PGN Sept. 7-13, 2012 by The Philadelphia Gay News

Philly Fringe and Live Arts kick off fall

Family Portrait: Stormy Lundy

PAGE 23

PGN editor to depart, staff writer to take helm

PAGE 29

PAGE 7

Sept. 7-13, 2012

Vol. 36 No. 36

City to settle suit by women housed with trans inmate

Record number of local, national LGBTs at historic DNC By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com City officials are in the process of settling a lawsuit filed by four women who say their privacy rights were violated while sharing a cell with a pre-operative transgender woman in a city prison. Mark McDonald, a spokesperson for Mayor Nutter, confirmed that efforts are under way to settle the case, but no deal had been struck by press time. “The settlement has not been finalized, and so I am unable to discuss any details,” McDonald said. “If there is a final, signed deal, I’ll let you know.” Jabrina T. Barnett, Maria Cachola, Katiria Chamorro and Yazmin Gonzales claim they were placed in danger when they were required to share a cell with a transgender woman at the Riverside Correctional Facility, a city prison. Last November, they filed suit in federal court, each seeking more than $100,000 in damages. They contend that the transgender woman — Jovanie Saldana — PAGE 2

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF KEYSTONE PROGRESS MICHAEL MORRILL (FROM LEFT), CHAIR OF THE PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATS JIM BURN AND EQUALITY PENNSYLVANIA PRESIDENT ADRIAN SHANKER, ONE OF 13 OUT PENNSYLVANIA DELEGATES TO THE DNC, SUNDAY AT A RECEPTION IN CHARLOTTE.

The Democratic Party ushered in a new era in the LGBT-rights movement this week with its full endorsement of marriage equality during the Democratic National Convention — an effort witnessed by a record number of out participants. This year, 486 openly LGBT delegates — and 534 out participants in all — took part in the convention, held Sept. 4-6 in Charlotte, N.C. There were about 350 LGBT participants, 277 of whom were delegates, in the 2008 convention. Locally, Pennsylvania sent 13 LGBT delegates, up from 11 at the last convention. Pennsylvania’s out delegates hailed from all areas of the commonwealth, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the Lehigh Valley and North-Central Pennsylvania.

Trans woman shot to death

ACT UP members arrested at guv’s mansion By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Four members of ACT UP Philadelphia were arrested outside of Gov. Corbett’s mansion last week while protesting the elimination of funds that had been used to support the state’s most low-income populations. The Aug. 29 action was in response to Corbett’s plan to do away with General Assistance — a cash-assistance program for the disabled, ailing unemployed adults, domestic-violence victims and those in drug and alcohol rehab — that PAGE 16

The heightened LGBT participation mirrored the record support for the community’s issues, with the DNC voting to adopt marriage equality as an official platform plank, the first time ever a major political party has done so. The approved language states that the party supports marriage equality and “the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples,” noting that it also backs an exemption in such laws for religious entities. The platform calls for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act and expresses opposition to federal and state constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage. Equality Pennsylvania president Adrian Shanker served as an alternate delegate and told PGN before leaving for North Carolina that this was a significant year for PAGE 18 LGBTs at the DNC.

FORKFUL OF FUNDRAISING: About 250 people filled their plates at “Josh’s Dinner Party,” a fundraiser for New York City’s LGBT homeless youth agency The Ali Forney Center, Aug. 30 at Tabu. Hosted by Josh Schonewolf (front row, second from left,) a local out food blogger, the event featured dinner by chef Lisa Ransing, drag performances and raffle prizes. The dinner exceeded Schonewolf’s $10,000 goal. Photo: Scott A. Drake

A person thought to be a transgender woman was murdered last weekend in the city’s Frankford section. The victim was found early Sept. 3 in a wooded area near the 1100 block of Adams Avenue with a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, described in the police report as a man in woman’s clothing, was AfricanAmerican and between 25-30. Police have identified the victim but are not releasing the name pending family notification. Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson, LGBT liaison for the Philadelphia Police Department, said the victim made a purchase at the Wawa on Castor Avenue, about a half-mile from the crime scene, prior to the murder. It is unclear whether the store had surveillance cameras. Johnson said investigators believe the victim may have been a sex worker. As of presstime, no motive and no suspects were identified. — Jen Colletta

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

LAWSUIT from page 1

subjected them to unwanted advances and sexual harassment. They also claim that Saldana would leer at them and make inappropriate comments about their anatomy. Their attorney, Brian F. Humble, had no comment for this story. The plaintiffs were housed with Saldana at various times over a 14-month period at the prison, located in Northeast Philadelphia, according to the lawsuit. “Prison workers should have noticed [Saldana’s gender] and their supervisors are at fault for not ensuring that the facility was operated properly,” the lawsuit states. The suit lists about 60 individuals and/ or entities as defendants, including Louis Giorla, commissioner of the Philadelphia Prison System. Giorla declined to comment about the lawsuit. “Defendants’ actions exceeded the normal standards of decent conduct and were malicious, willful, oppressive, outrageous and unjustifiable,” the suit states. The alleged failure of prison workers to ascertain the biological gender of Saldana

NEWS PGN

produced a “state-created danger” for the plaintiffs, according to the lawsuit. Saldana was housed at the facility from June 2010 to August 2011 — when her biological gender became known to officials after she complained about allegedly being forced to perform oral sex on a guard, according to the suit. In October 2011, Saldana pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced to five-years’ probation. She couldn’t be reached for comment. On June 13, defense attorney Stephen E. Siegrist filed a motion seeking the release of Saldana’s medical records to determine if health-care providers at the prison knew that Saldana had male genitalia. On June 27, U.S. District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno granted the request — even though Saldana isn’t a defendant in the case, and she didn’t authorize the release of her medical records. “All information [in the medical chart] must be kept confidential and used only for purposes of this litigation and must not be disclosed to anyone except parties to this litigation and the parties’ counsel of record,” Robreno stated in his order.

When the litigation ends, the records must be returned to Saldana’s health-care provider or be destroyed, Robreno added. Siegrist declined to comment about his request for the records. Shawn Hawes, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Prison System, acknowledged that prison officials erred in not stripsearching Saldana during her incarceration at Riverside. Hawes said officials assumed Saldana had female genitalia because of her outward appearance. “Inmate Saldana was not properly searched when admitted to Riverside,” Hawes told PGN. “Had the search been according to policy, Saldana’s housing would have been given the appropriate consideration.” Hawes also said prison officials rely on the opinion of clinicians before deciding where to house a transgender inmate. “If a determination is made that a transgender inmate would be in danger or unable to safely be placed in general population, they — like any other inmate — are placed in protective custody or administrative segregation,” Hawes added.

Hawes had no comment on the lawsuit, or whether it would impact future decisions related to the housing of transgender inmates. He also said prison authorities don’t release an inmate’s medical records to a third party unless the inmate authorizes such a release — or a judge orders it. Upon admission to a city prison, all inmates have blood drawn and tested for syphilis. The results are placed in their medical chart, Hawes said. An inmate’s blood isn’t tested for HIV, but inmates are given the option of having an oral swab to determine if they’re HIVpositive, Hawes said. The results of the swab are placed in the inmate’s medical chart. If an inmate declines the swab, that fact is noted in his or her medical chart, Hawes said. He added that said inmates aren’t offered the opportunity to self-identify as being comfortable with a transgender cellmate. “Although on its face this seems like a sensible idea, vulnerable inmates could be coerced into making or agreeing to such a request,” Hawes said. “Predators are often not found out until it’s too late.” ■

locations in Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA — NORTH OF C.C.

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

PHILADELPHIA — SOUTH OF C.C.

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

PHILADELPHIA — UNIVERSITY CITY

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

PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOODS — OTHER

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

All of these locations are now visible on a zoomable Google Map at

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

PGN

2012

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Welcome to PGN’s Best of Gay Philadelphia 2012! Here’s how this will work: First, you, dear reader, will give us your picks for the best of LGBT Philly — in the community, eats, entertainment, nightlife, people and places. Submit your votes here, using this handy suvey. Voting is open Aug. 10-Sept. 10. Then, votes will be tallied and announced in the Sept. 28 issue. To cap it off, we’re planning a special invite-only party for the winners on Oct. 4. (Make sure you are in good with your favorite winner so you can get them to bring you along.) Some notes: If you are unsure if your favorite [person/place/thing] would qualify, refer to the helpful title: Best of Gay Philadelphia. For the most part, we want to know what the LGBT community thinks, with a focus on LGBT people, places and things. We don’t want to hear about the worst, the non-gay or the best in New York City. But if you present an argument for why your non-gay [person/ place/thing] should win, send it in. If you include witty comments with your survey, we may print them. Feel free to ﬁll out as many — or as few — categories as you like. (We’re not sure any one of us could answer all the categories either.) To vote: Write in your picks, then send them to us via mail, fax or in person.

PGN’s Best of Gay Philadelphia 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 Fax: 215-925-6437

FINAL WEEK TO VOTE!

To nominate online, go to www.epgn.com, and click on the link for Best of Gay Philadelphia.

Community

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Nightlife Neighborhood Bar Sports Bar Dance Floor Casino Place to Grab a Beer Place to Meet Women Place to Meet Men Theme Night Happy Hour Bar Food (place) Martini (what/place) Mixed Drink (what/place) Overall Bar

Businesses Bicycle Shop Clothing Store Gym Hair Salon

LGBT Event

Breakfast/Brunch

LGBT Fundraiser

Lunch

LGBT Nonproﬁt

Dinner

LGBT Sports League

Dessert

People

Coffee Shop Overall Restaurant

Activist Bartender

Arts & Entertainment

Hair Stylist

Drag King

Personal Trainer

Drag Queen

Politician

Local Band

Co-sponsors

Local DJ Live Music Venue Local Musician Local Singer Party Promoter Theater Group

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

PGN

WHITE OUT: Cyannie Famouz took the stage for a summer send-off at ICandy’s White Party Sept. 3. The second annual Labor Day bash drew hundreds of partiers for drink specials and drag performances. Guests who donned white, as the color is retired until next summer, took advantage of free cover. Photo: Scott A. Drake NEWS

Local Media Trail News Briefing Obituary Out Law Regional Wedding

5 22 8 14 12 8 15

Contents

EDITORIAL/OP-ED

Creep of the Week Editorial Letters/Feedback Street Talk

10 10 11 11

How much of the Democratic National Convention will you watch? Poll results from our online survey as of Sept. 5:

25% 10% 30% 5% 30%

As much as I can Just the nomination and acceptance I’ll check it out a couple of times Damn little Absolutely none of it

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

When do you declare summer as over?

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

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

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

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

Publisher

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

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

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

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

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

LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Youth program to multitask with new space By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A comprehensive program that serves youth who identify as LGBT or are at risk for HIV/AIDS moved into a new space this summer, maximizing its ability to provide services. Youth Health Empowerment Project, a program of Philadelphia FIGHT, in July moved its headquarters to the third floor of 1417 Locust St. It was formerly housed at 112 N. Broad St. The organization will host an open house to unveil its new location at 2 p.m. Sept. 12.

The agency, founded in 1994, was in its previous location since 2001. Y-HEP program director Katie Dunphy said the group began looking into a new headquarters about a year ago, after it was awarded a $1.5-million five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control. The funding enabled the launch of a prevention campaign targeted at young men of color who have sex with men, and the hiring of five new staffers to oversee the program, which Dunphy said necessitated more space. In searching for a new spot, organizers had the challenge of finding a space that included a shower, laundry services

and kitchen to accommodate its drop-in center, all of which is included at 1417 Locust St. The move more than doubled Y-HEP’s square footage — from 2,500 to more than 6,000. It also allowed for the addition of a second group room for meetings and activities, and Y-HEP’s health services and counseling programs will now be offered in separate locations. The organization retained its seven-station computer lab. “We’re now able to do multiple programming at the same time, which we couldn’t do in our old space,” Dunphy said. “It’s a huge increase in square foot-

age that will allow multiple things to be taking place at once.” Y-HEP was closed for just four days during the transition. Dunphy said the expanded space will be integral in supporting new programs and clients. “Right now we’re able to think about, develop and implement new and creative ways to respond to the needs that youth are telling us about,” she said. “We’re hoping to start GED programming on site, and we’re piloting a new exercising group. We want to keep expanding our services, and now we have the ability to do so.” ■

CHANGE OF SPACE: Staff at Youth Health Empowerment Project settle into their new digs at 1417 Locust St. (left). Staffers include Josh Sprague (seated, from left), Duane Jones and Lauren Wood, and Katie Dunphy (back row, from left), Cliff Brown, Tiffany Thompson, Isaac Flomo, Kamelah Jefferson, Jackie Clemens, Tariem Burroughs and Terrence Rush. The youth-serving agency this summer moved from its location on North Broad Street and will celebrate with an open house at Sept. 12. Photos: Scott A. Drake

Haute Mexican? Haute Mexican! After ten successful years in northeast Philadelphia, Paloma is serving to-die-for French-Mexican cuisine in Bella Vista. ��

a semifinalist for the 2011 James Beard Foundation awards 763 South 8th Street (corner of 8th & Fulton) www.palomafinedining.com www.facebook.com/palomarestaurant 215.928.9500

Philadelphia Gay News

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

LOCAL PGN

Reconvening on AIDS Conference By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Stakeholders in the HIV/AIDS community who were unable to take part in this summer’s International AIDS Conference will have the opportunity to catch up on conference highlights this month in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Post-Conference Hub will include a review and discussion of the conference’s most salient topics Sept. 19 and 20. Staged by the Black Treatment Advocates Network and the African American HIV University of The Black AIDS Institute, in partnership with an array of local health and HIV/AIDS agencies, the conference will be geared toward clinical providers the first day and community members, prevention workers, advocates and others impacted by the epidemic on the second.

BTAN co-chair Danielle Parks and program director at Health Federation of Philadelphia said the Hub is an opportunity for those who attended the conference, held in the United States for the first time in more than two decades, to share their multi-faceted experiences. “The conference was somewhat expensive so we wanted to make sure that folks who attended can take what they learned back to their communities and get the information dispersed,” Parks said. The first session, expected to draw about 50 clinicians, will be held from 5-8 p.m. at Public Health Management Corporation, 260 S. Broad St., and will include presentations by Drs. Rafik Samuel and Robert Bettiker, both of Temple University’s Section of Infectious Diseases. The second event will be held from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 20 at Temple University’s Center City campus, 1515 Market St. in Room 222, and is expected

to draw about 100 attendees. That day’s discussions will be divided into four focus areas: men who have sex with men; youth; heterosexual women and men of color; and transgender individuals. Some of the sessions will be aided by videotaped segments from the International AIDS Conference, which will be brought into local focus by the presenters. A m o n g t h e s c h e d u l e d s p e a ke r s are Drexel University Department of Community Health and Prevention associate professor Dr. Lisa Bowleg, Family Services Association of Bucks County health educator Nathan Townsend, Black AIDS Institute founder and executive director Phil Wilson, Positive Women’s Network advisor Waheedah Shabazz-El and Haven Youth Center executive director and founder William Brawner. “A lot of folks don’t have access to the research going on behind the scenes,”

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Parks said. “So this is an opportunity to educate the community and make sure everyone is well-versed on the science around HIV and to get people around the table and riled up to fight for the issues.” Both days’ events are free. Parks said the sessions will allow for discussions on the local, national and international efforts to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS. “I think people who work in the HIV field often don’t get the chance to hear what’s going on globally,” she said. “We want to look at what’s happening here in our country and also the innovative things that are being done outside of the country and see how we can apply that to here in Philadelphia. I came back from the conference with a new sense of fire around HIV, and that’s what we want to share with everyone else.” To register, visit BlackAIDS.org/ Philadelphia. ■

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PGN Gay is our middle name

LOCAL PGN

PGN appoints new editor By Sarah Blazucki sarah@epgn.com Jen Colletta, longtime staff writer for PGN, will take the helm of the publication following the departure of the current editor. Colletta, who started with PGN in 2007, will take over with the Sept. 28 issue. Colletta, 26, earned her master’s in professional communication and her bachelor’s in communication and English from La Salle University. During her tenure as staff writer, Colletta has covered a plethora of topics, ranging from murders to community grants and festivals. The Northeast Philadelphia native recently won first place for Best Continuing Coverage from the Local Media Association for her coverage of the 2010 murder of Stacey Blahnik, and earned an Honorable Mention for Best InDepth Reporting; this year, she also was a runner-up for the Sarah Pettit Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and took third place for Excellence in News Writing. As staff writer, Colletta said her biggest challenges have been “trying to balance an awareness of all the different goings on in the community — politics, crime, community events. At times, it’s difficult to keep track of everything going on since it’s such an active community.” Colletta said she’d like to expand the paper’s reach, particularly online. “I’d like to bring the paper into its next phase of development: ramp up the online presence and continue the great work in community outreach, ensuring PGN is a trusted voice of the community,” she said. Mark Segal, PGN publisher, was pleased to be able to promote a current staff member.

“It is rewarding in journalism when you have someone who has spent many years at a publication to bring that person to the editor’s chair — Jen’s award-winning journalism will now be helming PGN,” he said. For her part, Colletta expects the transition to editor to be a large one. “Personally, it will be a difficult transition,” she said. “It will be a new role with new responsibilities. With this job, I became very focused in my pattern of reporting and writing. Getting used to all

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

PGN editor to depart By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Sarah Blazucki, who has helmed PGN for nearly six years, will step down later this month. Blazucki, 37, is headed to Washington, D.C., where she will take a position as a writer-editor at the Peace Corps, starting Sept. 24. Her last PGN issue will be Sept. 21. Blazucki, a native of Baltimore, holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication,

JEN COLLETTA (LEFT) AND SARAH BLAZUCKI IN THE PGN OFFICE Photo: Scott A. Drake

the different responsibilities that go along with being editor will be a challenge. But it’s something I’m excited about. As for the immediate challenges she faces, Colletta will focus on learning her new responsibilities — and completing the OutFest issue. “There’s going to be a lot coming up in terms of the community, so I’ll be working on covering it all to the best of our ability,” she said. ■

High quality dental treatment and preventive care

• Cosmetic dentistry • Veneers • Crowns • Whitening • Implants

Craig T. Wakefield, DDS Proudly serving the LGBT community and PWA for over 20 years. Medical Towers Building • Suite 2306 255 S. 17th St., Philadelphia, Pa 19103 (215) 732-8080 Evening hours available.

with a concentration in journalism and a minor in women’s studies, from Towson University. She started at PGN as a staff writer in March 2006 and was appointed editor in October of that year. She said that one of her greatest obstacles, and ultimate achievements, was enhancing PGN’s reputation within the local LGBT community. “My biggest challenge was rebuilding the ties with the community,” she said.

“Coming into the job, I recognized that there were people who wouldn’t talk to us, who didn’t trust us and I didn’t know why. So I had to figure out who wouldn’t, why they wouldn’t and fix that. The paper needs to be the voice of the community and if people don’t talk to us, then we’re ineffective.” Shortly after taking over, Blazucki held a series of editorial board meetings with dozens of community leaders to garner their input on the direction of the paper. “I got people to come in and talk about what they’ve experienced with the paper, how they felt and how we could do a better job,” she said. She also strove to heighten the publication’s professionalism and, under her tenure, PGN has won 37 awards. Mark Segal, PGN publisher, said, “Sarah took PGN from being an award-winning publication to being one of the nation’s best. Her integrity and ethics were something that made me as a publisher proud every single day. Not only are we at PGN losing an editor, we are losing family and a friend. It is heartening to know that she will always be a member of the PGN family.” Blazucki said the position has prepared her to work well with diverse communities. “I honed my skills in working with lots of different constituencies — readers, business owners, people who work for nonprofit organizations in the community,” she said. “I’ve had to be able to understand what they need but also convey how and why we do what we do, and build and engender trust.” Outside of PGN, Blazucki is a résumé writer for The Resume Place and served on the board of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. After serving as an at-large member for the national NLGJA board since 2010, she was elected vice president of print and digital media this summer. ■

Do You Miss The Sound Of The Shofar? Ancient and mystical, the Shofar calls us to renewal on Rosh Hashanah and contemplation on Yom Kippur. Where will you hear the Shofar?

You are invited to share the holiday celebrations with Darkaynu. Lead by Rabbi Jon Cutler in Warrington, PA Please plan to attend High Holiday Observances.

Darkaynu

Selichot Sunday September 9th 5pm Eve Rosh Hashanah Sunday September 16th 8pm Rosh Hashanah Monday September 17th 10am Second Day Rosh Hashanah Tuesday September 18th 10am Kol Nidre, Eve Yom Kippur Tuesday September 25th 6:30pm Yom Kippur Wednesday, September 26th 10am Yizkor 12 noon Mincha 4:30pm Call for Details: 267-528-7212 darkaynuourpath@yahoo.com Neelah 5:30pm Break the fast following Services

Minimum donation of $72.00/person requested Handicapped Accessible

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

REGIONAL PGN

News Briefing

ing the litigation, couldn’t be reached for comment. In a prior interview, Schneller said the Philadelphia Metro Task Force has about 75 members representing about 20 municipalities in the state. — Timothy Cwiek

Challenge to Conshohocken’s LGBT ordinance ends James D. Schneller, co-founder of the antigay Philadelphia Metro Task Force, has dropped his legal challenge of Conshohocken’s LGBT civil-rights ordinance. I n a n A u g . 2 8 fi l i n g w i t h s t a t e Commonwealth Court, Schneller withdrew his challenge without elaborating. Enacted in April 2011, the ordinance grants civil-rights protections to LGBTs and other groups in the areas of housing, employment, public education and public accommodations. Violators face a fine of $500 and up to 90 days in jail for each offense. In September 2011, Schneller filed a legal challenge of the ordinance’s validity, claiming it fosters the spread of diseases, harms children and infringes on protected religious freedoms. In March, Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Bernard A. Moore dismissed Schneller’s challenge on the basis that it lacked legal standing. But Schneller appealed the dismissal in state Commonwealth Court. The ordinance remained in effect while Schneller’s legal challenge was pending. Michael J. Savona, borough solicitor for Conshohocken, was pleased that Schneller withdrew his appeal. “On behalf of the borough, I’m ecstatic,” Savona told PGN. “It’s vindication for us. Perhaps Mr. Schneller has realized that Pennsylvania allows local governments to adopt protections for all classes of citizens — including LGBT citizens — and that pursuing his appeal would have been a waste of time, effort and money.” He said the Conshohocken borough council may file suit against Schneller to recover the legal fees and expenses incurred during the litigation. “Council is still considering whether to file an action to recoup its legal feels and expenses from Schneller for litigating this frivolous matter,” Savona said. Schneller, who represented himself dur-

Allentown to stage ‘8’ The acclaimed stage show about California’s ongoing fight for marriage equality makes its way to the Lehigh Valley this weekend. The Civic Theatre of Allentown will host a one-night-only performance of “8: The Play” at 8 p.m. Sept. 8. Created by “Milk” screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, the play chronicles the 2008 passage of Proposition 8, which overturned California’s same-sex marriage law, and the ensuing backlash. The work presents testimony from transcripts from the landmark court case — which is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court — as a court order prevented videotaping within the courtroom. The event will serve as a fundraiser for Pennsylvania Diversity Network and will include readings from PDN executive director Liz Bradbury and Equality Pennsylvania president Adrian Shanker, who will also lead an audience talk-back. Tickets to the event are $20 and can be purchased online at www.civictheatre.com or by calling 610-432-8943.

Show ‘A Day with HIV’ Positively Aware magazine is asking those affected by HIV to share their experiences through a photo. The magazine is looking for digital photos to be taken Sept. 21 for its third annual “A Day with HIV” photo essay. The picture can reflect any aspect of one’s involvement with the disease. “We’re asking everyone affected by HIV, whether they are positive or negative, to share with all of us an image of their life that expresses what it means to live with HIV,” said magazine editor Jeff Berry. “Their images, captured over a single day, will create a rich photographic tapestry of hope, strength and support.” The selected photos will be published in the magazine’s November/December issue. Photos can be submitted at www.adaywithhiv.com. Entries will be accepted through Sept. 25. ■ — Jen Colletta

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com

REGIONAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Inclusive, woman-led Catholic community launches By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The word “catholic” is defined as that which is universal, and a new progressive faith community is looking to embody that meaning. The American National Catholic Church, an alternative Independent Catholic community, is opening its first Pennsylvania parish this weekend, which will be headed by the first woman ANCC pastor. The Rev. Phyllis McHugh will celebrate Mass at 5 p.m. Sept. 8 at St. Thomas More, in Elkins Park. The ANCC was founded in 2009 and, while it embraces many of the basic tenets and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, it is a non-Vatican entity. Chief among the differences between the ANCC and the RCC is the former’s inclusiveness — it ordains women, married people and LGBTs, and offers a union rite for same-sex couples. It was that universality that attracted McHugh, a former Roman Catholic nun. The Northeast Philadelphia native was raised Roman Catholic and spent 10 years in the convent. “I came to the realization that God had

THE REV. PHYLLIS MCHUGH (THIRD FROM LEFT)

other plans for me,” she said about leaving the convent. “I knew I needed to move on and engage the world better than I could do as a nun.” McHugh remained a teacher and went on to get married and have a son. She earned her master’s degree in Systematic Theology and remained involved in lay parish ministry but was always put off by the strict patriarchal hierarchy within the church. “I struggled for years with the fact that women not only couldn’t be priests but also couldn’t be deacons. The feeling started driving me crazy and I came to see that when God looked at me, he didn’t see limitations. God wanted me to be able to pursue

my calling, and the Roman Catholic Church was never going to give me the opportunity to do that,” she said. As a lifelong Roman Catholic, she said the decision to leave was a tough one, but that she was heartened when she learned of the opportunities within the Independent Catholic movement. “I saw, wow, there are other Catholic churches out there where being a woman is not a liability,” she said. “I realized that I do not have to be invalid matter anymore. So I took the plunge and am very happy I did.” She was ordained in May 2011 within the Old Catholic Apostolic Church and served as associate pastor at St. Miriam’s in Blue Bell before being incardinated into the ANCC this month. “Theologically, they’re very solid,” she said of the ANCC, noting that the church embraces the spirit of reform fostered at the Second Vatican Council and believes in a collegial, rather than hierarchical, governing style. McHugh, who will retain her day job in IT tech support through the new venture, said she has been welcomed and affirmed by her brother priests. Being the first female priest to minister in the ANCC is both an honor and a challenge,

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she added. “As a Catholic, this is virgin territory, so what I do and say takes on added importance,” she said. “But I try to think about what St. Paul said about there being neither slave nor free man, nor man or woman; when God looks at us, he doesn’t see gender. He sees each of us as a person. And the challenge to live out that divine acceptance of who we are is at the very base, fundamental level.” That line of thinking is part of what drives the ANCC’s affirmation of LGBT people. McHugh said that, as a woman, she can relate to the marginalization LGBTs feel in discriminatory faith communities. “I find it extraordinary that people do not accept,” she said. “God made us who we are. I know what it felt like to have limitations on what I could do as a member of the church, what I could aspire to. Everyone has a right to live a happy life in all its fullness. Any LGBT person who comes to St. Thomas More will be accepted as they are and encouraged to live their life in all its fullness. My church will be open to everyone, and that certainly is a big welcome to the LGBT community.” For more information, visit www.stthomasmoreancc.org. ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

U.S. Rep. Todd Akin

Editorial

Uncivil discourse With the Republican and Democratic national conventions back-to-back, the campaign rhetoric has been exceedingly high these last two weeks. Throw in the partisan name-calling and it’s clear that civil discourse is no longer happening. More and more, politics looks and feels like a team sport, where spectators root for their team and trash talk the opposing team. And the election is still two months away. This communication gulf seems to be pervasive and ongoing. It recently ramped up again with the Chick-fil-A CEO’s comments and the LGBT community’s reaction to the company’s support of antigay organizations. It has continued with the Republican Party platform’s support of one man-one woman marriage. Perhaps the hardest to comprehend are the personal attacks that seem so prevalent in comments on news sites, emails and, yes, even phone calls. These comments, in which the authors/speakers lambaste politicians, community leaders, businesspeople, poor people, women, gays and lesbians, rich people, fillin-the-blank, are divisive and ultimately ineffective. People aren’t going to listen to your actual argument if all you are doing is calling someone a name. If you haven’t presented an argument, there’s no opportunity to counter it. (Perhaps that is the point.) Instead, the conversation gets increasingly heated, the comments get more inflammatory and all sides dig in their heels. Again, no progress, no actual communication. Take, for instance, a call that came into PGN this week. A man was upset that gay men were chatting him up on a dating site. After ranting about how this type of behavior would make someone like him (presumably God-fearing) vote against gay rights, he then threatened to break the legs of the next guy who did it. Too often, individual behavior is seen as representative of an entire group: For example, all gays must be married and cheating on their wives, flirting with single straight men and rubbing their gayness in people’s faces because one or two may have done so. Regardless of the unwanted advances (it’s a dating site, thus it’s assumed there will be some unwanted advances; just think of all the unwanted advances that women deal with daily), violence and threats aren’t going to solve the situation — and calling the female editor of the gay paper isn’t going to solve the problem. Personal insecurities and anger issues aside, progress on gay rights requires respectful dialogue. Without it, people are just shouting at each other, not listening to one another and certainly not trying to understand each other. This isn’t to say that LGBTs should go back in the closet until the straights decide we aren’t a threat. But that we need to keep pursuing dialogue despite the difficulties. ■

OK, everybody, I have some really shocking news. I know this is going to really hurt some people, but I can’t keep this to myself any longer. So, here goes: Being antiwomen goes hand in hand with being antigay. I thought it best that you hear it from me. If you hear someone spouting that we need to ban birth control and force women to have babies no matter goddamned what, chances are good this is not a person cool with two dudes marrying each other. Case in point: U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (RMo.), who has been getting burned by the media spotlight non-stop since he uttered his woefully ignorant comments about how women don’t get pregnant from rape unless it’s a “legitimate rape” [because] “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Just in case there is any confusion, Akin’s statement is not true. It is, however, crazy enough to be defended by notable Republicans including Mike Huckabee (also an opponent of gay rights), who went on the record to say that rape babies are awesome for everyone involved (I’m paraphrasing a little bit). Wiser Republicans have urged Akin to drop out of the race. But they’re not that wise considering that the official party platform contains a radical antiabortion provision that is in line with Akin’s belief that there should be no exceptions for rape or incest. And not surprisingly, that same Republican Party platform contains antigay language as well, giving a party-wide thumbs-up to an antigay-marriage amendment to the United States Constitution. No doubt Akin is very pleased with this provision, as it echoes his own record. According to Michelangelo Signorile, “Akin voted for a federal marriage amendment twice ... voted against repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ (twice) and against a federal hate-crimes law to protect LGBT individuals (twice).” In 2006, Akin gave a speech on the House floor about marriage equality. “From a practical point of view, to preserve our civilization and society, it’s important for us to preserve marriage,” he said. “Anybody who knows something about the history of the human race knows that there is no civilization which has condoned homosexual marriage widely and openly that has long survived.” I’m not sure what civilizations he’s

referring to. Akin is, apparently, talking about some kind of mythical place where homos were the norm. Since “anybody who knows something about the history of the human race” is supposed to know all about this homo-collapse phenomenon, I guess I know absolutely nothing. Or maybe he forgot to insert the word “pretend” between “something” and “about.” But there’s nothing pretend about the Republican Party’s disdain for gays and lesbians. Or women. Akin may be getting all of the attention, but he is but a symptom of the disease. Today’s GOP doesn’t want the government to be part of your life, unless it’s deciding what is “legitimate” in your most personal and private life. They decide what is a “legitimate” rape, what is “legitimate” sex between consenting adults and what constitutes a “legitimate” marriage. Akin is a poster boy for a party that believes you are a person deserving of rights only while you’re in the womb. After that, fuck off. Actually, wait. Fucking of any kind is probably not considered “legitimate.” But then, neither should the Republican Party. ■ D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world, she reviews rock ’n’ roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister.

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.

OP-ED PGN

Thinking Out Loud

Abby Dees

How a frenzy of right-wing comments got me thinking ... When I sat down to write my last column, I didn’t think I had much to say about anything. So, stumped for fresh ideas, I revived the topic of my previous column — Chickfil-A — for a status update. It was one of the most tepid pieces I’ve written. Imagine my surprise when within hours of its publication, my column had stirred the ire of dozens of right-wingers in the comments section, and even ended up on a far-right website. God knows what happened this week that never happened any other week to put me in the cross-hairs of the culture warriors, but my editor emailed me kudos: “You’re a hit!” she wrote to a very-rattled me. Let me share some highlights: “We know how vicious, angry and intolerant you are, Abby. You won’t really be able to hide it. Deviant sex is the center of your world. That level of imbalance is crippling.” Or, “What a loser! Abby Dees. This is your LIFE???? Wow. What a waste.” Or, “Pathetic mewling of a pervert.” These more personal attacks don’t bother me too much. They don’t know me (and in year seven of my relationship, I can only wish that any sex were the center of my world). Much more maddening was that the comments that tried to argue actual points weren’t responsive to my column at all. Most accused me (as representative of all gay people, by the way) of trying to quash the Chick-fil-A founder’s free-speech rights — when in fact my entire discussion of the uproar over the last month has been critical of such censorship, particularly by the government. To mangle an old quote, I’ll fight to the death for your right to say stupid things. I was also chastised for not discussing things completely unrelated to the subject of my short column, as if by neglecting to, for example, psychically predict that a nutcase was going to open fire at the Family Research Council, I revealed the hypocrisy of the entire LGBT movement and our disdain for humanity, especially if it’s registered Republican. I must then wonder what the point of having a column is, or sharing our thoughts and opinions, if we are utterly unable to hear what anyone else has to say. Hey, it goes both ways. My critics threw

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Street Talk What do you expect from the Democratic Convention? “They’ll attack the Republicans. They’ll fight fire with fire. The Democrats won’t just be vocal in defending Lisa Baxter Obama’s student record: Norfolk, Va. They’ll take the offense and attack Romney. They’ll adhere to the philosophy that the squeaky wheel gets the oil.”

“They’ll emphasize Obama’s positive points. More than likely, they’ll focus on his military victories, like Sharina Hudson killing Osama student [bin Laden]. North Philadelphia They’ll bring out the first lady to show Obama’s human qualities. I hope he wins, because Romney has done nothing for black people. All he does is trash Obama.”

arguments about the immorality or brutality of the LGBT movement at me as if they’d found the key to unraveling our plan for world domination. For example: “‘Hate’ is now defined as anything with which the left disagrees. In the eyes of most leftists, traditional Christians and Jews are no different than Klansmen.” Huh? While such assertions were met with the Internet equivalent of high fives, I’m left scratching my head that anybody could really think this. Is there any hope for real communication between us? I know — I shouldn’t give it a moment’s thought. A conservative friend was amused that I’d pissed off a bunch of “skin heads.” A gay friend dismissed it all as the wounded howls of scared nitwits facing the reality that the LGBT train has left the station. Most everyone I know clucked about the “It will be “The number of morons there are. pretty dull. Democrats I’d like to believe that my column magwill promote They’ll just netically attracted an errant pod of swaswomen’s rubber-stamp tika-tattooed mouth rights quite Obama’s breathers — I refer nomination strenuously to them as “far-right” for another because the out of respect for my four GOP is so bad conservative friends and family whose on that issue. years [as Tytiana Branch John Nikoloudakis politics don’t always Whenever a president]. student student line up with mine, but Obama will Republican Center City Southwest with whom my disgive a good talks about Philadelphia agreements are always speech. I’ll rape or abortion, he puts his respectful and cause us watch him on TV to see what foot in his mouth. The LGBT both to think with a little more subtlety. My delegates might kick up a he has to say. I always enjoy critics can’t be “nice” fuss, since the convention is the way he gives a speech. people like that. One even called me out But I’m not expecting any being held in a state that bans for suggesting that his ilk were “far-right” fireworks.” same-sex marriage. Gay rights when they represent so much of America. and women’s rights are very I know in my gut he’s right (about this). Many are indeed nice people, and damn important to Democrats.” scared about things they don’t understand. And they too can’t imagine that I am the easy-going person that I am, that my relationship is lovely and ordinary, and that I really don’t have an agenda beyond fairness and respect for difference (yes, even religious difference), nor do my friends, gay or otherwise. So please tell me, how do we keep this In response to “New blog Bob’s a treasure! Thanks. altruistic but true blue. He’s rift from getting ever wider? ■ uncovers Gayborhood hisalso fair in his dealings in — Kathy26 life. He never expects more tory,” Aug. 31-Sept. 6: Abby Dees is a civil-rights attorney-turnedfrom someone else than he author who has been in the LGBT-rights In response to “Rick is willing to do himself. Bob has been a real trenches for 25-plus years (yes, she began I respect him as a person Boldini: Salon owner, styldynamo in keeping in utero). She is also the author of “Queer and love him as my friend. Center’s archives organized ist to the famous, altruist,” Questions Straight Talk” and a busy preand documenting local Sept. 16-22, 2011: Actually, I never remember senter on all manner of diversity issues. She LGBT community history. him saying no to a “good lives in Los Angeles and Nashville with her Thanks for shining a light I’ve known Rick for over cause.” Philly is lucky he partner, Traci, a pack of rescue animals and on his work! ??? years. He was wonderchose there to make his life. an oversized guitar collection. ful to work for and an even — Steven Capsuto better friend. He’s not just — Robert W. Green Mark My Words will return next week.

My critics threw arguments about the immorality or brutality of the LGBT movement at me as if they’d found the key to unraveling our plan for world domination.

Letters and Feedback

PGN LEGAL

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

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are somewhat ambiguous. While, 20 years All across the United States, alternaago, Pennsylvania recognized the right of tive families are queering the American same-sex parents to adopt, it has not claridream. In a new take on traditional household arrangements, “Daddy” and “Papa” fied some of the complications that seem trade off walking the dog, driving the kids to attach to the variety of possibilities for to soccer practice and juggling household same-sex family expansion. For example, chores. However, there is complexity hidif two women ask a male friend to be their den in the mundane — it is unlikely that sperm donor, and the insemination occurs this idyllic snippet of family life came so outside the walls of a licensed facility, the easily into being. male friend will retain parental rights. While many heterosexual On the other hand, if the insemination occurs within a couples take for granted the licensed facility, and the male ability to conceive their own friend has contracted away children, same-sex couples his rights, he will have no know just how difficult it can claim to the child. Essentially, be to expand their families. A courts in Pennsylvania look single episode of ABC’s hit to see just how closely a parshow “Modern Family” portrays ticular conception mirrors the heartache of a failed adopnatural biological processes tion attempt, when same-sex versus processes occurring at partners Mitchell and Cam drive a sperm bank or in-vitro ferfor hours to pick up a new baby tilization facility. Ferguson v. boy, only to find that his birth mother has changed her mind. decided in 2007 Angela McKiernan, While it is true that the process by the Pennsylvania Supreme of bringing new children into Giampolo Court, actually honored a verbal contract between the mother the family can be daunting and disheartening, it is entirely doable and and the donor because it found that it was completely worth the work. the “parties’ mutual intention to preserve Family expansion is not “one-size all of the trappings of a conventional sperm donation, including formation of a binding fits all.” Some same-sex parents will go through the traditional adoption process, agreement.” finding a child through an agency. Some However, it is not advisable to have your parents choose a closed adoption process sperm or egg donor verbally waive their while others prefer an open adoption. parental rights. Couples interested in using Others still might choose to use a sperm known donors should retain legal counsel bank or gestational carrier. In those situto assist in composing and executing bindations, one partner is typically a biologiing agreements. Couples using gestational cal parent, while the other can attain their carriers should also consult counsel about parental rights through a second-parent drawing up a pre-birth order to ensure that kinship adoption. both of the parents’ names will automatiNo matter which path you choose, it cally appear on the child’s birth certificate. is imperative to familiarize yourself with Parents in Pennsylvania who adopt from the laws of your state. If you use a donor an agency will not need to go through these or a carrier, you should carefully investisteps. However, they will have to jump through more hoops during adoption progate what rights the donor could potenceedings than the non-biological parents tially have over the resulting child. Many seeking a second-parent kinship adoption. same-sex parents are surprised to find that donors actually retain rights in some states The adoption process itself will also be depending on how the conception takes more expensive and intrusive. For example, place. parents who are adopting a non-biologiNot surprisingly, Pennsylvania’s laws cal child will have to undergo both pre-

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LEGAL PGN

and post-adoption home studies, allowing social workers to come in and evaluate the environment in which they wish to raise the child, as well as the parties who reside there. They will also have to pay fees to the adoption agency. In contrast, second-parent kinship adoptions only require a single home study. Since the child is born into the family, there are no agency fees to pay. All prospective parents, however, will be subjected to extensive questioning about their past, personal lives and beliefs. They will also have to submit to multiple background checks from different agencies. While Pennsylvania follows the Pennsylvania Adoption Act under Title 23, each county has its own set of particular requirements. For example, while some counties exempt the biological parent from undergoing the background checks required of the adopting partner and other household members, Philadelphia law states that even the biological parent must pass a Pennsylvania criminal record check and child abuse clearance, FBI check and a certification from the Statewide Child Abuse and Neglect central registry from any state in which they resided within the previous five-year period. These checks should be obtained at the beginning of the adoption proceedings regardless of the county in which you reside. While this is clearly more work than what heterosexual families go through, the legal power of a second-parent adoption is irreplaceable. In the event that your partnership should dissolve, your parental rights will be treated equally as the birth mother. Additionally, your ability to make important medical, educational and custodial decisions for your child will be assured. You will be able to put your child on your health care, and they will be automatically entitled to collect benefits in the event of your death. Lastly, should you die without a will, they will receive assets from your estate. These rights are of immeasurable value when planning for the security and happiness of your family. And while the steps to secure them are alien to the traditional “American family,” it makes that same dream a reality for same-sex families everywhere. ■ Angela D. Giampolo, principal of Giampolo Law Group, maintains offices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and specializes in LGBT law, business law, real-estate law and civil rights. Her website is www. giampololaw.com and she maintains two blogs, www.phillygaylawyer.com and www. lifeinhouse.com. Send Angela your legal questions at angela@giampololaw.com.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

LOCAL PGN

Obituary

Martin P. Donohue, driver and artist, 49 By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Martin P. Donohoe, a longtime delivery driver and multifaceted artist, died Aug. 24. Donohoe, 49, died in his sleep, and the cause of death was unknown at press time. Donohoe is a native of Juniata in Northeast Philadelphia and most recently lived at 21st and Chestnut streets. He hailed from a large family — sixth in a line of nine children. His brother, Patrick, however, said Donohoe always stood out. “He was so much fun, the life of the party,” Patrick said. “Everyone was always happy to see him.” Donohoe’s sister, Lori Donohoe O’Neill, said her brother’s energy was infectious. “He lit up our lives with his wonderful humor,” she said. Growing up, Donohoe took a leadership role in his family, teaching his younger siblings to fish, build rafts and forts on weekends at the family’s house on the Delaware Bay. He also helped them with school projects and took them on trips. He used his big-brother status to impart important life lessons, Donohoe O’Neill said. “He taught us a lot of great values,” she

said. “He looked after a number of the elderly women on our block: He would visit them, bring them groceries and flowers. He showed us the importance of being caring and looking after other people.” Donohoe graduated from Northeast Catholic High School for Boys and went on to work as a driver for United Parcel Service for more than two decades. One of his true passions, however, was art. Donohoe sketched and painted, and often gave his works away to family members as gifts. He also designed costumes for the Mummers, and crafted his own Mummers dolls.

Donohoe also played six musical instruments. “Music was always part of his world,” Patrick said. Donohoe’s life was not without struggles. He was abused by a priest as a teenager and reported the abuse in 2002. His accuser, who pleaded guilty to the allegations in 2005, became the first convicted Archdiocesan priest in the city’s sex-abuse scandal. However, the priest was only sentenced to 12 years on probation — no jail time. “When the judge gave him that sentence, it felt like a slap in the face to him,” Patrick said. “He was very let down. Afterward he wasn’t the happy, jovial Marty we grew up with, so that was hard.” Donohoe also had an injury that led to Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. He used a scooter to get around, but his sister said he prided himself on his independence. He didn’t let the condition put limits on him, and became the first Mummer to participate in the parade in a wheelchair. In a 2000 letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer in response to a reader comment criticizing the Mummers Parade, and instead glorifying the Rose Bowl Parade, Donohoe’s dedication to the craft, and his

wit, was evident. “The Rose Bowl Parade is nice — sunny weather, low humidity and conceived out of the glorification of a leather object you throw to a person who can catch it. Clap, clap,” he wrote. “This 100-year-old tradition of ours started from European immigrants. We sincerely try to please people because we are Mummers, modern jesters in a cynical world.” In addition to his humor, Patrick said his brother will be most remembered for his caring and generous sprit. “He was a loving person,” he said. “He cared about everybody, even animals. He just completely loved his family and friends and would do anything for them.” Donohoe’s family asked that friends share a random act of kindness to honor his memory. In addition to Patrick and Donohoe O’Neill, Donohoe is survived by siblings Elizabeth, Gene, Thomas, Danny and Michael. He is predeceased by brother John and parents John and Delores. He is also survived by cousin Theresa Anne Breward, friend Robert Derer and nieces and nephews. His funeral will be held at 9 a.m. Sept. 8 at Holy Innocents Church, 1337 E. Hunting Park Ave. ■

PGN REGIONAL

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Wedding

Kirk Lawrence and Jamie Howard By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Kirk Lawrence and Jamie Howard owe a lot to the creator of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” The pair met in 1998 at a production of the then-new off-Broadway show and, last month, headed back to the Big Apple to tie the knot. Lawrence, 50, a native of West Lawn, outside of Reading, was managing the box office and website at the Jane Street Theater when Howard, 49, then a sales representative for a high-school yearbook publisher in his home state of Florida, brought a group of clients to see the production. “I loved the show, and when I got back to Florida I posted on the message board of the website about it, and Kirk said something witty back, and we went back and forth, then emailed each other, then called, and he eventually said he wanted to fly to meet me,” Howard said. When Lawrence arrived, as opposed to hitting the typical South Florida nightclubs, he suggested they check out a local campground, which sat well with Howard. “He was overjoyed at that,” Lawrence said. “When you meet someone and you just know they’re the right person for you, that was the case with us.” The couple kept up a long-distance relationship for about four months until Howard decided to make the move north. “I always wanted to live in New York and I figured this was a great opportunity,” he said. “For the first time in my life, though, I moved without a job. I had been employed continuously since I was about 8 years old, so it was a big move for me.” The move turned out to be a successful one, as Howard quickly found a position in the marketing department of a magazine publisher, where he stayed for about nine years. Lawrence’s work at the theater afforded the couple a unique opportunity: In 2000, they were joined in a commitment ceremony on stage at the Jane Street Theater.

“After I got off work at the theater we were at this restaurant we loved and started kicking around the idea [of a union] and it started as a joke but quickly turned into something serious,” Lawrence said. “Since I was working at the theater, we did it on a dark night and it was pretty amazing. We had a Unitarian Universalist minister, about 125 guests, some amazing entertainment. It was a great night.” The couple left behind the lights of Times Square in 2008 for Reading to be closer to Lawrence’s parents. Howard now works as a medical secretary in Wyomissing, and Lawrence serves as co-director of Reading’s Shoestring Productions. It was Lawrence’s involvement in the theater company that in part motivated last month’s nuptials. “We already considered ourselves married for the past 12-and-a-half years so we thought there was no real rush to do the whole legal thing,” Lawrence said. “But our theater group recently produced ‘8’ [about California’s marriage-equality case] and, after directing and producing that, it really changed my thought process. I thought that this would be an important move for us both personally and politically.” Lawrence and Howard headed to the City Clerk’s Office in Manhattan Aug. 10 along with three witnesses for the ceremony. The couple already exchanged rings at their original commitment ceremony so, in lieu, picked up two rubber ducks in groom outfits from the wedding gift shop, which they exchanged during the ceremony. Apart from that humorous moment, the couple said the wedding was moving, more so than they even anticipated. “We both really got caught up in the emotion; it had an emotional weight and power that was quite overwhelming,” Lawrence said. “After we were wed, our officiate said, ‘OK, now that it’s legal in New York, go work on your governor in Pennsylvania.” Raising awareness is a realistic opportunity for some same-sex couples that get married, Howard added. As the pair goes

JAMIE AND KIRK LAWRENCE-HOWARD

through the process of changing their last names to Lawrence-Howard, they’ve run into many people they’ve been able to educate. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there,” Howard said. “We went to the driver’s license office to change the names, and the person at the office was very misinformed about the legality of it. Every person that you’re able to educate about the laws adds to the overall impact of the marriage. The 1,138 rights that a heterosexual married couple automatically gets were pretty abstract to me before. Now I

see that a heterosexual married couple just has to produce their marriage license and they can get their name changed in five minutes. It’s not like that for us.” The bond that they’ve forged over the past 14 years can help them surmount any obstacles, the couple said. Lawrence noted that both he and Howard had spent some time single prior to their meeting, which helped each build confidence and maturity, a notion Howard echoed. “You become comfortable with yourself as a person and then the universe just sends you someone like this when you’re not expecting it,” he said, noting that both he and his husband approach one another realistically and without pretense. “My friend has a 65-percent rule: If you can stand someone 65 percent of the time, you should be with them. It’s funny but there’s something to be said for that. Nobody’s perfect and you can’t strive for perfection. But we always have had a good sense of humor, and that’s meant a lot. I’m just very happy to be married to such a wonderful person.” The Lawrence-Howards will celebrate their wedding with a Sept. 7 party, which will also honor Lawrence’s recent 50th birthday, and plan to honeymoon in 2013. ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

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went into effect at the beginning of the month. More than 60,000 Pennsylvanians are expected to be impacted by the cuts. The program provided up to $200 a month in assistance. The cuts are meant to save the state about $150 million annually. The program had been overseen by the Department of Public Welfare, which on its website advised former GA recipients to meet with their caseworkers to evaluate possible alternative funding resources. About 300 ACT UP members and allies rallied outside Corbett’s Harrisburg residence after the governor’s staff refused to meet with the advocates in Philadelphia earlier this month. AC T U P m e m b e r J o s e DeMarco, who was among those arrested, said that in the past, former Gov. Rendell exempted those with chronic illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS, from the GA cuts. So far, Corbett has not expressed the intent to do so. “Gov. Rendell realized what a hardship this would be on people with chronic illnesses,” DeMarco said. “So if this governor does not recognize that, we’re hoping to create enough pressure that it will help him to not be elected again so we can get the next governor to actually reevaluate this whole situation.” To demonstrate the potential impact of the cuts, ACT UP staged a mock funeral at the governor’s residence, carrying cardboard coffins through the streets of Harrisburg. Capitol Police moved in when a handful of protesters laid in the street outside Corbett’s mansion and refused to move. DeMarco said he and the other three protesters arrested remained in holding cells for over two hours. He said the group is still pressing for a meeting with the governor and plans to continue to push for alternatives to ending the program. “We’re going to keep the pressure on Gov. Corbett,” DeMarco said. “We’re going to follow up with more tactics and keep holding his feet to the fire.” ■

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“I’m very excited to be a delegate for President Obama at a time when the Democrats are about to fully embrace and endorse marriage equality for our country,” he said. “Putting this in the platform is not just a symbolic effort, but a strategic change of direction for the Democratic Party that I believe will continue the change we’ve seen in the last few years. This is a new opportunity to start winning on LGBT issues on a larger level than we’ve done previously.” The marriage-equality inclusion was particularly meaningful for delegate Roger Lund. This summer, Lund, chair of the Adams County Democratic Committee, introduced a measure to the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee in support of marriage equality. The committee ultimately approved the resolution, which called on the national Democratic Party to also back marriage equality. “To see this in the national platform and to see it, as I expect will happen, embraced by the entire party and our president is a big deal,” Lund said. “It’s moving us forward in a way we need to. Watching the [Republican National] convention we just saw, the other side has no intention of moving us in that direction.” Delegate Sherrie Cohen, who also helped spearhead the state committee resolution, said the Democratic platform stands in sharp contrast with the Republican one. “As The New York Times said, the Republican platform is the most aggressively antigay in recent memory,” she said. “To have such pro-LGBT policies in the Democratic platform is really exciting and shows the commitment of our party and our president to moving our issues forward.”

Presumed Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims, a Democrat, said before the convention that the LGBT inclusion will be a breath of fresh air. “Pennsylvania is one of the states that’s miles away from LGBT relationship or marriage recognition, so to be somewhere with the best of the best in the Democratic Party, pushing for marriage equality, is really exciting and really personal for me,” he said. Lund, who served as an alternate delegate at the 2008 convention, also planned to take part in the series of LGBT-related seminars and workshops, so he could bring practical lessons back to Pennsylvania. “I want to be better informed on talking points and ways, especially in rural areas, we can be talking about marriage equality,” he said. “I’m hoping to pick up some tips on how to come back here and lobby better and work for this change locally.” Sims said he’s eager to build strategies with other politicos that will help turn out the pro-Obama voters this fall. “Pennsylvania is a must-win state for the president to keep the White House and I’m excited to meet with and learn from other delegates in Pennsylvania and throughout the region about how we’re going to come back fired up to make sure the president does take Pennsylvania.” Cohen expressed confidence that the Pennsylvania LGBT delegation would return with renewed energy. “There’s a real clear choice for members of our community — do we want to go back or do we want to go forward?” she said. “We’re going to have tremendous momentum in the next few months and are going to be working very hard to make sure Pennsylvania stays blue.” ■

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Media Trail Anti-gay-marriage group can’t bundle donations The Seattle Times reports a group seeking to overturn Washington’s gay-marriage law has been advising churches to take special collections and forward them to the campaign, which the state’s campaign-finance watchdog recently said is not allowed under state law. Preserve Marriage Washington’s website includes a “church tools” section, where it asks churches to collect “all envelopes from donors, put them in a larger mailing envelope, put your church name and return address on the mailing envelopes and send it via regular U.S. mail” to the campaign. Lori Anderson, a spokesperson for the state Public Disclosure Commission, noted on Aug. 30 that no organization, such as a church, can be an intermediary for a contribution. While the church can make a call for a special collection and hand out envelopes to parishioners, either a member of Preserve Marriage has to be on hand to collect them or parishioners must send them in individually, she said.

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Anderson said the prohibition on socalled “bundling” stems from Initiative 134, which voters passed in 1992 to regulate political contributions and campaign spending. Christopher Plante, deputy campaign manager for Preserve Marriage, said he was confident that the campaign’s fundraising process was “completely compliant with the PDC’s rules.”

Openly gay teen, mother sue Indianapolis schools Ft. Wayne’s Journal Gazette reports an openly gay teenager expelled for bringing a stun gun to school to ward off bullies is suing Indianapolis Public Schools. Seventeen-year-old Darnell “Dynasty” Young and his mother, Chelisa Grimes, allege school officials did nothing to stop the “relentless, severe harassment” he faced in school. Their suit seeks unspecified damages over a series of alleged bullying incidents that led Young to fire a stun gun at Arsenal Technical High School this spring to scare away bullies. The family’s attorneys say the district discriminated against Young because, despite repeated complaints, IPS didn’t protect him from bullies who taunted him for being gay. IPS spokesperson John Althardt says the district’s attorneys would “review the information and we will respond accordingly,” but declined further comment.

Arrest in Ohio arson at gay-friendly church Cleveland.com reports authorities have announced the arrest in an arson that damaged a southeastern Ohio church, whose minister said he believed the church was targeted because of the congregation’s support of gays and lesbians. The State Fire Marshal’s Office said Aug. 28 that Donald Williams made statements incriminating himself in the Aug. 17 fire at South Bloomingville Christian Church. The 36-year-old Williams has been housed on a probation violation since Aug. 21 at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville, where records don’t list an attorney for him. Church pastor the Rev. Scott Davis has said he thinks the church was targeted for its support of LGBT worshippers.

Missouri town passes nondiscrimination law The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Ferguson, Mo., has become the sixth town in St. Louis County to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Ferguson City Council unanimously approved the nondiscrimination protections Aug. 28. Councilman Dwayne James says residents need to know that the city is welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual and

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transgender people. Other St. Louis County towns that have passed similar laws include University City, Olivette, Clayton, Richmond Heights and Creve Couer. St. Louis city, Kansas City, Columbia and Jackson County have also passed nondiscrimination measures.

Md. same-sex marriage backers, immigrants ally The Washington Post reports supporters of same-sex marriage are teaming up with backers of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in hopes of building more support for two ballot questions in Maryland in November. Equality Maryland, the state’s gay and lesbian civil-rights group, and CASA de Maryland, the state’s largest Latino and immigrant-rights organization, held a news conference in Hyattsville on Aug. 28 to announce the partnership. Voters will be deciding whether to allow same-sex marriage in Maryland. They will also decide whether illegal immigrants who have attended a Maryland high school and whose parents have paid state income taxes will be allowed to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Opponents of the two measures gathered enough signatures to put them on the ballot. ■ — compiled by Larry Nichols

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AC ul t ure

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BRIAN SANDERS’ JUNK (FROM LEFT),“THE MAIDS,” TANGLE

LGBT artists and themes abound in Philly Fringe By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Taking the sting out of the last days of summer is the return of Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, which brings over two weeks’ worth of shows and cultural experiences to venues all over the city by local and international artists and performers. As with previous years, there is a plethora of LGBT artists and themes to feast upon at the festival, especially Fringe side of things. on the A frequent Fringe participant and performer, out choreographer Brian Sanders and his dance theater group JUNK are bringing back an updated and reimagined version of one of his most popular Fringe shows, “The Gate.” Sanders said he is always trying to outdo his previous Fringe shows — known for being amazing. “Even with redoing something I still want to make it better, bigger and more badass,” he said. “We’re not just redoing the same show. I set out to do two shows this year and, halfway through the process, I realized I couldn’t do them both. It was going to be too much. So I ended up taking the older piece, “The Gate,” and this new idea I’ve been working on and

merged them into a new piece. There are portions of pieces of the old ‘Gate’ from 2003, but there’s a lot of new stuff as well. The cast is twice as large. This year it’s in the round. The piece that it merged with had a lot to do with rituals. I like the idea of bringing that concept into ‘The Gate.’ ‘The Gate’ has always been about pushing through to the next boundary through that gate into the next whatever you are pushing through, whomever the individual is. I really looked toward the sense of ritual this group of eight kind of partakes in to move through to another level.” To achieve that level, “The Gate Reopened” takes over Municipal Pier 9 warehouse on the Delaware River, with the in-the-round performance taking place inside a 20-foot high cylindrical octagon. The troupe of eight dancers will transform the space into a futuristic, post-apocalyptic coliseum with spinning ladders, moving walls and water as the setting for their feats of physicality. Sanders said he doesn’t remember the show being as risky in 2003 as he finds it now. “We didn’t think it was very hazardous the first time around,” he said. “We had a ball making it. This time, recreating a lot of what we had done, the company has suffered a couple of injuries already. It’s not like dancing on a regular floor and there’s a learning curve to it. Part of the piece is about the precariousness and the thrill of being on the edge.” Another Fringe show with a high level of physical

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challenges is Tangle Movement Arts’ “You Don’t Say,” which uses aerial acrobats to bring to life the drama and tension erupting out of a dinner party. “We were really motivated by taking circus arts out of the big top with the spandex and the sparkles and elephants, and bringing it to the more intimate arena of dance theater,” said Tangle performer and founder Lauren Rile Smith. “So we’re hoping to tell stories about human relationships of strength and support between women. One of the strongest emotional arcs of our show is between the host of the party and her exgirlfriend, who starts chatting up another guest at the party. This sets off a triangle that gets played out 18 feet in the air with duets that explore the support and absence that you feel with someone that you really care about but you know you can’t rely on versus the spark of someone new. We’re bringing this well-known and well-loved lesbian drama to the stage — in the air — with this performance.” Smith added that the performance group wanted the show’s focus to be as much about the story as the aerial movements. “We started out knowing that we wanted this to be about a network of human relationships and we also knew that we wanted to do a lot of aerial choreography that included a lot of duet and partner work and a lot of weight-sharing exploring the intimacy and trust that you take when you go into somebody else’s hands and allow them to suspend you up in the air,” she said. “So we converged on who our characters were

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and the stories they were telling. We came up with characters based on the kind of work we wanted to explore.” Smith said it took months of intense training to get the show together. “Most of us have trained for three or four years in aerials and some of us have a background in dance or gymnastics,” she said. “Some of us have never done anything physical before we started doing aerial acrobatics. Some of us have been hitting the gym every single day. There is so much physical maintenance that goes into being able to do this work. On the creative side, we’ve spent three-and-a-half months putting together this show.” If emotional dexterity turns you on more than physical dexterity, you might want to check out “Raw Stitch” by playwright Jaqueline Goldfinger. Though the author is admittedly straight, her monologues and characters cover a broad spectrum of emotions and sexual identities in the show. “I went to an all-women’s college and I saw women, especially young women, in our late teens and early 20s trying to figure out our sexual identities and sometimes making great decisions and sometimes making destructive decisions,” Goldfinger said about the inspiration for her monologues. “I realized that the lynchpin of sexual identity was going to define the rest of their lives in terms of community, employment and social action. That had a big influence on the monologues, the experience going through the identity crisis and watching my friends at school. That informed a lot of the monologues.” Another show exploring issues of identity is Kicking Mule Theatre Company’s production of “The Maids” by gay playwright Jean Genet. It is the story of two servants, sisters Solange and Claire, who create extravagant plots to destroy their employer, Madame. As an added twist, this production is set in a prison environment and the roles of the sisters are played by men. Director Francine Roussel, who also plays Madame, said that changing the setting and the genders gives an added dimension of complexity to the sisters that she

believes Genet would appreciate. “I see them as being very proactive with the dilemma that they are facing,” Roussel said. “The root of it is the lack of appreciation for who they are and who the mistress is. They are not mistreated — they are just feeling that they are part of the underbelly of society. In a way, like Genet, they would like to be part of the upper class but at the same time they also want to claim, almost like a nobility, to be of that oppressed class. Genet dealt with that contradiction throughout his life. When he was a young man, he was incarcerated and developed a sense of a bond with inmates, not just because of his sexuality, but I think on a human level. When he finally was freed from prison because of the credible quality of his writing, he went through a deep depression because, in a way, his identity was lost. He overcame that and reinvented himself with writing more plays. It’s interesting that his journey was from being a not-very-talented thief to becoming a brilliant writer who became a symbol for liberation, particularly for the gay community, but I would say for everybody. His writing is absolutely amazing.” Roussel said “The Maids” also addresses issues of violence, which, judging from the headlines of late, is very timely. “When I mention the subject of the play, people say, ‘I want to see it,’ because I can feel they are dealing with a problem at work with their boss where they have moments where they say to themselves, ‘Oh, I’m likely to kill him or her,’” she said. “Fortunately, it’s an expression or a cry from the heart coming out of deep frustration. Most people don’t act on it. We see, though, in the news that you hear about people losing their jobs or having problems, and people act on these frustrations out of ideology or pure resentment. So I think to recognize that is very helpful, and to try and be creative in addressing this problem.” Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe run Sept. 7-22. For a complete list of performers, events and showtimes, visit www.livearts-fringe.org. ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

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Established artists take interesting directions on new albums By Larry Nichols Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra Theater is Evil 8ft. Records Anyone familiar with bisexual cabaret singer-pianist-songwriter Palmer’s sonic output in recent years knows that anything can happen. Horns, ukuleles, you name it. It’s all fair game when Palmer is in the studio, even more so with this release, as she’s brought her backing band, The Grand Theft Orchestra, into the fold. On previous solo efforts, Palmer kept one foot in bandland, using backing musicians to add some character or flesh out her songs, but kept another foot in solo-ville, keeping things sparse enough that she could perform the songs without backing musicians when her tour

plans demand austerity. That is not the case on this album. The songs are brash, bold and bigger than ever. Some of the songs are exploding with late-era Beatlesque bombast, like “Smile” and “Do It With a Rockstar.” Songs “The Killing Type,” “Bottomfeeder” and “Want It Back” flirt with new wave and New Romantic textures. Fans who are pining for more introspective piano-driven songs akin to Palmer’s work with Dresden Dolls or her earlier solo efforts will profoundly enjoy sprawling and gorgeous tracks like “Trout Heart Replica” and “The Bed Song.” But those are just a few islands of tranquility on an album that is determined to rock out with furious abandon and whip the listener into rapturous submission. If this is evil, we never want to be good again.

Blaqk Audio Bright Black Heaven Superball Music The second album from Blaqk Audio, the synthpop side project of AFI’s singer and guitarists Davey Havok and Jade Puget, does its best to cover as much territory as possible within the realm of dark electronic music. It’s to their credit, as even some of the best full-time practitioners in the genre can sometimes come across as one-note — boring listeners to death with the same sounds and vibe throughout an entire album. That is not the case here. There’s a classic Depeche Mode vibe on the filthy groove of “Faith Healer” and the more classic sounds of “Let’s Be Honest” and “With Arms Around You.” The

duo shifts into faster Europop on tracks “Fade to White,” “Say Red” and “Bon Voyeurs.” Tracks “Cold War” and “The Witness” are sure to pack a dancefloor if club DJs pick up on them. AFI fans who can’t wait for the goth/ punk outfit’s return might find enough familiar-feeling sounds to hold them over on tracks like the grandiose “Deconstructing Gods” and the moody gloom of “lll-Lit Ships.” As much as we hate to say it, we’re starting to like Blaqk Audio more than we like AFI. Shiny Toy Guns III Five Seven Music It seems as though alt-rock band Shiny Toy Guns can’t put out an album with changing a singer: This album finds singer and bass player Sisely Treasure, who sang and toured on the last album, “Season of Poison,” out and Carah Faye Charnow, the singer she replaced, back in the

group. It would seem that Charnow’s return has had a mellowing effect, as “III” doesn’t rock as hard as the first two albums and is nowhere near as dark as “Season of Poison.” Sure, there are some standout rock tracks like the crunchy and sassy “Speaking Japanese” and the propulsive “The Sun.” But for the most part, the band explores its ethereal side with amazing results. “Carrie” and “Fading Listening” are excellently crafted new-wave tracks. “Wait For Me” and “If I Lost You” are both hauntingly romantic epics. “Take Me Back To Where I Was” is an uncharacteristically strippeddown piano balled devoid of electronic wizardry. Even with the all the changes, Shiny Toys Guns is still able to turn out some brilliant songs. ■

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‘New Normal’ is anything but

ELLEN BARKIN (RIGHT) AND THE CAST OF “THE NEW NORMAL” Photo: NBC/ Timothy White

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com NBC’s new sitcom, “The New Normal,” has generated a season’s worth of publicity and controversy — and it hasn’t aired yet. Created by out screenwriters Ryan Murphy (“Glee,” “Nip/Tuck”) and Allison Adler (“Glee,” “Still Standing”), the sitcom is about a gay couple with successful careers and a committed, loving partnership who want to have a baby. Into their lives comes a young woman, Goldie, a waitress and single mother looking to escape her dead-end life and small-minded grandmother, Jane (Ellen Barkin). Goldie decides to move to L.A. with her 8-year-old daughter and becomes the couple’s surrogate. Apparently, that was too much for a Mormon church-owned NBC affiliate in Utah, KSL, which announced Aug. 27 that it won’t air the sitcom because it deems the content inappropriate for its audience. That didn’t sit too well with show star Barkin, who took to Twitter criticizing KSL’s stance, considering that it airs other NBC shows like “Law & Order: SVU,” which frequently has plots involving rape and crimes against children. Days after her Tweet, Barkin was more interested in talking about the show itself than the controversy with KSL. “I am in no way speaking for the creators of the show, Ryan Murphy or Ali Adler, but for me personally as an actor, when I read the pilot script, I just thought, Oh, Ryan Murphy with his big beautiful brilliant brain, along with Ali, have come up with a way to reach out to a very divisive country about some very, very important issues. And I guess the big overriding issue is, what makes a family? And they’ve done it with an enormous amount of love, sensitivity and more fun than a barrel of monkeys.”

Barkin also talked about the appeal of the character she plays, who has been described as very outspoken and not politically correct. “Right off the bat, this is a very un-PC character, but she is whip smart,” Barkin said. “She is extremely well-informed, and extremely articulate. So, this isn’t a stereotypical liberal version of you know what — someone who doesn’t disagree with their positions, whatever they are — anti-choice, antigay, anti-any ethnic, anti-foreigner xenophobic character. She is not that. She’s informed, she’s passionate about her commitments, and they are informed positions. And I would just, like Ryan Murphy did, beg people not to judge this character until they get to know her, because they are going to be very surprised.” Barkin added that the rest of the characters on the show are sympathetic, not relying on stereotypes. “I think that all the characters on the show are true and honest, and they’re not stereotyped,” she said. “And the characters, their positions are from the heart and from life experience. Now, some people’s positions are more fear-based than others, and I do reference ‘All in the Family’ — you know I don’t know if anyone ever tops Norman Lear — but I do think that is a good template for what we’re going for. And at the end of the day, I mean you had to stick with him, but at the end of the day, Archie Bunker was a humane person. He was afraid of the ‘other’ and, as you watched the show progress, you saw, you know why he was afraid and he became a very complicated character. And I think all of our characters are very complicated and deep. And, you know I was saying before, like quite frankly we can barely get through a table read without breaking up and laughing. Our writers are brilliant, and the humor is just inherent in who they are.” ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

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Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Suzi Nash

Stormy Lundy: Love of local food, foreign travel Chances are good that, whatever event you attend in Philadelphia, you’ll run into a storm — in the form of Stormy Lundy. As a fellow committee person for OurNightOut, I can personally vouch for her ability to throw a good party in the hippest places. ONO is a monthly event that hosts LGBT social gatherings at different and interesting venues both in and out of the Gayborhood. We spoke to the bon vivant about food, travel and giving back. PGN: Where are you originally from? SL: I was born in Harlem, N.Y. I was brought up in a very male-centric household: Except for my mother, it was all guys — my father, five brothers, even a male dog. PGN: Where did you fall in the order of things? SL: I was right in the middle. PGN: And what did you want to be when you grew up? SL: I wanted to be a dancer. PGN: What did the folks do? SL: My mother was a girl Friday for a publicist at Harper’s and later for one of the writers at The New York Times. That was part-time, but most of the time when we were growing up she was at home. PGN: Did you get a lot of books when she worked at Harper’s? SL: Yes, and I remember we always had a ton of encyclopedias — an inordinate number of encyclopedias. PGN: Were you a big reader? SL: Oh yes, I always loved books. I love to read. I ended up in an accelerated reading class in school. PGN: What was a favorite book? SL: I loved “Gulliver’s Travels.” PGN: And dad? SL: My father was one of the bar managers for the Cotton Club and the Lenox Lounge in Harlem. His name was Roy Campbell. He was a little man, maybe 5-foot-5, and at one point he was a lightweight boxer as well. PGN: Wow! He must have been around some interesting people. SL: Yes, between him and my great-aunt Mabel, who was a bit of a socialite, they knew a lot of celebrities. For example, my father used to play basketball with Adam Clayton Powell. My memories of that were slim because we of course weren’t allowed into the club, though I remember one time when I was around 4 when my mother had to go somewhere, so she dropped me off

at the club when my father was getting off work. The club wasn’t open yet and I recall my mother placing me on top of the bar and receiving all sorts of candy and money and gifts as I waited for my father to take me home. PGN: Did you do a lot of family outings? SL: Oh yes, a ton of them. Though she was originally from Myrtle Beach, S.C., my mother had extended family in New York. We’d visit friends’ homes, family members and my father’s business associates. We’d go to the beaches in Northern New Jersey and I remember a lot of outings to a place in New Rochelle called Glen Island resort and casino — it’s where Glen Miller got his big break. I recently spoke to a customer who said that it recently reopened. PGN: And who was the whimsical person responsible for naming you Stormy Lundy? SL: My father. I was born during a snowstorm and it was his turn to name a kid and that’s what he came up with. My mother wasn’t very happy about it.

but when I had children, we realized that it was extremely expensive to send kids to school in that area. So right before the first child was born, we moved to Philadelphia. PGN: Tell me about your kids. SL: OK, my oldest daughter has five children. She lives in Rhode Island and does computer science when she’s not being a full-time mom. She also owns a woman’s clothing boutique. PGN: So she followed your path into the fashion industry? SL: Yes, Tiffany is a lot like me ... except that I never wanted five kids! My other daughter, Candice, is an artist and works for a design company. They are complete opposites: Candice is single, doesn’t want kids and stands 5-foot-5 with blond hair. Tiffany is 5-foot-11 with dark hair and lots of kids. PGN: When did you get involved with the

PGN: And you are a part of the [DVLF] Toy Drive each year — does that make you a secret Santa? SL: I guess! I was stunned to find that the pediatric AIDS unit of Children’s Hospital [of Philadelphia] didn’t receive all the attention that it deserved and thought that Toy was a great way to be involved with the community and work with children and AIDS causes at the same time. It felt like I was able to cast a wide net getting involved with it. I always thought DVLF was a really, really solid organization. I liked what they stood for and the idea of leaving some sort of legacy in the community for causes you believe in. PGN: And what’s your day job? SL: I’m the director of special events for the Reading Terminal [Market]. So when the market closes in the evening to the general public, we host a number of events with anywhere from 50-2,500 people. PGN: Oh my goodness, I had no idea it held that many people! SL: Oh yes. We’ve had some great parties there.

PGN: And you? SL: No. All through grade school I used my middle name, Adelle, because kids just did not understand why someone would be named Stormy. But I’ve grown to love it now. PGN: What was your favorite class in school? SL: Probably English, as well as music. I played the clarinet for six years in the school concert band. PGN: Other than band, what things were you involved with in school? SL: Actually I went to FIT high school: Fashion Institute of Technology. It was more about the industry than typical school clubs. [Laughs.] About 90 percent of the students and faculty were gay males — Calvin Klein was there, Willy Smith, a lot of gay guys. PGN: What made you go into fashion? SL: My oldest brother was dating a woman who I just idolized. She was the sharpest woman I ever met: She always looked fabulous. She made her own clothes and she was what I wanted to be — always fashion forward, always looking sharp. But I didn’t want to study sewing or design so I studied fashion merchandising and visual display. I went to college at FIT as well. PGN: How did you end up in Philadelphia? SL: I married a man from Philadelphia. We lived in Gramercy Park in New York,

LGBT community? SL: I’d say I’ve been involved for the last 30 years. I got heavily involved with [Human Rights Campaign] years ago and, I’m not sure, but I think I’m the only woman on the East Coast to co-chair the HRC dinner three times. From there, more involvement with [Delaware Valley Legacy Fund], then some involvement with The Trevor Project through Mark Mitchell and a lot of other projects that various friends have gotten me involved with.

Photo: Suzi Nash

PGN: What’s a favorite? SL: I did an event for one of the pharmaceutical companies. It was a huge event and great party and at the end, they had buses that took us over to The Mann Music Center for a private concert with Al Jarreau. We also did a party for the Cooking Channel, which was really neat. We got to meet a lot of personalities from the various shows and they brought in local people who were Cooking Channel fans. They transformed the market into a big picnic. They took out all the existing tables and chairs in one area and put in picnic benches and strung up lights ... It felt like you were in someone’s backyard.

PGN: I just had my cousin in town and we watched “National Treasure.” Were you with the Market when they did the filming there? SL: Oh yes, I’ve been there for about 25 years. I didn’t go to the shooting — I probably was at home. They’ve shot a lot of things at the terminal, mostly scenes from the series “Cold Case.” We also have the Cooking Channel, the Food Network and the Travel Channel PAGE 31

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

BOOKS PGN& TV

Best-sellers Information is courtesy of Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St., 215-923-2960; www.queerbooks.com. Ten-percent off most hardcover in-store sales. Women’s and Trans Books 1. “Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama” by Alison Bechdel (HMH, $22 hb, less 10 percent in the store). From the best-selling author of “Fun Home,” a poignant and hilarious graphic memoir of Bechdel becoming the artist her gifted mother always wanted to be. 2. “Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal?” by Jeanette Winterson (Grove, $25 hb, less 10 percent in the store). This memoir is a tough-minded search for belonging, for love, an identity, a home and a mother by the author of “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit.” 3. “Tango: My Childhood Backwards and in High Heels” by Justin Vivian Bond (Feminist, $16.95 pb). Raises issues about LGBTQ adolescence, homophobia, parenting and sexuality, while being utterly entertaining. 4. “Oath of Honor: A First Responders Novel” by Radclyffe (Bold Strokes, $16.95 pb). Navy doctor and Secret Service agent in the White House. 5. “Keepers of the Cave” by Gerri Hill (Bella, $15.95 pb). 6. “What’s Normal Anyway? A Comic About Being Trans Male” by Morgan Boecher (self-published, $5 pb). 7. “Queer and Pleasant Danger” by Kate Bornstein (Beacon, $24.95 hb, less 10 percent in the store). Memoir of a nice Jewish boy who joined the Church of Scientology and left 12 years later, ultimately transitioning to a woman. A few years later, she stopped calling herself a woman and became famous as a gender outlaw. Women’s and Trans DVDs 1. “The Guest House” directed by Michael Baumgarten (2011, 84 min., $24.95). Teen and college grad. 2. “Joe + Belle” directed by Veronica Kedar (2011, 80 min., $24.95). The chemistry here is spot-on perfect as the two girls fall madly in love against the backdrop of a wild cross-country getaway — after they accidentally kill a guy! 3. “Pariah” directed by Dee Rees (2011, 87 min., $29.95). A 17-year-old AfricanAmerican butch lesbian is torn between the demands of her conservative family and the comfort of community among her friends. 4. “The Real L Word: Complete Second Season” (2011, 504 min., $36.95). The totally unscripted Showtime reality series about being young, gay and out in L.A. 5. “Precious” directed by Lee Daniels (2009, 109 min., $9.95). Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire. 6. “The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love” directed by Maria Maggenti (1995, 94 min., $7.95). A terrific teen lesbian story about the love between poor white tomboy Randy and her affluent

Worth Watching African-American classmate Evie. 7. “Treading Water” directed by Lauren Himmel (2001, 95 min., $14.95). A longshorewoman seems to have everything she wants. Men’s Books 1. “For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Still Not Enough: Coming of Age, Coming Out and Coming Home” by Keith Boykin (Magnus, $15.95 pb). Addresses longstanding issues of sexual abuse, suicide, HIV/AIDS, racism and homophobia in the African-American and Latino communities. 2. “Crimes on Latimer: The Early Cases of Marco Fontana” by Joseph R.G. DeMarco (Lethe, $18 pb). The third volume in the mystery series set in Philadelphia. 3. “The Fall” by Ryan Quinn (AmazonEncore, $14.95 pb). Three college seniors in their pivotal year. 4. “Body on Pine” by Joseph R.G. DeMarco (Lethe, $18 pb). A Philadelphia murder mystery. 5. “Zack: The Art” by Zack (Gmuender, $44.99, less 10 percent in the store). Very erotic comics. 6. “Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago Before Stonewall” by St. Sukie De La Croix (U. of Wisconsin, $29.95 pb). Jane Addams, Leyendecker, Henry Gerber and all the other Chicagoans. Men’s DVDs 1. “August” directed by Eldar Rapaport (2011, 105 min., $24.95). Unfolds a triangle of desire and emotion in the midst of a classic Hollywood heat wave. An irresistible gay romantic drama with a wonderful cast! 2. “Leave It on the Floor” directed by Sheldon Larry (2011, 107 min., $24.95). An ode to the wild, funky and heart-aching life of the “Paris Is Burning” subculture. 3. “Weekend” directed by Andrew Haigh (2011, 97 min., $29.95). A one-night stand that develops into a weekend-long idyll for two very different young men. 4. “Private Romeo” directed by Alan Brown (2011, 98 min., $24.95). Takes us to a mysterious and tender place that only Shakespeare could have inspired. 5. “The Seminarian” directed by Joshua Lim (2011, 101 min., $24.99). Ryan is a closeted gay student in his final semester of seminary studies. About repressed Catholic seminarians. 6. “Finding Me: Truth” directed by Roger S. Emeus Jr. (2011, 100 min., $17.99). Truth follows the loves, losses, fights, jealousies and broken hearts of a group of friends. 7. “Harvest” directed by Benjamin Cantu (2011, 98 min., $19.99). An achingly romantic tale of an innocent but everincreasingly passionate affair that develops between two simple farmhands. ■

LET ME CLEAR MY THROAT: “The Voice” returns for a new season with celebrity musical coaches Adam Levine (from left), CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton, along with Carson Daly as host. Watch them search for the next superstar, 8 p.m. Sept. 10 on NBC. Photo: NBC/Mark Seilger

A HAPPY HOME?: Out real-estate expert and designer Jeff Lewis is back for a sixth season of “Flipping Out” with his trusty assistant and sidekick, Jenni Pulos (right), and his long-suffering housekeeper, Zoila Chavez. Lewis and his partner, Gage Edward, have purchased a home with the intention of settling down and starting a family. But their dream home begins to turn into a nightmare when costs and delays on a massive renovation of the property strain their relationship. Aw ... poor baby. 9 p.m. Sept. 11 on Bravo. Photo: Bravo/Mitchell Hasseth

IT’S BRITNEY, BITCH: International pop mega-star Britney Spears, who ironically can’t be bothered to sing live, judges the new crop of talent alongside Simon Cowell on the new season of “The X-Factor,” 8 p.m. Sept. 12 on Fox.

A WORTHY CAUSE: A number of stars are performing as part of the special telethon “Stand Up To Cancer,” with Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Emma Stone and Gwyneth Paltrow answering the phones and featuring musical performances by Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Alicia Keys (pictured) and Coldplay, airing commercial-free 8 p.m. Sept. 7 on all the major networks.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Q Puzzle Famous Homophobes Across

1. Shakespearean “shucks” 6. Do-overs for Billie Jean 10. Bean and Burke waved theirs around 14. San Vicente of gossip 15. Island of Diamond Head Beach 16. Black and white sandwich 17. Office employee 18. Like an authentic Broadway bio? 19. German capital 20. Candidate Rick who opposed same-sex marriage 22. Anti-family James of Focus on the Family 24. Southwestern plateaus

26. Hot-tempered 27. He blamed gays for Hurricane Andrew 32. Voyeur’s confession? 33. Bone in the head 34. Owed 37. Online stat exaggerators? 40. Most queer 42. Fictional detective Spade 43. Circles over Mary and Peter 47. Soprano Gluck 48. He damned homosexuality as “intrinsically evil” 51. “Li’l” guy of Dogpatch 54. Stiller’s partner, once 55. Antigay crusader Anita 57. Jimmy who told politicians not to accept campaign contributions from gay people 62. Take to the cleaners

63. Diva’s performance 65. Woman without a woman, e.g. 66. Long, slender instrument 67. Maupin setting for tales 68. Bert’s roommate 69. Take care of 70. Vibrators and such 71. Opening for a bopper?

Down

1. Rainbow shapes 2. Cross-dresser in a Kinks song 3. Sherman Hemsley religious sitcom 4. One in a breath mint pack 5. Beach Boys comeback hit 6. Legs-intertwined positions 7. What a stud leaves on a lobe? 8. Thanksgiving da., e.g.

9. Filed for palimony, e.g. 10. Part for a Singer 11. Became erect 12. Caruso or Domingo 13. Father of Chaz 21. “Gone With the Wind” extra 23. Long ago 25. “Fifth Beatle” Sutcliffe 27. Police at Stonewall, in slang 28. Area east of the Urals 29. Lions or Tigers or Bears 30. Kevin Bacon in “Footloose” 31. Roadside warning sign 34. Where the salami is hidden 35. Nabor’s branch, on TV 36. State on the Seine 38. Richard Chamberlain’s “The ___

Birds” 39. Maple fluid 41. Mom’s mate 44. NASA craft 45. What helps health spas live off the fat of the land? 46. Paths where your first mate cruises 48. Came to a head 49. Piece-loving org. 50. Small leather bar? 51. Monastery’s main man 52. Cash inducement 53. Material on a drag queen’s legs 56. Diplomatic trait 58. “Myra Breckinridge” writer Vidal 59. A girl named Frank 60. Steed stopper 61. Parker of “South Park” 64. Carnaval locale

PAGE 35

shooting in there often.

working. It wasn’t what I wanted or what made me happy.

PGN: Something that you aren’t? SL: Shy.

PGN: What are other organizations you’re involved with? SL: The Human Rights Campaign, Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, Our Night Out. I’m also a member of the Women’s Culinary Guild and Les Dames d’Escoffier — a worldwide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality.

PGN: How did the family deal with it? SL: My mother and father were both very, very supportive. They let me know they loved me no matter what and later they accepted my partners with open arms. Or I should say partner because I’d been with someone 16 years and I lost both of them before it was over, so they only knew the one person.

PGN: A modern-day convenience you wish didn’t exist? SL: I hate the fact that we’re all so busy because people can reach us at any time, so I’d say texting.

PGN: Are you a good cook? And if so, what’s your signature dish? SL: Oh, I’m an excellent cook. I don’t think I have a signature dish. I make a great Greek moussaka.

PGN: What qualities do you look for in a partner? SL: Honesty, independence, someone who has a good relationship with their family and who has a good relationship with themselves. Someone who knows who they are and is comfortable in their own skin.

from page 29

PGN: What’s the most exotic dish you make? SL: A shrimp mousse, grilled and served on sugar cane. PGN: That sounds great. Backing up a little bit, tell me about coming out. SL: Oh boy, Suzi, you would need a continuing series for that full story! I realized at a young age that that was my preference, but didn’t know what to do about it so I got married and had children and, about six years into it, I knew it just wasn’t

PGN: Now for some random questions. What’s a profession you’ve never pursued that you think you’d be good at? SL: Writer. I’d probably write novels. PGN: What’s the best $100 you ever spent? SL: That’s really hard — probably on a pair of Cole Haan sandals that I really love. [Laughs.] I’ve worn them now for four seasons!

PGN: What are your hobbies? SL: Cooking, gardening and I love to travel. I have no problem traveling alone, getting off in another city or country by myself and just exploring. PGN: What was a favorite travel experience? SL: By far going to Croatia. It’s not what you see on the news. It’s a cross between Paris and Italy: It’s as beautiful as both and the people are wonderful. Dubrovnik is gorgeous — the city, the streets are beautiful. Because of the war, I think people have this impression of Croatia as a bombed-out city but they only bombed them from the top, so though there was roof damage, most of the buildings are still intact and it’s just a stunning country. We went to Croatia and went into Bosnia and it was probably my favorite trip so far.

PGN: I’m always amazed at how little Americans travel and how insular we are. What’s important about traveling? SL: I think it’s important because we are so insular. We need to experience the way others live — their cultures, their food and traditions. We’re supposedly the most powerful nation in the world but we need to realize that there are other places, other countries that feel that their countries are just as strong and special as we do. They’re just as proud of where they’re from and who they are in the world. PGN: And how do you use that knowledge in your life and business? SL: I use it in the lifestyle that I lead. The way I cook, the way my home is decorated and the way I celebrate life. I’m a member of the slow food movement, which is an international movement that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. I love the tradition of sitting down with friends and family and sharing a meal and savoring life and a good dish. I just eat it up. ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portrait,” write to portraits05@aol.com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

PGN

Food & Drink

�� We're raising the bar and taking tea dance to a higher level, literally! Join old & new friends in a celebration of our community and the kick-off to LGBT History Month. Fire Island Inspired! DC's DJ David Merrill, with opening by DJ Frontman Performers from NYC & Philadelphia to amaze you! Incredible downtown Lancaster outdoor urban location (weather permitting) Cuban-fusion fare by Jimmy Duffy's Catering Unlimited Beer & Wine Bar (and Signature Cocktails for VIP ticket holders) Off-site "after party" Proceeds benefit Alder Health Services and the LGBT Community Center of Central PA. Mystery location to be revealed the morning of the event, via tweet/facebook/email. Location is guaranteed: Downtown Lancaster, Outside (weather permitting) and parking is provided.

��

SPORTS PGN

Get Out and Play

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Scott A. Drake

Federation of Gay Games elects Philadelphian as board member Kurt Douglass remembers when the controversy was swirling and the lawsuits were flying over the first Gay Olympics in San Francisco 30 years ago this past weekend. The International Olympic Committee successfully sued over the use of the word “Olympic” and thus the Gay Games were christened. A celebration of the landmark first LGBT competitions will be held Oct. 20-21 in Los Angeles. Two weeks ago, Douglass attended the annual FGG board meeting in Bulgaria as a representative of Team Philadelphia. While he was there, he became KURT one of three at-large DOUGLASS board members and will work to promote membership and greater participation in the Gay Games. Douglass said the choice of Bulgaria was intentional. “To promote and encourage the athletes in countries where gays are still fighting for basic rights and hopefully increase visibility and openness in the process,” he explained. “One of the goals when selecting meeting sites, and even games sites, is to bring struggling groups into the public view and let them, and their city and their nation know that it’s OK to be gay.” The end result between local and international outreach should essentially be the same, according to Douglass. “In a local sense, we should be working to get sponsorship to help those athletes who may not have a local gay-sports organization to help them.” On an international level, FGG helps athletes from antigay countries participate via sponsorship donations and other global

support. Douglass also said he hopes Team Philadelphia will get more involved in the outreach to athletes outside of Philadelphia, including central and northeastern Pennsylvania, in preparation for the 2014 games in Cleveland. “Two years sounds like a long time,” Douglass said. “It’s really not. It takes a lot of time and energy for the athletes just to get physically prepared. This is the time for [Team Philadelphia] to plan and prepare and get some logistics worked out to help people get to the games. And there is no reason why we shouldn’t have one of the largest and strongest competitive groups at the games in Cleveland,” he said. Douglass also stressed the importance of asking what a league, team or athlete needs, as each might have different requirements. Some organizations are large and well-funded, while others may have a core group without much support and still others may have no support group or funding whatsoever. He added that needs might include monetary support for training, travel or housing or even local interaction to stimulate the competitive spirit. Douglass attended and supported Team Philadelphia in 2010 at Gay Games VIII in Cologne and said he plans to compete in 2014 in tennis. Early registration for Gay Games IX, Aug. 9-16, 2014, continues through 2012. For information on the FGG, past Gay Games or Gay Games IX, go to gaygames. org. Rolling, rolling, rolling Ever think what it might be like to be a Philly Roller Girl? Your chance to check it all out just showed up. PRG is hosting two skate workshops and tryouts this fall at Millennium Skate World in Camden, N.J.

Workshops on skills, rules and play will be held the second Sunday in September and October and tryouts will be the second Sunday of November. If you’re just interested in watching the excitement, the next bout is a double-header Sept. 8 at the Liacouras Center, 1776 N. Broad St.; phillyrollergirls.com. Short stops • Philadelphia Gay Bowling League started Sept. 5, but they bowl through April so it’s not too late to get into play this season. PGBL bowls in Deptford, N.J.; facebook. com/pages/Philadelphia-Gay-BowlingLeague/149976031747838. • The Gryphons rugby football team opens its fall season Sept. 8 at George Pepper

Middle School. Game time is 1 p.m.; philadelphiagryphons.org. • The Philadelphia Rock and Roll half marathon to raise money for the William Way LGBT Community Center is Sept. 15; www.waygay.org. • Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League’s competitive team, The Revolution, heads off to compete in the annual Gay Bowl Sept. 21-23 in Denver. You can wish them good luck at the “Hold Onto Summer” pool party Sept. 9 at The Raven in New Hope. ■ Countdown to Gay Games IX: 700 days. If you have a game, tournament, fundraiser or party for Get Out and Play, email scott@epgn.com.

FLAG FOOTBALL 101: Nick Kirkstadt (right) watches the taping of Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League’s “Dos and Don’ts” plays Aug. 27 at Columbus Square Park in South Philly. Kirkstadt and Chris Solano host the new video of basic football skills and rules on the GPFFL website. Flag football fall season play begins Sept. 29, with skills days Sept. 8 and 15. After the second skills day, GPFFL hosts a Kickoff on Camac street party from 2-8 p.m. on Camac Street between Locust and Spruce. Visit www.phillyflagfootball.com for more information. Photo: Scott A. Drake

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

www.delawarepride.org.

OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 09/07 Guys Night Out: Art Gallery Crawl Meet at the William Way LGBT Community Center for the opening of the GenderReel Festival and then travel to First Friday in Old City, 6-8 p.m. at 1315 Spruce St.; RSVP to pblore@waygay. org or 215-7322220. Creed The rock band performs 8 p.m. at House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-343-4000. Alo Brasil: Celebrating Brazilian Independence Day

The Philadelphia group specializing in Brazilian music performs 9 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Pumpkinhead The 1988 horror film is screened 9:45 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223. 16th Annual

Sat. 09/08 Delaware Pride Festival The single largest LGBTQA gathering in Delaware takes place 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Blue Diamond Park, 765 Hamburg Road, New Castle, Del.;

Barry Manilow The singer performs 8 p.m. at Revel’s Ovation Hall, 500 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; 855-3480500. Peek-A-Boo Revue The neo-burlesque group performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Mixtape Is Back! Trans And Queer Dance Party A quarterly showcase featuring queer and trans performance artists, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. Shut Up and Play the Hits The documentary film about the finals days of LCD

Soundsystem is screened midnight at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.

Sun. 09/09 The Lost Weekend The 1945 dramatic film is screened 9:45 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223.

Mon. 09/10 Groove Night Local musicians join forces to bring the R&B, soul, jazz and funk, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Amanda Palmer The openly bisexual singer-songwriter performs 8 p.m. at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-922-1011.

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ENTER THE DRAGONETTE: Their new album, “Bodyparts,” isn’t due out until later this month, but Canadian electropop band Dragonette can’t wait to play it when they perform 9 p.m. Sept. 13 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St. For more information, call 215-2322100.

Fight Club The dark drama film is screened 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888. First Person StorySlam Spoken-word artists perform 8:30 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Hunter Valentine The alt-rock band seen on “The Real L Word” performs 9 p.m. at ICandy, 254 S. 12th St.; www.icandyphilly. com. Lipstick Mondays A weekly drag show featuring a changing roster of queens takes the stage 9 p.m. at The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope; 215-8622081.

Tue. 09/11 Bob Mould The alt-rock singer-songwriter performs 9 p.m. at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215232-2100. Unlabeled: The Acoustic/ Electric Open Mic for Up and Comers Sign up and play, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St.,

Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400.

Wed. 09/12 4W5 Blues Jam Local musicians get down 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Diaspora “You Are Not a Stranger Here: Stories” by Adam Haslett is discussed 7 p.m. at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960.

Thu. 09/13

Playground at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St.; http:// www.liveartsfringe.org

Fri. 09/14 Gay Day at Six Flags! The amusement park celebrates its annual LGBT night, 6 p.m.-midnight, Six Flags Great Adventure, Route 537, Jackson, N.J.; www. eventbrite.com/ event/3795522510. Melissa Ferrick The out singersongwriter per-

forms 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Slash The rock guitarist and his band perform 8 p.m. at House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-343-4000. Art Garfunkel The singer performs 9 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

Dragonette The electropop group performs 9 p.m. at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215-232-2100. Ian Hunter The former Mott the Hoople frontman performs 9 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Bob and Barbara’s Drag Show The outrageousness begins 11 p.m. at Bob and Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215545-4511. Jess Carpenter The out comedian performs as part of ComedySportz Presents: Beatbox Philly, 10 p.m. at

CHOICE CUTS: Iconic rock guitarist Slash lands in Atlantic City to perform songs spanning his career from Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snakepit, Velvet Revolver and his solo albums, 8 p.m. Sept. 14 at House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J. For more information or tickets, call 609-343-4000.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Opening Angels In America, Part 2 Wilma Theater presents the Tony Awardwinning epic play, Sept. 12-Oct. 21, 265 S. Broad St.; 215-546-7824. 3 Wishes A prudish female executive grants a plumber three wishes in this adults-only play, Sept. 12-23 at Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 Frankford Ave.; 215-413-1318. Kyle Kinane The comedian seen on Comedy Central performs Sept. 12-15 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. Liberty Pro Rodeo Professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls from all over the country compete at this patriotic family-friendly event, Sept. 1416 at LuLu Shrine Complex, 5140 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting; 800-898-5858.

Continuing Collab: Four Decades of Giving Modern and Contemporary Design Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition that includes some of the fin-

Interlude Twenty-Two Gallery presents an exhibition of works by Melissa M. Bryant, through Sept. 9, 236 S. 22nd St.; 215-772-1911. Love Story, The Musical Walnut Street Theatre presents an adaptation of the popular novel, through Oct. 21, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. On My Honor: 100 Years of Girl Scouting The National Constitution Center presents an exhibition highlighting the history, contributions and traditions of Girl Scouts, including entrepreneurship, environmental awareness and civic engagement, through Dec. 31, 525 Arch St., Independence Mall; 215-409-6895. Presidential Artifacts The National Constitution Center presents an exhibition of artifacts from collections around the country, through Dec. 31, 525 Arch St., Independence Mall; 215-4096895. Prom Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of photographs by Mary Ellen Mark, through Oct. 28, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. GUYS & DOLL: Openly bisexual singer-songwriter and part-time Dresden Doll Amanda Palmer is back in town with her backing band, The Grand Theft Orchestra, on the eve of the release of her new album, “Theater Is Evil.” Catch the whole spectacular shebang when she performs 8 p.m. Sept. 10 at TLA, 334 South St. For more information or tickets, call 215-922-1011. from page 31

est examples of European, American and Japanese design, through fall, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Cy Twombly: Sculptures Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works from the Swiss sculptor, through March 2013, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. The Edge of Our Bodies Theatre Exile presents the story of a young woman’s poetic coming-of-age tale, through Sept. 23 at Studio X, 1340 S. Third St.; 215-218-4022.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

To Stir, Inform and Inflame: The Art of Tony Auth The James A. Michener Art Museum hosts an exhibition exploring the work of the Inquirer editorial cartoonist, through Oct. 21, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215340-9800.

Closing Graham Elwood The comedian seen on the Game Show Network performs through Sept. 8 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center’s third annual photography competition and exhibition Photographs of all subject matter, photographic techniques and processes are on display through Sept. 9, 1400 N. American St.; 215-2325678. Devotedly, Sincerely Yours: The Story of the USO A swingin’ big-band portrait play about a courageous female starlet of the United Service Organization, through Sept. 9 at The Off-Broad Street Theater at First Baptist Church, 1636 Sansom St.; 215-5633853. ■

VALENTINE CANDY: Hunter Valentine, the all-female alt-rock band seen on “The Real L Word,” will hit Philadelphia 9 p.m. Sept. 10 at ICandy, 254 S. 12th St. For more information, visit www. icandyphilly.com.

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.

CLASSIFIEDS PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Classifieds Real Estate Rent

Roommates

For Sale

Services

12TH & DICKINSON AREA Furnished Townhouse for rent: 3 levels. Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bath. Very Unique. 1500. mo plus util. (negotiable). Call 215 468-9166 after 6 pm. or 215 686 3431 daytime. ________________________________________36-39 HADDON TWP, NJ Safe, sunny 2 BR apt. 2nd fl owner occ. duplex. 1000 sq.. ft., A/C, D/W, W/D, new carpet & paint. Pvt. ent. Close to speedline, bus, walk, bike to shops, parks, lakes, library. $900/mo. Call Brian, 12 PM-7 PM, 856-858-8620. ________________________________________36-36 COLLINGSWOOD RENTAL Large second floor 2 Bedroom Apt. Brand new kitchen complete with new dishwasher and new microwave. All new air conditioners, hardwood floors, private deck and laundry facilities in basement. $1250.00 monthly + plus utilities. Call 856-858-3079 or 609-519-5288. ________________________________________36-39 2 brm apt. 8XX Bainbridge St. $975+ utils. No pets. Contact Larry at 215-687-5629. ________________________________________36-37

PGN WILL NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DISTINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS. SUCH NOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. _____________________________________________ $100 MONTHLY RENT For the guy who wants to share my life and house in N.E. Phila. 215-677-5610. ________________________________________36-40 ART MUSEUM AREA Share house, deck, W/D. Pvt A/C BR. $600. No drugs. Call 215-763-2019. ________________________________________36-37

Promotional prices start at $19.99 a month for DISH for 12 months. Call Today and ask about Next Day Installation. 800-279-4383. ________________________________________36-36

Travel & Resorts

A childless couple seeks to adopt. Loving, happy home with tenderness, warmth & love. Flexible schedules. Financial security. Expenses paid. Regis & David (888)986-1520 ________________________________________36-36

EARN COLLEGE DEGREE ONLINE *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV Certified. Call 888-220-3984. www.CenturaOnline.com ________________________________________36-36 AIRLINE CAREERS Begin here-Become an Aviation Maintenance Tech. FAA approved training. Financial aid if qualified-Housing available. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-834-9715 ________________________________________36-36 POWER WASHING! Local Company cleaning everything. Houses, Concrete, Wood and More. Call now for great summer savings! (412)346-2025 or (570)591-1933 PA094210. ________________________________________36-36

Real Estate Sale

Jewelry bought, sold, repairs, estates, custom deisgn, 707 Sansom. 215-925-3822. ________________________________________36-49

Rooms for men. oceanhouseatlanticcity.com ________________________________________36-36 OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800638-2102 Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com ________________________________________36-36

Real Estate Sale

Jewelry

Financial Services Gold and Silver Can Protect Your Hard Earned Dollars. Learn how by calling Freedom Gold Group for your free educational guide. 888-439-8212. ________________________________________36-36

Adoption

Open Houses - Sunday September 9, 2012 12:00-2:30 PM 1808 Christian Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146 3 Bedrooms, 2 full, 2 half Baths. Better than Brand New Construction in Quincy Court w/ GARAGE parking. $575,000 12:00-2:00 PM The Lenox Condominiums 250 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Condos from $165,000 Search all Philadelphia area listings @ www.thephillyrealtors.com Dan Tobey

The Curtis Center • 1 401 Walnut St. 8th Floor • Philadelphia, PA 19102

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

Placing Classiﬁeds Liner Ads In Person: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, By Phone or on the Web: 24 Hours, 7 Days

Deadline for Line Advertising is Friday at 3 p.m. for the following Friday’s issue. You may place your ad via our secure voicemail system, fax or e-mail at any time, or on our Web site. Please have the following information ready to place your ad:

YOUR AD COPY • YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS • DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER • CREDIT CARD INFORMATION PHONE: 215-625-8501 ext. 200 OR 215-451-6182 (DIRECT) • FAX: 215-925-6437 • E-MAIL: don@epgn.com GENERAL INFORMATION

All classified advertising must be in our office by 3 p.m. Friday for the next Friday’s paper. Ads arriving after that time will be held for the next available issue. PGN reserves the right to edit or rewrite ads as needed, to refuse any ad for any reason and to determine the final classification. Ads determined to be in bad taste, directed to or from persons under the legal age of consent or containing racially or sexually discriminatory language will be refused. We need your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number on the insertion order form for you ad. This information is confidential and will not appear in the paper. Any ads received without full information will be destroyed. Sexually explicit language will be edited or refused at the discretion of the management.

PAYMENT AND PLACEMENT

Classified ads may placed online or by mail, fax, e-mail or in person at the PGN offices at 505 S. Fourth St., Phila. Phone, fax and e-mail orders are accepted with credit/debit cards only. A $10 minimum applies to all charges. If you are paying in person with cash, please have the exact change as we cannot make change at the office. All ads must be prepaid for their entire run. NO EXCEPTIONS! DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL; IT’S NOT SAFE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED.

TERM DISCOUNTS - BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ISSUES PREPAID 4 weeks, 5% • 8 weeks, 10% • 16 weeks, 15% • 26 weeks, 20%

CANCELLATION POLICY All PGN Classified ads are cancelable and refundable except for “FRIENDS” ads. Deadline for cancellation is 3 p.m. Friday. The balance will be credited to your credit/debit card. Checks take two weeks to process. The date of the first issue the ad appeared in, along with the classification, your name, address and daytime phone number is required to cancel your ad.

CLASSIFIEDS PGN

Real Estate Sale

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Help Wanted

“Can You Dig It?” Heavy Equipment School. 3wk Training Program. Backhoes, Bulldozers, Excavators. Local Job Placement Asst. VA Benefits Approved. 2 National Certifications. 866-362-6497. ________________________________________36-36 CDL-A EXPERIENCED DRIVERS 6 Months OTR experience starts at $.32/mile Up to $5,000 Sign-On Bonus! New student pay and lease program! 877-521-5775 www.USATruck.jobs ________________________________________36-36 Drivers: CRST offers the best Lease Purchase Program *SIGN ON BONUS *No down payment or credit check *Great Pay *Class A CDL required *Owner Operators Welcome. Call: 866-403-7044. ________________________________________36-36 Drivers - Full or Part-time. $0.01 increase per mile after 6 months. Choose your hometime: Weekly, 7/ON-7/OFF, 14/ON-7/OFF, Requires 3 months recent experience. 800414-9569 www.driveknight.com ________________________________________36-36 Company Drivers: $2500 Sign-On Bonus! Super Service is hiring solo and team drivers. Great Benefits Package. CDL-A required. Students with CDL-A welcome. Call 888471-7081, or apply online at www.superservicellc.com ________________________________________36-36 Immediate Openings!! Steel Hauler, Owner Operators, Regional & OTR Positions. Do YOU have 2 years OTR CDL Flatbed? We Offer Fuel Discount Program, Fast Pay Program, Non-Forced Dispatch, Apply Online NOW www.drive4bme.com Call 800-367-2249 Bennett Motor Express, LLC. ________________________________________36-36 CLASS A DRIVERS: SIGN ON BONUS Paid Holidays, Vacation, & More. Weekly Pay. Direct Deposit. REGIONAL with Home Time. 2 Years T/T EXP. 800-524-5051. www.gomcilvaine.com ________________________________________36-36 Exp. Reefer Drivers: GREAT PAY /Freight lanes from Presque Isle, ME, Boston-Lehigh, PA. 800-277-0212 or primeinc.com ________________________________________36-36 AVERITT IS LOOKING FOR CDL-A DRIVERS! Weekly Hometime and Full Benefits Package. 4 months T/T Experience Required- Apply Now! 888-362-8608 Visit AVERITTcareers.com Equal Opportunity Employer. ________________________________________36-36 A Few Pro Drivers Needed. Top Pay & 401K. Need CDL Class A Driving Exp. 877-258-8782 www.ad-drivers.com ________________________________________36-36 Driver: CDL-A Van & Flatbed *New Pay Package! *Very New Trucks *Benefits After 30-Days *Great Miles, Pay *Dependable Hometime *Start Immediately! CDL Graduates Needed! 877-917-2266 drivewithwestern.com ________________________________________36-36 HIRING EXPERIENCED/INEXPERIENCED TANKER DRIVERS! Earn up to $.51/mile! New Fleet Volvo Tractors! 1 Year OTR Exp. Req.- Tanker Training Available. Call Today: 877-882-6537 www.OakleyTransport.com ________________________________________36-36

Drivers- A. Duie Pyle Needs Owner Operators & Company Drivers. Regional Truckload Operations. HOME EVERY WEEKEND! O/O Average $1.84/Miles. Steady, Year-Round Work. Requires CDL-A, 2Yrs. Exp. Call Dan: 877-910-7711 www.DriveForPyle.com ________________________________________36-36 Teams split $.513 per mile, Solos Earn $.437 per mile, Teams sign on $7,500, Solo sign on $2,000, 1-YR OTR Exp, CDL-A and HazMat 877-628-3748. ________________________________________36-36

FOR SALE OR LEASE-PURCHASE

Where W.C. Fields used to stay with his sister in Penns Grove, NJ. Remodeled Dutch Colonial that offers magnificent views of the Delaware River and beautiful sunsets. First floor has an airy living room, dining room, modern kitchen & eat-in dining area, a den, and through French doors a lower deck with bench seating. Three bedrooms and modern bath on 2nd floor with walk-out upper deck. Attic, full basement, off-street parking, fenced yard with mature trees and new plantings. Central air, modern efficient windows, gas utilities. Penns Grove, NJ.

$159,900

CALL 856-415-9668 OR 609-202-2916.

PGN

Gay is our middle name.

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

Legal Notice Change of Name Notice Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, July term, 2012, No. 4707 Notice is hereby given that on August 13th, 2012 the petition of change of name was ﬁled, praying for a decree to change Raeann Elise Drew name to Reymond Eleck Drew. The Court has ﬁxed courtdate September 21st, 2012 at 2 P.M. in room number 478, City Hall, Philadelphia, Pa for hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause if any they have, why the prayer of the said petition should not be granted. Solicitor: David M. Rosenblum. ________________________________________36-36

Friends Men LOOKING FOR ROMANCE Attractive GWM, warm, sensitive, caring, 48 y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for other GWM, 30-50, who is also in good shape. I live in NE Phila. I’m looking for guys who are also sensitive, caring with a fun personality. If this sounds interesting to you feel free to call me, David, 215-698-0215. ________________________________________36-36 BM, 60 looking for British gent, 35-45 for intimate encounters. 215-763-3391, 6PM-Midnight. ________________________________________36-39 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. ________________________________________36-36 LOOKING For live-in companion and possible partner. 215-6775610. ________________________________________36-40 Senior GWM ISO male, 40+, any race for platonic friendship, to enjoy and learn from one another. Philadelphia area only. Write to PO Box 302, Merion Sta., PA 19066. ________________________________________36-38 I’m looking for a very well endowed top who is looking for a very nice white butt. 215-732-2108 8-11 PM. ________________________________________36-38

Massage David, 62, 6’, 200 lbs., educated. 215-569-4949. ________________________________________36-40

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

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

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SUMMERS ENDING Saturday, Sept. 8th, 2012 TIME: 11pm-3:30am WHAT TO EXPECT: • DJ David Dutch • Complimentary Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & Soo Much More...

ARE YOU DOWN WITH THE SWIRL? Saturday, Sept. 15th, 2012 TIME: 11pm-3:30am

- A NEW URBAN EVENT catered to those who enjoy the URBAN VIBE. OPEN TO ALL!!! WHAT TO EXPECT: • DJ David Dutch • Complimentary Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & Soo Much More… Rooms go quickly and are on a 1st Come, 1st Served basis. So Check In Early if you want a room…

SUMMER WEEKEND SPECIALS

The Weather is HOT! Our Weekend Specials Are HOTTER! FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT: After Bar Special 6hr Rooms (2am to 8am) Members: $15.00 and Non-Members: $25.00 (Special Not Eﬀective During Party Nights)

SATURDAY: AFTERNOON DELIGHT 4 hour Lockers (8am – 4pm) Members: $5.00 & Non-Members: $15.00

SUNDAY RELIEF

Half Price Rooms (6am Sunday till 8am Monday) Members: $12.50 & Non-Members: $22.50

Check out our website for our HOT NEW WEEKLY SPECIALS & JOIN OUR e-mail List to get the latest information on upcoming events.... Also, RENOVATIONS are being done, So swing by & Check Out The Transformation!

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

PGN

Men Delco Dudes A men’s social and support group meets 7-9 p.m. the ﬁrst Wednesday of the month at Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road in Media; delco. dudes@uucdc.org. Gay Married Men’s Association Meets 8 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays at the William Way Center; www.gammaphilly.com. Men of All Colors Together Meets 7:30 p.m. the third Friday of the month, September through June, at the William Way Center; 610-277-6595; www.MACTPhila.org. Men’s Coming Out Group, N.J. Meets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at The Pride Center of New Jersey; njwarrior@aol.com. Men of Color United A discussion/support group for gay and bisexual men of color meets 68 p.m. every Wednesday at 112 N. Broad St., thirdrd ﬂoor; 215-496-0330. Men of Standard Provides a place for gay men of color 21 and older to share issues of concern. Meets 7-9 p.m. Thursdays at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St., Camden, N.J.; 856-963-2432. Philly Dads An association of gay and bisexual fathers supporting each other meets 7:30 p.m. the fourth Friday of the month at the William Way Center; 215-668-5239.

Parents/Families Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Bucks County Meets 7:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at Penns Park United Methodist Church, 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-348-9976. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Chester County Meets 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at the Unitarian Fellowship of West Chester, 501 S. High St.; 484354-2448. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/ Collingswood, N.J. Meets 6:30-9 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month at the Collingswood Public Library, 771 Haddon Ave.; 609202-4622; pflagcollingswood@yahoo. com. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Philadelphia Meets 2-5 p.m. the third Sunday of the month at the LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania, 3907 Spruce St.; 215-572-1833. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Princeton, N.J. Meets 7:30 p.m. the second Monday of the month in the George Thomas Room at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St.; 609-683-5155. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Wilmington, Del. Meets 7-9 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1502 W. 13th St.; 302-654-2995. Philadelphia Family Pride Advocacy, support and social network for LGBT families offers play groups, monthly kids and teen talk groups,

activities and outings. Planning meetings held monthly; 215-6002864; www.phillyfamilypride.org.

Trans Evolutions A drop-in support group for anyone on the transgender spectrum meets 6 p.m. Thursdays at 21 S. 12th St., eighth floor; 215-563-0652 ext. 235. Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine Primary health care and specialized transgender services in a safe, professional, nonjudgmental environment, 809 Locust St.; 215563-0658. T-MAN People of color support group for transmen, FTMs, butches, studs, aggressives, bois, genderqueer and all female-born individuals with gender questions meets 7:30-9:30 p.m. Mondays, second floor, 1201 Locust St.; 215-834-9063; tmanphilly.com. Transhealth Programming Committee Meets 5 p.m.the second and last Sundays of the month at the William Way Center. Transhealth Information Project Sponsors a weekly drop-in center from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fridays at 21 S. 12th St., 10th floor; 215-568-2221. Transgender Health Action Coalition Peer trans health-advocacy organization; 215-732-1207; www. critpath.org/thac. 1201 Locust street 4th floor. WeXist FTM support group meets 7-9 p.m. the second and fourth Friday of the month at the William Way Center; first hour is open, second hour is for people assigned female at birth who have gender issues; 267-250-1548. Young, Trans and Unified Support group for transgender and questioning individuals ages 13-23 meets from 7:15 p.m. every Thursday at The Attic Youth Center; 215-5454331.

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

group offers weekly social events, open discusson and monthly movie/ discussions, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, 112 N. Broad St., third ﬂoor; 215496-0330. Women Coming Out Support Group Women who consider themselves gay, lesbian, bisexual or questioning and are at any stage of the coming-out process are welcome. Ages 18 and over. Meets 7:30 p.m. ﬁrst Tuesday and third Thursday of the month at the Pride Center of NJ.

Youth 40 Acres of Change Discussion group for teen and young adults meets 6-8 p.m. Thursdays at The COLOURS Organization Inc., 112 N. Broad St., 11th ﬂoor; 215496-0330.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

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

■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377

HAVEN For GLBT, intersex, questioning, queer and allied youth ages 14-20; meets 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley, 424 Center St., Bethlehem; 610-868-2153.

■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513

Main Line Youth Alliance Meets from 7-9:30 p.m. Fridays at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610-6881861; info@myaonline.org. Mountain Meadow For youth with GLBTQ parents. Monthly programs for ages 8-16, family programs and parent coffee groups. Residential program offered in August, 1315 Spruce St.; 215-7721107. Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center For ages 14-21; meets 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. Social X Change Social activity group for LGBT youth of color ages 13-23 meets 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays at 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; 215-496-0330. Space to be Proud, Open, and Together Open to all LGBTQ queer youth and allies, ages 14-21, the SPOT meets Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Planned Parenthood of Chester County’s West Chester office, 8 S. Wayne St.; 610692-1770. Young, Trans and Unified A support group for transgender and questioning youth ages 13-23 meets 7:15 p.m. Thursdays at The Attic Youth Center. Youth Making a Difference For GLBTQ African-American and Latino youth ages 14-24. Meets 5-7 p.m. every Tuesday at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St.; 856-963-2432.

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

■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220; www.waygay.org. Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday Library hours: 12-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 12-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; 126 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning

You’re Not Alone A group for gay, lesbian and bisexual youth that meets during the school year; sponsored by AIDS Delaware, 100 W. 10th St., Suite 315, Wilmington. Call 800-810-6776 for more details.

HiTOPS A safe-space support program for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, meets 2:30-4:30 p.m. on the ﬁrst and third Saturdays at 21 Wiggins St., Princeton, N.J.; Call Connie at 609-683-5155 (day); hitops.org.

Key numbers

■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221

■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK

■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851

■ Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs: Gloria Casarez, 215-6862194; Gloria.Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: 215-686-2555

■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 ■ The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 112 N. Broad St., third floor; 215-496-0330 ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378

■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBTLAW; legalservices@mazzonicenter. org ■ Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658 ■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833

Health

AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., Suite 205; 215-629-2300. www.asiac.org. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St. 215851-1822 or 866-222-3871. www.galaei.org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1803. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing

■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, self-employed and business owners meets monthly in a different location throughout the city, invites speakers on various topics, partners with other nonprofits and maintains a Web site where everyone is invited to sign up for email notices for activities and events; www.gppn.org.

■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson: 215-683-2840 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686; ppd. lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537 ■ 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

Anonymous, free, conﬁdential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 3439 N. Hutchinson St.; 215-763-8870 ext. 6000.

■ 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) 6279090; www.galloplaw.org.

■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 215-772-2000

available by appointment at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Ofﬁce Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-5869077.

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 chronic-disease management, including comprehensive HIV care, 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday except for noon-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m., and 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

Professional groups ■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses and professionals. Visit www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com for information about events, programs and membership; 215-557-0190; 1717 Arch St., Suite 3370. ■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and

students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgjaphiladelphia.org. ■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus A regional organization dedicated to promoting gay and lesbian tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region holds meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; P.O. Box 58143, Philadelphia, PA 19102; www.philadelphiagaytourism.com. ■ Philly OutGoing Professionals Social group for gay, lesbian and bisexual professionals meets for social and cultural activities, 856857-9283; popnews19@yahoo. com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 7-13, 2012

PGN