Philadelphia Gay News Vol. 33 No. 30
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
July 24 - 30, 2009
Online extortion
Hate-crimes bill amended By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer The bill that would extend federal hate-crimes protections to LGBT individuals went through a series of ups and downs in the U.S. Senate in the past two weeks. Last week, the Senate voted to add the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act as an amendment to a defensespending bill. The U.S. House approved the hate-crimes bill in April, and if the Senate OKs the defense bill with the amendment, it will need to go to a joint House-Senate conference committee, where a final version needs to be approved before being sent to President Obama for his signature. The Human Rights Campaign predicted that a final vote will not occur until September. The bill would expand the 1969 hateSee HATE CRIMES, Page 7
Police search for Craigslist user posing as detective By Timothy Cwiek PGN Writer-at-Large
Gushue said Taleon has pledged to turn his life around. “He hopes to be able to finish college while he’s incarcerated, so that way he can use his time constructively,” he said. “And he indicated to the judge that he’s a changed man and that she’s not going to be seeing him in the courtroom or in that entire building ever again.” A judge revoked Taleon’s bail shortly after the arrests and he has been in prison since that time, while Keyontyli was released on bail. Police suspected the brothers of several area break-ins and were tailing them Feb. 19 when they witnessed Taleon using an ax and handsaw to gain access to the roof of Moon’s Beauty Shop at Ninth Street and Washington Avenue. Police pursued Taleon, who took more than $2,000
Philadelphia police are searching for a man who used Craigslist to meet at least three gay men, then later posed as a detective and extorted money from two of them. The suspect, described as black and about 6-foot-3, met the men on Craigslist’s “Men Seeking Men” personals section, and arranged to meet them at various locations in the city. During the encounters, he had a detective’s badge, handcuffs and a walkie-talkie, and spoke in a confident manner that convinced the men he was a plainclothes detective, they said. “He was a smooth talker, and very convincing,” one man said. The three victims spoke to PGN on the condition of anonymity. They said the incidents happened in April and June. The suspect allegedly told the men they were vulnerable to criminal prosecution because they were looking for sexual partners on Craigslist without properly screening out minors. One man, from the Fairmount section, traveled to a nearby bank with the suspect, withdrew about $1,200 from his account and gave it to him. Another man, from the Fishtown section, gave the suspect $800 after traveling to a bank at a shopping center in Northeast Philadelphia. The third man didn’t give the suspect any money, but he reported the incident to Central Detectives, where it remains under investigation, he said. The Fairmount man said he preserved scissors that the suspect touched, which might help determine his identity. He called the city’s LGBT Police Liaison Office to report the incident. But he was dissuaded from pursuing the matter after being told that a
See PORN TWIN, Page 12
See CRAIGSLIST, Page 12
THE BIG GAY CAST: Writer/director Fred Caruso (far left) comments about extending the legacy of the Prince Music Theater’s history of groundbreaking original offerings after the world-premiere screening of “The Big Gay Musical” on July 20, the final day of QFest. He was joined onstage for the Q&A by actors Jack Aarenson (from left), Jeff Metzler, Joey Dudding, Daniel Robinson and co-director Casper Andreas. The QFest closing-night film will also be shown at festivals this fall in Austin, Texas, and Memphis, Tenn. More QFest photos and stories on pages 5, 6 and 29. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Gay-porn twin sentenced to prison By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
ASKING AND TELLING IN PHILLY: The Human Rights Campaign and Servicemembers United will kick off their national Voices of Honor Tour to build support for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in Philadelphia July 27. U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (DPa.), who recently took over the repeal effort, will be joined by the numerous LGBT and ally servicemembers featured on the tour during an 11 a.m. press conference in front of Independence Hall at Fifth and Market streets, and the servicemembers will host a public town-hall meeting to discuss “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at 7 p.m. at the WHYY Studio Building, 150 N. Sixth St. Several of the servicemembers will be involved in presentations in Boonton and Trenton, N.J., later in the week. For more information on the Voices of Honor Tour, visit www. hrc.org/voicesofhonor.
One-half of the infamous gay porn twins who were arrested in Philadelphia last year on burglary charges will spend the next three to eight years in prison. A judge accepted a plea deal July 15 from Taleon Goffney, 27, who pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and criminal conspiracy in connection to the rooftop break-in of a South Philadelphia store and another business in the area. Taleon’s twin brother, Keyontyli, was also arrested for his role in the crimes and will begin trial Aug. 6. The pair made national headlines after their February 2008 arrests when numerous Internet postings identified them as having performed in online gay porn. As part of Taleon’s plea deal, the judge dropped other charges he faced, including possession of an instrument of crime, criminal trespass and receiving stolen property. Taleon’s attorney, Michael F. Gushue, said his client was “content” with the terms of the plea agreement. “It gives closure to the situation and avoids the uncertainty of a trial, which is always prone to creating anxiety,” Gushue said. If Taleon had not taken the deal, he could have faced up to 40 years in prison.
KEYONTYLI GOFFNEY
TALEON GOFFNEY
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To The Members of Philadelphia’s Proud LGBT Community: The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 is proud to have supported Philadelphia’s large, proud, and diverse LGBT community for many years. We were pleased to have been able to provide significant in-kind electrical services to The William Way Community Center at 1315 Spruce Street, a unique community resource that supports, encourages, and advocates for the well-being and acceptance of sexual and gender minorities through service, recreational, educational, and cultural programming. Local 98 was proud to have illuminated this shining beacon of Philadelphia’s LGBT community. More recently, IBEW Local 98 provided major pro bono electrical work to The Attic Youth Center at 16th and Spruce Streets. The Attic seeks to create a safe, supportive, non-judgmental environment in which youth can share concerns about school, family, and friends, feel at ease, and take a step from loneliness, secrecy, and self-doubt into participation, belonging, and self-confidence. By encouraging and supporting a process for youth leadership, The Attic validates the efforts of LGBT youth to develop personal responsibility for their lives and communities. In addition to rewiring the building, Local 98 installed new lighting fixtures as well as a state-of-the-art security system and lighting. Finally, Local 98 was proud to contribute significant dollars and more than $100,000 in in-kind labor for the Elton John A.I.D.S. Fund concert on the Parkway. It was an incredible night for a noble cause and we were proud to have played our part. These are just a few of the many gratis jobs and contributions the men and women members of IBEW Local 98 have provided to Philadelphia’s LGBT community over the years. We look forward to continuing our great association for many more years to come. On behalf of all of us at Local 98, we salute PGN and the city’s LGBT community for being an important thread in the fabric of Philadelphia! Yours in solidarity, John J. Dougherty Business Manager
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News Editorial 10 International News 16 Letters/Feedback 11 11 Mark My Words 7 Media Trail 5 News Briefing 7 National News 10 Other Views 5 Regional News 11 Street Talk
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How QFest stacked up in 2009
Compatible: Baseball and being out
Get the Cinema Alliance perspective, how the staff ranked the movies by the good and the gay and how the public voted on the film-venue change from last year.
The Szwajkos Family Baseball Card Collection is currently on display in Citizens Bank’s Hall of Fame section and will be open for guests with Hall of Fame box seats during the Gay Community Night at the Aug. 4 Phillies game. Page 8
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JULY 24 - 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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News Briefing
Regional
Covington case postponed
FOUR STAR AWARDS: The final days of the 15th-annual QFest provided generous award presentations. Dee Mosbacher (from left) received the first Barbara Gittings Award, recognizing lifetime achievements in the arts. H.P. Mendoza received the Rising Star Award for festival first-time directors and Philadelphia local Michelle Pollino received the Audience Favorite Short for “Looking For ... ” which was part of the Out In Philly shorts program. Photos: Scott A. Drake. Sharon Gless was recognized with this year’s Gay Icon Award for her support of the gay and lesbian community. Photo: Karen Cornell. The other audience favorites included Best Documentary for “Pop Star on Ice” and Best Feature Film for “Hannah Free.” The jury awarded “Awakenings” with the Best Short Film, “Off and Running” received the Best Documentary Award, “Patrick 1,5” was named the Best Feature Film and the First-Time Director Award was given to Nancy Kissam for “Drool.”
Court offers split decision on NJ civil-union case By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer A federal court this week upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a New Jersey organization that has been at the center of a court battle over a lesbian civilunion ceremony. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia agreed July 15 that a District Court was correct in dismissing a suit filed by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, which sought to halt a state investigation into claims it discriminated against a lesbian couple by denying the couple use of its pavilion for their civilunion ceremony. The three-judge panel of the court, however, also remanded the case back to District Court, advising the lower court to issue a ruling on whether or not the organization would be justified in banning same-sex couples from holding civilunion ceremonies on other property the organization owns. The case traces back to March 2007, when Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster contacted the association to ask if they could use its pavilion for their civil union. The group denied their request, saying it would contradict the beliefs of the United Methodist Church, with which it is affiliated.
Bernstein and Paster filed a complaint in June 2007 with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, arguing the organization violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, among other classes, in such areas as employment, housing and public accommodations. Although the association says the pavilion is a private, religious structure, it has rented it for concerts, weddings and other events. Additionally, passersby on the boardwalk frequent it, which Bernstein and Paster contended would make it a public accommodation. The association owns all of the land in the 1-square-mile Ocean Grove, which includes the pavilion, the beach and part of the ocean. It previously received both federal and state funding but, since the complaint was filed, had its federal taxexempt status revoked by the Department of Environmental Protection, which maintained the organization did not follow the exemption’s stipulation that its property must be open to all individuals on an equal basis. The association filed a federal suit in August 2007, arguing that the state investigation is a violation of the organization’s First Amendment rights, but Judge Joel Pisano dismissed the suit
in November 2007, leading to last week’s ruling. The appeals court upheld Pisano’s assertion that the federal court should not interfere in cases that should be handled through state-level judicial proceedings. Since Pisano’s ruling, the DCR issued a finding of probable cause in December 2008, ruling that the evidence indicates the association was operating the pavilion as a public accommodation and may have violated the LAD. The case is expected to be heard before the bench within the next few months. Joan Caputo, chairperson of Ocean Grove United, a collection of LGBT and ally supporters, called this week’s ruling a “victory,” adding the case does not belong in federal court. “This federal case in my mind is a fabrication by [association attorneys], the Alliance Defense Fund and the Camp Meeting Association to turn a local issue into a national issue,” Caputo said. “I think that it serves the Alliance Defense Fund and people who think in that way and allows them to raise money to further their cause. I think that this has nothing to do with Ocean Grove, but rather they’ve found a case that allows them to make a mountain out of a mole hill, which is exactly what this federal case has done.” ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
The upcoming trial of F. Bruce Covington, accused of bringing illegal drugs to the home where a young man was killed in 2006, has been postponed until September. The case was expected to begin during the week of July 20. But on July 21, Delaware County Common Pleas Judge James F. Nilon Jr. announced the postponement, citing scheduling conflicts. In September 2006, 23-year-old Jason Shephard was found strangled to death inside William F. Smithson’s home in Thornbury. The victim had consumed gamma hydroxybutyrate that Covington allegedly brought to the home, according to court documents. Covington also is accused of lying to authorities about his whereabouts at the time Shephard died, but he’s not been directly connected to the homicide. Covington, a former administrator at St. Joseph’s University, was sentenced last month to three years of probation for drug offenses in a separate incident that took place in Montgomery County. He remains free on bail. The new trial date has been set for 9 a.m. Sept. 9 at the Delaware County Court House, 201 W. Front St., Media. — Timothy Cwiek
Input sought for bookstore renovations Supporters of LGBT bookstore Giovanni’s Room are invited to a community meeting at 7 p.m. July 28 in the Philadelphia Room at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St., to plan for renovations at the store. The exterior brick wall on the 12th Street side of the store needs to be replaced, and supporters are looking for event planners, fundraisers, community organizers and other local LGBT and ally leaders to help brainstorm for fundraising ideas for the project, which is expected to cost about $50,000. “The wall needs to be taken down brick by brick and put back up brick by brick, so we want to get together and discuss different ideas about how we can all help out,” said Arleen Olshan, former owner of Giovanni’s Room, the oldest LGBT bookstore in the country. For more information, contact Olshan at (215) 242-5074. ■ — Jen Colletta
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QFest enjoys successful 15th year By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Philadelphia’s theaters were alight with comedies, dramas, documentaries and even a “Big, Gay Musical” in the past two weeks for the 15th annual QFest. Although the LGBT film festival donned a new name this year, the 12-day event offered myriad film screenings, discussions, workshops and parties. This year’s festival provided moviegoers a vast selection — more than 100 films — but less than last year’s 176. Matthew Ray, spokesperson for festival organizer the Philadelphia Cinema Alliance, noted that the Out in Philly shorts series, which showcases the work of local artists, was one of this year’s most popular programs. “What we saw is that there is a deep hunger in the Philadelphia film community for local productions, so our local shorts series sold out very quickly and we even gave it another screening,” Ray said. “And that was tremendous for the local filmmakers who were featured to have a crowd that big. It was just gigantic for them.” Ray said the diversity among festivalgoers was also noticeable, with a large contingent of heterosexual allies in attendance at the screening of “Pop Star on Ice” and a considerable lesbian presence, possibly due in part to the PCA’s efforts to expand the number of lesbian-themed films in the festival. “We had some really strong programming for the lesbian community, and they definitely came out in support of the festival,” Ray said. Organizers saw an overall positive response from the audiences, whom Ray said seemed to appreciate the economic limitations that festival organizers faced this year. “I think people this year were very understanding about the challenges of doing a multi-day festival in a fragile economy, and I think they were pleased overall with the programming and the events,” Ray said. “With any festival, the barometer usually floats back and forth between ‘This was the best ever’ or ‘the worst ever,’ but we generally found that a lot of people were just really positive.” TLA Releasing and the Philadelphia Film Society,
which previously produced the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival jointly, split earlier this year, and many TLA representatives formed the PCA. Ray said he did not think the restructuring had any noticeable impact on this year’s event. He also noted that QFest organizers will continue to develop and grow the event from year to year, taking community feedback into consideration. “I think there are always going to be changes; every year something’s different. The Cinema Alliance and the QFest programmers are always open to changes and making any alterations,” Ray said. “I definitely think we’re going to continue working with our community partners; they showed us so much support this year. And we’re going to continue to work to program energetic and entertaining films.” ■
Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
78% Broad Street 18% Ritz East 4% No Preference AND THE WINNER IS ... : Broad Street. An informal poll of all-access badge holders who also attended both this year and last year’s festivals showed favoritism toward last year’s Broad Street venues of The Prince, The Wilma and The Arts Bank over this year’s split between The Prince and Ritz East. Those who preferred the Ritz East location, 125 S. Second St., said having the two theaters in one building during weeknights was a plus, but sided with the majority when they considered traveling between theaters within restrictive movie schedules. The margin of error of this completely unscientific onenight poll is impossible to guess. See you next year. Somewhere.
“The Big Gay Musical” (U.S., 2009, 90 min., Casper Andreas, Fred M. Caruso)*** “Make the Yuletide Gay” (U.S., 2009, 93 min., Rob Williams) “Patrik, Age 1.5” (Sweden, 2008, 100 min., Ella Lemhagen) “Watercolors” (U.S., 2008, 106 min., David Oliveras) “Amancio: Two Faces on a Tombstone” (U.S., 2009, 64 min., Tom Murray) “The Casuarina Cove” (U.S., 2008, 8 min., Boo Junfeng) “Raging Sun, Raging Sky” (Mexico, 2008, 191 min., Julián Hernández) “Soundless Wind Chime” (Hong Kong, 2009, 110 min., Kit Hung) “Just Say Love” (U.S., 2009, 90 min., Bill Humphreys) “Rivers Wash Over Me” (U.S., 2009, 89 min., John G. Young) “It Came from Kuchar” (U.S., 2009, 86 min., Jennifer M. Kroot) “The Japanese Sandman” (U.S., 2008, 12 min., Ed Buhr) “Eating Out 3: All you can Eat” (U.S., 2009, 90 min., Glenn Gaylord)*** “Homewrecker” (U.S., 2009, 90 min., Paul Hart)*** “Pornography” (U.S., 2009, 113 min., David Kittredge) “Somebody is Watching Us” (Canada, 2008, 11 min., Maxime Desmons) “Wrecked” (U.S., 2009, 73 min., Harry and Bernard Schumanski)*** “Autopsy” (France, 2007, 90 min., Jérôme Anger)** “Bitch” (U.S., 2009, 2 min., Michael Medico) “Dish” (U.S., 2009, 15 min., Brian H. Krinksy) “Dream Boy” (U.S., 2008, 90 min., James Bolton) “Awakening” (Denmark, 2008, 38 min., Christian Tafdrup) “Cowboy” (Germany, 2008, 35 min., Till Kleinert) “Drool” (U.S., 2009, 88 min., Nancy Kissam) “Redwoods” (U.S., 2009, 82 min., David Lewis) “Shotgun” (Israel, 2007, 17 min., Ronny Hirshmann) “Weak Species” (U.S., 2009, 35 min., Dan Faltz) “Baby Love” (France, 2008, 93 min., Vincent Garenq) “True Enough” (France, 2007, 95 min., Sam Karmann)* “The Young and Evil” (U.S., 2008, 15 min., Julian Breece) “Teddy” (New Zealand, 2009, 13 min., Christopher Banks) “Vandals” (Switzerland, 2008, 17 min., Simon Steuri) “Fruit Fly” (U.S., 2009, 94 min., H.P. Mendoza) “Shank” (Britain, 2009, 89 min., Simon Pearce) “Dinx” (Canada, 2008, 13 min., Trevor Anderson) “Hollywood je t’aime” (U.S., 2009, 95 min., Jason Bushman)* “Lucky Bastard” (U.S., 2009, 90 min., Everett Lewis)* “Mr. Right” (Britain, 2009, 94 min., David and Jacqui Morris) “Misconceptions” (U.S., 2008, 95 min., Ron Satlof) “Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Story” (U.S., 2009, 58 min., Charles B. Brack) “Limbo” (Mexico, 2008, 88 min., Horacio Rivera)* “The Window” (U.S., 2008, 6 min., Phillippe Gosselin, Ronald Regina) “The Pull” (U.S., 2008, 8 min., Andrew Blubaugh) “Sunshine Sparkling in My Eyes” (France, 2009, 10 min., Stephanié Botti) * East Coast premiere ** North American premiere *** World premiere (All other full-length films were Philadelphia premieres. Information for short films was not available.) PGN used the QFEST five-tier rating system of two thumbs up through two thumbs down to rank how good a movie was. We added our own flavor with stripes to rate how gay a film was. A full flag means the film had very gay characters, situations or sexual encounters. At the lowest gay point, a stripe means the gayness was more subtle within the film’s theme, characters or actions. Of course, gayness is subjective.
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
National
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Media Trail
NAACP forms first-ever LGBT committee By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People announced a new initiative this month aimed at uniting the sexual- and racial-minority populations to strive for equal rights together. The NAACP unveiled its LGBT Equality Task Force during its Centennial Convention in New York City July 15. The new agency is a collaboration between NAACP and the National Black Justice Coalition, an LGBT people-of-color organization. Seven NAACP members will comprise the committee, which will be co-chaired by NAACP national chair Julian Bond and California NAACP chair Alice Huffman. “The LGBT Task Force represents a historic movement for African-American LGBTs,” said Dr. Sylvia Rhue, interim executive director of NBJC. “I believe it will establish the foundation for the NAACP as a forward-looking body and finally moving it as it recognizes LGBT rights within the NAACP governing body.” Jasper Hendricks, director of field operations and policy director for NBJC, said his organization has been working with the NAACP for several years to draw increased attention to LGBT issues. He said the Task Force actually formed in February during the agency’s national board meeting, but only had four members at that time; the committee expanded its membership and officially approved its mission during this month’s convention. The Task Force is charged with “figuring
HATE CRIMES From Page 1 crimes law to include sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and mental or physical disability; provide funding to local and state agencies to investigate hate crimes; remove the current stipulation that offenses must be committed while a victim is engaging in a federally protected activity; and provide the Justice Department greater jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. The Senate voted 63-28 to end debate on the hatecrimes measure and attach it
out ways to implement LGBT and civilrights items in the NAACP’s agenda,” Hendricks said. The NBJC is working with the Task Force in an advisory capacity, researching a variety of LGBT issues on which the committee could take action. Hendricks said the NBJC is eager for the Task Force to propose resolutions at next year’s convention, supporting such issues as the inclusion of LGBT individuals in hate-crimes and safe-schools laws and the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, which would then go to the general governing body for approval. Hendricks noted that proLGBT resolutions such as these have never reached the floor of the NAACP governing body for a vote. Before next year’s convention, the Task Force and NBJC will be working with local NAACP chapters across the country to help develop their involvement in their respective LGBT communities. “We’re going to be working with local units that have expressed interest in this area, like Mississippi and Utah, which are two that stick out in my mind because these are areas that you wouldn’t necessarily think would be so supportive but have been some of our most vocal people who’ve stood behind this initiative,” Hendricks said. The night before the unveiling of the committee, NBJC deputy director Jason Bartlett addressed the NAACP board of governors, urging the organization to make LGBT rights a top priority. “Too often our community — the black community — thinks of LGBT concerns as
to the Department of Defense reauthorization bill July 16. This week, Sen. Jeffrey Sessions (R-Ala.) introduced a series of amendments in an apparent attempt to derail the bill. Sessions’ amendments stipulate that the U.S. Attorney General identify and prosecute hate crimes on a “neutral and objective” basis; that those who commit a hate crime that results in death be eligible for the death penalty; and that hatecrimes protections be extended to military members and their families. The Senate approved the first two measures in a voice vote
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white,” Bartlett, also a state representative in Connecticut, said during his address. “The National Black Justice Coalition represents black LGBT people, like myself, that need you.” Bartlett said in a statement this week that in addition to the pro-LGBT issues Hendricks mentioned, the NBJC is also optimistic that the NAACP will eventually come out in support of same-sex marriage. “The real test for the NAACP will be to take a stand saying marriage equality is a civil right,” he said. “If the NAACP takes this step, true marriage equality for all Americans will be hard to stop — the NAACP’s imprimatur is that powerful.” Michael Hinson, interim executive director of The COLOURS Organization Inc. and the former treasurer of the local chapter of NAACP, said the formation of the Task Force is a step in the right direction, but that both the committeemembers and NAACP leadership need to be committed to following through with action. “This framework is a new framework, so I think it really means that we have to have all sides pay attention to what this means to the culture of our communities and the culture of our organizations,” Hinson said. “We have to make sure that the authenticity of this new extension of our relationship is real. It’s not something we can sort of embrace as a fad or as the new thing to do, but we need to be committed to authentically engaging each other in ways that are helpful to building unity.” ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
and voted 92-0 in a roll call to approve the third amendment. Sen. Ted Kennedy (DMass.) proposed a successful amendment that allows for stricter implementation of the death-penalty stipulation. Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, asserted that Sessions’ death-penalty amendment was designed to prevent the passage of the bill and called that tactic “disingenuous, outrageous and immoral.” HRC president Joe Solmonese urged Congress to “eliminate these unwelcomed amendments” and focus on
getting the bill to the president’s desk. The Senate also voted this week to strip the proposed $1.75-billion additional funding for F-22 fighter jets. The House version of the defense bill contains the allocation of $369 million for such expenses. The Office of Management and Budget released a statement last month saying the president’s advisors would recommend Obama veto the bill if it contains the $369-million allotment for the F-22 program. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs also said this week that “if that money is there, that bill will be vetoed.” ■
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Philadelphia Gay News
Navy murderer may be gay The Dallas Voice reports that the family of August Provost, a bisexual Navy seaman murdered last month, is alleging that his attacker is a gay sailor who killed Provost over fears of being outed. Provost’s aunt, Rose Roy, said she was “not at liberty” to discuss the source that provided the family this information, but that they were informed the sailor being held by the Navy as a person of interest got into an argument with Provost a week prior to the murder and has a history of mental illness. Provost was shot several times June 30 while he stood guard as a sentry in a shack at Camp Pendleton, Calif. The killer then set the shack on fire to cover the evidence. The Navy has not disclosed the name of the person of interest and said it was too early to identify a motive.
Trans woman attacked in New York The Queens Tribune reports that two men in Queens, N.Y., were arrested and charged with a hate crime in connection with an assault on a transgender woman. Carmella Etienne, 22, said that as she walked near the intersection of 199th Street and 116th Avenue on July 8, Nathaniel Mims, 25, and Rasheed Thomas, 22, threw rocks and bottles at her and yelled antigay slurs. Etienne told police that one of her attackers said, “Don’t ever walk that block anymore, or we will slash your throat.” Mims and Thomas face charges of harassment, menacing and assault as a hate crime.
Couples stage kiss-in at Mormon church Adovocate.com reports that dozens of LGBT and ally couples staged a “kiss-in” protest last weekend outside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. The demonstrations began earlier this month following the arrest of Matt Aune and his partner Derek Jones, who were charged with trespassing July 9 after a church security guard reportedly saw them exchange a kiss on the cheek as they walked across the church’s plaza. About 100 protesters gathered across the street from the temple and were met by throngs of antigay demonstrators. No arrests were made. ■ — Jen Colletta
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Gay collector’s cards on display at Phils stadium By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer For Bob Szwajkos, baseball is more than just an American pastime; it’s his family’s pastime. The openly gay Bucks County attorney began collecting baseball cards and other memorabilia as a child, continuing a tradition his father started nearly 80 years ago. A portion of the Szwajkos Family Baseball Card Collection is currently on display in Citizens Bank’s Hall of Fame section and will be open for guests with Hall of Fame box seats during Gay Community Night at the Aug. 4 Phillies game. Szwajkos said his love of the sport began when he was young and immersed in baseball culture. “I was raised in Rochester, N.Y., a half-mile away from Rochester’s
Red Wings baseball stadium, so if we didn’t have the game on the radio, we could hear it,” Szwajkos said. “As a kid, my father took us on vacations to Washington, Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto and a variety of places for games. We’ve always been baseball fans.” Szwajkos’ father started collecting cards, programs, news articles, hats, pencils and other game-related items in 1933, a tradition Szwajkos has upheld and even passed along to his own son. This is the first time that a portion of the family’s extensive collection has gone on public display. The exhibit features about 150 cards depicting baseball players, managers and executives who’ve been inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, including former Phillies players
Robin Roberts, Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton and other notables like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The display contains a series of 1933 Goudey cards, the first “bubble-gum” baseball cards ever issued. Szwajkos said he and his family have been friends with Phillies president and CEO David Montgomery and his family for years, and that the exec has been pressing for a public exhibit of their collection. “Dave has been saying for years and years, ‘We’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do this,’ so we finally are,” he said. Once Szwajkos started preparing the collection this past spring, however, he realized how tedious the process of showcasing such a large collection is. He had to research and organize
all of the cards and then seal each one in a plastic case, each of which is held together by four screws, inciting what Szwajkos
called “baseball fatigue.” Despite the exhausting undertaking, Szwajkos had already started planning for his next display, which will focus specifically on Phillies players. Szwajkos encouraged all members of the LGBT community to come out and show their own Phillies pride at the Aug. 4 game. The Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia, of which Szwajkos is a member, started the Gay Community Night in 2003 and the event continues to be a success each year. “This is one of the big social events of the season. The first year the Phillies said, ‘If you can sell 250 tickets, we’ll name the night after the community,’ and we sold about 1,000,” he said. “The Phillies have welcomed us back year after year after year; we throw out the first ball and sing the national anthem. It’s a very good relationship and it’s great that the Phillies recognize that the LGBT community is a very important part of their own community.” The Gay Community Night game begins at 7:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia. For tickets or more information, visit www.phillygaydays.com. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
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JULY 24 - 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Center shows gains, losses this summer By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer The board of directors at the William Way LGBT Community Center met this week for its regular public session, giving special recognition to center affiliate John “Jack” Wilcox and reporting on the center’s financial and program status. Treasurer Ann Butchart read a resolution approved by the board at the July 21 meeting that commended Wilcox for his longtime volunteer work and support at the center. Butchart also announced that the center will name its library and archive after Wilcox. “This is not about me or anything I do, it’s about bringing us together as a community to support this center and the other vital organizations in our community,” Wilcox said in accepting the honor. “It was a nobrainer when I saw the opportunity to be of service to the organization, not for the benefit to myself but to the thousands of men and women who come through that door every
year. What I want is to maintain the organization and make sure we can keep those doors open seven days a week, 365 days a year. This center represents our values and our growth as LGBTQI men and women in the tri-state area. Our community deserves the best, and we’re on our way to fulfilling that goal.” There will be an official reception for Wilcox in the fall. Also present for the July 21 meeting were board co-chairs Emilie Carr and David Michelson, secretary Eric Ashton and members Chris Pinto, Leon King, Liz Reasey, Moira Mulroney, Deb Francesco, Ted Greenberg, Stephanie Gross and Jeff Sotland. Members Joe Dougherty and Al Besse were not present. Center executive director ’Dolph Ward Goldenburg reported that the facility continues to report gains in numerous areas. The organization has experienced a more than 10percent influx in participation in center programs and events this fiscal year and has also seen a 25percent increase in the number
of visitors to the building when compared with the same period in the previous year. The building currently has 12 tenants, constituting an 80-percent occupancy rate; while the building had a full 15 tenants at this time last year, its rate of occupancy is up from 71 percent in April. The center is also now operating with a full staff. Goldenburg announced the center has hired Lisa Shoemaker as coordinator of the Connecting Generations senior program. Shoemaker will assume the position July 27. Goldenburg also reported that Phillip Prillman will assume the role of director of facilities by the end of the month, while the center also brought on Qrescent Mali Manson to spearhead the Robert R. Rosenbaum Oral History Project. Regarding finances, gross income for the month of June was $72,727, while it was projected to be $39,881. Both grants and individual giving in June were higher than anticipated. The year-to-date gross income stands at $806,868, about
$407,847 more than expected. The board attributed this overage to the $350,000 grant from the City of Philadelphia for the elevator project; the center has received all but $13,900 of the grant. Total expenses for June were $41,625.84, which is $3,351 less than projected. Lower operating costs and personnel vacancies accounted for the lower expenses. Year-to-date, the organization has incurred $398,864.55 in expenses — $13,970 less than anticipated, mostly attributed to personnel vacancies. The net income for June was $31,101.58, while the center projected it would have a loss of $5,096. Once the $26,373 in expenses for the elevator construction are factored in, however, the actual income is $4,728.58. Although construction on the center’s long-awaited elevator is complete, the organization still has to raise $42,500 for the project. Goldenburg noted, however, that if the community can generate $22,500 of that price tag by the end of September, the Sandy River
Charitable Foundation has pledged to cover the other $20,000. Also coming down the pike on Oct. 9 is the annual Indigo Ball, which is 90-percent sold out. Goldenburg announced that Wachovia has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the event. On Oct. 15, the center will open its doors to an exhibit that traces the history of LGBT persecution during the Holocaust, and the organization will also launch an exhibit this fall of center juried art winner David Kube’s work. The community can also take advantage of 30 classes beginning this fall in the center’s Way Gay U program. Following the formal portion of the board meeting, members undertook a new tradition — their meet-a-board-member segment. Sotland, the center’s newest board member, appointed last month, introduced himself and talked about his 14-year career as an attorney and his involvement in the LGBT community. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
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JULY 24 - 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Editorial An injury to one is an injury to all For many LGBT folks, unions don’t automatically conjure up a bastion of inclusion. Too often, say “union worker” and one thinks of the blue-collar worker without a college degree who might be a Democrat, but isn’t backing same-sex marriage any time soon. But that image is slowly changing. In May, the president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, Stuart Applebaum, came out publicly; he is the first head of an international union to do so. After coming out, Applebaum began publicly backing same-sex marriage in New York, where the 100,000member RWDSU is based, and said that marriage equality spurred his revelation. As he told Gay City News, “How can I see justice and full acceptance denied to the LGBT community, which I am a part of, and do nothing?” In New York, a marriage-equality bill passed the Assembly in May and is awaiting Senate action, likely when the houses reconvene in the fall. While Applebaum might be the highest-ranking labor leader to come out, he isn’t the first. Other out labor leaders include Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Nancy Wohlforth, secretary-treasurer of the Office and Professional Employees International Union, vice president and Executive Council member of the AFLCIO and co-president of Pride at Work, an organization of LGBT union members. Pride at Work, now in its 10th year, has focused on fostering mutual support between organized labor and the LGBT community, opposing discrimination based on “sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, religion or political views.” For the unions, one of the effective ways they can fight for LGBT rights is to include spousal benefits — without distinctions between same- and opposite-sex couples — in negotiations and union contracts. Considering that denying benefits is often one of the ways companies try to circumvent state and local antidiscrimination laws, gaining union backing on this point is significant. Gaining union backing on nondiscrimination laws and same-sex marriage — and out union leaders — is even better. ■
Tell us what you think Send letters and opinion column submissions to: pgn@epgn.com; PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147; fax: (215) 925-6437. Please include a daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, style and space considerations.
Glenn Lash (glennlash@yahoo.com)
Other Views
Leslie Robinson
The Episcopal agenda At the recent Episcopal General Convention, Episcopalians effectively lifted their temporary ban on gay bishops. They also chose to begin drafting an official prayer for samesex unions. In leading with its conscience like that, the Episcopal Church, the American wing of the worldwide Anglican Communion, has given Anglicans abroad, and some at home, another full-body rash. It must’ve been a resoundingly difficult time for convention delegates, choosing between their beliefs and the prospect of a permanent Anglican split. I found myself imagining what those days at the gathering in Anaheim, Calif., were like. I suspect the average day’s agenda looked a lot like this: 7-8 a.m. Prayers. Optional. Gene Autry room. 7:30-9 a.m. Breakfast. 9 a.m. All-day excursion to Disneyland. For spouses and those who can’t face our reality. 9-10:15 a.m. Business meeting. What to do when half your diocese wants to secede. Practical and legal direction.
10:15-10:30 a.m. Break. 10:30 a.m.-noon Seminars. 1. “Disagreeing in Christ: How to Keep the Dialogue Open and Civil,” Donald Duck Room 2. “Schism: A Form of Resurrection?” Snow White Room 3. “Bishop Gene Robinson: A Symbol of Our Problems, Not the Cause,” Fairy Godmother Room Noon-1 p.m. Lunch. 1-2:15 p.m. Business meeting. Budget question: Will the overseas Anglicans who no longer want our financial assistance cancel out the financial losses we’re incurring due to domestic churches fleeing the fold? 2:15-2:30 p.m. Break. 2:30-3 p.m. Prayer service. Not optional. Let’s remember why we’re here. 3-4:30 p.m. Seminars. 1. “The Conservatives Speak: Some of Us Still Haven’t Given Up,” Scrooge McDuck Room 2. “The Archbishop of Canterbury: Toughest Job in Christendom?” Goofy Room 3. “Fleeing to Catholicism: Bad Idea,” Dumbo Room 4:30-5:30 p.m. Free time. 5:30 p.m. Departure for those
wishing to attend the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim game. No matter what part of the country we come from, tonight we’re on the side of the Angels. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Cocktails. 6:30-8 p.m. Dinner. 8-10 p.m. Informal job networking, Pinocchio Room 8 p.m. Movie. “Oranges are Not the Only Fruit,” Cinderella Room 8-11 p.m. Socializing. All arguments attaining a certain decibel level must be taken elsewhere. Huey, Dewey and Louie Rotunda Notes: The gym is open all day. A psychologist will be available from noon to midnight in the Peter Pan Room. A doctor is on hand all day in the Seven Dwarfs Room for anyone feeling faint or nauseous. If you wish to participate in tomorrow’s excursion to Knott’s Berry Farm, sign up by 1 p.m. this afternoon. If you wish to flee altogether, we understand. But even if we don’t know where you’re hiding, God does. ■ Leslie Robinson lives in Seattle. Email her at LesARobinson@gmail. com.
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Mark My Words
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Mark Segal
And that’s the way it is Walter Cronkite died last week. I took it hard emotionally, and I couldn’t quite understand it. I realized Walter summarized a lot of who I am and what I have become. Let me try to explain and tell you about my friend Walter. Most of you reading this think of me as a businessman or part of the establishment, but I never have thought of myself that way. I am, and always will be, a gay activist. The very start of this newspaper was an act of gay activism. But that is another story. The “CBS Evening News” with Walter Cronkite was the most watched news show of its time. That time being 1973, when there were no 24/7 news channels; CNN wasn’t even born for another seven years. There weren’t even any cable channels — just three networks, and Cronkite was the diamond of newscasters, the most trusted man in America. It has always been my belief that the way for our community to gain equal rights was for non-gays to simply get to know us. Basic education. In 1973, we were not on TV, we were not in movies. We were invisible. That allowed people to believe that gay people were immoral, psychotic lawbreakers and someone to toss out of your life. If you were gay, by law you could not even get a job as a trash collector in Los Angeles. That is why we created The Gay Raiders. Our first objective was to give our community visibility,
which at the time was not a popular idea in our community. The networks and corporations laughed when we asked to meet with them. So that led us to civil disobedience. I disrupted so many live and taped shows that Variety called me a threat to the business. The final disruption was “CBS Evening News” with Walter Cronkite. When I sat on Cronkite’s desk holding a gay-rights sign, about 60 percent of America was watching. For most, it was the first time they had seen a gay man. What followed surprised me: newspaper and magazine articles; I was invited on all the talk shows of the day (three times on “Phil Donahue,” who was the Oprah of the time); I was considered the nation’s most well-known radical gay activist. A couple of years later, I was at an event that Cronkite was moderating. I hid in the wings but he saw me and walked over. Walter invited me to lunch the next time I was in New York. That started a 30some-year friendship. His generosity of accepting this radical as a friend changed my life. He became a mentor, and gave me advice about the paper you’re reading. He taped a segment for a benefit for the William Way LGBT Community Center and he wrote letters to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He even did an AIDS Awareness Day video. What Walter taught me was that those willing to get to know us really can change the world. Walter did, and that’s the way it is. ■ Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com.
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Street Talk Is it valid to compare racism with anti-LGBT bias?
Luke Hefele cook Bear, Del.
Denitsa Karadzhoba market analyst Washington Square West
“It’s best not to compare the two: It’s like apples and oranges. This country oppresses black people on a much greater scale than LGBT folks. Just go to an impoverished ghetto. I don’t think you’ll see many gay people running around.”
“Yes and no. Gays are still stigmatized in society — look what happened in California. So I can understand why some people don’t want the comparison. But avoiding the comparison is just another form of homophobia. I’m optimistic that, someday, all of these differences will be erased.”
David Schwartz account manager Rittenhouse Square
Kate Spiller dog walker South Philadelphia
“No. It’s a convenient comparison, but not necessarily helpful. The two types of bias are very different. One’s immediate and obvious. The other is more inconspicuous. It’s about a lifestyle — something you don’t find out about right away.”
“I’d rather not mix the two struggles. It doesn’t bring about dialogue. By making the comparison, you’re polarizing people, right from the start. They go on the defensive. That’s not an effective way to communicate.”
Letters and Feedback In response to “Pretend priest arrested,” July 17-23: Pretend priest? Nothing to do with this particular person pretending to be a priest. But for anyone to be a priest in the Catholic Church, he is pretending to be a man of God, whether he realizes it or not. Because anyone who connects God with the Catholic Church is either mentally deficient or totally brainwashed. It is an impossible situation. But they will answer in the end. — James Walters In response to “New Hope’s The Raven to reopen,” May 15-21: I love all these comments about “we should get out there & support The Raven.” If people return, they return; if they don’t, they don’t. New Hope will never be the same now that the Cartwheel is permanently gone.
Why they couldn’t do something with the Cartwheel is beyond me — I don’t care how many issues there were. The Nevermore is just not working out unless they can open the club underneath the current lobby bar ... it’s just not the Cartwheel, sorry ... — tons o fun In response to “Budget cuts could bring festival woes,” Feb. 6-12: There’s nothing wrong with small denomination municipal or California State IOUs if anyone can pay their taxes with them. When Argentina’s government workers were faced with cuts, their unions talked six state governments into paying them with small-denomination state bonds which could be used to pay for state services and taxes by everyone. When the local currency is pegged to the Time Standard of Money (how many dollars per unskilled-hour child labor), hours
earned locally can be intertraded with other timebanks globally! In 1999, I paid for 39/40 nights in Europe with an IOU for a night back in Canada worth five hours. U.N. Millennium Declaration UNILETS Resolution C6 to governments is for a time-based currency to restructure the global financial architecture. Too bad California IOUs won’t be accepted in payment for state taxes and services like state bonds were in Argentina. Too bad Argentina people were smart enough to avoid the tent-cities catastrophe and California people are too stupid to follow their example. If they make IOUs legal tender, I’ll take back every joke I ever made about Girlieman Governor Musclehead if he engineers the California state currency lifeboat. But Philadelphia has an Equal Dollars system that could save them, so they might be even stupider. — KingofthePaupers
EWS
CRAIGSLIST From Page 1
Philadelphia Gay News
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Russia cent of ry. o yet m the
and he will discuss this during a training class at roll call. All the officers need to know that comprehensive police reports are necessary.” Spritzler stressed that police are actively pursuing the Craigslist suspect, and that follow-up calls have been made to the three victims to gather additional information. “We’re concerned that someone is impersonating a police detective,” Spritzler said. “There’s an active investigation concerning all three complainants, and we’re coordinating our efforts. There’s someone out there preying on people, and we’ve got to get him off the street.” Anyone with information about a Craigslist suspect can call the LGBT Police Liaison Office at (215) 685-3655. ■ Timothy Cwiek can be reached at (215) 625-8501 ext. 208.
From Page 1
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formal police report must be filed before any additional action could be taken, he said. Officer Mitchell Spritzler of the LGBT Police Liaison Office, who spoke with the Fairmount man, told PGN it’s standard procedure to inform victims they must file a police report before an investigation can begin. But Spritzler also said a police report can be written in a way that protects a victim’s reputation. “The report can be general enough to give enough information without giving too many details,” Spritzler said. “But if the case goes to trial, other documents would contain details, and the person’s identity would be known.” Police reports are available to the general public for a $25 fee, Spritzler added.
The Fishtown man called 911 after the suspect contacted him a second time at work to request additional money. The man refused to pay, but said he was disappointed with the attitude of the responding officer. “It was like [the officer] was putting me on trial, instead of gathering information about the perpetrator,” the man said. The police report filed by the responding officer states that the victim paid another man $3,000 to avoid having his gay sexual orientation disclosed. It doesn’t state the perpetrator was posing as a Philadelphia police detective. Spritzler said he would see to it that a supervisor discusses the necessity of comprehensive police reports with the officer. “Incomplete reports are a problem that needs to be addressed,” added Spritzler. “I spoke with the officer’s supervisor,
PORN TWIN
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JULY 24 - 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 12
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from the store’s ATM, to Juniper and Wharton streets and arrested Keyontyli at the scene. Taleon said during last week’s preceding that his brother, who was present in the courtroom, served as the driver and lookout for the crime. The brothers were also charged in connection with the burglary of a convenience store in the Northeast in December 2007. Prior to his arrest, Keyontyli had a fledgling modeling career. A graduate of Barbizon Modeling School, he performed in numerous television commercials, modeled for Nike and Ralph Lauren and participated in several DKNY fashion shows. Taleon had built up his own reputation in New Jersey. Camden County police arrested him on drug charges in May 2006, but Taleon smashed a window of the police car with his head and jumped out of the moving vehicle. He dove into a nearby pond and, still handcuffed, swam away from the pursuing officers, eluding them for more than a week until he turned himself in. His gymnastic talents also surfaced when police attempted to arrest him in January 2007 for breaking into a liquor store. Taleon jumped 30 feet from the roof of the store and swam across the Cooper River, but police eventually apprehended him. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Obituary
PAGE 13
Fi r st Ba p t i st C h u r c h SERVICES: Wednesdays Noontime Sundays 11a.m.
Rosalie Davies, 70, lesbian activist By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Rosalie Davies, an attorney who spent decades fighting for the rights of lesbian mothers, died July 14 at Roxborough Memorial Hospital after suffering a massive stroke. She was 70. Davies was born Jan. 22, 1939, in London, England, and moved to Montreal with her husband in the 1950s. She gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl, and the family moved to Philadelphia in the late ’60s. Davies and her husband separated shortly after the move, when she acknowledged that she was a lesbian. Although the pair had joint custody of their children after their split, when her exhusband remarried and announced he was moving back to Canada in 1973, a court granted him full custody. Davies told reporters at the time that her status as an open lesbian factored heavily into the court decision and that she felt like her “sexuality was on trial, like an ancient witchcraft trial.” Davies was allowed one phone call a week to the children and one in-person visit a month, as well as two weeks of supervised visitation at her parents’ home in Canada in the summer. After one year of this arrangement, however, the children asked to return to live with their mother in Philadelphia, which their father permitted. Although Davies was able to raise her children, she knew that many other lesbian mothers were not as fortunate and decided to do all she could to assist. She attained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and, in 1979, earned her law degree from Temple University. Ahavia Lavana, a longtime friend, said Davies’ custody battle was one of the primary motivating factors for her decision to become an attorney. “She went to law school because she lost her children in court just because she was a lesbian, and she was determined to not let this happen to any other women,” Lavana said. Davies founded Custody Action for Lesbian Mothers in 1974 and, over the next 25 years, the organization provided free legal services to countless women
ROSALIE DAVIES
fighting for the right to be a part of their children’s lives. Lavana said that she lost custody of her own two sons when she came out as a lesbian, and a guidance counselor at her kids’ school suggested she seek legal assistance from CALM. Davies took her case and was influential in creating a custody agreement in which Lavana gained custody of her youngest son. “I got him back through Rosalie’s help; I don’t think I could have without her,” she said. Lavana said that during a memorial service for Davies last weekend, she spoke with “so many women who said that Rosalie literally saved their children’s lives. It was amazing, but that really is what she did.” Davies and her late partner Minna Weinstein, who died last year, later adopted their own child in the 1980s. Although Davies was motivated to enter the legal field because of her battle for her children, Lavana said she found that she had a real talent for the practice. “I spent time with her sitting in the courtrooms and she would just enchant juries,” Lavana said. “They just loved to hear her talk. She was like a little Mary Poppins, talking in her British accent, a very proper British accent. And she’d tell the jury why she thought something made sense and they’d go, ‘Oh, yes, you’re right. Just keep talking.’” Davies made national headlines in the late ’90s when she represented a local woman whose ex-husband was refusing to pay her alimony since she cheated on him with a woman. Davies utilized the argument that her client’s action could not actually be considered adultery, grounds for the denial of alimony, since the definition of adultery typically involves sexual
intercourse, which connotes penal penetration. PGN contributor Victoria Brownworth, who was 15 when she met Davies through her work with RadicalLesbians, an activism group Davies founded in the ’70s, said her legal prowess carried over into her personal life. “Rosalie was a very strong woman,” Brownworth said. “She had a very forceful personality. If she liked you, she adored you, and if she didn’t like you, she just wouldn’t speak to you.” Brownworth noted that many of the lesbian custody cases Davies spearheaded established case law and that Davies handled numerous cases involving lesbian mothers who split from their female partners, an issue that later became central to such national groups as National Center for Lesbian Rights. In addition to spearheading cases for lesbian mothers, Davies also was an advocate for transgender rights, took part in anti-war demonstrations and was a member of lesbian activism group Dyketactics and the Homophile Action League. During her time at Penn, she was influential in student-organizing efforts that led to the creation of the Women’s Studies Program and Women’s Center at the school. She later taught a course in cultural feminism at the university. Davies is survived by her son Adrian Buck, daughters Caroline Hodson and Althea Weinstein and four grandchildren. A memorial service for Davies will be held from 3-5 p.m. Aug. 29 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
17TH & SANSOM STREETS PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103
215.563.3853
Contemporary Service: Last Sunday of month Breathing Room Wednesdays 7 p.m.
Pastor Jerry deJesus
www.fbcphila1698.org A Loving Family of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Catholics & our allies invites you to celebrate
Sunday Mass, 7:00 PM Social immediately following Mass Please Join Us! - Services are held at St. Luke & the Epiphany 330 S. 13th Street, between Spruce and Pine streets, Philadelphia, PA Communion in the form of Consecrated bread, wine and grape juice. Gluten-free communion available upon request. Information: 215-546-2093 www.dignityphila.org www.dignityusa.org
CONGREGATION BETH AHAVAH
at Rodeph Shalom
A GLBT synagogue welcoming people of all gender and sexual identities since 1975
JOIN US TWICE MONTHLY FOR SHABBAT SERVICES AT 8:00 PM Coffee, cake & conversation at the oneg following services
Friday, July 24th, 8:00 PM: BA Shabbat service. Please join us for a lay-led BA service, followed by the oneg (social hour). Tuesday, August 4th, 7:05 PM: 7th Annual Gay Community Night at the Phillies. Join us for the game against the Colorado Rockies. Tickets are $24, checks payable to Congregation Rodeph Shalom (please indicate name, address, phone number, and the words “Phillies game” on your check.) Payment required by July 25th (no exceptions). Friday, August 28th, 8:00 PM: BA Shabbat service. Please join us for a lay-led BA service, followed by the oneg (social hour) Please watch this space for announcement of Beth Ahavah Shabbat Services schedule. Beth Ahavah and Rodeph Shalom are affiliated in spirit and share a sacred home. In July 2007 Beth Ahavah affiliated with Rodeph Shalom. Beth Ahavah retains its congregational status within the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and proudly offers its congregation dual membership at both synagogues. Visit www.bethahavah.org for additional information, programming and directions
615 North Broad Street, Phila., PA 19123-2495 Phone: 215.923.2003 E-mail: BethAhavah@rodephshalom.org
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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PHILLIP R. REEVES, MD
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New LGBT organization works to protect refugees By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
Homosexual acts are illegal in 85 countries throughout the world, (215) 740-4311 and at least PAGE 20 seven countries permit the death penalty for those found to have violated this law. LGBT individuals who flee such nations can now seek assistance PSYCHIATRY from the Organization for Refuge, FOR LGBT COMMUNITY OOK B ETTE R NAKE D PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY Asylum and Migration, the first AND organization PSYCH0THERAPY non-governmental THREE WEEK FITNESS PROGRAM: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, HIV, in the world dedicated solely • LOSE FAT! CHRONIC to providing support for PAIN LGBT • GAIN MUSCLE! refugees. OFFICES AT 1601 WALNUT ST., SUITE 1128 • SPEED METABOLISM! The organization was founded COUNTY AND MONTGOMERY Jared Carter, CSCS last summer and began operations Guaranteed HOURS MoveForwardFitness.com in January. Neil EVENING Grungras, ORAM AVAILABLE (215) 740-4311 Results! executive director, is the son of former refugees and has spent decades working in the field of refugee law, an area he said has always appealed to him. “I knew I wanted to do refugee law before I even went to law school,” Grungras said. “I was always passionate about the fact “After 20 years of practicing that there are people out of sight refugee law and working with all who are suffering. We can’t just kinds of clients, it became really leave that for the universe to do clear to me that the mainstream something about; you have to do refugee world was not dealing it yourself.” with the issue of LGBT refugees. ORAM provides free legal There’s a sense that countries can assistance to LGBT refugees in the do whatever they want when it Middle East and northern Africa comes to sexual orientation; they and works to raise awareness of can criminalize homosexuality or Near Rittenhouse Square the endemic hardships faced Located by execute someone for being gay General & Aesthetic Dentistry this population. because it’s seen as that country’s Now Accepting New Patients Early Morning Appointments Available Together We Can, a discussion ���������������������������������������������������� 248 South 21st St., Phila, PA 19103 EVENING HOURS AVAILABLE
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UPCOMING From Page 19 Alcoholics Anonymous meeting for the BDSM, leather and alternative sexuality community, will be held from 7:30-9 p.m. in South Philadelphia. For location, call (800) 581-7883. � The Women’s Programming Committee will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the William Way Community Center. � Youth in Transition, a support group for transgender and questioning youth ages 12-23, will meet from 7:30-9 p.m. at The Attic Youth Center. NEILJan. GRUNGRAS Wednesday, 9 A support group for HIV-positive right towill do meet that,”from Grungras said. women 9:30-11:30 “There are tens of thousands of a.m. at the Arch Street United LGBTs who are Broad running Methodist Church, and away Arch from various countries and who streets; (215) 387-6055. don’t have the luxury of getting � The Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS to the United States Canada Education Initiative will or offer free, and arewalk-in completely abandoned. on-site HIV testing from Nobody’s been concerned 3-6 p.m. at really 1233 Locust St.; (215) with that thought.” 985-3382. � The and reading room will Thelibrary organization recently be open fromits3-9 first p.m. atpublication, the William released Way Community a report on theCenter. state of LGBT �refugees Project living Teach, ina Turkey, peer-education which and program with for was empowerment based on interviews people living with HIV/AIDS, will nearly 50 such individuals. The meet from of 3-5the p.m.LGBT at the refugees William majority Way Community in Turkey are Center. originally from � A smoking-cessation support group Iran, although others hail from for sexual minorities, conducted by surrounding countries such as Iraq the Mazzoni Center, will meet at and Syria. 5:30 p.m. at the Washington West “These all 563have Project, 1201countries Locust St.; (215) something in common, and that’s 0663 ext. 242. thatAIDS they have cultures are � Services in that Asian not accepting of homosexuality,” Communities’ weekly volunteer Grungras “They view it as work groupsaid. will meet from 6-8 p.m. an 1201 abomination think 501; it’s at Chestnut and St., Suite legitimate to ext. try 10.to eradicate (215) 563-2424 Turkey’s the unfortunate �it.Coming Out,in a support group for position of or bordering these gay, bisexual questioning men, countries and,6-7:30 comparatively, is will meet from p.m. at AIDS Delaware, Suite 315, 100 W. 10th relatively Western.” St.,Although Wilmington;Turkey (800) 292-0429. does not �consider A gay-friendly Scrabble Club will homosexuality a crime, meet from 6-11 P.I.C. the country still p.m. doesinnottheprovide Building, 42nd “safe” and Locust a completely havenstreets; from (215) 382-0789. and torture that the violence �many The LGBT Group LGBTDiscussion individuals facewill in meet from 6-8 p.m. at the United their home countries. Between Church of Christ, 300 E. Main St., Newark, Del.; (800) 292-0429. See ORAM, Pagewill 20 � A meeting/activity night be held for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth and their friends from 6-8 p.m. �
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JULY 24 - 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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International News Equal benefits ordered for trans
Recreational Activities IN THE
Meeting Place
The Supreme Court in Islamabad, Pakistan, has ordered that trans people should receive equal protection and support from the government. The three judges, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, said on July 14 that financial support must be given to trans individuals through Bait-ul-Maal (a worldwide relief and development organization) or income-support programs. The Interior Ministry has also been directed to ensure police provide protection to trans people from criminal elements. Islamic jurist Dr. Mohammad Aslam Khaki, who submitted the petition, took on the case after the arrests of several trans people in Taxila recently. He said that trans people, especially those from poor families, were often subject to oppression and harassment, and were forced to earn a living through begging and prostitution. Khaki added that trans people were often thrown out of their homes by fathers and brothers and cited the issue of identity cards
Larry Nichols
showing female photos but male genders.
Gay house for 2010 Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is planning to offer what is believed to be the first house devoted to gay and lesbian athletes and their family members and friends. Pride House, which promises to be an inclusive hangout and social space for gay and non-gay athletes, will be located in the Pan Pacific Hotel in Whistler Village, site of the skiing and sliding events, about a two-hour drive from Vancouver. It is the idea of Dean Nelson, chief executive of the promotional company GayWhistler, which organizes the annual Winter Pride festival. Nelson acknowledged that turnout for Pride House could be modest, given the reluctance of many gay Olympic athletes to come out during their careers. He and Greg Larocque of the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association—North America, which also supports Pride House, said the primary value could lie in introducing the lives of gay and lesbian people to athletes visiting from more repressive countries.
HIV rates up for gay men in Africa According to a new report in British medical journal The Lancet, stigma against gay men in Africa leads to risky sexual behavior that can result in HIV rates 10 times higher than among the general male population. The study attributes the soaring HIV rates among gay men in Africa to prejudice that leads to isolation and harassment, in turn encouraging high-risk sexual behavior. Gay men contending with social stigma were more likely to be involved in sex work, have multiple partners and experience contact with intravenous-drug use. High rates of HIV/AIDS among gay men in sub-Saharan African were “driven by cultural, religious and political unwillingness to accept [gay men] as equal members of society,” according to Oxford University researchers. More members of society are affected, however, because many gay men in Africa hide their sexual orientation and marry women, with whom they have children while continuing to have sex with men. See INTERNATIONAL, Page 18
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From Page 16 The report calls for increased education and resources to fight HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, home of two-thirds of the world’s 33million people living with HIV.
colonial-era ban on gay sex. Swami Baba Ramdev filed a petition that said the “congenital defect” of homosexuality could be treated through yoga. Religious communities in India have strongly opposed the ruling.
Activists outraged Indian court by video game reviews gay ruling The Supreme Court of India on July 20 declined to put a hold on a groundbreaking ruling by the Delhi high court to decriminalize gay sex between consenting adults. Noting that there was “no threat of any consequences,” the court asked the government to make clear its stand on the issue before it revisits the matter on Sept. 14. Two people, a popular television yoga guru and a yoga instructor, have challenged the July 3 ruling that overturned a 148-year-old
A video game that features a hunter shooting gay people is creating a furor in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. The game, “Watch Out Behind You, Hunter,” actually launched back in 2002. The video game is hosted by a Georgian Web site but has already been banned in France, the home of the video game’s creator. The objective of the game is to shoot nudists “before they bugger you.” A group called Gay Armenia is “completely disgusted,” finding it particularly shocking that people
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in Tbilisi, Georgia, adopted the concept. Jean Christophe Calvet runs the site that hosts the game. “I have to say that at the beginning, we really didn’t understand why the association was attacking us,” Calvet said. “The guy who came up with the game, Stéphane Aguie, wanted to mock hunters and rednecks, not gay men. Our games are not politically correct. They’re aimed at teenagers and it’s true that they’re of a juvenile humor. I realize now that this one in particular could be found shocking, but I believe that you should be able to make this kind of joke in the name of freedom of speech. Incidentally, not everyone in the gay community was supportive of banning the game.”
Adoption panel member removed A Christian doctor has been removed from an English adoption panel after she refused to endorse applications by same-sex couples. Dr. Sheila Matthews was removed after she asked to be allowed to abstain from voting in cases involving same-sex couples, on the grounds that it contravened her beliefs. She was told that her beliefs on gay adoption were incompatible with equality legislation and council policies. In the past, Matthews said she had abstained from any votes involving same-sex couples after the passing of the Equality Act in 2006, which bars any discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, and requires gay couples to be viewed on an equal basis in any applications for adoption. However, in February a samesex couple applied and Matthews told the head of children’s services, Martin Pratt, that she was intending to abstain from any vote the panel made. Despite her promises, she was barred from attending the panel and asked instead to meet with Pratt to explain her position. A few days later, Matthews received notice from Pratt informing her of the council’s decision to replace her due to the “significant problems” her views created for the adoption service. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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November 2008 and April 2009 alone, 10 LGBT people were killed in the country. The report found the majority of interviewees had experienced physical and verbal threats, which often escalated into beatings, attacks with knives or other weapons and sexual abuse. “Some of these cases bring tears to my eyes,” Grungras said. “Some of these people can’t even go out of their houses. And in a lot of instances they’re afraid to go to police to report anything because they’re often hostile toward them.” Most of those interviewed reported widespread discrimination in employment and housing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, which rendered many of them homeless and without steady income. Many of those who sought assistance from charities or government agencies were taunted and humiliated by the employees and asked intrusive questions about their sexual practices. Grungras recently moderated the first-ever panel on LGBT issues of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, where he encountered others who work in the field and concur that the issue of LGBT refugees “has been in the closet for far too long,” and that agencies that work with refugees
need to be better equipped to assist LGBT individuals. “There’s agreement within the UNHCR that more needs to be done for these NGOs to be sensitive to how they treat these refugees and what kind of welcoming environment they can provide for them,” he said. “It’s not enough to just not be hostile or not laugh at them. These people are terrified. They come from societies where who they are is taboo, where what they’ve done is criminal, where there’s so much internalized homophobia, these people feel that they’ve brought shame on their families. A lot of these people feel that they don’t even have the right to exist.” Grungras noted that while there needs to be “realistic expectations” for the extent to which the United States can aid LGBT refugees, the country, as the primary resettler for many such individuals, can be doing more. “The U.S. takes in about 4,000 Iranians every year, and there’s no reason we can’t set aside 250 of that number for LGBT people. Last year, we took in 17,000 Iraqis. The State Department itself issued a report on the violence that LGBT Iraqis face, so why can’t we take in 250 of them?” he said. “We’re not going to be able to completely change the world or change the minds of families who will allow their sons or daughters to be killed for being gay, but by really looking at these LGBT
refugees and working with them we can do our part to save lives.” ORAM has instituted an Adopt A Refugee program, in which supporters can contribute a certain amount of money, beginning with just $10, that will be used to aid specific LGBT refugees. Grungras said the organization is also always seeking assistance with research, interviews and other behind-thescenes work integral to affecting change for the LGBT refugee community. He noted that most Americans, even those in the LGBT community, are not aware of the gravity of the hardships faced by LGBT refugees, and that ORAM is hoping to open people’s eyes to theses struggles. “For LGBT people in our country, the main priority is marriage, which is an incredibly legitimate battle, but I think a lot of people don’t even have it in their conscience that on the other side of the world, people are being killed for this. And that’s just in the LGBT community; I think that when you expand to mainstream communities, the knowledge is even less. We want to educate people in the U.S. about this, because we can do something about it.” For more information about ORAM, visit www. oraminternational.org. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Detour PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
A departure from the ordinary
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Sandra Bernhard goes global on new music project By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer Even summertime is no time to kick back and relax for Sandra Bernhard. The practically unstoppable out comedian, actress, singer, writer, performer and all-around bad-ass is about to release her latest album, “Whatever It Takes,” an ambitious collection of songs fusing rock ’n’ roll, world music and Bernhard’s unmistakable voice. Bernhard said that Modern English guitarist Ted Mason, who co-wrote and produced the project, specifically wanted her to handle vocals. “I think he had something like this in mind before he even met me,” she said. “He approached me because he wanted my input. Obviously, I have a strong political
and cultural point of view, and he wanted me to be the kind of person who gave my input to complement his vision. So he gets what we have: the idea of bringing in such eclectic musicians and giving a kind of world vibe.” And what a vibe it is. “Whatever It Takes” incorporates strings arrangements, African percussion, Algerian folk music, Rwandan dance and hymns and Brazilian samba, all to create a sound far removed for the processed and synthesized rock and pop music out there today. Bernhard said she was pleased to be a part of such a livesounding recording, adding she didn’t think there was anything synthesized. “[Mason] brought in great string musicians. Obviously, the sitar was live and the drums. It’s reflective of like when I do my
show and how I like it to sound. I’m not into the endless hidden voices and things coming out of left field that don’t sound like a person. I’m just really tired of that whole vibe. I was much more influenced growing up by more pared-down rock and folk music and jazz, which is more organic.” Bernhard added that she hopes she will soon get to perform with some of the talented musicians that helped record the album, as she didn’t get to work with them face to face during the making of it. “[Mason] went into the studio without me and did the tracks,” she said. “I knew he was using these people and there was a mutual excitement that they got to work with somebody who was outspoken and different, even though I didn’t get to meet everybody. I’m sure at some point, if we get to perform this and it takes off, we’ll all get to work together in a live environment. These days nothing can ever be, until it comes out and people respond to it. You never know. I always hold the best-case scenario in my heart and my mind, so we’ll just wait and see.” Anyone who has seen Bernhard perform at any point during the course of her more than 30 years on stage and television knows she appreciates a wide range of musical styles. Still, that didn’t prepare us for the floodgate of musical influences she recently unleashed. “It’s very eclectic,” she said. “Growing up, I listened to everything, from Broadway musicals … when I was really little, I loved Carol Channing and Barbra Streisand. We lived in Michigan and I grew up listening to Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin on the AM radio. The whole R&B/black music scene was always a huge influence. I mean, without it we wouldn’t have music in this country. That’s just the bottom line. I was a huge fan of Carole King and Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell — all the early women of rock ’n’ roll. Of course later there was Chrissie Hynde, the Pretenders, Marianne Faithful and Dusty Springfield. Burt Bacharach was a big influence on my whole life — just his lyrics and the whole bold vibe of his music. One of my brothers was a jazz aficionado so he listened to a lot of Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk, all the classic great jazz musicians. There was Bob Dylan,
BERNHARD IN CONCERT PGN file photos
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin — I could go on and on. But those were some of the early influences on my music. Of course, there was the Stones, which I loved, and The Beatles.” The influence of the Fab Four looms large on “Whatever It Takes.” “Ted is very influenced by The Beatles,” she said. “When he would come and play stuff for me that he went off to create musically, there was a lot of that. But I think he incorporated it in a nice way without it being too dead-on. There’s that underlying feeling of being on a journey that the Beatles beautifully created.” “Whatever It Takes” isn’t just global in its sound. Bernhard, who is know to have a strong opinion or two ... every second of every day, said she wanted the lyrics on the album to carry a global message as well. “We created the album in the last year of the Bush administration and we really wanted it to reflect the oppressive feeling that created, not only in America but around the world,” she said. “We perceived the world the way the world perceived us. We wanted it to be sort of a liberation, of course never dreaming that Obama would win. He wasn’t even in the eye of the storm when we put this together. It was oddly prophetic. Maybe when you put out the word musically and artistically, it draws in the right energy globally.” She added that the messages in her lyrics are no more or less political than what she works into her comedy or one-woman shows. “My work has always been very personal,” she said. “Whatever is going on politically and culturally, I’m one of those people who absorbs it and puts it out in my work in an interesting way. I try never to be didactic or hit people over the head with it. I think I’m a perennial and people come to me in a shamanistic sort of way depending on my take on it. We all look to artists and other musicians to interpret the times. The good
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
ones are always able to get into the zeitgeist and make it a little more palatable to people. I hope I’m one of those artists as well.” One thing is for sure: Bernhard has learned under some of the greats. She got her start in comedy in the late 1970s working with Paul Mooney and Richard Pryor, two godfathers of modern comedy. Bernhard said it was amazing to work with two legends, especially since one of them is still alive and at the top of his game. “Mooney is still performing,” she said. “To me, he’s the one who takes the most risks of anybody. He’s always totally put himself out there and never bought into the system. He’s my hero. He discovered me and has been my mentor for almost 30 years. I always put Mooney at the highest place of comedy and social commentary. He wrote for everybody and he’s always been the person to study and emulate. There are other good people, but Mooney is the one who’s unheralded and deserves the most praise for continuing to be on the edge, ballsy and unrelenting.” Bernhard said more comedians should be on the edge and not apologizing for the controversial things they say. “It’s supposed to refract what’s going on in the culture,” she said about comedy. “It’s not always comfortable, but the world we live in is far from comfortable. The politicians have gone over the line and they’ve put the world in jeopardy. Most of them are ill-equipped to be in the position they’re in and I’m going to apologize to them? I elected them and I pay the taxes. I think when you threaten someone’s life or wish someone harm, that’s something nobody should ever wish on anybody. But when people like Bush and Cheney want to throw young kids into a useless war, somebody has got to stand up and say, ‘This isn’t right.’” On top of readying her new album for the public, Bernhard is keeping busy this year and currently working on a few television projects. “I have a lot of television plans,” she said. “I’ve just written a project for me, and Rip Torn to play my father. Hopefully in October we’re going to go out to L.A. and pitch it to a bunch of different networks. It’s a funny, edgy, gritty piece. People are developing things that they want me to be in, but it’s a process. Along the way there’s a lot of different steps to take. I’m constantly going up for things. Nobody gets handed too much
these days. You have to audition and go in.” Bernhard also is keeping up with 20th-anniversary performances of her popular comedy/music show, “Without You I’m Nothing,” which made its recorded debut in 1987 and its film debut in 1990. Bernhard said many of the show’s current audiences are seeing it live for the first time. “At least 60 percent of the audience every night is someone who was too young when I first came out,” she said. “It’s hard to tell for sure. Of course, people have been able to see the film so they have some exposure to it. It’s always nice to get the next generation. I’ve freshened it up, the material that introduces it. The connectors throughout are contemporary pieces and I think the original pieces are contemporary too. Everybody can relate to it.” New-millennium nostalgia for classic pop songs means Bernhard’s shows will have some added meaning for the audience. “The further you get away from a time and music, you get excited because it reminds them of where they’ve been and the historical value of it,” she said. “People always appreciate it when you come back and do something. All the great singers, people want to hear their hits again and again.” “Whatever It Takes” hits the shelves Aug. 25. For more information on Sandra Bernhard, visit www.sandrabernhard.com. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
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Family Portraits If you’ve ever been served a drink by Ashley Clarke, you may have noticed a certain gentility about her. Or perhaps during conversation, she may have let a y’all (or its plural, y’alls) drop here or there. Yes, Clarke comes from below the Mason-Dixon line: Alabama, to be exact. These days, she can be found bartending at Local 44, 4333 Spruce St. in West Philadelphia, and at various women’s parties, such as the Vinyl parties at Pure or at her girlfriend Michelle Pollino’s events at The Ugly American. PGN: When did you leave Alabama? AC: I was only there until I was about 8 years old and then my mother remarried and we came up north to New Jersey, the Trenton/Hamilton area. We went from life in slow motion to typical middle-class suburban surroundings. PGN: What do you remember of Alabama? AC: I remember quite a bit, actually. My dad and my grandparents are still there and my mother and stepfather moved back there a couple of years ago, so I go back pretty frequently. We’re from the area along the Gulf Coast, which is really beautiful. We were really close to Mobile Bay and Fairhope.
EAT SLEEP READ MON. - SAT. 11:30 - 7p.m. SUNDAY 1:00 - 7p.m. email: giovannis_room@verizon.net
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Suzi Nash I remember it was filled with huge, mossy trees and had a cool, creepy vibe to it. The area also had that unmistakable Southern ambiance: sweet tea and big front porches, fried catfish and laidback attitudes. It’s humid, so things linger. To this day, it’s still my favorite place in the world. PGN: It must have been culture shock to move. AC: Oh yeah, I was very aware of the difference. For one, I had a thick accent and the other kids definitely pointed that out. It was also hard for me to understand people. I remember coming up and talking to one of my parents’ friends. I didn’t respond to him, so they thought I was being rude, but the truth was I just couldn’t follow what he was saying! PGN: You don’t have an accent now, but I had an ex from Louisiana and whenever she got mad or tired, her accent would come back. Do you ever lapse back into it? AC: Oh yeah, I’m never going to give up my “y’all.” I think there’s something to be said about Southern hospitality and the mentality of it. It allows you a certain freedom, especially behind the bar, to communicate with your guests. When I’m in that mode, it tends to slip out more.
PGN: How many kids in the family? AC: Just me and my big brother. PGN: Did you two get along? AC: Yes, for the most part. I think I could be a tad bratty and he could be a little bit of a bully, but at the end of the day, he would always apologize. PGN: That’s unusual in a sibling. My big brother still tells me he was always in the right when we were growing up! AC: Yeah, he was a sweet big brother. He’d walk up to me at school and say, “Ash, I’m sorry about the fight we had earlier ... ” [Laughs.] And I’d usually say something snotty back like, “Hell, it was your fault anyway.” PGN: What did you like to do as a kid? AC: We liked playing in the woods. My brother and I would run around and go fishing and crabbing, set things on fire, that sort of thing. [Laughs.] It was always his idea! PGN: Were you a big reader? AC: I don’t know; I think I am different things at different times. There’s one side of me that’s really shy and then I have another side that really likes to get involved in things. So there were times when I was more of
ASHLEY CLARKE Photo: Suzi Nash
a reader and times when I broke out of my shell, like when I was in fourth grade and became the captain of the safety patrol. Or like when I got to be the lead in plays and things like that. It depends on what is motivating me at the time. PGN: What’s your astrological sign? AC: I’m a Cancer, June 29. PGN: So where did you go to school? AC: I went to a few different
schools. I started out at a community college and I was supposed to transfer to Tulane University in New Orleans, but then I met a woman and first came out, and then dropped out. I lived with her in Cape May and took some courses at Stockton College before the relationship ended. I later went to school at Kutztown University and studied cultural anthropology and English. PGN: What’s something memorable about college?
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
AC: When I was at the community college, I played tennis and became a national champion, which was a really positive experience. It really gave me a boost and taught me a lot about myself. In high school, I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder and didn’t really apply myself. With the tennis I learned what I could be capable of with a positive attitude. PGN: When did you move to Philly? AC: After I graduated, I stayed near Kutztown for a while before moving to Philly. I was working on an organic farm and I never had any thoughts about moving to Philly — I wanted to go out to San Francisco after school — but I had a friend who lived in West Philly and I really liked the area, so I decided to come here. Now I love it. PGN: What are your thoughts on the environment? AC: I think that we really need to start from the ground up. Literally. We need to learn where our food comes from and how that affects us. We have to learn to be more sustainable, and not just in terms of the environment: We have to learn to sustain our relationships, our energy, our personal resources. We need to start from the roots and build things that last, not just go for the short fix. Otherwise, it’s like scooping water out of a sinking boat rather than fixing the hole. PGN: And what do you enjoy about the bar business? AC: I’ve been in the restaurant business in different capacities since I was 15, but what I like about bartending is that you kind of get to run your own show. You get to socialize with people and help them out. You can end up being therapist, tour guide, matchmaker, you name it. It definitely beats sitting in a cubicle
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
all day. PGN: Where did you get started? AC: I worked at a small tavern near school called Basin Street Hotel. It was a great experience because it was a real mix of people. I had townspeople, professors and students all at my bar. And I definitely spent a good amount of time on both sides of the bar, which I’m glad for. It was pretty nuts at times, but had I gone to Kutztown before I was old enough to go to bars, it would have been a totally different experience. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it half as much — from being able to go out and party and submerse myself in that side of college life to being able to hang out at the bar with my professors or local artists. I became friends with older people, younger people, hunters, vegetarians, you name it. It was a really interesting place. I actually lived in an apartment above the bar. PGN: What would people be surprised to know about you? AC: Well, I work mainly in a straight bar now, so a lot of people are surprised to find out that I’m gay. Sometimes I just forget about it: I know that I’m gay and I forget that everyone else doesn’t know it just by osmosis. I’ll say something that shocks them without realizing it. But it’s a great place; I’ve been there since they opened in January. PGN: So what was coming out like? AC: I remember having a crush on Supergirl when I was about 6. It’s kind of funny: I think in some ways, it’s easier for women, because it’s more socially acceptable for us to idealize other women. We can say someone is beautiful and it’s totally See PORTRAIT, Page 34
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Q Puzzle “Hot to Trot” Across
1. Sweaty guys get pinned to them 5. Sites for three women in a tub 9. It’s a bust 14. Need a massage 15. Whitman’s “When Lilacs ___ in the Dooryard Bloom’d” 16. Gertrude’s partner 17. Legal wrong 18. “___ put it another way ... ” 19. Takes a breather 20. Soldier’s stud? 23. Nuts 24. Roz of “Frasier” 25. Halloween cry 28. Fast flier of old 29. Randy’s skating partner 31. Bernie Taupin’s contributions 33. Susie of lesbian erotica 36. Island of Diamond Head Beach 37. Come-on after following a gay guy? 41. Club for Sheehan 42. Chased (away) 43. Like Jay’s Bob 46. Roast beef au ___ 47. Actor Mineo 50. One of the Stooges 51. Scarlett of “Gone With the Wind” 54. Frank behind the scenes 56. Freedom to read Capote? 58. Moisten boxers 61. “Even ___ speak” 62. Non-Judy garlands 63. He gives gifts in stockings 64. Prick 65. Roughly 66. Best example 67. Comic-juggler Felder 68. Waters down
Down
1. Figure skater Doug 2. Nuts of a tall one 3. It’s deep in a movie title 4. ___ Hall University 5. Fruit flavor for gin 6. Shining examples 7. Prefix with physics 8. White’s “A Boy’s Own ___ ” 9. Frank of the House 10. Jackie’s designer 11. Liza, to Lorna 12. Sept. follower 13. Month in Madrid 21. Dish name 22. Not in the pink 25. Antigay prejudice, e.g. 26. Phil of folk music 27. Home of the Buckeyes 30. Be under the weather 32. Yellow-brick way 33. Undoing 34. Skeptical ejaculation
35. Homeric subject 37. Threesome 38. Tevye, to Harvey 39. “___ go, girl!” 40. Joe of “JFK” 41. Belief system 44. Tom Wilkinson film about a transsexual 45. Day before saying “TGIF” 47. Half of a pair of balls 48. Nancy Azara, for example 49. Rodeo ropes 52. Gather up 53. Bob Marley, e.g. 55. Tickled pink 56. “See ya” 57. C&W star McEntire 58. CBS show in which semen may be evidence 59. Way cool 60. Hydrocarbon suffix
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Buy Gay in the � � � � � � � Gayborhood!
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JULY 24 - 30, 2009
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Out professor studies the decline of Philly’s rave scene By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer
Your city, your lifestyle, your paper.
Who knew there was far more to underground dance parties than blinding lights, relentless music and remembering to stay adequately hydrated? It turns out that Tammy L. Anderson, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, knows a great deal about the phenomenon that exploded in the early 1990s and whose influence is felt to this day. The openly gay sociologist, who just released her book, “Rave Culture: The Alteration and Decline of a Philadelphia Music Scene,” fell in love with electronic and dance music after she relocated from Chicago to work at the university in 2000. “My new office came with a computer with Napster, which at that time was all the rage,” she said. “I discovered remix work there. I love it because it was upbeat, it was happy and it gave me energy. I started downloading stuff like crazy. From there I learned that a lot of other people were into this. As somebody who was trained in classical music, I really related immensely to this seamless fusion of tracks that the dance DJs would put together. The more I listened to it, the more I wanted music without lyrics, since a lot of the lyrics on commercial radio were heterosexist and misogynistic. That’s a common story that I’ve found with people.” “Rave Culture” contains many stories, as Anderson dug deep into the local and national dance-music scene and explored the music, drug use and social dynamics (and deviance) that are part of the movement’s ever-evolving social structure. Getting the book together took Anderson a number of years, as well as considerable sore feet and frequent-flier miles. “It took a long time,” she said. “That kind of work takes quite a bit of time. I started investigating the scene in 2003 and I spent a lot of time in Philadelphia. I did comparative work in London and Ibiza in 2004 and 2005 for the book. I wrapped up data collection in early 2007. I would say I spent four years in the field, and then I
TAMMY L. ANDERSON
started writing the book.” Over the years, through research and first-hand experiences, Anderson chronicled how newer generations, commercialization, police involvement and genre fragmentation fundamentally altered electronic dance music. Specifically, Anderson calls attention to issues of personal and collective identity, which was and still is marked by the decline of the rave scene, and the culture as a whole being less inclusive. “I think it’s less accommodating today,” she said about the shrinking presence of LGBT artists and fans. “Part of its ethos, the belief system, in the U.S. was peace, love, unity and respect. People told me that published archival literature suggested that people could go out and express their sexuality and Ecstasy facilitated different sexual expressions. You could see and hear people talking about the bonding that was going on, not only by sexual orientation but race. But what you see over time is that, as rave transformed to commercial culture in nightclubs, it adopted hetero activity standards: The highly sexualized female used to advertise, events are about hooking up and sexual conquests. For that reason, there is not a purposeful exclusion of LGBT folk: It’s just that the vibe around the events is more heterosexually oriented. Diversity in general has been a value that has sort of been lost.” But Anderson did find that being an openly gay woman in that environment cut through some of the sexism on the scene. “The scene is so heavily
male-biased and they’re still predominantly white,” she said. “It’s a scene that hasn’t seen sex and race equality as much as some other industries we have. By being gay and out, I was able to redefine the dynamics of a male DJ talking to me and erase the sexual dynamic that can accompany male/female interactions in this traditional sexist framework. Male DJs believe that female DJs get gigs because they’re hot, not because they’re talented. But by being gay, that helped me remove that dynamic and have a better rapport.” On top of the social issues that Anderson explores in “Rave Culture,” she also explains how the grassroots and often-underground scene that was once thought of as being a loosely organized and lawless gathering of hedonism and drug use has gone on to have a major impact on the mainstream dance-club scene. “Being the sociologist that I am, I was curious about the culture and the collective identity that went along with this music,” she said. “Rave has evolved in the commercialized EDM culture. I wouldn’t call it a fad. It’s the same trajectory between rave culture and some other music scenes like punk and hardcore.” “Rave Culture: The Alteration and Decline of a Philadelphia Music Scene” is available now. For more information, visit www. temple.edu/tempress or www. udel.edu/soc/tammya. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Ms. Behavior
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS ®
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Meryl Cohn
Letting scars speak for themselves; drama mammas Dear Ms. Behavior: I’m a 41year-old gay man who used to weigh nearly 400 pounds — not an easy way to live within gay male culture — and now I weigh 198. I lost it naturally (without gastric bypass), but after the huge weight loss, I was left with extra hanging skin. I had to have several cosmetic surgeries, including a tummy tuck and procedures to remove extra skin from my arms, my thighs and even my face. After years of solitary misery, I am finally interested in having a relationship. However, I’m scared and need advice. If I’m out on a date and it’s going well, should I warn him about my scars (across my
middle, under my nipples, on my arms and thighs and behind my ears) before taking my shirt off? My friends say I should, but won’t that just put the guy off? — Former Fatty Dear Former Fatty: There’s no need to waste your date’s perfectly good boner by issuing a warning about your scars. And if you’re thinking you should pre-empt the action with a confession even earlier, think again. If you mention your surgery over dinner, you’re risking pre-empting your impending frottage by frightening your date into envisioning something far more dramatic than what you actually have. Granted, if you had something communicable, you’d need to share the information before getting naked. Your scars, however are your own. Your date may notice them, but he’s unlikely to either catch them or to freak out. By the time a human is in his
or her 40s, a lot has happened to his or her body. Your case may be more extreme than most, but most people your age have begun to experience their share of bruises, breaks, illnesses, surgeries and general physical distress — if not warts and herpes — or the effects of emotional battle scars, like having endured numerous break-ups and deaths. Wow. This is beginning to sound grim — but it’s not. The point is that while shallow people do populate the universe, you’re not seeking a shallow person for a relationship. Ms. Behavior doesn’t mean to sound all Mary Poppins about it, but the truth is that someone will love you for your scars and for your former-flabby essence. You used your immense strength of character to lose all that weight and change your life; that says something really important about who you really are. Now it’s just a matter of skimming through the fat (in the dating world) to find that person.
Dear Ms. Behavior: Six months ago, my friend Sally was dumped by her partner of 20 years, Joy. Sally has been a total sloppy mess, crying in my living room every day. The worst part is that Joy left Sally for another friend of ours (Monica), who left her girlfriend, too. However, 20 years is a long time; now Joy is coming back around to try to patch things up with Sally, and Sally is willing to take her back. It’s good to see Sally smile, but it’s sad that she’s so easily won back by Joy the Cheater. Sally has made only one demand of Joy, which is that she stop seeing Monica immediately. All seemed OK until yesterday, when I got a phone call from Monica, who is distraught that Joy is going back to Sally. Monica told me that she and Joy still see each other once a week and have sex. Monica probably wants me to tell Sally so that Sally will end her reunion with Joy and come back to her (Monica). Should I
tell Sally or keep it to myself? — Confused Dear Confused: You and your gaggle of friends don’t do much to contradict the notion of lesbian drama, do you? Ms. Behavior normally advises her readers to stay far away from these domestic disputes and to avoid, at all costs, being a snitch. However, your allegiance in this instance is so clearly to Sally that it seems you really must inform her, regardless of the consequences. Not telling your very close friend this news would be a far bigger betrayal than telling her. More advice: See if you can find a stable friend or two, who doesn’t engage in the high art of dyke drama. ■ Meryl Cohn is the author of “‘Do What I Say’: Ms. Behavior’s Guide to Gay and Lesbian Etiquette.” E-mail her at MsBehavior@aol.com or visit www.msbehavior.com.
National Association of Black & White Men Together Convention 2009 July 29 – August 1, Philadelphia Crowne Plaza (Center City) Hosted by Men of All Colors Together/Philadelphia for more information contact us at www.mact-phila.org
Welcome Everyone!
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The Sporting Life
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Cathy Harris
City of Brotherly Love Softball League, Team Spotlight: Stir Crazy This is the first year for Open Division team Stir Crazy, sponsored by Stir (www.stirphilly. com). Managed by Tom Quicksell, Stir Crazy will represent CBLSL
at the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance World Series, taking place Aug. 29-Sept. 7 in Milwaukee, Wisc. CBLSL women’s commissioner Cathy
Harris took a moment to chat with Quicksell and players Danielle Nelson, Will Andrews and Marcus Irvining.
CH: Why did you join the league this year?
DN: I wanted to meet some new people, have fun and I love softball. WA: I joined the league to meet new people and to do something that I love, which is playing softball. TQ: Actually, this is my 18th year playing and 15th year in the CBLSL. I played three years in Chicago. MI: I joined the league to meet new people and to build a social network. CH: What do you like most about playing for CBLSL? DN: No one screams or yells at you about missing a play or popping out. Everyone cheers for everyone. WA: The people are extremely friendly and very welcoming. TQ: It’s a great way to meet new people and make new friends. I am still friends with people I met 18 years ago. MI: The camaraderie and feeling a part of something. CH: What do you like most about playing with your team? DN: Stir Crazy is a brand-new team with all different levels of experience, and my favorite thing about playing for this team is our hard work and dedication everyone has put into it. With every practice and game I see huge improvement. There is so much potential for this team. WA: We are a new team and everyone is learning. I love teaching all the new guys and helping them play better softball. TQ: Having a brand-new team is fun. Instructing and helping players grow and develop skills. MI: We mesh well together and we all have great senses of humor! CH: What is a fun memory you share with your team (great play someone made, fun party, going on trips together, etc.)? DN: There are so many, but probably the best is when Marcus caught a fly ball in right field and
STIR CRAZY
did his famous dance. WA: The pyramid! TQ: Our first win this season. It was great seeing them enjoy that accomplishment. MI: The first catch I made. I was excited [and] I did a little dance and everyone was cheering but screaming, “Throw the ball!” CH: What is it that you’re looking forward to most in your upcoming trip to Wisconsin for the World Series? DN: Spending the 14-hour car ride with my teammates singing “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” the whole way there. WA: Our first trip is going to be our best. I can’t wait to show them how good we are! TQ: Watching all of my teammates experience their first world series. MI: Kickin’ some butt! CH: What advice would you have for someone thinking about becoming a new member of the league next year? DN: You shouldn’t have to think twice about joining. This league is so much fun. WA: Do it! It’s awesome. The experience is amazing and the people are incredible! TQ: You have to join. It is the best
way to make new friends. It’s the one place that age is not a factor. On our team, our youngest is 23 and our oldest is 51 and we all get along great. MI: Make all the practices you can and dedicate a part of your life to the team, because once the season starts, you’re all in it together! ■
For more information on CBLSL, visit www.cblsl.org.
PGN
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
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(302) 226-2006 or (866) 412-2625
Summer Maintenance Projects Find help in the Home Improvement Directory
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PORTRAIT From Page 27 appropriate, whereas men or boys would not be allowed to comment on the appearance of another man without repercussions. In that way I was lucky. On the other hand, because of those freedoms, it might have taken longer to really acknowledge it
as homosexuality. I fell in love with the first woman I kissed and, while it was bound to happen and though I yearned for it even before I’d met someone, it took the event to bring it to the forefront.
to figure it out for myself, and so I dropped out of school and moved with her to North Carolina to live in her mother’s trailer. I think they were more concerned about that than specifically about me being gay.
PGN: How was the family about it? AC: I think I needed some room
PGN: Let’s get to some random questions. When was the last time you laughed out loud?
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
AC: The last time I laughed out loud was while reading “Rubyfruit Jungle.” The main character is so curious and unashamed as she charges headfirst into adulthood, it really tickled me. She wasn’t afraid to look foolish in any way, which is great: That’s how we learn. The book was simultaneously inspiring and hilarious! PGN: Name three sounds you love. AC: I love the sound when water and wood meet as the ocean waves lap against the bottom of a pier, my best friend’s 9-monthold as she tries to form her voice into words, and my girlfriend’s laugh. It seems to come from a place of true depth and soars into the air like a weightless bird. PGN: And what is your favorite section of the museum? AC: I love the early modern-
art section. To me, it signifies freedom to critique an enforced collective consciousness, or at the least it allows for a selfawareness and self-exploration that was previously unpermitted. That type of art for me is formed from the fruits of labor from those individuals who sacrificed so much through their involvement in political revolutions. PGN: Do you play any instruments? AC: Two friends that I’ve made from working at Local 44 gave me a guitar for my birthday. It looks and sounds beautiful ... so I’ve recently taken up the guitar. ■
To suggest a community member for “Family Portraits,” write to: Family Portraits, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 or portraits05@aol.com.
The Collaborative Act Studio The Pulitzer Prize Winner
ANGELS IN AMERICA “a gay fantasia on national themes”
Part One: Millennium Approaches AUGUST 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15 AT 8:00 PM AUGUST 9, 15 AT 2:00 PM FUSION PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1931 OLNEY AVE., SUITE 100 CHERRY HILL, NJ TICKETS; ADULTS $16., SENIORS $13. ONLINE AT www.webtrec.com/ collaborativeactstudio/ PHONE: 856-417-6741
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JULY 24 - 30, 2009
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Bulls, roses and magnifico tapas at Bar Ferdinand By Suzi Nash PGN Contributor I admit it. I had preferential good feelings about Bar Ferdinand before I even set foot in the place, so this review might be a little biased. You see, my astrological sign is Taurus and, as a kid, “The Story of Ferdinand,” a beautiful book about a bull who wasn’t like the others, was one of my favorites. While the other young bulls would butt heads and jab each other with their horns, Ferdinand just wanted to be left alone in a patch of flowers. Fortunately, you don’t have to be bullish to appreciate Bar Ferdinand, 1030 N. Second St. It’s a lovely spot in Northern Liberties that evokes memories of Spain. Owner Owen Kamihira is a noted artist and the visionary behind many of the city’s most memorable culinary landmarks, including his own El Camino Real and the iconic Buddakan buddha and Continental martini olive. He really pulled out the stops for his own place, with handtiled mosaics and a variety of seating arrangements to choose from depending on your mood. There’s a large communal table in the center of the main room, etched with roses, as well as tall tables lining the windows and seating along the marble-topped bar. There is also plenty of seating outside along Liberties Walk and a second dining room that opens onto the walk and has a European feel. The rose theme is carried throughout the restaurant, with hundreds of roses suspended from the ceiling around the bar. And to my great joy, mosaics depicting bulls are subtly scattered around the restaurant. We chose a large, comfortable booth near the front door. My dining companions were Tawana Grayson, owner of the Philadelphia Firebirds, and her partner (we need a better word), Sherry McCoy. The food at Bar Ferdinand is served tapas-style, small plates that give everyone
a chance to try a multitude of dishes. We started with the filete a la parilla ($9), grilled marinated filet mignon served on skewers in a pistachio pesto. Generally, I like a hint of pink on the meat, and although these were grilled through, they managed to be incredibly tender. Next up was the sandia quemada ($5), four cubes of watermelon charred and topped with a slice of Serrano ham and a sprig of tarragon. I enjoyed the sweetsalty combination more than my companions did. Fortunately, Sherry was a more adventurous eater and game for anything. In fact, her choice was the codorinz crujiente con meil ($7), crispy quail served on a bed of arugula and spinach with cabrales cheese and honey vinaigrette. I actually passed on this one, but she assured me it was delicately crunchy and delectably seasoned. Our next tapas order was the table favorite of the evening. Recommended by our server, we ordered the manchego frito ($5), a membrillo-stuffed cube of fried manchego cheese in a walnut purée topped with frozen green-apple foam. Aside from being delicious, the contrast of the hot cheese and cold foam was a pleasure for the senses. Speaking of a pleasure for the senses, I should make note that our server was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive, as was all the staff. From the empanadas section of the menu, we ordered the pollo y patata ($7), roasted organic chicken with potato, olives, capers and piquillo peppers in a spicy paprika aioli. These were good, though they were eclipsed by the datiles con tricho ($4), also from the empanadas section. The datiles were puff pastries filled with dates, bacon and cream cheese. Surprisingly, they were not as sweet as expected but had a rich and hearty filling. We liked these enough to go for two orders (I took some home).
Published the 2nd and 4th week of every month.
Ever adventurous, Sherry ordered the calamares rellenos ($8), a hollow of squid seared and stuffed with shrimp and leeks, in a sauce of sage brown butter. It was a thick cut yet tender, and the brown butter sauce was a perfect complement. Also in the seafood vein, we had a taste of the chorizo del pulpo ($14), octopus treated like a sausage. It was encased like a sausage, poached, sliced and then seared a la plancha to create small medallions, served atop a warm salad. It must have been the Mediterranean vibe in the room that caused us to stick with seafood for the rest of the meal. The next dish was from the croquetas portion of the menu: the salmons ahumados ($5), a fried croquette of smoked salmon with fried capers and a cucumber-yogurt salad. This was one of the heavier dishes on the menu and the small portion was very filling. Another table favorite was the gambas y cangrejo ($9), a marinated dish of fresh shrimp and lumps of crabmeat intertwined with strips of spinach, red and green bell peppers, shallots and orange segments. The salad was accompanied by a lemon vinaigrette. This was one of the first things we ordered and we kept going back to it throughout the
Photo: Suzi Nash
meal. Thankfully, Bar Ferdinand seems to have the Spanish tradition of letting you savor your meal: We didn’t have to worry about dishes being whisked off the table when we weren’t looking. Love that! If you have difficulty with such a large menu to choose from, you might want to start with chef Thomas’ Thursday-night tasting events. For $35 per person, you get a 13-plate feast that changes weekly depending on available ingredients. Before we left, Thomas gave us a sneak preview of the tasting menu: a dessert of fresh mission figs soaked in port and sherry,
dipped in chocolate and swimming in a sangria reduction with pomegranate molasses. Decadent and delicious. ■
If you go Bar Ferdinand 1030 N. Second St. (215) 923-1313 www.barferdinand.com Open for dinner daily and Sunday brunch
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
worth watching: FRIDAY The Doors Oliver Stone does Jim Morrison. 8 p.m. on HBO2. Jeffrey and Cole Casserole Gay blogger Jeffrey Self goes bananas. 11 p.m. on Logo.
DEAR DIARIES: Logo’s “Real Momentum” documentar y series is back with the world premiere of “Ptown Diaries,” about one of the most popular gay vacation destinations in the U.S., Provincetown, Mass., at 8 p.m. July 25 on Logo. Narrated by award-winning actor Alan Cumming, the documentary takes an in-depth look at how Provincetown came to be “the” travel destination for throngs of gay and lesbian vacationers, and how it has developed into a culturally rich area where famous artists, musicians, authors and playwrights launched their careers and transformed popular culture. Photo: Courtesy of Logo
Queer TV you can always see: Guiding Light Natalia returns, but will she still want to be with Olivia after her religious retreat? She left in love with Olivia, but pregnant with Frank’s baby. And now several men in Springfield want Olivia, but her heart belongs to Natalia. MondayFriday, 10 a.m. on CBS. The Young & The Restless Phillip’s coming-out to his estranged family causes rifts. Rafe tries to cope with his feelings for Adam. MondayFriday, 12:30 p.m. on CBS.
As the World Turns As Noah becomes more involved with Mason, Luke feels left out, even though the couple has just moved in together. MondayFriday, 2 p.m. on CBS. One Life to Live Kyle and Oliver are the latest gay couple to hit soapland. Oliver is a police officer, Kyle is a criminal and Oliver isn’t sure of his feelings. 2 p.m. on ABC. The Rachel Maddow Show Monday-Friday, 9 p.m. on MSNBC.
SATURDAY Gender Rebel Documentary exploring the confines of traditional gender identities shattered by individuals who define themselves not as male or female, but something that incorporates both. 7 a.m. on Logo. Kings Jack prepares to take the throne in the season-one finale of this queer drama. 8 p.m. on NBC. SUNDAY True Blood Lafayette is back and Andy interrogates him about his disappearance. Sookie embarks on a dangerous mission to locate Godric. Bill is shocked when a vampire from his distant, more violent past resurfaces in Dallas. In Bon Temps, Daphne presses Sam to get comfortable in his own skin(s). At the Light of Day camp, Jason faces difficult emotional and physical choices. 9 p.m. on HBO. MONDAY Gimme Sugar: Miami The LA Truck Stop gals are in Miami to hook lesbians up for love. 10 p.m. on Logo. Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List 10 p.m. on Bravo. Weeds As the season draws to a close, the tension between Nancy and Esteban mounts. Dean offers to help Silas and Doug get their dispensary back on
track, but Celia sees an opportunity and steps in. 10 p.m. on Showtime. Nurse Jackie Jackie discovers that a new temp nurse is abusing drugs, but when she confronts him, he calls her on hypocrisy. 10:30 p.m. on Showtime. TUESDAY Hell’s Kitchen The new season of the best cooking show on TV begins with Gordon Ramsay abusing gay and straight chefs with relish. 9 p.m. on FOX. America’s Got Talent The best talent show on TV. 9 p.m. on NBC; also airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. WEDNESDAY The Philanthropist TV’s most political drama. An old friend needs Teddy’s help in Kashmir, but Teddy ends up in trouble with terrorists in Mumbai. 10 p.m. on NBC. The Real World: Cancun Bronne is a nude model and boxer from Penn State who has issues with boundaries and likes to get naked. Derek is very pretty and openly gay. 10 p.m. on MTV. THURSDAY Tipping the Velvet Sarah Waters’ compelling, best-selling novel about lesbianism in Victorian England is vividly rendered. 2 p.m. on Logo. Big Brother Gay contestant Kevin refers to himself as “simply fabulous” and stirs everything up. 8 p.m. on CBS. (Other new episodes air on Sunday at 8 p.m.) So You Think You Can Dance? Six contestants remain. 8 p.m. on Fox.
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Q on the tube: Passing of a giant By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor No one writing about TV could ignore the passing of Walter Cronkite, who was, with Edward R. Murrow, one of the most revered and iconic figures in TV-news history. There are many things to be said about Cronkite, all of them good — a rare thing in eulogizing. Everyone has noted that Cronkite was a trusted if sometimes curmudgeonly newsman. Milestones about which Cronkite reported with clarity and depth have been detailed again and again — the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the moon landing, the race riots of the 1960s. What has not been mentioned and deserves tribute is that Cronkite was the last of the iconoclast TV journalists. What’s that, you may well ask? That’s a TV journalist who does not pander to, swoon over or pay homage to those in power, but rather takes them to task as if he is leader of the Fourth Estate indebted to the people to whom he is reporting. Cronkite was very much that — a leader of the Fourth Estate during one of the most demanding and changeable periods in American history. His news career began during WWII and ended as the Berlin Wall was being torn down. During his years as anchor of CBS news, Cronkite did what is today unthinkable: He challenged the status quo. It’s difficult to imagine a news anchor taking a stand on a political or social issue today. We know the news is supposed to be impartial, but impartiality does not mean ignoring the facts. Cronkite was not impartial. He was diligent. Cronkite witnessed the news and reported the facts with an assiduousness rarely seen today. The facts as Cronkite reported them often were at odds with what those in power wanted, but he didn’t care. The most pivotal reporting of Cronkite’s career was about Vietnam. On his Feb. 27, 1968 newscast, Cronkite announced, “To say that we are closer to victory today is to believe, in the face of the evidence, the optimists who have been wrong in the past.” Cronkite ended that broadcast as he ended all his others: “And that’s the way it is.” But that wasn’t the way it was then, and it certainly isn’t the way it is now. Neither anchors nor reporters stand up to the powers-that-be. Cronkite never flinched. On May 29, 1971, he took on the Nixon administration, saying, “Many of us see a clear indication on the part of this administration of a grand conspiracy to destroy the credibility of the press. Short of uncovering documents, which probably do not exist, it is impossible to know precisely the motives of this conspiracy. But is it too much to suggest that the grand design is to lower the press’ credibility in an attempt to raise their own and thus even — or perhaps tilt in their favor — the odds in future electoral battles? Nor is there any way that President Nixon can escape responsibility for this campaign. He could reverse the anti-press policy of his administration. It attacks on many fronts: often reiterated but unsubstantiated charges of bias and prejudice from the stump, the claim of distortion or even fakery planted with friendly columnists, the attempts to divide the networks and their affiliates, harassment by subpoena.” When asked if he had regrets about his long career, Cronkite said, “What do I regret? Well, I regret that in our attempt to establish some standards, we didn’t make them stick. We couldn’t find a way to pass them on to another generation.” Our regret should be the same, and that with Cronkite’s passing, so goes the last bastion of TV-news anchors whose first and last dedication was to reporting the news — no matter what those in power thought about it. ■
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Diversions
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Your guide to arts and entertainment
Theater
City of Nutterly Love: Funny as Bell! Philadelphia Theatre Company collaborates with legendary The Second City comedy theater to create this world-premiere revue, through July 26 at Suzanne Roberts Theater, 480 S. Broad St.; (215) 985-0420. End Days People’s Light and Theatre Company presents an outrageous comedy about acceptance and the importance of family ties, with “guest appearances” by Jesus and Stephen Hawking, through Aug. 3, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern; (610) 644-3500. A Midsummer Night’s Dream Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival presents a production of Shakespeare’s masterfully orchestrated comedy, through Aug. 2 at Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley; (610) 282-9455.
performs works from the two classical music greats at 8 p.m. July 28 at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave.; (215) 8931999.
Herbie Hancock The Philadelphia Orchestra backs the legendary songwriter at 8 p.m. July 30 at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave.; (215) 8931999.
Tchaikovsky with Fireworks The Philadelphia Orchestra blows it up classical-style at 8 p.m. July 29 at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave.; (215) 893-1999.
Exhibits
The Art of Japanese Craft: 1875 to the Present The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition surveying the rich diversity of 20thcentury Japanese craft, through Oct. 18, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Ann Elise Smoot The Kimmel Center presents the acclaimed organist at 7 p.m. July 30 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. Kailash Kher’s Kailasa The Kimmel Center presents the Indian singer and Bollywood star at 7:30 p.m. July 30 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Music other
All Gershwin The Philadelphia Orchestra performs works from the The Rock Tenor The Wilma Theatre presents classic composer at 8 p.m. July 24 at The Mann Center a show fusing rock ’n’ for the Performing Arts, roll anthems, Broadway 5201 Parkside Ave.; (215) classics, opera favorites, 893-1999. country rhythms and classical melodies, through Robin Thicke Aug. 2, 265 S. Broad St.; The singer-songwriter (215) 546-7824. performs at 8 p.m. July 24 at the House of Blues, 801 The Tempest Boardwalk, Atlantic City, The Shakespeare Theatre N.J.; (609) 236-2583. of New Jersey presents William Shakespeare’s Mick Taylor magical and mysterious The former Rolling Stones romance, through Aug. 2 at the Greek Theatre on the guitarist performs at 8:30 p.m. July 24 at Sellersville campus of the College of Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple St. Elizabeth, 2 Convent St.; (215)-257-5808. Road, Morris Township, N.J.; (973) 408-5600. The Blind Boys of Alabama and Ladysmith Black Mambazo Verdi and The two world-music acts Rachmaninoff The Philadelphia Orchestra perform at 8 p.m. July 25
Music classical
(215) 572-7650.
GIRL KISSING 2.0: Pop-rock singer Katy Perry is a little late to the I-kissed-a-girl party. Jill Sobule beat her to it, as did Britney, Fergie, Lady Gaga, etc. But you would think she was the first, the way the press is jumping all over her — and her music sells. Eh, whatever ... Little Miss Perry is set to rock out at 8 p.m. July 30 at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J. For more information, call (609) 317-1000.
at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave.; (215) 8931999. Chris Issak The singer-songwriter performs at 7:30 p.m. July 28 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 572-7650. Jody Watley The R&B singer performs at 7:30 p.m. June 28 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400. Yes and Asia
The classic-rock bands perform at 8 p.m. July 28 at the Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; (610) 352-2887. Neko Case The Kimmel Center presents the singersongwriter at 8 p.m. July 29 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. Gordon Lightfoot The folk singer performs at 7:30 p.m. July 29 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside;
an installation focusing on examples from Dr. David Bronstein’s collection of Pennsylvania and Northeast folk art and artifacts, through Aug. 29, 601 E. Main St., Collegeville; (610) 409-3500. Frenz Fleisher/Ollman presents an exhibition of works selected by Will Oldham, the prolific singer-songwriter who records and performs under the moniker Bonnie Prince Billy, through the end of summer, 1616 Walnut St., Suite 100; (215) 545-7562. Hello! Fashion: Kansai Yamamoto 1971-73 The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of the work of one of the founding fathers of Japanese contemporary fashion, through July 31, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Bodies The James Oliver Gallery presents an exhibition uniting the works of Julia Day, Brooke Hine, Sky McDonagh and Dallas Shaw, through Aug. 22, 723 Metallic Motion AxD Gallery presents an Chestnut St., fourth floor; (215) 923-1242. exhibition of artwork by Nancy Schall, through Aug. 15, 265 S. 10th St.; (215) Cadaver Corpse 627-6250. Space 1026 presents a corpse drawing painting, and collage show featuring A Modern Edge Part 1 over 50 artists from around Edge Gallery presents the world, through July 31, an exhibition of abstract 1026 Arch St.; (215) 574paintings by the gallery’s 7630. stable of artists, through July 26, 72 N. Second St.; (215) 413-7072. Draw 4 Art Star Gallery & Boutique presents a group New Work The Clay Studio presents exhibition featuring Ryan Myers, Lisa Hurwitz, Kurt an exhibition of works from Halsey, Isaac Bushkin, artist Alyssa Welch, through Mandy Sutcliffe of Belle & July 26, 137 N. Second St.; Boo, Angie Mason, Ashley (215) 925-3453. Goldberg, Rachel Bone and Susie Gahremani of Boy Outgrowths Girl Party, through July 26, AxD Gallery presents a 623 N. Second St.; (215) solo sculpture exhibition 238-1557. by artist Carey Netherton, through Aug. 2, 265 S. 10th Folk Art St.; (215) 627-6250. The Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Richard Schultz: Five Ursinus College presents Decades of Design
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring the American experience abroad between 1850-1925, through Oct. 25, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Diversions, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147; fax them to (215) 925-6437; or e-mail them to diversions@epgn. com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works by the legendary outdoor furniture designer through Aug. 23, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100. Shopping in Paris: French Fashion 18501925
Something to Wear: Fashion in Print 18501925 The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring the world of fashion and consumer culture through printed publications, through Sept. 7, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100. A Taste for Modern: The Jeanne Rymer Collection of 20thCentury Chairs The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an installation of 23 chairs by the acclaimed designer, through Sept. 20, 2600
PGN
Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100. Urban Convergence Asian Arts Initiative hosts a multi-artist exhibition merging and morphing of artistic genres and culture — high art with street art, underground with pop, fine art with street culture, through Aug. 2 at 1219 Vine St.; (215) 557-0455. What Were They Thinking: 160 Years of Bad Taste Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts presents an exhibition of styles that were the height of fashion at some point in recent history, through Nov. 8 at The Carriage House Gallery at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May, N.J.; (609) 884-5404.
Opera
La Boheme Amici Opera Company presents Puccini’s classic
Pick
Alternative countr y star Neko Case will whirl through Philadelphia this week as part of an international tour to promote her new album, “Middle Cyclone.” Case’s latest effort, her fifth studio album, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts, and the singer-songwriter has drawn widespread praise for her continued proficiency at delivering heartbreak, humor and a storm of surprises in each of her songs. Jason Lytle of Grandaddy will open the show, which starts at 8 p.m. July 29 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.kimmelcenter.org or by calling (215) 893-1999. ■
opera at 8 p.m. July 25 at Dante Hall, 14 N. Mississippi Ave., Atlantic City, N.J.; (609) 344-8877.
Dance
The 9 Muses Music and Motion Dance Productions presents a dance production inspired by the mythology of ancient Greece at 1 p.m. July 26 at Lloyd Hall, 1 Boathouse Row; (215) 685-3936.
Film
From The Terrace The 1960 drama starring Paul Newman is screened at 2 p.m. July 26 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 917-0223.
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(610) 527-9898.
Books
Catherine Asaro
The author of the sci-fi rockstar tale “Diamond Star” hosts a reading at 7 p.m. July 24 at Robin’s Books and Moonstone Arts Center, 110a S. 13th St.; (215) 735-9600.
Debra Greene
The author of “Endless Energy: The Essential Guide to Energy Health” hosts a reading at 7 p.m. July 27 at Robin’s Books and Moonstone Arts Center, 110a S. 13th St.; (215) 735-9600.
Chris Hedges
The author of “Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle” hosts a reading at 7:30 p.m. July 28 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; (215) 686-5322.
The Birds Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents a screening of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film July 21-22, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr; Peek-A-Boo Revue
Cabaret
The naughty burlesque troupe performs 8 p.m. July 25 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400.
Etc.
Patrice O’Neal
The comedian seen on Comedy Central and HBO performs July 24-25 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; (215) 496-9001.
The Scene
TLBTB Productions’ newest LGBTQ party will be in Philly from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. July 25 at Vesuvio, 736 S. Eighth St.; (215) 922-8380.
Fourth Annual Philly’s Funniest Person Contest
The city’s up-and-coming comic talents battle it out for supremacy July 27-30 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; (215) 496-9001. ■
PGN
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 40
Meeting Place A community bulletin board of activities, facilities and organizations
Community centers
Religion/Spirituality Arch Street United Methodist Church Services at 8:30 and 11 a.m. at Broad and Arch streets; (215) 568-6250. Bethlehem-Judah Ministries Open and affirming congregation holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 3847 N. Dupont Hwy., Kent Plaza Suite #2, Dover, Del.; (302) 734-9350. BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Church Hold services at 10:15 a.m. at 2040 Street Road, Warrington; (215) 343-0406. Calvary United Methodist Church Reconciling, welcoming and affirming church holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue; (215) 724-1702.
■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held from 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday through Friday. See the Youth section for more events. 255 S. 16th St.; (215) 545-4331
Central Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:45 a.m. Sundays at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; (610) 688-0664.
■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St.; (215) 898-5044; center@dolphin.upenn.edu, Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church Services at 11 a.m. and Spirit at Play, an arts-based Sunday school for children, at 9:30 a.m. at 8812 Germantown Ave.; (215) 242-9321.
■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; (215) 348-0558 ext. 65; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org.
Church of the Crucifixion Inclusive Episcopal community holds services at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sundays at Eighth and Bainbridge streets; (215) 922-1128.
■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; (215) 732-2220; www.waygay.org. Peer counseling: Monday through Friday, 6-9 p.m. Library hours: Mondays 3-9 p.m., Tuesdays 3-6 p.m., Wednesdays 3-9 p.m., Thursdays 3-9 p.m., Fridays 3-9 p.m., Saturdays noon-6 p.m., Sundays noon-6 p.m. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.; Volunteer Velada, third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.
Health Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 166 W. Lehigh Ave.; (215) 763-8870 ext. 6000. AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., suite 205; (2215) 536-2424. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; (215) 851-1822 or (866) 2223871. Spanish/English. HIV testing Free, anonymous testing and counseling is offered from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment at AIDS Resource, 520 W. Fourth St., suite 2A, Williamsport;
Key numbers ■ 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
(570) 322-8448. HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; (215) 685-1803. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications, confidential HIV testing available at 17 MacDade Blvd., suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; (610) 586-9077. Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 1201 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-0652. www.mazzonicenter.org. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; (215) 985-9206.
Gloria Casarez, (215) 686-2194; Gloria. Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: (215) 686-2555 ■ Mazzoni Center: (215) 563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org ■ Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine: (215) 563-0658
■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: (215) 5921513
■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): (215) 572-1833
■ AIDS Treatment hot line: (215) 5452212
■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: (215) 686-4670
■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: (215) 685-1633
■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: (215) 772-2000
■ The COLOURS Organization Inc. 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; (215) 4960330. ■ Equality Advocates Pennsylvania: (215) 731-1447; (866) LGBTLAW ■ Equality Forum: (215) 732-3378 ■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: (215) 732-TALK ■ Mayor’s liaison to LGBT communities:
■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Chief Inspector James Tiano: (215) 685-3655 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: (215) 494-LGBT; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: (215) 875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: (717) 920-9537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: (215) 732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)
Church of the Trinity Lutheran Reconciling in Christ parish holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 18th and Wolf streets; (215) 334-6656. Dignity Jersey Shore An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets first Saturday of the month in Asbury Park. For time and location, call (732) 502-0305. Dignity Metro NJ An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets at 4 p.m. Sundays at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, N.J.; (973) 857-4040. Dignity Philadelphia Holds Mass at 7 p.m. Sundays at 330 S. 13th St.; (215) 546-2093; dignityphila@aol.com. Drexel Hill Baptist Church Non-judgmental Christian congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the USA holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at Childs Avenue and State Road, Drexel Hill; (610) 259-2356; www. adhbaptist.com. Emanuel Lutheran Church Reconciling in Christ congregation meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at New and Kirkpatrick streets, New Brunswick, N.J.; (732) 545-2673; www. emmanuelnb.org. Episcopal Church of St. Paul Welcoming and inclusive church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 89 Pinewood Drive, Levittown; (215) 945-2886; www.saint-paulslevittown.org. Evangelicals Concerned Lesbian and gay Christian group meets at 2 p.m. the second and fourth Sundays of the month; (215) 860-7445. First Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at 123 S. 17th St.; (215) 563-3853. First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne Welcoming church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 140 N. Lansdowne Ave.; (610) 622-0800; www. lansdownepresbyterian.org. First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia A liberal, welcoming and diverse congregation that affirms the dignity of all. Sunday services at 10 a.m. at 2125 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-3980; www.firstuuphilly.org. The First United Church of Germantown A sexual-minority-affirming congregation holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at 6023 Germantown Ave.; lunch follows; (215) 438-3677.
JULY 24 - 30, 2009 First United Methodist Church of Philadelphia Inclusive, welcoming and progressive congregation worships at 11 a.m. Sundays at 6023 Germantown Ave. Lunch follows; childcare is provided; (215) 438-3677.
Resurrection Lutheran Church Holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 620 Welsh Road, Horsham; (215) 646-2597.
Gay Christian Singles Philly Burbs Provides support and fellowship for GLBT singles through discussion groups and social events; (610) 457-2081; gcsphillyburbs@aol.com.
Silverside Church Holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays followed by a group discussion at 2800 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Del.; (302) 478-5921.
Global Heart Spiritual Center Holds services at 10:30 a.m. at 1812 HaddonfieldBerlin Road, Cherry Hill, N.J.; (609) 868-2372.
St. Asaph’s Church Inclusive and progressive Episcopal Church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays, with a contemplative communion at 8 a.m. at 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd; (610) 664-0966; www. saintasaphs.org.
Grace Epiphany Church A welcoming and diverse Episcopal congregation in Mt. Airy, holds services at 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sundays, at 224 E. Gowen Ave., Mt. Airy; (215) 248-2950; www.grace-epi.org. Holy Communion Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation worships Sundays at 9 a.m. at 2111 Sansom St. and 11 a.m. at 2110 Chestnut St.; (215) 569-1840; www. centercitylutheran.org. Hope Ministry Family Fellowship Affirming Christ-centered church meets at 11 a.m. Sundays in Allentown; (610) 791-0716; hmff2001@aol.com. 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. Interweave Organization of LGBT Unitarians and allies meets monthly at Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill, N.J., 401 N. Kings Highway; (856) 667-3618; www.uucinch.org. LC/NA Delaware Valley chapter A group for Lutherans who are not out in their own congregations meets at 7 p.m. fourth Sunday of the month at University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St.; (215) 387-2885.
11 a.m. Sundays at 1515 Cherry St.; (215) 241-7260; cpmm@afsc.org.
St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation holds services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; (215) 646-2451; www.stjohnsambler.org. St. Luke and The Epiphany Church Open and welcoming church holds liturgy at 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays fall through winter and “Prayer Around the Cross” at 7 p.m. first Friday of the month at 330 S. 13th St.; (215) 732-1918. St. Mary of Grace Parish Inclusive church in the Catholic tradition celebrates Mass at 6 p.m. Sundays in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media; (610) 566-1393; www. inclusivecatholics.org. St. Mary’s Church Diverse and inclusive Episcopal church, with openly gay rector, celebrates Eucharist at 11 a.m. Sundays; adult forum is held at 9:30 a.m.; and evening prayer is at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 3916 Locust Walk; (215) 386-3916; www.stmarysatpenn. org. Tabernacle United Church Open and affirming congregation holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 3700 Chestnut St.; (215) 3864100.
Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist Synagogue committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community meets at Calvary Center, 801 S. 48th St.; (215) 764-6364; www. kol-tzedek.org.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County Welcoming congregation holds services at 10:30 a.m. at 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media. Children’s program (pre-8th) 10:30 a.m.; youth programming 6 p.m. Sunday; (610) 566-4853; www.uucdc.org.
Mainline Unitarian Church Holds services at 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon; (610) 688-8332; www. mluc.org.
Unitarian Society of Germantown Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 6511 Lincoln Drive (West Mt. Airy); (215) 844-1158; www.usguu.org.
Maple Shade Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ Affirming congregation open to all sexual orientations and gender identities holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 45 N. Forklanding Road, Maple Shade, N.J.; (856) 779-7739; mapleshadeucc.org.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill Holds services at 10:15 a.m. at 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; (856) 667-3618.
Metropolitan Community Church Holds services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays preceded by a 9:30 a.m. Bible study at The Pride Center of New Jersey. Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia Holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at the William Way Center, 1315 Spruce St.; (215) 735-MCC3; www.mccphiladelphia.com. New Thought Spiritual Community Nondenominational service is offered at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at Cradle of Liberty Council, 1485 Valley Forge Road, Wayne; (610) 962-9923. Old First Reformed Church Open and affirming United Church worships at 11 a.m. Sundays September through June, and 10 a.m. June through August at 151 N. Fourth St.; (215) 922-4566; www.oldfirstucc.org. Penns Park United Methodist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; (215) 598-7601. Rainbow Buddhist Meditation Group Meets at 5 p.m. Sundays at the William Way Center.
Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration, Mt. Airy Welcoming congregation holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays September through June at 6900 Stenton Ave.; (215) 836-1812; www.uurestoration.us. Unitarian Universalist Congregation, South Jersey Shore Holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays in Galloway Township, N.J.; (609) 926-8890; www.uucsjs.org. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown Holds services at 10 a.m. at 1565 S. Keim St., Pottstown; (610) 327-2662. United Christian Church Open, affirming and welcoming congregation holds servies at 11 a.m. Sundays at 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown; (215) 946-6800. Unity Fellowship Church of Philadelphia Diverse, affirming GLBT congregation holds services at 2 p.m. Sundays at Broad and Arch streets; (215) 222-3180. University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation Welcoming congregation holds services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 3637 Chestnut St. preceded by “Adult Forum: Sundays” at 9:30 discussing religious alienation and struggles of faith; (215) 387-2885.
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting worships at
Send submissions to pgn@epgn.com or fax (215) 925-6437 PGN Meeting Place, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 Meeting Place is a public service. Submissions must include a phone number for publication.
Complete Meeting Place listings of all Parent/Family, Professional, Recovery, Recreation, Religion, Sports, Men, Women, Trans, Youth groups can be found online @ www.phliagaynews.com and www.epgn.com
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
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Classifieds
With Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services and Personals
June housing construction beat expectations By Alan Zibel The Associated Press Construction of new U.S. homes rose in June to the highest level in seven months, as builders rushed to pour foundations for homes that must be completed by the end of November for first-time buyers to take advantage of a special tax break. The U.S. Commerce Department said last Friday that construction of new homes and apartments jumped 3.6 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 582,000 units, from an upwardly revised rate of 562,000 in May. It was better than the 530,000unit pace economists expected, and was the second-straight
monthly increase after April’s record low of 479,000 units. “This was the most positive housing report in ages,” wrote Patrick Newport, an economist with IHS Global Insight. Homebuyers are being attracted by lower prices, and first-time buyers can also take advantage of a tax credit worth 10 percent of the purchase price, with a cap of $8,000, which was included in the federal stimulus package. “The largest spark ... has been the looming deadline,” said David Crowe, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders. His trade group said last Thursday that the confidence level of builders has risen to the highest level in nearly a year.
Shares of major homebuilders rose on the news, with Beazer Homes and Hovnanian Enterprises up about 5 percent in midday trading. The broader stock indexes, meanwhile, were little-changed last Friday after Bank of America and Citigroup became the latest banks to report big second-quarter profits but also weakness in their loan portfolios. Over the past three years, the collapse in the housing market led to soaring loan losses, a severe banking-system crisis and the longest recession since World War II. Even with the betterthan-expected figures, the pace was still 46-percent below last year, and analysts don’t expect a quick rebound. That’s because
companies are still shedding jobs and home prices are falling. “There’s still a long way to go before one wants to declare anything that begins to look like a strong recovery or success,” said Rebecca Blank, undersecretary of commerce for economic affairs. The Federal Reserve this week projected that the national unemployment rate, currently at a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, will pass 10 percent by the end of the year. Unemployment has already passed that mark in 15 states and the District of Columbia last month, according to federal data released last Friday. The rate in Michigan surpassed 15 percent, the first time any state has hit that level since 1984.
Most Fed policymakers said it could take five or six years for the economy and the labor market to get back on a path of long-term health. To get there, consumers must return to a regular spending groove and housing prices need to start rising again. The jump in housing last month reflected a more than 14-percent rise in construction of singlefamily homes, the largest monthly increase since December 2004. Construction of multifamily units — a particularly volatile part of the market — fell nearly 26 percent from a month earlier. Meanwhile, applications for building permits, seen as a good indicator of future activity, rose almost 9 percent in June. ■
Location! Location! Location! This week’s featured property
Beds: 3 Baths: 3.5 Age of property: 6 years Square footage: 1,475 Cost: $219,900 Realtor: Alicia Fox Real-estate co.: ReMax of Wilmington Phone: 302-657-8000 Direct: 302-419-5477
Beautiful townhome in Bristol Place. Huge eat-in kitchen, finished basement w/full bath. Great location, close to all major highways. Move-in condition.
Check your ad
PLACING ADS Using voicemail? Please be sure to have the following information ready when you call: • Your ad copy • The type of style you want • Desired abbreviations • American Express, Discover, MasterCard or VISA information • Your name and mailing
NEWARK, DE
address • Daytime telephone number Having all this information ready will speed your order and help to avoid errors. Phone calls can only be returned during business hours. For more information, see the coupon page in this section.
Philadelphia Gay News assumes responsibility for errors in classified ads only when notified by noon the Tuesday after the ad first appears. To receive credit for errors, please notify PGN by then. Credit only will be extended in the form of additional advertising space. Any cash refunds, for any reason, are subject to a $10 service charge. PGN will publish no classified ad — in any category — that contains sexually explicit language. Obviously excluded are traditional four-letter words that relate to sexual activity. Other words may be excluded at the discretion of the publisher, who reserves the right to edit or rewrite any ad that, in his opinion, violates this policy or its intent.
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CLASSIFIEDS
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EWS
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REAL ESTATE
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UPSCALE VALLEY FORGE COLONIAL 5 BR, 3.5 BH $599,999 Well appointed w/Cathedral ceilings, gorgeous granite, hardwood floors, SPA room & fin. daylite w/o basement. Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc. 610-2257400. Call Marie 610-513-0049. _______________________________33-31 A Bank Repo! 4 Br 3Ba $10,000! Only $225/ Mo! More Homes from $199/Mo! 5% down 15 years @ 8% APR. For listings 800-546-8656 Ext R944. _______________________________33-30 HUD HOMES! 3bd 2ba $215/Mo! 5 bd only $275/Mo! 5% down 15 years @ 8%. For listings call 800546-8656 ext D843. _______________________________33-30 Bank Foreclosure! 4 Br 3 Ba $10,000! Only $225/Mo! More Homes from $199/Mo! 5% down 15 years @ 8% APR. For listings 800546-8656 ext 1482. _______________________________33-30
SECLUDED HOME FOR SALE in Gloucester County, NJ. Want privacy? This solar designed home in the middle of PAGE 13 acres of woods is for you. More info47 www.greenhomesforsale.com enter ID#18897 or call 609-471-7181. _______________________________33-32 NYS LAND SALE JULY SPECIAL! 10 Acres- Lakefront WAS: $79,900 NOW: $49,900. 5 Acres w/ Rustic Camp Salmon River Area $19,900. 46 Acres- Borders Stateland, ponds, foodplot $59,900. 4 Acres in Southern Tier #1 Deer County! WAS: $16,900 NOW: $8,900. Over 100 different properties. Many sizes & areas. Trees, ponds, lakes & streams. www.landandcamps.com 800-229-7843 Christmas & Associates _______________________________33-30 Cameron County- 7 acres with frontage on trout stream and Pennsylvania State Forest. Perc, electric, road frontage, perfect for cabin. $59,900. Owner financing. 800-668-8679. _______________________________33-30
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PAGE 49
REAL ESTATE
SALE
and Maintenance Let CHRIS CHRIS RISS RISSuse his Experience, Find help in the Home Improvement Enthusiasm, and Contacts to sell your place or fiDirectory nd your new beach home. Most Transactions Award
makes itit happen happen in in CHRIS RISS makes New Listings
2020 A 302-226-6655 Christian Street REHOBOTH! Direct: 302-226-6655 Direct: Lingo: Lingo: 302-227-3883 302-227-3883 Open House: Sunday, July 26th 12-1pm Adorable studio in fantastic condition. Open floor plan, with pretty hardwood ChrisRiss@JackLingo.com floors, granite and stainless kitchen, maple cabinets with custom paint and www.RehobothBeachHouses.com finishes. Super low condo fees and tax abatement. Pet Friendly!
$114,000
250 S. 13th Street 10E (The Lenox Building) Open House: Sunday, JulyApril 26th 1:30-2:30pm Open House: Sunday, 6th 12-1 PM
Stunning corner one bedroom with gorgeous southern and western views. This condominium features a Chef’s kitchen with breakfast bar, spacious and light-filled living room with bay window, hardwood floors throughout and a A one-of-a-kind condominium in the Bouvier brownstone mansion large in masterHill. bedroom. in thewalk-in heartcloset of Society This 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom home
258 S. 3rd Street Unit 6
$319,000
has a Light-filled living room with original moldings, working Camac marble fireplace and 426 9 1/2 S. foot ceilings.Street The spectacular Bulthaup kitchen, with Subzero refrigerator, oven 3-4pm and Gaggenau Open House: Sunday, Miele July 26th cook top. Custom lighting and audio system with invisible Just reduced!!! Beautifully restored, three-story brick speakers throughout. The master suite has twin walktrinity-style in closetshome and with original marble with wood-burning granite French doorshardwood that leadfloors, to a sunroom slate floorfireplace, and wet bar. Off and the stainless kitchen and a cuteroom patio.is a breathtaking sun $339,000 landscaped roof deck that is perfect for entertaining. The RENTAL panoramic views overlooking 1216 Locust Street historic Society Hill include Awesome commercial space in perfect location. 900 Sq. feet with separate both city skyline and bridge office space, hardwood floors, exposed brick and lots of character views.
$729,000
$1645 per month
210W. W.Rittenhouse Rittenhouse Sq., 210 Sq., Phila., Phila.,PA PA19103 19103 215.790.5234 Direct Direct 215.546.0550 215.546.0550 Office Office 215.790.5234
PAGE 47
Regency – One floor condos – elevator building – Each home a corner with ample windows / closets 2 Br & 2 Full Baths / HWF / Granite Tops = more / 1,630+ sq. ft - $379,900 2 BR & 2 Full Baths / Former Model Home w/ Many Upgrades - 1630 +sq ft - $399,900 3 BR & 2 Full Baths / Penthouse / 1800+ sq. ft Many Upgrades - $449,900
EWS
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PGN WILL NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DISTINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS. SUCH NOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. ___________________________________ GREATER NE PHILA. Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 full baths, W/D, upper and lower decks, use of kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. _______________________________33-39 2614 W. MONTGOMERY AVE. Rooms for rent ranging from $350 to $500. Located on 2nd & 3rd floor. Utils. paid by landlord. Please contact Mrs. Johnson. 917825-7761 _______________________________33-30 SPRINGFIELD, DEL.CO Avail. immed. $550/mo. incl. utils. HSI, digital cable avail. in room. Nice built in pool in yard. On st. pkg. Walk to trans. No pets, no smoking in home. For appt., call 610-328-2255. _______________________________33-31
12TH & DICKINSON ST. 3 Room Apt for Rent. Living Room, Kitchen, Bath and Bedroom w/walk-in closet (very large rooms). $800. mo plus util. Call 215 468-9166 after 6 pm. or 215 686 3431 daytime. _______________________________33-38 12TH & DICKINSON AREA Furnished Townhouse for rent: 3 levels. Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2 bedrooms , bath. Very Unique. 1500. mo plus util. (negotiable). Call 215 468-9166 after 6 pm. or 215 686 3431 daytime. _______________________________33-38 AVENUE OF THE ARTS Entire 3rd floor apartment for rent has large eat-in kitchen with ice maker, built in micro, d/w, garb disp. lots of counter and storage. hall closet, very large living room, rent includes all channel Tevo. bathroom has a washer/dryer, another hall closet and two bedrooms with more closets. Heat and hot water is also included. $1,200.00/month. This is a non-smoking building. 215-416-5545. _______________________________33-38 COZY CONDO, MT. LAUREL, NJ $1100.00 + utils. 2 BR, 1 1/2 Bath,W/D, DW, FP & Sun Rm. Call 609-947-2678. _______________________________33-30
FRENCHTOWN Stunning, large NY style loft, 3 bed, 2 bath, award winning restored mill on creek. Open floor dining/living plus great room. Marble tile bath, designer kitchen, W/D, D/W, off st. parking. Center of town. $1950/mo. Call 609-397-6800. _______________________________33-33
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Interpreters all Languages, including: Spanish, Asian & African Dialects, Russian, Bosnian. Freelance assignments available immediately throughout Pennsylvania. Apply via entake. genevaworldwide.com 1-877-Go-Geneva x161. _______________________________33-30 Halsted Communications needs qualified candidates for satellite technician positions. Requirements: Availablity to travel, valid driver’s license, experience with tools and tech background. Apply at NEEDTV.com _______________________________33-30 Driver- CDL-A Great Flatbed Opportunity. OTR Runs, Professional Equipment, Competitive Pay & Regular Hometime. Also Hiring Van Drivers. Western Express/SMX CDL-A, 22 YO, 1 yr. OTR 888-839-2013 www.smxc.com _______________________________33-30 WANT GREAT MILES AND STILL BE HOME EVERY WEEKEND? MARTINI: Hiring Co. Drivers and O/O’s with CDL-A & 1 yr OTR exp. 866-460-8464 www. gomartini.com _______________________________33-30
RENT
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Broker/Sales Rep. Since 1987 NJAR Circle of Excellence Sales Award 1991- 2007 Weichert President’s & Ambassador’s Clubs
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
CLASSIFIEDS
At the Rittenhouse
210 W. Rittenhouse Sq., Suite 406, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Bus 215 546-0550 Cell 215 850-2088 Direct 215 790-5513 Fax 215 545-5768 An independently owned and operated member of the Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.
����������������� �������������������������������� 1608 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.philarealtyexchange.com ������������������������ TIRED OF YOUR COMMISSION ONLY REAL ESTATE SALES JOB???? PROPERTY MANAGER POSSISION AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY. GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO COMBINE MANAGEMENT RENTALS AND SALES SKILLS. ������������������������ CALL US TODAY FOR A CONFIDENTIAL INTERVIEW. 215-545-6111 xt10 REAL ESTATE LICENSE REQUIRED.. �������������������� OPEN HOUSE- Sun July 19th, 1-3 p.m.
������������������������������������� AVENUE OF THE ARTS SOUTH PHILADELPHIA ������������������� 250 S. 13th Street- 1 br, doorman building, hw fl, tenant 1904 S. 9th St- 2br home in Bella Vista w/ large living room, occupied $230,000 Kera Ritter $139,900 John Perno ������������������������������������ 1326 SPRUCE ST (Center City One)-2br, 2 bth, 29th fl views WASHINGTON SQUARE $399,000 Tom Gangemi 1213 Pine St- 3br,2.5bth, in Washignton Sq West w/ private �������������������� 226 W. RITTENHOUSE SQ -2 br/den. 2 bth, newly renovated, garden and garage $529,900 John Perno with park view, $895,000 Tom Gangemi ����������� 502 W. Harvey Street - Large home, 4br Twn, 2.5 baths,hw floors, servant’s stairs, porch, yard $249,000 Janis Dubin
FOR RENT
������������������ Various, one and two bedroom condos available for rent in Logan Square. You can live, rent and play in the Phoenix building, while enjoying all the amenities that�������������� the Phoenix has to offer. OPEN HOUSE EVERY SUN-MON, 12:00-3:00pm, Call Tom Gangemi 484-654-6117or email tomjgangemi@aol.com for an appt and more info. ����������� RENTALS IN AND AROUND TOWN 240 S. 13TH ST-. Sunny studio, new kitchen, hardwood floors, $1000 INCLUDES HEAT-Kera Ritter ������������ 250 S. 13TH ST #13C-2br,2bth in Lenox Bld designated parking, heat incl $2500MO Kera Ritter NEW LISTING - THE PHOENIX - 1600-18 Arch St.
2314 REED ST- 2 apts avail STARTING AT $795MO Janis Dunis 3512 BARING ST – Studio, utilities included in rent STARTING AT $900 MO Kera Ritter ����������������� 502 W. HARVEY ST-4br Twin w/ porch, yard avail July 1 $700 MO Janis Dubin ������������������ 1919 GREEN ST- Various apts available. Great for students close to university Kera Ritter CAREER OPPORTUNITY FOR FULL TIME SALES AGENT- FOR INTERVIEW CALL OFFICE SPECIALIZING IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT-CONDOS AND APARTMENTS 2-10 UNITS
Cleaning/Janitorial person for Sisters Nightclub
Must be able to work a full-time flexible schedule, be mature, a self-starter, & capable of receiving deliveries. References Required. Phone calls will be taken weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. only.
Ask for Jim 215-735-0735
Advertising Sales Representative PGN, one of the country's most award-winning Gay and Lesbian publications, is looking for a special candidate to fill this position in our advertising sales department. Applicants should have previous advertising sales experience, preferably in a similar environment. You should have a strong work ethic, good communication skills (both written and verbal), and an aggressive desire to sell advertising in this very special niche market. Most important, you should aspire to become an integral part of our successful sales team. We offer a competitive salary plus bonus, as well as Health Insurance. Applicants should call Greg Dennis at 215-625-8501, ext. 201. Email resume to greg@epgn.com or send resume to: PGN, 505 S. 4th St., Phila. PA. 19147 Attn.: Greg Dennis EOE
RENT
VACATION RENTALS OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102 Online reservations www.holidayoc.com _______________________________33-30 GIBSON WEEKEND GETAWAY 1 bdrm efficiency, up to 4 ppl., 1 mile from Hilliside Camp. Call Jeanne, 570-465-4321. _______________________________33-30
HELP WANTED
LEGAL NOTICE
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APRIL 25 25 - MAY MAY 1, 1, 2008 2008 APRIL PAGE 49 APRIL 25 - -MAY 1, 2008
CLASSIFIEDS
LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
AMY F. STEERMAN Attorney at Law
Concentrating in Planning for Lesbian and Gay Couples • Probate • Wills • Living Wills • Powers of Attorney
215-735-1006
1900 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.amysteerman.com
CLASSIFIEDS
APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008
Terence S. Brady, Esq. Legal Representation In New Jersey Drunk Driving, Speeding, All Traffic Cases, Family Matters, Divorce, Visitation, Custody Criminal Matters, Real Estate Purchases, MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2008 Foreclosures
CLASSIFIEDS
Mt. Holly, N.J. 609 504 6310
LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
James M. M.SPACE Quesenberry, MA, CRC,CVE CVE AMY F.William STEERMAN A. Torchia, Esquire THIS ISMA, YOURS James Quesenberry, CRC, Attorney-at-Law Disability Consultant James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE Attorney at Law Disability Consultant
$25.00 * Consultant Estate & Tax Planning Concentrating in Planning OnlyDisability for Lesbian and Gay Couples GENERAL PRACTICE FORSocial THE COMMUNITY Security Disability Week! SocialPer Security Disability ������������������������ ��������������������� ��������������� • Probate • Wills ����������������������������� ����������� • Living Wills ��������������������� ������������� • Powers of Attorney ��������������������� ��������������� CLASSIFIEDS ����������� ��������������
215-735-1006
Social Security Disability Claims Appeals Appeals ���������� Claims Claims Appeals ���������������� That’s Less Than
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215-629-0585 215-629-0585 215-629-0585 Week’s Worth Of
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PARTNERS IN LAW Are You Facing: PARTNERS INDebt? LIFEForeclosure? Repossession? Overwhelming
The Law Office of Alfonso Madrid
725 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia Pa 19147 215-925-1002 • alfonsomadrid.esq@gmail.com As a federally designated Debt Relief Agency, I assist people with finding solutions to their debt problems, including, where appropriate, the filing of&petitions for relief MINSTER FACCIOLO, LLCunder the Bankruptcy Code.
• WILLS &Weekend ESTATESand • evening appointments available. • DISCRIMINATION • • SMALL BUSINESS • • DIVORCE • James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE • EMPLOYMENT • Consultant •Disability REAL ESTATE • • CIVIL ACTIONS • • AUTO ACCIDENTS • Social Security Disability • POWER OF ATTORNEY • Claims PARTNERS Appeals • • DOMESTIC
Torchia & Kaufmann, L.L.C.
James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE Disability Consultant Attorneys-at-Law
Estate & Tax Planning
GENERAL PRACTICE FOR THE COMMUNITY Social Security Disability • Domestic Relations • PROVIDING Incorporation DIRECT Claims Appeals • Adoption • Criminal
• Estate Administration • Wills, Living Wills, Trusts • Powers of Attorney
LEGAL SERVICES, EDUCATION & 1528 Walnut St. Suite 1220, Suite 202 Philadelphia, PA 19102 Oxford Valley Rd. POLICY REFORM 215-546-1950 (Voice) 215-546-8801 (Fax) Fairless Hills, PA 19030 FOR THE LGBT � � � � � THISCOMMUNITY. SPACE IS YOURS • Name Change
215-629-0585
• Property Agreements Guardianships APRIL 25 -••MAY 1, 2008 • Accidents Real Estate
GALLOP
Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia Bar Association Serving Southeastern PA., South Jersey; and Delaware. Organized to promote civil and human rights. GALLOP Referral Service provides free referrals to attorneys sensitive to the needs of the community For info or a referral, call 215-627-9090 P.O. Box 58279, Penn Center Station, Phila., PA 19102 www.galloplaw.org
• Immigration
Only $25.00* Per Week! FREE LEGAL HOTLINE (215) 731-1477
That’s Less Than A Week’s Worth Of Double Mocha Lattes www.equalitypa.org *8 Week Minimum
Smith Barney
1211 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-238-5849 jeremy.r.gussick@smithbarney.com A division of Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. Member SIPC
forme
PRO LEG E PO FO C
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521 Valley S. 2NDRd. ST., PHILA., PA Oxford APPT. ALSO AVAIL IN DE & NJ Fairless Hills, PA 19030
Financial Advisor
A M W
FREE
215-627-8200 PA 302-777-2201 DE Suite 202
Jeremy R. Gussick
A
• Social Security • Elder Law
215-629-0585
Financial Advice for the GLBT Community
Th
Charles S. Frazier, Esq. Attorney at Law
• General Practice • Wills and Trusts • Living Wills • Powers of Attorney • Cohabitation Agreements
Wayne, PA (610) 687-4077 cstar1@verizon.net
THIS SPACE IS YOURS Only $25.00* Per Week!
That’s Less Than A Week’s Worth Of Double Mocha Lattes
Gregory H. Quig
Attorney at L Real Estate / Zoni Liquor Licenses an
1822 S. Broad St. Philadlephia, PA 19145
*8 Week Minimum
R. FRANCISCO CORBIN, ESQUIRE Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today! Areas of Practice: Automobile Accidents Slip and Falls Workers Compensation
3000 Market Street Suite 201 Philadelphia, PA 19104 (215) 243-3450
CLASSIFIEDS
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JULY 24 - 30, 2009
SERVICES DIRECTORY
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Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today! ����������������� PGN now offers FREE online classifieds. Go to www.philagaynews.com for the details. You can also place your print ad through the Web site - it’s fast and easy!
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Classifieds Liner Insertion Order
Select the TYPE STYLE you want from the examples below, and begin each line under the arrow to the left of the letter representing that style. Write to the end of the line (hyphenate words correctly. Do not stop at any other arrow, as each arrow represents a starting point. Allow one block for each letter, number, punctuation mark and space. Be sure to skip a space between words. PHONE NUMBER MUST INCLUDE AREA CODE. Be sure to circle one of the classifications and compute the cost of your ad. Liner advertising is on a PREPAY BASIS ONLY, and payment must accompany this form. PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL. Type STYLE A Type STYLE B TYPE STYLE C
A
B
HEADLINE (24 SPACES PER LINE) FREE WHEN PLACED ONLINE 40 spaces Per Line 36 spaces Per Line 24 SPACES PER LINE
7 point 7 point 7 POINT
C
NAME ADDRESS CITY PHONE
PLEASE PRINT STATE
ZIP
AMEX • MASTERCARD • VISA • DISCOVER CARD NUMBER EXPIRATION SIGNATURE NAME ON CARD #
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week.# #
“A” LINES @ $5.50 - $ “B” LINES @ $7.50 - $ “C” LINES @ $10.00 - $ BOX YOUR AD $5.00 SUBTOTAL NUMBER OF WEEKS X SUBTOTAL % TERM DISCOUNT AD TOTAL TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED
CLASSIFICATION (CIRCLE ONE) REAL ESTATE FOR SALE • REAL ESTATE FOR RENT • ROOMMATES • SEASONAL RENTALS • SERVICES • FINANCIAL SERVICES HELP WANTED • JOBS WANTED • BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES • FOR SALE • AUTOMOTIVE • AUCTIONS • TRAVEL RESORTS ADOPTION • PERSONALS • FRIENDS MEN • FRIENDS BISEXUAL • FRIENDS TV/TS • FRIENDS WOMEN
Return form and payment to: Masco Communications 505 S. Fourth St., Phila., PA 19147 or fax: 215-925-6437 or email: don@epgn.com
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week.
PAGE 24 108- 30, 2009 JULY
PAGE 108
CLASSIFIEDS PAGE 108 CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIEDS
SERVICES DIRECTORY ����������������
Is it time to Is it time to Is it time to look for a look for a look for a new doctor? new doctor? new doctor?
this space: only $25 per week*
Your ad dollars go further when you target your audience
APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008 CLASSIFIEDS PAGE 51
Want to let W mom, dad m and all of your o exs know ex you’re tying the ty knot?
*when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks
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Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today! Placing Classifieds Liner Ads
FOR SALE
In Person: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, By Phone or on the Web: 24 Hours, 7 Days
Deadline for Line Advertising is Friday at 3 p.m. for the following Friday’s issue. You may place your ad via our secure voicemail system, fax or e-mail at any time, or on our Web site. Please have the following information ready to place your ad:
YOUR AD COPY • YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS • DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER • CREDIT CARD INFORMATION
PHONE: 215-625-8501 ext. 200 OR 215-451-6182 (DIRECT) • FAX: 215-925-6437 • E-MAIL: don@epgn.com
GENERAL INFORMATION
All classified advertising must be in our office by 3 p.m. Friday for the next Friday’s paper. Ads arriving after that time will be held for the next available issue. PGN reserves the right to edit or rewrite ads as needed, to refuse any ad for any reason and to determine the final classification. Ads determined to be in bad taste, directed to or from persons under the legal age of consent or containing racially or sexually discriminatory language will be refused. We need your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number on the insertion order form for you ad. This information is confidential and will not appear in the paper. Any ads received without full information will be destroyed. Sexually explicit language will be edited or refused at the discretion of the management.
PAYMENT AND PLACEMENT
Classified ads may placed online or by mail, fax, e-mail or in person at the PGN offices at 505 S. Fourth St., Phila. Phone, fax and e-mail orders are accepted with credit/debit cards only. A $10 minimum applies to all charges. If you are paying in person with cash, please have the exact change as we cannot make change at the office. All ads must be prepaid for their entire run. NO EXCEPTIONS! DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL; IT’S NOT SAFE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED.
POLE BUILDINGS Residential Garages, Agricultural, Commercial, Horse Barns - Many options, colors, and sizes available. Fully erected. Maintenance Free. www.fettervillesales.com 1(800) 331-1875. _______________________________33-30 HUGE SAVINGS! Steel Arch Buildings. 3 repo’d 20x24, 25x40. Selling for balances owed! Don’t miss out, call today! 1-866-339-7449. _______________________________33-30
AUTOS
PETS English Bulldog rescue needs foster and forever families in PA, NJ, DE, MD. 215-9685530, 609-234-0916. _______________________________33-30
Send us your S wedding/civil union/ wed commitment c BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ceremony Settle IRS Back Taxes for less than you owe! If announcement a you quailify we can: Stop wage garnishments. Remove bankwe’ll levies, tax levies, property and share it an seizures. Stop payment plans that get you nowhere. Settle the state and business with City ofpayroll w tax problems. Eliminate penalties, interest charges & tax liens. If you owe over $15,000 Brotherly Love. Br in back taxes, call now! Free consultation! No
E-mail information to in TERM DISCOUNTS - BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ISSUES PREPAID 4 weeks, 5% • 8 weeks, 10% • 16 weeks, 15% • 26 weeks, 20% editor@epgn.com edit CANCELLATION POLICY All PGN Classified ads are cancelable and refundable except for “FRIENDS” ads. Deadline for cancellation is or fax us at o 3 p.m. Friday. The balance will be credited to your credit/debit card. Checks take two weeks to process. The date of the first issue the ad appeared in,Over along with40,000 the classification, your name, address and daytime Reach Readers Weekly Forphone As Little As $25.00 A Week. (215) 925-6437. number is required to cancel your ad. ���������������������������������������������������������������� (21 DONATE VEHICLE Receive $1000 Grocery Coupon. Noah’s Arc Support No Kill Shelters. Research to Advance Veterinary Treatments. Free Towing, Tax Deductible, Non-Runners accepted 1-866-912-GIVE _______________________________33-30 Buy Police Impounds! 99 Honda Civic $500! 00 Toyota Camry $700! 97 Nissan Altima $600! Hondas, Chevys, Jeeps & More! For listings 800-546-5204 ext 3553 _______________________________33-30
Obligation! Confidential! American Tax Relief 1-800-317-9712. _______________________________33-30 Buried in Credit Card Debt? Balances never seem to go down? Only making the minimum payments? We can get you out of debt in months instead of years. We can save you thousands of dollars. We can help you avoid bankruptcy. Not a high-priced consolidation loan or one of those consumer credit counseling programs. Call for your FREE consultation! Credit Card Relief 1-866-475-5959. _______________________________33-30
Social Security Disability Claims Appeals PAGE 52
215-629-0585 CLASSIFIEDS
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY Suite 202 Oxford Valley Rd. Fairless Hills, PA 19030
PAGE 106
DJK RooďŹ ng 15 West Walnut Ave Insured Westmont, NJ 08108 State License (856) 869-4300 # 13VH01175500 Fax (856) 869-9680 Bonded
CLASSIFIEDS
this space: only $25 per week*
Your ad dollars go further when you target your audience *when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today!
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
CLASSIFIEDS/THE PLAYGROUND
HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY ARE YOU HOT!
PAGE 53
Dowd Heating & Air Inc. 215-752-3638
2490 Williamson Court Bensalem, Pa 19020
Fax : 215-501-8306
“Gay owned and operated”
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today! SERVICES MAKE MONEY PLAYING THE LOTTERY Guaranteed System. FREE report. Call toll-free 1-877-526-6957 ID#B4679 or go to: www.flalottomagic.net/?=B4679 for more information! Very small investment. Many other extras and discounts are included, as well as a Free 30 min M4M massage for signing up for every month that you are a member, if you contact JT at (856)397-1089. _______________________________33-32 ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE From Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Computers, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 866-858-2121 www.CenturaOnline.com _______________________________33-30 AIRLINES ARE HIRING Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified -Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (888)349-5387. _______________________________33-30
ADOPTION Pregnant? Considering adoption? We are a childless couple seeking to adopt. Will provide FULL-TIME/AT-HOME parent. Financial security. Expenses paid. Steve & Robert. 1-888-836-3639. _______________________________33-30
BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES ALL CASH VENDING! Do you earn $800 in a day? Your own local candy route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy All for $9,995. 1-800-460-4027. _______________________________33-30 Major National Insurance Company has a limited number of local agencies for sale in PA. A Great Business Opportunity! Please send inquires to: agencyforsalePA@aol.com or/Fax:866-296-7535. _______________________________33-30
IT ONLY FEELS LIKE AN EMERGENCY.
Place your free online classifieds ad at www.philagaynews.com
PGN
OnlinePersonals
FRIENDS
MEN
LOOKING FOR ROMANCE Attractive GWM, warm, sensitive, caring, 48 y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for other GWM, 30-50, who is also in good shape. I live in NE Phila. I’m looking for guys who are also sensitive, caring with a fun personality. If this sounds interesting to you feel free to call me, David, 215-698-0215. _______________________________33-38
Erotic Dungeon Master
6’, 165 lbs., 60 year old Master, greek active, french passive requires obedient slave for training, S&M, B/D, W/S, etc. Limits respected and expanded. Assistant Master wanted. Call Dave at 215-729-6670, day or evening. _______________________________33-48 GWM, Italian, top or bottom, 7” cut. Also into assplay, toys & water sports. Bi, straight, out of towners welcome. Day or night. Call Jeff at 215-850-7900. _______________________________33-30 Yo! I’m Jay. Masculine, attractive BM ISO masc. BMs, 35-50 y.o. to fulfill my foot fetish. I want to give you a foot massage, close body contact and also hot J/O together. Call me at 267-882-5018 after 4 PM to 12 AM. _______________________________33-30 SUB BOTTOM FOR DOM TOP GWM, 6’3”, 250, br/br, goatee, hairy. Submissive bottom looking to service a dominant top. Oral, anan. SM, BD, TT, WS, spanking boots, feet, pits, kink, humiliation, role play, groups! At your service. Del. Co or CC. 610-622-0916. _______________________________33-31 SEEKING FRIENDSHIP AND MORE GWM, 50, 5’7”, 140, attractive, easy-going, seeking younger males 18-40 for friends and more. Let’s check out the fun places in the city together: restaurants, plays, movies, concerts, clubs, bars. Contact: rossri@email.chop.edu _______________________________33-34
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today! PGN
THE PLAYGROUND
PAGE 54
Adult/Personals
CERTIFIED
MASSAGE
MASSAGE
MASSAGE BY HOT L.A. JOCK
Hot, Muscular, Defined, Smooth, Solid Pecs and Abs, with a Great, Warm and Friendly Personality. I am very discreet. I offer a Strong Deep Tissue, Very Sensual, and Erotic Session.
• Full Body • Deep Tissue • Sensual
6’, 195 lbs, Muscle Gives Sensual / Therapeutic Massage
MASSAGE
MASSAGE
Deep Tissue, Sensual and Erotic Massage
Submit and Surrender
E-mail us: pgn@ epgn.com
Deep tissue/Erotic massage BDSM training Body shaving in/out
Call or text my cell: 213-595-9552 D96
Handsome Certified Therapist
MASSAGE
by handsome athletic man
Available NOW-September.
Call 215-432-6030
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Ask about the After Midnight Special.
Call Franco anytime 24/7 at 215-463-0368 B24
Man for Man Massage Tall, attractive, muscular Sensual/Erotic Massage I will tailor your massage to suit your needs...
• Erotic
Incall/Outcall
Convenient to Lower Bucks, NE Phila. 15 mins from CC & S.Jersey Available to any Phila area Hotel B-7
B-2
215-313-1010 G12
KEN 215-317-8378 www.kbmassage.com
PGN G-01
• Sensual • Erotic
Available for in/out appointments.
Discreet, clean and relaxing atmosphere. JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Call Franco anytime 24/7 FRIENDS at 215 463- 0368.B24 B24
Call Call
MEN
B-2 B-2
Strong Hands Massage & More
Submit and Surrender
Deep tissue/Erotic massage BDSM training Body shaving in/out
KEN 215-317-8378 http://hometown.aol.com/ http://hometown.aol.com/ kbmassage kbmassage
267-246-2865 Available 24/7 MEN
AdamFRIENDS
nite. GWM couple ISO massage GWMs 18-40 yrs. for sensual 1 on 1 and group sex. Stockings, pantyhose, tailored toCall your etc. Starts 9 PM Sat. Sat.needs 7-8 PM 856910-8303,inask Mark. myforconvenient NW _______________________________33-24 THE PLAYGROUND suburban location G-06 G-06Italian, GWM, top or bottom, 7” cut. Also into assplay, toys & water sports. Bi, straight, out of towners welcome. Day or night. Call Jeff at FRIENDS 215-850-7900. _______________________________33-18
Steve - 717.615.2178 610.203.2798 MEN
Reservation deadline is Friday, 3pm, prior to issue to appear. Camera ready ads must arrive by noon on Monday prior to issue.
Books
PAGE 55
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
JULY 24 - 30, 2009
Thanks to Mark, Carrie, Fran and all of our friends in the LGBT community!
Johnny Doc