PGN Aug. 28 - Sept. 3, 2015 by The Philadelphia Gay News

Fall arts preview, from the Art Museum to Zeppelin PAGE 23

Judge urged to quickly rule on ADA protections’ reach PAGE 5

Family Portrait: One pair looks for full house PAGE 25

‘Gay pizza’ reopens on 13th Street

PAGE 2

Aug. 28 - Sept. 3, 2015

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PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM

Vol. 39 No. 35

Antibias bills re-intro’d By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

WELCOME HOME: The doors of the new GALAEI building swung open Tuesday night for the organization’s Open House celebration. The queer Latino social-justice organization moved from its former Center City location to 149 W. Susquehanna Ave. in North Philadelphia in the spring to better connect with its constituents. The three-story building includes meeting, program and event space and, on its second floor, a prominent portrait of the late Gloria Casarez, created by artist Betsy Casañas. The former GALAEI executive director and director of LGBT Affairs for the city passed away last fall. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Cop removed from street patrol after anti-LGBT slurs By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Philadelphia Police Officer Matthew Zagursky was removed from street patrol last week, after he was caught on video uttering anti-LGBT slurs and coercing a motorist into purchasing tickets to a police fundraiser. The actions of Zagursky, a nine-year veteran of the Philadelphia police force, were recorded by a camera inside a motorist’s vehicle during a recent traffic stop. Zagursky, 32, can be heard on the video blatantly gender-stereotyping and exhibiting anti-LGBT bias. For example, when questioning the motorist about his pink windshield wipers, he said: “What’s up with the faggot-ass wipers?” The motorist indicated the wipers are pink to demonstrate support for breast-cancer awareness. “Breast cancer I can understand,”

Zagursky replied. “But can’t you support breast cancer in another way? It looks like you’re a fruitcake. You know? What the hell?” Zagursky encouraged the motorist to purchase three tickets to an upcoming Police and Fire Thrill Show, and to take a female so he won’t look like a “fruitcake.” The thrill show raises funds to pay college tuition for the children of Philadelphia police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. Additionally, Zagursky referred to the man’s vehicle and its content as “shit.” The motorist couldn’t be reached for comment. On the video, he appears to hand Zagursky $30 for three thrill-show tickets, to avoid having his vehicle towed. The video was posted on a Facebook account belonging to someone with the user name “Rob Stay Faded.” Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey condemned Zagursky’s actions. “What he did was totally inappropri-

The effort to ban LGBT discrimination made its way back to the state legislature this week, under a new moniker. The newly named Pennsylvania Fairness Act was introduced in both the House and Senate on Wednesday. The long-stalled legislation would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to prohibit LGBT discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-23rd Dist.) is again spearheading the House version with Sen. Tom Killion (168th Dist.), and Sens. Larry Farnese (D-First Dist.) and Pat Browne (R-16th Dist.) are taking up the Senate bill. The House version has 83 cosponsors, including 12 Republicans, and the Senate version has 25, including six Republicans. The legislation was last introduced in May 2013 with 77 House cosponsors and 25 Senate cosponsors, including nine Republicans overall. The House version ultimately peaked at 97 cosponsors, a number that Frankel spokesperson Gabe Spece

acknowledged could be hard to reach this time around. “Given the makeup of the House, it’ll be a challenge to get to that high point,” he said. “I think we have more votes for it; it’s just a matter of whether people want to put their name on it right now. We and advocacy groups have conversations with members, trying to whip votes, and we see a lot who are willing to support the bill — the numbers are good — they just aren’t ready to put their name on it as a cosponsor.” Spece said Frankel is working closely with Killion to rally Republican support in the House. “[Frankel] is happy with the numbers we have. He’s now going to turn to having conversations with some of his colleagues who didn’t want to sign their name before it was introduced. That’s the next phase.” Farnese told PGN he was pleased with the level of support his bill has seen as well. “Having that bipartisan support right off the bat, especially from Sen. Browne, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, is really important,” he said. “I’m excited at the prospect of the bill finally making it PAGE 19 across the goal line and

Suspect arrested in brutal attack on trans woman By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

A transgender woman was among three people who were violently attacked in North Philadelphia last week, allegedly by the same man. As of presstime, the 5 3 - y e a r- o l d t r a n s g e n der woman remained in Hahnemann University Hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition. Marcus Jones, 23, was arrested the following day for her attack and attacks on two men. He is charged with attempted murder in connection with the attack

on the woman; two counts of robbery, aggravated assault, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property; and three counts of simple assault and reckless endangerment. Jones, who did not have any prior arrests, is being held on $500,000 bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 8 a.m. Sept. 8. The woman and the suspect were known to one another, and police spokesperson Officer Tanya Little said investigators do not believe Jones targeted her for being transgender. The incident took place around 1 p.m. Aug. 18 in the 900 block of North Watts

Street. Officers responding to a call of an assault found the woman unconscious. Video surveillance later obtained allegedly showed Jones punching and kicking the victim until she was rendered unconscious. He then allegedly stomped repeatedly on her face before fleePAGE 18 ing with

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Counselor charged with child molestation By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Percival Outland, a former counselor at the Germantown Boys & Girls Club, is accused of having sexual contact with a 12-year-old boy at the Kimmel Center. On May 8, Outland escorted the boy and several other youth on a field trip to the Kimmel Center. At one point, Outland allegedly followed the boy into a restroom and attempted to have sexual contact with him. During the return trip, Outland allegedly smoked marijuana, drank alcohol and attempted to have additional sexual contact with the boy. When the boy’s mother arrived, she briefly questioned Outland about the delay in returning her son. Noticing that her son was upset, the mother eventually elicited information from the boy that led to Outland’s arrest on July 23. PGN doesn’t publish the names of alleged sexual-assault victims without their consent, and is withholding the names of the boy and his mother. Outland, 39, is charged with unlawful sexual contact with a minor, corruption of minors, indecent assault and simple assault. He’s been released on bail, and a preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m. Sept. 3 in Courtroom 5F of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. Outland is also a named defendant in a civil suit filed by the boy’s mother on Aug. 11. Additional defendants include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Germantown Boys & Girls Club.

Boys & Girls Clubs provide after-school programming for youth in an effort to build character and help create responsible adults. The civil suit lists six counts against defendants: negligence, child sexual abuse, civil conspiracy to endanger children, premise liability, false imprisonment, negligent misrepresentation and negligent supervision. The civil suit seeks more than $5 million in damages for the boy and his mother, who are in counseling due to the experience. The civil suit also alleges Outland exchanged inappropriate text messages in the past with a 13-year-old boy, yet the Germantown Boys & Girls Club retained Outland as an employee. Raheem S. Watson, an attorney for the boy and his mother, expressed hope that the civil suit will have a beneficial effect. “I think the [Germantown] Boys & Girls Club has a great model, a great mission and a great group of people running the organization,” Watson told PGN. “But there also seems to be a culture of allowing bad people to infiltrate the organization and do bad things to kids. That has to end. And we’re hoping this lawsuit will serve as a very clear message to the Boys & Girls Club that they have to do better.” The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, based in Atlanta, issued this statement: “Boys & Girls Clubs of America is aware of a lawsuit related to alleged sexual misconduct by a former employee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. Child protection and safety is the number-one priority of Boys & Girls Clubs. Every Club organization is committed to PAGE 15

‘Gay Pizza’ reopened By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Gayborhood residents and visitors got a late-night treat last weekend. Brothers Andrew and Michael Cappelli dished out 200 free slices Friday and Saturday nights to mark the soft opening of their Pizzeria Cappelli, 209 S. 13th St., which celebrates its grand opening this weekend. The new eatery is operating in the space of the defunct 13th Street Gourmet Pizza, known to locals as “Gay Pizza.” Licenses & Inspections shut the shop down abruptly in late June for not having paid licensing fees. The new owners, who operate Cappelli Brothers Cigar Company next to the shop, were eager to preserve the longtime Gayborhood store. “It’s been a staple of the neighborhood and, after it went out of business, we were forced to watch a lot of people walk by yelling and screaming that they couldn’t get late-night pizza,” Andrew Cappelli said. “It’s been a really important part of the neighborhood for 10 years

so it was an obvious choice to keep it open.” Andrew said both he and his brother have an extensive amount of experience in the food-service industry, from dishwashing in high school to cooking in college to managing bars. “We both have many years in the hospitality business,” Andrew said. The brothers brought on four employees, some of whom worked at the pizza shop a decade ago, before it came under its last owners. “My brother’s been in the neighborhood for years and is friends with some of the employees who worked there before, so we brought them back,” said Andrew. “They were there when the place opened 10 years ago.” The shop will concentrate on pizza, with slices starting at $3, with plans for wings in the future. Andrew said the revived shop will offer quality products and service. “It’s going to be fresher ingredients and service with a smile.” Pizzeria Cappelli is open 4 p.m.-4 a.m. daily. n

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Family Portrait Scene in Philly Comics Out & About Q Puzzle

Saying farewell to a long-time LGBT community member who served with distinction

23 QUEER CONNECTIONS: LGBT and ally professionals mixed and mingled Monday night at the Independence Business Alliance’s ConnX networking mixer. The monthly event was held at Duross & Langel’s new salon and yoga studio space, above its Gayborhood storefront. The next ConnX event will be held in conjunction with William Way LGBT Community Center’s Out Philadelphia Athletic League Sept. 29 at Field House. OPAL members who register for the event by Sept. 25 will receive free admission, and the OPAL team with the most members in attendance will receive a $500 Field House gift card for a future event. RSVP at OPAL-IBA@ thinkIBA.com. Photo: Scott A. Drake

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This week in Arts & Culture: 12 — Mombian: Back to school 12 — On Being Well: Managing your strong emotions

Classifieds 35 — Real Estate 37 — Personals 39 — Bulletin Board

Next week OutLaw

Two weeks Thinking Queerly Out Money

Our Fall Arts Preview gives you a look ahead to the concerts, music, exhibits, musicals, plays and other entertainment so you can plan ahead.

Pages 23-26

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Both sides in trans case urge judge to issue ruling By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com In a rare show of unity, both sides in the Kate Blatt antibias case are urging a federal judge to promptly rule on Blatt’s challenge to the Americans With Disabilities Act’s exclusion of gender-identity disorder as a protected disability. Blatt, a Pottsville trans woman, claims the GID exclusion violates her constitutional right to equal protection under the law. But the federal Department of Justice wants U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to defer ruling on the GID issue, noting that Blatt’s sex-discrimination claim could bring her similar relief. Blatt is challenging the GID exclusion as part of her lawsuit against Cabela’s Inc., a Hamburg retail store that specializes in outdoor sports items. She worked as a seasonal stocker at Cabela’s from September 2006 to March 2007. Blatt claims Cabela’s discriminated against her on the basis of her disability — gender dysphoria — by denying her

access to a female restroom and a female name tag. Blatt claims she had a right to those “reasonable accommodations.” Cabela’s hasn’t taken a position on the GID exclusion, but denies treating Blatt in an unreasonable manner. The DOJ recently asked that Leeson defer ruling on the GID exclusion until Blatt’s sex-discrimination claim against Cabela’s is adjudicated. If Blatt is successful in her sex-discrimination claim, there won’t be a need for the GID exclusion to be addressed by the court, according to the DOJ. In court filings, both sides disagreed with the DOJ’s position, noting that even if Blatt were successful in her sex-discrimination claim, there could still be a need for another jury trial pertaining to the GID exclusion. Holding two trials in the case would be a waste of judicial resources, both sides maintained. “[T]he DOJ’s seemingly unsupported position, which appears driven only by an unwillingness to take a stance

on a controversial subject, will likely force the parties to engage in two substantially similar trials, resulting in a litany of untold expenses, inefficiencies and potential prejudices,” Cabela’s asserted in a filing. Nicole Navas, a DOJ spokesperson, had no comment for this story. The DOJ reserved the right to intervene if Leeson determines that a ruling on the GID exclusion can’t be deferred. Blatt is seeking an unspecified amount in compensatory and punitive damages from Cabela’s. But Cabela’s claims Blatt was properly dismissed after she threatened a coworker’s child — an allegation Blatt vehemently denies. “Cabela’s maintains that it did not discriminate or retaliate against Ms. Blatt in any way, and acted at all times pursuant to legitimate nondiscriminatory business reasons,” Cabela’s said in a recent filing. The ADA protects persons with disabilities from discrimination in private employment, public accommodations and governmental services. n

FAMILY FUNDAY: Philadelphia Family Pride, an organization for families with LGBT parents, held its annual Summer Potluck Picnic Aug. 22 at Freedom Playground in Havertown. The picnic tables were overflowing with healthy, kid-friendly dishes for the group’s first picnic at Freedom Playground. The organization’s next outing is a camping trip this weekend to Wharton State Forest in New Jersey. Photo: Scott A. Drake

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Obituary Michael Carney, Venture Inn waiter By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A longtime and beloved waiter at one of the city’s oldest gay bars and restaurants died earlier this month. Michael Carney, who spent more than 30 years working at Venture Inn, died Aug. 20 of a heart attack. Carney, a native of Northeast Philadelphia, joined the Venture Inn team around 1980, initially as a dishwasher, and worked his way up to waiter. Lenny Cooney, the establishment’s former manager, hired Carney and said that, once he became a waiter, he immediately started building a following. “In those days, we concentrated on the restaurant more so than the bar; the restaurant actually carried

the bar in those days, that’s how busy we were,” Cooney said. “And Michael had a steady flow of clientele. They would come in and would wait hours to be seated at his station. That’s how well-liked he was.” That popularity only grew with his tenure at the restaurant. “As soon as people would walk in, they’d say, ‘Is Michael here?’” said Venture Inn bartender Henry Brinton. “He’d know which table customers wanted, what they wanted to eat, drink. He’d pretty much been waiting on some of the same people since he started here when he was young. He’d sit down and talk with them about the old days, about baseball. The other waiters would just be standing around the dining room with

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nothing to do because everyone wanted Michael. He was very wellliked, by customers and staff.” Carney was a fountain of little-known facts, Cooney said, especially about entertainment gossip of the day. “He was very inquisitive about movie stars, wanted to know all about them. When computers first came out, he was one of the first ones to go out and grab one and would go home after work and spend time looking up all this gossip,” Cooney laughed. “He could tell you when stars were born, who they slept with, all kinds of stuff. It was a big joke at the restaurant that anything you didn’t know, you could ask Michael. He was a very smart man.” Carney was also a gambling enthusiast and would often take trips to Atlantic City. “He loved the casino,” Cooney said. “We’d head down there and have comps for meals, shows, and we’d get a group and he’d use his comps. He was a very giving, caring, sharing person. He would give you the shirt off his back if he could.” That generosity extended throughout his relationships, Cooney said. “If I was ever troubled about something, he’d sit with me and talk and listen. And he gave some good advice for a young fellow. I listened to him,” Cooney said. “He was an all-around good person.” Details on a memorial service are pending. In addition to his Venture Inn family, Carney is survived by his father, sister, brother-in-law and nephew. n

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Conversion-therapy backers among World Meeting participants By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Much of the publicity about the upcoming World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia has centered on the participation by Pope Francis, but for several days before the papal visit, the conference will feature dozens of speakers exploring the Catholic faith — including a number who have advocated for conversion therapy for LGBT youth. Conversion therapy is the effort to change an individual’s sexual orientation, a practice that has been decried by all major medical and psychological associations. Several states, including New Jersey, have banned the practice for youth. At least eight individuals who have personally backed conversion therapy or who are connected to organizations promoting conversion therapy will be speaking at panel discussions and workshops during the World Meeting’s Congress, an international conference running Sept. 22-25 in Philadelphia that focuses on strengthening Catholic families. Through board positions, published works, speaking engagements and other ties, the individuals are associated with such organizations as the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, Courage, the Restored Hope Network and Legatus. For instance, keynote speaker Helen Alvare published a 2012 book on Catholicism and women in which one contributor advocated for “changes to same-sex attraction,” which the author argued in part stems from childhood sexual abuse. Alvare has spoken at conferences for both Legatus and Courage, the latter of which is deemed the nation’s leading Catholic organization supporting conversion therapy. Although the agency has said it advocates for chastity instead of conversion therapy, its website says “members are under no obligation to try to develop heterosexual attractions, because there is no guarantee that a person will always succeed in such an endeavour,” but that “some members have found varying levels of heterosexual development to be a by-product of living a chaste life for a period of time.” The website adds that it doesn’t consider itself an “ex-gay” organization because “many Courage members have never labelled themselves ‘gay’ prior to coming to Courage.” Another speaker, Christopher West, sits on the board of references for the Restored Hope Network, an organization that arose from the now-defunct Exodus, an advocate of conversion therPAGE 15

News Briefing New date set for alleged killer A new hearing date has been set for the alleged killer of a local transgender woman. Rahaem Felton was scheduled for a pretrial conference Aug. 19 before Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner, but his defense attorneys requested more time to conduct further investigation. Felton is accused of stabbing to death Londyn Chanel in May at an abandoned home the pair shared with two other transgender women. A witness said Felton stabbed Chanel after she accused him of making sexual advances toward her. Felton is scheduled for a pre-trial conference 9 a.m. Sept. 29 in Room 1105 of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. He is charged with murder and possession of an instrument of crime and remains incarcerated at Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility.

BBQ to target sex-work stigma The LGBT community and allies are invited to take part in a barbecue next weekend that seeks to combat stigma associated with sex work. The Connecting Communities BBQ will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 29 at Thomas Paine Plaza, 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd. Hosted by Deja Lynn Alvarez, the event will feature free food, entertainment, a DJ, free and confidential health screenings and HIV testing, and health workshops and resource tables. It is presented by the Strength Alliance, comprised of a number of local agencies, including Resources for Human Development, Youth Health Empowerment Project, Philadelphia Black Pride, GALAEI, Nehemiah Tabernacle and RHD’s Morris Home, Abbottsford-Fall

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Health Center and Health Annex. For more information, call 215-951-0300 ext. 3037 or email Michael.Anderson@rhd. org. — Jen Colletta

Pre-trial conference slated for homicide case A pre-trial status conference is set for next month in the case of Randolph Sanders, who’s accused of murdering coworker Kim Jones, a lesbian, as she waited for a bus in North Philadelphia. The victim and Sanders ran a program for Turning Points for Children, which has a contract with the city’s Department of Human Services. Police say Jones hired Sanders two years ago as an assistant director for the nonprofit organization. However, Jones allegedly accused Sanders of mismanaging funds and possibly stealing thousands of dollars from the nonprofit. On the morning of her murder, police say Jones was on her way to DHS to report Sanders. Sanders, 37, remains incarcerated at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. He’s charged with murder, illegal possession of a firearm and related offenses. The pre-trial conference will be held 10 a.m. Sept. 22 in Courtroom 1105 of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. Mark A. Levenberg is the prosecutor. Michael Coard is the defense attorney. Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner will preside.

Attorney in Milano case gets $9K payment A payment of $9,232.40 recently was approved for Jules Epstein, who served as an attorney for Frank Chester during a lengthy appellate process in the Anthony Milano murder case. The payment is in addition to earlier payments to Epstein between 2004-11 totaling $26,695, according to court records. In 1987, Chester and Richard R. Laird murdered Milano by hacking out his throat with a box cutter. Milano was gay, and prosecutors called it an antigay hate crime. In 2011, Chester’s first-degree murder

Day in the Life Of:

conviction was overturned, due to faulty jury instructions by the trial judge. Chester claims his trial attorney was deficient, necessitating the voiding of all his convictions, including second-degree murder and kidnapping. But a federal judge rejected Chester’s claim, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the rejection earlier this year. Third Circuit Judge Thomas L. Ambro recently approved a $9,232.40 payment to Epstein for work performed on behalf of Chester between October 2013 and May 2015. According to court records, Epstein worked 50.2 hours on behalf of Chester during that time period. Epstein couldn’t be reached for comment. Chester, 46, remains on death row at a state prison in Graterford, while prosecutors decide whether to re-try him for first-degree murder. Laird, 51, remains on death row at a state prison in Franklin Township. He’s seeking a new trial, on the basis that attorneys during his 2007 retrial served him ineffectively.

Court proceeding set in bullying case A court proceeding has been scheduled for next month to discuss disputes in the case of Thomas Vandergrift, a gay man who’s suing the Pennsauken School District for anti-LGBT bias. Vandergrift contends district officials wrongfully accused him of child molestation after he advocated for a proper education for his autistic nephew. Vandergrift also claims his nephew experienced pervasive anti-LGBT bullying while he attended school in the district. The case is in the discovery phase of litigation, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider scheduled an in-person conference to discuss discovery disputes for 2 p.m. Sept. 22 at the U.S. Court House in Camden. Both sides must document all disputes to be discussed at the proceeding. If a dispute isn’t documented three days prior to the proceeding, it can’t be discussed, the judge said. Vandergrift is suing for an unspecified amount in damages, along with policy changes within the school district. n — Tim Cwiek

Only in

Ever wonder how other LGBT people spend their 9-5? From bankers to bartenders, educators to entrepreneurs, our community is represented in all workforces — and here’s your chance to get on-the-job look at a day in their lives.

Online and in print every third Friday of the month.

LOCAL pGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

Engagement Josh Schonewolf and Daniel Palmieri By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

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A 2,800 square foot single story ranch with four bedrooms and three full baths. It showcases a traditional style with striking contemporary features: large living spaces with an exquisite kitchen including granite counters, Quality Custom Cabinetry, abundant storage, and a wet bar. $379,900.

© MMVI Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Les Bords de l’Epte a Giverny, used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated.

It was love at first bid for Daniel Palmieri and Josh Schonewolf, who got engaged earlier this month. The couple met at the 2014 Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus bachelor auction fundraiser, when Schonewolf bid $280 for a date with Palmieri, a PGMC member. “I knew all the drag queens hosting and they were joking and kept trying to bully me into making a bid but I wasn’t having it,” said Schonewolf, 34, a native of South Philadelphia and a local event producer. “Danny was the last one to come up and did this burlesque performance and I took notice. They asked if there were any bids and I just decided to bid $280. I was just immediately attracted to him.” But, he was outbid by a fellow guest. “That whole thing was surreal,” said Palmieri, 31, a native of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the group-sales manager at Kimmel Center. “I was standing up there in my little underwear and people started shouting out money. I was like, well this is a new experience. But the winning bid was $300 so Josh literally just missed out on me.” “And I make him pay for it to this day,” Palmieri laughed. Schonewolf approached Palmieri after the

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event. “He was telling me how he runs events and that he liked my burlesque number and wanted to talk about having me in one of his shows,” Palmieri said. “I was thinking, This guy so good-looking, and he liked my work! I liked how totally upfront he was and he wasn’t afraid to come say hi.” The pair talked in the ensuing days and ultimately went on a date to Square on Square, where Palmieri said they had an “immediate connection. It was so much fun, and it hasn’t stopped.” Schonewolf said the couple is committed to respecting one another on all levels. “He completely respects me, and I completely respect him,” Schonewolf said. “We complement each other well,” Palmieri added. “He brings out the absolute best in me. My brother said it best when he said he hasn’t seen me happier or more myself than in the last year-and-a-half. We just love and support each other and allow each other to be so authentically ourselves; it’s hard not to feel absolutely wonderful in that environment.” The couple happened to be moving in together the day the U.S. Supreme Court legalized marriage equality nationwide, prompting Schonewolf, who covertly bought a ring from a jeweler in Provincetown, Mass., to plan his proposal. “It was an exciting, magical day and it was such a big step for us. I just thought, Unusual this needs to happen; it made perfect sense,” Schonewolf said. Unassuming While in P-Town earlier this month, the couple was having breakfast on the beach Unforgettable when Schonewolf popped the question. “We got coffee and breakfast sandwiches A welcoming & diverse and he suggested sitting on the beach. It was Jewish community. beautiful, we were chillaxing and I was really A Reconstructionist enjoying my sausage, egg and cheese sand- Rabbi A Conservative liturgy. wich,” Palmieri laughed. “He got quiet, which is not like Josh, and said he’s been thinking about the future, reached for his pocket and a SHS embraces got down on one knee in the sand — I don’t approach even remember what unique he said, I was just like to & spirituality yes! I was shocked.worship It was perfect and so sweet.” through Schonewolf said prayer, the moment was just&assong. music flawless from his vantage point. “There was no one on the beach; it was like a movie scene and Come they had and clearedsee it outwhat for the us,” he said. “He started crying as I gotisdown excitement about. on one knee. It was awesome.” The couple is planning to take their time with the wedding-planning process. Society Hill this Synagogue “Right now, we’re just enjoying new little bubble of life we’re in,” Palmieri said. 418 Spruce Street “We’re having a blast living together, and everything is just wonderful;(215) it’s 922-6590 really nice bettyv@societyhillsynagogue.org to just take a moment, sit back and enjoy our happiness.” n

LOCAL PGN

Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the Sixth Police District between Aug. 10-16. Information is courtesy of Sixth District Capt. Brian Korn; Stacy Irving, senior director, Crime Prevention Service; Center City District; the Police Liaison Committee and Midtown Village Merchants Association. To report crime tips, visit www.phillypolice.com or call 215-686-TIPS. INCIDENTS

someone broke into an apartment in the 1100 block of Spruce Street through an unlocked window and stole a bicycle, iPad and jewelry. Sixth District Officer Keenan lifted fingerprints at the scene. — There was one theft from a parked vehicle reported Aug. 10-16: outside 903 Lombard St. — There were three thefts of bicycles reported Aug. 10-16: outside 1200 Market St., 1100 Locust St. and 1106 Locust St.

— At 12:20 a.m. Aug. 10, a man was accosted outside 201 S. Camac St. by three males who punched and kicked him and stole his shopping bag. The perpetrators were black. One had an afro and was wearing a green hoodie, while another was wearing a red hoodie and the third was wearing a white T-shirt.

NON-SUMMARY ARRESTS

— At noon Aug. 10, a woman was walking in the 900 block of Market Street when a male snatched an envelope containing a money order from her hand and fled westbound. The robber was described as a black male, 6-foot-2, thin, wearing a black hoodie and jeans.

— At 10:40 a.m. Aug. 12, two men were in an argument outside 101 S. 13th St. when one stabbed the other in the arm. Center City District bike-patrol officers witnessed the incident and arrested the suspect, recovering the knife. The victim was treated and released from the hospital. The 49-year-old suspect with a North Philadelphia address was charged with aggravated assault.

— At 10 p.m. Aug. 13, someone stole a woman’s handbag from a chair inside Tabu, 200 S. 12th St. The culprit was described as a 50-year-old black male, 5-foot-6, 135 pounds, bald, clean-shaven, with a dark complexion and wearing a red baseball cap, red T-shirt, jeans and black sneakers. — At 7 a.m. Aug. 15, workers at the construction site at 201 S. Broad St. discovered two males inside the work site attempting to steal tools. The suspects fled and were described as black; the first was 5-foot-8, 150 pounds and wearing jeans, and the other was 6-foot-1, 225 pounds and bald, wearing jeans. — At 2:25 p.m. Aug. 15, a man and woman were walking in the 1200 block of Lombard Street when two passing males made a remark about the woman. The man confronted the males and one then pulled out a knife and asked if he wanted to fight. The couple walked away with no further incident. The suspects were described as white and in their 20s; the first was 6-foot-3 and wearing a yellow Polo shirt, plaid shorts and a baseball cap, and the second was wearing a dark T-shirt and plaid shorts. — Between 4:30-11:30 a.m. Aug. 16,

— At 10:45 a.m. Aug. 10, Sixth District officers arrested a male outside 1023 Walnut St. who was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear for court. The 60-yearold homeless suspect was charged with contempt of court.

— On Aug. 12, Sixth District plainclothes officers made arrests for prostitution at 10:40 p.m. and 11 p.m. outside 1200 Locust St., and at 10:45 p.m. outside 1201 Lombard St. SUMMARY ARRESTS — At 8:35 p.m. Aug. 11, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 261 S. 13th St. — At 1:40 a.m. Aug. 12, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 100 S. 13th St. — At 2:25 a.m. Aug. 14, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 1200 Chancellor St. — On Aug. 15, Sixth District officers issued citations for summary offenses at 2:30 a.m. outside 1200 Walnut St., 11 p.m. outside 1200 St. James St. and 11:05 p.m. outside 202 S. 13th St. — At 2:05 a.m. Aug. 16, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 1200 Chancellor St. n

Philadelphia Gay News We love to get picked up.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Todd Courser

Editorial

Awareness over ignorance In the age of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and alarmingly high incidence of violence against transgender women of color, the negative has been overwhelming the positive when it comes to police public relations. However, there was one case this week that deserves some praise — and another whose outcome could as well. Late last week, a transgender woman was viciously attacked in North Philadelphia by a man who kicked and punched her until she was unresponsive, and then stomped on her head. Police say the woman’s transgender identity did not factor into the crime and that the suspect carried out similar crimes against two men around the same time. Through what has been characterized as excellent policework, the perpetrator was brought in the day after the crime and will hopefully have the book thrown at him, with an attempted murder charge lodged in regard to the attack on the woman, in addition to a litany of other charges. The incident put the police department’s Policy 102 directive to the test, and the department carried out its tenets successfully. The directive lays down guidelines for officers who are identifying and working with transgender members of the public, whether they are victims or suspects. In this case, the department referred to the victim in its official release as a woman, with female pronouns used throughout, and no mention of her transgender identity. According to the city’s director of LGBT Affairs, department officials immediately contacted her office and had a discussion about how to publicly handle the woman’s gender identity, with some voicing concerns about “outing” her as trans. That’s a far cry from incidents that have happened in the past in which transgender individuals have been misgendered in reports, releases and in the department’s interactions with the media. Now that a written policy is in place, however, and it has been successfully executed, the precedent has been set. While the law-enforcement agents involved in this case illustrated the power of LGBT education and awareness, another officer unfortunately demonstrated the influence of ignorance. Officer Charles Zagursky was caught on camera by a motorist pressuring him to buy tickets for a police fundraiser in exchange for not impounding his car. During the exchange, the officer made numerous antigay comments, taunting the driver about his pink windshield wipers — installed to promote breast-cancer awareness. Zagursky was placed on desk duty, with Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey decrying his actions, including his homophobic slurs. But clearly, an officer who extorts a member of the public — and exhibits rampant homophobia in the process — isn’t even fit for desk duty and deserves to be summarily terminated. Progress was made with the handling of the attack on the transgender woman; however, that progress could be inhibited by incidents such as that with Zagursky — unless the department quickly makes it clear that ignorance will not be tolerated within its ranks. n

Republican Michigan state Reps. Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat, two of the most right-wing and extreme members of the legislature, have been doing it for quite some time now. Not surprisingly, Courser and Gamrat really didn’t want their affair revealed. Both are married (not to each other, duh) and both have multiple kids. But these things have a way of refusing to remain hidden. And so, on the day his affair was idea. revealed, Courser lamented, “It’s a crush “I was running on no sleep for days and ing day for those who believe in traditional no food and was simply on auto pilot” marriage and traditional morality.” when he released the email, he says. Just kidding. That’s what he said after Sounds a lot like the “Twinkie Defense.” the Supreme Court ruled in favor of mar Granted, Courser’s email blast might riage equality, while Courser was defendseem to many like a very immature, and ing traditional marriage with his penis. totally crazy, way to avoid taking personal Now, rumors about the affair had been responsibility for his actions. And that’s swirling for months. Political sex scanexactly what it was dals are a dime a dozen to be during See, the accusations revealed these days, but what a taped conversation makes this one interestCourser had with an in the email are so ing is that Courser and aide, during which Gamrat are conservative ghastly that an affair Courser spilled the Christians who seem beans about the plan with a female colto think they are holier and wanted the aide than thou. league seems tame to send out the email. Oh, and the gay And the aide was all, by comparison. And, sex Courser paid for “Bro, that’s crazy,” “behind a Lansing of course, what could and Courser was like, nightclub!” do it,” apparently be more terrible than “Just Except that never unconcerned that asking happened. Courser just being gay or bisexual? his aide to take a fake wanted people to think sick day to send out it had. fake incriminating spam email is spending Back in May, an anonymous email maktaxpayer money for such a thing. Which is ing all sorts of colorful allegations against illegal. Courser was sent to Republicans across But the aide wouldn’t. And instead he Lansing. handed over the recordings he made to The “He is a bisexual porn addicted sex devi- Detroit News and now Courser and Gamrat ant!” the email reads. “He is a gun-toting, are back in the spotlight, both under invesBible-thumping cock-sucking freak! His tigation and hopefully about to lose their whole [personality] is a sham!” jobs. The entire email is riddled with typos Courser has apologized and admitted to and grammar errors. It’s the kind of thing the affair, but claims the email was a very that even your most insane right-wing clever and calculated move to deal with uncle wouldn’t forward. some anonymous figure or figures trying to Courser has now admitted to sending blackmail him to get him to resign. In other the email out in order to cover up the news news, Courser is a very big fan of “Spy vs. about his affair. Spy.” “My actions in and around these events To borrow from a sage’s own words, and the email that was sent to misdirect “It’s a crushing day for those who believe attention were my doing both in planning in Courser’s bullshit.” n and execution,” he said in a statement on his website. D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay See, the accusations in the email are so since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and ghastly that an affair with a female colpoet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on league seems tame by comparison. And, of the creeps of the world, she reviews rock course, what could be more terrible than and roll shows in Detroit with her twin sisbeing gay or bisexual? ter and teaches writing at the University of Even Courser admits that it was a bad Michigan.

Op-Ed PGN

Trump’s racism, ridiculousness Donald Trump. When many hear that Building a wall is impossible and, even name, they want to laugh — but don’t. if you did, where there is a will, there is a He’s hit a certain nerve in some people that way. By any chance, have you noted that we don’t often talk about, and maybe we crossings of the border are in decline? should. And making Mexico pay for it? Ask yourself what Trump’s You’re no Kevin Hart, but it’s a break-out statement was that good joke. made him a player in the Now about deporting millions Republican presidential race. It of people. Are you going to was that line about Mexicans use the Army, police, National being rapists and killers. Then, Guard? How about firefighters? he doubled down on that and That’s what it would take. Are claimed he would build an you paying for the transportaunbreakable wall that Mexico tion? The simple fact is that it would pay for. If that weren’t would take tens of billions of enough, he now says he’ll dollars to pay for such an operdeport every single undocuation. And who do you think mented alien, and that includes would pay for it? You got that those babies who were born right, us taxpayers. and are growing up here. That’s Trump’s slogan should be Mark Segal amended to “Make America some 11-million people. First let’s call this what it is: Great Again: Raise Taxes.” n racism. Trump is completely slamming Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s mostpeople of one race, Mexians. And who award-winning commentator in LGBT media. is this appealing to? I’ll let you fill in the You can follow him on Facebook at www.faceblank, but what I will do is add a little book.com/MarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https:// sense to this carnival barker’s case. twitter.com/PhilaGayNews.

Mark My Words

We want to know! If you are celebrating an anniversary, engagement, wedding, adoption or other life event, we would be happy to help you announce it to the community. Send your contact information and a brief description of the event to editor@epgn.com.

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.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

Street Talk

Should trans folks be allowed to change the gender on their birth certificate prior to gender-reassignment surgery? "Yes. It's nobody's business what genitals you have. You should be able to identify as the gender of your choice, Ara Brancamp regardless social worker of your Queen Village anatomy. I think the opposition is either due to mean-spiritedness or lack of education."

"Yes. It's ridiculous to make somebody go through the trauma of surgery and recovery, so they can identify as Jerrell Jackson who they are. musician I just take Queen Village somebody at their word. If they identify as a woman, they're a woman. Their private parts are their own business."

"Yes. To require genderreassignment surgery would be unfair on so many levels. I fully support trans Nan Jordan rights. I think social worker it would Phoenixville be very undignified and a privacy intrusion to require proof of gender-reassignment surgery. We should be focusing on the mind, not genitals."

"Yes. There should be no problem with that. At a very early age, many trans people have realized they're actually the Lauren Nicastro opposite registered nurse gender. So Society Hill the sooner they can get their birth certificates to match their gender identity, the better. I think it's fine."

Letters and Feedback In response to “State agency: D.A. must certify Morris records,” Aug. 21-27:

In response to “Marriage: It’s legal, but are you ready?” Aug. 21-27:

In response to “12 men arrested in sting near Rehoboth,” Aug. 14-20:

Awesome work, PGN. I’ve been following and posting about her murder for years now. I even got into a heated Twitter exchange with D.A. Seth Williams in 2014! I am very eager to learn what really happened during that ride.

I welcome this practical article. Bring on more conversations about the marriage issue somewhere shoehorned into the early exuberance that seems to be sweeping us all to the altar.

Gimme a break. People having nookie in the woods. As old as Adam and Eve in the garden. Find something real to get your panties twisted about.

— kellibusey The PGN and Tim are to be commended for their steadfast resoluteness to finding the truth in this case in the face of over a decade and a half of obfuscation and cover-up by the authorities. The D.A., police and every city agency should release ALL records. — Kathy11

— Pat Maxwell In response to “Christie again vetoes protrans bill,” Aug. 14-20: As a resident of New Jersey, I can tell you that Tubbo the Magic Clown is no friend to our community and the geldings in the legislature have never overridden one of his vetoes. — Beach N8iv

— Thomas Simmons If no genitals were exposed and no sex was happening, then what is the crime? Who was harmed here? — timjb31 Suddenly, it is 1950 again. Don’t believe the faux “progress” of marriage equality. — judethom I have an idea. Don’t have sex in public. It

will save everyone a lot of trouble. — SAM We don’t actually know they were full-on having sex in public. But since when can full-grown adults not flirt with one another and maybe even play a little consensual grab-ass? I’m straight, and God knows I got up to that back in the day. It’s not about the behavior, it’s about who’s engaging in it. Respectability politics in bullshit. n — Dana In response to “LGBT advocates blast SEPTA ruling,” Aug. 14-20: The decision is probably correct under state law. That does not make it the correct result. — Manrico Troncelliti

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

HEALTH & PARENTING PGN

Managing strong emotions Without strong emotions, life would have frustration dissolves, and you proceed with far less meaning. We wouldn’t be excited your life. about new friendships or romantic relation Because initially you had been so ships. We wouldn’t be motivated to engage engaged in getting past the other person, in important political action. A life dediand they had been so engaged in getting cated to avoiding strong emopast you, neither of you had tions would be devoid of inspirapaused to imagine each othtion. er’s intentions. (Don’t fear. We However, we’ve all experiaren’t encouraging you to imagenced the flip side of this: when ine the intentions of everyone the intensity of our emotions, you pass on the street!) We simor those of someone we care ply think that the sidewalk sceabout, become out of control. nario illustrates, in a small way, Too much strong emotion can what can help relax the grip of a be seriously destabilizing, comchallenging emotion — imaginpromise our ability to maintain ing an alternative perspective. a flexible perspective and create In addition to considering real challenges in our lives. another person’s perspective, Emotional well-being could there are other tools or options be defined as connecting to our that can be helpful. For examemotional experience, while at ple, we can also remember how, the same time remaining curious different times, we ourselves Webb at about it. adopt different points of view in Haymaker thinking about our problems. We Imagine walking down a bustling city sidewalk. Someone and Amy Tarr can ask ourselves how we may approaches in the other direchave thought about our strugtion. You step to your left and gle in the past, or how our state they step to their right, directly in your of mind might change in the future. And path. So you step to your right, and they if trying to adopt a different point of view step to their left. You step to your left again, feels unconvincing, you could try to do and, unbelievably, they step to their right something to distract yourself out of your again. Your nerves flare with frustration. It current state of mind. Telling yourself that feels as though your opposing pedestrian is you’ll have time to deal with it later (when deliberately blocking your way. A moment you have peaceful time to reflect, or plan later, you laugh, recognize the common sce- to meet up with a supportive person in your life) can help you regain some sense of connario, thinking they are likely thinking the same thing you are. In that moment, your trol over your thought process.

On Being Well

One characteristic of depression is the tendency to dwell or ruminate. Rumination refers to a thought process that combines anxious worrying with repetitive negative thinking. And once rumination starts, it’s hard to stop. There is something compulsive about it, like a bad song you can’t get out of your head. When people come out of a depression, they often report a refreshing sense of experiencing their mind as their own again. Why do people ruminate? One idea is that people are made vulnerable by novelty, surprise or the unexpected. Over time, the repetitive quality of rumination becomes familiar, even soothing. Think of how self-critical thinking can kick in to protect you when on the verge of taking a risk, such as applying for a job or asking someone out. However, ongoing rumination is disempowering. Rumination can fill up the space that might be better used by imagining an alternative perspective. Life involves plenty of legitimate stressors — everything from money to health, discrimination to challenging relationships. Sometimes it’s extremely difficult to adopt an alternative perspective when we’re in the midst of pain, suffering or other difficulties. Thoughts pass through our mind whether we want to think them or not, carrying the potential of triggering powerful emotions. In his book “The Dream Frontier,” Mark Blechner, Ph.D., asserts that consciousness can be thought of more as monitoring, rather than directing, brain activity. While

we can’t control our thoughts, we can create the conditions that lead us to ride the ups and downs of thought process with more security and flexibility. How can we do this? There are basic things that we know reduce stress — regular sleep, exercise and nutritious meals. For deeper relaxation, there are options such as yoga and meditation. It can help to become regularly absorbed in a pleasurable and personally meaningful hobby or activity. Connecting to others helps too — even though, like the pedestrian on the city sidewalk, allowing yourself to become close to others entails inevitable collisions and negotiations. Mazzoni Center has created a group workshop aimed at helping LGBT individuals become more confident in managing the ups and downs of life. It’s called Managing Strong Emotions, and our next 10-week cycle will start in October (with single “introductory sessions” Sept. 3, 10 and 17). Each session consists of a mindfulness and relaxation exercise, an activity designed to help participants view their problems from alternative perspectives, as well as supportive group discussion. If this sounds like something that might be beneficial for you or someone you know, we encourage you to visit our website and learn more: www.mazzonicenter.org/managing-strong-emotions. n Webb Haymaker, LCSW, and Amy Tarr, LCSW, are therapists at Mazzoni Center.

Back-to-school reflections and resources Back-to-school time always raises myself with three things. mixed feelings in me. On the one hand, First, the number of school-related years of being in academia make me see resources for LGBTQ parents, the parents September, not January, as the start of the of LGBTQ children and teachers is growyear (or maybe it’s just a Jewish thing). ing ever larger. Two new items this year On the other, the lazy days deserve special attention. of summer are giving way to “Schools In Transition: school time’s hectic rush, with A Guide for Supporting my son’s after-school activiTransgender Students in K-12 ties, homework reminders and Schools” is aimed at helping the various other events and administrators, teachers and paperwork that public education parents provide “safe and supbrings in its wake. portive school environments My son is starting seventh for transgender students.” grade, his second year in the Co-authored by the National school and seventh in the same Center for Lesbian Rights, district, so I’m not particularly Gender Spectrum, the National stressing about his adjustment Education Association, the this time around — which is Civil Liberties Dana Rudolph American not to say I don’t have a fairly Union and the Human Rights normal amount of concern Campaign Foundation, it disabout the quality of his teachers and the cusses basic concepts, general guidelines kindness of his classmates. I’m sure it will for meeting the needs of transgender all be fine, but I dislike the uncertainty. youth, specific issues impacting them, As a lesbian mom, I also always have best practices and the legal landscape. a little niggle in the back of my head at Download it free at genderspectrum.org. the start of the school year about whether Not LGBTQ-specific, but of use my son will encounter any bias or harassbecause of the high incidence of bullying ment because he has two moms. I try not based on real or perceived LGBTQ status, to dwell on that, however, but to reassure is “Bullying and The Law,” a guide by

Mombian

Adele Kimmel of Public Justice, a national impact litigation group. Kimmel describes the options parents have when students are bullied. She also provides information on what parents can reasonably expect from schools in those situations, and what the options are when schools don’t do enough. The guide was created for the Bully Project, an anti-bullying initiative inspired by the award-winning 2011 film “Bully.” Download it at www.thebullyproject.com/ bullying_the_law. Other long-standing school resources parents should know about include: Human Rights Campaign’s Welcoming Schools project covers family diversity, gender stereotyping and bullying. Its website includes a section just for parents and caregivers as well as for teachers and administrators, with book recommendations, ideas for building community, suggestions for productive discussions and much more; welcomingschools.org. Family Equality Council’s Inclusive Schools page offers sample letters parents can send to teachers to start conversations about LGBTQ inclusion, suggestions for making school forms more inclusive and book ideas for all ages; familyequality.org/ get_involved/inclusive_schools.

GLSEN’s Ready, Set, Respect Toolkit has tools and lesson plans for elementary-school teachers, covering name-calling and bullying, family diversity, gender-role diversity and more; glsen.org/readysetrespect. GLSEN also has extensive safeschools materials for both educators and students in higher grades, including information on its educator-training program and starting gay-straight alliances, as well as research about the impact of homophobia and transphobia. Additionally, GLSEN manages a number of programs and events to engage school communities of all grades throughout the academic year, including Ally Week, ThinkB4YouSpeak, the Day of Silence, No Name-Calling Week and the Safe Space Kit; glsen.org. PFLAG’s Safe Schools for All: Cultivating Respect program has similar materials (in English and Spanish) for making schools safer, reducing bullying and providing comprehensive health education. They also offer a certification program for PFLAG members who want to assist with staff training and policy creation in local schools; community.pflag. org/safeschoolsforall. The Gay-Straight Alliance Network has great materials for startPAGE 18

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Michigan earlier this month. West was the apy that eventually closed and denounced keynote speaker at the RHN conference the practice. RHN’s website includes earlier this summer, and WMOF speaker resources aimed at helping people “come Damon Clark Owens promoted, via social out of homosexuality,” listing one resource media, an article advocating for conversion book titled “Shame and Attachment Loss: therapy in April. The Practical Work of Reparative Therapy,” Yount added that “Ron Belgau, a preand another as “Homosexual No More.” senter at the WMOF, specifically chal While none of the World Meeting lenges reparative therapy in his blog, workshops or discussions specifically calling the approach ‘misguided.’” addresses the topic of conversion therapy, According to the program agenda, the involvement of leading backers of the Belgau is a “celibate gay Catholic who practice runs counter to the idea of pro- embraces Church teaching,” who, with his moting family, said mother, will present Michael Sherrard, on “how Catholics executive director of “This is supposed to be an s h o u l d r e s p o n d Faithful America, an event about strengthening with both grace online community and truth to gay or of Christians advo- families and, for it to be lesbian friends or cating for social jus- crawling with people who fa m i l y m e m b e r s tice. who struggle with “This practice is promote this type of theror reject Catholic deeply damaging teaching on chasapy is really profoundly and dangerous to tity.” young people,” said worrisome.” In addition Sherrard, whose to Belgau’s sesorganization has sion, the topic of undertaken a number — Michael Sherrard, executive h o m o s e x u a l i t y of pro-LGBT grassdirector of Faithful America will also be speroots campaigns, cifically addressed such as defending a in “Redefining Methodist pastor from Pennsylvania who Marriage: Is It Really Whatever We Say was defrocked for officiating his son’s gay It Is?” which questions “what really is the wedding. “And from our perspective, it logic of same-sex marriage?” The event should not be something promoted within description says participants will explore religious communities and within the “how those who regard marriage as belongCatholic Church. This is supposed to be an ing to the divine design for human flourishevent about strengthening families and, for it to be crawling with people who promote this type of therapy is really profoundly worrisome.” Dr. Mary Beth Yount, director of Content and Programming with the World Meeting of Families-Philadelphia 2015, contended Unusual that none of the speakers actively promote conversion therapy, any longer. Unassuming “We will leave the discussion of specific models of therapy to those who are profesUnforgettable sionally qualified to make those judgments. We can say that none of the presenters at A welcoming & diverse the WMOF, to our knowledge, currently Jewish community. support this practice,” she said. A Reconstructionist Rabbi. However, Alvare was a speaker at last A Conservative liturgy. year’s Courage conference at Villanova, and breakout-session leader Dr. Janet Smith spoke at a Courage conference in SHS embraces a COUNSELOR from page 2

the highest standards of ethical behavior and integrity and does not tolerate inappropriate or illegal activity on the part of any staff member, board member or volunteer. All staff and volunteers must undergo a thorough criminal background check. All supervisory policies are designed to ensure the maximum safety and protection of Club members and staff. Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia will continue to cooperate fully with all legal proceedings and law-enforcement authorities involved in the proper adjudication of this case, and will withhold further comment until the legal process is completed.” n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

ing respond to the claim that the state has the power to redefine marriage, and that the new definition is both just and compassionate?” Yount noted that several entities collaborated on the event’s programming. “Input toward speakers in the Adult Congress came from many sources, including the Pontifical Council for the Family (at the Vatican), members of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, committee members of the World Meeting of Families-Philadelphia 2015 and the many hundreds of emails, letters and spoken suggestions from people around the world who wanted to contribute their thoughts,” she said. “It was truly a global effort, with all suggestions taken into account.” The lead-up to the conference has been affected by a number of incidents that shine a spotlight on the ongoing divisions among conservative and progressive Catholics. Earlier this month, St. John the Evangelist Church in Center City backed out of hosting a coalition of national LGBT groups staging events the same

week as the World Meeting of Families. The Archdiocese said it provided “guidance” to the church about the event, which has since been rescheduled at Arch Street United Methodist Church. In June, a Catholic school in Merion Township fired its longtime religious-education director after a parent complained to the archdiocese about her same-sex marriage, prompting a sharp national outcry. And, at least one pro-LGBT organization — Fortunate Families, which supports the parents of LGBT children — has been prohibited from exhibiting at the event. “The message Archbishop Chaput is sending to LGBT people — not only by the presence of conversion-therapy folks at the conference but also the banning of mainstream organizations and the denial of services outside of the conference — is directly contrary to what Pope Francis has said,” Sherrard said. “He has advocated for a more welcoming, compassionate church than it’s often been perceived to be in the past. But Chaput is doing his damnedest to thumb his nose at that.” n

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International Jerusalem Pride stabber charged with murder The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment Aug. 24 against Yishai Schlissel for murder and six counts of attempted murder in connection with the July stabbing attack at the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade. A Jerusalem court said earlier in August that Schlissel was fit to stand trial after he underwent a psychiatric evaluation in order to determine the state of his mental health. Schlissel said after that attack that he did not recognize the court’s authority because it did not follow Biblical laws, and refused to be represented by an attorney. He was released from prison just weeks before the attack, after having been jailed for 10 years for stabbing three people at a similar event in Jerusalem in 2005. Police came under scrutiny for letting Schlissel get so close to the parade’s marchers, despite early warnings he was planning an attack. Media reported that Shlissel posted a letter on the Internet speaking of the “abomination” of a Pride parade in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, a committee tasked with examining the Israel Police’s performance surrounding the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade was expected to recommend that five senior officers be removed from their operational posts. The five officers will not be discharged, but will instead be reassigned to staff positions. The committee was investigating how Schlissel’s name was left out of a list of six potential troublemakers given to the Jerusalem District Police before the march. According to police, the investigation and intelligence branch did not point out any warning signs after it received a warning about Schlissel. One of Schlissel’s six victims, 16-yearold Shira Banki, succumbed to her wounds days after the attack.

Senegal jails seven men for having gay sex Seven men have been jailed for six months in Senegal. The men were caught having sex during a raid, police told a court in Dakar. According to an Aug. 22 report, the mother of one of the accused told authorities her son was gay, but did not show up as a prosecution witness at the trial. Defense lawyer Abdoul Daff was quoted as saying that the mother’s failure to appear in court should have caused the

case to collapse. “There was neither material evidence nor testimony in order to corroborate the claims,” he said. Under the laws of the West African country, where the population is more than 95-percent Muslim, “acts against nature” are illegal and punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of up to $2,500. Last month, well-known Senegalese journalist Tamsir Jupiter Ndiaye was sentenced by a Dakar court to six months in prison for gay sex. In 2014, a gay couple in Dakar was sentenced to six months in jail in what was said to be a rare conviction of a gay couple on criminal charges after neighbors alerted police to their home.

Fashion boss fired after claiming dress is not for lesbians A boss for French fashion house Hervé Leger has been sacked after he claimed that his dresses shouldn’t be worn by “voluptuous” women or lesbians. Patrick Couderc, the U.K. head of the company, made the controversial remarks earlier this week about the chain’s signature skintight bandage dresses. He said: “If you’re a committed lesbian and you are wearing trousers all your life, you won’t want to buy a Leger dress. Lesbians would want to be rather butch and leisurely.” The fashion boss also claimed that “voluptuous” women and those with “very prominent hips and a very flat chest” would want to stay away from the clothing line — and urged older women against “displaying everything like you’re 23.” After sparking fury with his comments, the designer was reportedly asked to leave the company. A statement confirmed his departure, adding: “The Hervé Leger by Max Azria brand and its parent company, BCBGMAXAZRIA Group, are shocked and appalled by Patrick Couderc’s comments made in The Mail. The statements made by Mr. Couderc are not a reflection of Hervé Leger by Max Azria or MJH Fashion ideals or sentiments. The Hervé Leger by Max Azria brand celebrates sensuality, glamour and femininity without discrimination.” Prior to the announcement, out comedian Amy Lamé hit out at his comments on Twitter, writing: “As a voluptuous lesbian, this dress most definitely isn’t for me, because @herveleger is a lesbophobic body fascist.” Tennis star Martina Navratilova also branded him a “total and utter idiot,” while comic and fashion designer Margaret Cho tweeted: “Fuck fashion and ‘designers’ that body shame.” n — compiled by Larry Nichols

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

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ate,” Ramsey told PGN. “It was wrong, there’s no question about that. Once the investigation is completed, I’ll take the action I feel is appropriate in light of the situation — both in terms of the slurs he was using as well as the selling of the tickets.” He said Zagursky is now assigned to desk duty at the Differential Police Response unit, located in the Police Administration Building. Zagursky previously was assigned to the 24th Police District, which covers the Juniata Park section of the city. Ramsey said Zagursky’s service revolver, badge and police identification card have been taken from him. Ramsey said Internal Affairs is investigating the incident, and it’s possible the Police Board of Inquiry also will get involved. Ramsey didn’t know whether Zagursky had any LGBT-diversity training. “I’m trying to see what type of in-service training he’s had,” the commissioner said. Helen “Nellie” Fitzpatrick, director of the city’s Office of LGBT Affairs, praised Ramsey’s response to the incident. “After being briefed, Commissioner Ramsey immediately spoke out and said ARREST from page 1

her purse. While canvassing the neighborhood the following day for witnesses, officers encountered a man who said he also was attacked by a man fitting the suspect’s description in the woman’s case, and whom he had just seen. The officers tracked Jones down and made the arrest. The second victim also identified a third man Jones had allegedly attacked, whom the officers located in Hahnemann Hospital. Nellie Fitzpatrick, the city’s LGBT liaison, said even if the woman was not targeted for being trans, the level of violence exhibited in the incident is disturbing. “Any time any individual is victimized at the level she was, it’s a horrific moment for our city. And it’s especially traumatic for the LGBT community and trans community because yet again a transgender woman of color was attacked and so brutally, brutally injured,” Fitzpatrick said. “All of us here in the Mayor’s Office, and I know in the police MOMBIAN from page 12

ing or sustaining a GSA; gsanetwork.org. In addition to taking comfort in the resources available, I am also grateful that the school year gives us opportunities to build bridges as we work towards equity for all. For example, one new study, by Abbie Goldberg of Clark University, has shown that many adopted children, with both same- and different-sex parents, experience stigmatization in preschool. This is sobering — but also a chance for us to work with non-LGBTQ adoptive parents on solutions. In doing so, we can also find ways to be allies across the many aspects of all our varied identities. Finally, I have faith in my son and his own sense of self-confidence and self-

that ‘nothing he did was right’ in reference to the actions of this officer,” Fitzpatrick said, in an email. “However, everything the leadership here has done in response has been right — including the immediate phone call I received from [LGBT liaison] Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel assuring me and others in the LGBT community that the officer would be dealt with for all infractions/violations of law and directive(s). He was furious about the ‘demeaning and derogatory language’ that we purposefully have a directive forbidding and simply do not stand for. ‘It’s all on the table,’ he said, in reference to the action that will be taken against this officer. I am extremely proud of the capacity, empathy and respect the Philadelphia Police Department’s leadership has for the LGBT community, especially Commissioner Ramsey and Deputy Commissioner Bethel. While we are mindful of the work to be done to eliminate bias of all kinds within the ranks, the actions of one bad officer are not representative of the hard work and dedication of the force at large — nor of the leadership’s commitment to creating meaningful institutional change.” n department and D.A.’s Office, are praying for her and sending positive thoughts to her and her family because she’s in really bad shape.” Despite the gravity of the attack, Fitzpatrick noted, the incident did reflect excellent policework and a strong attention to respecting the victim’s gender identity. “We’re really in a new moment right now. [LGBT Liaison] Deputy Commissioner [Kevin] Bethel and Commissioner [Charles] Ramsey aren’t just excellent leaders within the police department, but they’ve become allies to our community on multiple levels,” she said. “The press release that came out about this did not qualify her as a trans woman or misgender her in any way. It’s quite something to be speaking to police leadership about this investigation and them asking whether or not it’s appropriate to even out that she is trans. The level of protection and respect for an individual who couldn’t give voice to her own identity is truly profound.” n worth. He knows his family is as good as anyone else’s, even if its structure is different from most in his school. I have to trust that he’ll stand up for himself when needed and that he’ll come to my spouse and me if things escalate beyond where he feels he can handle it alone. I also hope he will be an ally to those of identities different from his own, and that many of his peers will be allies to him in turn. A new year is full of new possibilities. I’m optimistic it will be a fun and exciting one for our family. I hope it is for yours as well. n Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (mombian.com), a GLAAD Media Award-winning blog and resource directory for LGBTQ parents.

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Media Trail Laramie district considers trans student policy The Laramie Boomerang reports a school district in Laramie, Wyo., is considering a policy to extend discrimination protections to transgender and gender-nonconforming students. Albany County School District No. 1 officials say the proposed policy is meant to ensure that students and staff feel safe at school. The school board’s existing bylaws prohibit discrimination based on protected federal categories, including race, religion and disability. But guidelines surrounding transgender and gender-nonconforming students aren’t included. The proposed policy focuses on confidentiality, which would prevent the district from releasing information about a student’s transgender status to third parties.

It also suggests schools work closely with students and families to create an appropriate plan for privacy. The policy passed its first reading at a board meeting Aug. 12, launching a 45-day public comment period.

First openly trans official hired at White House The New York Times reports the White House has hired its first openly transgender staff member. The White House announced Raffi Freedman-Gurspan’s appointment Aug. 18. Freedman-Gurspan is an outreach and recruitment director for presidential personnel in the Office of Personnel. She is the first openly transgender official to serve in the White House. Freedman-Gurspan previously was a policy adviser for the National Center for Transgender Equality’s racial and economic-justice initiative. Advocates hailed her appointment as an important step for the LGBT community and for ensuring that the federal government includes the voices and experiences of all Americans. White House senior adviser Valerie

Philadelphia Gay News All 23 Fortune 500 companies in finally ending what is legalized discrimina- Pennsylvania ban LGBT discrimination. Browne added that “promoting inclution in Pennsylvania.” Spece said he was unsure which commit- sion and eliminating discrimination fostee the legislation will be assigned to, a deci- ters growth in Pennsylvania’s economy by sion made by House Speaker Mike Turzai. In ensuring that the Commonwealth is able the past, the legislation has been assigned to to attract employees from a highly skilled the State Government Committee, chaired workforce and, in particular, appeal to by virulently antigay Rep. Daryl Metcalfe members of the innovative millennial generation.” (R-12th Dist.), The bills are who has repeatedly listed as HB 1510 pledged to kill the “Promoting inclusion and SB 974, a deparbill. and eliminating discrimture from the previFarnese said the ous HB and SB 300 legislation will ide- ination fosters growth numbers. ally be sent to a dif- in Pennsylvania’s econPennsylvania is ferent committee. one of 29 states that “I’m concerned omy by ensuring that the has yet to add sexthat the ideology of Commonwealth is able to ual orientation and one person has been gender identity to its such an obstacle to attract employees from a nondiscrimination ending discrimina- highly skilled workforce law. tion in our state,” he “Most people in said. “Hopefully that and, in particular, appeal Pennsylvania are won’t come into the to members of the innova- shocked to learn mix and we will be able to look at this tive millennial generation.” that it is still legal to discriminate in from a broad perPennsylvania just spective on what this because of who a person is or who a means to all Pennsylvanians.” Farnese added that more than 400 small person loves,” said Equality Pennsylvania businesses have already signed on to a peti- Ted Martin. “We applaud the bipartisan tion advocating for the legislation, and that co-prime sponsors of the PA Fairness Act nearly 90 percent of Fortune 500 compa- who introduced bills today to update the nies include sexual-orientation protection, discrimination laws of Pennsylvania to and 69 percent include gender-identity pro- include sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.” n tections. BILL from page 1

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

Jarrett said Freedman-Gurspan’s commitment to improving the lives of transgender Americans reflects the values of the Obama administration.

Mich. couple who challenged marriage ban wed According to ABC News, two Detroitarea nurses whose lawsuit lifted Michigan’s ban on gay marriage have exchanged vows. April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse wed Aug. 22 in Southfield. Federal Judge Bernard Friedman, who struck down the state’s ban, performed the ceremony. Between 250-300 family members and friends attended the wedding at a banquet hall. DeBoer wore a cream-colored wedding dress and Rowse a black tuxedo. The couple sued the state after they couldn’t jointly adopt each other’s children. That case grew into a challenge to a Michigan constitutional amendment that recognized marriage only between a man and a woman. Friedman overturned the state’s gay marriage ban in 2014. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court said all same-sex couples have a right to marry.

Bakery in gay wedding cake case sends gifts to LGBTQ groups According to the Oregonian, the owners of a Portland-area bakery who were fined for denying service to a same-sex couple have sent cakes and copies of a Christian film to 10 LGBTQ groups on the West Coast. Melissa and Aaron Klein, of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, said they sent the custom-designed cakes and copies of the movie “Audacity” as “an expression of love.” The packages also included restaurant gift cards provided by Ray Comfort, a New Zealand evangelist and the film’s executive producer. In July, Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries ordered the Kleins to pay $135,000 in damages for emotional suffering caused when they refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. The bakers said their refusal was prompted by religious beliefs. They are appealing the state’s order. n — compiled by Larry Nichols

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

Dining Out Family Portrait Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly

Page Page Page Page Page

33 25 30 34 27

Fall Arts Preview 2015

By PGN Staff Summer’s almost over and it’s time to trade in the sunshine, comic-book-themed summer blockbusters and beach bods for sweaters, holiday spending, food binges and the high arts of the cool and darkening months ahead. Thanks goodness. We’re sick of the sweltering temperatures, outdoor concerts, seeing people wearing flip-flops everywhere and meticulously watching our carb intake. Fall is almost upon so, get your calendars out and make some plans. Books Lee Child The bestselling author hosts a reading 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215-567-4341. Wendell Pierce The actor and author of “The Wind in the Reeds: A Storm, A Play and the City That Would Not Be Broken” hosts a reading 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215-567-4341. Roberta Kaplan The lawyer who helped defeat the Defense of Marriage Act and author of “Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA” hosts a reading 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215-5674341.

For Love of Country The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Oct. 8-10 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Sinatra: A Centennial Celebration The Philly POPS perform a tribute to Frank Sinatra Oct. 9-11 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-7905800. Deana Martin The Philly POPS perform with Deana Martin in a tribute to her legendary father, Dean Martin, 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. Beethoven’s Fifth The Philadelphia Orchestra performs the composer’s classics Oct. 16-17 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Brahms’s “Double” Concerto The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Oct. 22-24 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. The Original Rhapsody in Blue The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Oct. 29-31 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Disney in Concert: Magical Music from the Movies The Philly POPS perform scores from popular Disney films 3 p.m. Nov. 28 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. I’ll Be Home for Christmas Spectacular The Philly POPS perform Christmas classics Dec. 4-22 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Comedy/Humor Iliza Shlesinger The comedian performs Sept. 10-12 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. Sinbad The comedian performs 8 p.m. Sept. 12 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650. Funny Or Die Presents The Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival Comedians Amy Schumer, Dave Attell, Aziz Ansari and more perform 5:15 p.m. Sept. 13 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 609-365-1300. Bruce Bruce The comedian performs Sept. 18-20 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001.

Mozart and Schumann The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Nov. 5-7 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Craig Ferguson The talk-show host and comedian performs 8 p.m. Sept. 19 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-7905800. Ferguson also performs 8 p.m. Oct. 20 at Keswick Theater, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650.

John Irving The bestselling author hosts a reading 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215-567-4341.

One Land, One River, One People The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Nov. 13-15 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Paul Mooney and Dick Gregory The comedy legends perform Oct. 2-3 at the Rrazz Room at The Prince, 1412 Chestnut St.; 215-422-4580.

Patti Smith The punk-rock icon and author of “M Train” hosts a reading 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215567-4341.

Tchaikovsky’s Winter Dreams The Philadelphia Orchestra performs with violinist Leonidas Kavakos Nov. 19-21 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Paula Poundstone The comedian performs 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-5727650.

Carrie Brownstein The Slater-Kinney singer-guitarist and author of “Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl: A Memoir” hosts a reading 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215-567-4341.

KRAFTWERK (FROM TOP), PAULA POUNDSTONE, A CHRISTMAS STORY — MUSICAL, KELLY CLARKSON, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, STEVIE WONDER AND PENTATONIX

Classical/Opera/World Music Yannick & Rachmaninoff The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Oct. 1-4 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

PAGE 24

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

FALL ARTS from page 23

Brian Regan The comedian performs 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Wanda Sykes The out comedian performs 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650. Bill Burr The comedian performs 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 215-389-9543. Lewis Black The comedian performs 9 p.m. Nov. 20-21 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Dance Speed and Precision The Pennsylvania Ballet performs Oct. 22-25 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Urban Bush Women The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the dance group that weaves contemporary dance, music and text with the history, culture and spiritual traditions of the African diaspora, Oct. 22-24 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215898-3900. So You Think You Can Dance Contestants from the hit TV show perform 8 p.m. Nov. 8 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Kun-Yang Lin’s Home/S. 9th St. The world premiere of the company’s exploration into the meaning of immigrant journeys, home and “Americanness,” informed by Philadelphia’s own South Ninth Street corridor, runs Nov. 18-21 at 140 N. Columbus Blvd.; 215413-1318. River North Dance Chicago The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the Chicago-based jazz dance group, Nov. 20-21 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215-898-3900. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker The Pennsylvania Ballet performs the holiday tradition Dec. 11-31 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Exhibits George Shinn: Now and Again Muse Art Gallery presents an exhibition of works using decorative elements joined with organic and geometric shapes Sept. 2-27 at 52 N. Second St.; 215-627-5310. Multitude, Solitude: The Photographs of Dave Heath Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of the acclaimed photog-

FEATURE PGN

rapher’s black-and-white pictures of the 1950s and ’60s, Sept. 19-Feb. 21, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. The Wrath of the Gods: Masterpieces by Rubens, Michelangelo and Titian Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring paintings and the creative processes of some of art history’s most important figures Oct. 27-Jan. 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Audubon to Warhol: The Art of American Still Life Philadelphia Museum of Art presents a survey of American still life in three decades, representing the genre from its beginnings in the early 1800s to the Pop Art era of the 1960s, Oct. 27-Jan. 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Chvrches The synthpop group performs 8 p.m. Oct. 1 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000. Kraftwerk The pioneering electronic/industrial group performs 8 p.m. Oct. 2 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-7453000. Franz Ferdinand and Sparks The alternative-rock bands perform 8 p.m. Oct. 3 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000. Audra McDonald The Tony Award-winning Broadway star performs 8 p.m. Oct. 7 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Music L7 The all-female grunge band performs 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.

Stevie Wonder The R&B singer performs 8 p.m. Oct. 7 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 215389-9543.

Lisa Loeb The singer-songwriter performs 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215-2575858.

Melody Gardot The jazz singer performs 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800.

The Smiths Social The alt-rock band’s music is celebrated 8 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.

Chris Cornell The rock singer performs 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Christine Havrilla and Gypsy Fuzz The out singer-songwriter and her band perform 8 p.m. Sept. 18 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

Danzig The hard-rock band performs 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000.

Lez Zeppelin The all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band performs 8 p.m. Sept. 18 at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215-257-5858.

Chance the Rapper The rapper performs 8 p.m. Oct. 22 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-7453000.

Kelly Clarkson and Pentatonix The pop singer and the vocal group with out members perform 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 609-365-1300.

New Found Glory and Yellowcard The alternative-rock bands perform 8 p.m. Oct. 23 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000.

Cheap Trick The rock band performs 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650. Motorhead and Anthrax The heavy-metal bands perform 8 p.m. Sept. 22 at Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; 610-352-2887. Jesus and Mary Chain The rock band performs 8:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215-232-2100. Madonna The pop icon performs 8 p.m. Sept. 24 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 215-389-9543.

Peaches The out electro-pop singer performs 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888. Cypress Hill The rap group performs 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-922-1011. The Darkness The UK rock group performs 8 p.m. Oct. 30 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-922-1011. Tesseract The prog-metal band performs 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-9221011. PAGE 26

KUN-YANG LIN (FROM TOP), WELL STRUNG, JOAN JETT, MOTORHEAD AND WANDA SYKES

PROFILE PGN

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

Suzi Nash

Artem Yatsunov and Bay Bryan: The duo behind Fringe’s coming-out show fringe/frinj/ noun 1. an ornamental border of threads left loose or formed into tassels or twists, used to edge clothing or material. 2. chiefly British term for bangs. 3. the outer, marginal, or extreme part of an area, group, or sphere of activity. Oh yes, I love Fringe — well, not the kind that makes you look like Annie Oakley. More specifically, the Fringe Festival. The 17-day event that takes place all around the city at various venues and covers almost every discipline of the arts: music, dance, poetry, theater, spoken word and much more. I have had the pleasure of interviewing some of the festival favorites in the past, several of whom will be performing again this year. In case you missed them before, JUNK, led by the incomparable Brian Sanders (http://www.epgn.com/arts-culture/portraits/2604-9283635-family-portraits-brian-sanders) will be doing another groundbreaking performance, “American Standard.” This time you can add a super supper to the super-sexy performance as executive chef Alex Garfinkel teams with JUNK for a unique culinary experience at select shows. For additional thrills and chills, check out last year’s profile, the oh-so-flexible Lauren Rile Smith (http:// www.epgn.com/arts-culture/portraits/8620lauren-rile-smith-climbing-to-new-heightsof-feminism), who, with Tangle Movement Arts, mixes traditional circus-like trapeze and acrobatics with dance, theater and live music to tell a multi-dimensional story. “Twisted” beauty Gunnar Montana (http:// www.epgn.com/arts-culture/portraits/634423536501-gunnar-montana-dancing-inthe-dark) once again brings his macabre and thought-provoking work to the stage in “Purgatory.” As usual, the Fringe/Live Arts show features a number of LGBT performers and performances — from “Zanna Don’t,” a campy pop-rock musical that “dares to ask what Cinderella would look like when seen through a ‘RuPaul’ lens,” to “Me First: An Autobiographical Comedy About Dying.” I took the time to phone director Artem Yatsunov and author/actor Bay Bryan about their show, “Growing Into My Beard.” Described as a “liberating love cabaret,” the show is a blend of storytelling, music and performance art with a dash of drag. PGN: Two boys at once, this will be fun. I hope I can distinguish one voice from the other. AY: I can do a Russian accent! PGN: That will help! Tell me a little about you. AY: [Mock accent] Vell, I vas born in de Ukraine [drops accent] but I live in Brooklyn now. I’ve been directing for

almost 10 years. I like creating theatrical events that have a live-music component. I used to do a lot of short, dark comedies followed by live local bands. PGN: It seems like there are a lot of tennis players from the Ukraine. No game for you? AY: Not for lack of trying! But my handeye coordination is not impressive. There are a number of sports I’ve failed at over the years. Even casual athletic events like, say, riding bikes, have ended up pretty catastrophically. I’d love to play a sport but the Ukrainian government has asked me not to embarrass them. PGN: How old were you when you left? AY: I was 11. This month I turned 30 and my family and I just celebrated our 19th year of living here. But I have a large chunk of memories from growing up there. PGN: Share one of them. AY: Both of my parents are computer engineers, super smart, but they worked for a government company that did not pay them, sometimes for months at a time, once for a year. What they did instead was give us a piece of land outside of Kiev, the capital. So we had to go harvest crops to eat! They gave us one of those metal cargo containers, which was like our steel tent while we harvested. It was crazy. PGN: Wow, there should be a whole show on you and your life too! AY: [Laughs] Oh stop it! You’ll make me blush. PGN: Do you act as well? AY: I do, yes! I went to Montclair State University and got myself a fancy piece of paper that proclaims me as a bachelor of fine arts. I’ve used that acting training to have a first-person approach to directing. Knowing where the actors are coming from helps make the whole process more organic. PGN: I too studied acting and the first time I directed a play, it was gratifying, but I was afraid that, when it came time for curtain call, I’d miss being on stage to take the bows. Didn’t miss it at all. How about you? AY: Nope, I think the best directing is when they almost don’t notice you were there. Ya know? As if, what happened onstage was just meant to be. You don’t want anyone applauding you, you want to be selfless in a strange way. Helping your audience and the actors have an amazing experience is what’s gratifying. PGN: What are the benefits and difficulties of directing a one-man show? AY: The benefits come directly from

working with Bay. He’s a very generous performer and likes to share the creative process. So that to me was a very exciting thing. We were able to mold the story together and we were both very in tune with what we wanted to say with the story. Of course, it was a story about his life so it was interesting saying, “Well, you know this real thing that happened in your life? What about if we skip it and pay more attention to this other thing that happened?” Bay was very courageous and willing to hear my criticism that some parts of his life were less exciting than others. PGN: So what is it that you’re trying to say with the show? AY: We want it to be an absolute celebration of total acceptance. People will see Bay come into his own through his personal stories, and he has such a great time on stage that people will walk away from the show feeling empowered, whatever their identity is.

improv. This is the first time we’ve worked together in this capacity. And, with this show, it’s cool because we’re sort of doing a mini tour. We are the only group this year who is doing our show in different locations within Philly during Fringe. We have 11 shows that will play at four venues in three different neighborhoods. It’s kind of like we’re bringing our tale of the triumph of love and celebrating of all things queer, all over beautiful Philadelphia! PGN: I’m looking forward to seeing it. Now to some random questions. The feature I get the most compliments on is … AY: Let’s go with my dimples. PGN: The worst pick-up line tried on me … AY: This guy was trying to pick me up at a bar in Jersey by telling me he owned a club in New York. I looked at him and thought there was no way he owned a bar. He barely looked old enough to get into one. I was half-tempted to take him up just to see what he’d do to pull it off, but I was afraid it was past his bedtime. PGN: What’s your go-to karaoke song? AY: Last few times I’ve gone I’ve done “What’s Up?” by the Four Non Blondes, a little homage to my ’90s days. PGN: TV show that would be fun to see done in the nude? AY: My first thought was “House of Cards.” I thought how terribly unwatchable that would be, except for Robin Wright. She’s glorious.

PGN: Speaking of glorious, let’s hear from Mr. Bryan. Tell me how you got from Colorado to Scotland to New York? BB: OK, so I’m from Golden, Colo. It’s a small, historic town with salt mines and the home of Photo: Antonia Lassar Coors Brewery. It was a PGN: How did you two meet? beautiful place to grow AY: I used to bartend at a basement open up — surrounded by mesas and all that, mic in the East Village and between my absolutely stunning. I ended up going to shifts I’d go up and tell really weird stories UC Boulder and I had planned to study or sing songs a cappella and then he would aerospace or chemical engineering but get up on stage doing improv and crush then I did a summer camp at Interlochen, it! I enjoyed his performances because right after my senior year, and I fell in he’s awesome and I think he enjoyed mine love with the arts. So I transferred to the because I was weird. We connected on that musical-theater program at Boulder, but and Bay invited me to get together with it wasn’t a very strong program there so I him and some other artists and do physical went to the Unified auditions PAGE 34

FEATURE PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

Linda Lavin The stage and screen star performs 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Rrazz Room at The Prince, 1412 Chestnut St.; 215-422-4580.

FALL ARTS from page 24

The Who and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts The rock bands perform 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 215-389-9543. Well-Strung The out string quartet performs 8 p.m. Nov. 6-7 at the Rrazz Room at The Prince, 1412 Chestnut St.; 215-422-4580.

Suicide Girls: Blackheart Burlesque The risqué models perform 9 p.m. Oct. 20 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215232-2100.

Jethro Tull: The Rock Opera The rock band performs 8 p.m. Nov. 7 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-7905800.

Bullets Over Broadway The Woody Allen musical about mobsters performs Oct. 27-Nov. 1 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Don Henley The rock singer performs 8 p.m. Nov. 12 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run Perry’s outrageous comedy comes to town Nov. 10-15 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra The rock band performs 3 and 8 p.m. Dec. 19 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 215-3899543. Theater High Society Walnut Street Theatre presents Cole Porter’s feel-good musical about a socialite preparing for her lavish summer wedding Sept. 8-Oct. 25, 825 Walnut St.; 215-5743550. A Divine Evening with Charles Busch The cabaret star performs 7 and 9:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Rrazz Room at The Prince, 1412 Chestnut St.; 215-4224580.

Photography Art by Scott A. Drake

267-736-6743

Matilda: The Musical The musical based on the beloved novel, Nov. 17-29 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-7905800. Billy Elliot Media Theatre presents the story of one boy’s passion for ballet over the boxing ring Nov. 18-Jan. 3, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-8910100. The Book of Mormon The hit musical comedy comes to Philly to spread the good word Nov. 24-Dec. 27 at Kimmel’s Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St.; 215- 923JOHN WATERS (FROM TOP), 1515. MADEA AND RUBENS’ “PROMETHEUS BOUND” Baskerville: A Sherlock

Gypsy Media Theatre presents the story about an aggressive stage mother Sept. 23-Nov. 1, 104 E. State St., Media; 610891-0100.

Holmes Mystery A comedy-thriller based on the classic sleuth, Nov. 27-Dec. 27 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; 215985-0420.

Ship Wrecked! Walnut Street Theatre presents the 19th-entury adventure Oct. 6-Nov. 1 at Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550.

A Christmas Story: The Musical Walnut Street Theatre presents the stage adaptation of the classic Christmas film Dec. 10-Jan. 10, 825 Walnut St.; 215574-3550.

Criss Angel Presents The Supernaturalists Illusionists perform at 3 and 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; 610-352-2887.

A John Waters Christmas: Holier & Dirtier The out filmmaker talks holidays 8:30 p.m. Dec. 22 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215-232-2100. n

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PGN LISTINGS & STAGE

Celebrated choreographer brings ‘Light’ to Philly Fringe stage By A.D. Amorosi PGN Contributor When this year’s Fringe Festival unfurls, its stateliest show — a get for festival honchos — is “Available Light,” a movement work created by choreographer Lucinda Childs, composer John Adams and architect Frank Gehry. Originally performed in 1983, the nearly hour-long work explores open space as it interacts with music and motion without fixed focus in its dance or rhythm. Everything seems to float in open air as its variously grouped and toned dancers — some on separate levels — exist geometrically, a Childs signature. This is what Childs has done since she created the epic choreography for Phillip Glass and Robert Wilson’s legendary “Einstein on the Beach” in 1976 and, later, Wilson and Glass’ opera “White Raven.”

“Collaboration is what changed for me going forward after ‘Einstein,’” Childs said. “It’s always been part of dance’s tradition, to have a choreographer work directly with a contemporary — be it a musical/compositional, a visual artist or a set designer.” The legendary minimalist and ultimately post-modern choreographer with nearly 40 works for major ballet companies (along with her own) has had many notable partnerships and collaborations in her life. She studied with the likes of Merce Cunningham and was part of the Judson Dance Theater. She had a well-known, loving relationship with writer/theorist Susan Sontag. She choreographed John Adams’ 21st-century opera “Doctor Atomic” and worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Company. Yet for an artist who speaks with such focus about her skills as a team player (“no one move or dancer is more important than the other,” she said of her work), Childs is an iconoclast. PGN: Are you a person who hangs onto things from the past? LC: I never expected to. When we revived certain dances like those in “Einstein,” we never thought they would become part of any repertoire. It all just happened. When you make a work such as “Available Light,” where you’re not certain that it could ever be done again, you learn that

you have to be somewhat willing to let things go. All of it is so intangible. You can’t put these things in museums. The only way to demonstrate these things in the present is to demonstrate them. PGN: Some choreographers stay in their own lane; you created your own. Were you always comfortable being who you were and doing what you were doing? LC: No. I think I started out lucky but youthful with the Judson Group and people who were part of the Cunningham school and company. I couldn’t think, still can’t, of a better way to start. You can try adventurous things and succeed and fail in good company. It was all a very encouraging time for me. PGN: How did “Available Light” come about in 1983? LC: It really just stemmed from the commission from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, which was unusual at that time. They saw “Dance” and “Einstein” and proposed that I — the New Yorker — come and work with Gehry and Adams, both on the West Coast. “Light” was the subject of the conversation from the start. PGN: Adams’ music does not have discernible rhythm. How do you face that? LC: We create our own; it’s important, as we are very concerned with precise beginnings and ending. We have to know exactly where we are within the music and that must be consistent every time that we perform — that is something that Cunningham had to do with John Cage: Create and maintain one’s own pulse.

STRUTTING HIS STUFF: Rock star and occasional leather-pant-splitter Lenny Kravitz makes a rare headlining appearance on tour for his latest album “Strut,” performing 8 p.m. Aug. 30 at Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave. For more information or tickets, call 215-546-7900.

Theater & Arts Defiant Archives The William Way LGBT Community Center presents a collection of archival and personal items with a focus on the history of transgender activism in Philadelphia, curated and collected by local trans community members, through Sept. 20, 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220.

Discovering the Impressionists: Paul DurandRuel and the New Painting PGN: Which relates directly to the geome- Philadelphia Museum of Art try of everything you do … presents an exhiLC: I deal with spatial relationships and bition of paintings charge the space symmetrically. It’s revealing the story important to know where a dancer is of Monet, Renoir, located in a space. Degas, Manet, Pissarro and their PGN: Especially when paired with light. visionary art dealer LC: Geometry is just a tool in which I and champion, can present the variations — movement material that is quite simple. What is com- Paul Durand-Ruel, plex is what I do with it, how it is treated. through Sept. 13, Some people look at it and their opinion is 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763we’re doing the same thing over and over [laughs]. Anybody can do that, but there is 8100. something very demanding and complex in Genghis Khan: all that repetition. It takes enormous conBring the centration to repeat oneself. n Legend to Life The Franklin “Available Light” runs Sept. 10-12 at Institute presents Drexel University Armory, 32nd and the story of one of Cuthbert streets. For more information or the world’s greatest tickets, visit http://fringearts.com/event/ leaders through Jan. available-light/.

3, 20th Street and the Parkway; www. fi.edu. Herman Leonard: Jazz Portraits An exhibition of photographs from the master portrait photographer, featuring jazz legends such as Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and many more from 194060, through Oct. 11 at Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215340-9800. Into Dust: Traces of the Fragile in Contemporary Art Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition about the distinctions between the corporeal and transcendental, emergence and decay, belonging and displacement, life and death, through Oct. 25, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Louis Anderson The comedian performs 6 and 9 p.m. Aug. 28 at

Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave.; 215-2575808. Northern Lights: Scandinavian Design Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition surveying Scandinavian design from its triumphant showing at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris to the present day, through Oct. 4, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Take Two: Contemporary Photographs Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring how contemporary artists have responded to changes in culture and technology by refashioning or rejecting photography’s conventions,

through Nov. 15, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Music Catch A Fire Tour The reggae festival featuring performances by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Stephen “Ragga” Marley and more starts 3 p.m. Aug. 29 at Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave.; 215-5467900. Tim McGraw The country singers performs 7 p.m. Aug. 29 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; 609-365-1300. Lenny Kravitz The singer performs 8 p.m. Aug. 30 at Mann Center

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

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

Creative queer culture celebrated at Zine Fest By Beth Boyle PGN Contributor “When I came to Zine Fest for the first time, in 2003, afterwards I felt like, ‘Why can’t the whole world be like Zine Fest?’” said long-time exhibitor Kate Haegele of the linguistics zine “The La-La Theory” and her memoir “White Elephants.” “The zine community isn’t passive, they’re doers. Everyone is so supportive because they know doing this isn’t easy,” she added. “Finding zine people meant finding my people.” Philly Zine Fest was started in 2003 by Casey Grebowski and Sarah Sawyer-Lovett. The fest is a day-long celebration — held this year noon-7 p.m. Aug. 30 at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St. — of indie publishing that includes more than 30 exhibDOUBLE-BARRELED DOSE OF COUNTRY: Country superstar Tim McGraw itors and is attended by an brings his Shotgun Rider Tour through Philly, with Billy Currington and Chase estimated 300 people each Bryant, 7 p.m. Aug. 29 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., year. This year, the exhibiCamden, N.J. For more information or tickets, call 609-365-1300. tors and organizers are looking forward to expanding for the Performing Colonial Theatre, Evoute: Magic & 28 at the Borgata the celebration of all things Arts, 5201 Parkside Burlesque Show Hotel, Casino & 227 Bridge St., Ave.; 215-546Spa Event Center, Phoenixville; 610- independent, creative and Ta-dah meets ooh DIY. 7900. 917-1228. la la 7 p.m. Aug. 30 1 Borgata Way, Queer herstorian Elvis, Atlantic City, N.J.; at L’Etage, 624 S. author of the LGBT history 609-317-1000. The Doobie Sixth St.; 215-592comic “Homos in Herstory,” Nightlife Brothers 0656. Manhattan The rock band per- has been involved with PZF since 2010. Transfer forms 8 p.m. Aug. The Search for “I started writing ‘Homos Devil Drag 30 at the Borgata the Best Dadbod The jazz-fusion in Herstory’ because I was band performs 6 Takes On The Hotel, Casino & Bearlesque hosts a reading all these big books about queer hisand 9 p.m. Aug. Gayborhood! Spa Event Center, pageant with pertory and I wanted to share all these stories 29 at Sellersville The drag group performances 9 p.m. 1 Borgata Way, forms 9 p.m. Aug. Atlantic City, N.J.; with everyone I knew. Queer history is the Sept. 4 at Tabu, 200 Theatre 1894, 24 history of real people, not kings and generW. Temple Ave., 28 at Tabu, 200 S. 609-317-1000. S. 12th St.; 215als,” Elvis said. “There’s something really Sellersville; 21512th St.; 215-964964-9675. 257-5808. 9675. Gabriel Iglesias special and unique about Philly Zine Fest. The comedian per- People feel comfortable here and they feel Outta Jim Gaffigan #Special forms 8 p.m. Sept. safe sharing.” Historically, a zine (a play on the word Town The comedian perDelivery: 4 at the Borgata “magazine”) has been defined as a self-pubPhilly’s Packin! forms 8 p.m. Aug. Hotel, Casino & lished booklet about absolutely anything the Underwear Fashion 29 at the Borgata Spa Event Center, Bruce in the writer or writers care to express. There are Show and Auction Hotel, Casino & 1 Borgata Way, U.S.A. Porn stars, includSpa Event Center, Atlantic City, N.J.; zines about gossip, health care, art, alien The Bruce abduction, comics, personal essays, sexual ing Billy Santoro, 1 Borgata Way, 609-317-1000. Springsteen tribassault, witchcraft and magic spells, fiction, Hunter Vance and Atlantic City, N.J.; ute band performs anti-capitalist manifestos and poetry. more, model under- 8 p.m. Aug. 28 at 609-317-1000. Melanie Stace Zine historians have made the argument wear from Andrew The international Keswick Theatre, that Thomas’ Paine’s “Common Sense” Christian, Nasty Pig 291 N. Keswick Natalie Douglas: singing star percounts as one of the earliest zines: It was and Cellblock 13, “Hello Dolly” forms 8 p.m. Ave., Glenside; self-published, self-distributed and contained which will be aucThe singer perSept. 4 at the 215-572-7650. rebellious ideas that newspapers weren’t tioned right off their forms the music Rrazz Room in legally allowed to publish. The earliest orgabacksides, 8 p.m. of Dolly Parton The Ramada New Emily Skinner Aug. 29 at Voyeur 8 p.m. Aug. 29 at Hope, 6426 Lower nized zine communities were “Star Trek” The Tony Awardfans, who wrote and drew fanzines they’d Nightclub, 1221 St. the Rrazz Room in York Road, New nominated singer share by mail. The most popular subject in James St.; 215-735- performs 8 p.m. The Ramada New Hope; 888-596these zines by far was the love between Kirk 5772. Hope, 6426 Lower 1027. Aug. 28 at the and Spock. York Road, New Rrazz Room in “The LGBT community and the zine Beards & Queers The Ramada New Hope; 888-596Invasion of the Celebration 1027. Body Snatchers communities intersect, because the need to Hope, 6426 Lower self-represent is so deep, and there’s so much An event celebratThe 1978 sci-fi York Road, New room for cool topics. You can be open and ing the “Philly The Misfits thriller is screened Hope; 888-596share yourself in a way that you won’t ever Beard” in queer The classic film 9:45 p.m. Sept. 4 1027. see in mainstream media,” Elvis said. culture starts 9 p.m. starring Marilyn at The Colonial Aug. 29 at Tabu, Monroe and Clark Theatre, 227 Bridge The zine community in the ’70s, ’80s and Lisa Lampanelli ’90s was instrumental in helping keep anar200 S. 12th St.; Gable is screened 2 St., Phoenixville; The comedian perchists, punks and riot grrrls organized and in 215-964-9675. p.m. Aug. 30 at The 610-917-1228. n forms 8 p.m. Aug.

touch with each other across the world. Riot grrrl bands such as Bratmobile and Bikini Kill started through zines. Rebecca Kathrine Hirsch, of the Permament Wave Philly collective, added: “In our collective zines, we find it’s so valuable to create zines with others, and to see what they have to say in contrast and in concert with your own experiences, as feminists, or as queer people or otherwise. Confidence is engendered by the license to create.” Today, there are zine archives across the country, including the West Philadelphia zine archive and workshop The Soapbox, the Queer Zine Archive Project in Milwaukee and the Barnard Zine Library and Lesbian Herstory Archives, both in New York City. Zine fests happen across the country and, through traditional mail and the Internet, the community is a thriving, vibrant network. “There’s always been overlap in activism and the zine community,” Elvis said. “When you’re trying to publish something to make money, it changes the subject matter. Zinesters aren’t trying to make money; that keeps them very pure and personal.” Haegele added: “Above all, zines are about original ideas. You can pick up a zine and still be surprised, find something to laugh about and be challenged, and I find it all very life-affirming.” This year’s exhibitors include weekly newsletter “The Philadelphia Secret Admirer,” feminist collective “Permanent Wave,” “Black Lives Matter Philly,” the sci-fi collective “Metropolarity,” the “Philadelphia Survivor Support Collective,” “Homos in Herstory,” “The Soapbox,” “The La La Theory” and “Safe Home,” created by PZF co-founder Sawyer-Lovett. Radio station WKDU will broadcast the event and there will be a zine reading the night before at Eris Arts Temple in West Philadelphia. This year’s organizers, Ken R. and Dre G., have been attending zine festivals across the country together for several years. They’ve organized art shows and basement concerts together, but this is their first time hosting PZF. “This is such an important event, where people can express themselves honestly and just be colorful and really free,” said Ken. “Zine Fest is a big cause and we’re so happy to keep it alive,” Dre added. “It means a lot to so many people. We were excited we could step up. Philly is coming up and having such a big moment right now. So much creativity is blossoming.” They’re looking forward to expanding PZF’s programming next year to include multiple events across the city, as well as fundraisers for the festival’s upkeep. n For more information, visit http://phillyzinefest.tumblr.com/.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

PGN

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

Whetstone feels like home By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Whetstone Tavern, the newest restaurant to inhabit the Queen Village corner at 700 S. Fifth St., aims for a relaxed and rustic feel with its space and menu. And it works. Chef Jeremy Nolan brings homey charm to his dishes and sometimes borrows from his parents for recipes, like

PASSYUNK PORK

with Mom’s Clam Cakes ($9), a New England staple that he’s trying to popularize here. The fritter-like cake is made heartier than similar dishes by the clams, which, along with the pickled remoulade, give it a nicely balanced flavor. Flavors also abound on other small plates like the burratina ($7), a vegetarian dish with a bright, summery feel combining heirloom tomatoes, olives, caperberry, goat cheese and basil. The steak tartare ($11) really delivers on the steak, giving the diner a higher-than-average ratio of meat compared to similar dishes elsewhere. The result is a denser and slightly bolder dish that makes a nice impression.

For entrées, you can go for simpler fare like Dad’s Burger ($9 single, $12 double), another recipe borrowed from Nolan’s home. But the specialty entrées are really where Whetstone throws down the gauntlet. The house favorite, the Passyunk Pork ($24), dishes up classic but refined Philly flavor: a nice-sized pork chop resting on a bed of silky, buttery, cheesy polenta and broccoli rabe, topped with pork cracklings. The chop itself is perfectly cooked and juicy, lending itself well to the polenta and the rabe, both of which bring in a lot of depth to the dish. Another secret weapon Whetstone has is Nolan’s wife Jessica, a pastry chef who conjures up Whetstone’s desserts. Rumor has it she’s starting her own pastry and bread shop nearby, and we might just have to throw our money at her like ticker tape in a parade because her desserts have all the hallmarks of homemade nirvana. The lemon-meringue cheesecake had a grandmotherly attention to detail, from the flawless peaks of meringue to the creamy, sweet perfection of the lemon-curd and cream-cheese filling. With its prime location and rock-solid menu, Whetstone Tavern has what it takes to grind out a long and productive stay in Queen Village. n

Right now in celebration of New Orleans' ultimate survival of Hurricane Katrina ten years ago, Redwood is offering a menu featuring the great original Cajun and Creole recipes of Hurricane Alley. Hurricane was the legendary fun bar at the original Cafe Nola at 328 South. The concept was to present the delicious food and drink of any region of the U.S. and Caribbean where Hurricanes go ashore. Great dishes like Gumbo Ya Ya, Cajun Popcorn Crawfish, Jambalaya, Cuban Picadillo and Plantains, Charleston Low Country Shrimp and Grits or Key West Lime Pie. PLUS sandwiches like Oyster Po Boys, Cubanos and Muffalettas.

If you go Whetstone Tavern 700 S. Fifth St. 267-239-0906 www.whetstonetavern.com Daily.: 5 p.m.-midnight

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

PORTRAIT from page 25

in Chicago. Those are where schools from all over come to one location and you can audition for as many schools as you want. But stupidly, I had my heart set on Carnegie Mellon, and they were the only ones I auditioned for. It went terribly! But I ended up talking to some girl who was with Royal Scottish Academy of Musical Drama. On a whim, I did a walk-in audition for them that went amazingly well. They accepted me on the spot! It was an other-worldly experience. Six months later, my dad was helping me move to Glasglow. I stayed there for three years and, just before graduating, they changed the international laws for students and I had to leave. One of my sisters lived in New York, so after a few months home, I moved to New York City. It’s a challenging city for any newcomer, so I was lucky to have her there. PGN: Were your folks in the arts? BB: Well, my mom is a general physician at UC Boulder, but when she was young, she wanted to be a ballerina, so she went to New York for a summer intensive with one of the larger ballet companies and had an “aha” moment of life as an artist: She saw herself living in a dinky apartment with one hanging light bulb in a sketchy part of town and decided it wasn’t what she wanted. She’d gone on a date with a guy who was starting medical school. The date never went anywhere, but it sparked an idea and she shifted focus from the arts to medicine. My dad is a geostatistician. He’s a smart guy, you can ask him anything. Growing up, I used to call him Data because he has so much information stored in his head. They were both very adventurous and when they first got together after college, they used to ride bikes and backpack across Europe. PGN: How did your show come about? BB: When I came to New York, I studied musical theater, but I’ve always been a singer-songwriter. For the last two-and-a-half years, I’ve been looking for a way to combine them, to do my music but tell a story at the same time. “Growing Into My Beard” was born out of that. The show is my journey of coming out and searching for true love. It’s a universal story of first love and very much a conversation with the audience. We break the fourth wall to engage with the people who come to see the show and it becomes very improvisational and conversational. It’s a scripted show with an element of interaction. It’s been very challenging and exciting to be vulnerable and to share it so intimately with the audience. PGN: What are some of the pivotal points in your life that are reflected in the show? BB: Whenever you move to a new place, you get to peel back a layer of the onion and get closer to the core person that you are. When I went to UC, that helped me shed some layers. Definitely moving to Scotland. It was the moment when I finally came out to both of my parents. They were the last people of importance to me that I told. I wanted them to be a part of my whole life and not just the small part that I wanted them to see.

PGN

PGN: You are a man of many talents: You are an actor and I understand that you play the role of Sean in the upcoming cast recording of “Show Choir! The Musical.” You were the composer/live musician in “True Believer,” a play that premiered at Theaterlab in New York City, and you wrote the music for award-winning animated short “The Walker,” directed by Heather Collins and produced by Matt Groening, creator of “The Simpsons.” What was it like hearing your music up on the big screen? BB: The whole process was wonderful. I composed the entire score and worked with an orchestrator. It was really cool. There’s such a narrative with music — it really can tell the story — so to see it up on the screen with an audience responding and laughing in the right spots was awesome. Music has such an ability to subconsciously help us with how we view things. PGN: Who is Shanaenae? BB: Ha. Shanaenae is a performer, born out of my move to Scotland and coming out to my parents. She was created at an open mic in Glasgow and she grew up in New York, where I did a cabaret with her. She’s a fashion diva with a heart of gold. She’s crass and sassy and kind of a clown. She likes when things go wrong so that she has something to fuel her torch songs. She lives for great dramatic moments and I can appreciate that! PGN: Scotland seems like such a masculine culture. I think of thick brogues, kilts and throwing big rocks and trees at the Celtic games. What is the gay culture like there? BB: It was pretty good. I don’t know if it was because of my overall excitement about coming out to my parents and having every one know, but I felt so free. I don’t know how people growing up there felt, but I had a great experience. It’s kind of the privilege of being a visitor. Someone who grew up there might be like, “Oh, I could never be that flamboyant here” and I was like, “But why? Glasgow is so great!” But there’s definitely a large gay culture there and I never had any problems. PGN: Let’s wrap up with a random question. What would your porn name be? BB: Isn’t that supposed to be your first pet and the street you were born on? I had a bunny named Pugdy and was born on Lookout Drive. So I’d be Pudgy Lookout. AY: You’ve also been tagging yourself online as The Ginger Swan. BB: Yes! That would work as a porn name too. Why not? The Ginger Swan. I could do an improvisational dance before the sex as a courtship dance. AY: It’ll be porn set to Swan Lake. PGN: [Laughs] That can be next year’s Fringe show! n “Growing Into My Beard” runs Sept. 3-18 at venues throughout the city. For more information or tickets, visit http://fringearts.com/ event/growing-into-my-beard/. To suggest a community member for Family Portait, email portraits05@aol.com.

Q Puzzle Twilight of the need for sexual clarity Across

1. Pastry with fruit, perhaps 5. “Lesbians ignite!” e.g. 10. Type of Mary pass 14. “You want the light ___ off?” 15. “On the Beach” writer Shute 16. Alan of “And the Band Played On” 17. “Twilight” star and former love interest of 3-Across 20. Like some fouls, to Sue Wicks 21. “Phantom of the Opera” carrier 22. Phnom ___, Cambodia 23. What bottoms say when they treat? 24. Pie fight sound 27. Jamaican cultist 31. With 34-Across, sexually ambiguous “Twilight” star 34. See 31-Across 36. Enjoys Rubicon restaurant 37. Be a suc-

cess in life 39. Give the cold shoulder 40. Chemical ending 41. Responded to Di’s passing away 43. Drink with jam and bread 44. “Goodby ___ Jean” 46. Use your head? 47. Willing and able partner 49. PAC of seniors 51. It might go right to the bottom 52. Visual effects producer and current love interest of 31-Across 57. Came to rest 58. Tickle pink 59. Gilbert of “Roseanne” 61. Lorca’s pink 62. Contract conditions 63. Refrain from tongue use 64. Sweet opening? 65. Drivers’ rods 66. Cruising

Down

1. That’s bull, to Frida 2. Soon, long ago 3. Frat toga 4. Violate a property sign 5. Susan of “Goldengirl” 6. Length, to a

bottom 7. Gardner of “Show Boat” 8. Very beginning, slangily 9. “Candle in the Wind” singer John 10. Woodcutters’ tools 11. “And another thing ...” 12. Ryan of porn 13. Chloe’s role in “Boys Don’t Cry” 18. Butler in “Gone with the Wind” 19. Harden 24. Yarn buy 25. Madrid museum 26. Saying “Bite me!” to cannibals? 28. He delivers gifts in stockings 29. Brought into alignment 30. In check 32. A chat room boaster may have a big one

33. Just one of those things 34. Material from Sylvia Beach? 35. Da Vinci’s threesome 38. To’s partner 41. “South Park” composer Shaiman 42. Crossdressing 45. Fruity rum drink 48. Inventor Otis 50. Portrayal of Mary and son 51. Head lock? 52. It’s for skin care 53. Ms. Swan portrayer Borstein 54. Psychiatrist Jung 55. Melissa Etheridge’s “Don’t Look ___” 56. Irish tongue 57. Nero’s arts 60. Palindromist’s cry

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

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

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Auto for Sale 2002 PT Cruiser. Red with wood grain. 112K. Runs good. Well maintained. $3000.00. Call Joe-856-275-6271. ________________________________________39-47

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

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PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

SERVICES & HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

PGN

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PGN

Activism/Politics

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

Arts

Library Book Club meets to discuss a new book 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at William Way. Men On Tap, an LGBT group that performs with choirs, organizations and at the Fringe Festival, rehearses 8 p.m. Mondays at The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St.; dale@ magicalfantasies.com. Philadelphia Freedom Band, an audition-free LGBT band that does concerts and parades, rehearses 7-9:30 p.m. Mondays; philadelphiafreedomband.com. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus rehearses 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays; 215-731-9230, auditions@pgmc.org. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Opera Club meets to share and listen to recordings 6:30 p.m. the last Saturday of the month; 215-732-7898. Philadelphia Voices of Pride, Philadelphia’s first mixed LGBT chorus, rehearses 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at William Way; www.pvop.org. Queer Writer’s Collective workshop and discussion group meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Saturday of the month at William Way. Reading Queerly, open to all women and genderqueer/ trans people, meets 6:45 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.

Recreation

Gay Bridge Club non-beginners group meets Monday 2-5 p.m. at William Way; reservations required. Call 215732-2220. Gay-friendly Scrabble Club meets 5:30-10:30 p.m. at Abner’s Steaks, 38th and Chester streets; 215-382-0789. Humboldt Society: Lesbian and Gay Naturalists meets 7:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at William Way; 215-985-1456, www.humboldtsociety.org. Independence Squares LGBT square-dance club, modern Western square dancing hosts an open house and Tuesday classes in the fall at Lutheran Church, 2111 Sansom St.; philadances@gmail.com, www.independencesquares.org. Male Oenophile Group forming to discuss, appreciate and taste various wines. Will meet once a month to investigate the nuances and glories of the fermented grape; 267-2306750. Mornings OUT LGBT Senior Social activities for senior gay men are held 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays at William Way. PhilaVentures, Philadelphia’s LGBT outdoor group, meets for hikes in Wissahickon Valley and Valley Forge Park; philaventures.org.

Sports

Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for practice at p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Greenfield Park, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area with games on Sundays, beginning in April, at the Dairy and Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch at Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www.philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club, open to LGBT and allies, practices 8-10 p.m. Mondays and 2-4 p.m. Saturdays; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, open to male and female swimmers, meets 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Friends Select School and 10:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays; www.philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League meets 8 p.m. Wednesdays September-April at South Bowl, 19 E. Oregon

Ave.; 856-889-1434, philagaybowling@yahoo.com. Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League plays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at FDR Park; www.phillyflagfootball.com Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club, open to players of all skill levels, meets 7:45 p.m. Thursdays at Columbus Square Park, 1200 Wharton St.; 215-913-7531, philadelphiagryphons.org, becomeagryphon@gmail.com. Philadelphia Liberty Belles women’s semi-pro full-tackle football league holds fall tryouts; phillybelles.com. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association plays yearround, all skill levels welcome; philadelphialibertytennis. com. Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team seeks players; www.philadelphiafirebirds.com. Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League seeks players, all skill levels and ages. Practice is 7 p.m. Thursdays at Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 17th and Fitzwater streets, with games at 2:30 p.m. Sundays; 215-991-5995 (day), 301-919-1194 (evening), phillywomensbaseball. com. Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; 917-656-1936, phury@gayhockey.org. Philly QCycle LGBT bicycling club promotes organized recreational riding for all levels in the Greater Philadelphia region; contact the organization via Facebook. Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley motorcycle club meets regularly; 215-836-0440, www.groups.yahoo.com/ group/rainbowridersdv/. Rainbow Rollers gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Boulevard Lanes in Northeast Philadelphia; rainbowrollers.com. Spartan Wrestling Club gay wrestling team meets 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-732-4545, www.phillyspartans.com.

Etc.

AIDS Law Project provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing at 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 600; 215587-9377, www.aidslawpa.org. BiUnity, Philadelphia-area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends; http://biunity. org. Delaware Valley Pink Pistols, for LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for self-defense, meets 1 p.m. the third Sunday of the month at The Gun Range, 542 N. Percy St.; 610-879-2364; www.pinkpistolsdelval.org. Delaware Pride holds planning meetings 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at the United Church of Christ, 300 Main St., Newark; 302-265-3020, delawarepride.org. Haverford College’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance holds open meetings 10-11 p.m. Mondays during the school year in the lounge in Jones Basement at Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave.; 610-896-4938. Men and Women for Human Excellence support group meets from noon-2 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month at 26th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue; 267-2733513, cmoore8300@yahoo.com. Long Yang Club Philadelphia, social organization for gay Asians and their friends, holds monthly socials; www. longyangclub.org/philadelphia. Our Night Out, a casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, friends and colleagues, meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, email OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; more information on Facebook. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice offered 5-8 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month; 215-238-6333. Philadelphia Prime Timers club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; primetimersofphiladelphia@yahoo.com. Philadelphians MC Club, for leather men and women, meets 7:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; philadelphiansmc.org. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL-affiliated, weekly HF nets, quarterly newsletter; www.rara.org. Silver Foxes, a social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older, meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Sunday of the month at William Way; 215-732-2220. SNJ Queers meets monthly for queer/queer-friendly folks in South Jersey to mix and mingle; 856-375-3708, wmf69@comast.net.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

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

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

■ ActionAIDS: 215-981-0088 ■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377 ■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221 ■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 n The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 215-496-0330

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

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

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

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

■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537

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

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

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

Health

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2015

PGN

#PBJLGBT

LGBT TOP COMPANIES & AWARDS

Is your Company Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-or Transgender-Owned? Do you know an LGBT Business Advocate? Join the Philadelphia Business Journal and Philadelphia Gay News in celebrating LGBT businesses in Greater Philadelphia. Once again, we will rank the Top 25 LGBT-Owned Businesses. If you think your business should be on our list or you know of a business who should be honored, please contact Philadelphia Business Journal Director of Research Sharon Oliver at soliver@bizjournals.com. NEW FOR THIS YEAR: The Business Journal and PGN will honor LGBT Business Advocates â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the people who are helping the community become economically empowered. Our honorees can be LGBT folks or straight allies; our goal is to recognize the people who are making a difference. If you would like to nominate an advocate, go to http://bizj.us/1iu986 Save the Date! LGBT Top Companies & Awards Cocktail Reception Thursday, November 3, 5:00pm-8:00pm, The Union Trust

Presented by:

Co-Sponsor:

Event questions? Contact Courtney Armstrong at courtneyarmstrong@bizjournals.com or 215-238-5111 Sponsorship opportunities? Contact Ron Maver at rmaver@bizjournals.com or 215-238-5123