PGN July 10-16, 2015 by The Philadelphia Gay News

A Divine show comes to Philly PAGE 29

Thinking Queerly: Continuing marriage-equality talk and avoiding complacency PAGE 12

Family Portrait: Charles Gassaway welcomes you

Philly lawyer a ‘Best under 40’

PAGE 35

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July 10-16, 2015

Since 1976

PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM

Vol. 39 No. 28

Location set for Casarez mural

Lesbian teacher fired from Catholic school

By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com New details have been released about the recently announced plan to create a mural in honor of the late Gloria Casarez, the city’s first director o 1f LGBT affairs. PGN has confirmed that the mural will be located on the front wall of 12th Street Gym, 204 S. 12th St. Artist Michelle Angela Ortiz will paint the mural, which will celebrate Casarez’s life and commitment to social justice and human rights. A public outdoor dedication ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. Oct. 11 at the gym, in conjunction with Philly Pride Presents’ OutFest. There will also be a public “Paint Day,” where members of the public will be able to participate in the creation of the mural. The time and date has not yet been determined. Mayor Michael Nutter announced the creation of the mural April 22 at the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations’ PCHR Awards, though details such as its location were not yet finalized. The project is a collaboration among several community organizations, including the Mayor’s Office, PCHR, William Way LGBT Community Center, Bread and Roses Community Fund, GALAEI, Leeway Foundation, 12th Street Gym, Philly Pride Presents and the Mural Arts Program. “We at the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program feel privileged when we have the opportunity to commemorate individuals who have impacted our city and allow their legacy to live on in an artistic way,” said Jane Golden, executive director of the Mural Arts Program. “We are pleased to be able to honor Gloria Casarez and her work to gain equality for LGBTQ members of our community.” Over $30,000 has been raised to fund the mural so far. An exact cost for the project is not yet known, though it will be funded in part by the Mayor’s Office. In addition to honoring her legacy, many hope the mural will inspire a new generation of leaders. “I am so grateful to Mayor Nutter, Jane Golden, Michelle Angela Ortiz, and our community partners for honoring Gloria’s legacy of civil rights PAGE 19

By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com

HISTORY, RECREATED: Dozens of volunteers restaged the Annual Reminder Day march outside Independence Hall July 4 where, 50 years before, one of the nation’s first LGBT-rights demonstrations took place. A number of Reminder-related events were held throughout the weekend, including a ceremony featuring Wanda Sykes, a luncheon featuring Edie Windsor and Judy Shepard and a panel discussion with LGBT historians and Reminder marchers. Additional photos from the weekend of events are on pages 16-17. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Nondiscrimination bill coming ‘soon’

A local teacher has been fired from a Catholic grade school after a parent reportedly complained about her sexual orientation. Margie Winters, who married her wife in Boston in 2007, taught at Waldron Mercy Academy in Merion for eight years. Most recently, she served as director of religious education. Winters told the Philadelphia Inquirer she was open with principal Nell Stetser from the beginning about her orientation and her marriage and was told she could be out to faculty and staff but remain closeted around parents and students. Winters said that request PAGE 18

By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com Following the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, local state lawmakers are gearing up to introduce legislation to ban discrimination against LGBT people — with such a bill possibly coming in the next few days. Gabe Spece, chief of staff for lead House sponsor Rep. Dan Frankel (D-23rd Dist.), said House Bill 300 would be ready for introduction soon. “We’ve been working closely with advocates and stakeholders to get the bill ready to go and we hope to introduce it very soon,” Spece said. Lawmakers in the Pennsylvania House and Senate are coordinating efforts to introduce near-identical legislation as early as this week. “We are working with our co-prime sponsors in the Senate and PAGE 19

STEPPING FORWARD: Hundreds made their way across the new rainbow crosswalks at 13th and Locust streets at the July 5 Annual Reminders Block Party. The Gayborhood festival capped a weekend of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the LGBT-rights demonstrations. The crosswalks, spearheaded by the city and Philly Pride Presents, were officially dedicated in a ceremony, after which four Annual Reminders participants were invited to be the first to cross the intersection. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

locations in Pennsylvania Allentown • Allentown Brew Works, 812 Hamilton St. • Candida, 247 N. 12th St. • Stonewall, 28-30 N. 10th St. • Annville • Lebanon Valley College, Sheridan Ave. • Ardmore • Ardmore Station, Anderson Ave. near Coulter Ave. • 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. • Chester • AIDS Care Group, 2304 Edgemont Ave. • Harrah’s Chester Casino, 777 Harrah’s Blvd. • Widener University, 1 University Place • Collegeville • Adult World, 3975 Ridge Pike • Doylestown • Darkanyu, 504 Eagle Lane • Doylestown Bookshop, 16 S. Main St. • Siren Records, 25 E. State St. • East Stroudsburg • Rainbow Mountain Resort, 210 Mt. Nebo Road • Easton • Lafayette College, 101 Hogg Hall • 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 • Hanover Township • Venture Lounge, 1266 San Souci Parkway • Harrisburg • 704 Strawberry Cafe, 704 N. Third St. • AIDS Community Alliance, 100 N. Cameron St. • Brownstone Lounge, 412 Forster St. • MCC of the Spirit, 2973 Jefferson St. • Stallions, 706 N. Third St. • Haverford • Haverford Station, Haverford Station Road near Lancaster Ave. • Huntingdon • Huntingdon Valley Library, 625 Red Lion Rd. • Kutztown • Kutztown University, 15200 Main St. • Lancaster • Downtown Books, 227 N. Prince 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 • Media Theater, 104 E. State St. • Penn State Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Suite 115 • Unitarian Universalist Church, 145 W. Rose Tree Road • Narberth • Narberth Station, Haverford & Narberth avenues • New Hope • Cornerstone Gym, 419 York Road • Eagle Diner, 6522 York Road • Havana, 105 S. Main St. • John & Peters Place, 96 S. Main St. • Karla’s Restaurant, 5 W. Mechanic St. • La Chateau Exotique, 31A W. Mechanic St.• Raven, 385 W. Bridge St. • Triumph Brewing Co., 400 Union Square Drive • Wishing Well B&B, 114 Old York Rd. • 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 • Penns Park • United Methodist Church, 2394 Second St. Pike • Phoenixville • Artisans Gallery and Cafe, 234 Bridge St. • Steel City, 203 Bridge St. • Quakertown • Adult World, 880 S. West End Blvd. • Reading • Berks Aid Network, 429 Walnut St. • Reading Adult Center, 316 Penn St. • Rosemont • Rosemont Station, Airdale Road & Montrose Ave. • Sharon Hill • Sharon Hill Medical, 907 Chester Pike • 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 • Wilkes Barre • Heat, 69-71 N. Main St. • Willow Grove • Barnes & Noble, 102 Park Ave. • Wynnwood • Wynnwood Station, oWynnewood & Penn roads •

PGN LOCAL

News Briefing Montco marriages in limbo Montgomery County officials are close to obtaining the validation of about 100 samesex marriage licenses issued by Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes. Hanes issued the licenses in 2013, before Pennsylvania allowed marriage equality, and about 100 couples who received licenses from Hanes are uncertain about their validity. This week, Michael P. Clarke, an attorney for Hanes, said he expects the marriages to be validated shortly. “We are in the final stages of wrapping this up,” Clarke said in an email. “I anticipate something in the next few weeks.” Ken Oakes and Ed Rice are among the couples whose marriage remains uncertain. “I remain optimistic,” Oakes told PGN. “I’m confident local authorities won’t let us fall by the wayside.”

Police-brutality trial date set An October trial date has been set in the police-brutality lawsuit of Luis A. Berrios 3d. Berrios is suing Officer Michael Gentile

for allegedly using excessive force when arresting him during a domestic disturbance in December 2010. He’s also suing Officer Robert Taverez and Detective Joseph Newbert for allegedly standing by and facilitating the excessive force. Berrios contends police were motivated by homophobia, noting they used slurs such as “faggot” during the incident. Jury selection is set to begin 10:30 a.m. Oct. 13 in Courtroom 3-E of the U.S. Courthouse, 601 Market St. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarski will preside. Opening arguments will proceed immediately after selection of a jury.

Lesbian inmate turns 90 Lois J. Farquharson, a lesbian inmate who’s believed to be the oldest woman incarcerated in Pennsylvania, turned 90 last month. Farquharson was sentenced to life without parole in the 1971 shooting death of Leon Weingrad, a Philadelphia physician. Her advocates say she should be released, noting another person fired the shots, but the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons repeatedly declined to recommend clemency. She is incarcerated at the state prison in Muncy. “She is wheelchair-bound and single-celled in the infirmary but remains a vibrant, though quiet, presence to her friends, other inmates and staff,” said Jane Keller, a friend. “She is well-respected for her vigor and integrity.” n — Timothy Cwiek

Philly lawyer named ‘Best under 40’ By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com

An out local lawyer is receiving an award from a national LGBT legal group. Brian Seaman and other distinguished lawyers from across the country have earned the title of “Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40” from the National LGBT Bar Association and will be honored at the association’s annual Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair Aug. 6 in Chicago. “I was very surprised. The group of people who I was included with are very accomplished,” Seaman said. Seaman, 37, has practiced at the firm Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young since 2003 and now chairs its diversity committee. His LGBT-focused accomplishments include publishing articles on how to be a successful out job candidate, working with LGBT law students and founding a local theater company that has since produced several plays with LGBT themes. Laura Hoch, LGBT Bar manager of policy and communications, said Seaman was a “great nominee who really exemplified what we’re looking for.” “Not only did he have an impressive record as a litigator but he had an impressive record to the community,” she said. “He and the other nominees showed a true commitment to furthering LGBT equality and bettering the legal community.”

As chair of Stradley’s diversity committee, Seaman, who earned his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh, works to recruit and retain diverse attorneys at Stradley firms across the country. “We are working to create an environment where LGBT attorneys feel like not only are they accepted for who they are but fully embraced for the perspective they can bring,” Seaman said. “Embracing diversity allows everyone to do better work. If you can be the same person in work that you are out of work, you are going to be a much more productive employee.” Ten years ago, Seaman was closeted, an experience he said prompted him to share what he has learned with law students. “Things were a lot different then,” Seaman said. “When I was going through law school, I found it incredibly challenging how to be a gay guy in an interview. That’s why I feel it’s important to get out to law schools and say, ‘Hey guys, here’s how to be a successful gay candidate.’” Seaman has witnessed the benefits of diversity at his own firm. “‘Gay’ isn’t a dirty word anymore,” he said. “It’s actually a selling point. We can talk about what ways an LGBT attorney in a firm is actually going to work to your advantage, how clients are looking for diverse panels of people. You can actually say to clients, ‘We have this amazing gay attorney working on your case.’” n

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

Weekly features

News&Opinion 2 6 8 10

— News Briefing — Obituary — Crime Watch — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Letters and Feedback Op-Ed Street Talk

AC &

33 35 38 39 42

C o l u m n s

— — — — —

Scene in Philly Family Portrait Out & About Comic Q Puzzle

12 — Thinking Queerly: On Edie Windsor, marriage equality and avoiding complacency 14 — Out Money: Taking stock

Classifieds 44 — Real Estate 45 — Personals 47 — Bulletin Board

The community says goodbye to a war veteran and icon of softball, GayBINGO!, block parties and so much more.

16-17 CURTAINS UP: The cast and crew of “Beautiful Something,” including executive producer Kelly Burkhardt (left), were recognized in a pre-screening introduction at Kimmel Center. The Philadelphia-shot film kicked off the second-annual qFLIX July 7. The LGBT film festival runs through July 12 at various theaters. Photo: Scott A. Drake

This week in PGN 6 — DA will not provide Morris records 7 — Christie vetoes surrogacy bill — New court date set in gay man’s murder trial

A little rain can’t stop us from remembering all of the events that made the Annual Reminder Days anniversary memorable.

29 — Arts & Culture cover story: Bringing the Divine to Philly 38 — qFLIX climaxes this weekend 40 — Sculptor explores nuclear-arms race with art

“While even today, LGBTQ people are persecuted and even executed in many places around the world because of their identity, I feel blessed to live and work in countries that embrace the core values of accepting people for who they are and which serves as a beacon of hope, promoting tolerance and love.” ~ Elad Strohmayer on freedom and equality in the City of Brotherly Love, page 11

Next week Gettin’ On Outward Bound

Two weeks Mombian Work it Out On Being Well

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

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

WELCOMES JAY R. KOSTMAN, MD

to the

JOHN BELL HEALTH CENTER PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM: Michael (left) and Darryl DePiano, the owner of ICandy, entered their wedding reception to thunderous applause. The July 4 ceremony and reception were held at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, where several-hundred guests enjoyed dinner, drinks and dancing, capped by a bird’s-eye view of the city’s fireworks display. The couple is honeymooning in Florida. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Mazzoni to target MSM with CDC funding By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com Last week the Centers for Disease Control awarded community-based organizations around the country, including three Philadelphia-based health-services providers, a total of $216 million in HIVprevention funding. AccessMatters, Mazzoni Center and Philadelphia FIGHT were among 90 CBOs nationwide, and the only ones in Pennsylvania, to receive approximately $700,000 each to better serve high-risk groups including people of color, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals and people who inject drugs. In a previous PGN article, AccessMatters and Philadelphia FIGHT discussed their plans for the funding, which included targeting Latino and African-American populations, respectively, within Philadelphia. This week, PGN has learned that Mazzoni Center will use the funding to continue to focus efforts on MSM — a population in which the organization has had extremely high outcomes. “Our target population is MSM, and we have diagnosed the most MSM in Philadelphia, according to the city,” said Nurit Shein, Mazzoni Center executive director. “Most of this testing has occurred at our Washington West location, which

this funding has enabled to stay open and expand.” Thanks to the funding, the testing site recently extended its hours and is now open on Sundays. “The funding enables us to test more people, be more flexible with our hours and be more available to the community,” Shein said. “The longer hours, walk-in availability and rapid testing has helped remove as many barriers as possible.” This is not the first time Mazzoni has received CDC funding for HIV prevention. “This funding goes in cycles of five years. This is the third cycle we have received the funding,” Shein said. “So it’s not exactly new to us. We will continue to use it for HIV testing and linkage to care.” According to Shein, Mazzoni boasts higher-than-average testing and care-linkage outcomes. “At our main testing site in Wash West, we have tested over 9,000 people, making it the largest community-based testing site in Philadelphia,” Shein said. “In addition to diagnosing the most MSM in the city, our linkage to care is above 90 percent, which is extremely high. Most of the people who test positive at our facility do get linked to care, either at one of our practices or somewhere else, whichever is most appropriate.” n

Jay R. Kostman, MD, former Associate Director of the Viral Hepatitis Center at the University of Pennsylvania, was the Co-Director of the HIV/HCV (hepatitis C) Scientific Working Group at the Penn Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). One of the Philadelphia region’s most prominent Infectious Disease specialists, Kostman has been named to Philadelphia Magazine’s “Top Docs” list every year for the last decade. Dr. Kostman was the Founding Medical Director at Philadelphia FIGHT’s Jonathan Lax Treatment Center.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kostman, call 267-725-0252 John Bell Health Center 1207 Chestnut Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 All Philadelphia FIGHT services are offered regardless of gender, race, color, sex, religious beliefs, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, insurance status or your ability to pay.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Obituary Donna Mae Stemmer, 82, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com Longtime City of Brotherly Love Softball League member and cheerleader extraordinaire Donna Mae Stemmer died last week of a heart attack. She was 82. The Pennsauken, N.J., resident served in the U.S. Army for more than 30 years, in combat and peace, and was decorated 25 times, reaching the rank of Lt. Col. Most recently, in 2008, Stemmer received a Distinguished Service Award and Commemorative Medal at a ceremony in Voorhees, N.J. Stemmer also worked as a lawyer. A member of CBLSL’s Key West Wolves team, she was well known for her bright cheerleading outfits at games. Last year, she was awarded the CBLSL Steve Lehman Community Service Award in recognition of more than two decades of participation in the league, including attendance at countless games, 13 league banquets, five softball world series and 18 tournaments. “Donna Mae was best known for showing up to games or events in a shiny cheerleading outfit. For those closer to her, she was so much more,” said CBLSL commissioner Kevin

Armstrong. “Donna Mae exemplified what it was like to live a life of service. A member of our armed forces, Donna Mae fought for the values and freedoms of our country, but also for social change, both locally and nationally. Donna Mae was an individual unafraid to be herself. She never apologized for what she did nor felt ashamed of who she was.” Philly Pride Presents executive director Franny Price remembered Stemmer as the life of any party or event. “We all love Donna. An event wasn’t official until she showed up,” Price said. Price met Stemmer in the 1970s and recalled how at ease Stemmer was in her own skin. “There used to be buses that left from 13th Street and took people out to Reading for the Reading Picnics and I remember her being there in the summer in uniform. There were never any issues,” said Price. “She would be talking to the police and park people like it was nothing.” Robert “Sandy Beach” Hitchen recalled Stemmer’s support for his performance career, as well as for events throughout the city. “I met her when she came down to Atlantic City for the Miss America parade, in the mid-’80s. When I moved to Philly, she was one of the first

people to root me on as a performer,” Hitchen said. “She supported everything: Bingo, softball, parties — you knew if you had an event and she was there, it was a good event.” Stemmer was featured in a 2008 PGN article that chronicled her attempts to have her headstone reflect her female name and CBLSL affiliation. At the time, she was denied the request because LGBT references violated headstone guidelines at Arlington National Cemetery, where the Korean War vet was eligible to be buried. Stemmer’s funeral was held July 1 at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, N.J. n

D.A. won’t provide certified Morris records By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com

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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has declined to provide certified records pertaining to the Nizah Morris incident. PGN requested the records in May, in order to gain more transparency and accountability in the Morris case. But in a June 29 letter, the agency declined to comply with the paper’s request. Morris was a transgender woman found with a fractured skull in 2002, shortly after a “courtesy ride” from Officer Elizabeth Skala. Her homicide remains unsolved. Inexplicably, Skala initiated an unrelated vehicle stop while assigned to handle Morris, who was intoxicated. The vehicle stop contributed to a threehour delay before Skala responded to Morris after her head injury. After Skala’s delayed response, another officer wrote a police report that treated the entire incident as a “hospital case,” with no mention of the courtesy

ride and subsequent crime. Detectives didn’t begin investigating the incident until several days later, when Morris was already dead. The D.A.’s vaguely worded June 29 letter appears to deny having partial dispatch records for Skala’s vehicle stop, other than those provided by PGN. But PGN also seeks complete dispatch records for the vehicle stop, which the letter doesn’t clearly address. PGN has until July 21 to file an appeal with the state Office of Open Records. The state’s open-records law allows a requester to seek certified records from an agency. Certification verifies that an agency is providing accurate copies of records. The open-records office recently posted guidance on its website to assist agencies in providing certified records, upon request. Advocates for Morris want a state probe of her homicide, citing concerns of a local cover-up. But so far, Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane hasn’t agreed to review the case. n

LOCAL PGN

Christie vetoes surrogacy bill By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A bill that could have modernized New Jersey’s family-building laws was stopped in its tracks this week by Gov. Chris Christie. Christie vetoed the New Jersey Gestational Carrier Agreement Act on Monday, the eve of his Republican presidential-campaign announcement. The bill, passed by both chambers of the New Jersey legislature, would have allowed for the creation of legal gestational-surrogacy agreements, in which intended parents can be legally named at birth. Gestational surrogacy is the process by which a fertilized donor egg is implanted into a carrier, who has no genetic relation to the child. The practice has gained increasing popularity with same-sex couples, especially with lesbians who wish for one partner’s egg to be used and the other partner to carry the child. But New Jersey is one of 36 states that does not sanction gestational-surrogacy agreements, documents that can be used to ensure the intended parents both

have legal rights to the child at birth. “This veto is a terrible outcome for families across New Jersey who need gestational-surrogacy agreements to strengthen their families,” said Andrea Bowen, executive director for Garden State Equality. “We deplore what Gov. Christie has done.” Christie previously vetoed similar legislation in 2012. Human Rights Campaign submitted written testimony in favor of the bill throughout the legislative process. HRC national field director Marty Rouse decried Christie’s veto. “Instead of modernizing New Jersey’s surrogacy laws by signing this important bipartisan legislation into law, Gov. Christie chose to stand in the way of progress,” Rouse said. “Garden State families deserve better than the outdated obstacles that will now remain in place because of Gov. Christie — outdated laws that restrict their ability to establish appropriate parental and family rights. What a backwards way to start a campaign for the highest office in the land.” n

New court dates set in murder of gay man By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Court proceedings are scheduled against two people accused in the murder of a local gay man. At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Judge Karen Simmons upheld all charges against Crystal Leibhart. She will be formally arraigned at 11 a.m. July 28. The preliminary hearing for Thomas Brennan was continued, per a request from the defense; prosecutors last month requested a continuance. Both are charged in connection with the May murder of Scott Bernheisel. Brennan faces murder, robbery, theft, conspiracy, abuse of corpse and related charges. Leibhart is charged with robbery, theft, conspiracy, obstruction and related charges. Leibhart’s attorneys again requested a reduction in her $500,000 bail on Tuesday, which Simmons denied. Brennan is being held without bail. Bernheisel had been stabbed and bludgeoned and his body was found May 28 in a suitcase near Philadelphia International Airport. Investigators say he was the victim of a drug-related robbery that turned violent in the 200 block of Wilder Street in Pennsport, where he was temporarily living. They said he was not targeted for being gay. Bernheisel, 40, was a native of Atlantic City who moved to Philadelphia in 2011. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

PGN LOCAL

Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the Sixth Police District between June 22-28. Information is courtesy of Sixth District Capt. Brian Korn; Stacy Irving, senior director, Crime Prevention Service; Center City District; the Police Liaison Committee and Midtown Village Merchants Association. To report crime tips, visit www.phillypolice.com or call 215-686-TIPS. INCIDENTS — At 10:05 p.m. June 23, a woman was at the bus stop at 1200 Chestnut St. when two females asked to use her iPhone. She agreed and then one of the women struck her in the head with a bag containing a heavy object before fleeing with the phone. The women were described as black and in their late teens. The first was about 5-foot-3 and wearing a pink and purple head scarf, and the second was 5-foot-5 with short hair and wearing a black shirt. — At 7:40 a.m. June 24, a man was outside 10th and Market streets when a man he knew as a client at the methadone clinic stabbed him in the back with an unknown object. The victim refused hospitalization or any further police involvement. The suspect fled into the clinic and was described as a 6-foot black male in his late 30s, thin, wearing a black shirt and tan pants. — Between noon June 16 and 3 p.m. June 25, someone entered an apartment in a building in the 1200 block of Chestnut Street and stole a pair of earrings, change and medication. Sixth District Officer Minnis attempted to lift fingerprints. — At 1:30 a.m. June 26, someone broke into the pizza shop at 1326 Pine St. and stole a cash drawer from the register. Central Detectives processed the scene for evidence and retrieved security video showing the culprit to be a 40-year-old white male with dark hair wearing glasses, a white baseball cap and a white jacket. — At 5:35 p.m. June 26, someone stole a tip jar inside Starbucks, 1301 Chestnut St. The suspect was described as a 45-yearold black male, 5-foot-10, thin, with a dark complexion and wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. — At 1:30 a.m. June 27, a man was in the 1200 block of Chancellor Street when someone knocked his cell phone from his hand and stole it, along with his wallet. The suspects were described only as three black males. NON-SUMMARY ARRESTS — At 4 p.m. June 23, Sixth District

Officers Cash and Hill arrested a male outside 1034 Pine St. who was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear for court. The 54-year-old suspect with a South Philadelphia address was charged with contempt of court. — At 10:30 p.m. June 23, while conducting an investigation into possible prostitution solicitation, Sixth District Officers Ferrero and Grant encountered an intoxicated driver in the 1200 block of Locust Street. The 51-year-old suspect with a North Philadelphia address was charged with DUI. — UPDATE: At 5:45 a.m. June 21, an employee entered ICandy, 254 S. 12th St., to clean and found a male behind the bar attempting to steal liquor. At 5:53 a.m. June 25, Sixth District Officer Crichton apprehended a male allegedly burglarizing Cavanaugh’s River Deck, 417 N. Delaware Ave. The suspect was also identified and charged with the burglary at ICandy. The 40-year-old man with a North Philadelphia address was charged with three counts of burglary and related offenses. — At 4:35 a.m. June 28, Sixth District Officer Washington responded to a call at the Marriott parking garage, 1201 Market St., and apprehended a male hiding behind a parked car with a GPS and several other items in a bag. A witness said the male stole the GPS from a parked car, whose owner was located and who identified the items. The 30-yearold suspect with a Washington Square West address was charged with theft from a motor vehicle. SUMMARY ARRESTS — On June 22, Center City District officers issued a citation for a summary offense at 9:05 a.m. outside 1115 Market St. and 11:35 a.m. outside 12th and Market streets. — On June 23, Sixth District officers issued citations for summary offenses at 9 p.m. outside 12th and Chestnut streets and 9:35 p.m. outside 1327 Locust St. — At 7:20 p.m. June 24, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 1200 Walnut St. — On June 26, Center City District officers issued a citation for a summary offense at 8:35 a.m. outside 1115 Market St. Sixth District officers issued citations at 8 p.m. outside 227 S. Broad St. and 9:20 p.m. outside 1 S. 13th St. — At 9:20 p.m. June 27, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 1200 Chestnut St. n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and John Roberts

Editorial

Teachable moment The euphoria of marriage equality becoming the law of the land quickly subsided this week, tempered by the reality that LGBT acceptance is nowhere near as universal as our marriage laws now are. News broke this week that a local archdiocesan elementary school fired a religion teacher because she is married to a woman. While Pennsylvania lacks an employment-discrimination law that protects LGBT workers, the chances are that even such a measure couldn’t have protected the teacher, as the school would likely claim the religious exemption that exists in most nondiscrimination laws. Supporters of the decision have argued that the school was within its rights as a religious institution to terminate an employee who didn’t comply with its “Catholic identity.” However, the circumstances of the firing suggest the influence of bureaucracy — an ongoing trend that continues to distance the Catholic Church from its constituents and from the reality of 2015. School officials knew about the teacher’s sexual orientation and her wife upon her hiring and instated a “don’t ask, don’t tell”-type policy. While that is a shortsighted approach, the teacher, by all accounts, complied. However, when one or two parents learned of the woman’s marriage, the school responded by firing her. Immediately, eight years that the woman invested at the school, in her students, were flushed away — while the women’s tenure suggested that her sexual orientation had no impact on her service, school officials seemingly prioritized negative repercussions from the archdiocese over reality. While on paper the school may have been within its rights to terminate the woman, the officials’ willingness to turn their backs on a teacher they had previously supported is cowardly. And it’s not only damaging for the teacher and her family, but suggests to students, parents and other school employees that convictions should be compromised. This incident is another regrettable example of a Catholic institution missing the opportunity to progress; this could have been a powerful learning moment but instead is another stain on a community that has had too many in recent years. And — if the teacher receives the support that so many others in her position have — it will again illustrate how far out of touch the Catholic hierarchy is with the views of its followers, who it can no longer continue to afford to ignore. n

whole thing. They just needed more time. And now the very important and not-at-all demeaning work of convincing everyone we come across that we, as gays and lesbians, are real people who feel real-people feelings and aren’t a bunch of child-recruiting perverts has been stolen from us! This is an outrage! Keep in mind, this is not work that Roberts has never had to do in his male, white heterosexual life. But he knows best what’s good for the gays! Scalia was also upset that “the people” don’t get to vote on whether gays are capable of love and commitment or not. “To allow the policy question of samesex marriage to be considered and resolved by a select, patrician, highly unrepresentative panel of nine is to violate a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation: No social transformation without representation,” he wrote. If Scalia saw gays and lesbians as actual human beings, he’d likely (but who knows, it’s Scalia) not be so quick to throw them to the wolves — er, I mean, the voting public — to sort it out. Thomas essentially said that, since gays didn’t have it as bad as slaves or people in internment camps, they had nothing to complain about in the first place and should STFU. Alito bemoaned that people who think gays are icky would be reduced to “whisper[ing] their thoughts in the recesses of their homes,” lest they “risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers and schools.” Ah, nobody wants to be called a bigot these days, but they do want the freedom to be bigoted. It’s funny how that works. But it’s not funny coming from members of the Supreme Court, who have made certain that they will go down in history as bigots themselves. n 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 and roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan.

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We are gathered here today to celebrate something that many of us didn’t think would happen in our lifetimes. Marriage equality is, at long last, the law of the land. Thank you, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen G. Breyer and Elena Kagan. Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts, on the other hand, are pissed. Their dissenting opinions in the case make clear they think same-sex couples should not be allowed to get married, and they have the utmost disdain for both same-sex couples and the Justices who voted in the majority. Roberts, for example, doesn’t see samesex couples as people, exactly — more like hypothetical entities that exist solely to be the fodder of debate. “Supporters of same-sex marriage have achieved considerable success persuading their fellow citizens — through the democratic process — to adopt their view. That ends today,” he wrote. “Five lawyers have closed the debate and enacted their own vision of marriage as a matter of constitutional law. Stealing this issue from the people will, for many, cast a cloud over same-sex marriage, making a dramatic social change that much more difficult to accept.” As if those folks who think gays are going to hell and are ruining marriage for everyone would have been appeased by this ruling coming from somewhere else. Haters gonna hate. Roberts continues, “However heartened the proponents of same-sex marriage might be on this day, it is worth acknowledging what they have lost and lost forever: the opportunity to win the true acceptance that comes from persuading their fellow citizens of the justice of their cause. And they lose this just when the winds of change were freshening at their backs.” In other words, antigay folks just needed a wee bit more convincing and I’m sure they would have been just fine with the

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Op-Ed PGN

Letters and Feedback In response to “Day in the Life of: an archivist, Bob Skiba,” July 3-9: Thanks for the spotlight on both me and the Archives, Ryan. The community also owes a huge debt of gratitude to the many volunteers like Rusel Silkey, Marc Stein, Doug Haller, Steve Capsuto and Cathleen Miller, who created, organized and lovingly maintained the important collections there over the years. — Bob Skiba In response to “Attorneys for Milano’s killer paid $200K,” July 3-9: Love and support to my gay brothers who are being maimed or killed every day on the streets of America and the rest of the world. — Pat Maxwell In response to “Barbara Gittings’ life and times explored in new biography,” July 3-9: Tracy, a million thanks for telling the story of this amazing woman. I can’t think of a writer better suited to have taken this on. I’ve just begun reading and can’t put it down. — Bob Skiba In response to “LGBT film fest raising money for Ugandan filmmaker,” July 3-9: Thank you for sharing this. We are happy to say that we have raised enough funds and Kamoga is now in Philadelphia and

Op-Ed

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

Street Talk will be attending his world premiere at qFLIX Philadelphia 2015, July 7-12. — James In response to “Rainbow crosswalks to be installed Wednesday,” June 24: Congratulations to Fran Price for getting this done. — Michael Locke In response to “SCOTUS: Why should I marry?,” June 26-July 2: Well said, Mark. I never imagined that I would marry, nor did my husband. But it’s amazing how different it is for us now that we’re married, versus just being committed to each other. I went through the same process over the same time frame that you describe. What a long, strange trip it’s been. — Dean A. Curtis Mark, the beauty and truth of all of you wrote made me sob. After 41 years together and in love, Gordon and I married for the rights, etc., and found out being — still hard to comprehend it — married to the guy you love is amazing. We are getting “old,” and we are blessed to live in the times we live. Our being out and proud for so long has helped our battle. Thanks for helping lead us in so many ways. Good to be healthy, alive and even married. — David Donaldson

What's your opinion of Obama's White House heckler? "I think it's to be expected. As a political figure, you have to have thick skin. As long as the heckling has a political Paul Ducharme message bartender and isn't Washington Square a personal attack, it's OK. But Obama saying 'This is my house' was unfortunate. It's the people's house."

"It's OK to express your opinion in the White House, but do it in a respectful way. Don't scream and jump up and down. I'm Simon Levy not a fan of construction worker Obama but Manayunk he deserves respect."

"I thought it was totally out of line. There's a time and a place for everything. And there are certain standards of behavior that Phillip Mannery chef you have to follow. What Society Hill the person did was uncalled for."

"It's completely inappropriate to interrupt the president, least of all in the White House. There are other ways to get your point across. Even if you don't like the president, you the position."

Katie Simpson veterinarian Washington Square

have to respect

Elad Strohmayer

#LoveWins: Gay Israeli diplomat celebrates freedom, equality and love in the City of Brotherly Love I remember it like it was yesterday: the night in May 1998, when Dana International, an Israeli transgender singer, went on stage in Europe waving my country’s flag and winning the Eurovision Song Contest representing Israel. She brought Pride to Israel (in both meanings of the term) as well as the Eurovision contest to our capital, Jerusalem, the following year. At that time, I was a closeted gay teen who already knew he wanted to serve his country as a diplomat but I was afraid that, because of my sexual orientation, I wouldn’t be able to fulfill my dreams. There have been so many teens like me throughout history: fearful, silent, in search of role models. But this week I, an openly gay Israeli diplomat, visited the “Speaking Out for Equality” exhibit at the National Constitution Center. I found it moving and touching to see the transformation that

American society has gone through. While even today, LGBTQ people are persecuted and even executed in many places around the world because of their identity, I feel blessed to live and work in countries that embrace the core values of accepting people for who they are and which serves as a beacon of hope, promoting tolerance and love. Here in Philadelphia, on July 4, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Annual Reminders demonstration, in which gays demanded equal rights outside Independence Hall in 1965. The city, which enshrined the ideas of freedom and liberty for the world through the Declaration of Independence, once again was at the forefront of the struggle for equality, this time for the LGBTQ community. And just last month, in my homeland Israel, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the “Aguda,” the

Israeli LGBT Task Force during Tel Aviv Pride week. These two celebrations also serve as a reminder that we have much to learn from one another: The American LGBT civil-rights movement, which inspired so many around the world with its groundbreaking demonstration in 1965, clearly crossed the Atlantic Ocean, helping to birth an identical movement in Israel. But this has been a two-way learning process: Israel’s Defense Forces cancelled its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy back in 1993, which then served as a role model for LGBT activists around the world including in the United States and, 17 years later, the same policy was cancelled in America. I feel humbled when I think of so many people who have dedicated their lives so that we would have the rights that people sometimes take for granted. As an Israeli

and as a gay man, I thank the brave pioneers of the LGBT civil-rights movements, both in Israel and the United States, who inspired their counterparts around the world. Our communities are a living testimony to their contributions. Together, we stand as allies and as friends, overcoming the same challenges and rejoicing in the same triumphs. I’m proud to be an Israeli diplomat who honors, cherishes and helps spread the message of freedom, equality and love, from the birthplace of America, the City of Brotherly Love. n Elad Strohmayer is the Deputy Consul General of Israel to the Mid-Atlantic Region, located in Philadelphia. In January 2015 he married his husband, Oren Ben-Yosef, in a ceremony performed by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Rabbi Michael Beals at City Hall. Their marriage was recognized and registered in Israel as well. For more information, email Consul@philadelphia.mfa.gov.il.

MENTAL PGN HEALTH

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

On Edie Windsor, marriage equality and avoiding complacency Like us.

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I, along with several other fortunate ple. women, had the honor of spending In 2015, blatant homophobia is certhe better part of an evening with Edie tainly less frequent and being openly gay Windsor last weekend while she visited comes at a much lower cost than ever Philadelphia for the 50th anniversary before; in fact, gay is everywhere, right of the Annual Reminders protest. The down to the rainbow crosswalks on our anniversary celebration couldn’t have streets. In many ways, we have grown come at a better time given that, as we stronger and raised our voices higher all know, the legalization of same-sex than even the loudest of homophobes, a marriage occurred just one week prior. notion that is so exciting, we should be Windsor, whose lawsuit against the dancing in the streets. But, the fact that federal government led to the fall of we can dance in the streets is also a forthe Defense of Marriage Act mula for complacency: Let’s (DOMA), was honored for her all kick back and indulge in huge contribution to our comour success. We wouldn’t munity. be the first movement to do Maybe it was the celebrait — just look at the womtory tone of the weekend that en’s-rights movement. After made Windsor share as freely the right to birth control, the as she did that evening, perlegalization of abortion and a haps believing it important to relative overhaul of the tradiarm younger generations with tional family structure, women as much knowledge as possistopped worrying so much ble. Or, maybe she is always about their rights because such an inspired story-teller. things became so much betRegardless, Windsor discussed ter. In fact, these days, many in detail her experience of women shudder at the idea being a lesbian during a time being referred to as “femKristina Furia of when electro-shock therapy inists,” all the while, women was a common treatment for are still making somewhere attempting to cure homosexuality and between 66-91 percent of what men the only way to find a gay bar was to are paid. This demonstrates that being “ask around” on the sly. From having to granted full legal rights (which actually, hide her relationship with her late wife we still don’t have) does not equate to for decades to ensure neither woman full social equality. In our community, would lose her job to leaving Harvard LGBT kids will continue to be bullied at University due to feelings of immense high rates, LGBT teens will still be disisolation and “not knowing where to owned from their conservative families, meet lesbians,” Windsor’s story, her life, and LGBT teens and adults alike will is cause for much reflection on how continue to experience an increased likefar we’ve come and how much further lihood for depression and anxiety. we’ve still got to go. We may have won a battle a couple of The gay-rights movement has made weeks ago, a very big battle even, but more progress in the shortest amount of we have not yet won the war. We have time than any other social movement. to ask ourselves where we want to be Within the last 50 years, gays and lesin another 10 or 15 years and consider bians have gone from being viewed as the implications of the youngest LGBT perverts and mentally ill to coming close generation coming of age during a time to being granted full equality under the when we’re feeling as triumphant as we law. In fact, it wasn’t until the early are. If we couple that with a laissez-faire 1970s that homosexuality was just parattitude post-marriage equality, not only tially removed from the Diagnostic and would we be passively disregarding the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders bold action of people like Edie Windsor, (DSM). A diagnosis called “ego-dysbut we would also be quietly agreeing to tonic homosexuality,” which is a fancy decades more of a society interspersed way of saying that homosexuality is with people who will only tolerate us. only a disorder if anxiety or discomIn the bold spirit of Edie, I am able to fort is experienced as a result, remained proudly say that I am certain we deserve in the manual until 1987. That’s less more than just tolerance, we deserve to than 30 years ago. Now, as we find be accepted and embraced. n ourselves able to get married in all 50 Kristina Furia is a psychotherapist states, something Windsor admitted she specializing in issues and concerns of never thought she’d see, it may seem the LGBTQ community in addition to that we’ve come to be accepted within depression, anxiety, substance abuse and society. The thing is, if Windsor is still around to tell her story of oppression, it other mental illnesses. Her private pracis likely that her oppressors are also still tice, Philadelphia LGBTQ Counseling, around and have since birthed and raised offers both individual and couples sesa new generation of small-minded peosions (www.lgbtphillytherapy.com).

Thinking Queerly

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

PGN FINANCES

Time in the market beats market timing Q: I’m in my mid-60s, retired a few years back. I’ve been trying to manage my own retirement investments, but I just can’t seem to get it right. Each time I buy/sell a stock, it often seems to do the opposite of what I expect. Any suggestions for this “do-it-yourselfer?” A: My main suggestion: Don’t “do it yourself” with money that is critical for your retirement income. You should seek professional guidance for money that you cannot afford to lose. However, if you want to manage a smaller portion of your non-critical retirement assets, here are some thoughts to help you avoid a common pitfall.

returns than other strategies. Their specific tactics for pursuing success can range from what some have termed “pure timers” to “dynamic asset allocators.” Risky business?

Although professionals may be able to use market-timing strategies to reap rewards, one of the biggest risks of this strategy is potentially missing the market’s best-performing cycles. For example, say an investor believes that the stock market is going to drop and removes investment dollars from some or all of the stocks in his or her portfolio and replaces them with more conservative investments.1 While Sports commentators often the money is out of stocks, predict the big winners at the market instead enjoys its the start of a season, only to best-performing month(s). In see their forecasts fade away this instance, the investor has as their chosen teams lose. Jeremy incorrectly timed the market Similarly, market timers often try to predict big wins in the Gussick and missed those top months. Though past performance investment markets, only to be cannot guarantee future results, disappointed by the reality of missing the top-20 months in the 30-year unexpected turns in performance. While period that ended Dec. 31, 2014, would it is true that market timing sometimes have cost you $20,546 in potential earncan be beneficial for seasoned investing ings on a $1,000 investment in Standard experts, for those who do not wish to subject their money to such a potentially risky & Poor’s Composite Index of 500 Stocks (S&P 500). Similarly, missing the top-10 strategy, time — not timing — could be performing months in the 30-year period the best alternative. would have cost a hypothetical investor $15,459 in potential earnings. Left Market timing defined untouched, the initial $1,000 investment would have grown to $25,109 over the Market timing is a strategy in which same period.2 the investor tries to identify the best times to be in the market and when to get out. An alternative choice: Buy and hold Relying heavily on forecasts and market analysis, market timing is often utilized by investment professionals to attempt to reap If you’re not a professional money manager, you may want to consider a buy-andthe greatest rewards for their clients. hold strategy, or to purchase shares and Proponents of market timing say that hold on to them throughout various market successfully forecasting the ebbs and cycles. Through a “buy-and-hold” stratflows of the market can result in higher

Out Money

egy, you take advantage of the potential for compounding, or the ability of your invested money to make money. Keep in mind, however, that buy-and-hold does not mean you can ignore your investments. Remember to give your portfolio regular check-ups, as your investment needs will change over time. Normally, a young investor will probably begin investing for longer-term goals, such as marriage, buying a house and even retirement. At this stage, the majority of his portfolio will likely be in stocks, as history shows stocks have offered the best potential for growth over time, even though they have also experienced the widest short-term fluctuations.3 As the investor ages and gets closer to each goal, he or she will want to rebalance portfolio assets as financial needs warrant. Time is your ally Clearly, time can be a better ally than timing. The best approach to your portfolio is to arm yourself with all the necessary information, and then take your questions to a financial advisor to help with the final decision-making. Above all, remember that both your long- and shortterm investment decisions should be based on your financial needs and your ability to accept the risks that go along with each investment. Your financial advisor can help you determine which investments are right for you. n Jeremy R. Gussick is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional 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 2014 FIVE STAR Wealth Manager as mentioned in Philadelphia Magazine.** He is active with several LGBT organizations in the Philadelphia region, including the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund and the Independence Business Alliance, the Philadelphia region’s LGBT chamber of commerce. OutMoney appears monthly. If you have

a question for Jeremy, email jeremy.gussick@ lpl.com. LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. This article was prepared with the assistance of Wealth Management Systems Inc. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor. Please consult Jeremy if you have any questions. Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by Wealth Management Systems Inc. or its sources, neither Wealth Management Systems Inc. nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall Wealth Management Systems Inc. be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscribers’ or others’ use of the content. Wealth Management Systems, Inc. and LPL Financial are not affiliated entities. 1Investing in stocks involves risks, including loss of principal. 2Source: Wealth Management Systems Inc. Stocks are represented by Standard & Poor’s Composite Index of 500 Stocks, an unmanaged index generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market. Individuals cannot invest in indexes. Unmanaged index returns do not reflect fees, expenses or sales charges associated with investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. 3Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. There is no assurance that a buy-andhold strategy is suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. The purchase of certain securities may be required to effect some of the strategies. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. *As reported by Financial Planning magazine, 1996-2015, based on total revenues. **Award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients such as credentials, experience, and assets under management among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers.

The annual PGN Best of LGBT Philadelphia Awards are almost here! Watch for the ballots and details in the coming weeks.

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International Top French court says surrogate children deserve rights In a major turnaround, France’s highest court has given surrogate children the right to have legal parents in that country. The Cour de cassation ruled July 3 that, while surrogacy will remain banned in France, children born abroad through this practice will now be granted birth certificates and immediate means to prove their French citizenship. Surrogacy can involve a woman carrying an embryo created by in-vitro fertilization using another woman’s egg and her partner’s sperm. In some cases, such as those involving male gay couples, the surrogate mother is also the genetic mother of the child. Until now, surrogate children were deprived of any legal connection to their parents or any civil status in France. They were considered as children born from unknown legal parents, since their foreign birth certificates weren’t recognized. One lawyer has described them as “ghosts of the republic.” Unlike other children born abroad to a French parent, these children couldn’t get automatic ID cards or passports, or register for state health care or other services. This exposed them to frequent problems, because many basic tasks are impossible in France without an ID or authorization from a legal parent. In addition to potential psychological troubles due to their incomplete identities, the children were also deprived of eventual inheritance, and faced major imbroglios in case of a divorce or the death of one parent. Europe’s top human-rights court last year ordered the country to change the law, saying France’s refusal to recognize the children was “an attack on the child’s identity, for which descent is an essential component.”

Mixed reaction to scrapping of antigay law in Mozambique Mozambicans on July 3 reacted cautiously to the government’s decision to do away with a colonial-era antigay law. The southern African nation was now “on the right side of the history of humanity,” said LAMBDA, a Mozambican LGBTrights group. While no one has been prosecuted under the law in the 40 years since Mozambique’s independence, LGBT Mozambicans still faced prejudice, LAMBDA said in a statement. The rights group said it has been waiting eight years to be recognized as a

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

legal association by the country’s justice ministry. Mozambique recently scrapped a colonial Portuguese law demanding “security measures to be taken against anyone practicing vices against nature.” The move is seen as part of the more liberal social stance of recently elected President Filipe Nyusi. Mozambicans had mixed reactions, with some saying it is important to recognize human rights while others said homosexuality goes against African culture. “Africans are not prepared for this type of society and life,” said Jose Tembe, a journalist working for Radio Mozambique, adding that families rejecting their gay children could be “a catastrophe.” “All Mozambicans have freedom of expression, of forming a party or association, of doing anything he or she wants. So what is the problem of lifting the gay law?” asked Ana Maria Sambo, a high-school teacher in the capital Maputo.

China gay couple holds informal marriage to push for union A prominent lesbian Chinese couple held a simple ceremony July 3 to announce their informal marriage, in their latest effort to push for legalization of same-sex unions in China. The union of Li Tingting and Teresa Xu came six days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to validate same-sex marriages in the United States, and four months after Li was detained in China for her activism on behalf of women’s rights. Same-sex marriage is not legal in China, and there is no broad social effort to push for its legalization. In a suburb of Beijing, the two exchanged vows and put on wedding rings in a private room in a restaurant decorated with balloons, rainbow flags and their photos. About 20 friends and an equal number of journalists attended. “We want to take some action to advocate for same-sex marriage,” Li said. “It’s doing the impossible when you know it’s impossible, but it takes those constant efforts to make changes in history.” Li was detained in early March with four others amid China’s crackdown on social activism, and their detention drew concern from foreign governments and rights groups. The five were released 37 days later. The decision to hold an informal marriage was partly prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Li said. “Everyone in China was then celebrating it, but that’s a U.S. law. What use does it have in China?” Li said. “We think we should do something about it.” Li said state security officials had contacted her to inquire about the ceremony, and that she was concerned about the possibility of being detained again. “We are a bit nervous and excited that our wedding should get this much attention,” she said. n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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REMINDING, REMEMBERING: It was a weekend of history in Philadelphia in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Annual Reminder Days. The city and a number of community organizations commemorated one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earliest LGBT-rights demonstrations with panel discussions, parties, dedications and more, including a live re-enactment of the march outside Independence Hall. The star-studded celebration drew such LGBT icons as Bishop Gene Robinson and Edie Windsor. The festivities wrapped up Sunday with the official unveiling of the new rainbow crosswalks in the Gayborhood. Photos: Scott A. Drake

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

PGN TEACHER from page 1

was difficult but she kept a low profile during her tenure at Waldron Mercy. That is, until two parents learned she was in a same-sex marriage and filed complaints. One parent allegedly complained to the school and the other to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, according to the Inquirer. On June 22, Winters said she received a letter from Stetser asking her to resign, which she refused. The school subsequently fired her. Stetser provided the following statement to PGN: “I cannot discuss a specific personnel matter. The primary consideration that guided my decision-making process was to sustain the Catholic identity of Waldron Mercy Academy. For the privilege of calling ourselves Catholic, we adhere to the teachings of the Church.” Archdiocese of Philadelphia spokesperson Kenneth Gavin told PGN that the school operated of its own accord and the archdiocese was not involved in the termination decision. “Waldron is a private Catholic school and it is not in any way under the administrative purview of the archdiocese,” Gavin said. “As such, personnel decisions at that school are made locally without oversight from the archdiocese.” Shortly after the firing, parents received an email from Stetser notifying them of Winters’ termination. The email reportedly did not state the reason for Winters’ firing outright, but alluded that her marriage was against church teachings. The letter also praised Winters’ “amazing contributions” to the school. It is unclear if Winters will take legal redress. Pennsylvania lacks a statewide LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance, but Lower Merion Township, where the school is located, does have such a measure. The law has a religious exemption for any “religious corporation, organization or association, not supported in whole or in part by governmental appropriations.” However, according to the Waldron Mercy website, the school has received more than $270,000 in state Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits. It has also received funding via the state Educational Improvement Tax Credit. A support group has been formed on Facebook for Winters called “Stand with Margie”: www.facebook.com/standwithmargie. The group is also raising money for Winters via GoFundMe, www.gofundme. com/yqj2aug8. n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

MURAL from page 1

leadership through this mural project,” said Tricia Dressel, Casarez’s wife. “Gloria’s imprint on this city is lasting and it is our hope that her legacy will continue to inspire generations of young activists, organizers and community members to speak out, act up, and lead the fight for social and economic justice on behalf of all Philadelphians.” Casarez was appointed to the city position in 2008 after serving as executive director of GALAEI. Among her accomplishments, Casarez pioneered the city’s now-annual raising of the rainbow flag, created the Mayor’s Advisory Board on LGBT Affairs and led a number of pro-LGBT legislative and policy changes. She died in October 2014 after battling breast cancer. For more information about the mural, visit www.muralarts.org. n

HB300 from page 1

also our counterparts over in the House to get something out possibly within the week,” said Sally Keaveney, chief of staff for lead Senate sponsor Sen. Larry Farnese (D-First Dist.). Pennsylvania is one of 32 states that lacks a statewide law banning discrimination against LGBT people. Lawmakers have submitted a bill to add sexual orientation to the list of classes protected from discrimination, such as race and religion, for the past several sessions, but it has failed to gain traction. Farnese announced after the SCOTUS ruling that he was readying the measure for introduction. “Currently under Pennsylvania law, it is still permitted to deny someone a service or a job based on the way they live their private lives,” Farnese said in a statement. “As the highest court in the land finally opens the door to same-sex marriage, we must move decisively to ensure that no Pennsylvanian — and no one who visits the Commonwealth — is ever subjected to bigotry or intolerance because of who they are as people.” Frankel also noted the relation between marriage equality and nondiscrimination. “We must not lose sight that it remains legal to deny our family, friends and neighbors jobs, housing or a public accommodation such as a restaurant table because of who they are,” he said. “That is wrong, is un-American and about 70 percent of Pennsylvanians have agreed for years that we need laws against that type of discrimination.” Keaveney said backers have been working on selling the economic benefits of inclusion to Republicans. “We’ve been working over the last several years to get some support from the other side of the aisle, trying to get them to look at the economic-development benefits of LGBT inclusion,” Keaveney said. “We haven’t finalized the language yet, but we are close to pulling together a bill that hits all the marks. We want this done sooner rather than later.” n

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Richard Avedon: Family Affairs is based on a 2014 exhibition organized by the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Major support for this exhibition has been provided by The David Berg Foundation, The Director’s Fund, and Lynne and Harold Honickman. Additional support has been provided by The Abstraction Fund, Gagosian Gallery, Macy’s, The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, Annette Y. and Jack M. Friedland, the Consulate General of Israel to the Mid-Atlantic Region, Gwen and Alan Goodman, and Marsha and Stephen Silberstein. Image: Allen Ginsberg’s Family, Paterson, New Jersey, May 3, 1970. Photograph by Richard Avedon. © Richard Avedon Foundation. Gift of the American Contemporary Art Foundation, Leonard A. Lauder, President, to American Friends of the Israel Museum. Images clockwise from top left: Walter Annenberg, publisher, Radnor, Pennsylvania, May 10, 1976. Katharine Graham, Chairman of the Board, The Washington Post Company, Washington D.C., March 11, 1976. Jerry Brown, Governor of California, Sacramento, California, March 20, 1976. Bella Abzug, U.S. Congresswoman from New York, New York, June 19, 1976. Barbara Jordan, U.S. Congresswoman from Texas, New York, July 14, 1976. George H.W. Bush, Director, CIA, Langley, Virginia, March 2, 1976. Photographs by Richard Avedon. © The Richard Avedon Foundation. From the Collection of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Joint gift of Gagosian Gallery and the American Contemporary Art Foundation, Leonard A. Lauder, President, to American Friends of the Israel Museum.

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Media Trail

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered a review of compliance with the Dignity Act. That followed a New York Civil Liberties Union report last week that found transgender students, in particular, are often harassed in New York public schools.

Episcopalians OK gay marMarriage opponents propose riages in churches Colorado ballot measures The Denver Post reports opponents of marriage equality have proposed two Colorado ballot measures in response to the Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples have a right to marry nationwide. One measure would redefine same-sex marriages in Colorado as civil unions. A second initiative would allow wedding-related businesses opposed to gay marriage to hire a contractor to serve same-sex couples. The ballot measures were filed July 2 by Gene Straub and D’Arcy Straub, both of Littleton. They are scheduled to meet with state Legislative Council staff July 16 to review the proposed ballot language. Each measure would need about 98,000 signatures from registered voters to get the measure on the ballot in 2016. The proposed constitutional amendment regarding civil unions states, “A marriage is recognized as a form of religious expression of the people of Colorado that shall not be abridged through the state prescribing or recognizing any law that implicitly or explicitly defines a marriage in opposition or agreement with any particular religious belief.” Any same-sex couple married before the amendment takes effect or in another state would have their relationship redefined as a civil union, which carries some but not all of the legal rights of marriage. The second measure would require the state to maintain a list of businesses willing to provide services to same-sex and transgender couples, so that those opposed could contract with them. Dave Montez, the executive director of One Colorado, the state’s largest advocacy group for gay rights, said the civil-unions proposal “is an unnecessary attempt to radically redefine all marriages in Colorado in order to undermine the Supreme Court’s recent decision.”

N.Y. prosecutor questions bullying number According to Rochester’s NBC News 10, a suburban New York prosecutor says compliance with a state law to combat school bullying is a “disaster.” Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas recently reviewed statewide reporting of the “Dignity Act.” She noted 58 percent of all schools failed to report even one incident of bullying. And 82 percent had no incidents of cyberbullying. She said the numbers reflect “serious problems” with the reporting.

ABC News reports the Episcopal Church has completed its embrace of gay rights, changing church law to allow same-sex religious marriages throughout the denomination, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide. The new policy won overwhelming approval from the top Episcopal legislative body July 1, following decades of debate and conflict. It came 12 years after the denomination blazed a trail by electing the first openly gay bishop. “To finally get to this day is an incredible moment,” said the Rev. Cynthia Black, of Morristown, N.J., a lesbian who has been campaigning for gay acceptance for years. “It is the beginning. It is not the end. There will still be people excluded, but at least we’ve gotten to this point.” The vote came in Salt Lake City at the Episcopal General Convention. Many dioceses in the New York-based church of nearly 1.9 million members already had allowed their priests to perform civil samesex weddings, using a trial service to bless the couple. Still, the church hadn’t changed its own laws on marriage until July 1. The new law eliminates gender-specific language on marriage so same-sex couples could have religious weddings. Instead of “husband” and “wife,” the new church law will refer to “the couple.” Clergy can decline to perform the ceremonies. The changes were approved 173-27 by the House of Deputies, a voting body of clergy and lay people. They also approved a gender-neutral prayer service for marriage on a 184-23 vote. The measures take effect the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 29.

GOP candidate withdraws citing marriage issue According to WDAM-TV, a Republican candidate for Lamar County circuit clerk in Texas has ended his campaign over marriage equality. Jay Jernigan said he would not be comfortable issuing marriage licenses to samesex couples, which is part of the circuit clerk’s duties. Jernigan has a law practice in Hattiesburg. He said his beliefs on LGBT lifestyles do not interfere with representing clients, noting he has represented many gay individuals. Jernigan withdrew in a letter to the Lamar County Republicans Party Executive Committee. The party primary is Aug. 4. n

PGN’s August 14

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With marriage equality now the law of the land, our Aug. 14 Wedding Issue will celebrate local couples and help you plan your own big day. For advertising info, email greg@epgn.com or call 215-625-8501 ext. 201 Deadline to reserve is Aug. 7

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

GRAND OPENING WEEKEND JULY 10, 11 and 12, 2015

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

Divine Inspiration Cartoon Family Portrait Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly

Page Page Page Page Page

39 35 38 42 33

PAGE 40

MIMI IMFURST (LEFT AND RIGHT) AS DIVINE (CENTER) IN “DIVINE/INTERVENTION”

Drag icon’s story comes to Philly for world premiere By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

Some of today’s biggest drag stars are joining forces to bring a unique perspective of the life of pioneering drag icon Divine to the stage, with the world premiere of “Divine/Intervention” July 16-Aug. 2 at Voyeur. Written by E. Dale Smith, based on an original concept by Mimi Imfurst (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”) and directed by

Braden Chapman (Imfurst’s alter ego), the play finds Glenn Milstead alone in his hotel room on the night of his untimely death as he struggles with his inner demons. Milstead had skyrocketed to stardom as drag queen Divine in John Waters’ cult-classic films “Pink Flamingos,” “Desperate Living” and “Hairspray.” “It is definitely a dark piece,” Chapman said. “But it has tons and tons of humor in it. Divine’s story in and of itself is a

sad story in the fact that he worked so hard for so long to have acceptance, not just as an actor. His family was always supportive in the beginning but they just didn’t really understand. They cut him out of their lives and he worked hard to get them back in his life and have that acceptance.” That struggle is underscored by the play taking place the night before Divine’s death. Chapman noted that, while it was not widely known, Divine

had been set for a reoccurring role on “Married … With Children.” “Here was this mainstream network hit that wanted Divine as an actor and it was everything he ever wanted,” he said. “To have that and to die on the night before that was just so sad.” To portray Divine’s inner turmoil, the play has two actors, Ryan Walter and Bobby Goodrich, simultaneously playing Milstead and Divine. “What’s really cool PAGE 30

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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invitation is always open, as frightening and scary as it may be.” Given the gravitas of the story and performance, we wondered why a nightclub like Voyeur was chosen as the venue. Chapman noted that, in some ways, a club was a more ideal setting for this story that a traditional theater. “The play does take place in a series of dressing rooms and I think Voyeur lends itself to that club atmosphere,” he said. “The problem you see and hear a lot of times is, why can’t we have a reality show or documentary about drag queens? Well, it’s because the reality of a drag queen’s life is that it’s not glamorous. It’s the opposite of what we do. We are these glamorous creations but we have these rather ordinary lives and we are rather ordinary people once that comes off. It’s a different kind of interesting and I think that doing this show in a nightclub is kind of a metaphor for all that. You have this larger-than-life creation of Divine but at the end of the day, she was just a working drag queen who was working the clubs.” Another important decision Chapman made was to direct the production, rather than appear on stage. “The idea was that I would play Divine,” he said. “It became very clear to me as the person whose idea this whole thing was that I had more to offer as a director. My background is in directing. I have a degree in it and I think that comes through in the production that I put on. I just thought with this piece I had more to offer as a director than an actor. I feel like this piece is so important for the world to see and hear, not just as drag queens, but to tell Divine’s story as well.” n

DIVINE from page 29

about this production is we have two actors playing Divine, one in drag and one out of drag,” Chapman said. “The stage is split down the middle and they move in mirror images. I think it’s the first time it’s ever been done in a play, which is exciting. These two actors have been rehearsing for a while and they have to move in mirror image and mirror time. It’s a really incredible acting exercise to watch unfold on stage.” Chapman said telling the story of such a widely known and revered drag icon has been a daunting task. “We have always known the weight that Divine carried and the importance of getting her story right,” he said. “Divine was a person who in was in some ways larger than life but whose private life hasn’t really been explored. There’s been such pressure on ourselves to get it right and that’s why we’ve taken three years to develop this piece, to do a series of readings and make sure it was right before we put it out there in the public. Divine was a groundbreaker. Divine paved the way for contemporary drag queens to be viable in commercial art. She just broke down so many boundaries doing that. This play is the first time that a play or a movie explores the psyche of a working drag queen. Sure, we’ve all seen ‘The Birdcage’ or ‘Priscilla’ or ‘Too Wong Foo.’ We’ve all seen ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ This is really the first that dives into that private moment when you’re alone in the mirror covering up your face and who you are to become someone different — what goes through your mind when you are doing that. This is the first time we are able to do that.” Chapman said “Divine/Intervention” was done without any input from Waters, but the cast and crew are hopeful he will catch one of the shows. “We have not yet heard from John Waters,” he said. “We would love for him to come see the piece. We would love for him to be involved in the production. The

sbgProductions & Faux Real Entertainment present “Divine/ Intervention” Thursday-Sunday July 16-Aug. 2 at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James St. For more information or tickets, call 800-838-3006 or visit www. TheDivinePlay.com.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

THERE’S MORE SUMMER FUN IN BALTIMORE. Discover your new favorite entrée. Dance barefoot at an outdoor concert. Go antiquing. Wear some red, white and blue to the birthplace of our national anthem. Or, check out the nation’s largest free arts festival.

FORT! FLAG! FREEDOM!

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine June 27–August 23, 2015 Fort McHenry delivers hands-on history seven days a week, offering you the chance to help rangers hoist the Star-Spangled Banner flag over the ramparts. And Wednesdays through Sundays, become a part of history as you drill with wooden muskets, muster to the drum, learn about 1814 fashions and meet historical characters.

ARTSCAPE

Bolton Hill and Station North Arts & Entertainment District July 17–19, 2015 This three-day festival showcases creative expression of all kinds, including outdoor sculpture, art cars and photography. Live concerts, dance, opera and film will also be featured, as well as family-oriented demonstrations, competitions and street performances. An international menu of food and beverages is available throughout the festival.

SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK

Participating Restaurants in Baltimore July 24–August 2, 2015

Dine your way through Baltimore! The metro area’s largest culinary tradition is a celebration of outstanding chefs and dining diversity. Enjoy specially selected three-course, fixed-price lunches and dinners at more than 90 of our best restaurants.

35TH ANNUAL BALTIMORE SUMMER ANTIQUES SHOW Baltimore Convention Center August 20–23, 2015

Spanning four days and featuring 575 exhibitors, the largest indoor antiques show in the country puts artistry on display. Featuring more than 200,000 pieces of furniture, jewelry, porcelain, glass, textiles, and fine and folk art alike, this extraordinary event is a collector’s dream.

40TH ANNUAL BALTIMORE PRIDE

Mount Vernon & Druid Hill Park July 25–26, 2015 With more than 30,000 people attending each year, Baltimore Pride is the premier LGBT event in Maryland. Historic Mount Vernon hosts the parade and block party, featuring Martha Wash, Cazwell and TS Madison, before moving to Druid Hill Park. Feel the love at one of Baltimore’s most colorful happenings.

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The Philadelphia Gayborhood is roughly centered at 12th and Camac streets. Look for the rainbow street signs at intersections and remember to be aware of your surroundings wherever you go. Boxers

1330 Walnut St. facebook.com/ boxersphl Sports bar with multiple plasma tvs, pool table, brick oven, more!

❍

<—

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Rosewood

Tabu

Woody’s

1302 Walnut St. 215.336.1335 rosewood-bar.com Cozy, elegantly-appointed bar with high-end cocktails

200 S. 12th St. 215.964.9675 tabuphilly.com Sports bar / drag shows and bar food

202 S. 13th St. 215.545.1893 woodysbar.com American-style bar food and large dance floor

❍ ❍

The Bike Stop

Four-level leather bar; basement enforces a dress code; secondfloor pool table and big-screen sports action

Walnut St. Chancellor St.

❍

St. James St.

❍

❒ ❒

❍ Manning St.

❍

Quince St.

Latimer St.

12th St.

Camac St.

<—

11th St.

Locust St.

❍ 13th St.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

Juniper St.

❍ Spruce St.

William Way LGBT Community Center

1315 Spruce St. 215.732.2220 waygay.org

A resource for all things LGBT

Voyeur

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

U Bar 1220 Locust St. 215.546.6660

Relaxing corner bar, easy-going crowd, popular for happy hour and window watching

Tavern on Camac West of Broad Street Stir Lounge

1705 Chancellor St. 215.732.2700 stirphilly.com Fun two-bar lounge, DJ in the back, regular poker games and specials

The Attic Youth Center

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

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

Knock 225 S. 12th St. 215.925.1166 knockphilly.com Fine -dining restaurant and bar with outdoor seating (weather permitting)

ICandy

254 S. 12th St. 267.324.3500 clubicandy.com Three floors with a total of six bars; dance floor, lounge and rootop deck.

Venture Inn 255 S. Camac St. 215.545.8731 Bar and restaurant with frequent entertainment

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

PGN

Scene inPhilly

by Scott Scott A. A. Drake Drake by

at the the block block party party at

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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PROFILE PGN

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

Suzi Nash

Charles Gassaway: Rolling out the ‘welcome’ mat With a charming smile and “can’t miss him” presence, Charles Gassaway would make a great ambassador to the city. I’ve often seen him socializing at various functions around town or wowing the crowd from the karaoke stage. So it makes sense that he would be a member of a group called The Welcoming Committee, whose goal is to create a fun and … well, welcoming atmosphere for LGBT people throughout the city. PGN: So where does a name like Gassaway come from? CG: I actually don’t know! I was born in Atlanta and my dad’s American Indian and Egyptian but it doesn’t sound like either of those. PGN: Tell me about the family. CG: My dad was in the military — the Air Force — which required a lot of moving around. My sister was born 14 months after me and it was hard traveling with two babies, so my parents split when I was 2. My mother’s name is Valerie and she’s wonderful. We moved to Atlantic City and she kind of ended up playing mom and dad. She’s all about the support. She still lives in the A.C. area but comes to Philly all the time and knows all my friends. In fact, she talks to my best friend on the phone more than she talks to me! [Laughs] It’s a little disconcerting! PGN: Yeah, I’m always running into friends who tell me they were hanging out with my mother at this event or that. CG: Luckily, I get my work ethic from my mom and she’s working all the time. So she doesn’t get out much! PGN: And you have one younger sister? CG: Yes, and a younger brother. My sister just turned 29 and she has four kids, all boys. PGN: She’s been busy! CG: Yes, wait, no! She had twins her first time, so it wasn’t four separate pregnancies. My mom helps out; she lives right down the street from them so it’s convenient. I love my mom, but I could never do that. Once I got out of Jersey I never looked back. Well, except to go to Sand Blast! PGN: What was it like being a shore baby? CG: It was actually a lot of fun. I loved it. I’m still in love with the beach and try to get down there as much as I can. I went to Indiana for college and I lost my mind being landlocked with no beach anywhere close. The closest thing was a lake with standing water. [Shudders] I can’t … I left school after a year because I couldn’t take it. I need to be able to get to the ocean.

PGN: What did you study? CG: I went to a Quaker high school in Bucks County, The George School, and that helped me get a scholarship to Earlham in Indiana. It’s a Quaker college, but I kind of hated it. There were cows walking through campus and I was like, this is not where I want to be. I stuck it out for a year and then, sorry … I have to go back East. I went to Penn State and got a degree in secondary education with a minor in bio. PGN: Bio? CG: Yeah, I’ve always been a sciencemath guy. PGN: What was a favorite science class? CG: My favorite was the one that everyone else seemed to hate, organic chemistry. Everyone hates O-chem and I don’t know why. It’s so interesting, I mean it’s basically what the human body is, chemical reactions. It got me interested in the field of medicine. Well, that and the show “ER”! My mom is really into holistic medicine and I studied a lot on my own.

PGN: What sports did you do? CG: My freshman year I played football. PGN: What position? CG: Safety and tight end. PGN: Tight end? No comment. CG: Ha. But it didn’t work out too well. I dislocated my shoulder early on, plus I wasn’t that good. People thought I was because I caught a ball in one of the first games and started running until I crossed the goal line and scored. But I’d done track and field for ages, so the running part was natural — the catching part was just lucky. In track and field, they did the captainship based on what event you did and I was the only one doing hurdles, so I became the captain! Looks good on paper. Eventually I got some other guys to do hurdles too, but they were scared. I have ridiculously long legs and it was scary for me. So I was the fouryear captain of my track team, the three-year captain of my swimming team, which I did in the summer, and in the fall I did dance as

PGN: Jumping back, what was your worst beach day? CG: I’ve never had a bad beach day. I can’t lie, I’ve never had one. Maybe the most memorable was learning how to swim. My dad basically threw me off the end of the pier. I mean, he jumped in right after me and it worked. I learned how to swim real quickly. PGN: I know they do that with babies but usually in a pool! CG: Right? With chlorine, in the shallow end and clear water so you can see where the kid is … No, this was right off the dock. PGN: You grew up where most people vacation. What’s your best vacation/travel story? CG: When I was in high school, we had to do a service project in order to graduate. We went to South Africa for three weeks and I learned so much. Most people at that age are so jaded by first-world problems. We don’t get to see the world and real problems. There’s so much that can go wrong in a country without running water or reliable electricity and so many things that we take for granted here. It was an eye-opening experience that really humbled me. I still try to do a lot of charity work and do things to give back as a result of that trip. I went to a prestigious — i.e., expensive — high school, so a lot of people get all, “Oooh, you went to so and so, fancy!” but I was there on an academic and sports scholarship. But if I hadn’t gone to that school and on that trip, I would be a totally different person today.

a sport. I loved the camaraderie of sports, but I loved the feeling of dancing. If you’ve seen me in the clubs, you know. PGN: What dance did you study? CG: I studied tap and modern as a kid and in high school, I studied jazz, modern, lyrical and a variety of styles. I actually went back to my school later and taught a master class in hip-hop. My old dance teacher is still there, by the way. It was awesome to be able to give back.

PGN: Tell me about what you’ve been doing lately. CG: I currently bartend at Continental Midtown, and before that I was the beverage supervisor for the Art Museum through Stephen Starr catering. I did their internal and external events and traveled from Philly to New York to Miami. PGN: What were some of the best aspects of the job? CG: At the Art Museum I helped renovate and revamp the Art After 5 program. The bar was really lacking and something had to be done, so we made it happen. Me and a coworker, it was a big job. I’ve decided to go back to school for hospitality management. Temple may let me use my six years in the field to count as my internship, which would be awesome. I was also the fundraising director for Stonewall Kickball. That was a lot of fun too. PGN: I didn’t know you were such a jock! CG: [Laughs] I don’t know. I’ve always been athletic and that was the best of both worlds: sports that were a little bit competitive but not overly, and giving back to the community. It was a great opportunity that they afforded me last fall. PGN: Are you single or hooked up? CG: I have a boyfriend, Tim. We met on Tinder so we both swiped right. This was in March, about a week after my birthday. We’d been talking for two weeks and he wanted to meet me. It was on a day that we had off from kickball and I didn’t want to meet this guy by myself, so I had him meet me in a public setting with the whole team at drag brunch. The team and I get pretty crazy on Sundays and we drank … a lot. When he walked in he was like, “Who are all these people?” We were all wearing the same shirt, Photo: Suzi Nash even though it was our day off, so it probably took him aback for a minute. I must say he was handsome! The picture on Tinder didn’t do him justice. PGN: I’d think it’s usually the opposite. Where you’re like, “And when was this picture taken?” CG: [Laughs] I know, but he was absolutely gorgeous with a personality to match. I slowly PAGE 42

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Eating Out Should Be Fun! Read PGNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food reviews every second and fourth week of the month

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

That’s a wrap at qFLIX By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor qFLIX, the area’s LGBT film festival, closes this weekend, with the Philadelphia premiere of “Those People” (8 p.m. July 12 at Prince Theatre). An absorbing American indie, this romantic drama concerns Charlie (the adorable Jonathan Gordon), a gay Jewish artist whose queer best friend, Sebastian (Jason Ralph), is wracked with feelings of inadequacy after his businessman father is imprisoned for financial crimes. Charlie’s codependent relationship with Sebastian is tested, however, when he meets Tim (Haaz Sleiman, all confidence and sexiness), a Lebanese pianist. The sexy romantic spark between Tim and Charlie forms the soft, gooey center of “Those People,” and viewers will be seduced by the flirtations and physical affections between these two characters. Writer/director Joey Kuhn handles the dramatic love triangle — the diffident Charlie is afraid to fully commit to Tim because he has unresolved feelings for Sebastian — with less finesse, but his film nicely captures the shifting dynamics between the characters as Charlie comes of age. Other films screening this weekend include: The fantastic Chilean film “In the Grayscale” (5 p.m. July 10 at Prince) has Bruno (Francisco Celhay) meeting Fer (Emilio Edwards), a man who insists being gay is black or white: One is or one isn’t. Bruno, however, is struggling with his repressed same-sex desires. He is in the gray scale. The film somberly chronicles Bruno’s mid-life coming of age by having him slowly couple up with Fer, only to have their relationship discovered. Celhay gives a beautifully modulated performance here, making Bruno’s angst palpable, and he generates some real heat in the sex scenes with the adorable Edwards. qFLIX will present the Philadelphia premiere of “Mala Mala” (noon July 11 at Caplan Theater at University of the Arts), a dazzling documentary about the transgender community in Puerto Rico. The film is directed by Philadelphia native Dan Sickels (who will be in attendance) and Antonio Santini. The subjects speak candidly about their identities and insecurities, revealing their humanity and beauty without a sense of exploitation. They discuss advocacy, anatomy and gender dysphoria, “passing” and masculinity and femininity in Latino culture. The comments of Paxx, a female-to-male transsexual, are particularly touching, as is Samantha’s discussion of getting hormone therapy on the black market. What comes across best is the lack of illusions these members of the trans community have. Each is in various stages of tran-

sition, and they are seen in private and in public, telling their stories. This is an insightful, inspiring documentary about living with dignity. “How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)” (2:30 p.m. July 11 at Prince) is Josh Kim’s sensitive Thai film, adapted from two short stories, about 11 yearold Oat (Ingkarat Damrongsakkul), who fears losing his older gay brother Ek (Thira Chutikul) to the army at the annual draft. Ek’s wealthy lover, Jai (Arthur Navarat), bribes his way out of service, and some of the film’s drama hangs in how their relationship will continue if Ek is drafted. While too much of “How to Win” focuses on the brothers’ relationship and not enough on the queer couple’s, the film also features a storyline about the transgender Kitty (Natarat Lakha). Curiously, late in the closing credits, a transgender woman describes being drafted and serving in the military. Her story would have made for a more interesting film. In “Fourth Man Out” (7:15 p.m. July 11 at Prince), Adam (Evan Todd) is a regular, small-town mechanic who comes out to his three best friends, Chris (Parker Young), Nick (Chord Overstreet) and Ortu (Jon Gabrus). At first, everyone experiences discomfort, but eventually Adam’s supportive friends take him to a gay bar and try to help him find a suitable boyfriend. “Fourth Man Out” relies on tired caricatures and broad humor that cudgels viewers with its messages about acceptance; ironically, the film reinforces the gay (and straight) stereotypes it thinks it is breaking. There are a few nice moments involving Adam and/or Chris and their potential romantic partners, but most of “Fourth Man Out” is forgettable. “Sand Dollars” (5 p.m. July 11 at Caplan), set in the Dominican Republic, is a terrific romantic drama that depicts the relationship between Anne (Geraldine Chaplin), an elderly French woman who is in love with Noeli (Yanet Mojica). The way Anne looks at Noeli conveys her tenderness towards the much-younger native woman, and Chaplin is particularly expressive with her eyes and smile. But Noeli asks Anne frequently for money, which she sometimes explains is for her brother, Yeremi (Ricard Ariel Toribio). Yet viewers know Yeremi is not Noeli’s relation, but actually her boyfriend. “Sand Dollars” becomes a love triangle, with Noeli at the apex, and things come to a head when Anne makes a decision to return to France with or without her beloved Noeli. Filmmakers Israel Cardenas and Laura Amelia Guzman have crafted a sensitive film about love and money, and the film’s authenticity is one of its many strengths. n For tickets and more information, visit www.qflixphilly.com.

Theater & Arts

BON JOUR!: Broadway star and singing powerhouse Frenchie Davis brings her pop/ soul cabaret, “The Frenchie Davis Experience,” to the area 8 p.m. July 17 at the Rrazz Room, in The Ramada New Hope, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope. For more information or tickets, call 888596-1027. Photo:

Adventures in Photography Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition featuring diverse works by figures such as Peter Henry Emerson and George Seeley through Aug. 20, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Dance: Movement, Rhythm, Spectacle Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of prints, drawings and photographs that celebrate the world of dance through Aug. 2, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. Genghis Khan: Bringing the Legend to Life The Franklin Institute presents the story of one of the world’s greatest leaders through Jan. 3, 20th Street and the Parkway; www.fi.edu. Into Dust: Traces of the Fragile in Contemporary Art Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition about the distinctions between the corporeal and transcendental, emergence and decay, belonging and displacement, life and death, through Oct. 25, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Jimmy Carter The former president and author of “A Full Life:

Robert Ector

Reflections at Ninety” hosts a book signing 12:30 p.m. July 10 at Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215-567-4341. Kate Breakey: Small Deaths An exhibition of hand-colored, oversized images of the birds, flowers and insects that photographer Breakey has memorialized through her work, through July 12 at Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215340-9800. Legendary: Inside the House Ballroom Scene The African American Museum presents the premiere of the Philadelphiabased work of photographer Gerard Gaskin that focuses on the culture of house balls of the AfricanAmerican and Latino gay, transgender and queer communities, through Aug. 16, 701 Arch St.; www. aampmuseum.org.

Memphis Walnut Street Theatre presents the Tony Awardwinning Broadway musical about the city with a rich musical history through July 12, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Northern Lights: Scandinavian Design Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition surveying Scandinavian design from its triumphant showing at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris to the present day, through Oct. 4, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. Steve Byrne The comedian seen on “Sullivan & Son” performs July 16-18 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. Tommy Johnagin The comedian seen on “Last Comic Standing” performs through July 11 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001.

Music Vans Warped Tour The daylong punkrock and skateboarding festival kicks off at noon July 10 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 609-365-1300. Get the Led Out The Led Zeppelin tribute band performs 8 p.m. July 10-11 at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 West Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215257-5808. Foo Fighters The rock group performs 7 p.m. July 13 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 609365-1300. Neil Young The rock singer performs 7:30 p.m. July 16 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 609365-1300. Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival The daylong hardrock/metal festival

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Jim Norton The comedian performs 9 p.m. July 10-11 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. George Lopez The comedian performs 8 p.m. July 11 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. PLATINUM DIVA: With her star-making turns in “Rent” and “Wicked” and her multi-platinum hit “Let It Go” from “Frozen,” it is sure to be a packed house when actor and singer Idina Menzel takes the stage 8 p.m. July 16 at Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave. For more information or tickets, call 215-546-7900.

featuring Slayer, King Diamond, Hellyeah and more starts 1 p.m. July 17 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 609365-1300.

10 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-9649675.

Nightlife

Big Phat Losers Drag stars Mimi Imfurst, Jiggly Caliente, Mystique Summers Madison, Delta Work, Victoria “Porkchop” Parker, Latrice Royale, Stacy Layne Matthews and Darienne Lake perform 10 p.m. July 10 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-9221011.

Butchqueen The gender-bent drag show with lots of twists and surprises, 9 p.m. July

Back 2 Basic: July Edition The monthly queer dance party, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., July 11 at Tabu, 200 S.

Floetry The neo-soul/R&B group performs 9 p.m. July 17 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-922-1011.

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.

12th St.; 215-9649675. Divine/ Intervention The world premiere of the play about John Waters film star Divine, 7:30 p.m.-2 a.m. July 16 at Voyeur Nighclub, 1221 Saint James St.; www. TheDivinePlay. com.

Outta Town Blob Fest A weekend of classic horror and “Blob”related films, July 10-12 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. Indina Menzel The acclaimed actress and singer performs 8 p.m. July 10 at the Borgata Hotel,

Cracker The alt-rock band performs 8 p.m. July 17 at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. The Frenchie Davis Experience The out singer seen on “American Idol,” “Rent” and “The Voice” performs 8 p.m. July 17 at the Rrazz Room, in The Ramada New Hope, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 888-5961027. Howie Mandel The comedian performs 9 p.m. July 17 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. UHF The cult-comedy film starring Weird Al Yankovich is screened 9:45 p.m. July 17 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. n

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Because Life Is More Than Just Gay News Nightlife, Concerts, Art Exhibits, Readings, Cabaret, Film Reviews, Theater Reviews, Food Reviews, Book Reviews, Music Reviews, Sports and Travel

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

Art PGN & Music

Out sculptor fuses art and activism Singer-songwriter heads Southwest for inspiration By Ray Simon PGN Contributor

Art lovers who enjoy beautiful imagery mixed with thought-provoking politics will welcome “M.A.D. (Mutual Assured Destruction),” a retrospective exhibit of larger-than-life sculptures and working drawings by H.D. Ivey, a local artist, activist and openly gay man. The exhibit, which focuses on work that Ivey created in response to nuclear proliferation, was organized by Casa de Duende in partnership with Physicians for Social Responsibility. It is on display at Crane Arts, 1400 N. American St., through July 30. In addition, Dr. Ira Helfand, a noted expert on nuclear weapons, will speak at the gallery on July 20. That lecture is free and open to the public. According to David Acosta, cofounder of Casa de Duende, Ivey’s work represents a life-long engagement with socially relevant issues. For nearly five decades, Ivey has created artwork that addresses pressing social problems like censorship and HIV/AIDS, but nuclear proliferation is the subject he has returned to repeatedly. Ivey’s commitment to political issues fits well with Casa de Duende’s mission, Acosta noted, but he pointed out that Ivey is more than just a social critic. “Outside of the fact that it’s socially engaged and political art, it’s also really beautiful work,” he said. Ivey, a native of Texas who came to Philadelphia in the mid1980s, is modest about his work. “I’m a political activist and I’m an artist, but I don’t have any illusions that the sculpture is going to change the world in and of itself,” he added. Growing up during the Cold War, Ivey remembers “duckand-cover” exercises at school and the nuclear brinkmanship that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Early on, he recognized the inherent madness of the nuclear-arms race; it’s been a consistent theme in his work ever since. For this show, Ivey selected roughly 15 pieces, including “Baghdad,” a large figure of a

lion, and “Zero,” a work about ground zero — a concept, he noted, that did not even exist until nuclear weapons were developed. Ivey’s sculpture, made from wood, cast resin and metal, employs splashes of vibrant color and occasionally playful imagery. But the most consistent feature of his work is its large scale. “I’m dealing with a subject matter of, kind of, megalomaniacal imperialism, so I’m building

on that scale,” Ivey said. When depicting missiles, for example, making them big enables audiences to envision them as weapons rather than toys. Although these sculptures may look huge within the confines of a gallery, they don’t seem that way to Ivey, who used to make enormous outdoor sculptures from steel. “So when you say the work is large now, it doesn’t quite seem that way to me,” he said with a chuckle. Still, if Ivey’s work seems to loom over viewers, that’s partly because we live in a world where impending nuclear annihilation is a possibility. That’s a sobering thought, but the sculptor takes pains to avoid plunging viewers into despair. “It’s important to me for the images to move people but not to paralyze them with fear in the process,” he said. To help alleviate viewers’ anxiety, Ivey tries to incorporate a sense of playfulness into his artwork. “I have one sort of golden rule for myself when I make sculpture,

which is that it has to be a fun process for myself,” he explained. “And I think if I work that way, then it makes it more likely that it’ll be fun for the viewer. So even though the subject matter is sometimes grim, the objects themselves are sometimes playful and light.” That playfulness is evident in “Pistol Pete,” the oldest piece on exhibit. The sculpture is Ivey’s artistic response to former president Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, commonly known as “Star Wars.” Standing over 9-feet tall, this sinewy, bare-chested figure wears a huge cowboy hat and has a gun for a phallus. It is simultaneously menacing and silly. It’s also serious: The sculpture draws parallels between the cowboy archetype, an enduring American myth, and imperialist expansion. An ancillary theme running throughout the show is the sheer cost of nuclear proliferation. Every penny spent on weapons is money diverted from the public. This idea is most explicit in “Money,” but it recurs in multiple works. “I think one of the central facts of the Cold War period, and this is true for the Soviets as well as for us, is that we spent our national treasures on our worst fears and failed to invest in our best selves,” Ivey said bluntly. Today, America and the former Soviet Union are no longer the principal rivals in an unending arms race. In fact, more countries now have nuclear weapons already or are working on acquiring them. Despite that dispiriting situation, Ivey hasn’t lost hope. When asked to put his art in perspective, he refers to the late historian Howard Zinn’s final book, “The Bomb.” “He made the observation that small acts of conscience can change the world. So that’s really what I’m trying to do, just a small act of conscience in the hopes that it might make a difference.” n To learn more, visit www.casadeduende.com.

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Out folk/blues singer-songwriter Jesse Lafser may be a St. Louis native, but on her latest album, “Raised on the Plains,” her heart and soul found their creative muse in a recent cross-country trip that took her through the Southwest. “There’s nothing like that landscape out there,” she said. “It’s super-extreme and the contrast is incredible to me. Driving through there was a moment where I took this vast mountain highway in New Mexico and the scenery was changing every 30 minutes. I was the only person on the highway and had no cell service. I had to pull the car over at one point. There was a herd of buffalo on my left and mountains shooting up on my right. I stood there and realized I wanted to make sounds that looked like my trip out there.”

(Great, now we want to drive through the desert and meet our spirit animal too.) Lafser said fans of her first album, 2012’s “Land in Sight,” might not notice the stylistic changes she’s made as an artist on her new album. “I’m not sure my fans would notice but I definitely think it’s very different,” she said. “It’s more produced in a certain way. We thought out the parts and arranged everything more. ‘Raised on the Plains’ was recorded completely live so I just wanted to capture that raw energy. I think vocally I’m different too. The songs on ‘Raised on the Plains’ are more heady and the songs from ‘Land in Sight’ were more from the heart.” Lafser recorded “Raised on the Plains” in her current hometown, Nashville, Tenn. She said the country music mecca is a great place for artists and musicians to

live, as the city is more focused on talent and creativity than the gender and sexuality of the performers. “People here really respect a woman who can really play her instrument, and I’m still working on that every day,” she said. “Usually, a female is known for a great voice or something like that. I think here the songwriting and the craft and the way you play your instrument is respected. It’s more about being a woman versus a man over being gay or not, which is nice. I’m glad that that’s kind of irrelevant because it should be. Nashville is a very progressive town but we are still in the South. The history of Nashville is still present in a certain way. Even the female artists back in the 1950s, they were the singers but the men were the songwriters. There’s still a struggle with that. Even though it’s improved and people are more open-minded, I still think it’s a

little bit harder. The men sometimes get opportunities a little bit easier and that has been a frustration.” Lafser will be spending less and less time in Nashville in the near future. After a short tour of live dates, she’ll be calling a number of other places home for a while. “I’m going to be living in New Mexico for the month of August and doing some residency shows there,” she said. “I was offered a writing residency at one of the hostels there. In September, I’ll be living in New York and playing some residency shows there as well. I’m trying to immerse myself in certain markets for a little bit longer and trying to build an audience in each place.” n Jesse Lafser performs 8 p.m. July 15 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. For more information or tickets, call 215-222-1400 or visit http://www.jesselafser.com.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

PORTRAIT from page 35

drifted away from my team and spent the whole day talking to him. And my teammates really grilled him because they’re very protective of me. I tend to jump in with two feet and make stupid decisions. I go for long-term relationships and don’t always make good choices when I’m lovestruck. I was engaged once and it didn’t go well, so they wanted to check him out first. So far, so good. PGN: Early sign you were gay? CG: When I was 12, I was deceptively tall so people always thought I was older than I was. This kid told me that he was having a party and asked if I wanted to come. I asked my mother and she said OK. At the party, they were all drinking Natty Ice. PGN: Natty Ice? CG: Natural Light beer. It’s like five steps down from Miller Lite; it’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted. So several of his friends passed out and he asked me to play a video game, N64, which was the thing back then. When the game was over, he started kissing me and I was like, “Yo! What are you doing?” I knew I liked him and thought he was attractive but I didn’t quite explore those feelings until … uh …

the area where they had the tropical plants smelled incredible — mangoes and pineapples, all the tropical flavors done in flowers melding all together. I can’t even begin to describe the fragrance. PGN: What was your worst kickball moment? CG: Ugh, when my team decided to drink before a big game. I wouldn’t have minded so much but it was one of the last games before championships and against a team that everybody hated and I really wanted to beat them. About 60 percent of the team was drunk, even my co-captain! I was so heated. I lost it. I get competitive, but for this team I was overly competitive and really wanted to stick it to the cocky team. And we were good enough to beat them sober, but not drunk. It was horrible.

PGN: I meant to ask, what was the fanciest gala you did with Stephen Starr? CG: We did the reopening of the New York Botanical Garden with 3,500 guests. It was huge! I had to oversee seven bars and it was a mad house, very stressful but also a lot of fun. When it was over, it was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done.

PGN: So let’s talk about your favorite group. CG: The Welcoming Committee! I’m in the corps and it’s one of the best organizations I’ve ever been a part of. Hands down. Essentially what we do is make safe options for LGBT people to go to places in and outside the Gayborhood: a place where you can feel welcomed and just have fun. We do a take-over every first Friday, that’s where we go into a normally “straight” place and take it over. It’s called GQB — Guerrilla Queer Bar takeover — and it’s a blast. Our last one was at Franky Bradley’s, where Sisters used to be, and we had a great time. #GQBeyourself. We really try to help people discover their worth, and see more than just the way other people may see them. If you come by yourself, there’s always someone to make you feel welcome, a corps member who will be your insta-friend. We also do concert takeovers and sporting events, vacations, you name it. We’ve recently partnered with Equality PA to do some outreach. It’s a great group to be a part of.

PGN: It must have been beautiful. CG: Goodness. It was so beautiful. So many plants and flowers and decorations all over the place. There was one room representing the seasons all in plants, I still have pictures. And

PGN: What’s coming up? CG: Oh, we have a really cool Paint and Sip night on July 16. For $25 you get a canvas, instructions and drink specials, which should result in some interesting art. Then there’s a “Newbies” night on Aug. 5

PGN: [Laughs] You had a guy’s tongue in your mouth? That wasn’t an early sign saying “curve ahead,” that was one of those red-dot “You are here!” signs. CG: I know! After that I was like, “Oh well, at least now I know!” and that was that.

PGN

and — drum roll, please — we’ve scored discount tickets to go see Ariana Grande on July 29! PGN: Sweet! OK, random questions. What four people would you want in your band? CG: Guitar, hands down Jimmy Hendrix. Have to have him. Vocals would be Sam Smith or John Legend. Don’t make me decide between the two, I can’t do it. My voice is pretty similar to both of them so I could do their back-up vocals … while I played the drums, ’cause that’s my thing! Syncopation and rhythm, drums are the backbone to everything. And on keyboards I’d have Jeffrey Beiter; he’s a pianist over at Tavern on Camac and my secret crush! PGN: Two shows you DVR each week? CG: Oh, “Mistresses” on ABC, I love that show. And “Falling Skies” on TNT, though it may be on SciFi now. PGN: You’re in great shape, but what’s your guiltiest indulgence? CG: I once ate two large pizzas, cheesy bread, Chinese food, Mexican food and Korean food all in one day. I love to eat — all day, every chance I get. Fortunately, I have a high metabolism and work out ’cause I eat way too much. PGN: Any pets? CG: I had a puppy, Anastasia, who was born prematurely. I had to bottle feed her and put her in a little enclosure with a heat lamp. It was a lot of work but worth it. She’s awesome, my little princess. My mother has her now because I can’t have her at my current address. PGN: The thing that I like most about myself is … CG: Oh I hate that question. I just like being me. People always tell me they’ve never met anyone like me and that feels good. It’s good being me. n For more information on The Welcoming Committee, visit http://thewelcomingcommittee. com/philly/. To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol.com.

Q Puzzle Secretly Gay Across

1. He comes between Tom and Harry 5. Similar things 9. Flaming queen’s crime? 14. Neighbor of Pakistan 15. _East of Eden_ director Kazan 16. Put it in your mouth with relish 17. What a computer may spit out 18. Italian wine city 19. Taper off 20. Secretly gay rock and roll front man 23. “It’s ___ for Me to Say” (Mathis) 24. Stamp of _Priscilla_ 25. Battlefield cry 27. For skin 29. Slinky shape 32. Vehicles for some dykes 36. Stuff from your shaft 37. What guns shoot off 38. Dryer batch 39. Lech of Greek lore 41. Wharton degs. 42. Holds title

to 43. Its head may be enjoyed orally 44. They come during finals week 45. Diggs of “Rent” 46. Treat badly 49. Writer of “The Hot’l Baltimore” 51. Some Barber compositions 56. Chop down 58. Secretly gay C&W singer turned pop star 60. “I Dream of Jeannie’s” Barbara, and others 62. Cut it 63. Regarding 64. “To recap...” 65. His brother laid him in his grave 66. “A Boy Named Sue” writer Silverstein 67. Dull surface 68. Neil Patrick’s award for Hedwig 69. Cocksure Aesop character

Down

1. Performed, for Shakespeare 2. About to blow 3. Furnish food 4. Jack on the card table 5. Medium

meeting 6. Heavy overcoat 7. Maupin setting for tales 8. Pass to a gay receiver? 9. Oscar, for one 10. Soldier under Stonewall Jackson 11. Secretly gay hip-hop mogul 12. Not taken in by 13. No, to Nureyev 21. They may be split 22. Conger catcher 26. Start of Caesar’s boast 28. Norman Bates’ place 30. “___ your disposal” 31. Bad bottom-line news 32. Rorschach stain 33. “The Music Man” setting 34. Secretly gay

rapper/entrepreneur 35. Ford flub 39. Fill for you-mouthful 40. Urban pussy 44. Half scores 47. Grand slam title won frequently by Billie Jean King 48. Way to miss 50. “C’est Moi,” to Lancelot 52. Up to one’s ears 53. Campbell of “Martin” 54. Last word of a fairy tale 55. Got to second base, perhaps 56. Lammy winner Scott 57. Harvey’s “Hairspray” role 59. Western wolf 61. Testacle, in slang

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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Religion/Spirituality Arch Street United Methodist Church Services 8:30 and 11 a.m. at 55 N. Broad St.; youth/adult Sunday school at 9:30 a.m.; 5:30 p.m. prayer service; 215-568-6250. Bethlehem-Judah Ministries Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 5091 N. Dupont Hwy., Suite D, Dover, Del.; 302-750-4045. BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Church Services 10:15 a.m. at 2040 Street Road, Warrington; 215-343-0406. Calvary United Methodist Church Reconciling, welcoming and affirming church holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 801 S. 48th St.; 215-724-1702. Central Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:45 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m, at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610-688-0664. Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church Services 11 a.m. and Spirit at Play, an arts-based Sunday school for children, 9:30 a.m. at 8812 Germantown Ave.; 215-242-9321. Church of the Crucifixion Inclusive Episcopal community holds services 10 a.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Fridays at 620 S. Eighth St.; 215-922-1128. Church of the Holy Trinity Inclusive church holds services 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 1904 Walnut St.; 215-567-1267. Congregation Rodeph Shalom Shabbat services every Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 10:45 a.m. at 615 N. Broad St. ; 215-627-6747. Dignity Jersey Shore An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets the first Saturday of the month in Asbury Park; 732-502-0305. Dignity Metro NJ An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets 4 p.m. the first and third Sundays of the month at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood; 973-509-0118. Dignity Philadelphia Holds Mass 7 p.m. Sundays at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-546-2093, dignityphila@aol.com. Drexel Hill Baptist Church Nonjudgmental Christian congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the USA holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 4400 State Road, Drexel Hill; 610-259-2356, www.dhbaptist.com. Emanuel Lutheran Church Reconciling in Christ congregation meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m., New and Kirkpatrick streets, New Brunswick, N.J.; 732-545-2673; www.emmanuelnb.org. Evangelicals Concerned Lesbian and gay Christian counseling; 215-860-7445. First Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds prayer services 10:30 a.m. Sundays and community worship 11:30 a.m. at 123 S. 17th St.; 215563-3853. First Baptist Church of Moorestown Welcoming and affirming congregation holds Bible study and discussion at 9 a.m. Sundays and worship services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 19 W. Main St., Moorestown, N.J.; 856-235-1180; www. fbcmoorestown.org; info@fbcmoorestown.org. First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne Welcoming church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 140 N. Lansdowne Ave.; 610-622-0800; www.lansdownepresbyterian-church. com. 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.; 215-563-3980, www.firstuu-philly.org. The First United Methodist Church of Germantown A sexual-minority-affirming congregation holds services at 10 a.m., summer services 11 a.m., Sundays, with lunch to follow, at 6001 Germantown Ave.; 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 9 a.m. Sundays at 2111 Sansom St. and 11 a.m. at 2110 Chestnut St. in the main sanctuary; 215-567-3668, www.lc-hc.org. Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church Sexual-minority congregation worships at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 1223 Middletown Road (Route 352), Glen Mills; 610-358-1716, www. ImagoDeiMCC.org. Living Water United Church of Christ An open and affirming congregation that meets for worship 11 a.m. on Sundays at 6250 Loretto Ave.; 267-388-6081, www.lwucc.org. Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist synagogue committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community meets at Calvary Center, 801 S. 48th St.; 215764-6364, www.kol-tzedek.org. Mainline Unitarian Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon; 610-688-8332, www.mluc.org. Maple Shade Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ Affirming congregation open to all sexual orientations and gender identities holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 45 N. Forklanding Road, Maple Shade, N.J.; 856-779-7739, mapleshadeucc.org. Metropolitan Community Church of Christ the Liberator

Holds services 10:45 a.m. Sundays at the Pride Center of New Jersey; 732-823-2193, mccctl.com. Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia Services 1 p.m. Sundays at the University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, 3637 Chestnut St.; 215-294-2020, www.mccphiladelphia. com. Old First Reformed Church Open and affirming United Church worships at 11 a.m., summer services at 10 a.m, at 151 N. Fourth St.; 215-922-4566, www. oldfirstucc.org. Penns Park United Methodist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-598-7601. Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral Progressive and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays with Holy Eucharist at 3723 Chestnut St.; 215-386-0234, www.philadelphiacathedral.org. Rainbow Buddhist Meditation Group Meets 5 p.m. Sundays at William Way. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting worships 11 a.m., summer services 10 a.m, Sundays at 1515 Cherry St.; 215-241-7000, cpmm@ afsc.org. Resurrection Lutheran Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays at 620 Welsh Road, Horsham; 215-6462597. Silverside Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays followed by a group discussion at 2800 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Del.; 302-478-5921, silversidechurch. org. St. Asaph’s Church Inclusive and progressive Episcopal church holds services 8 and 10 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd; 610-664-0966, www.saintasaphs.org. St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; 215-646-2451, www.stjohnsambler.org. St. Luke and The Epiphany Church Open and welcoming church holds fall liturgy 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays, summer sevices 10 a.m., at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-732-1918, stlukeandtheepiphany.org.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

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

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

■ ActionAIDS: 215-981-0088 ■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377 ■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221 ■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080

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.

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

St. Mary’s Church Diverse and inclusive Episcopal church celebrates the Eucharist 11 a.m. Sundays at 3916 Locust Walk; 215-386-3916; www. stmarysatpenn.org.

n The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 215-496-0330

Tabernacle United Church Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 3700 Chestnut St.; 215-386-4100, tabunited.org. Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church Sunday worship with nursery care, 10:30 a.m. and fourth Thursday of the month contemporary worship with Communion at 7 p.m. at 2212 Spruce St.; 215-732-2515, trinityphiladelphia.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County Welcoming congregation holds services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 10:30 a.m., at 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media. Interweave, a group for LGBT parishioners and allies, meets 12:30 p.m. the third Sunday of the month and holds a potluck brunch 12:30 p.m. 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 Services 10:15 a.m. Interweave, a group of LGBT Unitarians and their allies, meets at 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; 856-6673618, uucch.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration Welcoming congregation holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 6900 Stenton Ave.; 215-247-2561, www.uurestoration.us. Unitarian Universalist Congregation, South Jersey Shore Services 10 a.m. Sundays in Galloway Township; 609-965-9400, www.uucsjs.org. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown 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, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown; 215-946-6800. Unity Fellowship Church of Philadelphia Diverse, affirming LGBT congregation holds services 2 p.m. Sundays at 55 N. Broad St.; 215-240-6106. University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 3637 Chestnut St. preceded by “Adult Forum: Sundays” at 9:30 a.m.; 215387-2885, www.uniphila.org.

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

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

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

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

■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537

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

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

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

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; 215-688-1796, www.stpaullevittown.org. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Welcoming and diverse congregation with numerous outreach and fellowship groups holds services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday at Third and Pine streets; 215-925-5968; www.stpetersphila.org.

Health

Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 216 W. Somerset St.; 215763-8870. ActionAIDS Provides a range of programs for people affected by HIV/ AIDS, including case management, prevention, testing and education services at 1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088; www.actionaids.org. AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 1711 S. Broad St.; 215-629-2300; www.asiac.org. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 149 W. Susquehanna Ave.; noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-851-1822 or 866-222-3871; www.galaei.org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays (walk-in) and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays (by appoint-

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

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

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

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

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

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

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com July 10-16, 2015

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