role

models. “It’s hard for me to think of a singular LGBT role model for myself to look up to. The ones that I respect most are those that are able to take their sexuality and turn the stereotype of being a part of the LGBT community on its head. It’s not people on a TV screen: It’s those individuals that can be a role model with or without their sexuality. “I grew up in a very religious South Jersey family,” Hoagland added. “I undeniably knew that I was gay, but being an athlete and college-minded, I felt left out on my own; I didn’t seem to ‘fit’ with any one group and I had no access to LGBT examples that followed the path that I had set for my life. It wasn’t until moving to Philadelphia, being on my own and coming out on my terms, that I was able to really find likeminded LGBT examples. “My role models — and the example that I hope to be for those that come after me — are those individuals who show you can be gay and you can be a normal and successful member of society. My heart overflows at the sight of elderly lesbians and gay men that have spent their lives together despite the certain admonishment they had received. I never had a gay mentor to tell me what to expect from life, from school, from family, from success; I had to figure it out on my own and make a lot of mistakes along the way. I’m still figuring it out, but I would want to be that in the future, and those that are currently doing that have my utmost respect.” In contrast, Michael McGonigle, film

MICHAEL MCGONIGLE

JOSH HOAGLAND

lecturer at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, does look to TV images, and chose Neil Patrick Harris as his role model. “He has turned [his sexuality] all into a delightful joke on American society. Not only does he steal every award show he’s asked to perform in as only a gay man can, but he totally eviscerates straight-guy stereotypes in ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and his cameos in the ‘Harold & Kumar’ films where he plays a relentlessly obnoxious heterosexual horn-dog. When I think of all the straight actors I’ve seen do a limp wrist or speak with a lisp to mimic being gay, this is actually a satisfying revenge.” ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE — SPECIAL PRIDE ISSUE COVERAGE

PRIDE FLASHBACK — 20 YEARS AGO: In the summer of 1992, grunge was exploding, acts like Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey had the pop world in a headlock, we were on the cusp of the Bill Clinton years and the big club hit was “Rhythm is a Dancer” by Snap. Is it all coming back to you? Good. Anyway, Philly Pride celebrated its fourth year in 1992 and, lest we forget how far things have come for the LGBT community in the last 20 years, here are a few interesting and telling facts about the times that year. 1. The kissing booth was temporarily shut down by Penn’s Landing officials — despite the fact that dental dams were on hand — who cited the risk of spreading disease (read: HIV) as the reason. 2. The “T” in LGBT was missing back in 1992, as the banners only included lesbians, gay and bisexuals. 3. Medical professionals in the ambulance hired to follow the parade in case of medical emergencies felt it necessary to put a sign in the passenger and driver’s-side windows that stated “We’re Straight,” in response to being hit on by male Pride participants. The EMTs were later suspended. PGN file photos

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PRIDE ISSUE

PRIDE ISSUE ENGAGEMENT from page 1

of Mount Joy, last week that their approximately 90-word engagement announcement was incompatible with the paper’s standards. But, after widespread backlash, the newspaper reversed the decision Monday night. The pair, who have been together for seven years, got engaged in May during a church service, seven years to the day they first met. “He was singing a solo and I thought I heard him dedicate it to me and I was trying to pay attention, but I was helping his son fold paper boats to keep him occupied,” Weaver joked. After the song, a projector lit up with the message, “Brent, will you marry me? Jeff.” Clouser, the son of George and Nancy Clouser, graduated from Boyertown Area Senior High School in 1987 and Millersville University in 1991 and works as a customerservice specialist at a bank in Palmyra. Weaver, the son of Jean and the late Harry Weaver, graduated from Conestoga Valley High School in 1989 and University of Delaware in 1994 and is employed as a middle-school world-language teacher. Both men said communication has helped to keep their relationship strong. “Every couple has issues but I think, being a same-sex couple, there can be

added stress,” Weaver said. “But rather than letting that tear us apart, we’ve been really good about communicating our fears, frustrations and feelings for one another.” Clouser added that they’ve learned to “recognize our differences and be able to work well with one another through those differences. We don’t always agree on things, but we’ve figured out ways to talk through that and respect one another.” Once Weaver accepted the proposal, Clouser spent several hours putting together the announcement. Weaver said he and his partner didn’t expect to run into any problems with placing the notice in the local paper, for which they were prepared to pay the standard $25 fee. “We submitted it because that’s what normal people do when you get engaged, and we’re just normal people,” he said. “We try to just live our lives as we know life should be. We try not to worry about conventions but act as we know things should be.” Shortly after submitting the announcement, however, the couple received an email from the company saying that the notice did not meet its standards, without a specific reference to a policy on same-sex announcements. “The email told us that the announcement would violate community standards, with-

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

out ever explaining what that really meant,” Weaver said. “Instead of saying that they don’t print a gay announcement, they used this ‘standards of acceptance’ term. They should have treated us like adults and said that they didn’t think this would go over well with their readers, but instead they told us we didn’t meet their standards. We couldn’t let people treat us like that.” The couple contacted local news station WGAL, which ran a story on the issue Sunday, sparking a sea of media coverage. The great majority of online comments on the stories were positive, and most were submitted by non-LGBT people, Weaver noted. The couple began receiving emails from people whom they’d never met, and the story was shared by people from Minnesota to the United Kingdom. Several people that the couple knows cancelled their subscriptions to the paper, and a group of strangers staged a protest outside the newspaper’s headquarters Monday. “There was a lot of support from people we didn’t know,” Weaver said. “I think it’s because this isn’t just a gay issue, it’s an issue of being treated fairly. Everyone wants to believe that they are the same as everyone else and as good as everyone else, and when someone isn’t treated as such, it strikes a nerve with a lot of people.”

PAGE 57

On Monday night, the company’s president and CEO, Harold Miller, called the couple and said he had decided to reverse course and would accept the announcement, as well as subsequent wedding and anniversary notices. “He said that, due to the outcry of support and the dialogue he’d had with everyone who called and wrote in, in talking with the editors, he thought this was the right thing to do,” Clouser said. “When we hung up, we wondered if he meant if it was the right thing to do because of business or actually the right thing to do.” Clouser said Miller didn’t initially apologize but called back later to offer an apology. “He said that it was wrong on his part, that this should have been the decision when we submitted the announcement. So I’d like to think that he truly believed that this was the right thing to do,” Clouser said. The couple is planning to obtain a legal marriage certificate in Connecticut later this month, and is in the process of planning a ceremony closer to home. The next issue they could encounter is the length of the invite list, Weaver joked. “So many more people know we’re engaged now than if this had just been printed in the first place. Now everyone wants to come to the wedding.” ■

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riage and the family serves not only the church, but also the common good.” Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, a national organization for Catholic LGBTs, said an event that unites Catholic families would ideally be a positive occasion — if it were to include all types of families. “This meeting is clearly a political gesture that’s part of the Vatican’s and the U.S. bishops’ continuing attacks on the reality of family life,” DuddyBurke said. “It’s another example of the Catholic Church trying to impose its very-limited and outdated view of what makes a family on the rest of our society. Even in the announcement about this event, they tried to promote the false idea that the hierarchy is under attack by our community’s efforts to gain equality.” Mayor Michael Nutter was quoted in the press as saying he was “very excited” that Philadelphia was selected as the host city for the event. Nutter spokesperson Mark McDonald clarified that it is unclear how prominently marriage equality will figure into the event and that the mayor strongly supports LGBT equality. “With an event three years away, it’s difficult to know what might be on the agenda of the 2015 World Meeting of Families or what positions of a theological or philosophical nature might be taken,” McDonald said. “But it’s also true that there may be any number of areas where reasonable and respectful religious leaders may hold differing views on a variety of topics. Certainly, practicing Roman

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Catholics who are also in the LGBT community understand that. “But one thing is crystal clear,” he added. “Mayor Nutter has strong and long-held views regarding the civil and legal protections for the LGBT community, including his support for marriage equality. He is one of the mayors in Mayors for Marriage Equality and spoke very clearly about his views. These views of human freedom are at his core political values and not subject to change.” Duddy-Burke noted that a true meeting of Catholic families would address the needs of survivors of sexual abuse, those dealing with economic hardships and families grappling with domestic violence, all issues that she said the church is failing to adequately respond to. While she said Dignity would welcome the opportunity to offer input on the World Meeting of Families, Duddy-Burke does not expect the olive branch to be extended to the LGBT community. “For more than a decade, any kind of dialogue between Dignity or other progressive organizations and even progressive Catholics and the church hierarchy just hasn’t happened. The hierarchy has closed its doors to any kind of dialogue from anyone it labels as dissenters because it says it ‘confuses’ the faithful,” she said. “The only voices that get heard are those that agree up and down the line with the hierarchy’s positions. We would love to share ideas about how this gathering could truly be representative of Catholic families, who include LGBT people, but I don’t have great hopes that that would happen.” ■

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PAGE 69

locations in Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA — AROUND THE GAYBORHOOD

12th Street Gym, 204 S. 12th St. • 13th Street Gourmet Pizza, 209 S. 13th St. • AACO, 1101 Market St., 9th floor • Action AIDS, 1216 Arch St. • Apt. & Townhouse Rentals, 304 S. 12th St. • ASIAC, 1201 Chestnut St., 5th floor • The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St. • Bioscript Pharmacy, 1227 Locust St. • Cafe Twelve, 212 S. 12th St. • Charlie Salon, 203 S. 12th St. • City Hall NE Entrance • Club Body Center, 1220 Chancellor St. • Com-Har Living Room, 101 S. Broad St., 14th floor • Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. • Cut Salon, 204 S. 13th St. • Danny’s Bookstore 133 S. 13th St. • Dignity/St. Lukes, 330 S. 13th St. • Dirty Frank’s Bar, 13th & Pine sts. • The Foodery, 10th & Pine sts. • Fusion Gym, 105 S. 12th St., 2nd floor • Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St. • I Goldberg, 1300 Chestnut St. • ICandy, 254 S. 12th St. • Independent Hotel, 13th & Locust sts. • Mazzoni Clinic, 809 Locust St. • Midtown II, 122 S. 11th St. • More Than Just Ice Cream, 1119 Locust St. • Pa. AIDS Law Project, 1211 Chestnut St., 12th floor • Paolo Pizzeria, 1336 Pine St. • Parker Hotel Lobby, 261 S. 13th St. • Phila. FIGHT/Aids Library, 1233 Locust St., 5th floor • Phila. Family Planning Commission, 260 S. Broad St., 10th floor • Planned Parenthood, 1144 Locust St. • Sansom Cinema, 120 S. 13th St., basement • Santa Fe Burrito, 212 S. 11th St. • Scorpio Books, 202 S. Juniper St. • Sisters, 1320 Chancellor St. • Spruce Street Video, 252 S. 12th St. • Packard Apartments, 317 N. Broad St. • Safeguards lobby, 1211 Chestnut St. #610 • Salon K, 1216 Locust St. • Sansom Cinema, 120 S. 13th St. • Sante Fe Burrito, 212 S. 11th St. • Tabu, 200 S. 12th St. • Tavern on Camac, 243 S. Camac St. • Triangle Medicine, 253 S. 10th St., 1st floor • Uncles, 1220 Locust St. • Valanni, 1229 Spruce St. • Venture Inn, 255 S. Camac St. • Voyeur, 1220 St. James St. • Westbury, 261 S. 13th St. • William Way LGBT Community Center, 1325 Spruce St. • Woody’s, 202 S. 13th St. •

PHILADELPHIA — C.C. EAST OF BROAD

Bean Café, 615 South St. • Best Western Independence Park Hotel lobby, 215 Chestnut St. • Chocolate Works Condo lobby, 321 N. Third St. • Copabanana, 342 South St. • Dane Décor, 315 Arch St. • Famous 4th St. Deli, Fourth & Bainbridge sts. • Hopkinson House, 604 S. Washington Sq. • Hyatt Regency Hotel lobby, 201 S. Columbus Blvd. • Independence Place Condos, 241 S. Sixth St., lobby in both towers • Independence Visitors Center, Sixth & Market sts. • Old City Ironworks Gym, 141 N. Second St. • Nationality Service Center, 1216 Arch St. • Packard Apts., 317 N. Broad St. • Paper Moon, 524 S. Fourth St. • PGN ofﬁces, 505 S. Fourth St. • Philadelphia Java Co., 518 S. Fourth St. • Reading Terminal Market, 12th & Filbert sts. • Strands Salon, 25 N. Third St. •

PHILADELPHIA — C.C. WEST OF BROAD

Adonis Cinema, 2026 Sansom St. • Art Institute, 1610 Chestnut St. • Art Institute, 1622 Chestnut St. • Art Institute, 2300 Market St. • The Attic Youth Center, 255 S. 16th St. • Bob & Barbara’s, 1509 South St. • Book Bin, 22nd & Market sts. • Dan Tobey R/E, 1401 Walnut St., 8th floor • Dr. Wakefield’s Office, 255 S. 17th St., Suite 2306 • Drexel Partnership, 1427 Vine St., 3rd floor • Latimer Deli, 255 S. 15th St. • L-2 Restaurant, 22nd & South sts. • MANNA, 12 S. 23rd St. • Marine Club Condos lobby, Broad St. & Washington Ave. • Metropolitan, 115 N. 15th St. • Safeguards Lobby, 1700 Market St., 18th floor • Sansom St. Gym, 2020 Sansom St. • South Square Market, 2221 South St. • Titan Room, 22nd & Market sts. • Touraine Building lobby, 1520 Spruce St. • U Do It Laundry, 15th & Spruce sts. • Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel, 17th & Race sts. •

PHILADELPHIA — NORTH OF C.C.

1 Shot Coffee, 1040 N. Second St. • 2601 Parkway Condos lobby, 2601 Pennsylvania Ave. • Bebashi, 1217 Spring Garden St. • Beehive Hair Salon, 2319 Fairmount Ave. • Beth Ahavah, 615 N. Broad St. • Bridgeview Place Condo lobby, 315 New St. • Colonnade Condos lobby, 1601 Spring Garden St. • Community College CCP Lambda, 1700 Spring Garden St. • Congresso de Latinos, American St. & Lehigh Ave. • Crooked Frame Café, 2545 Brown St. • Darling’s Diner, 1033 N. Second St. • Filter Coffee House, 331 Race St. • Girard Vet, 28th St. & Girard Ave. • HIV Early Intervention Clinic, St. Joseph’s Hospital, 16th St. & Girard Ave. • Logan View Apts. lobby, 17th & Callowhill sts. • Northern Liberties Iron Works, 821 N. Second St. • One Day At A Time, 2532 N. Broad St. • Philadelphian Condos lobby, 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. • PYT Restaurant, 1050 N. Hancock St., at the Piazza • Sammy’s Place, 1449 N. Fifth St., 1st ﬂoor • Shampoo, Seventh & Willow sts. • SILOAM Ministries, 1133 Spring Garden St. • Temple University Student Activity Center, 1755 N. 12th St. • Welker Real Estate, 2311 Fairmount Ave. • Whole Foods Market, 2001 Pennsylvania Ave. •

PHILADELPHIA — SOUTH OF C.C.

Bethel Community Home, 933-935 S. Third St. • Black N Brew, 1523 E. Passyunk Ave. • Carmen’s Country Kitchen, 11th & Wharton sts. • Class Act Auto Repair, 2042 S. Bancroft St. • Equal, 1516 Snyder Ave. • Essene, 719 S. Fourth St. • Expressive Hand, 622 S. Ninth St. • Fuel, 1917 E. Passyunk Ave. • Hideaway, Days Inn, 2015 Penrose Ave. • Jackson Place, 501 Jackson St. • Kris Restaurant, 1100 Federal St. • Rockerhead Salon, 607 S. Third St. • South Philly Bagels, 613 S. Third St. • Ultimo Coffee, 1900 S. 15th St. •

PHILADELPHIA — UNIVERSITY CITY

Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St. • Bucks County Coffee, 3430 Sansom St. • Bucks County Coffee, 40th & Locust sts. • Fresh Grocer, 4001 Walnut St. • Goodman Hall, 710 S. 42nd St. • International House, 3701 Chestnut St. • LGBT Center at Penn, 3907 Spruce St. • Old Quaker Condos lobby, 3514 Lancaster Ave. • Oslo Hall, 510 S. 42nd St. • Penn Bookstore, 3610 Walnut St. • Sheraton Hotel, 36th & Chestnut sts. • St. Mary’s Church, 3916 Locust Walk • University of the Sciences England Library, 4200 Woodland Ave. • University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St. • Wilson Hall, 708 S. 42nd St. • World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. •

PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOODS — OTHER

Almost Paradise, 742 Frankford Ave. • Coffee Junction, 7210 Cresheim Road • Elfant Wissahickon Realty, 8962 Ridge Ave. • Fantasy Island Books, 7363 State Road • GWHS Beacon Center, 10175 Bustleton Ave. • Harry’s Natural Foods, 1805 Cottman Ave. • Infusion Salon, 7133 Germantown Ave. • Morris House, 5537 Woodland Ave. • One Day At A Time, 2532 N. Broad St. • Philadelphia University KANBAR Center, 4201 Henry Ave. • Prevention Point, 166 W. Lehigh Ave. • Today’s Videos, 9255 Roosevelt Blvd. • Touch of Class Books, 3342 Kensington Ave. • WCAU TV lobby, City Line Ave. & Monument Road • Weaver’s Way, 559 Carpenter Lane • Welker Real Estate, 2311 Fairmount Ave. • WPVI TV lobby, City Line Ave. & Monument Road •

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PRIDE ISSUE

locations in Pa. outside of Philadelphia

Allentown • Allentown Brew Works, 812 Hamilton St. • Candida, 247 N. 12th St. • MCCLV, 930 N. Fourth St. • Stonewall, 28-30 N. 10th St. • Annville • Lebanon Valley College, Sheridan Ave. • Ardmore • Ardmore Station, Anderson Ave. near Coulter Ave. • Bethel • Adult World, 341 Midway Road • Bethlehem • LGBTQ Services Lehigh U, 25 Trembley Dr. • Bloomsberg • Bloomsberg University LGBTA Center, 400 E. Second St. • Bristol • Bristol News World, 576B Bristol Pike • Bryn Mawr • Bryn Mawr College, Canaday Library • Bryn Mawr Station, Morris Ave. near Bryn Mawr Ave. • Fox & Roach Realty, 763 Lancaster Ave. • TLA Video, 761 Lancaster Ave. • Chalfont • Dr. Annette Lee, 700 Horizon Circle, Suite 202 • Chester • Harrah’s Chester Casino, 777 Harrah’s Blvd. • Widener University, 1 University Place • Collegeville • Adult World, 3975 Ridge Pike • Devon • Devon Station, Devon State Road & Lancaster Pike • Doylestown • Doylestown Bookshop, 16 S. Main St. • Siren Records, 25 E. State St. • East Stroudsburg • Rainbow Mountain Resort, 210 Mt. Nebo Road • Easton • La Pazza, 1251 Ferry St. • Gibson • Hillside Campground, 1 Creek Road • Glen Mills • Imago Dei MCC, 1223 Middletown Road • Glenside • Keswick Cycle, 408 N. Easton Road • Harrisburg • 704 Strawberry Café, 704 N. Third St. • AIDS Community Alliance, 100 N. Cameron St. • Brownstone Lounge, 412 Forster St. • Liquid 891, 891 Eisenhower Blvd. • MCC of the Spirit, 2973 Jefferson St. • Stallions, 706 N. Third St. • Haverford • Haverford Station, Haverford Station Road near Lancaster Ave. • Kutztown • Kutztown University, 15200 Main St. • Lancaster • Downtown Books, 227 N. Prince St. • Rainbow Pet Creations, 305 N. Queen St. • Sundown Lounge, 429 N. Mulberry St. • Tally Ho Tavern, 201 W. Orange St. • Lansdale • Gwynedd Vet Hospital, 1615 W. Pointe Pike • Lehighton • Woods Campground, 845 Vaughn Acres Road • Levittown • Levitt Books, 7406 Bristol Pike • Malvern • Malvern Station, King St. & Warren Ave. • Media • Unitarian Universalist Church, 145 W. Rose Tree Road • The Media Theater, 104 E. State St. • LGBT Alliance Group, Delaware Co. Campus, Penn State Univ., 901 Media Line Road • Narberth • Narberth Station, Haverford & Narberth avenues • New Hope • Café Europa, 11 Market Place • Cornerstone Gym, 419 York Road • Eagle Diner, 6522 York Road • Havana, 105 S. Main St. • John & Peters, 96 S. Main St. • Karla’s Restaurant, 5 W. Mechanic St. • La Chateau Exotique, 31A W. Mechanic St. • Havana Bar & Grill, 105 S. Main St. • The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St. • Sandbar, 90 S. Main St. • Triumph Brewing Co., 400 Union Square Drive • Wildﬂowers, 8 W. Mechanic St. • New Milford • Oneida Campground, 2580 E. Lake Road • Newtown • Bucks Co. Community College, 275 Swamp Road • North Wales • Adult World, 608 Upper State Road• Old Forge • Twelve Penny Saloon, 535 Hickory St. • Paoli • Paoli Station, North Valley Road & Lincoln Highway • Plains Township • Twist Bar, Fox Ridge Plaza, Rte. 315 • Quakertown • Adult World, 880 S. West End Blvd. • Reading • Berls Aid Network, 429 Walnut St. • Reading Adult Center, 316 Penn St. • Rosemont • Rosemont Station, Airdale Road & Montrose Ave. • Spring Grove • Atland’s Ranch, RR6, Box 6543 • Swarthmore • Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave., Parrish Hall • Temple • Naughty But Nice, 4502 N. Fifth St. • Upper Darby • Honor Box, 69th Street Station • Villanova • Villanova Station, Spring Mill Road near County Line Road • Warminster • Planned Parenthood of Bucks Co., 610 Louis Dr. • Wayne • Central Baptist Church, 106 W. Lancaster Ave. • Stafford Station, Old Eagle School & Crestline roads • Wayne Station, N. Wayne & West Ave. • West Chester • Chester County Books, 975 Paoli Pike • Williamsport • Peachies, 144 E. Fourth St. • Willow Grove • Barnes & Noble, 102 Park Ave. • Wynnwood • Wynnwood Station, Wynnewood & Penn roads • York • Club XS, 36 W. 11th St. • Cupid’s Connextion, 244 N. George St. • ��

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locations outside of Pennsylvania DELAWARE

Wilmington • AIDS Delaware, 100 W. 10th St. • Crimson Moon, 1909 S. Sixth St. • Rehoboth Beach • Canal Side Inn, 34 Sixth St. • Double L Bar, 622 Rehoboth Ave. • Proud Bookstore, 149 Rehoboth Ave. • Rams Head Inn, 35006 Warrington Ave. • Rigby’s Bar & Grill, 404 Rehoboth Ave. • Shore Inn, 37239 Rehoboth Ave. •

NEW JERSEY

Asbury Park • Georgie’s, 812 Fifth Ave. • Paradise, 101 Asbury Ave. • Atlantic City • Oasis, 32 S. Tennessee Ave. • Ocean House, 127 S. Ocean Ave. • Pro Bar, Resorts Casino, 1133 Boardwalk, 13th ﬂoor • Ritz Condo lobby, 2715 Boardwalk • Bordentown • Shoppe 202, 202 Farnsworth Ave. • Camden • Honor Box, PATCO Ferry Ave. Station • Cherry Hill • Unitarian Church, 400 N. Kings Hwy. • Andriotti’s Viennese Café, 1442 E. Route 70 • Collingswood • Honor Box, PATCO Collingswood Station • Egg Harbour City • Red Barn Books, 1204 White Horse Pike • Galloway • Pride Alliance Stockton College, 101 Vera King Farris Dr. suite 240 • Gloucester City • Red Barn Books, 600 Rt. 130 South • Highland Park • Pride Center of NJ, 85 Raritan Ave. • Lambertville• Body Tech, 8 Mt. Hope St. • Lebanon • GLBT of Hunterdon Co., 126 Petticoat Lane • Lindenwold • Honor Box, PATCO Lindenwold Station East • Honor Box, PATCO Lindenwold Station West • Morristown • Gay Activist Alliance, Unitarian Church, 29 Normandy Heights Road • Oaklyn • Sacred Green Earth, 511 Whitehorse Pike • Princeton • LGBT Center, Princeton University, 246 First Campus Center • Somerset • The Den, 700 Hamilton Ave. • Stratford • White Horse Books, 906 White Horse Pike • Vineland • J&J News, 729 N. Main St. • West Berlin • Red Barn Books, 597 Route 73 North • Williamstown • Book Bin, 3852 S. Black Horse Pike •

NEW YORK Blooming Grove • Help Inc., 48 Sylvan Trail • New York City • Lesbian and Gay Services Center, 208 W. 13th St.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION ON THIS LIST? Contact Don at don@epgn.com or 215-625-8501 ext. 200 to arrange for delivery of complimentary copies.

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AC ul t ure rts

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

Barcrawlr 74 Books 88, 95 Bulletin Board 96 Family Portrait 79 Dining Out 87 CD Reviews 82 Out & About 92

Scene in Philly Q Puzzle Television Theater Worth Watching

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Wendy Williams headlines Philly Pride The self-proclaimed “Queen of All Media,” radio personality, talk-show host and author Wendy Williams will party at Philly Pride June 10. At this point in her career, it’s obvious that Williams is not afraid to go there. Her outspoken style and to-the-point demeanor has garnered her success as a DJ on a number of high-profile radio stations, where Williams became a lightning rod for controversy and celebrity beefs for dishing all kinds of dirt on R&B and hip-hop celebrities. She was later able to parlay her popularity on the airwaves into a successful television career, the crowning achievement of which is “The Wendy Williams Show,” her daily talk show that recently celebrated its 500th episode. Williams talked to PGN about her achievements in entertainment, her appeal to gay fans and her upcoming foray into the fashion industry.

Every nine-and-a-half minutes someone is diagnosed with HIV and that’s very sad that we don’t yet have a cure for AIDS and everything about Pride is working toward a cure as well as acceptance as far as people and family members. PGN: Are you excited about celebrating your 500th

PGN: What do you plan on doing on stage at Philly Pride? WW: For Philly Pride, I’m going to be receiving the key to the city, which is ... wow! That’s huge. I also plan on speaking. They’re assembling some kind of audience. I’ll be speaking about being happy, alive and of course supporting Pride and our gay community. I’m a heterosexual woman, but I have always supported the gay community. You sense when you’re in grade school that some kids are different from the rest. I was different for my own reasons. So I’ll be speaking about acceptance, equality and, of course, raising awareness.

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episode of your talk show? WW: Five-hundred shows is huge, but in the bigger scheme of things, when I look around at other talk shows, I want to be like them and reach that 1,000 and 2,000

How you doin’? mark. I just want to keep it going. PGN: Did Oprah and Rosie O’Donnell stepping down from their talk shows help the popularity of your show? WW: When my show was first announced, many people were saying that I’d be filling that void and I thought, No, no, no. You have the wrong perception of what my show is going to be. It’s a different kind of show. The only thing we have in common is that we’re both black women who care very much about the human condition. But we just address it in different ways.

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PGN: When Oprah sends you a letter because of something you said on your show, does it get you excited or do you panic? WW: It makes me excited because it’s exciting if someone like the big “O” even has the time in her day to watch and care about the rest of us newbies.

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PGN: What was the biggest difference you faced in taking what you do from radio to television? WW: Editing my conversation. My conversations with my guests on the radio were endless depending on how well we were getting along. I had guests that stayed for hours like Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez or Kanye West. Now that I have a talk show, my conversations have got to be seven minutes on one side of the interview and then we take a break and come back and we have three minutes. No more, no less. We’re going to be cut off by a commercial. It’s a one-hour show so it’s really different from having four hours to luxuriate in conversation with someone and declare the commercial break where I need them to be. I was always able to move them around in radio. PGN: Over the course of your career in radio you have run afoul of a few celebrities. Why do you think you drew such negative reactions from them? WW: My name wasn’t Matt Lauer. It was Wendy. For better or for worse, celebrities want to give the big “get” to the person with the biggest forum. And while I had millions of people listening to me on the radio, radio doesn’t get the respect that it deserves. Celebrities would rather go on TV to make their big announcement or to give their big interview.

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PRIDE ISSUE – SPECIAL COVERAGE

PGN: Do you think urban or hip-hop artists are touchier when the conversation turns toward sexuality and their personal lives? And if so, why is that? WW: When we talk hip-hop and R&B, I think of hip-hop being steeped in the black community. When I think of black I think of my people. My people still want our drunks to sit around the kitchen table and be propped up as opposed to putting them into rehab. That is the reality of my community. We don’t address things that need to be addressed, whether it be sexuality or our churches, which are steeped in a lot of secrets. When you have a problem, whether it be addiction or sexuality, for us as black people, it tends to be another layer of problems that we don’t want to deal with publicly. Every community has its own secrets and its own problems, whether it’s a faithbased community or ethnic background. For my community, one of the things we struggle to deal with is acceptance of a lot. PGN: Do you think, in regard to your career in radio, you deserved the shockjock label? WW: Some people don’t know what else to say. Maybe their vocabulary might be limited. You’re either a nice girl or a shock jock. I loved my career in radio. I think that there are many things about radio that TV will never be able to compare to, like the intimacy and how I was able to tell stories and be descriptive. I don’t think that it was fair. What I did wasn’t so shocking. It might have been more real and more shocking to my community because we’re so used to keeping things cloaked. Also, I think it was shocking to my gender. When I was growing up as a girl in New Jersey, my DJ idols were always men because the women were always taking a side seat to the men. We were always a sidekick or the slow-jams girl late at night. That is not who I wanted to be. I am no shrinking violet. For a woman to speak out and be bold and brash, I guess it was shocking. But it wasn’t shocking to me. The term “shock jock” usually connotes something negative but, in actuality, I don’t think there is anything negative about

me. When you think about the American Dream, whatever that is, I have that. So what is so shocking? PGN: How did you get into your own fashion line? WW: I’ve been a QVC shopper for all the years that QVC has been around. When I was a younger girl — and perhaps I should have been out shopping at the mall — but because of my career and my own little secret weirdness, I enjoy pulling out my credit card at 2 in the morning and buying sheets as opposed to going to Macy’s and buying them. I love the company and the soothing conversation of those who sell. I love the idea of somebody describing it to me and becoming an acquaintance in my head. One day the phone rang and it was QVC saying, “We would love to do something with Wendy.” I thought, Oh my gosh, this is so perfect. I know exactly what I want to do. I want a line of accessories because I’ve always had weight issues. My weight has gone up and down but my accessories have never turned on me. I want a line of accessories and I want it called Adorn. It took me all of 30 seconds to decide what I want to do and what I want to call it. Because how you adorn is really what separates you from the next person, and your adornments never let you down no matter how old you are or how heavy you get. I have a shoe line coming out in the fall. It’s also called Adorn. It won’t be with QVC. Foremost, I want my stuff to be affordable and fashionable and accessible. My line of shoes will be available at department stores and boutiques. I’m always feeling fabrics and testing the strength of heels. I’m 100-percent invested in the creation of different things that I do. ■ Wendy Williams performs June 10 at Philly Pride, Penn’s Landing. For more information, visit www.phillypride. org or www.wendyshow.com.

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Wanda Sykes returns to the comedy stage By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Out comedian and actor Wanda Sykes is back to her usual outrageously funny and resplendent live comedy action after a number of career highs in the last few years. Surely one of those highs was performing at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in 2009, a first for an African-American woman and an openly LGBT performer. That kind of high-profile gig is a lot of pressure even for the most seasoned of comics: While the whole world is watching, you have to walk the line between being funny and not being controversial. But Sykes, who ended up making headlines for a relatively tame but still “controversial” jab at Rush Limbaugh at the event, said she had too much going on in her life at the time to be too concerned. “It’s a big gig,” she said. “There’s all kinds of celebrities there. Luckily, I didn’t have much time to think about it as far as what am I going to do and what people will think because my wife was nine-months’ pregnant. So I was waiting around for her to have the babies. After the babies were born, I hit the clubs and got my material together. The next thing I knew it was the day of the event. So I figured they invited me and I was going to show up and be me. That’s what I do.” President Barack Obama was in attendance at the Correspondents’ Association Dinner and, three years later, he made history when he publicly declared his support for same-sex marriage. Coincidence? We don’t think so, but Sykes is neither helping us connect those historical dots nor allowing us to give her even the smallest piece of credit for it. “I’m not going to take any credit for it,” she said about the president’s evolving views on gay marriage. “I think just being there was enough. I was there and my wife was with me and I introduced her to him and the First Lady. I’m sure he has a lot of gay and lesbian families in his circle.” When the politically savvy comedian was asked what Obama’s support of gay marriage will mean for his political career and legacy as the president, she said she hoped it wouldn’t hurt him. “I go back and forth on this,” she said. “I know that some people say it’s a political move but I don’t see how this could help him politically, especially with all the things people say about him: that’s he’s socialist, elitist and not even believing he was born here. For his critics, this is like the missing piece of the puzzle. This is what they have been looking for to say, ‘See? He’s the antichrist!’ The people who were going to vote for him will probably vote for him anyway. I hope it doesn’t hurt him but I’m very proud that he did it.”

The last time Sykes appeared in the Philadelphia area, it was to make her live theater debut in a production of “Annie” at Media Theater in late 2010. She said she might be tempted to take to a theater stage again if the right role came her way. “I had a great time doing it and if the opportunity comes up again I might try it,” she said. “But that was perfect. Miss Hannigan was a great role for me and I’m friends with the theater owner. I felt like I was in a good environment to give it a shot. I don’t know if I would fare well on Broadway or a stage where it was a long run on a show. As a comic, after doing my material over and over again, you get bored. I have to keep changing it. I think that’s the same thing doing a stage play. I couldn’t see myself doing that for three months night after night. I would go nuts.” The last couple of years haven’t gone by without some troubles for Sykes. She has seen a few of her TV projects — her talk show “The Wanda Sykes Show” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” a sitcom in which she had a supporting role — cancelled. She also had her cameo in the film “The Muppets” relegated to the cutting-room floor. But all that seemed like small potatoes in 2011, when she revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and elected to have a bilateral mastectomy. She said she will be talking about that particular experience when she performs June 1516 at the Borgata. “I touch on it a little bit,” she said. “I’m not doing a big cancer show because there aren’t a lot of jokes in that. But I do speak on it because, luckily for me, I detected it early. I was diagnosed at stage zero. I speak on it to put awareness out there. I tend to talk about whatever is going on in my life or what I’ve been through.” When asked if her recent marriage and having children is going to take the edge off her razor-sharp and often-profane brand of comedy, Sykes gave an emphatic “no.” “I think it’s given me more material,” she said. “I can’t believe how kids can change your life. I knew it was going to be difficult but I had no idea it was going to be this difficult. That’s the thing: People who have kids don’t tell you everything because they want you to join their little group, and if they told you the truth you wouldn’t want to go through it. They’re great and I’m enjoying being a mother but, man, I had no idea it was this involved.” ■ Wanda Sykes performs June 15-16 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J. For more information or tickets, visit www.wandasykes.com or call 609-3171000.

PRIDE ISSUE – SPECIAL COVERAGE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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There are so many Pride events in the next Philadelphians MC Pride Social couple of weeks that they barely fit into one Warm up for Pride with the leathermen column! and bears of Philadelphians MC from 9 But I do have one thing to say before we p.m.-midnight June 9 at The Bike Stop, 206 get into it. I know a lot of you out there think S. Quince St. Pride doesn’t matter, but you’re wrong. Pride Sansom Street Gym Pride Party isn’t retro or outdated or boring or irrelevant Pride got you horny? Then get your ass or “post-gay” (whatever the fuck that means). over to the bathhouse and wrap it in a towel Pride is important. No matter how young from 11 p.m.-3:30 a.m. June 9 at Sansom you are, how old you are, how femme or fey Street Gym, 2020 Sansom St. There will be or butch or straight-acting you think you are, a DJ, complimentary food and take time out of your routine and beverages, mixers if you BYOB, make sure you go to Pride. and more men than you can It’s a celebration of who we are shake your stick at. and where we come from. It’s a reminder of those who’ve gone Philly Pride Parade and before us and sacrificed so that Festival we have the freedom to be ourselves. Finally! It’s Sunday, June 10 — Pride Day! There will always be people The parade assembles 11 a.m. hoping we’ll disappear, and there at 13th and Locust streets in the will always be those who want Gayborhood and steps off at us to shut up. It’s important to noon, winding its way through remind them that we won’t. the ’hood and down Market We’re here, we’re queer, you Jim Kiley- Street to Penn’s Landing, where know the rest — now get out there and celebrate! festival will run until 7 p.m. Zufelt the Say “How you doin’?” to festiPride Kickoff Block Party val headliner Wendy Williams! Kickstart your Pride from 6-11 p.m. June For more info and the complete line-up of 8 on 12th Street between Walnut and Spruce. entertainers and grand marshals, see www. Enjoy outdoor DJs, drink specials and hot phillypride.org (and don’t forget your sunscreen). dancers, then stick around for Frathouse Friday from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. at ICandy, 254 S. 12th St. Triumphant Pride One of the best places to go after Pride is Philly Dyke March 2012 Bruce Yelk’s annual Triumphant Pride party, This ain’t no parade, it’s a march! Open 1-8 p.m. June 10 at Mad River, 126 Chestnut to any and all who identify as dyke, you can St. Cover charge is free until 2, then $10 join folks from around the region from 3until 7. He’ll have great DJs, amazing entertainment and tons of hot and sweaty guys to 6 p.m. June 9 at Kahn Park, 11th and Pine rub up against. streets, for the 14th annual Philly Dyke March. Rally at 3 p.m., step off promptly at Stimulus Ultimate Pride Party 4. More information is at www.phillydykemarch.com. Catch the ultimate after-Pride party from 4 p.m.-midnight June 10 at Voyeur Homecoming 2012 Nightclub, 1221 St. James St., sponsored Enjoy a buffet, beverages and silent aucby Stimulus. Cover charge is $5 until 7 p.m. tion from 6-10:30 p.m. June 9 at William Way They’ll have amazing DJs, drink specials LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. and more hot girls and guys than you can count. Entertainment starts at 8 p.m. with your host The Notorious OMG and performances by Our Night Out Mimi Imfurst and the Dollhouse Review, plus Our Night Out is back with food folks from Sinful Sundays, Liberty City Kings and drinks from 6-8 p.m. June 12 at Le and IdiosynCrazy. Tickets range from $35Meridien, 1421 Arch St., with hosts the $50. See www.waygay.org for more details. Philadelphia Freedom Band and hundreds of Under the Boardwalk Gay Bingo gay folks to meet ’n’ greet. Don’t miss the sassy summer fashions of the Bingo Verifying Divas 7 p.m. June 9 at Big Gay Boat Party II the Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St. Tickets The best outdoor tea dance in town is are $25 for the floor or $20 for the balcony. back from 6 p.m.-midnight June 17 at Doors open at 6 and games start at 7. Moshulu, 401 S. Columbus Blvd. Hot men, hot women, hot tunes and hot drag queens Philadelphia Voices of Pride Concert — all on a boat! Cover charge is $10. ■ PVOP presents “In a World of Our Own” Questions? Comments? Missing “Game from 8 p.m. June 9 at the Trinity Center for Urban Life, 2212 Spruce St. The concert will of Thrones” already? Email Jim at barcrawlr@gmail.com or like him on celebrate the theme of love in genres including pop, classical, opera and Broadway. Facebook for links to back articles and deliciously crappy pop-video clips! Tickets are $20 at the door.

Barcrawlr

PRIDE ISSUE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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PRIDE ISSUE – SPECIAL COVERAGE

R&B artist to keep the ‘Peace’ at Philly Pride By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Out R&B and dance artist Sabrina Johnston is set to have rumps a-shaking when she performs at Philly Pride June 10 at Penn’s Landing. Johnston is probably best known for her 1992 hit “Peace” from her debut album, which was huge in the United Kingdom. She went on to have other dance hits and appeared on Lauryn Hill’s smash album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” Johnston said she was surprised that her first hit was particularly embraced by the gay community back in the day. “I’m basically an R&B singer and, when I heard that the drag queens were performing it everywhere around the world, I was mesmerized,” she said. “They did a great job doing it and they brightened up the world.” It goes without saying that this is going to have a prominent role in her performance Sunday. “Basically we’re doing the whole ‘Peace’ show,” she said. “It’s going to be the first one I’m going to be doing. I’m going to be putting a lot of the songs I have from the past and new ones together. Basically that’s what I’m running with.” She added that it was important for her as a longtime supporter of the LGBT community and an out artist to participate in events like Philly Pride. “No. 1, I’m an entertainer,” she said. “That’s what I took on in my life. That’s who I am. That’s what was given to me in my soul. No. 2, the type of music I choose to do is about people being in touch with people and com-

ing together. That’s why I write what I write. As far as people picking out gay, straight, black, white, green, blue, whatever the issues are, those are the issues people make up more than anything. The point being, everyone is human. It’s about positivity. Nobody knows who anybody is, so to say who a person is, it’s like calling the kettle black. I don’t know who you are, so how can I talk about you and

pick who you are? If something about you is different from the norm, the best thing to do is try to figure yourself in and understand it. It’s a matter of freedom.” ■ Sabrina Johnston performs at Philly Pride alongside Betty, Divas in a Man’s World and headliner Wendy Williams noon6 p.m. June 10. For more information, visit www.phillypride.org.

PRIDE ISSUE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

M t e A r e v e N r e D A , e k i L â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t n d i D PArAde You , l v i t s e F A d n e d r A P y A Meet the Pride DA A f o n o i t r b e l e c A p o t e h t r e v o , t u o l l n A A ! 10 e n u J n o u o y e e S . T All-things GLB

P.S. Get your history strAight And your nightlife gAy.

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PRIDE ISSUE – SPECIAL COVERAGE

UNCORKEd!

--8- & tradition --8-Now Open in the Winterthur Galleries Raise a glass in toast to this fascinating exhibition! Celebrate objects and imagery created in response to society’s love of wine, and enjoy related programming and events, including captivating lectures, wine tastings, special tours, and much more. For more information, please visit winterthur.org/uncorked.

Presented by With support from Bouchaine Vineyards, Gerret & Tatiana Copeland, Proprietors

Winterthur is nestled in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on Route 52, between I-95 and Route 1, less than one hour south of Philadelphia. 302.888.4600 • 800.448.3883 • winterthur.org

‘Drag Race’ alum to perform at Homecoming 2012 By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Drag performer Mimi Imfurst is celebrating Pride weekend in Philadelphia as host of Homecoming 2012, an evening of fun, food and entertainment at the William Way LGBT Community Center with performances by The Goddess Isis, Liberty City Kings, Tammy Faymous, Notorious OMG and more, June 9. If you aren’t familiar with Mimi Imfurst (a.k.a. Braden Chapman), the insulated bomb shelter you’ve been holed up in for the last few years must be nice and comfy. The drag performer’s talents have been tapped for television shows “What Would You Do?” “Jackass” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” She has also served as the opening act for comedy stars like Kathy Griffin and Mo’Nique. Mimi competed on the third season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and fans of the show were surprised she was eliminated from the competition before some of the less-experienced queens. But since her appearance on the show, Mimi has taken those lemons and turned them into lemonade — lots and lots of lemonade. “I’m the Jennifer Hudson of ‘Drag Race,’” she said. “Not only did I not win, I lost a lot of weight too. I think the key to success is what you do with it. It irritates me from time to time when I see the girls who have done better on the show than I did and I think they wasted the opportunity that was an amazing gift given to them. I’ve done a lot of TV even before ‘Drag Race.’ Afterward, I’ve done a lot too. It’s just amazing to have these opportunities. I just work hard and that’s all it’s about for me.” Mimi definitely stays busy. On top of her many drag duties, she’s a member of the ground-breaking mega-pop girl group XELLE, which has a few singles out now and is planning to release an album this fall. She also hosts a weekly drag show in Philly, The Dollhouse Revue, at Voyeur nightclub. “We’ve been doing it every Wednesday for a year and a half,” she said. “I just feel so lucky to have the audiences and the talents that I have been able to work with. I have the pleasure and the fortune of being able to travel around the country because of my experience on ‘Drag Race.’ But Philadelphia still remains my favorite city.” So what does Mimi Imfurst, the selfproclaimed “Hardest Working Bitch in Show Business,” have planned for Homecoming 2012 in her favorite city?

“I’m still working out the details for it,” she said. “I kind of make everything I do work for the occasion. There are some things you can do in a club that aren’t appropriate for a corporate event, a birthday party or a fundraiser. Who knows? I’m really looking forward to putting together something special for the show.” When asked why she is so in-demand as a performer, Mimi said a lot of her

MIMI IMFURST Photo: PC Wilson Models

success comes from her personality on stage. “I want people to feel like you’re hanging out with me,” she said. “Some queens put on an alter ego or a persona or they feel like they have to be a diva or a bitch on stage. When I’m on stage in my show, I want you to feel like I’m just talking to you like you’re my friend. The stuff I say on the microphone is the stuff I would say when I’m out at the bar with my friends.” ■

Mimi Imfurst performs at Homecoming 2012, 6-10:30 p.m. June 9 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. For more information or tickets, visit www.waygay.org or www.mimiimfurst.com, or call 215-732-2220.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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Suzi Nash

Suzi Nash: Clowns, karaoke and a pair of Jacksons This week, PGN turns the spotlight onto one of its own: “Family Portraits” author Suzi Nash, who started the column in 2005. “Portraits” began as a way to get to know community members beyond the superficial cocktail party/networking mixer “kiss, kiss, how are the hors d’oeuvres?” Over the years, Nash’s subjects have graciously revealed themselves in small and large ways in response to her at-times offbeat questions — from the woman who had been in a body cast after falling down an elevator shaft to those who have used the column to come out to their families. She’s cultivated friendships and helped start relationships. In seven years, only one interviewee made her cry: Louis Ortiz. PGN: Tell us a little about the family. SN: I was born a poor black child ... which sounds like the start of a Steve Martin movie, but in my case it was true. I was born in Passaic, N.J. — for ambience comparison, think Newark, N.J. We lived in an apartment building with all sorts of characters. I vaguely remember the building super, who looked a little like Uncle Fester from “The Addams Family.” It was a walk-up but I remember that on occasion he’d let me ride the small elevator, which at 5 was just my size. I’ve since realized that I was riding the garbage dumbwaiter! Parents weren’t so safety-conscious back then and I guess I hadn’t developed much of a sense of smell. PGN: Siblings? SN: I have an older brother, Larry, and a younger brother, Michael. PGN: What did the parents do? SN: My father was in public relations. You know those annoying Colonial Penn ads, “If you know someone age 55 or older ...” He was responsible for those. He swears they work. Now he’s retired and likes to correct the grammar of news announcers. He’s given up on me. My mother does a lot of things, but she’s probably most recognizable to people as the host of a public-affairs show called “Profiles” that used to be on Channel 57 every morning for about 10 years. She concentrates mostly on her artwork now and is a member of the Dumpster Divers. PGN: What were you like as a kid? SN: I was a tomboy and very adventurous. My parents were strict as far as manners and basic good behavior were concerned, but outside of that they were pretty bohemian. When I was really young, my parents were known for their cocktail parties. I was in charge of running drinks back and forth and all the grownups would make a fuss over me: “Awww! You’re so cute — I want to take you home!” At the end of the night, I’d be standing by the door with

an overnight bag that I kept permanently packed for just such occasions, saying, “OK, you wanted to take me home. Let’s go!” The poor adults would stammer, “Oh, but won’t your mommy miss you?” I’d say no and my mother would agree to let me go. Most of them were New York couples without kids, so they’d take me to Central Park and the zoo, everywhere they thought a kid would enjoy. [Laughs.] It was a great weekend gig! PGN: How did you come to Pennsylvania? SN: When I was in fourth grade, my father got a job here and we transferred from Passaic to Radnor. PGN: That must have been different. SN: Definitely. First, we did a Jeffersons’ “moving on up,” so we were in a big suburban house. There were no sidewalks in front, so I thought we were in Amish country. It was also very white and conservative. I remember being chased by some neighborhood kids who were using the N-word and yelling for us to go back to Africa. I yelled back, “But we’re from Jersey!” It didn’t last long, though: My mother put on a little backyard carnival for the kids we had made friends with and we had so much fun that soon the other kids wanted to join in. We were smart enough to know that they were just echoing things they’d heard, and some of them became really good friends in the long run. PGN: What was a favorite class in school? SN: Theater. I thought I’d go into acting. I enjoyed school, but hated doing any written work. I’d try to turn any book report or project into a presentation of some kind. I figured out later I have a sort of sideways dyslexia. I can read like a champ, but writing I get jumbled up and write letters backward or carry them over into other words. Thank goodness for the computer or I’d never be able to write my column! PGN: College? SN: I went to Emerson in Boston, but didn’t last long there. I was too busy falling in love with my roommate and discovering the joys and heartbreaks of coming out. It was a fun time, but not good for my academic career. PGN: Share one of those fun moments. SN: Well, I have a bit of a damsel-in-distress complex and I was having a huge party in my dorm room. There was a girl who’d just come into our circle and she was the life of the party. Michelle was gorgeous and looked and acted like Angelina Jolie. She was a wild child. There was a fire in the building and, as everyone was evacuating, I remembered that a friend of hers had passed out on a bed, so I ran back upstairs and dragged her out. Michelle

had been so worried about her friend, she decided that I was her superhero and from then on I had to be her personal safety guard. When we rode in a car, she’d sit in my lap so I could be her seatbelt. I was totally in the closet and although she was straight, she was the catalyst for me to come out. We were inseparable during college. Or at least the years I managed to attend! PGN: And what do you do now? SN: [Laughs.] On what day? Aside from “Family Portraits,” I have been hosting karaoke at Sisters every Thursday for the last 16 years. I also do film work and have a short film that did the festival circuit a few years ago, and I’m working on a documentary right now. I sometimes bartend on the weekends with my ex-girlfriend’s mother and currently I’m helping program films for QFest. And I’m the block captain on our block! PGN: That is a lot! What’s the documen-

PGN: What was coming out like for you? SN: It was by accident! My mother was talking about my best friend, Tibet, and asked me if she was gay. I sort of said yes, so she asked me if my friend was happy and I said she seemed fine to me. Then she asked if she was comfortable with it. I again said yes and then she paused and asked if I was comfortable with it. Well, I figured my family already knew — all those signs and all — so it was racing through my head, Oh boy, I guess this is it, time to put it on the table, so I said, “Yes, I am and not because of Tibet. I’ve been out for a while.” My mother blanched a little and said, “Um, I just meant were you comfortable with your friend being gay.” I was ready to retract but it was already out there! After that it was fine. We had the usual conversation, “As long as you’re happy,” etc., and then she pretty much outed me to the whole family. I’d walk into a room and everyone would be there looking at me like, Awww, we still love you! and I’d say, “She just told you, didn’t she?” I was pretty lucky: There’s never been a bad reaction. When I told one of my aunts, her reaction was, “So you mean to tell me that all those ‘friends’ of yours that we’ve met over the years were your girlfriends? Oh, you need to talk to your brothers, because you have much better taste in women!”

PGN: What was your worst job? SN: Oh my. I’ve been pretty lucky. It’s been more bad moments on good jobs. I used to drive a horse and carriage downtown years ago. One day I was tired and cranky and not giving the best tours. I decided I wasn’t being fair to people here for a good experience so I told myself I was going to be über-friendly on the next tour. The next people that got on booked a one-hour tour. About 10 minutes into it, I mentioned Photo: Jaleel King tary about? one of the first ladies being SN: Early signs that you were gay. It rumored to have a sexual disease. The guy seems there were a lot with me, from trylaughed and said, “Yeah, she probably got ing to buy my second-grade teacher a negit from some nigger!” Well that was it! ligee for Christmas to studiously reading I was so angry and tired I couldn’t even my father’s Playboy when I was preschool- decide what to say, so I turned around and age. Hey, I was just reading it for the didn’t say a single word for the rest of the articles! I also interviewed a lot of other hour tour. They knew they’d made a big people, like Andre Richard Baldini, who faux pas and gave me a huge tip at the end. told me how he used to make armbands It was pretty funny. But other than that and a tiara out of tinfoil and play Wonder it was a cool job. I love Philly and loved Woman on the front steps. showing it off. PAGE 83

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

Out artist’s global tour to swing through Philadelphia By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com It’s been a busy year for Sonia Rutstein (aka SONiA and/or Disappear Fear to her fans). The lesbian singer-songwriter and artist is about to hit the road this summer to try out some new songs for an upcoming album. PGN caught up with her after she recently completed a spring tour of Europe as a farewell from indie folk group Disappear Fear, featuring her cofounder and sister Cindy Frank. SONiA said her sister’s departure from the group had been brewing for quite some time. “Disappear Fear is now absolutely me,” she said. “She’s at a point in her life where she wants to explore other things and make her mark in a different medium than music. She and I started Disappear Fear almost 25 years ago. About 18 years ago, she gave birth to her son, so she’s been off the road for that long, joining me for one to four concerts per year, and every year promising she’d want to come back. I kind of left the door open but then I realized this probably isn’t going to happen. So I just wanted it to be complete for her and to have some closure and we can be sisters and not have the ‘when are you going to tour again’ thing

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SONIA

looming over us.” Whether it has been with Disappear Fear or under her own steam, SONiA’s music reflects her Judaic roots and she’s performed in Israel and in 16 other countries — singing in Hebrew, Spanish, Arabic and English. And she makes writing songs in different languages sound easy. “It really depends on the genre of the song,” she said when asked what determines what language in which to write. “There are songs that I wrote in Hebrew that have more of a Middle Eastern feel to them. The ones in Spanish have a Latin feel to them. It really depends on where the song is heading and what inspired the song. Translating into Dutch or German is not very challenging because the syllables are very much the same as English, so it just pops right in very easily. So I’ll probably be doing more of that. But it depends on where the song wants to go. I just play the medium for where it wants to go.” SONiA is just as global in her charitable pursuits as she is in her music. Her independent record label, Disappear Records, donates 18 percent of every download to the United Nations World Food Program. She said she became involved with the organization through fans of her work. “There were a couple of people on the staff there that were fans of my music,” she said. “I ended up performing at an event called Results, the leader of which won a Nobel Peace Prize a few years ago for starting global outreach banking in Third World countries, where there are small banks where women can get loans and develop the economy and make a healthier environment for their children. It seemed like a good thing to do to donate extra money to [the World Food Program]. ■ SONiA performs 8 p.m. June 12 at Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St. For more information or tickets, call 215-928-0770 or visit www.disappearfear.com.

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Top 10 shows you should not miss this summer By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Yeah, the beaches, the barbecues and the vacations are nice. But for some of us, what we look forward to most for the summer is the overabundance of great concerts. With the music industry atrophying and people getting picky about how they spend their entertainment dollars, musicians both new and seasoned are busting their humps to compete for our attention this summer. Many are banding together for package tours and festivals that appeal to all kinds of demographics, genres and eras of music. Others are popular enough to do their own thing. Either way, we see it as an embarrassment of riches. Here is a list of the top 10 shows we’re itching to see this summer.

stars Coldplay might have top billing on these shows but, for us, it is all about seeing our favorite electropop pixie shake her groove thing in a huge arena ... and hopefully upstage the headliners. Scissor Sisters 8:30 p.m. July 5 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 215-627-1332. The last time this fabulously out and outrageous rock band came through town on their own, they packed The Electric Factory to capacity with enthusiastic fans. Now with a new album out and a higher profile, thanks to a stint opening for Lady Gaga, the Scissor Sisters are sure to be one of the hottest tickets in town.

Sarah McLachlan 7:30 p.m. July 8 at Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609317-1000. It’s about time we got a chance to hear McLachlan without being bombarded by images of suffering and abused animals.

be the only global superstar glam diva on the road this year with a big arena/ stadium spectacle and outrageous ticket prices. She’d better recognize!” Actually, Madonna never

The B-52s and Squeeze 8 p.m. July 13 at Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609317-1000. This show is going to be general admission — an open floor with no assigned seating — which means everybody can dance and pogo to the campy and still bad-ass alt-rock pioneers

Fiona Apple 8 p.m. June 27 at Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; 610-3522887. We don’t know if it’s the long-ass album titles, her fiery personality or the fact that she likes to go on hiatuses so we don’t get sick of seeing her, but we are glad to see the spirited singer, songwriter and pianist back in action. And we can’t think of a better place to see her do her thing than in the classically gothic confines of the Tower.

Meshell Ndegeochello 8:30 p.m. July 6 at 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-9941400.

like you did in college.

Coldplay & Robyn 8 p.m. July 5-6 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 800-298-4200. International rock super-

Our favorite out bass-playing R&B/soul/funk goddess is back in the area for another night of sexy and heartfelt music. Life is good.

The out singer-songwriter’s feel-good brand of pop music is perfect for an outdoor concert. Plus, his new album is pretty good.

SCISSOR SISTERS

Rufus Wainwright 6:45 p.m. July 25 at Penn’s Landing, 201 S. Columbus Blvd.; 215-928-1234.

Kathy Griffin 8 p.m. Aug. 26 at Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

ROBYN

Madonna 8 p.m. Aug. 28 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 800-298-4200. Madonna said: “Oh, hell no! I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Lady Gaga

The suddenly A-List talk-show host and queen of dish is back for more of her outrageous stories of her run-ins with celebrities.

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

said anything like that ... in public. And it should be interesting to see who gives the bigger bang for the buck on her world tour. KISS & Motley Crüe 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 856-365-1300. The spandex and leather pants may not fit like they used to, but these two legendary over-the-top hardrock acts teaming up for a tour is sure to be loud, bombastic and overflowing with pyrotechnics. ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

CD Reviews

Larry Nichols

Adam Lambert Trespassing RCA Records Lambert’s second album is as slick and danceable an album as one can expect from the glam-pop star. And at times that can be a problem. Perhaps either we’re expecting too much or waiting for Lambert to make his I’m-goingto-be-herefor-a-while artistic statement. But right now, he’s treading the same supersynthetic electro-pop waters of artists like Katy Perry and Rihanna. And it’s a great formula for Lambert, especially on catchier songs like “Cuckoo,” “Pop That Lock” and “Kickin’ It,” which have a euro-pop swagger reminiscent of George Michael or Robbie Williams and a touch of dubstep. Moodier songs “Broken English” and “Chokehold” have a pleasantly dark and sinister vibe that give Lambert’s dramatic vocals an edgier playground in which to frolic. It’s when Lambert shifts into more complex songwriting mode that the sonic artifice shows its limitations: The processed beats and instrumentation pull the teeth out of the songs that try to be more dynamic, such as “Better Than I Know Myself” and “Never Close Our Eyes.” But there is analog magic to be found on the Radioheadish alt-rock of “Outlaws of Love.” “Trespassing” is solid — but we’re hoping to see Lambert take some artistic risks on future albums. Dee Snider Dee Does Broadway Snider Than Thou Heavy metal and Broadway aren’t as strange of bedfellows as one might think, considering hard-rock singers such as Sebastian Bach have starred in Broadway musicals and the popularity of productions like “Rock of Ages.” Now Twisted Sister’s Snider is getting in on the action. And considering how much make-up he wore in his tenure with

the outrageous rock band, it shouldn’t come as that big of a surprise. This is definitely more hard-rock record than Broadway record, as Snider gives these standards a muscular rock makeover with loud guitars and drums. Some songs work better than others, especially “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” and “I Get a Kick Out of You,” which were dark and bombastic to start: Snarling guitars, relentless drums and rough rock vocals aren’t that big of a stretch for them. Snider’s voice doesn’t take to show tunes well — as evidenced on the jazzier parts of some songs — but he eventually steers the songs in a rock direction. The best moments on the album come when Snider brings in guest stars with the chops to add something special. Cyndi Lauper injects some much needed fun and sass to a rocking version of “Big Spender.” Bebe Neuwirth lends a feline charm to a rather heavy version of “Whatever Lola Wants.” Clay Aiken kind of shows Snider up and blows the doors off a rollicking version of “Luck Be a Lady.” Patti Lupone is absolutely majestic on “Tonight/ Somewhere.” Whether or not you think Broadway and hard rock go together, you can’t deny it: “Dee Does Broadway” has too many fun and interesting moments to ignore. Gossip A Joyful Noise Columbia Records This album is stunningly good, even for a band that is known for making brilliant artistic leaps from album to album. Continuing to seamlessly blend musical styles and expertly utilize the talents of out singer Beth Ditto, “A Joyful Noise” is a beautifully lush convergence of punk, pop, dance, alternative-rock and electronic influences. This album seems to have it all. There are dark and sexy songs (“Melody Emergency,” “Into the Wild”), soaring, atmospheric alt-rock (“Perfect World”), somber introspection (“Casualties of War”), flamboyant dance music (“Get Lost,” “I Won’t Play”) and a nod to the band’s new wave/punk-ish roots (“Get a Job,” “Move in the Right Direction”). The fact that they can incorporate all of these styles and still sound awesome and authentic speaks volumes. “A Joyful Noise” is aptly named. ■

PGN

PRIDE ISSUE PORTRAIT from page 79

PGN: Andy Warhol said everyone has 15 minutes of fame. What was yours? SN: I was on the “Bozo the Clown” show for several years. If you saw the Philadelphia version in the late ’80s, early ’90s, that was me in the red coat and tight black pants. I was the Ringmaster. We’d thought of calling me the Ringmistress, but thought that “Bozo’s mistress” didn’t sound quite right! At the same time, I was on a kids’ morning show, I was bartending at Hepburn’s, which was the forerunner of Sisters. I was also still driving the horse and carriage on occasion. People would stop me in the street and say, “You look so familiar! Where do I know you from?” I’d say, “Do you have a kid who watches TV, are you a tourist or are you a lesbian?” It was fun, especially in the club. People would come up and say, “This is crazy, but you look just like the girl on the ‘Bozo’ show!” One time this young guy started screaming to his friends, “Oh my God, I watch her every day! I love that show! And she’s a lessssssbian! Hooray!” PGN: What was a crazy moment on the show? SN: We had a lot. We were pretty radical on the show. We were on the air five days a week, so we were constantly coming up with new games. One of my favorites was the presidential mudslinging game, where I had one kid in a Reagan mask and another in a Bush Sr. mask and we

gave them big vats of pudding to sling at their opponents! My producer was Wiccan and we used to sneak in pagan rituals whenever we could! Since I can run camera, one time we went out of the studio to a pumpkin patch and she put on a cape and explained the true pagan origins of Halloween. We were very educational! We also used to do “Suzi’s Book Corner” and I’m proud to say that in one of the segments we featured “Heather Has Two Mommies” and invited mothers from a group called CALM [Custodial Action for Lesbian Mothers] to be our guests. “Sesame Street” hasn’t even gone that far yet and this was back in the ’90s. Surprisingly, though, we got about 200 letters each week; we didn’t get a single complaint about that. We’d draw the most ire from doing something stupid like Bozo’s Marshmallow Mumble, where we’d have the kids stuff a parent’s mouth until they couldn’t say the slogan of the day, and then we’d get letters about the dangers of choking on marshmallows!

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PGN: I was once mistaken for ... SN: Latoya Jackson. Don’t ask. But it got me into Live Aid. PGN: I understand you met another famous member of the Jackson family ... SN: Yes, I got to go horseback riding with Michael Jackson.

PGN: Random questions ... If you could get one thing back that was lost or destroyed, what would it be? SN: My high-school yearbook. I had everyone sign it, plus those old highschool photos are good for blackmail.

PGN: How did that happen? SN: A friend of my father’s was working on his album when he was recording with the Jacksons at Sigma Sound here in Philly [in the late ’70s]. They had a day off and wanted something to do, so he called my father and asked if he could bring them out to hang with us. Uh, yes! MJ loved animals and we had two horses. So we borrowed some more from a friend with a farm and went for a ride in Valley Forge Park. He had a blast and was a really nice guy. He was so polite, he kind of got on my nerves and I told him so. It was probably the best thing I could have done. He was a little shocked at first and then he loosened up. By the end of the day, he told his friends it was one of the best times he’d ever had. We didn’t become good friends, but I got to see him on and off over the years. It was odd, but for the most part, the stranger he looked, the more in control he was. I didn’t see him in the last years.

PGN: What was your favorite childhood snack or candy? SN: I apparently ate raw garlic, and somehow was never sent to a foster home.

PGN: Someone you envy? SN: Republicans and religious fanatics: It must be wonderful to be so righteous and right without letting facts or fairness get in

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the way. PGN: I still can’t believe I once ... SN: Was bitten by Stevie Wonder. We were doing a PSA for UNCF [the college fund] and I mentioned to him that I was a fellow Taurus. He said, “Yummmm, I love Tauruses!” and bent over and bit my cheek! Thank goodness it didn’t happen recently, considering what just happened in Miami! PGN: Any famous relatives? SN: Well, my great-grandfather ran and conducted one of the first “negro symphonies.” They lived in Chicago and were very formal. My father said that they dressed in gowns and tuxedos for dinner. My big brother was the spokesmodel for Modern Black Male magazine for a while. We used to tease him when he got us mad and threaten to vandalize his billboards — black out teeth, etc. I mentioned my mother’s TV show and I have an aunt who started the first modeling agency for people of color. Half the family did some modeling. And they also had a travel magazine for people of color to steer them to safe places to stay [called] Travelguide. The motto was “Vacation & Recreation Without Humiliation.” We have a big extended family — my father had seven siblings and I have over 20 cousins — but the nice thing is, when we get together, we’re all superstars! ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portrait,” write to portraits05@aol.com.

Are you a community leader? Bia Vieira, longtime activist and vice president for community impact, Philadelphia Foundation Quincy Greene, founder, Educational Justice Coalition David Acosta, writer, poet, longtime HIV/ health activist, prevention coordinator for HIV programs at AIIDS Activities Coordinating Ofﬁce Joe Ippolito, founder/organizer of the Gender Reel multimedia festival Monica Bey-Clarke, author, entrepeneur, founder of My Family! books and products for LGBT families Sue Gildea, women’s commissioner, City of Brotherly Love Softball League

These people made the grade and were covered in PGN’s “Portrait” column by Suzi Nash. Every week, Suzi talks to people making a difference in Philadelphia. Has she talked to you yet?

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

Ethel, why are you Kushner’s take on a wearing that Yiddish ghost story strap-on!?

Lucy, it’s time to come out and celebrate at Philly Pride, June 10th!

Stop by Scorpio during Pride Day and receive a free gift with any purchase of $25 or more.

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

EgoPo Classic Theater is presenting the Philadelphia premiere of “A Dybbuk,” the final production of the company’s Festival of Jewish Theater, through June 17 at Prince Music Theater. Considered a seminal piece of Jewish history, the original “A Dybbuk” was written in 1914 by S. Ansky and first performed in Yiddish. It tells the tale of a love between a young student of the Kabbalah and the beautiful daughter of a rich man. When the student is denied her hand in marriage because her father arranged for her to marry a wealthy suitor, the scholar dies of longing. But even in death, he won’t be denied. On the day of her wedding, his ghost enters the girl to keep her himself. Then things get complicated. “This is arguably the most infamous play in the history of Judaism,” director Lane Savadove said. “It was produced by Stanislavsky’s Moscow Art Theater in Moscow. It is also one of the only pieces of contemporary fiction that addresses the themes of Kabbalah and magic in Judaism. “Western, and especially American, Jews know very little about the Kabbalah. It is a wonderfully rich aspect of Jewish spirituality. The play asks amazing questions, such as the nature of sin given that it is from God, how sexuality and spirituality can co-exist and how truly challenging it is to lead a spiritual life. I think the question of the role of religion for educated, cultured Americans is a wonderful topic. It is such a challenging issue that I know I tend to ignore it. Throughout this process, I was forced to truly address my own spirituality in a real way.” Seventy-five years after Ansky debuted “A Dybbuk,” out playwright Tony Kushner, famous for his award-winning play “Angels in America,” was inspired to adapt the play for a modern audience. Savadove said Kushner’s version of “A Dybbuk” is very close to Ansky’s original story. “He updated the language to make it more accessible to a modern audience and brought out the mysticism, making it a fun spooky play,” Savadove said. “He also highlighted the theme of how the speed of the modern world makes it very difficult to hold on to a spiritual life. Much like in “Angels in America,” he focuses on our challenge of finding meaningful religion and spirituality in a contemporary world.” Savadove added that even though the story has some dark elements, and Kushner’s version takes the themes of sexual division and racial self-awareness

implicit in the piece and mixes it with his own style of apocalyptic apprehension, the story still has an uplifting element to it. “‘A Dybbuk’ has really strong positive themes,” he said. “It’s all about how we must follow love no matter what the obstacles, even death! We are bound to our missing piece for eternity. It’s a really beautiful message. Also there is actually comedy in the ‘Dybbuk.’ It is built in the style of Yiddish theater and has some

“DYBBUK” ACTOR ED SWIDEY Photo: Ian Paul Guzzone

really fun parts. And the exorcism at the center of the play, if you are into scary films, is really fun.” If that wasn’t enough to get audiences excited for “A Dybbuk,” Savadore, who is also the show’s artistic director, said the staging for this production is extremely complex. “This play, in spite of it being a truly amazing story, is rarely staged because of the artistic challenges,” he said. “It is an epic story. Theater is so often about two people sitting around in an apartment talking — this gets boring. We want theater that is epic, poetic, visual, dynamic and simply exciting to watch. ‘A Dybbuk’ more than fulfills this theatrical vision.” ■ EgoPo presents “A Dybbuk” through June 17 at Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St. For more information or tickets, call 800-595-4849 or visit www. egopo.org.

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Philly chef takes on reality cooking competition By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com An out local chef is about to spend a season in hell. “Hell’s Kitchen,” that is. Chef Christina Wilson, 33, is a Phillipsburg, N.J., native who moved to Philadelphia to pursue her cooking career, and has worked in establishments such as Gypsy Saloon in West Conshohocken and Lolita’s and Mercato, owned by out entrepreneurs Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran, in Center City.

CHRISTINA WILSON

Now she and 17 other hopeful chefs are competing for glory and the headchef position at Gordon Ramsay Steak at the Paris Las Vegas on the new season of “Hell’s Kitchen,” which premiered June 4 on Fox. Wilson said cutting her culinary teeth in the Philadelphia area definitely had its advantages as far as kitchen skills and competition. “Growing up in this region, I’m lucky to get all four seasons to be able to work with so many types of produce,” she said. “We really have it good in that capacity as chefs. I love Italian, Cajun/Creole and Southern American cooking. But I don’t spend enough time traveling or getting a true cultural influence on any one cuisine to pigeonhole my style. I love to cook and I like things that take a long time and taste good when they finish. I think all chefs have a quirkiness to them. I like consis-

tency and repetition. I’ve only worked in small restaurants, so I think one of the things that sets me apart in the environment that I have been lucky to work in is that I tend to be a natural leader. Maybe because I didn’t go to culinary school and I don’t have the traditional foundation, I don’t know that I’m doing anything overly innovative. I feel like the things I am doing, I’m doing well.” “Hell’s Kitchen” has been around for 10 seasons now, but Wilson said she didn’t watch the show until recently and then instantly became a fan. “The first time I really watched it was season eight,” she said. “I had gone out to my brother’s house to watch the Yankees game and Fox had the show on after the game. I saw the final challenge and I remember going out the next night and just needing to see the finale and being hooked immediately. The next fall, things started rolling for season 10, which I ended up on. The first time I saw it I was hooked and knew what a challenge it would be to go after a spot on the show.” Challenge is an understatement. Anyone who has seen five minutes of any episode knows that, beyond the tests of the chef’s talents, contestants have to endure the seemingly inexhaustible wrath of chef Gordon Ramsay and constant yelling and bickering with their fellow competitors. “I underestimated the amount of mental strength you would need,” Wilson said. “But I didn’t realize that we would have access to nothing: no cookbooks, no Internet, no phone calls to my Uncle Joe because he makes the best sauce. As a chef, you want to cross-reference recipes. That doesn’t happen. You go downstairs and you have a pile of food that you have to make something out of. All you have is what your hands and mouth know and what your mind can think of in the amount of time given to accomplish that task.” She added that sometimes all the drama is indicative of what a chef can face in a real restaurant. “Some things are a little bit realistic and it’s not always how it goes in the kitchen, but when you see people’s raw emotions on that show, that’s real,” she said. “So whether you’re in ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and your teammate just threw you under the bus or you’re in your restaurant in South Philly and your waitress just screwed up a ticket and you have to re-cook three things, the same emotion runs through you. The one thing I appreciated about this show is they let us go with that, if we were just showing what that pressure and intensity brings out of us.” ■ “Hell’s Kitchen” airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Fox. For more information, visit www.fox.com/hellskitchen.

Scott A. Drake Photography 267-736-6743 scottdrakephotos@gmail.com

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

Food & Drink K O S H E R

K O S H E R

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PAGE 87

Russet is a hot potato for the brunch crowd By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com The quaint and rustic vibe and décor of Russet, 1521 Spruce St., almost seems like an anomaly considering its proximity to Rittenhouse Square and the Avenue of the Arts. But the converted townhouse makes for a pleasant, quiet sanctuary for a quick meal, which in our case was brunch. Russet features a daily changing Italian and Frenchinspired menu by chef-owners Andrew and Kristin Wood, who use local and seasonal ingredients. Hopefully some of the dishes we tried will still be on the menu when you visit. It must be said that for all of the ambition with the main dishes, Russet makes a damn good scone. And we

PISTACHIO PANNA COTTA (LEFT) AND HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

are not usually impressed by scones. Russet’s cheese scone was warm, savory and just what the doctor ordered on a lazy weekend morning. It’s a good thing too, because the scone was the only thing standing between us and righteous anger when we found out that the cheesy grits on the menu were not available that particular morning. If we hadn’t had the yummy goodness of those scones evening us out, we might have flipped over a table and left. But we maintained and persevered. Praise the scone. Next up were the oatmeal pancakes, which, while certainly hearty and overflowing with country charm, left us craving the smoother-textured and more traditional incarnations of the breakfast staple. And call us crazy, but we think throwing some eggs over easy on the plate or the strategic piece of bacon would go a long way in making these pancakes shine. Far more successful was the asparagus crepe, which was impressive considering how alien asparagus seemed to us that early in the day. Seriously, if you can make asparagus crave-worthy to us before 5 p.m., there’s a part of you that deserves to wear a cape and make the world a better place. The stinging nettle omelet isn’t as scary as it sounds — or looks. Behind the intimidating name (it’s a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, if you’re asking) and the greenish façade is a refined and mildly cheesy dish. What? Dessert? With brunch? No! That’s nuts! We don’t have dessert with br — Huh? Homemade strawberry ice cream? That’s kryptonite to our willpower ...

If you go Russet 1521 Spruce St. 215-546-1521 www.russetphilly. com Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday and brunch Saturday and Sunday

Photos: Scott A. Drake

Oh, and there’s a pistachio panna cotta too? (Please get out of our head. This is freakish.) Both desserts kicked our collective booty bits. Russet is lovely and has a lot of talent and promise but ... you know what? Next time, we’re skipping the entrées and diving headlong into scones and desserts. Oh, and cheesy grits. Oh, and mimosas too. Pitchers and pitchers of mimosas. ■

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PRIDE ISSUE

Lesbian author explores elder care in new memoir By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

Tired of eating at the same old dives? Thinking about hitting a new hot spot? We’ll tell you what we liked — and didn’t. didn’t

Dining Out Read PGN’s food reviews every second and fourth week of the month ��

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In her new memoir “Tea Leaves,” author Janet Mason explores her Philly roots, the effect of growing up amid feminist ideals and the complexities of caring for an ailing parent — an issue that may have particular resonance for many LGBTs. Mason, 53, is a longtime resident of Mt. Airy who currently teaches creative writing at the Mt. Airy Learning Tree. While her career has included numerous teaching positions, including at Temple University and Stockton College, Mason’s main passion has always been writing. She began writing as a child and devoted herself to the craft full-time once she hit her 30s, producing a docket of award-winning work that includes a novel and chapbooks of poetry. Her latest endeavor, “Tea Leaves,” was motivated by her experience caring for her dying mother in the 1990s. M a s o n ’s mother, who died in 1994, was a strong feminist who taught Mason to be an independent thinker. “She was very forJANET MASON ward-thinking. She wasn’t religious and was a proclaimed atheist,” Mason said, noting that her mother’s beliefs eased her coming-out process. “That all helped with coming out. We had our usual mother-daughter struggles for sure, but coming out to my mother was easier than for people who were raised in religious households. She was a pillar of support.” Although her mother never got to read “Tea Leaves,” she was always supportive of her writing, Mason said. On a trip to Giovanni’s Room, Mason’s mother, Jane, began perusing a poem Mason had written for an anthology of lesbian eroticism. “It had some sexual references and I was slightly embarrassed to show it to my mother. I told her I thought she might think it was dirty, and she said, ‘Your dirty is much different than my dirty,’” Mason said. “Having a mother like her made it a lot easier for me to be myself.” When her mother was diagnosed with stage-four cancer at age 74, Mason became her primary caregiver, and while it was challenging, it afforded the pair time for

new conversations. The stories her mother regaled her with about her own youth and upbringing formed the impetus for “Tea Leaves,” as Mason sought to understand her own roots and identity through her mother’s memories. S h e finished the book a few years after her mother’s death, and shopped it around for some time before deciding to rework it to focus on how her experience with her ailing mother impacted her own relationship with her longtime partner. Mason said her work, published last month by Bella Books, is the first LGBT memoir to directly address elder care in more than a decade. “There’s always tension and a question of loyalty,” she said about balancing relationships with a sick parent and a partner. “I’ve talked to many couples dealing with the caretaking of a parent and it puts a lot of strain on your relationship. For me it may have been a bit easier because my mother was accepting of my partner, but you still have to invest so much energy into taking care of your parent that it’s difficult to devote enough time to your partner and to put as much energy into your relationship.” During the time her mother was ill, Mason said she was stretched so thin that she once accidentally drove up an exit ramp on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. “You have to remember to take care of yourself,” she said. “You need to learn how to deal with your own stress before you can take care of someone else.” After her mother’s passing, Mason found a letter in her journal to Mason’s partner, addressed: “To An Unexpected Daughterin-Law,” and she said her own experience exploring her relationship with her mother and her partner through “Tea Leaves” helped with the grieving process. “I eventually realized that things are never the same,” she said. “When someone’s sick, you always are hoping that your life can go back to normal, back to the way that it was. But I saw that it doesn’t go back. The pain of loss diminishes but things are never exactly the same after a major transition and a major loss.” ■ Janet Mason will read from “Tea Leaves” at 5:30 p.m. June 17 at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.

PRIDE ISSUE

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UArts prof uses photos to tell LGBT love stories By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com In the aftermath of Proposition 8, one local professor did what she knew best to vent her frustrations: She turned to her camera. University of the Arts Prof. Barbara Proud has spent the last three years compiling photos, video and interviews with longtime same-sex couples from around the country, using her work to put a human face to the oft-abstract struggle for equal rights for LGBT Americans. “First Comes Love” will see its first large exhibition starting in mid-June, with more than 20 prints displayed at Jamestown Community College’s Weeks Gallery in New York, and Proud is currently in search of a publisher for a book version of the project. Proud, a Wilmington, Del., resident who has taught at UArts for 12 years, said “First

Comes Love” was a true product of the times. Just weeks after she celebrated her 20th anniversary with her partner in October 2008, California voters approved Prop. 8 to ban same-sex marriage, setting off a flurry of LGBT activism. All of this occurred around the same time the economy was tanking, the effects of which she felt in her own freelance photography business, B. Proud Photography, spurring her to look for new photography ventures. Although “First Comes Love” profiles longtime same-sex couples, Proud said the project is not meant to be a plea for marriage equality. “I want to tell the humanistic side of the story that never gets told but I don’t want to be on a political soapbox,” she said. “I didn’t want this to be political in nature, with me jamming ideas down people’s throats. And I don’t need to preach to the choir: Everyone in the LGBT community

knows why we need marriage equality. But I want to tell the individual stories of these couples that don’t get to be told.” Proud began by photographing friends and used her social networks to identify new subjects, who hail from the region and beyond, such as Bishop Gene Robinson, the first out Episcopal bishop, and his partner. To date, she has captured more than 40 couples, many of whom have been together for decades. Around the time she began the project, Proud started learning to shoot video, so “First Comes Love” also includes portions of on-screen interviews with the couples. Each couple has its own unique story — such as one man who is a partial paraplegic confined to a wheelchair, a couple in which both men have been living with AIDS for more than two decades and others who have traversed the ups and downs of international adoption. Despite the distinctions, however, Proud said she has been able to glean shared themes in the relationships. “I asked all of them in the interview what it takes to stay together for so long, and they all say love, honesty, commitment and every couple has said communication,” she said. “Not one single person has said anything about sex. These relationships aren’t about sexuality. It’s about all of the other things that have to go into making a relationship strong and keeping it strong.” That message was proclaimed before a

wide audience last year, as the images were projected on a large screen during the signing ceremony for Delaware’s civil-union law. “It was very meaningful,” Proud said about her project being incorporated into the event. “It was a joyous evening and it was great to see so many people watching these images go by and commenting about how beautiful the couples are. So many people said ‘thank you,’ and that’s something I’ve heard from all of the couples too. People appreciate that their stories are being told.” Once the Weeks Gallery show wraps up, Proud, who last month received the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching from UArts, said she’s eager to continue sharing those stories — and is always looking for new couples to participate — with both LGBT and especially mainstream audiences in order to further understanding of the validity and value of same-sex couples. “I want to see it travel around the country and be exhibited in places where a lot of people are going to see it — community centers, airports, public places where it will be seen not just by LGBT people but by people who wouldn’t actually go and seek something like this out,” she said. “And I ultimately am looking forward to putting together the book so that our community can have this as part of our history.” For more information about “First Comes Love,” visit www.firstcomeslove.org. ■

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

On Being Well

Read On Being Well every fourth week of the month SINJOYLA AND ANGELISA (CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT), ISABEL, LEN AND FERNANDO, CHRIS AND JOHN, AND RUTH AND KELLY

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

Q Puzzle End of Summer Across

1. Barrie buccaneer 5. Crawled out of bed 10. Rainbow shape 14. Short-term employee 15. Nuts 16. Rupert Everett’s “Ready to ___ “ 17. Platform at an HRC gala 18. Part of “NIMBY” 19. Alpo alternative 20. Summer ___ (Donna’s typical answer?) 23. Grated spice 24. Zambia neighbor 26. Threesome for Da Vinci 27. On a city-by-city basis 31. Head movement 32. Beginning to come?

34. Overseas mil. address 35. Gives a pink slip to 37. Summer ___ (headline about Donna vamping?) 40. Bride and bride’s vehicle 43. Gladiator area 44. Good buddy on a radio 48. Olympics chant word 49. Reputedly wellendowed Ari 51. Genetic info carrier 52. What you would say for Mapplethorpe 54. It’s for skin 56. Summer ___ (where the Queen of Disco would veg out?) 60. Russian singing duo 62. “Coffee, ___ Me?”

63. Slightly 66. Letters over Mary’s son 67. “Dirty Dancing” director Ardolino 68. Cafeteria list 69. k.d. lang’s “___, Look, and Listen” 70. Rubbed the wrong way 71. Problem for a drag queen’s hosiery

Down

1. Possible result of love with no glove 2. Word before and after “for” in a Shakespeare play title 3. One that puts out 4. Coarse salt variety 5. Shade tree from China 6. “You want the light ___ off?” 7. Jodie Foster’s “Little Man ___ “

PRIDE ISSUE 8. United, to Colette 9. Prison friend? 10. Causing wonder 11. Whys and wherefores 12. Robert Goulet musical 13. Fourbaggers, for short 21. Elizabeth Perkins’ role in “Weeds” 22. “The joke’s ___!” 23. Unknown degree 25. TV spots 28. Frank behind the scenes 29. Recesses for Rev. Perry 30. Meat that may be tender 33. “The Name of the Rose” writer 36. Merchandise ID 38. Hall & Oates song about a fellator?

39. Groomed to personal specs 40. “The Messenger” director Besson 41. “Sort of” suffix 42. Copland, for example 45. Pears’ favorite fruit? 46. Rocker Brian 47. Went licketysplit 49. The Buckeyes coll. 50. Meaningless amount 53. Fit out 55. Coal haulers 57. Top Four matchup 58. Icy pellets 59. Songwriter Porter 60. “___ the season to be jolly” 61. Queen of the hill 64. Writer Castillo 65. Made a hole

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Worth Watching

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CHATTY: Kathy Griffin and the usual hangers-on (like her mom) hold court on “Kathy,” the one-hour weekly pop-culture talk show, 10 p.m. June 14 on Bravo. Photo: Mike Ruiz

THE MIGHTY APHRODITE: Yup, that’s international pop start Kylie Minogue riding a gold and winged stallion in her special for the “Aphrodite Tour,” airing 4 p.m. June 9 on Logo. It’s probably the butchest things you’ll see in the show.

FATHER’S GAYS: Jay and Gloria go to gay couple Mitch and Cam’s to have dinner with Cam’s father, Merle, who is in town visiting, and awkwardness and tension seem to be the rule of the night on a repeat of “Modern Family,” 9 p.m. June 13 on ABC. Photo: ABC/Peter “Hopper” Stone

WE’LL HAVE A GAY ’OL TIME: It’s that time of year again: Pride, and when out actor Neil Patrick Harris hosts the 66th Annual Tony Awards, broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City 8 p.m. June 10 on the CBS.

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OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 06/08

St.; 215-923-2960.

Charlie Murphy The comedian performs 9 p.m. at House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-343-4000.

Italian AllNighter Splatter Fest A nonstop screening Italian horror films starting 7 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-0223.

Matthew Sweet: Girlfriend Tour The alt-rock singer plays his breakthrough album in its entirety 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

Sat. 06/09

Drake The R&B star performs 7:30 p.m. at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 856-3651300.

A Reading with Ron Suresha, with Mighty Tony The editor and contributor to “FUR: The Love of Hair” hosts a reading 5:30 p.m. at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th

Sting The singer performs 8 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PRIDE ISSUE LISTINGS

Martha Graham Cracker, BalletX dancers and comedian Chuck Nice, 69 p.m. at Top of the Tower, 1717 Arch St.; 215-893-9456 ext. 128.

Sun. 06/10 Love in the Afternoon The 1957 romantic comedy is screened 2 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-0223. Spring Celebration Moonstone Arts Center presents poet Sonia Sanchez alongside other Philadelphia actors, poets and authors, 3 p.m. at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215735-9600. Splinters The real-life examination of competitive surfing in Papua New Guinea is screened 4:30 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-0223.

GETTING A-HEAD: Alt-rock superstars Radiohead are back on the road for their ﬁrst U.S. tour in four years, coming to the area 7:30 p.m. June 13 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J. For more information or tickets, call 856-365-1300.

The Cult The hard-rock band performs 8 p.m. at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800745-3000.

Mon. 06/11 Groove Night Local musicians join forces to bring the R&B, soul, jazz and funk, 7 p.m. at World Cafe

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Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400.

Hope; 215-8622081.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back The sci-fi classic is screened 7:30 p.m. at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215257-5808.

Our Night Out The networking group and Temple LGBT Alumni Society host an evening of food and drink from 68 p.m. at the historic Le Meridien Philadelphia Hotel, 1421 Arch St.; 215422-8201.

Robocop The 1987 scifi action film is screened 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888. An Intimate Evening with Lindsey Buckingham The Fleetwood Mac guitarist and singer performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. First Person StorySlam Spoken-word artists perform 8:30 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Lipstick Mondays A weekly drag show featuring a changing roster of queens takes the stage 9 p.m. at The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St., New

Tue. 06/12

Unlabeled: The Acoustic/ Electric Open Mic for Up and Comers Sign up and play, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. TuesGAY Nights Lyrics Lounge and DJ June Rodrigues host a weekly night of music and performers for the LGBT community, 8 p.m., 6527 Roosevelt Blvd.; 215-533-5888. Sex Toy Bingo The festivities start 9 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888.

Wed. 06/13 BalletX&O Party BalletX hosts a party featuring entertainment by

4W5 Blues Jam Local musicians get down 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Radiohead The alt-rock band performs 7:30 p.m. at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 856365-1300. Korn The rap-metal band performs 8 p.m. at House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-343-4000.

Thu. 06/14 SuiteFranchon Presents: Peace, Love & Poetry Local and regional artists perform dramatic stories of love and life

backed by a live band and DJ, 9 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Bob and Barbara’s Drag Show The outrageousness begins 11 p.m. at Bob and Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215-545-4511.

Fri. 06/15 G. Winston James The author of “Shaming the Devil: Collected Short Stories” hosts a reading 5:30 p.m. at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960. Holler! On open-mic night, 7 p.m. at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960. MST3K: The Beast of Yucca Flats The bad horror film is lampooned, 9:45 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-0223.

THE CULT FOLLOWING: Against Me!, the punk-rock band fronted by transgender singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace, is opening for The Cult, performing 8 p.m. June 10 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St. The 31-year-old, who used to be known as Tommy Grabel, recently came out as transgender in a Rolling Stone interview in which she discusses her gender dysphoria. For more information or tickets, call 800-745-3000.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PRIDE ISSUE LISTINGS

Opening

825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550.

PGMC Legacy Concert The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus celebrates 30 years with a showcase of its best from across the decades, June 15-16 at Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St.; www.pgmc.org.

Dark Sisters The Opera Company of Philadelphia performs with an ensemble of strong female stars through June 17 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800.

Wanda Sykes The out comedian performs June 15-16 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

A Grand Night for Singing Walnut Street Theater presents Broadway’s tribute to the genius of Rodgers & Hammerstein through July 1 at Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550.

Continuing Angels In America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches Wilma Theater presents the Tony Awardwinning epic play, through July 1, 265 S. Broad St.; 215-546-7824.

Collab: Four Decades of Giving Modern and Contemporary Design Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition that includes some of the finest examples of European, American and Japanese design, through fall, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

Animal Issue The James Oliver Gallery presents a representational perspective of animal proportions featuring Lars Kremer, Emily Bowser, Alex Spinney and Jessica Nissen, through June 23, 723 Chestnut St.; 215923-1242.

From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen The National Constitution Center presents an exhibition looking at The Boss’ entire career, with numerous items never before seen by the public, through Sept. 3, 525 FIRE UP THE ORCHESTRA: The legendary R&B group Earth Wind & Fire brings the funk to the Kimmel Center with a once-in-alifetime concert featuring the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, 8 p.m. June 15 at the Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. For more information, call 215-7905800.

The Art of German Stoneware Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of stoneware ceramics from German-speaking centers in modern-day Germany and the Low Countries, through Aug. 5, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story Walnut Street Theater presents the story of the early rock ’n’ roll star through July 15,

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PAGE 93

perception, through Aug. 5, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Rockwell Kent — Voyager: An Artist’s Journey in Prints, Drawings and Illustrated Books Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works by the famous printmaker and illustrator, through July 29, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Secret Garden Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition uniting works in fiber by Ted Hallman, Sheila Hicks and Jim Hodges, through July, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Tulipomania: The Musical Arden Theatre Company presents the world premiere of a musical paralleling modern-day financial collapses with the tulip craze of 1636, through July 1, 40 N. Second St.; 215-922-1122.

Closing Disney’s Beauty and the Beast The fairytale takes the stage through June 10 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Norm MacDonald The comedian seen on “Saturday Night Live” performs through June 10 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215- 4969001. ■

LISA STORMS PHILLY: Singer, songwriter, daughter of rock royalty and ex-wife of pop royalty Lisa Marie Presley is coming to town to perform in support of her new album, “Storm & Grace,” 7:30 p.m. June 11 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. For more information or tickets, visit www.lisamariepresley.com or call 215-222-1400.

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.

Happy Pride!

Arch St., Independence Mall; 215-4096895. Lucky Stiff The Centre Theater presents the comedy following the nerdy English shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon as he tries to win his multimillion-dollar inheritance by taking his dead uncle’s corpse to Monte Carlo for a final, fun-filled vacation, through June 24 at the Montgomery County Cultural Center, 208 DeKalb St.; 610-279-1013 or www.thecentretheater.org. The Marvelous Wonderettes The 11th Hour Theatre Company takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom, where we meet the Wonderettes, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their hoop skirts, through June 24 at The Skybox at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St.; 267-9879865. Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Dolls and Masks Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works by the photographer and artist that explores concepts in visual

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PA author gears up for release of books, shorts By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Out Western Pennsylvania author Joshua Skye should have a banner year. Skye, 38, has seven books currently under contract and set to be released in the next year, as well as a series of short stories that will be published in anthologies in the coming months. Skye lives in Warren, near the Allegheny River, with his partner of 15 years and their 7-year-old son.

Having a young child doesn’t make a full-time writing career easy, but Skye said he’s learned to balance his commitments. “He’s young and likes a lot of attention so it can be pretty difficult sometimes, but my boyfriend’s been really great with taking care of things so I can focus on writing,” he said. Skye describes his style of writing as speculative fantasy/horror and said he is largely motivated by iconic horror author Stephen King. “I started reading Stephen King in third grade,” he said. “I actually got into trouble when I brought ‘Night Shift’ into school and got caught with it. But I didn’t get in trouble with my mother and she started buying me Stephen King books, and that really inspired me.” Skye previously worked in the theater and indie-film industry in Texas and, most recently, left a posiJOSHUA SKYE tion at a call center

to devote himself exclusively to his writing pursuits. He had a number of stories in his stockpile but was hesitant to seek a publisher, the impetus for which eventually came from his son. “I hadn’t submitted anything for a long time because I was afraid of rejection,” he said. “I was writing ‘The Argento’ and my son asked if I would read him some, and I had to tell him it wasn’t really appropriate for his age, so he asked me to write something that was. So I started working on [novella] ‘Xerxes Canyon’ for him, and eventually decided to submit that and it was accepted by my first publisher. From then on, I had the confidence to submit my other work.” While the content of Skye’s stories runs the gamut from adventure to erotica, most of his writing features lead characters who identify as LGBT. “I try to create a wide spectrum of characters,” he said. “And I like to incorporate [LGBT] characters and topics as much as I can.” Skye said he plans to continue to churn out both full-length and shorter works and is eager for LGBT and mainstream readers of speculative fiction to find resonance with his material. “I hope that my work really connects

Philadelphia Gay News

with the audience. I’m being afforded the time to pursue this right now, which is a great opportunity, and I’m hoping to be successful and to be able to support my family.” For more information, visit www.joshuaskye.yolasite.com. ■

M A K E S H I S T O R Y

PGN won 10 awards from the Local Media Association for news, entertainment and column writing, page and graphic design and sections. — Highest number of awards for an LGBT publication from a mainstream journalism organization ever — PGN ranked second in the nation among weekly newspapers PGN won the following 2011 LMA editorial awards: • • • •

1st Place, Best Continuing Coverage: Stacey Blahnik murder by Jen Colletta 1st Place, Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Section: Arts & Culture Section 1st Place, Best Column Writing: Millennial Poz by Aaron Stella 1st Place, Best Graphic Artwork: Election 11/10, Regional Civil Unions/Marriage Laws, 35 Years of PGN timeline by Scott A. Drake and Sean Dorn • 1st Place, Best Non-Page One Layout: Arts & Culture Feature Story Covers by Sean Dorn • 3rd Place, Best Opinion Column: “Mark My Words” by Mark Segal • 3rd Place, Best Arts & Entertainment Criticism/Commentary: “These Women Want To Rock You With New Music” by Larry Nichols • 3rd Place, Best Special Section: “World AIDS Day” • Honorable Mention, Best Arts & Entertainment Writing-Feature: “Author Brings Her Story to the Stage in Philly” by Larry Nichols • Honorable Mention, Best In-depth Reporting: “Crystal Meth: Clubs, Culture And The Gay Community” by Jen Colletta

The Local Media Association serves over 2,000 member North American newspapers. With this year’s recognition, PGN is the most award-winning LGBT newspaper in the country, and in LGBT media history.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE BOARD COMMUNITY BULLETIN

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-8 p.m. MondayFriday; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday. See the Youth section for more events. 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331. ■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St., 215-898-5044; center@dolphin.upenn.edu. Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday. ■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,

■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215587-9377 ■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-9339500 ext. 221 ■ AIDS Library: 215985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215-592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800-6626080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215685-1633 ■ The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 112 N. Broad St., third floor; 215-496-0330 ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215-7311447; www.equalitypa.org

Questioning and Allies Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org

■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220; www.waygay.org. Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday Library hours: 12-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 12-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; 12-6 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Key numbers ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378 ■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK ■ Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs: Gloria Casarez, 215686-2194; Gloria. Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: 215-686-2555 ■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; www. mazzonicenter.org. Legal Services: 215563-0657, 866-LGBTLAW; legalservices@m azzonicenter.org ■ Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine: 215563-0658 ■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215572-1833

■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-6864670 ■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 215-772-2000 ■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson: 215683-2840 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215-875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-920-9537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)

Health

Anonymous, free, conﬁdential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 3439 N. Hutchinson St.; 215763-8870 ext. 6000.

AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., Suite 205; 215-629-2300. www.asiac. org. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St. 215-851-1822 or 866-222-3871. www.galaei.org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1803.

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

HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing available by appointment at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610586-9077. Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth floor; 215-563-0652. www. mazzonicenter.org. Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronicdisease management, including comprehensive HIV care, 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday except for noon-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m., and 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

Professional groups ■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBTfriendly businesses and professionals. Visit www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com for information about events, programs and membership; 215-5570190; 1717 Arch St., Suite 3370. ■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and

students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgjaphiladelphia.org. ■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus A regional organization dedicated to promoting gay and lesbian tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region holds meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; P.O. Box 58143, Philadelphia, PA 19102; www.philadelphiagaytourism.com. ■ Philly OutGoing Professionals Social group for gay, lesbian and bisexual professionals meets for social and cultural activities, 856- 857-9283; popnews19@yahoo. com.

PRIDE ISSUE BOARD COMMUNITY BULLETIN

Men

Trans

Gay Married Men’s Association Meets 8 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays at the William Way Center; www.gammaphilly.com.

Evolutions A drop-in support group for anyone on the transgender spectrum meets 6-7 p.m. Thursdays at 21 S. 12th St., eighth ﬂoor; 215-563-0652 ext. 235.

Men of All Colors Together Meets 7:30 p.m. the third Friday of the month, September through June, at the William Way Center; 610-2776595; www.MACTPhila.org. Men’s Coming Out Group, N.J. Meets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at The Pride Center of New Jersey; njwarrior@aol.com. Men of Color United A discussion/support group for gay and bisexual men of color meets 6-8 p.m. every Wednesday at 112 N. Broad St., 11th ﬂoor; 215-496-0330. Men of Standard Provides a place for gay men of color 21 and older to share issues of concern. Meets 7-9 p.m. Thursdays at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St., Camden, N.J.; 856-963-2432. Philly Dads An association of gay and bisexual fathers supporting each other meets 7:30 p.m. the fourth Friday of the month at the William Way Center; 215-668-5239.

Parents/Families Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Bucks County Meets 7:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at Penns Park United Methodist Church, 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-5988005. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Chester County Meets 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at the Unitarian Fellowship of West Chester, 501 S. High St.; 484354-2448. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/ Collingswood, N.J. Meets 6:30-9 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month at the Collingswood Public Library, 771 Haddon Ave.; 609-202-4622; pflagcollingswood@yahoo.com. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/ Philadelphia Meets 2-5 p.m. the third Sunday of the month at the LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania, 3907 Spruce St.; 215-572-1833. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/ Princeton, N.J. Meets 7:30 p.m. the second Monday of the month in the George Thomas Room at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St.; 609-683-5155. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/ Wilmington, Del. Meets 7-9 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1502 W. 13th St.; 302-654-2995. Philadelphia Family Pride Advocacy, support and social network for LGBT families offers play groups, monthly kids and teen talk groups, activities and outings. Planning meetings held monthly; 215-600-2864; www. phillyfamilypride.org.

Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine Primary health care and specialized transgender services in a safe, professional, nonjudgmental environment, 809 Locust St.; 215563-0658. T-MAN People of color support group for transmen, FTMs, butches, studs, aggressives, bois, genderqueer and all female-born individuals with gender questions meets 7:309:30 p.m. Mondays, second floor, 1201 Locust St.; 215-834-9063; tmanphilly.com. Transhealth Programming Committee Meets 5 p.m.the second and last Sundays of the month at the William Way Center. Transhealth Information Project Sponsors a weekly drop-in center from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. MondayThursday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fridays at 21 S. 12th St., 10th floor; 215-568-2221. Transgender Health Action Coalition Peer trans health-advocacy organization; 215-732-1207; www. critpath.org/thac. WeXist FTM support group meets 6-8 p.m. the second Friday of the month at the William Way Center; first hour is open, second hour is for people assigned female at birth who have gender issues; 267-250-1548. Young, Trans, and Unified! Support group for transgender and questioning individuals ages 1323 meets from 7-8:30 p.m. every Thursday at The Attic Youth Center; 215-545-4331.

Women Hanging Out With Lesbians A group based in central Pennsylvania that organizes activities such as concerts, camping, golf, picnics, hikes, plays and game nights in nonsmoking environments; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ howlofpa. Lesbian Community of Delaware Valley Social group holds monthly meetings and activities for gay women of all ages in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties; P.O. Box 962, Phoenixville; http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/LCDV/; marichikogirl@yahoo.com. Lesbian Couples Dining Group of Montgomery County Meets monthly; 215-542-2899. Mt. Airy Lesbian Social Club For lesbians in the Philadelphia area ages 35-plus; www.meetup.com/ mtairylesbiansocial/. Queer Connections Social group for women in their 20s meets weekly; queerconnect@yahoo.com. Sistah 2 Sistah A social/support group for lesbian youth of color, ages 13-24. The group offers weekly social events, open discusson and monthly movie/

discussions, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, 112 N. Broad St., third ﬂoor; 215496-0330. Women Coming Out Support Group Women who consider themselves gay, lesbian, bisexual or questioning and are at any stage of the comingout process are welcome. Ages 18 and over. Meets third Thursday of every month, 7:30-9 p.m. at the Pride Center of NJ.

Youth 40 Acres of Change Discussion group for teen and young adults meets 6-8 p.m. Thursdays at The COLOURS Organization Inc., 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; 215496-0330. You’re Not Alone A group for gay, lesbian and bisexual youth that meets during the school year; sponsored by AIDS Delaware, 100 W. 10th St., Suite 315, Wilmington. Call 800-810-6776 for more details. HAVEN For GLBT, intersex, questioning, queer and allied youth ages 14-20; meets 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley, 424 Center St., Bethlehem; 610-868-2153. HiTOPS A safe-space support program for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, meets 2:30-4:30 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays at 21 Wiggins St., Princeton, N.J.; 609-683-5155; hitops.org. Main Line Youth Alliance Meets from 7-9:30 p.m. Fridays at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610688-1861; info@myaonline.org. Mountain Meadow For youth with GLBTQ parents. Monthly programs for ages 8-16, family programs and parent coffee groups. Residential program offered in August, 1315 Spruce St.; 215772-1107. Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center For ages 14-21; meets 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. Social X Change Social activity group for LGBT youth of color ages 13-23 meets 6-8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; 215-496-0330. Space to be Proud, Open, and Together Open to all LGBTQ queer youth and allies, ages 14-21, the SPOT meets Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Planned Parenthood of Chester County’s West Chester office, 8 S. Wayne St.; 610-692-1770. Young, Trans, and Unified A support group for transgender and questioning youth ages 12-23 meets 7:15 p.m. Thursdays at The Attic Youth Center. Youth Making a Difference For GLBTQ African-American and Latino youth ages 14-24. Meets 5-7 p.m. every Tuesday at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St.; 856-9632432.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

Activism/Politics

ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) meets 6-9 p.m. every Monday at St. Luke and The Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; 215-386-1981; www.actupphilly.org. Delaware Valley Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church and State seeks activists and supporters of church-state separation. Holds monthly meetings and events; www.dvau.org. Equality Philadelphia holds a volunteer night the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605; 215-731-1447; www.equalitypa.org. Green Party of Philadelphia holds general meetings the fourth Thursday of the month except December, 7 p.m.; 215-243-7103; www.gpop.org. Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club meets seasonally; www.libertycity.org.

Arts

Library Book Club meets to discuss a new book 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at the William Way Center. Philadelphia Freedom Band, an audition-free LGBT band that does concerts and parades, rehearses Mondays 7-9:30 p.m.; 215-603-BAND; philadelphiafreedomband.com. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus rehearses 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays; 215-731-9230; auditions@pgmc.org. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Opera Club meets to share and listen to recordings 6:30 p.m. the last Saturday of the month; 215-732-7898. Philadelphia Voices of Pride, Philadelphia’s first mixed GLBT chorus, rehearses 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the William Way Center; www.pvop.org. Queer Writer’s Collective workshop and discussion group meets 4-6 p.m. the fourth Saturday of the month at the William Way Center. Reading Queerly, open to all women and genderqueer/ trans people, meets 6:45 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.

Recreation

Diversity Dancers ballroom dancers meet the first Sunday of the month for tea and lessons. Other events scheduled throughout the year; 215-922-2129; DiversityDancers@aol. com. Gay Bridge Club non-beginners group meets Monday afternoons at the William Way Center; reservations required. Call 215-732-2220. Gay-friendly Scrabble Club meets 6-11 p.m. in the P.I.C. Building, 42nd and Locust streets; 215-382-0789. Gay Opera Guys of Philly, a new group for opera appreciation, meets the last Sunday of the month at 2:30 p.m. in Roxborough/Andorra area; 215-483-1032. Humboldt Society: Lesbian and Gay Naturalists meets the second Thursday of the month at the William Way Center; 215-985-1456; www.humboldtsociety.org. Independence Squares LGBT square-dance club, modern Western square dancing. Monthly open house. Tuesday classes in the fall; Lutheran Church, 2111 Sansom St.; philadances@gmail.com; www.independencesquares.org. LGBT Bridge Group congenial group meets for supper and to play bridge monthly on a Monday at 6:30 p.m. Members rotate as host. New players welcome. For information, call Tony at 215-732-1020. Male Oenophile Group forming to discuss, appreciate and taste various wines. Will meet once a month to investigate the nuances and glories of the fermented grape. Call 267230-6750 for more information. Mornings OUT LGBT Senior Social activities for senior gay men are held every Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the William Way Center. PhilaVentures, Philadelphia’s LGBT outdoor group, meets for a hike in Wissahickon Valley Park on Sundays at 2 p.m. at 8701 Germantown Ave.; to RSVP email ABK121@hotmail.com.

Sports

Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for Tuesday and Thursday practice at Greene Field, Howell Street and Moore Road, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Games are played Sundays, beginning in April, in Fairmount Park; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch. Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www. philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club GLBT and allied; practices Mondays and Thursdays at Cruz Recreation Center (Fifth and Jefferson streets), 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. at Edgely Fields in Fairmount Park; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, male and female swimmers, meets 7-8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 1011:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Friends Select School or Kelly Pool in Fairmount Park; finspresident@gmail.com; www.philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League meets 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays September-April at Brunswick Zone, 1328 Delsea Drive, Deptford, N.J.; 856-889-1434; www.philagaybowling.com.

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Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League games played Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Columbus Square Park, 12th and Wharton streets; phillyflagfootball.com. Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club seeks players, all skill levels welcome; meets 7:45 p.m. Thursdays at Columbus Field, 12th and Wharton streets; 215-913-7531; becomeagryphon@gmail.com; info@phillygryphons.org. Philadelphia Liberty Belles women’s semi-pro full-tackle football league holds fall tryouts; phillybelles.com. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association plays yearround, all skill levels welcome; philadelphialibertytennis. com. Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team seeks players; www.philadelphiafirebirds.com. Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League seeks players, all skill levels and ages welcome. Practice is Thursdays, 7:30-9:30p.m., at Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 17th and Fitzwater streets, with games on Sundays; phillywomensbaseball.com; contact Narda Quigley, (day) 215-9915995 or (evening) 301-919-1194. Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; 917-656-1936; phury@gayhockey.org. Philly QCycle LGBT bicycling club promotes organized recreational riding for all levels in the Greater Philadelphia region. Contact the organization via Facebook. Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley motorcycle club meets regularly; 215-836-0440; www.groups.yahoo.com/ group/rainbowridersdv/. Rainbow Rollers gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Boulevard Lanes in Northeast Philadelphia; rainbowrollers.com. South Jersey Gay Bowling League gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7 p.m. Fridays September-April at Laurel Lanes, 2825 Rte. 73 South, Maple Shade; 856-778-7467. Spartan Wrestling Club, the gay wresting team, meets 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays and 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturdays at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-732-4545; www.phillyspartans.com. Suburban Gay Bowling League bowls at 8 p.m. Tuesdays from August-April at Facenda-Whitaker Lanes, 2912 Swede Road, Norristown; sgblbowl@gmail.com. Team Philadelphia, the umbrella group for gay and lesbian sports teams, and individual athletes in the Delaware Valley come together to provide a healthy outlet for all members of the community; teamphiladelphia.org.

Etc.

AIDS Law Project provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing; 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 600; 215-5879377; www.aidslawpa.org. BiUnity, Philadelphia-area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends meets the second Friday of every other month at the William Way Center; www.biunity.org. Delaware Valley Pink Pistols for LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for selfdefense; meets 2 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at Classic Indoor Range, 1310 Industrial Blvd., Southampton; 610-879-2364; www.pinkpistols.org. Delaware Pride holds planning meetings 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at the United Church of Christ, 300 Main St., Newark; 302-265-3020; delawarepride.org. Haverford College’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance holds open meetings 10-11 p.m. Mondays during the school year in the lounge in Jones Basement at Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave.; 610-896-4938. Long Yang Club Philadelphia social organization for gay Asians and their friends holds monthly socials; www. longyangclub.org/philadelphia. Our Night Out, a casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, friends and colleagues, meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, email OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; more information on Facebook. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice offered 5-8 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month; 215-238-6333. Philadelphia Prime Timers Club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; primetim ersofphiladelphia@yahoo.com. Philadelphians MC Club for leather men and women meets 7:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; philadelphiansmc.org. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL-affiliated, private, weekly HF nets, monthly newsletter, email server; 302-539-2392; www.rara.org. Rock ’n’ Roll Queer Bar Party for gay and lesbian rockers with host Psydde Delicious starts 10 p.m. every first Sunday at Fluid, 613 S. Fourth St.; www. RocknRollQueerBar.com. Silver Foxes, a social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older, meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Sunday of the month at the William Way Center. SNJ Queers meets monthly for queer/queer-friendly folks in South Jersey to mix and mingle. Search for SNJ Queers on Facebook; contact Wendy at 856-375-3708 or wmf69@comast.net.

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12-step programs and support groups Al-Anon

■

PRIDE ISSUE BOARD COMMUNITY BULLETIN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

Pennsylvania Al-Anon Alateen Family Groups: Events, meeting times and locations at pa-al-anon.org.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

■ Acceptance meets 7:30 p.m. on Fridays at

Episcopal Church, 22nd and Spruce streets.

■ Meets daily 8:30-9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m-

midnight and 11 a.m.-noon at the William Way Center. ■ Community meets 8 p.m. on Thursdays at Holy Communion Church, 2111 Sansom St. Gay and lesbian but all are welcome. ■ GLBT Alcoholics Anonymous meets 7 p.m. on Sundays and 8 p.m. on Wednesdays at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 100 W. Windsor St., Reading; 484-529-9504. ■ Living In Sobriety meets 11 a.m. Sundays at the William Way Center. ■ Night Owl meets 11:30 p.m. Sunday through Saturday at the William Way Center. ■ Stepping Stone meets 2:30 p.m. Mondays at the William Way Center. ■ Meets 5:30-6:30 p.m. daily at Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206. ■ Ties That Bind Us, a 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous meeting for the BDSM, leather and alternative sexuality community, meets 7:30-9 p.m. in South Philadelphia. For location, call 800-581-7883.

Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA)

■ Meets 7 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday,

Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the William Way Center.

Emotional Support

■ Pink and Blues, a free peer-run mental-health

support group for LGBT people, meets 7 p.m. Wednesdays at St. Luke and The Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; 215-627-0424. ■ Survivors of Suicide Inc. meets 7:30 p.m. on ﬁrst Tuesday of the month at 3535 Market St., Room 2037; 215-545-2242; www.phillysos. tripod.com. ■ Survivors of Suicide Inc., Chester County, meets 7:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at Paoli Memorial Hospital, Willistown Room, Medical Ofﬁce Building; 215-545-2242; phillysos.tripod.com.

HIV/AIDS

■ Strength In Numbers

Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ SINPhiladelphia.

Mondays: ■ Positive Brothers, a support group for men of color living with HIV/AIDS, meets 6-8 p.m. at 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; 215-496-0330. Tuesdays: ■ A support group for HIV-positive men and women meets 1:30-3 p.m. at BEBASHI — Transition to Hope, 1217 Spring Garden St., first floor; 215-769-3561. bebashi.org. ■ Encuentros Positivos, a group for HIVpositive Latino men who have sex with men, meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at 1205 Chestnut St. ■ “Feast Incarnate,” a weekly ministry for people affected by HIV/AIDS, meets 5 p.m. at University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St. Bible study follows at 6 p.m.; 215-3872885. ■ A support group for people recently diagnosed with HIV/AIDS meets 6:30-8 p.m. at the Mazzoni Center; 215-563-0652 ext. 235. ■ Youth Outreach Adolescent Community Awareness Program’s Voice It Sistah, a support group for HIV-positive women,

meets 11 a.m. every ﬁrst and third Tuesday at YOACAP, 1207 Chestnut St., Suite 315; 215-851-1898. Wednesdays: ■ AIDS Services in Asian Communities’ weekly volunteer work group meets 6-8 p.m. at 340 N. 12th St., Suite 205; 215-629-2300. ■ Project Teach, a peer-education and empowerment program for people living with HIV/AIDS, meets at Philadelphia Fight, 1233 Locust St.; ﬁght.org. ■ Positive Effect, for HIV-positive people 18 and over, meets 5-7 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St., Camden, N.J.; 856-963-2432. Thursdays: ■ A support group for HIV-positive men and women meets 6-8 p.m. at BEBASHI — Transition to Hope, 1217 Spring Garden St.; 215-769-3561. ■ Diversity, an HIV/AIDS support group for all infected or affected, meets from 7-9 p.m. at Arch Street United Methodist Church, 55 N. Broad St.; call Zak, 215-848-4380; azaklad@craftech.com. Saturdays: ■ AIDS Delaware’s You’re Not Alone youth support group meets during the school year. Call 800-810-6776 for meeting location and time.

Debtors Anonymous

■ Meets 7-8 p.m. Monday and Thursday at the

William Way Center.

Overeaters Anonymous (OA)

■ Open meeting, Tuesdays, 5:45 p.m., and

7 p.m. Fridays, at Hahnemann University Hospital, 245 N. 15th St.; call Troy for ﬂoor/ room number, 215-514-3065; www.oa.org. ■ Meets 11 a.m.-noon at the William Way Center.

S.A.R.A.

■ Substance Abuse – Risk Assessment; day and

evening hours; 215-563-0663 ext. 282.

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous

■ Meets 7:30 p.m.Thursdays at All Saints

Church, 18 Olive Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.; 302-542-3279.

SEPCADD

■ Safe space to meet and discuss substance

abuse problems at the William Way Center.

Health

Alder Health Services provides LGBT health services on a sliding-fee scale; 100 N. Cameron St., Ste. 301 East, Harrisburg; 717-233-7190 or 800-867-1550; www.alderhealth.org. Anonymous, free HIV testing with Spanish/ English counselors, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. MondayFriday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 3439 N. Hutchinson St.; 215-763-8870 ext. 6000. HIV treatment: Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents available 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215685-1803. HIV health insurance help: Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing available at 17 MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610586-9077. Philadelphia FIGHT provides HIV primary care, on-site lab services, clinical trials, case management, mental-health services and support groups for people living with HIV regardless of insurance status or ability to pay; 1233 Locust St., fifth floor; 215-985-4448; www. fight.org.

Religion/Spirituality Arch Street United Methodist Church Services 8:30 and 11 a.m. at 55 N. Broad St.; 215-568-6250. Bethlehem-Judah Ministries Open and afﬁrming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 5091 N. Dupont Hwy., Suite D, Dover, Del.; 302-730-4425. BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Church Services 10:15 a.m. at 2040 Street Road, Warrington; 215-3430406. Calvary United Methodist Church Reconciling, welcoming and afﬁrming church holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 801 S. 48th St.; 215-724-1702.

Metropolitan Community Church of Christ the Liberator Holds services 10:45 a.m. Sundays at the Pride Center of New Jersey; mccctl.com. Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia Holds services 1 p.m. Sundays at the University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, 3637 Chestnut St.; 215-294-2020; www. mccphiladelphia.com. Old First Reformed Church Open and affirming United Church worships 10 a.m. at 151 N. Fourth St.; 215-922-4566; www.oldfirstucc.org. Penns Park United Methodist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-598-7601.

Central Baptist Church Welcoming and afﬁrming church holds services 10:45 a.m. Sundays at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610-688-0664.

Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral Progressive and afﬁrming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays with Holy Eucharist at 3723 Chestnut St.; 215-386-0234; www.philadelphiacathedral.org.

Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church Services 11 a.m. and Spirit at Play, an arts-based Sunday school for children, 9:30 a.m. at 8812 Germantown Ave.; 215-242-9321.

Rainbow Buddhist Meditation Group Meets 5 p.m. Sundays at the William Way Center.

Church of the Crucifixion Inclusive Episcopal community holds services 10 a.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Fridays at 620 S. Eighth St.; 215-922-1128. Church of the Holy Trinity Inclusive church holds services 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 1904 Walnut St.; 215-567-1267. Dignity Jersey Shore An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets the first Saturday of the month in Asbury Park. For time and location, call 732-502-0305. Dignity Metro NJ An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets 4 p.m. the first and third Sundays of the month at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood; 973-509-0118. Dignity Philadelphia Holds Mass 7 p.m. Sundays at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-546-2093; dignityphila@aol.com. Drexel Hill Baptist Church Nonjudgmental Christian congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the USA holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 4400 State Road, Drexel Hill; 610-259-2356; www.dhbaptist.com. Emanuel Lutheran Church Reconciling in Christ congregation meets 9:30 a.m. Sundays at New and Kirkpatrick streets, New Brunswick, N.J.; 732-545-2673; www.emmanuelnb.org. St. Paul Episcopal Church Welcoming and inclusive church holds services 9:30 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 89 Pinewood Drive, Levittown; 215-6881796; www.stpaullevittown.org.

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting worships 11 a.m. Sundays at 1515 Cherry St.; 215-241-7260; cpmm@afsc.org. Resurrection Lutheran Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 620 Welsh Road, Horsham; 215-646-2597. Silverside Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays followed by a group discussion at 2800 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Del.; 302-478-5921; silversidechurch.org. St. Asaph’s Church Inclusive and progressive Episcopal church holds services 9:15 a.m. Sundays, with a contemplative communion at 8 a.m., at 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd; 610-664-0966; www. saintasaphs.org. St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; 215-646-2451; www. stjohnsambler.org. St. Luke and The Epiphany Church Open and welcoming church holds liturgy 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays fall through winter at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-732-1918; stlukeandtheepiphany.org. St. Mary of Grace Parish Inclusive church in the Catholic tradition celebrates Mass 6 p.m. Sundays in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media; 610-566-1393; www. inclusivecatholics.org.

Evangelicals Concerned Lesbian and gay Christian group; 215-860-7445.

St. Mary’s Church Diverse and inclusive Episcopal church celebrates the Eucharist 11 a.m. Sundays; adult forum 9:30 a.m.; and evening prayer 6:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at 3916 Locust Walk; 215-386-3916; www. stmarysatpenn.org.

First Baptist Church Welcoming and afﬁrming church holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 123 S. 17th St.; 215-563-3853.

Tabernacle United Church Open and afﬁrming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 3700 Chestnut St.; 215-386-4100; tabunited.org.

First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne Welcoming church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 140 N. Lansdowne Ave.; 610-626-0800; www.lansdownepresbyterianchurch.com.

Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church Christian formation: adult, 9:30 a.m.; children: 10:30; youth: noon Sundays. Worship with nursery care, 10:30. First Sunday of the month, 7 p.m. Mosaic: jazz with poetry and prose; 2212 Spruce St.; 215-732-2515; trinityphiladelphia.org.

First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia A liberal, welcoming and diverse congregation that affirms the dignity of all. Sunday services at 10 a.m., 2125 Chestnut St.; 215563-3980; www.firstuu-philly.org. The First United Church of Germantown A sexual-minority-affirming congregation holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 6001 Germantown Ave.; lunch follows; 215-438-3077. www.fumcog.org. Grace Epiphany Church A welcoming and diverse Episcopal congregation in Mt. Airy with services 9:30 a.m. Sundays at 224 E. Gowen Ave.; 215-248-2950. www.grace-epi.org. Holy Communion Lutheran Church ELCA Reconciling in Christ congregation worships Sundays at 9 a.m. at 2111 Sansom St. and 11 a.m. at 2110 Chestnut St.; 215-567-3668; www.lc-hc.org/drupal. Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church Sexual-minority congregation worships at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 1223 Middletown Road (Route 352), Glen Mills; 610-358-1716; www.ImagoDeiMCC.org. Living Water United Church of Christ An open and affirming congregation that meets for worship 11 a.m. on Sundays; 2006 Germantown Ave.; 215-765-1970; www. lwucc.org. Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist synagogue committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community meets at Calvary Center, 801 S. 48th St.; 215-764-6364; www.kol-tzedek.org. Mainline Unitarian Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon; 610-688-8332; www.mluc.org. Maple Shade Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ Affirming congregation open to all sexual orientations and gender identities holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 45 N. Forklanding Road, Maple Shade, N.J.; 856-779-7739; mapleshadeucc.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. at 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media. Interweave, a group for LGBT parishioners and allies, meets noon the first Sunday of the month; 610-566-4853; www.uucdc.org. Unitarian Society of Germantown Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 6511 Lincoln Drive; 215-844-1157; www.usguu.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill Holds services 10:15 a.m. Interweave, a group of LGBT Unitarians and their allies, also meets at 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; 856-667-3618; uucch.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration, Mt. Airy Welcoming congregation holds services 11 a.m. Sundays September-June at 6900 Stenton Ave.; 215-247-2561; www. uurestoration.us. Unitarian Universalist Congregation, South Jersey Shore Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays in Galloway Township; 609-9659400; www.uucsjs.org. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown Holds services 10:30 a.m. at 1565 S. Keim St.; 610-327-2662. www.uupottstown.org. United Christian Church Open, affirming and welcoming congregation holds services 10:15 a.m. Sundays at 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown; 215-946-6800. Unity Fellowship Church of Philadelphia Diverse, affirming LGBT congregation holds services 2 p.m. Sundays at 55 N. Broad St. University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 3637 Chestnut St. preceded by “Adult Forum: Sundays” at 9:30 with discussion of religious alienation and struggles of faith; 215387-2885; www.uniphila.org.

PRIDEESTATE ISSUE REAL

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

REAL ESTATE

SALE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

Home of the Week

PAGE 99

Featured property: 2462 Emerald St, Philadelphia, PA 19125

New totally renovated 2BR/ 1BA Certiﬁed Energy Efﬁcient home. Large, bright rooms, rear patio, convenient to all!and Center City. REDUCED! Now $184,900 Beds: 2 Baths: 2 Price: $184,900 Real Estate Company: Coldwell Banker

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PAGE 100

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE

REAL ESTATE

1909 Pt. Breeze Ave: beaut. renov. top to bottom. New roof, plumbing, elec., A/C, tile bath. 3 BR, 1 BA. Must see. $119,900. _______________________________36-23 1915 Pt. Breeze Ave. Beaut. renov. top to bottom. New roof, plumbing, elec., A/C, tile bath. 3 BR, 1.5 BA. Must see. $123,000. _______________________________36-23 2049 Fernon St. New home, 2 BR, HWF, A/C. Must see. $109,000. _______________________________36-23 Big lot, 6351 Old York Rd. $19,000. _______________________________36-23

Upstate NY Land Sale “Sportsman Bargain” 3 acres w/ cozy cabin, Close access to Oneida Lake -$17,995. “Large River” -over 900 ft. 18 acres along ﬁshing/swimming river -$49,995. “Timberland Investment” -90 acres deer sanctuary, beautiful timber studs, small creek -$99,995. Over 100 new properties. Call 800229-7843 Or visit landandcamps.com _______________________________36-23 WATERFRONT PROPERTY SALE NY: 8 acres waterfront home $99,900. 5 acres West Bass Pond $19,900. 5 acres Deer Creek Forest $14,900. Financing available. www. LandFirstNY.com 1-888-683-2626. _______________________________36-23

Call 267-334-0744 for all properties. _______________________________36-23 Virginia Seaside Lots: Spectacular 3+ acre estate lots in exclusive development on the seaside (the mainland) overlooking Chincoteague Bay, islands and ocean beyond. Gated entrance, caretaker, private paved roads, community pier, pool and club house which includes 2-bedroom guest suites for property owners. Great climate, ﬁshing, clamming and National Seashore beaches nearby. Just 30 miles south of Ocean City, Md. Absolute buy of a lifetime, recent bank sale makes these lots available at 1/3 original price! Priced at only $49,000 to $65,000. For info call (757)824-5284 Email: oceanlandtrust@yahoo.com, pictures on website: www.corbinhall.com _______________________________36-23

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12TH & DICKINSON AREA Furnished Townhouse for rent: 3 levels. Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bath. Very Unique. 1500. mo plus util. (negotiable). Call 215 468-9166 after 6 pm. or 215 686 3431 daytime. _______________________________36-25 RITTENHOUSE SQUARE AREA Studios & 1 Bedrooms - Call for Availability (215) 735-8050 _______________________________36-30 COLD OR DRY STORAGE Approx. 2200 sq. ft., loading dock, parking. Walt Whitman Bridge & I-95 access. $2200/mo. 215-778-2761. _______________________________36-23 LAUREL SPRING, NJ FIN. STORE Completely new. Off st. parking. On main st. $1200/mo. 215-778-6556. _______________________________36-23 LAUREL SPRING NJ 1 BR APT Granite countertops, ceramic tile, hdwod ﬂrs. $1000/mo 215-778-6556. _______________________________36-23

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ADOPTION Are you pregnant? Considering adoption? A childless married couple seeks to ADOPT. Financial security. Expenses paid. Let’s help each other. Call Christine & Adam. 1-800790-5260. _______________________________36-23

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

REAL ESTATE

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HOUSE FOR RENT IN NEARBY ARTISTIC ARDEN, DE. Historic home on large, landscaped garden exudes European character and Arden charm. 3 Brm, 3 ﬁreplaces, screened porch, 5 minutes from I-95 and 5 minutes from train to Philly, 15 minutes from the airport. $1600/mo. Furnished/unfurnished (949)-497-2653 or jselecky@cox.net. _______________________________36-24

SALE

PAGE 101

REAL ESTATE

SALE

Open House Sunday June 10, 2012 Noon-2:30PM

*NEW LISTING* 825 Fitzwater St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 New totally renovated 2BR/1BA Certiﬁed Energy Efﬁcient home. Large, bright rooms, rear patio, convenient to all! REDUCED! Now $184,900www.2462emeraldstreet.com

ROOMMATES PGN WILL NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DISTINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS. SUCH NOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. ___________________________________ GREATER NE PHILA. Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 full baths, W/D, upper and lower decks, use of kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. _______________________________36-32

1007 S Fairhill Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Brand new construction 3BR/2.5BA townhouse in the Queen Village area $400,000 The Lenox Condominiums 250 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Condos from $175,000 Rentals from $1,800/mo

VACATION

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RENTALS

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

3320 South 20th Street - Philadelphia, PA 19145 www.capozzirealestate.com • Tel 215.551.5100 • FAX 215.551.5230

RESERVE @ PACKER PARK

HISTORIC GIRARD ESTATE

Very Unique Reserve Home, Excellent Opportunity, **Priced to Compete**. This is a three level home, third level has been fully built out except for extra windows. The space is amazing! The potential uses are many! 2.5 Baths - Three Bedrooms, Plus, Plus. Garage & Ample Rear Yard. $479,000

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LUXURY RENTALS HOMES - CONDOS - VILLAS FOR RENT - CALL FOR DETAILS

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PGN

PRIDE ISSUE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

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PAGE 102

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Pre-Pride Customer & Staﬀ Celebration Saturday, June 9th, 2012 • TIME: 11pm-3:30am WHAT TO EXPECT: - DJ David Dutch - B.Y.O.B. - Complimentary Food & Beverages - A Full House of Guys To Choose From & Soo Much More... ROOMS: Members: $25.00 & Non- Members: $35.00 LOCKERS: Members: $18.00 & Non- Members: $28.00 -Rooms go quickly and are on a 1st Come, 1st Served Basis. SoCheck In Early if you want a room...-

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BUSINESS MANS 4HR LOCKER SPECIAL Mon. thru Friday (8am-4pm) Members: $5.00 & Non-Members: $15.00 $12 Locker Wed. & Thurs., 4pm-12 Midnight LATE NIGHT CREEP Monday - Thursday (12 Midnight - 8am) Members: $9.00 & Non-Members: $19.00 HALF PRICE ROOMS Tuesday ( 6am- 12 Midnight) Members: $12.50 & Non-Members: $22.50 $12 FLAT RATE LOCKERS 4pm -12 Midnight, Wednesday &Thursday

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Don’t forget to visit the Adonis Cinema right next door!! 2026 Sansom St/ PH: 215-557-9319

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FOR SALE AWMILLS From only $3997-MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800-578-1363 Ext.300N. _______________________________36-23 Bundle & Save on your CABLE, INTERNET PHONE & MORE. High Speed Internet starting at less than $20/mo. CALL NOW! 1-800-314-9361. _______________________________36-23

WANTED

TO BUY WANTED UNEXPIRED DIABETIC TEST STRIPS Up to $26.00/Box. PRE-PAID SHIPPING LABELS. Hablamo Espanol. 1-800-266-0702 www.selldiabeticstrips.com _______________________________36-23

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

HELP WANTED

PAGE 103

HELP WANTED

ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE WANTED

PGN currently has an advertising sales position available for an energetic, self-motivated individual with outstanding communication skills. Our ideal candidate must have polished sales skills with experience in lead generation and cold calling, combined with a track record of closing the sale. QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two years of successful sales experience, preferably in print and/or online sales • Strong verbal and writing skills • Excellent at relationship building • Ability to work independently and part of a team • Knowledge of local media market and/or LGBT community a plus • Computer literacy a must Salary/Benefits: Salary plus commission. Our benefits package includes medical and dental insurance, paid holidays, vacation and a casual work environment. Qualified individuals interested in applying are encouraged to send their resume to dan@epgn.com.

SERVICES

AIRLINE CAREERS Begin here-Become an Aviation Maintenance Tech. FAA approved training. Financial aid if qualiﬁed-Housing available. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-834-9715 _______________________________36-23

EARN COLLEGE DEGREE ONLINE *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualiﬁed. SCHEV Certiﬁed. Call 888-220-3984. www.CenturaOnline.com _______________________________36-23

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com June 8-14, 2012

PRIDE ISSUE