National LGBT History Month Project PAGES 18, 19
Family Portrait: Words of wisdom from 12-year-old Braeden Lange
A tale of two South Philly brothers
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Local story gets Hollywood treatment PAGE 43
Oct. 9-15, 2015
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PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 39 No. 41
Answers sought in killing of trans woman A group of up to six men attacked Kiesha Jenkins in a park in Logan early Tuesday; one of the men shot her twice in the back while she was on the ground, killing the 22-year-old. No suspects or motive have been announced but investigators are considering whether the incident was a hate crime. By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Philadelphia police are still searching for answers in the brutal murder of a local transgender woman. Kiesha Jenkins, 22, was fatally shot around 2:30 a.m. Oct. 6, a few minutes after stepping out of a car at 13th and Wingohocking streets in Logan. A 911 call alerted authorities to the incident, said police spokesperson Officer Christine O’Brien. Police believe Jenkins was targeted, but don’t yet know if her transgender identity played a role in the shooting. Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel, the department’s LGBT liaison, did not respond to requests for comment. Police are still searching for security footage from the area, O’Brien said. She said no
suspects have been arrested yet. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or text PPDTIP (773847). Homicide Capt. James Clark told PGN that five or six males approached and assaulted Jenkins. He said one man pulled out a gun and shot her twice in the back. Jenkins was transported to Einstein Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, Clark said. According to her Facebook profile, Jenkins grew up in Philadelphia and most recently lived in North Philadelphia. She attended West Philadelphia High School and Temple University, her profile states. Jenkins’ murder joins a list of dozens of other transgender women who have been killed in the United States this year. A report in The Advocate indicated 20 transgender
women across the country had been murdered in the first seven months of 2015. Most of those were women of color. Jenkins was a black woman. As the police continue the investiga-
Sims launches Congressional campaign
Hanes: Montco marriages aren’t in limbo By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Despite concerns to the contrary, Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes insists that all 176 same-sex marriage licenses he issued prior to marriage equality in Pennsylvania are valid. “They’ve never, ever been declared invalid, never,” Hanes told PGN. “There is a case that simply tells me not to issue [same-sex] marriage licenses. There is no invalidation of the marriage licenses [I already issued]. These marriage licenses have never been invalidated, they’ve never been voided, they’ve never been vacated.” Hanes acknowledged that the case, which remains pending in state Supreme Court, faults him for issuing same-sex marriage licenses in the summer of 2013. That case was initiated by the state Department of Health, which contended that Hanes exceeded his authority. But Hanes said the Whitewood decision, which established marriage equality in Pennsylvania, and the Obergefell decision, which established marriage equality in the nation, reinforce his position that the marriage licenses he issued are valid. “If there’s any individual or entity that questions the PAGE 38 validity of these marriages, have them
tion into Jenkins’ killing, LGBT leaders in Philadelphia have called upon the community to help end the violence against trans women. The TransHealth Information Project, a program at GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization, made a statement on Facebook “regarding the senseless murder of yet another trans woman of color.” “We work so hard to end discrimination and for equality,” the statement read, “but, on a higher level, we know that even if we change laws and policy, we still have work to change the generational thoughts of those who identify as transgender, and, more than anything, the negative outlook people have about trans women.” The statement went on to call for the end of violence against trans people. “The community is PAGE 38
By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com
COUCHES DON’T COUNT: Valley Youth House staff and supporters gathered to launch Sheltering Pride Oct. 7 at the youth agency’s headquarters at 15th and Sansom streets. The initiative is designed to raise awareness for LGBT-youth homelessness and funds for the organization’s Pride program, which provides transitional housing and other resources for LGBT youth. Backers are staging several pop-up events this week, featuring a traveling couch to illustrate the epidemic of LGBT youth who lack permanent housing, and using the social-media tag #CouchesDontCount. On hand for the launch were Shani Meacham (from left), Allison Moore, Valerie Johnson, Noah Brown, Sarah Morrison, Marcia Hopkins and Maria Gallo. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Several-dozen people, including university students and people active in Democratic Party organizations, filed into the Ethical Humanist Society in Rittenhouse Square Oct. 6 for state Rep. Brian Sims’ “Congress Exploratory Committee” fundraiser. It was his first big fundraising push, the same day he officially announcing his plans to run for a federal seat. Sims intends to challenge U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, a Democrat, to represent the Second Congressional District, which includes parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery counties. The fundraising event was private, but Sims spoke to PGN outside the Ethical Humanist Society before it started. “I’m going to need a lot of support,” said Sims, a Democrat and the first openly PAGE 2
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LOCAL PGN
Bathroom bill advances in City Council Arrest made in By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com An ordinance that would require single-use public bathrooms in Philadelphia to be labeled with gender-neutral signs is scheduled to receive its first reading at the City Council meeting Oct. 8. It passed out of the Rules Committee Sept. 30, after Councilman Mark Squilla introduced it last month. Supporters say the bill would make it easier for transgender and gender-nonconforming people to find a public restroom. It’s also expected to help caretakers with opposite-sex charges and parents with children. At the committee meeting, Squilla described the scene of people waiting to use portable toilets during the papal visit in September. He said the line for women was very long, while the line for men was short. Soon, gender distinctions were eliminated and anyone could use the next available toilet. “Once they changed it,
everybody waited in the same line and it made perfect sense,” Squilla said during the committee meeting. The bathroom ordinance would apply to single rooms that include only one toilet and sink. It would require retail establishments, cityowned buildings and any entity that owns or leases a structure open to the public to mark all single-use bathrooms with signs that do not specify gender. The bill suggests using signs that say “Restroom,” “Bathroom” or “Toilet.” Many existing single-use, gender-neutral bathrooms in the city are labeled “W.C.” (water closet), said Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the Office of LGBT Affairs. Fitzpatrick also testified at the committee meeting, citing a study from the Williams Institute that found 70 percent of transgender and gender-nonconforming people in the Washington, D.C., area had experienced some sort of negative reaction when using a public
bathroom, from verbal to physical harassment. She said there were some questions from committee members about retrofitting facilities. They wanted to know if urinals and baby-changing tables would have to be added to or removed from all bathrooms. “The answer is, no,” Fitzpatrick told PGN. “The ordinance allows any person to open the door to a facility and see if it has what they need.” She said the feedback on the ordinance has been largely positive and noted the only negative pushback comes when people don’t realize that single-use bathrooms are the only ones that would be impacted. Bathrooms with multiple stalls would stay the same. If the ordinance makes it past the first reading, it must pass a second reading and the introduction of possible amendments before being scheduled for a final vote. It would take effect 90 days after it becomes law. n
Gayborhood arson By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com
An Olney man was charged with arson and related offenses in the Sept. 15 Gayborhood fire that caused the evacuation of two apartment buildings and destroyed a restaurant construction site, Philadelphia police said Sept. 30. Stephen Pettiway, 53, was arrested for the threealarm blaze that broke out in the former Letto Deli, 208 S. 13th St. The site is under construction to become a French restaurant, Maison 208. Damage was estimated at $1 million, according to the Philadelphia Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Some residents of the Gramercy and Chancellor apartment buildings, both in the
200 block of South 13th Street, were told they could not return to their apartments because of broken or melted windows, residents said. It took about 100 firefighters to control the blaze that broke out about 4:30 a.m. No injuries were reported. ATF officials have not yet commented on a motive. The ATF led the investigation, with help from the Philadelphia Police Department and Philadelphia Fire Department. Pettiway had been arrested several times in recent years, including for such charges as aggravated and simple assault, making terroristic threats, trespass and disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to resisting arrest and was sentenced to two-years’ probation. n
SIMS from page 1
gay state lawmaker elected in Pennsylvania. “You can’t do [this campaign] online. This city has a 200-year history of knocking on people’s front doors.” The district has a primarily black population. Its representatives have been black men for more than 50 years. “Lots of people will speculate about racial makeup,” Sims said. “I’ve walked this neighborhood. People want a champion who will stand up and advocate with them.” He said important topics for him include education, neighborhood safety and guns. Sims will face three others so far in the April 26 Democratic primary. Fattah still plans to run for a 12th two-year term, despite his indictment in July on charges of racketeering and related crimes. Dan Muroff, an attorney and ward leader for the powerful Philadelphia Ninth Ward Democratic Committee, and Brian Gordon, a commissioner in Lower Merion Township, have also announced plans to run. Sims also plans to run for his current seat representing Center City, including the Gayborhood, in the state legislature, said Mason B. Lane, Sims’ chief of staff. n
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Weekly features
News&Opinion 10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Letters/Feedback Mark My Words Street Talk 34 — Crime Watch News Briefing
AC &
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Scene in Philly Family Portrait Out & About Comics Q Puzzle
36 — Out Law: Dotting the i and crossing the t in ‘rights’
C o 57 — Get Out and l Play: Wresting with u visibility m 52 — The newest n dining spot in the s Gayborhood reviewed Classifieds 70 — Real Estate 78 — Personals 79 — Bulletin Board
Next week Gettin’ On Outward Bound
Two weeks Mombian On Being Well Work It Out
Complexions Contemporary Ballet is the brainchild of Alvin Ailey dancers and life partners Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. RELIGIOUS RIGHTS AND WRONGS: The intersection of religious freedom and LGBT rights was the topic of a panel discussion presented by the Philadelphia Bar Association Oct. 2. Held at PBA headquarters, the panel featured remarks by American Civil Liberties Union staff attorney Molly Tack Hooper (from left), Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations executive director Rue Landau and Rabbi David Teutsch of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. The discussion centered on recent hot topics, including Kim Davis’ refusal to issue marriage licenses and the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case on reproductive rights. Photo: Scott A. Drake
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This week in PGN 6 — Blahnik case stalled after five years 9 — SEPTA still seeking antibias exemption 14 — Transgender aging and health concerns 22 — New organization to help LGBT asylum seekers 24 — LGBTQ youth programs take off 31 — Family conference has health focus 48 — A new tale of two South Philly brothers 62 — “Summer” from the Netherlands
Penn explores boundaries in new film series “Gender Across Cultures,” beginning Oct. 11.
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“Around the world, the U.N. has documented thousands of cases of individuals killed or injured in brutal attacks simply because they are LGBT or perceived to be LGBT. No one should be harmed or have their basic human rights denied because of who they are and who they love.” ~ John Kirby, spokesman for the State Department, on concerns regarding the lives of international LGBT citizens, page 22 PGN 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147-1506 Phone: 215-625-8501 Fax: 215-925-6437 E-mail: pgn@epgn.com Web: www.epgn.com
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Judge rules against DOJ in trans case By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com A federal judge has rejected a request by the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid ruling on the legality of the Americans with Disabilities Act’s exclusion of gender-identity disorder as a protected disability. On Sept. 21, U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. ordered the DOJ to file paperwork by Nov. 16 clearly stating its position on GID’s exclusion. Kate Lynn Blatt, a Pottsville trans woman, is challenging GID’s exclusion as part of her antiibas lawsuit against Cabela’s Inc. She claims the GID exclusion violates her constitutional right to equal protection under the law Cabela’s is a retail store in Hamburg specializing in outdoor sports items. Blatt worked there a seasonal stocker from September 2006-March 2007. Blatt claims Cabela’s discriminated against her on the basis of her disability — gender dysphoria — by denying her access to a female restroom and a female name tag. Blatt claims she had a right to those “reasonable accommodations.” But the DOJ asked Leeson to defer ruling on whether the GID exclusion
in the ADA is legal until a sex-discrimination claim by Blatt is adjudicated. If Blatt is successful in her sex-discrimination claim, there won’t be a need for the legality of the GID exclusion to be addressed by the court, according to the DOJ. Attorneys for Blatt and Cabela’s disagreed with the DOJ’s reasoning, noting that even if Blatt were successful in her sex-discrimination claim, there could still be a need for another jury trial pertaining to the GID exclusion. Holding two trials in the case would be a waste of judicial resources, both sides maintained. “The DOJ’s stated position runs contrary to basic notions of judicial economy and efficiency,” said Brian C. Farrell, an attorney for Blatt. “We’re very grateful that Judge Leeson said [GID exclusion] needs to be addressed.” Options for the DOJ include defending GID’s exclusion, using a different argument to urge Leeson to avoid ruling on the issue, or writing a letter to Congress explaining why GID’s exclusion can’t be defended. Nicole Navas, a DOJ spokesperson, declined to comment for this story.
Blatt is seeking an unspecified amount in compensatory and punitive damages from Cabela’s. But Cabela’s claims Blatt was properly dismissed after she threatened a coworker’s child — an allegation which Blatt vehemently denies. “Cabela’s maintains it did not discriminate or retaliate against Ms. Blatt in any way, and acted at all times pursuant to legitimate nondiscriminatory business reasons,” Cabela’s said in a court filing. The ADA protects people with disabilities from discrimination in private employment, public accommodations and governmental services. Cabela’s hasn’t taken a position on whether GID’s exclusion in the ADA is constitutional. Jennifer L. Levi, director of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders’ Transgender Rights Project, said: “We were pleased to see Judge Leeson order a response from DOJ. We believe the case squarely calls into question the constitutionality of the transgender exclusion from the ADA. We do not think there is any justification for the exclusion of this marginalized and vulnerable community. And we’re hopeful that DOJ will file papers in agreement with the position we set forth for the court.” n
OPEN FOR BUSINESS: The Attic Youth Center HIVPrevention Programming and Case-Management Coordinator Ingrid Abrams (center) was presented a “master chef” apron Oct. 4 at The Attic in recognition of her work leading the daily cooking at the LGBT youth center. The gift was presented along with the unveiling of the agency’s new kitchen, which was renovated after a pipe burst this past spring. Joining Abrams for the unveiling were Attic director of development Alyssa Mutryn (from left), youth leader Ty, executive director Carrie Jacobs and youth leader Pau’laijha. Photo: Scott A. Drake
1 IN 5
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LOCAL PGN
Five years later, justice elusive in Blahnik case By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com It’s been five years since Stacey Blahnik was killed, but the pain is still palpable for her loved ones. “The person I was in love with was murdered. It affects me every day,” said Malik Moorer, Blahnik’s boyfriend, who found her body in their South Philadelphia home Oct. 11, 2010. Blahnik, 31, had been strangled with a pillowcase. “It was like an out-of-body experience,” Moorer said about finding Blahnik. “When I touched her, it was like I felt death. It was surreal and a moment I think about every day.” A detective working the case told PGN this week that they do have a suspect, but the case is stalled because he is not cooperating. “It’s unsolved because of a lack of cooperation from the suspect,” said homicide unit Sgt. Robert Kuhlmeier. A detective told PGN last year that a suspect had been identified but he produced an alibi; Kuhlmeier was unsure if the suspect he referenced was the same person. “This person was brought down, talked to and he refused to cooperate,” he said. “There were some steps taken regarding DNA in this case but unfortunately, legally, our hands are tied as to how we can approach the subject.” Apart from the suspect deciding to cooperate, Kuhlmeier said the case could see a break if someone comes forward to whom the suspect has confessed. “If the suspect approaches someone and talks about the case, we’d like to talk to them,” he said. “Sometimes that can be enough to push a case over the top.” With five years now passed, Moorer said he has lost hope that the killer will be arrested. “I pray for an arrest every day, but I’m not hopeful anymore,” Moorer said. “People know stuff and they’re not saying it.” Chyna Whyte, who was friends with Blahnik since their childhood in Washington, D.C., expressed frustration with the investigation. “We’ve been disappointed by how the situation has been handled over the years, and it makes you feel like if she wasn’t transgender, this would have been handled differently,” she said. “Me, her mother, Malik, other friends, we all feel like, are we ever going to get any closure? Her mother is still hurt today. She had two little sisters who are still hurt. Here we are five years later and still we don’t know anything more than the day it first happened.” She echoed Moorer’s disbelief upon learning the news of Blahnik’s murder.
“I never ever expected to get a phone call like that; I grew up with her and she was here one minute and just gone the next,” Whyte said, noting that Blahnik was a loyal and generous friend. “This lady had a heart of gold. She’d do anything in the world for anyone, anyone. She was one of those people you could call at 2 in the morning crying, and she’d say, ‘Sis, everything will be all right.’ She had a heart like no other. So when something like this happens to someone so genuine and so loved, it hit the community hard.” “She had a genuine heart, a genuine love for people,” added Tayana Woodard, another longtime friend of Blahnik. “She was very smart, and beautiful. She was loved by many people.” Blahnik was a popular figure in the ballroom community, and house mother of the House of Blahnik. In the five years since her murder, the trans community and trans issues have gar-
nered more visibility, Moorer noted, but violence against transgender women is still rampant — and a public outcry is needed, he said. “The world is fascinated with transgender people; you can mention Caitlyn Jenner, Janet Mock or Laverne Cox and people are fascinated. But when a transgender woman gets murdered, no one cares,” he said. Whyte added that, even though five years have passed, calls for justice for Blahnik shouldn’t subside. “I’ve seen other things happen to transgender people in the city and money’s been raised for rewards, but it seems like Stacey’s case was just pushed aside. And it’s frustrating,” she said. “Why can’t we keep this out in the public? We’ve had events for her and a lot of people have come out in support, but we need more support from the community. We need it from everyone; everyone has a part to play in this because this could happen to any one of us.” Woodard said a break in the case would provide invaluable solace for Blahnik’s loved ones. “It would be so important,” she said. “It would be a wonderful thing for the community as a whole, and for her family. And Stacey could finally rest in true peace.” n
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LOCAL PGN
Details of MANNA’s new building to be unveiled at 25th-anniversary event By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com
At TD Bank, we like to Bank Human™. And we’re proud to celebrate the LGBT community. #TDBankForeverProud
The Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance, called MANNA, is moving. Details and photos of the new facility will be on display at the organization’s 25th-anniversary event that takes place 7-11 p.m. Oct. 9 at the 23rd Street Armory, 22 S. 23rd St. “Certainly that night, I think, is going to be such a celebration,” said Sue Daugherty, executive director of MANNA, “not only of our past, but looking toward our future.” The organization that provides meals to people who are living with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses just signed a lease for a new building in the Callowhill area that will more than double its capacity to make meals, Daugherty said. The new space will allow production of 2.5-million meals per year, up from 1 million meals now. MANNA’s space on Ranstead Street is part of the Marketplace Design Center, which was recently sold. Daugherty said the nonprofit has until July 2017 to complete its move. Anniversary party For the 25th-anniversary event, the loading dock at MANNA will become part of the party space. There will be high-top tables for people to mingle while they eat. ChefAID veterans Robert Bennett, Eric Gantz, Jose Garces, Michael Schulson and other Philadelphia chefs will provide the food. Neiman Marcus will put on a short fashion show during the VIP cocktail party that starts at 6 p.m. Brian Sanders’ JUNK, a local dance company, kicks off the main festivities with an aerial performance. Las Vegas legend Wayne Newton will help MANNA honor Steve Korman, founder of Korman Communities, a real-estate development company. Korman has been a financial and ideological supporter of MANNA for more than 15 years. He serves as chairman of the organization’s advisory board. Guests will also view a video highlighting MANNA’s history and its thousands of clients. Pennsylvania Ballet dancers will perform, followed by a dance party set to the music of the Eddie Bruce Orchestra. VIP tickets cost $350. Regular tickets cost $200. They can be purchased at the door or online at www.manna25th.org/tickets.
MANNA history Moving is not the only new development for MANNA to celebrate. Over the last quarter-century, Daugherty said, the organization’s evolution has mirrored the evolution of treatment for people with HIV/ AIDS. “We were really more of a comfort agency in the beginning, dealing with endof-life issues,” Daugherty said. But, as people started to live longer after their HIV diagnoses, Daugherty said MANNA had to help people manage their lives with the virus. Daugherty, a dietitian, worked with her colleagues to revamp MANNA’s menu in the early 2000s. Meals used to include a lot of comfort food like macaroni and cheese. Patients started coming in with cholesterol levels that were off the charts, Daugherty said, noting it was a side effect of the medicines used to treat HIV. She and other dieticians came up with a more hearthealthy menu. MANNA soon participated in research that helped inform its mission. The organization pushes the outlook that food can act as medicine in terms of helping people manage their overall health. The research, which examined healthcare costs of patients using MANNA’s nutrition services versus a comparison group, was performed by OMG Center for Collaborative Learning and published in the Journal of Primary Care and Community Health. “We embarked on research to prove our worth in dollars and cents,” Daugherty said. “We see ourselves as the pharmacy for your food prescription.” Around 2006, MANNA started crafting meal plans for people living with illnesses beyond HIV/AIDS. Now the organization serves people with more than 70 different illnesses. In March, MANNA and Health Partners Plans, a nonprofit health-maintenance organization in Center City, signed a deal that would cover certain HPP Medicaid members in Philadelphia to receive medically appropriate meals and nutrition counseling. MANNA does not have financial requirements for its patients, but Daugherty said 97 percent of them are living in poverty. The organization started giving out birthday cakes to clients, many of whom lack emotional support systems. “There’s a sense of relief that one thing is taken off their plates,” Daugherty said. n
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SEPTA pursues exemption from antibias rules By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com
any such behavior is actually occurring to any meaningful extent, let alone that allowing the Commonwealth Court’s decision to SEPTA, the region’s mass-transit agency, stand would so ‘undermine human dignity continues to seek an exemption from adher- and human rights’ that it cries out for [state] ence to the city’s LGBT-inclusive antibias Supreme Court’s intervention.” SEPTA’s filing refers to the city’s posirules. In a 28-page document filed in state tion as “hysterical,” and accuses the city of Supreme Court, SEPTA insisted it’s a state engaging in “scare tactics” through the use agency. Thus, it’s only required to adhere of a rhetorical device known as a “parade of to the state’s antibias rules, which aren’t horribles.” “The city’s hysterical rhetoric about the LGBT-inclusive. In an August ruling, Commonwealth dire consequences that will supposedly Court agreed with SEPTA’s position, but befall the residents of Philadelphia if this the city is appealing in state Supreme court does not [reverse the lower court] bears no basis in reality,” the filing states. Court. SEPTA has about 9,000 employ- SEPTA also maintains that six years of ees. It serves Philadelphia, four nearby litigation is long enough. “Stated plainly, Pennsylvania counties and some areas of after six years of litigation, it is time for this saga to come to an end. Accordingly, New Jersey and Delaware. It its Sept. 21 court filing, SEPTA min- SEPTA respectfully requests that the imized the impact of its exemption on the [city’s] petition be denied.” The filing also notes SEPTA hasn’t been civil rights of LGBTs. “[The city’s] professed belief that the subjected to the city’s antibias rules for six Commonwealth Court’s decision will open years and “catastrophic consequences” havthe floodgates of discrimination is mis- en’t resulted. “[T]he city has managed to carry on guided litigation rhetoric,” SEPTA stated. The highly contentious litigation began for the last six years, apparently without the supposedly in 2009, after trans catastrophic consewoman Charlene Arcila “SEPTA is not legally quences envisioned by complained to the city’s Human Relations prohibited from firing an the [city], while the status of SEPTA’s covCommission about employee for cheering erage under the Fair SEPTA’s placement Practices Ordinance of gender stickers on for the Dallas Cowboys, has been in limbo. It transpasses. Arcila died refusing to allow a passtands to reason that in April, and SEPTA senger to board a bus if the consequences no longer places gender of exempting SEPTA stickers on transpasses. because the driver does from the Fair Practices But Arcila’s complaint not like his clothes or Ordinance were as has been held in abeyominous as the [city] ance due to the pos- permitting a conductor predicts, the General sibility that mone- to discharge any of his Assembly would have tary damages will be ex-girlfriends from the stepped in long ago awarded to her estate. to broaden the scope In August, train.” of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Human Relations Act.” ruled that exposing SEPTA to complaints such as Arcila’s Additionally, SEPTA said it’s not would be unduly burdensome on the transit opposed to expanding the state’s Human Relations Act so that it protects the LGBT agency. But city officials claim that SEPTA’s community from discrimination. adherence to its LGBT-inclusive antibias “As SEPTA has repeatedly stated, it takes no public position on the policy question of rules is an urgent civil-rights issue. SEPTA’s court filing notes the transit whether the Pennsylvania Human Relations authority isn’t prohibited from engaging in Act should be expanded to include proa variety of biases, not just anti-LGBT bias. tection against categories not currently “SEPTA is not legally prohibited from included. SEPTA also reiterates that it has firing an employee for cheering for the no desire to engage in discrimination on the Dallas Cowboys, refusing to allow a pas- basis of sexual orientation or gender idensenger to board a bus because the driver tity. Rather, SEPTA opposes application of does not like his clothes or permitting a the Fair Practices Ordinance against it for conductor to discharge any of his ex-girl- the precise reasons that the Commonwealth friends from the train,” the filing notes. Court found compelling in its analysis of “The point is that anybody can conjure up the consequences.” examples of conduct that should be discour- As of presstime, the state Supreme Court aged but would not violate [antibias rules]. hadn’t ruled on the city’s request to review The fact remains there is no indication that the Commonwealth Court ruling. n
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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City of Philadelphia Public Hearing Notice The Committee on Rules of the Council of the City of Philadelphia will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, October 21, 2015, at 10:00 AM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following item: 150374
An Ordinance establishing a neighborhood improvement district in the area generally bounded by, and including, 11th Street to the West, Filbert Street to the North, 8th Street to the East and Market Street to the South, with the exception of certain condominium units at 801 Market Street Condominium not included in the District, to be known as the Gallery Neighborhood Improvement District; designating Gallery Neighborhood Improvement District Corporation, a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation, as the Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association for the District; approving a plan for the District, including a list of proposed improvements and their estimated cost, and providing for assessment fees to be levied on property owners within the District; authorizing the Director of Commerce, on behalf of the City, to execute an agreement with Gallery Neighborhood Improvement District Corporation, relating to the District; and authorizing Gallery Neighborhood Improvement District Corporation to assess property owners within the District a special property assessment fee to be used in accordance with the approved plan; all in accordance with the provisions of the Community and Economic Improvement Act, and under certain terms and conditions.
This hearing is also being held in compliance with Section 5 of the Community and Economic Improvement Act (53 P.S. § 18105) for the purpose of receiving public comment from affected property owners on the proposed neighborhood improvement district plan for the establishment of the Gallery Neighborhood Improvement District (“District”), a copy of which is attached as Exhibit “A” to Bill No. 150374. The Council of the City of Philadelphia initiated action to continue the District by enacting Resolution No. 150389 (adopted April 30, 2015). Immediately following the public hearing, a meeting of the Committee on Rules, open to the public, will be held to consider the action to be taken on the above listed item. Copies of the foregoing item are available in the Office of the Chief Clerk of the Council, Room 402, City Hall.
Michael Decker Chief Clerk
City of Philadelphia
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
EDITORIAL PGN
Creep of the Week
D’Anne Witkowski
Mike Huckabee
Editorial
Authentic tragedy This week’s editorial was intended to be dedicated to National Coming Out Day, a celebration of the progress and success our community has seen in recent years, largely through a commitment to presenting our authentic selves. Instead, it is relegated to a topic that we have had to address far too many times: the murder of a transgender woman of color, whose life was taken from her for seemingly no other reason than being her authentic self. Kiesha Jenkins was just 22, a young woman with an entire life ahead of her. But a group of men stole that future from her, setting upon her at a Logan park early Tuesday morning. They beat her and, as she lay on the ground, shot her twice in the back. The manner in which Jenkins was killed reflects the unimaginable brutality of this crime: She wasn’t fighting back, wasn’t even facing her attackers and they shot her anyway. Her death suggests a sheer disregard for human life, or perhaps just one type of human life, on the part of her killers. Just one of the men pulled the trigger, but each of them is responsible. Whether they threw a punch, a kick or even stood by and did nothing, each played a role in devaluing and denigrating this victim to the point that one person felt compelled and comfortable aiming and pulling the trigger. While detectives have not yet disclosed what prompted the men to act, they have said they don’t believe Jenkins knew her attackers, which — coupled with the sheer brutality of the incident — could suggest they set upon her because she was transgender. The epidemic of violence against trans women has reached a fevered pitch that can no longer be ignored, within or outside our community. Jenkins is at least the 20th transgender woman in the nation to lose her life to violence this year alone, and the second in our city. Members of our community are being gunned down, stabbed or brutalized solely for living as their true selves — and that is a truth that demands meaningful action. The progress that has been made toward trans visibility in recent years needs to be celebrated, but cannot overshadow the deep-seated societal ills that continue to threaten the transgender members of our community. When Caitlyn Jenner comes out as trans, she gets a television show, but when Kiesha Jenkins walks outside as trans, she is beaten and shot to death; there is a dichotomy there that needs to be addressed head-on before the gap between perceptions and reality widens even further. This weekend marks the fifth-annual Trans* March, the fifth anniversary of the still-unsolved murder of trans woman Stacey Blahnik and the 25th-anniversary of OutFest, which celebrates the visibility of LGBT people. That Jenkins’ murder happened at this confluence of milestones should be telling: We’ve come a long way from five years ago, and certainly from 25 years ago, but our community is not free until we’re all free. n
Bust out the rainbow M16 assault rifles because things are about to get FABULOUS! The United States Army is about to become the world’s biggest Pride parade thanks to President Obama’s nomination of Eric Fanning for secretary of the Army. The only thing you need to know about Fanning is that he’s a gay! What other qualifications does one possibly need to essentially be the CEO of the U.S. Army? Well, lots, actually. And Fanning’s credentials are pretty impeccable. He’s currently serving as the undersecretary of the Army and his list of qualifications is so long, it would take up my entire column space. But if you ask Mike Huckabee (R-Will Never Be President), Obama just picked the first guy to come up on Grindr. On Sept. 19, Huckabee took to Facebook to criticize Fanning’s nomination. “It’s clear President Obama is more interested in appeasing America’s homosexuals than honoring America’s heroes,” the Huckster wrote. “Veteran suicide is out of control and military readiness is dangerously low, yet Obama is so obsessed with pandering to liberal interest groups he’s nominated an openly gay civilian to run the Army. Homosexuality is not a job qualification.” I’m not sure what Huckabee means when he says that Obama is all about the gays at the expense of “America’s heroes.” Is he saying that Obama should have nominated a military officer instead? The secretary of the Army is a civilian position, which Huckabee should know. I guess he’s saying that the mere act of nominating a homo is a dishonor to our troops. But it’s not like Obama just nominated Nathan Lane. Even Fox News saw through Huckabee’s homophobic bullshit. On a Fox Business morning show, host Sandra Smith asked Huckabee what his deal was with criticizing Fanning since he “is widely seen as very qualified for the job.” “He may be very qualified for the job,” he said, “and if he is, then nominate him because he’s qualified to lead the Army, not because of his sexual orientation. Why are they making such a big deal and talking about it?” By “they” he means the Obama administration. There is, of course, no evidence that Fanning was nominated because of his sexual orientation, nor is there any evidence that Obama just can’t shut up about
how gay Fanning is. Huckabee, on the other hand, cannot shut up about it. “I had people who were gay who worked on my staff, who have served in my administration when I was governor. I never went around saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got some homosexuals that are working for me.’ What’s the point? If they’re qualified, hire them.” Oh, so Huckabee has worked with known homosexuals, eh? Well then he couldn’t possibly be homophobic. “I just think this president is so into symbolism, so into trying to prove to everybody that he’s this open-minded guy,” Huckabee said, “maybe he’s trying to make up for the fact that until, gosh, what, just three years ago, he still took the position that many of us do, and that is that marriage, for example, is a biblical issue, and it is between a man and a woman. He had this sudden revelation that it is not that way anymore.” In other words, Obama is trying to make nice with the gays by throwing them a nomination or two. “I just feel like that the president has made this such an agenda,” Huckabee continued, “and the agenda for the military is to focus on the best-qualified people, because we’re talking about life and death issues. And if he thinks Eric Fanning is the best for the job, nominate him, but leave his sexual orientation out of it.” You hear that, Fanning! Back into the closet for you, for the good of the country. And so Huckabee can find something else to obsess about other than how super-gay you are. n
“Obama is so obsessed with pandering to liberal interest groups he’s nominated an openly gay civilian to run the Army. Homosexuality is not a job qualification.”
D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world, she reviews rock and roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan.
OP-ED PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
Starting a new chapter One of my favorite movies as a kid (and creation of what today we call the LGBT to this day) was “Auntie Mame.” community. Seeing fellow pioneers and If you haven’t seen it, it’s about an even LGBT historians like David Carter, eccentric woman living her life to the who wrote what some feel is the definifullest. There’s a line in the film that has tive book on Stonewall, at the launch party become my life’s motto: “Life is a banquet allowed me to come to grips with my past and most poor sons of bitches and the enormity of all that I are starving to death.” shared in the book. These peo But this week there’s another ple are my family. line from the film that applies Also with us was my old to my life. Mame writes her friend Randy Wicker. Randy is autobiography and at the launch the longest-serving LGBT activparty for her book, her friend, ist in America. He literally was Vera Charles (played in the the first LGBT person to take musical version of the film by up a picket sign for gay rights, Bea Arthur from “Maude” and before Frank Kameny and “Golden Girls” fame), says, before my old friend Barbara “Mame, I didn’t even know you Gittings. And he told the crowd were literate.” I did tell you it that it was the best LGBT hiswas a comedy … tory memoir book he’s ever Well, this week I’ve been read. The book has surprised me on a book tour launching my since I had no expectations for memoir: “And Then I Danced: Mark Segal it, and I’m still coming to terms Traveling the Road to LGBT with the praise it’s receiving. Life is full of surprises, especially if you Equality,” which is now available in bookreject negativity and bitterness and seek stores and online. As I write this, I’ve just out the joy around you. And that is the finished the New York City launch party, message of the book. n and I’m a little emotional, since my story of LGBT activism started at Stonewall. At the New York event, my brothers from Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the that night, and more importantly that first nation’s most-award-winning commenyear of Gay Liberation Front, 1969-70, tator in LGBT media. You can follow were out in force to support their brother’s him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ book, which describes some of our crazier MarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter. exploits — which ultimately led to the com/PhilaGayNews.
Mark My Words
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.
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Street Talk What's your impression of the visit by Pope Francis? "His visit was good for the city. I could have done without all the disruption but it boosted the city's image and Thomas M. helped us Hoover forget other attorney Gayborhood problems, temporarily. I was touched that he went to the correctional facility. He showed people that no one is trash."
"I was glad Pope Francis visited. He spread a lot of good will in the city, and he looked fabulous in that cape! It complimented his white dress quite nicely. And his beanie adorable."
"I thought it was awesome that he came. But it felt a little like being in a cage, with all the perimeter fencing. But his visit Shelby Nelson was great. student There was Gayborhood no madness. Pope Francis instilled good conduct that reflected well on the city."
"Overall, I thought it was a cool thing for the city to be welcoming a world leader. I didn't feel compelled to see him; Laura Stedenfeld he doesn't urban designer have any Washington Square relevance West in my life. I wish the reason he was in Philly was to support a more inclusive message."
Anja Jones research coordinator Washington Square West
cap was so
Letters and Feedback In response to “Welcoming the pope without condoning discrimination,” Sept. 18-14: I find it odd how the homophobes within the Catholic Church continue to avoid their responsibility to minister to gay Catholics. Seems all they’re good for is finger-wagging. Come to think of it, they are no better than Westboro. I find them sinful. — Mark Cichewicz Thank you, Jim! I was one of the ones kicked out after the Archbishop saw a brochure of our trans event with my face on it. Talk about rejection! And all I was going to talk about was God and the challenge of my trans life! (Fortunately, the Arch Street Methodists gave us space!) — Julie Chovanes In response to “Decision on gay-bashing pleas by next
month,” Sept. 18-24: Good. So especially young people that think being gay is something to make fun of can know that physically assaulting someone because of who they love will have dire consequences. — millers3888 In response to “Obituary: Brenda Torres, project manager and bar owner, 45,” Sept. 11-17: Rest in peace. A beautiful soul goes home. Lord, thank you for sharing her with us. She will be sorely missed. — Valerie LIng In response to “Obituary: Jacob Kaskey, former Equality PA staffer, 33,” Sept. 4-10: I love you Jake so much and I’m going to miss you
tremendously. I am struggling hard. As I am shedding tears for you, the four years with you were the most joyous years I’ve had because I was lucky enough to wake up every morning with you and Kitty. Not only a true inspiration to many, but the kindest soul who would not ever give up on me. May you rest in peace, Jake. Love you and miss you. — John Cynewski My condolences to Jake’s family. He was such a wonderful spirit and soul. He always had the biggest smile and such brightness. He will be missed. — Cody Poerio He was a close friend of mine. This article is highly accurate. He helped create my business and put me on a career path. I will never forget how amazing he was. — MM
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
PGN
We put our energy into celebrating pride. At PECO, we’re proud to support the LGBT community. So much so that the Exelon family of companies was recently recognized with the “2014 Corporate Equality Index Best Place to Work for LGBT Employees” award. Not to mention, PECO received the “Best Business” award at the Pride Day LGBT Parade and Festival for the second year in a row. We’re committed to LGBT inclusion and equality because we believe that working with individuals with different perspectives and backgrounds drive some of the most powerful outcomes. It’s what makes us proud to be a part of Exelon and happy to celebrate the power of diversity.
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www.peco.com
4/29/14 12:05 PM
LOCAL PGN
Six local orgs. get LGBT grants By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund distributed a total of $30,000 at a party Oct. 5 to six regional organizations addressing emerging needs for the LGBT community. Each received $5,000. Requests to fund programs and services for LGBT youth
and transgender people were especially popular this year, said Samantha Giusti, DVLF executive director. “There are a lot more mainstream, or non-LGBT-specific organizations coming in also with LGBT programs they’d
like to develop,” Giusti added. “They’ve created a niche for LGBT programs. I appreciate that people are seeing we’re just a subset of the larger communities they serve.” Giusti said the local trends she and her team have noticed line up with the national trends. The first-time grant winners include: • Camden Area Health
Education Center, a public-health department in New Jersey, to fund counseling services for transgender people of color. • Support Center for Child Advocates, a volunteer lawyer program in Center City, to fund
legal guidance for LGBT youth in the dependency-court system. The primary reasons for referral are child abuse, sexual abuse and serious neglect, according to the center. • Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Greater Philadelphia, to pilot a program on coaching and community building for LGBT older adults. Return grant winners are: • ActionAIDS, to fund medical case management for LGBT older adults. • The Attic Youth Center, for career-readiness programming. • Valley Youth House, to support “Pride Housing,” which helps LGBTs ages 18-21 with short-term rental assistance, case management and workshops on housing, life skills, employment and education goals. Organizations interested in the next Emerging Needs grant cycle can email info@dvlf. org. Giusti said those organizations will be added to an email list for when the notification about application deadlines goes out late spring. The grantmaking process takes about three months, she said. ■
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY AMY F. STEERMAN Attorney at Law
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Rick first decided to get sober more than 25 years ago, when his partner was dying of AIDSrelated complications. After a long-standing problem with alcohol, he went to a recovery clubhouse in the Gayborhood that was dedicated to helping LGBT addicts. The specialized meeting helped Rick find his peers. “I found a sense of community that was accepting of my sexuality and then gave me room to find my path to sobriety,” said Rick, who cannot disclose his last name because he is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. The recovery clubhouse is not an officially recognized special-interest group of AA, but follows similar principles. The clubhouse ultimately fostered a meeting called Early Night Out, which will celebrate its
20th anniversary with a party at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in the ballroom of the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. It’s free to attend, but donations are welcome. Recovering addicts and supporters are welcome. Vaughn C., a recovering addict, will open the evening by relating the history of Early Night Out and its place in the LGBT recovery community, including its roots in the former Penguin Place. Twenty people will follow with two-minute speeches each about their experiences as LGBT recovering addicts. Food will also be served. “The most important thing is to use this moment to let people know there are meetings 365 days of the year,” Rick said. “It’s outreach more than promotion.” Regular meetings for Early Night Out take place at 5:30 p.m. every night of the week,
all year, on the second floor of a building at 202 S. 12th St. It’s near the Mazzoni Center’s Washington West Project. Rick said a lot of familiar faces turn up to the meetings in part because the LGBT community generally is tight-knit, and that’s especially true in Philadelphia. He said some people might feel deterred by running into others they know, but at the end of the day, the community can be life-saving. “In terms of long-term sobriety, helping other people is the most effective way to stay sober,” said Rick, who has been sober for 26-and-a-half years. Early Night Out offers open meetings, which supporters can attend. Often doctors, nurses or therapists-in-training drop in, Rick said. Some meetings are closed, which means they are for addicts only. For more information, visit www.sepennaa.org. ■
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
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What does aging mean to you? It probably means something very different to a trans person. We see a barrage of TV commercials for retirement communities with happy people playing bridge or Mahjong. There are also endless ads for electronic equipment that will automatically call for help if you slip and fall. Other ads feature youthful-looking elders enjoying beach resort vacations in the Caribbean sunshine. All of this is very nice, but these are alien pictures to the vast majority of older trans people for whom the prospect of aging is a daunting one. Those who have survived to what others in the cis-gender community think of as “retirement age” grew up at a time when discrimination was the rule. Due to bullying, harassment, neglect and violence, many trans people fled the school system in their teens and, unable to find any kind of employment, were driven by poverty into survival sex, substance abuse and, almost inevitably, HIV infection. Having lived lives of deprivation starting with unemployment in their early years, for trans individuals, the prospect of aging can be terrifying. In the trans community, it is not uncommon to hear the phrase, “waiting for death.” It should come as no surprise that trans people age faster than their non-trans counterparts. They are plagued by illness and poor nutrition — the consequences of long-term poverty. Their medical needs have rarely been met due to discrimination and a shocking lack of cultural competence on the part of providers. Mental-health issues are common and suicide rates in this population are well above the national average. Many live out the last chapters of their lives in substandard housing, alone and alienated from the friends and families they once had, including friends in the LGBT community. It is only in the very recent past that these circumstances have begun to change. That change may be due, in part, to the increase in public awareness about trans people caused by movies and TV shows that include them. Another catalyst for that change has been organizations like the LGBT Elder Initiative. Created five years ago, the Elder Initiative advocates for the needs of LGB and “T” people so that we can all age successfully. From its inception, the LGBTEI had trans representation on its board of directors. Jaci Adams, an out and proud trans woman of color and a ferocious champion for trans people, served on the board from its beginning. In 2013, in recognition of her tireless advocacy for her community, Adams was awarded the first “OutProud Transgender Award” at that year’s OutFest celebration. Adams passed in early 2014 and, in further recognition of her long list of achievements, Philly Pride Presents changed the name of the award to the Jaci Adams OutProud Transgender Award. I had the honor of being the first person to receive the award bearing her name. Deja Alvarez, this year’s Jaci Adams OutProud Transgender Award winner, also recently joined me on the board of the LGBTEI. According to Heshie Zinman, chair of the Elder Initiative, “We are thrilled to have Deja on our board and look
forward to her input into the EI’s plans to enhance our advocacy for the trans, Hispanic and other marginalized communities.” Alvarez is originally from Chicago and is a longtime trans advocate. She is a founding member of Philly’s Trans Wellness Project and Sisterly Love, organizations working to combat violence, police harassment and discrimination against trans women. She now works for GALAEI and its Transgender Health Information Project (TIP), providing help and support primarily to members of the transgender community. These programs, including TIP, are unusual in that they are run by trans people, for trans people. When she is not working her day job at GALAEI or doing HIV testing at Washington West in the evenings, Alvarez can be found doing outreach work to sex workers, providing support at the Divine Light LGBT shelter and representing her communities on the Philadelphia Police LGBT Liaison Committee. Like Adams before her, Alvarez is passionate
It should come as no surprise that trans people age faster than their non-trans counterparts. They are plagued by illness and poor nutrition — the consequences of long-term poverty. Their medical needs have rarely been met due to discrimination and a shocking lack of cultural competence on the part of providers. Mental-health issues are common and suicide rates in this population are well above the national average. Many live out the last chapters of their lives in substandard housing, alone and alienated from the friends and families they once had, including friends in the LGBT community. about the devastating effects of HIV infection on the trans community and she has strong views on how it can best be addressed. While accepting the prevention model in part, she is convinced that the only way to really deal with the problem is by breaking the cycle of poverty. “Unless we tackle the underlying causes of the problem in the trans community, we won’t deal with it,” Alvarez said. “We need to teach people life skills as opposed to survival skills.” n Dawn Munro is a biologist who was born in the United Kingdom and worked in Europe and the United States. She has a long history of social activism and was active in the Gay Liberation Front. A resident of the John C. Anderson Apartments, she serves on the boards of the LGBT Elder Initiative and PFLAG. She was the recipient of the Jaci Adams Out Proud Transgender Award in 2014.
PGN
READING & BOOK SIGNING Wednesday October 14th Barnes & Noble, Rittenhouse Square 1805 Walnut St. 7pm
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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More Acclaim For MARK SEGAL’s Memoir
AND THEN I DANCED
TRAVELING THE ROAD TO LGBT EQUALITY IN BOOKSTORES ON OCTOBER 6th “[A] swiftly written debut memoir...[Segal] vividly describes his firsthand experience as a teenager inside the Stonewall bar during the historic riots, his participation with the Gay Liberation Front, and amusing encounters with Elton John and Patti LaBelle....A jovial yet passionately delivered self-portrait inspiring awareness about LGBT history from one of the movement’s true pioneers.” --Kirkus Reviews “With great verve and spirit, Segal has rendered a lively and dramatic memoir of the early days of the gay rights struggle; the infighting over strategies and objectives; the long, hard road of progress; and a look at the challenges still ahead.” --Booklist “The reader can clearly see how Segal’s fearless determination, cheerful tenacity, and refusal to attack his opponents made him a power broker in Philadelphia and a leading advocate on the national level. Segal fills his book with worthy stories...funny anecdotes and heart.” --Publishers Weekly “The stories are interesting, unexpected, and witty.”
--Library Journal “The pioneering gay rights activist chronicles his advocacy for gay and lesbian equality with tales of his involvement with the Stonewall riots and crashing live TV broadcasts, including the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.” --Publishers Weekly, Fall 2015 Announcements “In this memoir we see the inside story of how the battle of LGBT civil rights was played and won. It is a compelling story told by someone who is at the forefront of the fight and who deserves substantial credit for its victories.” --Governor Ed Rendell “Mark Segal’s work for LGBT equality is historic and significant. The fact that he is still connecting our community is a testament to the passion which he shares in this memoir.” --Billie Jean King “Read Mark Segal’s memoir and you’ll get the inside story of how and why he interrupted a live broadcast of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. What happened afterward will surprise you. It’s one of many surprises in this must-read first-person account of LGBT history as it unfolded after Stonewall. Segal was a witness to that history, and he made some of it happen, changing our country and our lives for the better.” --Louis Wiley Jr., executive editor, Frontline (PBS)
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
PGN LOCAL
Lib City endorses 10 candidates By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com
NEW HOPE NEWLYWEDS: Claire Shaw (left) and Michelle Smith tied the knot Sept. 26 in New Hope. The couple celebrated their nuptials with several-dozen loved ones at their home overlooking the canal. Shaw is the president of the New Hope Borough Council. Photo: Scott A. Drake
When two women, both doctors in their 40s, wanted to get married in Montgomery County in the summer of 2013, they contacted the register of wills. D. Bruce Hanes was on board with issuing the marriage license, but first had to consult with the county commissioners. “It was a team, collegial effort, that came to the conclusion that we were going to do it, and we did do it,” Hanes said at the Sept. 30 endorsement meeting of the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club. He was the first in the state to offer marriage licenses to gay couples, just one month after the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. At the time, Pennsylvania still had a ban on same-sex marriage. Hanes issued 176 licenses before the Commonwealth Court told him to stop. “Perhaps recently you’ve heard about a lady down in Kentucky where the court has told her to do things, and she has decided not to do those things,” he said. “I just want to point out, when the court told me to shut up and sit down — that is to say, stop issuing marriage licenses — that is exactly what I did. Immediately. Completely.” About 20 Liberty City members gathered at the William Way LGBT Community Center in the Gayborhood to vote on candidates to endorse in the Nov. 3 election. Hanes spoke, along with Josh Shapiro and Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh, who are both running against two Republicans for three spots on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. Allan Domb, a real-estate mogul known as the “Condo King” in Rittenhouse Square, also spoke as part of his campaign for Philadelphia City Council. Liberty City ultimately endorsed 10 candidates running in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Chester counties and statewide: Kevin Dougherty (endorsed in the primary and still endorsed for the general election), Christine Donohue and David Wecht for justices on the state Supreme Court; Michael Wojcik for judge of the Commonwealth Court; Domb and Derek Green for at-large positions on Philadelphia City Council; Shapiro and Arkoosh for Montgomery County commissioners; Hanes for register of wills and clerk of the orphans court in Montgomery County; and Lani Frank for register of wills and clerk of the orphans court in Chester County. Shapiro emphasized the importance of expanding on progressive leadership in Philadelphia, calling it “critically import-
ant” to “build that coalition out into the suburbs.” “We cannot only win with progressives just here in Philadelphia,” he said. “We must win by bringing a progressive core to our suburban counties. If we do that, statewide we’re unstoppable on these issues, whether it’s issues of other progressive values or LGBT values.” When Shapiro took office in 2012, it was the first time Montgomery County had a Democrat-controlled board in 150 years, he said. Arkoosh, a physician by trade who specializes in obstetrics, said she currently serves as the interim medical director of the Montgomery County Health Department. As Arkoosh helps in the search for a permanent medical director, she said it was important to find a professional who is sensitive to LGBT concerns — particularly for same-sex couples who are in the hospital for the births of babies to bring into their families or transgender individuals with specialized health needs. “I know that a healthy community is one where every person is treated with dignity and respect,” Arkoosh said, “where every definition of a family is part of the core of that community.” When Domb addressed Liberty City members, he focused on his financial goals for Philadelphia. He said the city had $1.6 billion in delinquent taxes last year. He estimated that about $400 million of that could have been recouped. Domb would also like to introduce city legislation that would require tax-preparing entities to cross-reference information from tax forms with eligibility requirements for Earned Income Tax Credits. He said many residents don’t know they’re eligible for the credits. Last year, Domb said, 40,000 people who are considered part of the city’s “working poor” could have received a total of $100 million in tax credits had they applied. Julie Chovanes, a trans lawyer in Philadelphia, asked Domb if there would be a way to consolidate the several organizations that deal with abandoned properties. “We’re trying to start trans clinics and some of the houses would be ridiculously helpful for the LGBT community, especially the kids,” Chovanes said, noting the difficulty in moving properties through the system with so much bureaucracy. Domb said Philadelphia has 40,000 parcels that aren’t paying taxes; 10,000 are lots and 30,000 are properties. He suggested cleaning up some of those issues by transferring all the delinquent properties into a trust and putting them back into service for the public. Domb said, if elected, he will look more specifically into the process of dealing with abandoned and delinquent properties. nç
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
PGN HISTORY
LGBT History Month
From Stonewall to the White House, and activist to author By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com “I’m standing across the street from Stonewall in Sheridan Square. Here I was, an 18-yearold kid living at the YMCA in a $6-a-night room with no job, no prospects for the future, no real place to live and no money in my pocket. I’m thinking, What am I going to do? And it came to me: This is exactly what I want to do. I’m going to be a gay activist.” More than 45 years after that fateful night outside the Stonewall Inn, Mark Segal still considers himself, first and foremost, an activist. “That’s what’s inside me and what always will be,” he said. “Everything else is secondary.” Adding to his list of “secondary” titles is a new one: “author.” Segal, the founder and publisher of Philadelphia Gay News, has just released his memoirs, “And Then I Danced.” The 320-page book takes readers from Segal’s meager beginnings in a Philadelphia housing project to his pinnacle of dancing with his husband in the White House. That was a journey that, Segal said, many have prompted him to write about over the years. But it wasn’t until a 2007 reunion of Gay Youth — which he founded in New York City in 1969 — that he started to gain an appreciation for his own role in the LGBT community’s development. “We had the reunion in the New York Gay Community Center and there were about 100 of us who created this big circle. Each of us talked and, as they went around, people were saying that the organization saved their lives, that they were going to commit suicide until they found Gay Youth or that we saved them from bullying or harassment,” Segal said. “It wasn’t until I was halfway home on the train that it all of a sudden hit me what had just happened. Literally in the train car, I just started howling, just crying out loud. It really affected me.” A few years later, another event again brought Segal full circle: Comcast senior executive vice
president and chief diversity officer David L. Cohen invited him to join the media conglomerate’s Joint Diversity Council. “I thought it was going to be just a rubber-stamp position and I said I didn’t have time for it. And David said, ‘Mark, there are only 40 people nationwide being asked to join this advisory board. Don’t you understand your history? There you were 40 years ago disrupting media, and now we’re asking you to advise media.’” Cohen was referring to Segal’s infamous “zaps,” in which he targeted media personnel on air to raise awareness about LGBT issues. That such encounters caught him by surprise, Segal said, is in part attributable to his tendency to stay forward-focused. “I usually just go project to project to project and don’t look back,” he said. “So I really didn’t look back at all the things I had done or what the full impact of them was.” But, as the significance of his decades of activism began to evince itself to him, Segal started seriously considering recounting that work in book form, especially at the prompting of his now-husband, Jason Villemez. “Jason would say to me every night, ‘Do the book, do the book. Sit at your computer and start writing,’” Segal said, noting that at the time he was wrapping up work on one of the nation’s first LGBTfriendly affordable senior-living facilities, and Villemez knew the memoir-writing would be a good way to keep that momentum going. “He was conscious that the minute that ribbon was cut, I’d go from being 2,000 feet into the air to crashing to the ground if I didn’t have a project to work on,” Segal laughed. Hiring an agent and publisher was easy work, he said. But, deciding what information to include and what to leave out was not. Segal had been amassing vignettes of his recollections in the past few years, which he thought could serve as the memoir’s foundation. “I thought I would just take what I had started writing and put it into book form. It didn’t quite happen like that; once I signed the
contract, we basically threw out everything I had and went back to scratch,” he laughed. He set to work creating an outline of his life, checking dates and facts and researching his own storied history. That history began in 1951. Segal’s hardworking yet poverty-stricken parents, Shirley and Martin, raised him and his brother in a South Philadelphia housing project, after the city took over Martin’s bodega by eminent domain. As a member of the only Jewish family in the project, Segal’s feelings of being an outsider germinated from a young age, compounded by his worn clothes and lack of material possessions. But what Segal didn’t lack as a child was conviction; in elementary school, he refused to sing “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” his first act of civil disobedience, which was supported by his mother. His grandmother, Fannie Weinstein, also played a pivotal role in his upbringing; she brought Segal, at age 13, to a civil-rights demonstration at Philadelphia City Hall, his first public demonstration — of many to come. Exploring the struggles of his childhood in that first chapter, Segal said, was among the most challenging aspects of writing “And Then I Danced,” as the selfdoubt he experienced in his youth resurfaced. “The first chapter was extremely difficult to write because there are a lot of things in there that people don’t know about me. I struggled to continue with it because I really didn’t believe in myself,” he said. “I had Jason read the first chapter and at the end he was sitting on the sofa crying, and I said, ‘Wow, you really didn’t like it that much?’ And he said, ‘No, there were things here even I didn’t know.’ He really liked it and his support got me to continue.” Working with editor Michael Dennehy, Segal crafted and re-crafted 15 chapters for a final product that takes readers through the national LGBT community’s evolution, seen alongside Segal’s own development. From his burgeoning coming out — beginning with a childhood pull to the Sears Roebuck male models — Segal’s story is as much a commentary on the times as it is on his own experience.
FIRST MARCHERS’ REUNION AT STONEWALL IN 2010
“There was no name for it, at least none that I knew, but somehow it seemed wrong that I was looking at the men in the catalog,” he wrote. Eventually, Segal learned the name for “it” and came out to his family, who, despite the wholly unaccepting societal nature of the time, embraced his identity. Segal’s own self-acceptance was intrinsically tied to New York City; he wrote that he realized at a young age that the city was a haven for gay people, so he moved to the Big Apple the moment he graduated high school. He quickly became immersed in a growing and changing LGBT scene. The premiere LGBT activist group, Mattachine Society, was gradually becoming outdated, being ushered aside by a new wave of social revolution across the country.
And, a month after he moved to New York City, Segal found himself at Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969. “And Then I Danced” takes readers through Segal’s first-hand account of the seminal riot and ensuing LGBT mobilization. From those four reactionary nights came Gay Liberation Front, an organization that Segal said hasn’t gotten the credit it’s due. “From the ashes of Stonewall came GLF, and GLF created the foundation of everything that today is the gay community,” Segal said. “We created the first trans organization in 1969. We created the first gay youth organization that dealt with gay issues in 1969. We created the first medical alerts for the gay community and the first gay community center. And at the end of that first year, we created the first gay Pride march. And all of it had to do with PAGE 39
SEGAL (CENTER) AT HIS 2010 HOLIDAY PARTY THE DAY “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” WAS OVERTURNED WITH CONGRESSMAN BOB BRADY (FROM LEFT), FORMER PENNSYLVANIA GOV. ED RENDELL, PHILADELPHIA MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER AND FORMER CONGRESSMAN PATRICK MURPHY Photo: Scott A. Drake
PGN HISTORY
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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Lawyer who defeated DOMA to speak at Free Library of Philadelphia By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Edie Windsor, charismatic, stylish and articulate, found herself widowed just shy of her 80th birthday. She hadn’t yet been married two years to her spouse, Thea Spyer, who died of complications from a heart condition on Feb. 5, 2009. Windsor and Spyer had been together more than 40 years by the time they made the treacherous journey to Canada, soon after the case for marriage equality failed in their home state of New York. Spyer had lost the use of almost all of her limbs to multiple sclerosis and used a wheelchair. The two married on May 22, 2007, at the Sheraton Gateway, a business hotel in Terminal 3 of the Toronto Pearson International Airport. Roberta Kaplan, a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, relates the scene in her new book, “Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA.” It came out Oct. 5. Kaplan, also a lesbian, filed the lawsuit that ultimately resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court declaring Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. After Spyer died, Windsor inherited her estate. But because the two were a gay couple, the government did not recognize a tax exemption typically granted to married couples. Windsor had to pay $363,053 in federal taxes and $275,528 in state taxes. “If Thea had been ‘Theo’ — in other words, if she had been born a man rather than a woman — then Edie, upon being widowed, would not have had to pay a single penny of estate tax on her inheritance,” Kaplan writes. As Kaplan argued her case for Windsor, a Philadelphia native who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Temple University, she built her strategy around one imperative, which she kept on a Post-It: “It’s all about Edie, stupid.” Since the Supreme Court struck down DOMA on June 26, 2013, Windsor has earned a reputation as a cult hero. Kaplan wrote about Windsor’s reception at Stonewall in New York City on the afternoon of the 5-4 decision: “When Edie stepped out of the car, the crowd, which had packed the streets and sidewalks, went crazy. She waved her hands and
blew kisses, beaming with joy as people clapped, cheered, and screamed her name.” In a phone interview with PGN, Kaplan noted, “Who wouldn’t want to spend their mid-80s like Edie Windsor has? What a way to spend them.” Kaplan will be in Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St. She will be in conversation with Tobias Barrington Wolff, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Tickets cost $7 with a student ID or $15 for general admission. They can be purchased online at www.libraryphila.tix.com/Event. aspx?EventCode=784098. In advance of her talk, PGN got a chance to chat with Kaplan about everything from her own coming-out to challenging DOMA and becoming friends with Edie Windsor. The interview transcription has been lightly edited for clarity. PGN: You talk a lot about how you felt like it was fate for you to take Edie Windsor’s case. You sought help in your coming-out process from Thea Spyer, a psychologist, in 1991, years before meeting Edie or taking her case. It seems like it was also fate for the case against DOMA to be won at the particular time in American history when it was. Did it feel like there was something in the water around 2009 for the sea change to happen so quickly? RK: To use a corporate legal and a civil-rights legal term, I think a lot of the “smart money” in this area — and people who work in this field, including, of course, Mary Bonauto [Civil Rights Project director at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders] — had a sense that the next step to ultimately win equal protection under the law for gay people nationwide was to challenge DOMA. Everyone knew that the ultimate case was going to be a version of Obergefell. [The Obergefell v. Hodges decision in June essentially created marriage equality nationwide.] Ultimately, we as a community were going to ask the court to recognize and require marriage nationwide. But, before that, you have to get the Supreme Court used to the idea of gay people being married. That, in itself, was a relatively recent phenomenon. The best legal way to do that, I think everyone believed, and cor-
rectly, was to challenge DOMA, because DOMA on its face was such an irrational statute. If you think of the timeline here, marriages between gay couples only started in Massachusetts in 2003. Now, Thea died in 2009, so it’s only six years later. The facts are truly incredible. When we filed Edie’s case, in early 2010, only five states allowed gay couples to marry, and that didn’t even include New York. When I argued the case at the Supreme Court, I think it was nine. When we won the case in June [2013], it was 13. And then it just exploded. It’s easy to look
over the next two years to change Ginsburg’s mind? RK: First of all, she wasn’t that explicit, let me be clear, when she gave that interview to [Jeffrey] Toobin in The New Yorker. I think a lot of people interpreted her as meaning that she was being cautious. But she didn’t come right out and say that. The reason it came out is, she was comparing the marriage issue to her theory about Roe v. Wade. Her theory about Roe v. Wade is that it arguably went too far too fast and created political backlash. I think the answer for Justice Ginsburg is probably the answer for most Americans, frankly: More and more people got — and I hate to use this phrase here, but — “gay married.” So people who [Ginsburg] knew and loved — former clerks, colleagues, friends, etc. — got married. Once people get married, you see that the lives they live are no different, and the relationships they have and the marriages they have, are no different than the marriages and relationships of anyone else. In particular, I think with Edie and Thea, who were together for so long — and, in certain ways, their marriage existed over the
EDIE WINDSOR (LEFT) AND ROBERTA KAPLAN
back today and say, “Oh this was so obvious. Obviously this was going to happen.” But in 2009, that wasn’t necessarily the case. Marriage rights for gay people were still a pretty rare and pretty unique thing in this country. PGN: It was believed in 2013 that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was against rendering a 50-state ruling establishing the right to marriage between gay couples. What do you think happened
same period as Justice Ginsburg’s relationship to her late husband — I think she, like so many others, came to her standards really fundamentally about equality. PGN: You write in the book, “Because I was the only openly gay attorney arguing on either Perry or Windsor, I also wanted to make sure I kept my emotions as separate as I could from my argument.” How did you negotiate the balance of your emo-
tions in your argument? Did the Supreme Court justices know about your sexuality, and did opposing counsel ever try to use your sexuality as an argument against your case? RK: First of all, absolutely not, with respect to opposing counsel. They never raised the issue. I would’ve been shocked had they done so. Paul Clement and his colleagues are at the top of our profession and conducted themselves incredibly professionally and courteously throughout. So that was really never an issue. With respect to the justices, I can’t tell you what the justices knew. However, if you Googled my name at that point in time, you would’ve been able to figure out pretty quickly that I was an open lesbian, married with a kid; or, at least, that I was a lesbian and married. With respect to the personal issues in the case, part of it was — and I believe this is true for any client — I think it’s my job as a lawyer to separate out, at all times, to the greatest extent possible, whatever personal views, etc., I have about a case. Once I decide to take a case, my job is to be the advocate for my client. Whatever personal stuff I have is irrelevant and has to be treated as irrelevant. I think one of the reasons I had that Post-It, which said, “It’s all about Edie, stupid,” on my computer when I was working on the brief, was not only to constantly remind myself that the best way strategically to win this case was to focus on the facts of Edie and Thea’s life together, but to tell myself, I think subconsciously, that I needed to keep my stuff out of it. You know, I can’t be my own shrink, but I think I did a pretty good job of doing that here. I really channeled all of my energy [into it]. Let me put it to you this way, every decision we made in the case was based on only one criteria and that was: Will doing X or Y help Edie Windsor win her case and get her money back? That was the only criteria on which we made decisions. It was the right criteria and it made making those decisions actually pretty easy. However, there were (emotional) times. For example, when I listen back now on the oral arguments, at the end there’s a question where the chief justice asks me something like, “Isn’t it true that politicians are falling all over themselves to support your PAGE 20
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KAPLAN from page 19
side of the case?” When I answer him, my voice cracks a little bit. When I hear that crack in my voice, when I hear it now, to me that’s kind of the Robbie Kaplan coming out. I think at that point I couldn’t keep it in anymore. In retrospect, I don’t think it was damaging at all, and, arguably, it was probably kind of effective. It certainly wasn’t intentional. But I think for the most part, I did a pretty good job of keeping the Robbie Kaplan part of this stuff closed and shut until, of course, we won the case. PGN: During Mary Bonauto’s early years at GLAD, gay people faced so much legalized discrimination, you write, that it seemed entirely beside the point to pursue marriage, which clearly was not going to happen any time soon. Why do you think marriage equality ended up coming before comprehensive nondiscrimination laws at the federal level or even in many states? RK: I actually think this is pretty easy. Look, as I said before, marriage is hard. I’m not taking the position that anyone should or should not get married. That’s a choice everyone has to make individually, and I have no issue with people who don’t believe in the institution of marriage. That’s fine. But if you think about how our society recognizes the commitment that a person has to another person, a lifetime commitment, that’s through marriage. If you think about, what is it that distinguishes gay people from everyone else, it’s the fact that they choose to have that commitment with someone of the same sex. In order for society, American society and the legal system, to truly recognize the fundamental equality of gay people, it needed to recognize their equality in marriage because marriage is how our society recognizes the essence of being gay or straight. I actually think it made total sense for marriage to happen first the way it did. Ironically, I think most people in America today think that discrimination is illegal technically, even if in certain jurisdictions it may not be. But marriage, as a symbolic matter, was the necessary first step. Frankly, it was not only the first step. It’s the step that’s going to quickly lead to everything else that we’ve already seen. PGN: Is there anything that can be learned from Windsor and the marriage movement to help
nondiscrimination laws move forward? RK: In Windsor and of course Obergefell, which heavily relies on Windsor, what’s the fundamental holding of those cases? The fundamental holding is that gay people have the same dignity under the law as anyone else. Once you accept that proposition, I think it’s very hard to justify any law that discriminates against gay people on its face. There are very few of those laws left. One of the last ones left is the one I’m currently challenging in Mississippi (which forbids gay couples from adopting children). But, coming from that position, I think it’s very hard to say it’s OK for a city government to fire someone because they’re gay or for a shopkeeper to say to a kid, “I’m not going to sell you a chocolate ice cream cone because you have two moms.” I just think that makes no sense. The country has already realized that. I think the courts are realizing it as well.
HISTORY PGN
bring a DOMA case. I thought Edie was perfect. I think her story, her life that she lived with Thea [was perfect]. Talk about a marriage with “in sickness and in health, till death do us part.” Talk about living through ups and downs with Thea’s multiple sclerosis and her paralysis; the lives they both lived, even before they met, and the kind of discrimination they encountered, which seems surprising to so many people today. And then, quite frankly, it didn’t hurt that she’s this beautiful, charismatic,
ting together and writing a brief that’s complete, putting together facts, a story that’s convincing, being able to persuade the judge or court that your arguments are the right arguments. Of course, when Justice Kennedy wrote this, it was kind of the epitome of that. It was the high point. It was an incredible high is the way I would put it.
of the book to write? RK: Probably the easiest and certainly most fun part of the book to write was the epilogue. Just to be able to kind of take from where we were in Windsor in 2013 and talk about everything that happened as a result, including Obergefell. Those words just flew out of my pen. It was a true pleasure to write that.
PGN: What was the process of writing the book like for you? You wrote that at the firm where you work, Paul, Weiss, legal complaints tend to be more narrative than just saying X did this and Y resulted. Did that training factor into the way you wrote the book? RK: I think it did. I write for a living, essentially. I spend a lot of my time writing. I love to write and I take great pride and pleasure in the craftsmanship of writing. Obviously, the way this book was written, I was able to say things that I would not say in a brief and I was able to talk about things that I obviPGN: When you first ously wouldn’t talk about started working with Edie in a brief. But I hope it’s on challenging DOMA, true. I would like it to be many of the major LGBTtrue that if you read my rights groups worried that voice in this book and it wasn’t the right time you read my voice in my to push for marriage, and briefs, you’re going to they worried about makbe able to realize it’s the ing a wealthy woman the same person. That’s my face of the movement. goal, at least. I hope I’ve Did you have any qualms achieved it. I take great EDIE WINDSOR AT THE SUPREME COURT pride in writing briefs about Edie as the face of marriage equality? that anyone can underRK: I can answer that in a really stylish, articulate woman, who is stand. I hope the same things are short answer, which is: No. I better at making these points and true for this book. thought for so many reasons telling her story than anyone I that Edie was the perfect client, can think of. PGN: What was the hardest part assuming she was willing and of the book to write? able. She was the perfect person PGN: Justice Kennedy wrote, RK: The early stuff, for sure, to be the face of this movement. “Interference with the equal digabout my own life. I really strugWhile Edie, obviously, was privnity of same-sex marriages was gled with whether to include that. ileged enough to have to pay a more than an incidental effect of I realized, at some point, there very large tax bill to the state DOMA. It was its essence.” How was no way to tell this story and and federal governments, most of did it feel when you read that the tell it honestly without talking that was due to the fact that, like justices in the majority opinion about it. To write this book, I had many New Yorkers, she bought so clearly understood the arguto put down the “It’s all about an apartment in New York City in ment you made? Edie” Post-It and explain to peothe late ’70s, and like any piece RK: I’m trying to think of the ple the full story. It’s hard. I think of property in New York City, right adjective. I mean, it was it’s hard for anyone. It’s hard it greatly appreciated in value. I incredible. It was an incredible writing about your past, obvisaw no issue with Edie’s wealth. feeling of gratitude, an incredously. We all do things and say I don’t even like to say wealth ible feeling of satisfaction, an things when we’re young that we because, again, it’s all relative. incredible feeling of a job well wish we hadn’t said years from I saw no issue with challenging done. I think one of the things then. That was definitely the DOMA. There was even some that doesn’t come out enough hardest part to write, and to get disagreement among the movefor lawyers is — I certainly it right, to put it in words that I ment people about whether it feel this way, and I think a lot thought were honest and accurate was time to bring a DOMA case. of lawyers do — there’s a wonabout what had really happened. I was very much in the camp derful pleasure that I get in the that it was absolutely the time to craftsmanship of the law; putPGN: What was the easiest part
PGN: Edie wrote the introduction for your book. In the early stages of her case, you wrote many letters to encourage judges to hurry the case through the litigation process because Edie was in poor health. You wanted her to live long enough to hear the final ruling in her case. How does it feel, now, knowing Edie not only lived long enough to enjoy the ruling in her case, but also became a longstanding family friend? RK: It’s wonderful. First of all, I’ll be honest, I still worry about her health all the time. That part of loving someone and caring about someone hasn’t changed. We care about each other. But I said this throughout the case: The goal was making sure Edie got her money back. But the ultimate goal in the case was making sure Edie got her money back at a time when she could still enjoy it. There is no question that has happened. She so enjoys winning this case and has continued to be such a great spokesperson for our community and for the movement. On top of all that, we both have gotten this wonderful added bonus of becoming members of each other’s families. Who wouldn’t want to spend their mid-’80s like Edie Windsor has? What a way to spend them. PGN: What’s next for you? RK: I like being a lawyer. It’s more that I love being a lawyer. I enjoy this type of work, the skill and craftsmanship of the law. I continue to do cases based on that. I enjoy all the cases I work on. I obviously am continuing to work in this area [LGBT rights]. We brought this pro-bono case against the Mississippi adoption ban and I very much look forward to the hearing in that case in Jackson, Miss., on Nov. 6. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I plan to continue doing things the way I always have. If interesting cases come my way, I’m more than happy to do them. I just want to keep, for now, being a lawyer and writing briefs and arguing in courts and doing what I’ve been trained to do. n
12904 - Philadelphia Gay News Oct 9 2015 Outfest issue - DAS 2015 Ad_Layout 1 10/2/15 11:54 AM Page 1
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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PGN LOCAL
Safe and sound: Organization to help LGBT asylum seekers starts in Philly By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com
online database to list resources for people who must flee their countries to avoid legal persecution for being LGBT — took shape on Penn’s campus. He met Katie Sgarro while rushing the community-service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. In the summer of 2014, they got to work on AsylumConnect, a website that organizes information about LGBT-friendly legal, medical, housing, food and other resources by location across the country.
When Sayid Abdullaev sought asylum in the United States in 2012, he had $30 in his pocket and a vision to work for LGBT equality. As a 10-year-old in Kyrgyzstan, part of the former Soviet Union in Central Asia, Abdullaev started an organization to promote acceptance of cultural differences. His grandparents had fled China (they ran away barefoot, Abdullaev said) because The Penn years they were Uyghurs, an ethnic minority, and were forced to work in the fields. There are about 300,000 LGBT asylum Uyghurs continued to be poorly treated in seekers around the world, Abdullaev said. Sgarro, a health and societies major at Penn, Kyrgyzstan, he said. Abdullaev promoted social justice as said she hadn’t heard of the vast numbers of people who seek he grew and travasylum specifically eled extensively. He because they belong studied abroad in the to the LGBT comUnited States in high munity. school and spent a She knew she year at a college in wanted to help Idaho. Abdullaev, but it “I realized I gave her pause wasn’t doing as about the way she good a job with my related to her own causes because I identity. hadn’t told the truth “I was a little about myself yet,” intimidated,” Sgarro said Abdullaev, who said. “I knew I’d is gay. “I didn’t have have to be more the vocabulary to open.” talk about being out Abdullaev was or LGBT [at home]. one of the first peoI was scared to come ple Sgarro told she out. It was dangerwas gay. She said he ous.” helped her through In fact, Kyrgyzstan her coming-out prois close to passcess. ing a law similar to “I just really Russia’s anti-LGBT trusted him,” said “propaganda” law, which would punish SAYID ABDULLAEV AND KATIE Sgarro, who grew people with jail time SGARRO up in Barrington, R.I. “I have so much and other conserespect for someone quences for expressing sentiments that “create a positive atti- willing to fight for his rights. It moves me tude to unconventional sexual orientation,” to take my own action. according to the Human Rights Campaign. “The more people are public about it,” she In Abdullaev’s early years of college, his said, “the more likely it is for global LGBT mother became very sick and he returned rights to get the attention they deserve.” home to see her one last time. He suspected Abdullaev and Sgarro entered the idea she did not receive the best medical care for AsylumConnect in the President’s Engagement Prizes, an initiative started last because she was an ethnic minority. “I came out when my mom passed away,” year at Penn. The prize, according to the Abdullaev said. “I wanted to be myself. I university, awards up to $150,000 for living expenses and up to $100,000 for implespoke against government intervention.” But he wasn’t well-received by other mentation expenses for a local, national or Kyrgyz. He said he started receiving death global project. threats and faced physical and emotional AsylumConnect made it to the semi-fiabuse when he left his house. He worried nals, but didn’t win the prize. “We ultimately had to think of how about the safety of his father and brother. Ultimately, Abdullaev earned a Point important this was for us when we found Foundation Scholarship from the National out we lost,” Sgarro said. “We knew this LGBTQ Scholarship Fund and enrolled at had potential to impact a lot of people. But the University of Pennsylvania. The schol- how would we do this without money?” arship required completion of an LGBT- Sgarro and Abdullaev, who studied political science and international relations, both related project. Abdullaev’s idea — for a comprehensive, graduated from Penn this year.
Sgarro deferred grad school. She originally planned to enroll at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore for a master’s in health administration. Now she spends her days applying for fellowships and adding resources to AsylumConnect, while earning a certificate in nonprofit administration from the Fels Institute of Government at Penn. Abdullaev, who lives in Bethlehem now, splits his time between AsylumConnect and working on a fellowship in which he serves as a consultant to make sure businesses operate in an LGBT-friendly way. Earlier this year, Sgarro won the Millennium Peace Prize, which came with a $5,000 payout. The money will go toward expenses like running the website and maintaining email addresses, she said. Sgarro also gets the chance to participate in a United Nations campaign through the Millennium Campus Conference. She will present information about AsylumConnect to 500 student delegates from around the world at several interactive webinars over the next year. Some come from countries where being gay is illegal. “Some said they’d never seen a gay person,” Sgarro said. “They don’t really have a face on LGBT rights, so it’s just a theoretical evil. We have to speak out where we can.” Abdullaev also serves as a youth representative to the United Nations. “They’ve maintained a pretty high level of energy, creativity and ability to think outside the box,” said Fernando Chang-Muy, a lecturer in law at Penn. He mentored the pair on their application for the President’s Engagement Prize. “I just admire these two young people for applying all the theoretical concepts they learned in the classroom for the public interest.” Chang-Muy, who teaches refugee law
be yet another prong that [refugee] nonprofits can use to connect their clients to resources.” Sgarro said the guidance she and Abdullaev have received from Penn faculty has been phenomenal. They’re always on the lookout for more mentors to add their expertise to the advisory board for AsylumConnect.
“Given all the progress being made in the U.S. with the freedom to marry and almost 70 percent of Americans in favor of nondiscrimination laws, it’s easy to forget the pendulum is almost swinging backward in a lot of the rest of the world.”
Assembling the team
and policy, said promoting AsylumConnect is the biggest hurdle. He gave the example that someone stepping off a plane from Liberia in Philadelphia will have to know that going to AsylumConnect.org should be his or her first step. “One of their strategies is not to replicate the wheel,” Chang-Muy said. “They could
International scope Subhi Nahas, an LGBT refugee from Syria, sits on the board of advisors. He spoke at the U.N. Security Council’s first meeting on LGBT rights over the summer. President Barack Obama made an initial push for nations across the globe to aid LGBT people who fear for their lives when he addressed the U.N. General Assembly in 2011. White House officials noted 76 countries in attendance had laws making samesex acts illegal and five could legally punish same-sex acts with death. “We must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere,” Obama said during his address. It wasn’t until Aug. 24 that the U.N. Security Council held its first meeting on LGBT issues in the wake of crimes perpetrated against LGBT people by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. “This historic event recognizes that the issue of LGBT rights has a place in the U.N. Security Council,” said John Kirby, spokesman for the State Department, in a statement in August. “Around the world, the U.N. has documented thousands of cases of individuals killed or injured in brutal attacks simply because they are LGBT or perceived to be LGBT.” “No one should be harmed or have their basic human rights denied because of who they are and who they love,” Kirby continued.
AsylumConnect now boasts an 11-member team; nearly all participants are under 25. Many joined the team over the summer. Sean Buckley became chief financial officer in July. He went to high school with Sgarro and will graduate with a finance degree from Georgetown University in May. He said he came out within weeks of Sgarro. “We struggled with coming to terms with our sexual orientations,” said Buckley, a Republican. “But we both realized we were free to have these struggles without too much fear of government persecution.” “Given all the progress being made in the U.S. with the freedom to marry and almost 70 percent of Americans in favor of nondiscrimination laws, it’s easy to forget the pendulum is almost swinging backward in a lot of the rest of the world.” Buckley works with AsylumConnect on the strategic vision and its business model. The organization is not a PAGE 39
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YOUTH PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
College fair launched for LGBT youth By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Local LGBT youth are encouraged to attend a fair later this month to guide them in their pursuit of studies in science, technology, engineering or mathematic fields. Out4STEM is staging a career fair from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 15 at 3535 Market St., on the 16th floor. Out4STEM is an organization that provides mentorship, academic support and career advice for LGBT young people considering STEMrelated careers; it is a collaborative program between The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Educational Justice Coalition and the University of Pennsylvania’s LGBT People in Medicine Plus group. This marks Out4STEM’s second year and inaugural career fair. Representatives of about a dozen colleges and universities will be on hand, including from University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University School of Public Health, Temple University, Drexel University and Community College of Philadelphia. “Youth will be able to talk directly with admissions representatives,” said EJC founder and Out4STEM youth-support
TED KREIDER (SECOND FROM RIGHT) SPEAKS AT A RECENT OUT4STEM GATHERING AT THE MUTTER MUSEUM AS QUINCY RILEY-GREENE (RIGHT) WATCHES. Photo: Scott A. Drake
coordinator Quincy Greene. “The student can ask questions; learn about campus life, the admissions process and things to put in their essays; find out about policies and nondis-
crimination; whether they have LGBT student groups and resources on campus.” The college representatives will also take part in a panel discussion about the college-admission process. Additionally, Penn’s LGBT People in Medicine Plus organization will participate, allowing med students to share their own experiences. They will also staff an “Ask the Med Student” panel, where participants can ask questions relating to health care that they may not feel comfortable asking their physician. Greene said the career fair fills a much-needed gap. “I was working with some interns over the summer to lay out the calendar of events and many of them identified the need for a college fair,” he said. “Many of the students are going into their senior year and will have to start writing college essays and debating which schools to go to. When we started talking about a college fair, they all got really excited.” Greene said he anticipates between 50-100 students will turn out for the fair. Youth not involved with Out4STEM are invited to participate. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ events/906578742764179/. n
New display showcases queer youth art By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The voices of local queer Latino youth will be amplified this month through a new art exhibit. “Queer and Latinidad: A Collective Identity” opened Tuesday at A Seed on Diamond Gallery, 124 Diamond St., and will run through Oct. 29. The display is comprised of original photography works by and about the five members of the Youth Art & Activism Committee, a program of GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization. YAAC, which launched last year, brings together the participants twice a week to address
social-justice issues impacting queer Latino youth. The art exhibit is a culmination of the youth’s yearlong work. “They committed to YAAC for one year so this was their final project and it’s been completely youth-led,” said Fran Zavala Cortes, GALAEI’s bilingual youth coordinator “They came up with all the ideas themselves. They decided to use photography and to have black and white images. They created all the posters and many of the images were taken by the youth themselves.” The exhibit includes five portraits of each of the members, as well as two group shots, showcasing YAAC’s reenactment of the Annual Reminder demonstra-
tions, which saw its 50th anniversary this past summer. The youth also decided to invite several other artists to participate. Works by Daniel De Jesus, Louie Ortiz, Luis Cortes and members of Taller Puertoriqueño’s Youth Artist Program are also included. “Coincidentally, this was going up at the same time as National Latino Art Heritage Month,” Cortes said, “so they thought this was a great opportunity to invite other queer Latino artists to display.” Seeing their own work displayed in the gallery, Cortes said, has been thrilling for the YAAC members. “They’re super-excited about the whole experience,” Cortes
said. “We gave them each a big 11-by-14 of their portraits and they just loved them. Seeing them
up in the gallery means a lot to them. How many high-school students have the opportunity to say they were part of a group whose work is on exhibit? It’s a great moment for them.” It’s also an important moment for the community to hear directly from its youth, Cortes said. “So many times, the youth narrative is written and interpreted by adults. But we were very intentional with this to put youth in the forefront. This exhibit lets people see youth identity through their own perspectives.” There will be a closing reception Oct. 29 that will feature youth performances and more. For more information, visit www.galaei.org. n
Local colleges celebrate National Coming Out Day By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com OutFest isn’t the only way for people in the Philadelphia area to celebrate National Coming Out Day: Universities across the region have planned events in honor of the annual commemoration of the second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which took place Oct. 11, 1987. Temple University: National Coming Out Week kicks off its free programming from noon-1:30 p.m. Oct. 12 with NCOW Fest at the Howard Gittis Student Center Atrium, 1755 N. 13th St. Campus and community
partners will attend. From 6-10 p.m. Oct. 13, speakers will share their coming-out experiences at The Underground, Student Center South. From noon-1 p.m. Oct. 14, there will be a NCOW professional-development panel at The Underground. The fourth-annual drag show takes place 7-9 p.m. in the same space. From 7-9 p.m. Oct. 15, there will be a “Life After Temple” alumni panel discussion at The Underground. For more information, visit sites.temple. edu/ncowequality. University of Pennsylvania: Envisioning LGBTQ Rights in the Middle East takes place at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Penn
LGBT Center, 3907 Spruce St. It’s free to attend. Dr. Sa’ed Atshan will speak about queer subjectivity across different regions in the Middle East and North Africa, with particular emphasis on the case of “Queer Palestine.” For more information, visit www.vpul. upenn.edu/lgbtc/calendar.php. Cabrini College: Coming Out Day will be celebrated from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 13 on the Founder’s Hall Steps, 610 King of Prussia Road, Radnor Township. Campus and community resources will be available as people share their coming-out stories. From 12:30-1:30 p.m. Oct. 13, Lunch ‘n’ Learn with members of the local LGBT
community will take place in the Grace Hall Board Room. From 5-6 p.m. Oct. 13, “An Ally’s Guide to Issues Facing the LGBT Community” will be presented in Founder’s Hall Room 207. For more information, visit www.cabrini. edu/News-and-Events/Events. Rutgers University: The university will celebrate National Coming Out Day from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 12 at Samuels Plaza on the Newark campus. Free T-shirts will be given away as the local LGBT community shares its stories. “OUTober” events are scheduled for the rest of the month. For more information, visit http://lgbt.newark.rutgers. edu/ncod. n
The next PGN Youth Supplement Issue is Oct. 30. To be a part of future special issues, email jen@epgn.com.
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PGMC heads South for Fall Ball By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com While the weather lately is as far from South American as possible, a local event is looking to transport guests south of the border. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus is staging its fourth-annual Fall Ball masquerade fundraiser Oct. 17 at Loews Hotel, 1200 Market St. This year’s theme is “Carnaval.” The event is the organization’s largest fundraiser, with proceeds supporting the staging of its concerts and outreach efforts. “This is our fourth year doing the Fall Ball and it has been an amazing success every year, I’m happy to say,” said PGMC vice president and fundraising events chair Paul Fontaine, noting that the event recently won PGN’s readers-choice Best of LGBT
Philly award for LGBT Fundraiser. “I think that speaks to where we’re at after only four years. Each year we’re raised more than the year before.” Fontaine noted that Fall Ball has a different format than some other LGBT fundraising events. “We don’t give out awards or have speakers, which can sometimes get a little boring,” he said. “It’s all about having fun.” To that end, organizers decided on the “Carnaval” theme to bring a taste of Rio de Janeiro to Philly. “We’re really going haywire with the Carnaval theme. The Summer Olympics will be in Rio next year, so that’s one of the hottest areas right now, and anyone who’s been there knows it’s sexy and exciting — and we’re hoping to bring that feel to Fall Ball this year,” Fontaine said. “We’ll have Brazillian drummers, Sambda dancers, a loungey-type duet in the main event. It’s all going to be built around this fun, exciting Rio feel.” Guests will also be able to bid on auction items and partake in the open bar and myriad food options. “There’s something for everyone,” Fontaine said. This year’s event will also be bolstered by increased community and business support. “We have increased our sponsorships this year by almost double, which is amazing,” Fontaine said. “Sponsorships are led by Geno’s Steaks and places like the Tavern Group stepped up and increased their sponsorships, as did TD Bank. So we’re really appreciative for the support.” To purchase tickets, visit pgmc.org. n
ChesCo group launches new health event By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com It can be intimidating to walk into an OBGYN’s office as a gay couple planning to start a family, said Rachel Stevenson, owner of Reshaping Nutrition in Phoenixville. It can also be intimidating for trans people to feel comfortable talking to a doctor about their health needs. “All these little things affect people’s health, like stress,” Stevenson said. “You can cut down on stress because you know you’re working with someone who’s supportive.” Stevenson started a nonprofit in March called LGBTea Dances, which aims to improve the social and educational scene for LGBT people in Chester County. The organization’s first educational program is a free LGBT health fair slated for 2-4 p.m. Oct. 18
at the Phoenixville YMCA, 400 E. Pothouse Road, Schuylkill Township. Nearly 35 LGBT-friendly vendors will participate, from Reproductive Medicine Associates and the Phoenixville Hospital to Prysm Youth Center. The YMCA will have a table to advertise its fitness options. Dr. Michele Angello, a well-known therapist for transgender youth, will also be on hand. LGBT-friendly Realtors and financial planners can consult with attendees. Mazzoni Center will have a representative at the event. The Philadelphia-based LGBT health-service provider is a sponsor of the health fair. “Particularly for folks who live in the suburban areas, it can be isolating for the LGBT community,” said Elisabeth B. Flynn, Mazzoni communications man-
Philadelphia Gay News
ager. “We’re always happy to reach out to more folks, not just about what we’re doing, but about LGBT health care across the board.” After the health fair, those who are 21 and over are invited to attend a night of entertainment from 4-8 p.m. at Club 212, 212 Bridge St., Phoenixville. It’s free for those who attend the health fair. Cover is $5 for everyone else. LGBT community members and allies are welcome. Halloween costumes are encouraged. Carl Max, a local Whitney Houston impersonator, will perform. Scotty Baker, a local web designer, will guest-emcee the night in drag as Cara. “It all brings a little bit more equality out this way,” Stevenson said. For more information, visit www.lgbteadances.org. n
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Family event to focus on wellness By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com In keeping with its theme of “mind, body and soul,” Philadelphia Family Pride’s annual conference will include a keynote address by the state’s physician general — and, for the first time, will be held at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The Oct. 17 Family Matters Conference is geared toward LGBT parents at all steps of the family-building process, said PFP executive director Stephanie Haynes. “We definitely get a mix of people,” Haynes said. “We get a lot of prospective parents and some people who think, We want to do this but don’t know where to start, so we have some good workshops for those folks. This year we wanted to also cater to people who’ve started the adoption process or are trying to get pregnant. We also get parents who’ve already had kids, from infants up to teens. So having all those parents all at different stages together helps them get a lot out of their interactions.” Haynes said the conference’s focus has evolved with the changing environment for LGBT family-building. “As our families get more recognition, with marriage equality and portrayals in the media, the needs have shifted,” she said. “There are still very specific things LGBT parents need to think about, but we’ve seen that our parents also want sessions that could be applied to any parent, like the challenges of parenting a teen.” In that vein, the conference also offers an Ask the Expert panel, where participants can hear from youth of LGBT parents. “It’s been great to see these young people sit up in front of the parents and talk about what it’s been like for them to grow up in a household with LGBT parents,” Haynes said. “Having them tell their stories and having the parents ask questions is really heartening, especially for the parents, who can say, ‘Wow, these kids are really OK.’” New this year is a “Treat Yourself Room,” which allows participants, whether they’re parents or not, to kick back and relax. “Sometimes people don’t want a whole day of structured workshops, they might
need an hour to relax,” Haynes said. “So we’re going to have massage chairs, acupuncture, coloring books for adults … just relaxed time where people can sit and chat.” Another session expected to be popular this year is the keynote address by Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s physician general and the state’s highest-ranking transgender public official. “With the theme being ‘mind, body and soul’ and knowing it was going to be at Children’s Hospital, we knew we wanted to have a medical professional as the keynote speaker,” Haynes said. “And almost immediately, we were all like, ‘Rachel Levine.’ There really was no one else on the list and thankfully we thought of her early enough to be able to get on her schedule.” CHOP’s partnership has been important, Haynes added. “They’ve supported us in every possible way,” she said. Linda Hawkins, CHOP family-services specialist who focuses on LGBT issues in the hospital network, said the hospital has had a growing relationship with PFP and was eager to step up as host this year. Planning has gone smoothly, she said. “The crew at PFP, with Stephanie at the helm, is a well-oiled machine,” she said. “It’s been great getting people in the community in to meet people at the hospital and creating a community connection here.” Hawkins added that the tie-in among Levine’s keynote, the host site and the event theme will make for a cohesive conference. “Having a medical leader delivering the keynote at a hospital with the ‘mind, body and soul’ theme all goes together well,” she said. “And it ties in with our mission: Even though we’re a hospital, we’re not just focused on illness or accidents — health and wellness are a big part of our focus.” The Family Matters Conference will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 17 at CHOP, 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard. Registration is $20 for PFP members and $30 for non-PFP members, which includes lunch, garage parking and childcare. For more information or to register, visit http://philadelphiafamilypride.org/family-matters-conference/. n
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Dining Out Family Portrait Get Out and Play Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly
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Out actress on playing gay in ‘Freeheld’ By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor The affecting drama “Freeheld” opens Oct. 9 at the Ritz Five. The film is based on the true story (and Oscar-winning short documentary) about Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore), a dedicated detective in Seaside Heights, N.J., who must fight for justice when her legal domestic partner, Stacie (Ellen Page), is denied pension benefits after Laurel developed terminal cancer. Although domestic partnerships were legal in the state at the time, the Freeholders of Ocean County had the power to determine the pension benefits for state employees in legal same-sex partnerships. Their refusal to grant Laurel’s earned pension benefits to Stacie would likely force Stacie out of her house. The film, written by Ron Nyswaner (“Philadelphia”) and directed by Peter Sollett (“Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist”), chronicles how Laurel and Stacie reluctantly but emphatically challenged this decision. They enlist the help of Steven Goldstein (Steve Carell), then the executive director of Garden State Equality. In addition, Laurel’s partner on the force, Dane Wells (Michael Shannon), a straight ally, also helps mobilize the fight for equality within the precinct. While it may not be a surprise how the story turns out, “Freeheld” generates its greatest emotional power not in the fight for equality but in the intimate moments between Laurel and Stacie — on a date or setting up their house together — and Moore and Page are incredibly endearing as a couple.
The openly gay Page, who plays Stacie as a tough but tender-hearted partner, spoke to PGN about making her passion project, “Freeheld.” PGN: You have a producer credit on the film. Why was this story important to be told, and told now? EP: I attached myself to this film when I was 21, so it’s been a long time. I was involved pre-screenplay, pre-director, pre-Julianne. I think the film is important now because while the Supreme Court decision is amazing and unbelievable and the progress is astonishing, there is so much more work to do for true equality. In many civil-rights movements, there is always some backlash. I think this film shows why that recent decision is so important. “Freeheld” tells the story in the macro and micro perspectives — how inequality makes people feel: We’re not going to value your love, you are less than us. And the couple’s socio-economic situation has the real impact — especially when we talk about equality in the large political sense. And to convey what that decision means and what discrimination does is to make people feel that they are validated and that their love is — and it is — being respected. PGN: What emotional buttons does the story press for you and why? EP: I think I have a similar response to what it means to be together in a relationship that’s closeted. It was exciting to explore that in a slightly more layered way. This wasn’t just a fight about coming
out. It is about, why do we have to live and compromise our love and relationships? I found that in my personal experience. I think telling this story is important because Stacie and Laurel did something crucial in a time of unimaginable difficulty and I wanted to be a part of telling their story. PGN: You tend to play tough, determined women, but in “Freeheld,” your character is more passive. How did you approach this character? EP: Stacie is a very shy person. You get to know her and she’s incredibly funny and deeply, deeply sensitive. But she’s very quiet. Her journey is powerful. She did not want to invest in the activism at first. Doing so would acknowledge that her lover is going to die. She was doing her job, navigating the insurance companies and activism. So she didn’t have an opportunity to be vulnerable. PGN: What sparked with you about Stacie in your meeting? EP: When I met Stacie, the thing that was most evident is her desire to tell this love story and make that the emotional through line: her complete and utter dedication to Laurel; to do what she thought Laurel would want. Having the visceral experience of meeting her, and sitting with her and hearing her talk about Laurel, and take me to the spot where Laurel got coffee or where she works … There was something about spending that time with her and connect emotionally and understand that experience in a deeper way.
PGN: How did you personally relate to Stacie? Are you into volleyball, motorcycles and older women? Are you a good dancer, can you rotate tires in under eight minutes and are you good with dry wall? EP: I’m horrible at all things like that. I wish I had more hands-on skills, but I don’t. Motorcycles kind of scare me. Older women are super hot, though. Stacie and I don’t have that much in common. That said, I’d be delighted to have the opportunity to learn some of those skills. PGN: How did you develop your on-screen relationship with Julianne Moore? EP: That was fun. What Julianne and I had going for us is we just connected really quickly. I don’t know if she was trying to make me feel more comfortable, but she was all-physical, putting her leg and arm around me. We got rid of physical barriers right away, and all the barriers were gone after that. She’s extraordinary, fun and goofy and I felt protected by her. We became close and still remain close. We really did form a partnership on screen and off screen too. I was excited to see her every day. We had our own special bond. PGN: Laurel has to live a double/secret life. You had a secret life for a while, too. What can you say about that experience and your decision to come out? EP: It was the best decision I ever made, wish I had made it sooner. But I had to go on whatever journey I went on. Some people have a risk of being thrown in jail or killed for being gay. PAGE 44
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FEATURE PGN PAGE from page 43
For me, being closeted was an incredibly sad and toxic experience, and it got to a point where I was done living like that. It created a ripple effect of happiness in every aspect of my life. Being closeted does affect every aspect of who you are. There are people in the community who are far more vulnerable than me. I want to help them. PGN: What do you think “Freeheld” says about gay and lesbian stereotypes? The women are in traditional male roles, while Steven Goldstein is very flamboyant. EP: The film is a true story. In regards to Stacie and Laurel, we did our best with the info we had — pictures, costumes, etc., to tell the story as authentically as possible. I understand you see [Steven] as a stereotype of a gay man, but that’s the benefit of having the closeted cop in the police office in the film. His coming-out is moving. Steve Carell is playing Steven Goldstein a little quieter than he is in real life — and Goldstein is an amazing, passionate man. PGN: The film is very much about Laurel and Stacie’s dignity, and giving visibility to marginalized people who
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
Unusual Unassuming Unforgettable
2013 “Bristles with wit and intelligence!”
- The New York Times
october 9 - november 8 P H I L A D E L PH I A T H E AT R E COM PA N Y at the
philadelphiatheatrecompany.org
215.985.0420
become citizen-activists. What prompts you to speak up and out? EP: For me, I’m living my life. I was closeted because of my job. I’m not any more. My goals and intentions are positive. I’m doing this show [on Vice] called “Gaycation,” where I explore the LGBT communities and issues and difficulties in different countries. It hopefully will create a larger conversation about LGBT communities around the world. I want to talk about more experiences. Trans women of color have a life expectancy of 35, and 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBT. Those are troublesome statistics. I want to do what I can to talk about these issues and bring them to the forefront and give visibility to those who are vulnerable. PGN: The film is about creating a legacy. What do you want your legacy to be? EP: I feel really fortunate that I can be out. I thought it wouldn’t be a possibility for me to be out and walk down the red carpet with my girlfriend. Knowing that there are people who don’t have that privilege and luck is to be mindful and conscious of my situation and do what I can with it. n
Unusual Unusual Unassuming Unassuming Unforgettable Unforgettable
A welcoming & diverse Jewish community. A Reconstructionist Rabbi. A Conservative liturgy.
A welcoming A welcoming & diverse& diverse Jewish community. Jewish community. A Reconstructionist A Reconstructionist Rabbi. Rabbi A Conservative A Conservative liturgy. liturgy.
SHS embraces a unique approach to worship & spirituality through prayer, music & song.
SHS embraces SHS embraces a a unique approach unique approach to to worship &worship spirituality & spirituality through through prayer, music prayer, & song. music & song.
Come and see what the excitement is about.
Come andCome see what and see the what the excitement excitement is about. is about.
Society Hill Synagogue 418 Spruce Street
Society Hill Society Synagogue Hill Synagogue 418 Spruce 418Street Spruce Street
(215) 922-6590
(215) 922-6590 (215) 922-6590
bettyv@societyhillsynagogue.org
bettyv@societyhillsynagogue.org bettyv@societyhillsynagogue.org
PGN
“A FUN MACHINE FROM START TO FINISH!”
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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Cecile McLorin Salvant
-The New Yorker-
OCT 20–25
OCT 17
Photo © Matthew Murphy
Arturo Sandoval & Poncho Sanchez
OCT 27–NOV 1
NOV 6
NOV 8
SETH RUDETSKY’S BROADWAY CONCERT SERIES An intimate evening of conversation & song
Kelli O’Hara
NOV 13 & 14
JAN 29
Sutton Foster
MARCH 3
Megan Hilty
MAY 7
TICKETS AT KIMMELCENTER.ORG BROADWAY PHILADELPHIA is presented collaboratively by the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Shubert Organization.
@KimmelCenter #ArtHappensHere
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
PGN
Upcoming Events October 3 Beer Barons to Homebrewers October 17 Murder Mystery Dinner October 22 Networking Event with Independence Business Alliance October 29 Run4UrLife 3K Fun Run benefitting MANNA
12903 - Philadelphia Gay News Oct 9 2015 Outfest issue- Tiffany Glass Ad_DT October 2015 10/1/15 8:07 AM Page 1
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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Tiffany Glass: Painting with Color and Light SEPTEMBER 5–JANUARY 3 • IN THE WINTERTHUR GALLERIES Enjoy a captivating exhibition that showcases some of the most iconic and celebrated of Louis C. Tiffany’s works. Included with admission. Members free. For more information, please call 800.448.3883 or visit winterthur.org/tiffanyglass. Presented by The exhibition at Winterthur is organized by The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass. Dragonfly hanging shade (detail), Tiffany Studios, New York City, ca. 1905. The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, Queens, N.Y.
Winterthur is nestled in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on Route 52, between I-95 and Route 1. Take I-95 to Exit 7 in Delaware.
PGN BOOKS
That final supplication from Frankie and Michael’s dying mother lays the foundation for Tom Mendicino’s “The Boys from Eighth and Carpenter” and establishes the brotherly bond that carries the reader through years of celebrations and challenges. Mendicino begins the tale of the two brothers in the present, where, eventually, the two precipitously intersect in adulthood when Frankie takes action against his indiscreet and sometimes abusive boyfriend with calamitous results. The opening scene is clear, concise and carefully crafted to hook the reader immediately before retreating into the past to more or less watch the guys grow up together. For the first third of the book, the story alternates between one brother’s life one week and the other’s a month later, as life does not always happen at the same pace or in the same instant for everyone. There are occasional passages that are easily skimmed when Mendicino waxes a little too eloquently and some of the Philly references feel a little forced, but for the most part it’s a very easy, connected story. The two trudge through school and Papa’s series of wives as they grow up
Tom Medicino will sign copies of his book at PAT @ Giovanni’s Room Oct. 11 during OutFest.
Gayborhood
The Philadelphia Gayborhood is roughly centered at 12th and Camac streets. Look for the rainbow street signs at intersections and remember to be aware of your surroundings wherever you go. Boxers
1330 Walnut St. facebook.com/ boxersphl Sports bar with multiple plasma tvs, pool table, brick oven, more!
❍
<—
❍
Rosewood
200 S. 12th St. 215.964.9675 tabuphilly.com Sports bar / drag shows and bar food
202 S. 13th St. 215.545.1893 woodysbar.com American-style bar food and large dance floor
❍ ❍
The Bike Stop
Four-level leather bar; basement enforces a dress code; secondfloor pool table and big-screen sports action
Walnut St. Chancellor St.
❍
❍
St. James St.
❍ Locust St.
❍
<—
❒ ❒
Latimer St.
❍ Manning St.
❍
❍ Spruce St.
William Way LGBT Community Center
1315 Spruce St. 215.732.2220 waygay.org
A resource for all things LGBT
Voyeur
1221 St. James St. 215.735.5772 voyeurnightclub.com After-hours private club; membership required
U Bar 1220 Locust St. 215.546.6660
Relaxing corner bar, easy-going crowd, popular for happy hour and window watching
Tavern on Camac West of Broad Street Stir Lounge
1705 Chancellor St. 215.732.2700 stirphilly.com Fun two-bar lounge, DJ in the back, regular poker games and specials
The Attic Youth Center
TOM MEDICINO (LEFT) AND A FAN AT THE BOOK-RELEASE PARTY SEPT. 20 AT FLEISHER ART MEMORIAL Photo: Scott A. Drake
Tabu
Woody’s
1302 Walnut St. 215.336.1335 rosewood-bar.com Cozy, elegantly-appointed bar with high-end cocktails
11th St.
“Promise me you’ll always take care of each other. Frankie, you make sure you tell your brother I asked you both to do that when he’s old enough to understand.”
in South Philly. Frankie comes to terms with his sexuality and little brother Mikey learns to accept it as well as they go through school, puberty and some abusive times growing up. As the years progress for these brothers and their personalities diverge and yet coalesce, Mendicino creates a flowing family story of two otherwise unremarkable characters and makes their relationship the powerful centerpiece. Eventually we learn that Frankie takes the family barbershop and makes a salon out of it and Michael marries into a wealthy family and pursues law. In the second part, we fast-forward to the weeks before Easter 2008 leading up to the discovery from the opening. Day to day we watch as the story unfolds and creep toward the revelation of a body in the freezer in Frankie’s basement. Part three begins back at the moment we finish finding that body in the prologue. By this time, the story is so engrossing, the page-turning becomes almost frantic. “The Boys from Eighth and Carpenter” is about all of us. It’s about us as individuals, us as siblings, us as children of our parents and us as life’s events mold us and wring us out. In the end, we should learn that our relationships are not just the day-to-day or the single-event memories but a whole life greater than the sum of its parts. n
PGN Guide to the
Quince St.
By Scott A. Drake scott@epgn.com
Since 1976
12th St.
Brothers bound by blood and a promise
The
Camac St.
Book review
13th St.
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
Juniper St.
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255 S. 16th St. 215.545.4331 atticyouthcenter.org Safe space and programs for LGBTs age 16-23 weekday afternoons and evenings
255 S. Camac St. 215.545.8731 Piano lounge with upstairs dance floor; Tavern restaurant below is open late.
Knock 225 S. 12th St. 215.925.1166 knockphilly.com Fine -dining restaurant and bar with outdoor seating (weather permitting)
ICandy
254 S. 12th St. 267.324.3500 clubicandy.com Three floors with a total of six bars; dance floor, lounge and rootop deck.
Venture Inn 255 S. Camac St. 215.545.8731 Bar and restaurant with frequent entertainment
Pa. bars close at 2 a.m. unless they have a private-club license. Please drink responsibly.
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
PGN
Why FCS? Honoring the Individual since 1845
All-School
OPEN HOUSE October 18
1 pm • Lower School 2 pm • Middle & Upper School
Walk-in Wednesdays Lower School Tours at 9:00 am Middle & Upper School Tours at 8:30 am and 12:30 pm
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania & The William Way LGBT Center present:
Fighting Back: Defending the LGBT Mind and Body in Pennsylvania A Two-Day Public Health History His Conference October 18 & 19, 2015
Visit hsp.org/fightingback to register. friendscentral.org
PGN
Complexions Contemporary Ballet Founded by two Alvin Ailey virtuosos Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden You have seen them on
“So You Think You Can Dance” October 14-18 Six Performances Matinees Sat. & Sun.
“delighting audiences...'with' eye popping movement.” Boston Globe “ jaw-dropping… super dancers” Dance Magazine
The Prince Theater • 1412 Chestnut St.
Tickets: Prince Box Office • 215-422-4580 boxoffice@princetheater.org http://princetheater.org/complexions
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PGN STAGE
Whoa, Nellie By A.D. Amorosi PGN Contributor At a time when most female pop is Auto-Tuned, Nellie McKay — singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and comedian — is an unorthodox breath of fresh air. London-born but living much of her youth in Pennsylvania (she’s a veteran of the Pocono Youth Orchestra and Phil Woods’ orchestra of promising young players), McKay has explored Tin Pan Alley pop and uneasy-listening jazz. Her music could be self-penned or pulled from the songbooks of Kurt Weill, Peggy Lee and Cole Porter — all with witty lyrics rich in unsentimental, anti-romantic sarcasm or all-around silliness. Though she started with the all-original “Get Away From Me” in 2004, McKay has bounced between her own compositions (2007’s “Obligatory Villagers”) and covers of songs from the Doris Day songbook (2009’s “Normal as Blueberry Photo: Rick Pie”) or an array of ’60s Gonzalez songwriters (2015’s “My Weekly Reader”). She’s taken on the added responsibility of small, usually one-character theatrical shows weirdly centered on real-life characters such as environmental pioneer Rachel Carson (“Silent Spring: It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature”), executed convicted murderer Barbara Graham (“I Want to Live!”) and Billy Tipton. In “A Girl Named Bill: The Life and Times of Billy Tipton,” McKay explores the life of the famed jazz pianist who died in 1989 with female anatomy, even though he lived as a man. McKay is also fond of intimate cabarets (such as “Nellie With a Z,” in honor of Liza Minnelli’s “Liza With a Z”), the likes of which will bring her to Philly’s Rrazz Room at the Prince Theatre on Oct. 16. We chatted with her while she was in Manhattan, where she was worried about getting a parking ticket. NM: Thanks for waiting. Having no ticket is like having no cavities. PGN: That’s cool. How is playing within the cabaret milieu different from what you do on larger stages or during your concept shows? NM: They’re nicer because there’s more drinking.
Diverse ballet company to rock Philly all sunshiny, yet melancholy. Can you connect the dots among them? NM: What dots? Are there dots? PGN: Yes, other than the gravity of their talent. NM: I picked all of them as if Noel Coward were entertaining them all in a chalet — sitting around a pool or a moonlit scene. Shame it never really happened. PGN: Can you say something about Phil Woods, our Poconos neighbor? He passed away recently and you were in one of his youth orchestras. NM: Papa Woods. The main thing I’ll always remember about him was his dancing and that he thought I talked too much, overanalyzed music way too much. He truly was and is a giant. It’s still not … I still haven’t accepted it. I don t know that he can ever truly leave this earth. PGN: You’ve worked as a stand-up comedian. How did that go? NM: Oh boy, I would put those words in quotes, whether standing or not. I was Todd Barry with a gender switch. It didn’t work very well. PGN: Most women roughly your age — P!nk, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus — are singing about love or sex far less intelligently than you. Your work is complex. What do you think of conventional contemporary female pop? NM: Female or male, pop or other genres, it’s corporate, part of a computer culture. Technology is wonderful, probably better for the military though. Texting and Facetime reduce empathy and connectivity. All those women and I — save Miley — we dodged a bullet. We didn’t exactly grow up with Facebook and such. So, there’s hope. I mean, how can you concentrate or make art or think if your phone is beeping all the time? You have to dream to make music. PGN: You did the song “Cupcake” that touched on the joys of gay love and marriage. You joined forces with tech guru Will Dollinger about anti-LGBT violence in Russia with “Vodka,” which benefited the gay-rights work of AMERICAblog and Queer Nation NY. You’ve alluded to an affection of the gay community on stage. What is your specific connection? NM: I think it’s empathy. There are so many answers, it’s overwhelming. We are born with a reaction to injustice — it is not fair — that is the basis for every movement, a natural extension of our personalities. That is, if you’re not a sociopath, which there are many and they tend to be in positions of power, unfortunately. n
PGN: You’re usually blonde, but your hair now is darker, a chocolate brown. Is that your true roots? NM: Only my hairdresser knows for sure. No one knows for certain. Actually, we did a show about Billy Tipton and he had quite short, masculine and darker hair. I like it brown.
Nellie McKay performs 8 p.m. Oct. 16 at Rrazz Room at The Prince, 1412 Chestnut St.
PGN: You’ve covered a small slew of ’60s songwriters, some socio-political, some not,
For more information or tickets, visit http:// princetheater.org/therrazzroom.
By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Dance Affiliates is launching its NextMove series by hosting the Philadelphia premiere of Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s latest works Oct. 14-16 at Prince Theater. Complexions is the brainchild of Alvin Ailey dancers and life partners Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, who started the company in 1994. “It was the mentorship of Alvin Ailey Dance Company,” Richardson said about the inspiration behind Complexions. “They encouraged Dwight to create a show and Dwight approached me about doing a collaboration; we both said this is something we should do because we had already been working together in Alvin Ailey. We had no name and we were going to do a show. It wasn’t about moving away from what we had been doing, it was just that Dwight had his own choreographic voice.” The first performance was staged in 1994 and encompassed the diversity the company has come to be known for. “Almost four days before the show we found the name ‘Complexions’ because of the diversity of the people in the room and we saw right away that there is something here uniting people through movement, and through this particular movement we do our brand of ballet. My background is street dance and hip-hop. We wanted to do all of those sides: the modern, the classical ballet, the urban dance, all of those things. Why not? Everything is pretty much segregated, and we wanted all of that in the same room because we felt like there was an incredible energy to that and freedom that allows everyone to be inspired. And we found that in 1994 with Complexions.” Richardson said Complexions quickly found a global audience for its vision that has been loyal and growing for the last 20 years. “Right away, we were sold out for three
nights,” he said. “And we’ve kind of been since we began, and that is all over the world. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know that but we do play to huge crowds around the world and we get the same reaction. The reaction we get in New York or Philadelphia is the same reaction we get in New Zealand or Australia, Japan or Russia. People seem to get it. They understand that there is a broader message that is coming across the footlights and breaking the fourth wall.” In keeping with Complexions’ vision of diversity and melding of styles, the company’s shows in Philadelphia will alternate between the traditional and the modern, featuring Rhoden’s “And So It Is … ,” a large scale neo-classical work performed to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Contrasting that will be “Strum,” performed with the songs of Metallica. Then the company will veer into the more upbeat and fun “Innervisions,” featuring the pop music of Stevie Wonder. Richardson said Rhoden’s fascination with a wide range of musical styles inspires his choreography. “The music is fantastic,” Richardson said. “Dwight loves a lot of different music and movements, and he’s not afraid to go that route. He has the technique to go that route. Many people are made to be afraid of that. He’s not afraid to be commercial because dance is also a portion of entertainment. There’s a sophistication and elegance to the music of Metallica. The range of their music is incredible. It’s not just head-banger. There is a level of artistry that is unparalleled. That is one of the reasons we wanted to use it with the rest of the music that we have for the evening. We wanted that arch and it fit perfectly.” n Dance Affiliates presents Complexions performing Oct. 14-18 at the Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut St. For more information or tickets, call 215-422-4580 or visit http://princetheater.org/complexions.
DINING PGNOUT
Bud & Marilyn’s brings it home to the Gayborhood By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com We’ve seen four different restaurants in as many years in the seemingly perfect prime location at the corner of 13th and Locust streets. But despite the space’s history of grand openings and grand closings, we expect Bud & Marilyn’s, 1234 Locust St., to be around for a while. Chef Marcie Blaine Turney grew up in Ripon, Wisc., and named the restaurant after her grandparents, who owned a hometown restaurant. That jibes well with the restaurant’s menu, vibe and décor, as it is a patchwork of throwback MiddleAmerican influences — like you just stepped back in time to go to dinner at the house of one of your parents’ somewhat well-to-do friends circa late 1970s-early ’80s. The space is decorated retro on the stylish side of familiar and common, without ever being overtly or self-consciously kitschy. Apparently it’s working, because on a Tuesday night, the place was packed with a more mature clientele than we are used to seeing in that area. Wisconsin definitely shows its roots on the menu with small plates like the crispy cheese curds ($8). Here, the state-fair snack staple is light and airy in consistency and the dipping sauces, a smoked guajillo salsa and a charred scallion ranch, really pack a lot of flavor to elevate the creaminess of the cheese. The warm skillet bread ($7) seems like a dish inspired by the long, cold winters of Wisconsin, thick with hearty pieces of butternut squash, leeks, potato skins and cheddar. It comes across like a hot loaded baked potato in biscuit form — and it’s irresistible. Entrées at Bud & Marilyn’s are massive. We stared in wide-eyed awe at the mountain that is Marilyn’s Fried Chicken ($18), piled high on a plate as it was carried to neighboring tables. We had Nashville Hot Buns ($10), a pair of sliders featuring the fried chicken — and if the massive half of bird we saw selling like hotcakes was any-
BUD & MARILYN’S CHARD-STUFFED MEATLOAF Photo: Ryan Scott
where near as peppery, juicy and hot as the sliders, people got their money’s worth. We opted for the fontina and chardstuffed meatloaf ($22) — which looked like it leapt off the pages of a vintage pressing of “The Joy of Cooking” — and it was equally massive, buried under a rainbow of pole beans and carrots, and dressed with a classically sweet and tangy glaze. Rounding out the dish were perfectly whipped mashed potatoes and a strong and assertive boat of mushroom gravy. Desserts are just as oversized and nostalgic. The funfetti cake ($8), a towering edifice of vanilla cake, white butter-cream frosting, sprinkles and strawberry crumbles, was a vivid childhood flashback in every bite: You are on your Big Wheel. You’re at the bowling alley begging your mom for quarters so you can play Space Invaders. You’re at Toys “R” Us window-shopping for Atari 2600 cartridges. You’re watching “Scooby Doo” on Saturday morning with a bowl of Cap’n Crunch. You’re tripping on Pixy Stix sugar and playing with a Lite-Brite. You get the picture. Hopefully Bud & Marilyn’s has a permanent home in the Gayborhood. Because if they leave, it will be crushing and depressing, like watching your parents get a divorce. n
If you go Bud & Marilyn’s 1234 Locust St. 215-546-2220 www.budandmarilyns.com Sun.-Thurs.: 5-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.: 5 p.m.-midnight
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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PGN
JOIN MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY FROM PHILADELPHIA AND AROUND NORTH AMERICA FOR THIS HISTORIC NATIONAL MISSION! • Marvel at Jerusalem’s Old City one day and be dazzled by Tel Aviv’s beaches the next. • Meet with Israel’s LGBTQ politicians, business leaders and innovators and learn what is being done to advance the rights of the LGBTQ community. • Visit incredible sites where Federations are changing lives every day. • Extend your stay and participate in Tel Aviv Pride. For more information, visit jewishfederations.org/lgbtqmission or contact Warren Hoffman: whoffman@jfgp.org or 215.832.0570 Price: $2,999 (airfare not included)
PGN
Tips & Talk
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
from your Neighborhood Roofer
3 Amazing Organization Tips
DIY Spice Rack — Keeping with the organized kitchen theme it’s equally important to organize your spice rack. We found an incredibly easy DIY spice rack. Grab an expandable wooden utensil tray from your local home goods store, expand the tray fully and screw it into place. Stop by the dollar store and grab some small containers and complete the look with some fancy labels. Fill up the containers with your favorite spices, label them, and hang up your extended utensil drawer. Voila! You have a cute spice rack that organizes your herbs perfectly.
You’re always looking for a way to organize your home. After all, a clean house is a happy house. We know some great organization tips that will help your home run smoothly. Here are just a few of our favorites. Chalk Window — This is a great way to add a little charm to your organization. Find an old window at a thrift store and turn it into a scheduler’s dream. Start by cleaning the windows, and replace any paint you’re not into. Make sure you seal the paint with polyurethane! Tape off the wooden frame so the glass is exposed and grab some chalkboard spray. Spray on a 5-inch coat, and make sure you do this in a well-ventilated area. Let the paint dry for up to 48 hours. You’ll have a great space to schedule your week or write a to do list! Baking Station — You know the importance of an organized kitchen. That’s why you need to create an organized baking station! You can pick up some chalkboard vinyl at your local craft store. Pick up a beautifully designed scrapbook punch to cut out your labels in the vinyl. Place the labels on some clear jars and you have the perfect pantry companion that can be interchangeable depending on your baking preferences.
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
PGN
Jesus welcomed all people. So do we.
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FILM & SPORTS PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
PAGE 57
Penn Museum film series explores Get Out and Play Scott A. Drake gender boundaries Wrestling with visibility By Ray Simon PGN Contributor
performance at the end of the school year. Ho’onani is encouraged by her teacher, Kumu Hina, a transgender woman. Kumu Hina’s life’s “Gender Across Cultures” is the focus of the work has been to reintroduce native Hawaiians to Penn Museum’s Second Sunday Culture Film their traditional culture, which includes the conSeries, which begins Oct. 11. Two documenta- cept of being “in the middle.” People “in the midries about Hawaii will be shown: “A Place in the dle” possess both masculine and feminine traits Middle” and “Heart of the Sea.” The screening and were traditionally accorded respect. takes place at 2 p.m. in the Rainey Auditorium In one scene, Kumu Hina explains to the teenof the Penn Museum, located at 3260 South St. age boys why a girl, or wahine, is being included Museum admission applies ($15), giving attend- in a performance representing masculine spirit, or ku. ees access to the museum’s exhibits. The film series is cosponsored by the Penn “You have a biological wahine standing over Humanities Forum and the William Way LGBT here in front of you because she has more ku than everybody else around here, even though she lacks the main essential parts of ku,” Kumu Hina says. “But in her mind and in her heart, she has ku.” The concept of being “in the middle” is just one manifestation of a worldwide phenomenon, according to William Wierzbowski, who works as a keeper in the Penn Museum’s American Section. Wierzbowski is an expert on Two-Spirit culture among Native North Americans and will be on hand that day. When Europeans first encounSCENE FROM “A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE” tered Native Americans, Wierzbowski explained, they were surprised to meet Community Center, among others. The theme, people we would now call gay. These people lived “Gender Across Cultures,” compliments the openly within their tribe and were accorded great respect. French trappers and explorers called them PHF’s yearlong exploration of the topic “Sex.” There will be six screenings between now and berdache, which was slightly pejorative. That March. All of the films are relatively recent docu- perception gradually shifted as Native Americans mentaries that examine how gender is shaped and began to reclaim their heritage. understood in various cultures. At each screening, “It was Native-American activists who hapa knowledgeable speaker will provide context and pened to be gay that coined this term Two Spirit, which basically means that the individual embodanswer questions from the audience. For Kate Pourshariati, curator of the series, ies within — and I’m going to speak specifically these screenings are an excellent opportunity to about males here — that embodies within himself both the male and the female. So it’s actually quite see films that are not widely distributed. “I usually try to find films that are really pun- a beautiful, almost poetic term,” Wierzbowski gent and interesting but that haven’t been seen said. much yet or are not easy to stream online,” she Being Two Spirit or “in the middle,” he added, is not limited to any specific sexual behavior. said. “Heart of the Sea” is a 2002 documentary Instead, it encompasses a wide range of attitudes, about Rell Sunn, an accomplished female surfer practices and roles. Within traditional cultures, for who succumbed to breast cancer in 1998. Sunn, example, people like Kumu Hina and Ho’onani Hawaii’s number-one female amateur surfer for could be said to be bridging the male and female five years, was also a passionate advocate of tra- aspects of the universe, actually helping bind it. ditional Hawaiian culture and an environmental Those are big ideas, but it should be noted that the two documentaries being screened are neither activist. As a woman equally comfortable dancing the pretentious nor didactic. On the contrary, they are hula and spear-fishing, Sunn confounded stereo- colorful, eye-opening and fun to watch. Pourshariati hopes the film series will prompt types. “This person is really stepping outside of what attendees to be more receptive and respectful of was the normal, expected thing coming up, even other people and to consider new ideas. But she in the 1960s, to not just be the girl on the beach also wants them to enjoy themselves. Movies are watching the guys surfing,” Pourshariati said. an ideal medium to accomplish both goals. “She stepped right into it, and she was a very After a screening, Pourshariati said, “Everyone has something in common: You’ve already seen strong, powerful person.” That afternoon’s other film, “A Place in the the film together, so now you can talk about it. I Middle,” will be of particular interest to PGN find that really invigorating.” readers. The 2014 documentary by Dean Hamer For more information about the Penn Museum’s and Joe Wilson follows 11-year-old Ho’onani, a Second Sunday Culture Film Series, visit www. young girl whose goal is to lead the all-boys hula penn.museum/culturefilms. n
Thom Duffy wrestled with the guys, wrestled with his available time and wrestled with his decision until ultimately deciding to return to Spartans Wrestling earlier this year. The once-former, now-current member is eager once again to increase the team’s visibility and membership over the winter months and next year. Spartan membership has waned over the years and the drive is back to encourage interested grapplers of all ages and weight classes to participate. There are regular practices as well as the occasional tournament in and out of town. Skill levels vary, so if you are a former wrestler or even a newly interested one, the group will welcome you. Duffy decided to return after his hiatus for a number of reasons. “ I was looking to be part of a group and activity that was physical and healthy,” he said. “The big reason was returning and being a part of a group that is warm and a strong bond. I missed that when I was gone — glad to be part of it again.” The fall Spartan wrestling tournament is slated for Oct. 10 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. Weigh-ins begin promptly at noon with the guys hitting the mats starting around 1 p.m. The annual event draws wrestlers from Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York City and several other places in the MidAtlantic. You’re welcome to enjoy watching guys in their skin-fitting singlets take each other down for a small donation. More information can be found at phillyspartans.com/ and on Facebook. Out in the street OutFest is a Sunday block party, but many groups jump on its coattails and ride it like a cheap porn star. (Not that I have anything against cheap porn stars.) I expect the sports teams will be set up like a defensive line on 13th Street again this year, and what a great way to interact and recruit new players. And just as importantly, new sponsors! While you’re out celebrating being out of the closet with 10,000 of your closest friends, remember that LGBTQ athletes are some of the last members of our society to become comfortable exposing themselves to the antigay attitudes of some sports organizations. Stop
by all of the booths, not just your favorite Speedo-, singlet- or football-clad table, and offer words of encouragement and support. Then toss them a dollar or five to keep these great institutions thriving. After the festival The weekend after OutFest holds another couple of fun events. First, on Oct. 17, it’s the Tough Mudder Philly obstacle course (toughmudder.com/events/2015-philly), which is oddly not in Philadelphia but at Plantation Field, 329 Apple Grove Road in Coatesville. I know that won’t deter many of you; you’re dirty and you like it like that. Then on Oct. 18, the same day as the AIDS Walk if you’re keeping score, Stonewall Kickball is bringing Halloween out a couple weeks early. Players are encouraged to wear costumes safe to play in for the afternoon games at Marconi Plaza at Broad Street and Oregon Avenue. If you’re not a kickballer, come watch the fun or put something on and be part of the party. A costume contest afterparty is at Tabu; facebook.com/ events/1624199151162203/ for more info. Short stops • Philadelphia Firebirds’ next tryouts are 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 18 at Kendrick Recreation Center, 5822 Ridge Ave. Cleats and water are highly recommended, but not mandatory. All skill levels are welcome; Philadelphiafirebirds.com. • Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League is having its annual Halloween party 7 p.m. Oct. 31 at William Way LGBT Community Center; phillyflagfootball.com. • CBLSL Fall Ball continues Sundays at Sweetbriar Fields through Oct. 25. Watch for details on the end-of-season annual softball fall bar crawl (try saying that three times fast); cblsl.org. • Philadelphia Frontrunners are still meeting Saturday mornings while the fall weather settles in. Meet 9:15 a.m. at Lloyd Hall for a Kelly Drive run and a brunch to follow. Just show up with your running shoes on. n What’s changing and what’s happening with your sport? Are you raising money for a good cause? Does anyone even read this? Email scott@ epgn.com.
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TROCADERO THEATRE
PGN
Please join pRiSm, the LGBTQA connections group at Rodeph Shalom, to celebrate “National Coming Out Day” Wednesday, October 14: Coming Out Stories: A conversation about the challenges and rewards of Coming Out. Time: 7:00-9:00; Coffee, Tea and Delectable Desserts Place: Congregation Rodeph Shalom in the Gutman Room, 615 N. Broad Street Free and Open to the Public Free Parking RSVP by October 13 to Emily Cooper at 215.627.6747 ext 47 or ecooper@ rodephshalom.org.
10.08 OWL CITY ROZZI CRANE 10.16 SMALLPOOLS PHOEBE RYAN, MACHINEHEART 10.21 BACK TO THE FUTURE BURLESQUE LIBERTY ROSE, FRANCIS MENOTTI, DOTTIE RIOT AND MORE 21+
10.23 KARAOKE GUNG SHOW HALLOWEEN EDITION HOSTED BY SKELETOR 21+
10.31 DRACULA'S BALL 18+ WITH
COMBICHRIST AND THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE
11.06 PLAIN WHITE T'S MATT MCANDREW, BETA PLAY 11.13 CARLY RAE JEPSEN 1003 ARCH ST . 215-922-LIVE . THETROC.COM . TICKETFLY.COM
PROFILE PGN
Family Portrait
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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Suzi Nash
Braeden Lange: Leveling the playing field for LGBT youth athletes In honor of National Coming Out Day this weekend, I decided to do a story about the power of being out and how one person’s coming-out story boomeranged to help another coming-out story 10 years later. In 2005, Andrew Goldstein, a Dartmouth lacrosse player, came out to his teammates while in college. He later became the first openly gay athlete to play in an American pro sports league (Major League Lacrosse). ESPN did a piece about it for Sports Center. Fast-forward a decade later to 12-year-old lacrosse player Braeden Lange also making the decision to come out to his teammates. A previously popular and confident child, Lange began receiving hateful responses that threw him into depression and caused him to withdraw from friends and family, until his father, himself a lacrosse player and coach, decided to reach out to Goldstein. The tale of the bond formed by the two LGBT athletes, Lange and Goldstein, was unveiled in a new ESPN segment screened at the International House this past Wednesday. We spoke to Lange and his folks, Scott and Mandy (after practice of course). Side note: If you want a way to expand your world without needing a big travel budget, make sure to check out the LGBT programming at International House. PGN: What does lacrosse mean to you and the family? SL: It’s the sport we’ve always played. My father grew up on Long Island, which is a hotbed of lacrosse. He went on to play at Cortland State and was an All-American. He moved to Philadelphia and started having kids but there wasn’t a ton of lacrosse in this area back then. So he started a league that I played in. I played other sports like soccer, but lacrosse has always been our sport. PGN: I understand you lost him at a young age. SL: Both my parents. I lost my mom when I was 21 and my dad when I’d just turned 23. PGN: So I imagine those sports memories mean a lot. SL: Absolutely. Sports have always been a big part of our lives. When I play, people still remember me as Dick Lange’s son. PGN: How many kids do you have and how many play lacrosse? SL: There’s Blake, who’s 14; Braeden, 12; then two girls, Kendall, 10, and Abby, 7. All four of them have played, but my youngest daughter prefers field hockey, which their mother played. I was raised with the mentality that team sports are an important part of growing up. It’s not about the athleticism or even about winning; it’s about the camaraderie and learning teamwork.
PGN: So you would epitomize the adage, “The family that plays together stays together”? SL: We try! The weekends are filled with games and practices. PGN: Tell me something fun about Braeden as a kid. SL: I’m looking at him as we speak and I’m trying to think of something embarrassing. ML: Braeden’s always been a character. When he was 5, he wanted acting lessons so he could be on Nickelodeon. SL: Yeah, one year we took the kids to summer camp and at the end they had a talent show. Braeden was about 5 and at the end they asked if any kids wanted to do anything. Braeden walked onto the stage, grabbed the microphone, did his ABCs and walked off the stage. PGN: Mic drop! ML: Yes! And along with his talent for sports, Braeden is an amazing dancer. No professional training but he’s very talented.
SL: When Braeden did come out, of course we started thinking, wondering if there were signs we should have seen. So we went back and read some of his old text messages and there was one from the girlfriend. They had apparently kissed and she sent him a text asking, “When can we kiss again?” Now this was in early December and his response was, “How about March … ” [Laughs] Hindsight. When February came along, I think in the back of his mind he was thinking, Man, if I don’t come out now, I’m going to have to kiss this girl in March! PGN: Motivation! But I understand that you posted something soon after, and that’s when things went awry. BL: Well, ask.fm is an app you can download that lets people anonymously ask you questions. I don’t know why I got it, it was a really bad idea. People I didn’t even know started sending me hate … It was really painful. I thought it would be a place where people would be asking me
PGN: The question is, Braeden, can you whip, can you nae nae? BL: Oh, I can whip and nae nae. PGN: OK, I want to see a demonstration. SL: He’ll do it! He doesn’t lack for confidence. PGN: So Braeden, tell me about your journey. BL: So earlier this year on Feb. 9, I was in a group chat and one of my friends was making a lot of homosexual jokes and I really just wasn’t having it. I was getting really upset over it and I thought that the only way I could make them understand that being gay wasn’t wrong was to tell him who I actually was. I was just so sick of everyone saying things like, “Oh that’s so gay” and everything else. I was just sick and tired of it. So I told everyone. It was really scary at first but a few minutes after I came out, I started to feel relieved knowing that I didn’t have to deal with the stress of holding it in anymore. PGN: Do you remember how old you were when you first figured it out? BL: I think I started to realize that I was gay the summer before last. As people were getting older, they were making more homosexual jokes and for some reason, I didn’t know why, but it really got to me. Every single day. And I’m pretty sure that’s when I found out. ML: You had a girlfriend, tell her about that. BL: Yeah, I had a girlfriend to like, cover it up. I was so terrified of the idea of people knowing that I’m gay, so I had a girlfriend for four or five months and then I broke up with her about a month before I came out.
stuff like, “What’s your favorite color?” or that kind of thing but people started sending me really nasty things and it made me feel awful. It really bugged me. PGN: How did people know about your sexuality? BL: Usually when someone gets a new social-media app, you post it on other things like Instagram: “Hey, follow me on ask.fm.” I posted just because everyone else was doing it and so all my Instagram
followers who knew about me coming out were on it. PGN: That probably was not a fun period for you. BL: No, it was not. There were a lot of people telling me that being gay was wrong and asking me questions like, “Do you suck dick for money?” I remember one guy said, “It must be really awkward when you eat a banana.” ML: I thing the most upsetting for him were the people who questioned him, who said they didn’t believe that he was gay, that he was too young to know or just doing it for attention. BL: Yeah. ML: He was like, “I finally found the courage to come out and no one believes me.” PGN: What was the darkest point for you? BL: After I deleted the app, I started pushing all my friends away. Ya know? They could ask me a simple question like, “How did you know?” and I would get so annoyed by it that I’d reject them. I just felt so alone. I knew I had friends, that people would talk to me and be there for me if I was upset, but I still felt really alone. It was just really hard for me. PGN: I ask about that time to help kids going through something similar. People should understand how someone like you, with an accepting family and friends, could still face dark and scary times. And how you came through it. ML: I think a lot of it was because of the anonymous nature of social media. Because he didn’t know who the questions came from, he didn’t know which of his friends or teammates he could trust. So he began to lash out at his true friends and they didn’t understand why. He really wasn’t himself anymore. When Braeden’s anger turned into depression and talks of suicide became a daily thing, we knew we needed help. We needed to get him back to his old self. PGN: What was in your heart and head at the time? BL: Like my mom said, I didn’t know who to trust and I became insecure about everything. PAGE 68
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS PGN
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Theater & Arts Avengers: Age of Ultron The blockbuster superhero film is screened 8 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888. Beethoven’s Fifth The Philadelphia Orchestra performs the composer’s classics Oct. 16-17 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. Deana Martin The Philly POPS perform with Deana Martin in a tribute to her legendary father, Dean Martin, 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Disgraced Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the portrait of Amir Kapoor, a successful PakistaniAmerican lawyer, and his wife Emily, a painter influenced by Islamic imagery, at a dinner party where secrets come to light, Oct. 9-Nov. 8 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; 215-9850420. For Love of Country The Philadelphia Orchestra performs through Oct. 10 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Genghis Khan: Bring the Legend to Life The Franklin Institute presents the story of one of the world’s greatest leaders through
Jan. 3, 20th Street and the Parkway; www.fi.edu. Gypsy Media Theatre presents the iconic musical based on the life of Gypsy Rose Lee through Nov. 1, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. Herman Leonard: Jazz Portraits An exhibition of photographs from the master portrait photographer featuring jazz legends such as Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and many more from 194060 through Oct. 11 at Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St.; 215-3409800. High Society Walnut Street Theatre presents Cole Porter’s feelgood musical about a socialite preparing for her lavish summer wedding through Oct. 25, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Into Dust: Traces of the Fragile in Contemporary Art Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition about the distinctions between the corporeal and transcendental, emergence and decay, belonging and displacement, life and death, through Oct. 25, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. La Traviata Opera Philadelphia performs Verdi’s classic opera through Oct. 11 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-7905800.
THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE: Out country singer Brandi Carlile is on the road in support of her latest album, “The Firewatcher’s Daughter,” performing in Philadelphia 8 p.m. Oct. 11 at The Fillmore, 1000 Frankford Ave. For more information or tickets, call 215625-3681.
Multitude, Solitude: The Photographs of Dave Heath Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of the acclaimed photographer’s black-and-white pictures of the 1950s and ’60s through Feb. 21, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. Roberta Kaplan The lawyer who helped defeat the Defense of Marriage Act and author of “Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA” hosts a reading 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215567-4341.
Ship Wrecked! Walnut Street Theatre presents the 19th-century adventure through Nov. 1 at Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St.; 215-5743550. Sinatra: A Centennial Celebration The Philly POPS perform a tribute to Frank Sinatra Oct. 9-11 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-7905800. Take Two: Contemporary Photographs Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring how contemporary artists have responded to changes in culture and technology through Nov. 15, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100.
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.
PGN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS
Big Mouth 2: The Gayborhood’s Lip Sync Tournament Hosted by Philadelphia’s “biggest mouth,” Aurora Whorealis, 24 contestants compete, 9 p.m. Oct. 10 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675.
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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daretobedifferent Create-your-own Costume headquarters miLitaria H surpLus H Bags H denim outerwear H gadgets
OutFest The 25th-annual LGBT street festival takes over the Gayborhood noon-6 p.m. Oct. 11; phillygaypride.org.
COMEDY THAT GETS INSIDE YOUR HEAD: Comedy veteran Paula Poundstone, fresh off lending her voice to the hit animated film “Inside Out,” comes to the area for an evening of her wry, introspective humor, 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave. For more information or tickets, call 215-572-7650.
Whoopi Goldberg The comedian and TV personality performs 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at Valley Forge Casino, 1160 First Ave., Valley Forge; 610-354-8118.
Music Melody Gardot The jazz singer performs 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. Cassidy The singer/songwriter performs 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St.; 215928-0770. Chris Cornell The rock singer performs 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800.
Danzig The hard-rock band performs 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800745-3000. Alô Brasil The Brazilian music group performs 8 p.m. Oct. 16 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Kansas The rock band performs 8 p.m. Oct. 16 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-5727650.
Nightlife Fortis Coming Out Party Local distillery Midnight Madness Distilling marks OutFest weekend with specials on its Fortis craft-spirit
products at several Gayborhood bars, starting 5 p.m. Oct. 9 with proceeds from event wristbands benefitting AIDS Walk; http:// ow.ly/T2V8G Rocky Horror Picture Show with Transylvanian Nipple Productions The cult classic is performed live 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220. Uomo Moderno Fashion Show from Italy Italy’s best designers show their fashions 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James St.; 215-735-5772. The Tongue In Cheek Cabaret The sci-fi-themed cabaret returns 9 p.m. Oct. 9 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215964-9675.
Gemini Rose’s Jubilee The burlesque show and benefit for a Philadelphia-based HIV/AIDS organization starts 9 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888.
Outta Town
1300 Chestnut St • 215 925 9393 • igoldberg.com
Halloween 4 & 5 Double Feature The horror films are screened 9:45 p.m. Oct. 9 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. The Goonies The classic adventure film is screened 2 p.m. Oct. 10 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-1228. Brian Regan The comedian performs 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. The Oblong Box The classic Vincent Price horror film is screened 2 p.m. Oct. 11 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-1228. n
KATHY ORR FOX 29 @KATHYORRFOX29 KATHYORRWX
KATHY ORR
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
STAGE PGN
Dutch director on lesbian coming-of-age story By David-Elijah Nahmod PGN Contributor The heat is sweltering in rural Netherlands. Teenager Anne (Sigrid ten Napel) is suffocating. Not only is the heat oppressive, so is her dysfunctional family and the town itself. Anne’s life changes forever when Lena (Jade Olieberg) moves to town to care for her ailing mom. Anne has never met anyone quite like Lena, an outgoing, motorcycle-riding, mixedrace lesbian who exudes a raw sensuality unheard of — and considered improper — in the town. Anne is mesmerized by Lena; the feeling is mutual. As the two fall in love amid the disapproving stares of Anne’s family and friends, Anne experiences a sexual, spiritual and political awakening. Director Colette Bothof spoke to PGN from the Netherlands about her film “Summer (Zomer).” The film, Bothof told us, is based on a play by Marjorie Bierens. “It’s a film about growing away from your youth, from where you came from,” the auteur said. “But without being too judgmental about it. It is still where you came from, although you hate it and it may never feel like home again.” Bothof, who said she personally identifies as bisexual, added that she considers “Summer” to be less a film about lesbianism and more of a coming-of-age story.
“The main character, Anne, doesn’t struggle much with the fact that she falls in love with another girl,” Bothof said. “But more with the unwritten laws of the environment she grew up in. It’s essentially a film about becoming your own person and daring to be different when everyone else stays the same.” The film includes a scene in which Anne and Lena are ridiculed by Anne’s friends when they discovered they’re a couple. Bothof addressed the homophobia that can still flourish in cultures that perceive themselves as beacons of equality. “In the Netherlands, we like to believe that we are tolerant and accepting,” Bothof said. “But in practice, young LGBT people — and older ones — encounter explicit and implicit discrimination and find it hard to come out, especially in a high-school environment or in more traditional or religious communities.” Bothof told PGN that prior to her career as a filmmaker, she had done quite a bit of traveling and studied psychology and communication. “What drew me to filmmaking is that as a filmmaker you can combine all of your own interests, obsessions, opinions, jokes and stories in film,” she said. Film, Bothof noted, can also reach people on a deep emotional level. “You can really touch an audience and reach them on a subconscious level, in their guts and hearts,” she said. “You can really draw an audience into lives and stories they would otherwise ignore and make them feel things they have never felt before. So for me, filmmaking combines everything that fascinates me.” Wolfe Video released “Summer” on DVD and Video on Demand Oct. 6. The film is in Dutch with English subtitles. n
PGN FILM
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
Head to Broadway to try on ‘Kinky Boots’ By Suzi Nash PGN Contributor If you’re looking for a way to kick up your heels in the Big Apple this fall, you should definitely try on “Kinky Boots” for size. The six-time Tony Award-winning musical brings together four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein and Grammy Awardwinning rock icon Cyndi Lauper for a fun, crowd-pleasing show that will pull at your heart strings while teaching you a few lessons about misconceptions. Inspired by a true story and based on the Miramax
motion picture written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, “Kinky Boots” tells the story of Charlie Price, who has reluctantly inherited his father’s shoe factory. The factory
is on the verge of bankruptcy and Charlie is trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save the family business. A chance encounter with Lola, a fabulous drag performer in need of some sturdy stilettos, gives Charlie the inspiration to continue the fight. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible. The staging was seamlessly executed in a fashion that made dancing in a shoe factory seem like a normal occurrence. The music was fun, though not memorable enough for me to leave the theater humming the tunes. (Of course, that might be due to the fact that, at my age, I have the short-term memory of a goldfish.) Billy Porter, who nabbed the Best Actor Tony for his portrayal of Lolo, was not on stage for the performance I attended, but his understudy managed to fill his stilettos. For me, the best part of the shoe … er, show … was the scene-stealing and charismatic Annaleigh Ashford, who, as Lauren, the overlooked assistant in love with her boss, brought heart as well as hysterical comedic timing to the role. Don’t let the title scare off the conservative wing of your family; “Kinky Boots” is wholesome fun for all ages. I took my teenage nephew who thoroughly enjoyed it … and remembered the songs! n
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PORTRAIT from page 59
I was scared about meeting new friends; if they found out about me being gay, would they be supportive or not? I felt especially awkward around my straight guy friends. I remember as soon as I came out, one guy said, “Well, no more sleepovers.” That really brought me down. PGN: So what was your first reaction when you saw the ESPN piece on Andrew? BL: There were so many emotions I felt at once. Overall, I was just so happy learning that there was another gay athlete, and not just any athlete but a lacrosse player like me, that had come out when he was in college and … yeah, it just made me feel like I was wanted. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone anymore. PGN: Did you know much about the gay community before that? BL: Not much, no. PGN: That’s a little scary, not knowing that there’s a whole community waiting to embrace you. Sometimes we older folks forget what it’s like to come out. We think that, with all the gay visibility and acceptance these days, young people have it easy. But I think you don’t have the sense of community that we did back in the day, when we had tangible fights to rally around. SL: I think that’s a really valid point. When Braeden came out, to most of the kids it was no big deal. They watch “Modern Family” and “Ellen,” so in that regard it can be easier because of that familiarity, but in the larger picture, it can be isolating because, as you said, there’s nothing for the youth today to rally around. But I’d say that the work that people like you and others did to pave the way made it a lot easier for my son. PGN: Thank you, there are a lot of shoulders that we all stand on. Braeden, tell me what it was like when you got a response from Andrew. BL: After my dad showed me the Sports Center piece on Andrew that was done in 2005, my dad sent him an email telling him about me coming out but we never expected him to respond back. When he sent me his helmet and a video saying how proud he was of
PGN
me, it was one of the happiest moments of my life, if not the happiest moment. I remember that I couldn’t stop smiling and crying tears of joy. I kept saying to myself, “I am not alone.” It made me feel so great knowing there was someone else in the world who I could look up to.
PGN: So you’re going to be what, 25 on your next birthday? BL: [Laughs] No, I’m 12! SL: Trust me, when he’s not being interviewed, he’s a typical 12-year-old. But you can’t have gone through the kind of journey he’s gone through and not matured some.
PGN: Tell me about the Courage Game, how much fun was that? BL: It was really fun. Andrew and my dad and mom and Nick Welton, another gay lacrosse player, put it all together. It was their way of making me feel not so all alone but we never expected it to become the big thing it did. SL: Yes, it was at Ace Adams Field at Penn Park in Philadelphia. We had gay lacrosse players and allies from all over the country come to support our son. We had to really think about it first, because Braeden had been very public about who he was, but we knew this would take it to a whole other level of coming out — something you couldn’t put back in the bag, but he was pretty adamant once he got through that rough stretch that he wanted to help inspire other people. We did it with the help of some really great corporate sponsors: TD Bank, Wave One Sports, You Can Play, I could go on … ML: Wegmans donated enough food for 300 people! It was amazing. SL: Normally, things like this are done in the wake of a tragedy, but the idea here was to celebrate a victory.
PGN: OK, here are some random questions: Halloween is coming up; if you were undead, would you be a vampire, zombie or ghost? BL: Ghost. I could go through walls and haunt stuff. That would be so cool.
PGN: In addition to sports celebrities, you had friends and teammates come out to play; how important was that? BL: The whole experience of the Courage Game was surreal. It was so cool having huge lacrosse stars like Greg Gurenlian and Jerry Ragonese from the New York Lizards there. It felt so good knowing that 40-50 kids came to play just for me. I’m so happy knowing that I get the chance to inspire other kids who might be going through the same things that I went through. PGN: What do you think your straight peers learned? BL: That being gay isn’t much different than being straight. And that it shouldn’t matter with your friends.
PGN: Ever seen a ghost? BL: One time, my bedroom door shut by itself and there was no one there. PGN: The last song you downloaded? BL: Something by 21 Pilots. Probably “Car Radio.” I really like them. PGN: Something cool about one of your grandparents? BL: My grandma passed away about seven years ago but when I was a kid I was obsessed with Thomas the Tank; every time I would go to her house in New Jersey, she’d have a new train or accessory. And I remember Grandma had that fart button that she used to always press; it was really funny. And my Oupa can do a lot of weird whistles. And he’s from South Africa. Pretty cool. PGN: Best thing on TV is … BL: I haven’t see it yet but I want to watch “Scream Queens” and “The Office.” Someone showed me an episode and it looked really funny. PGN: Have you heard of the Gay Games? BL: No, I have not. PGN: There’s a whole Olympic-style athletic competition that happens every four years all around the world, just like the regular Olympics. Maybe you can be the youngest new participant! BL: That sounds great! SL: It does. Can fathers of gay kids participate? PGN: I interviewed two PFLAG mothers that ran track so I don’t see why not. We’ll see you in Paris! GG 2018! n To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol.com.
Q Puzzle Bi songs by ... Across 1. Olympic award for Ireen Wüst 6. Supporter of Julia Morgan? 10. They were under Hoover 14. Advil rival 15. Global rights org. 16. Drumbeat start 17. They’re green when you pluck them 18. *”I Kissed A Girl” singer 20. Non-Judy garland 21. “I’ve ___ had!” 23. Annoyances 24. Meat that may be tender 26. *With 45-Across, “Baby Blue” singer 27. The “T” in T.E. Lawrence 29. Doesn’t feel up 30. Old PC program 33. Poe visitor 34. Miss, to Mauresmo 35. Leafy veggie 36. Ball of film 37. Cold-cocks 38. “Art of Love” poet 39. Umlaut pair, in Rilke’s language 40. Shaft output 41. Tee shot for Rosie Jones
42. That, south of the border 43. Abel’s assassin 44. Word after bottom 45. *See 26-Across 46. Raunchy British sitcom 47. Gets to second base, perhaps 50. Comic strip dog 51. Family magazine 54. *Pete, who sang “Rough Boys” 56. Full of the latest 58. “The African Queen” author 59. Early Ron Howard role 60. More cunning 61. First of the Democratic ass drawers 62. Fairy godmother’s stick 63. Former NFL player Tuaolo Down 1. Edifice complex 2. Novelist Wiesel 3. *”Cool For The Summer” singer 4. Greeting to Maria 5. L of GLAAD 6. Vehicles for some dykes 7. Flair 8. Literary rep. 9. Erections with ribbons
wrapped around them 10. *”Coming Clean” singers ___ Day 11. “Terrif!” 12. “To be” to Henri 13. “Over my dead body!” and more 19. Small shooters shoot them off 22. Tennessee Williams twosome 25. Black pussy cats, e.g. 26. Leaves at the altar 27. It may be rough 28. Circles overhead 29. *”Bicoastal” singer Peter 30. *”John, I’m Only Dancing” singer 31. Kind of drab 32. Passover dinner 34. Richly deserve 35. Land of
Margaret Cho’s ancestors 37. Place to exam someone’s dinghy 41. Man-to-man, to Sue Wicks 43. Disney frames 44. Crimefighting org. 45. *”Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” singer Jackson 46. Changed from a pair to a threesome 47. Owner of a gay dog on “South Park” 48. Cicero’s garment 49. Some of Mary’s lambs 50. Way to come 52. Web surfer 53. Supermodel Banks 55. MPG monitor 57. Dottermans of “Antonia’s Line”
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LOCAL PGN
Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the Sixth Police District between Sept. 21-27. Information is courtesy of Sixth District Capt. Brian Korn; Stacy Irving, senior director, Crime Prevention Service; Center City District; the Police Liaison Committee and Midtown Village Merchants Association. To report crime tips, visit www.phillypolice.com or call 215-686-TIPS. INCIDENTS — At 1:50 p.m. Sept. 21, a man reports being punched outside 1046 Market St. by another man who had asked him for money. The culprit, who also stole his iPhone, was described as a 5-foot-8 black male, thin, with a beard and short curly hair. — There was one theft from a parked vehicle reported Sept. 21-27: outside 1327 Locust St. NON-SUMMARY ARRESTS — UPDATE: Between 9 p.m. Sept. 19 and 9:45 a.m. Sept. 20, sunglasses were taken from the Sunglass Hut inside Macy’s, 1300 Market St. There was no forced entry. Security video shows the suspect enter
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News Briefing Rainbow flag to be raised For the first time, Philadelphia’s annual rainbow flag-raising ceremony will take place the same day as OutFest. The sixth-annual event takes place at 11 a.m. Oct. 11 at the northeast corner of City Hall. The flag-raising commemorates LGBT History Month. This marks the first flag-raising ceremony since the passing of Gloria Casarez, the former director of the Office of LGBT Affairs who conceived of the event in 2010. Casarez died last year, about two weeks after the flag-raising. The city will honor Casarez at next week’s event, as well as highlight the 50th anniversary of the Annual Reminders demonstration, the 40th anniversary of the William Way LGBT Community Center and the 25th anniversary of Philadelphia FIGHT. The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus will perform and will be supported by the LGBT Veteran Color Guard. OutFest will kick off at noon in the Gayborhood, and a mural in Casarez’s honor will be dedicated at 12th Street Gym at 1 p.m. — Jen Colletta
Brunch benefits HIV and breast cancer Women of all ages and orientations are invited to attend the Women’s Wellness Brunch from
from the mezzanine. On Sept. 25, Macy’s security detained a male for retail theft and determined he was the same person in the video of the burglary. The 49-year-old suspect with a North Philadelphia address was charged with burglary and related offenses. SUMMARY ARRESTS — At 9:15 p.m. Sept. 22, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 200 S. Juniper St. — At 10:35 p.m. Sept. 23, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 201 S. Broad St. — At 10:25 a.m. Sept. 26, TSA agents detained a male at a security check point, 101 S. Broad St., who was in possession of marijuana. Police assigned to the area issued a code-violation notice and confiscated the drugs. — At 11:30 a.m. Sept. 26, officers assigned to the papal-security detail issued a citation for a summary offense outside 1100 Market St. n 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 11 at the African American Museum, 701 Arch St. Tickets cost $10. Part of the proceeds will support HIV and breast-cancer research. In addition to gathering for food, attendees will discuss sexual health, mental health and spiritual health. The event is hosted by The COLOURS Organization, which primarily assists LGBT people of color. — Paige Cooperstein
Frat seeks dismissal from rape case A University of Pennsylvania fraternity that allegedly helped facilitate the rape of Reginald Stewart two years ago wants to be dismissed from a lawsuit filed by Stewart. Stewart claims the Pennsylvania Iota Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity served excessive amounts of alcohol at a rush party in January 2013. After the party, Stewart allegedly was raped by Charles Gibson, who also attended the party. Both men were Penn students when the rape allegedly occurred. In January, Stewart filed suit against Gibson and the fraternity in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, seeking $450,000 in damages. But in a recent filing, attorneys for the fraternity argued that any wrongdoing was due to the actions of Gibson, not the fraternity. Alan E. Denenberg, an attorney for Stewart, disputed the fraternity’s position. “Typical defense strategy to blame the other defendant involved in the case,” Denenberg said. In court papers, Gibson denied any wrongdoing. He admitted that both men consumed alcohol at the party, but said their subsequent sexual activities were consensual. As of presstime, Common Pleas Judge John M. PAGE 38 Younge hadn’t ruled on the fra-
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PGN LEGAL
Completing the paper trail of marriage equality Now that the dust of the whirlwind marriage-equality decision has settled, I want to do a check-in before we head into the end of the year and make sure that everyone has followed through on their “marriage-equality” resolutions!
around like a credit card. It’s a contractual agreement that, regardless of lineage or next of kin, the holder of the HVA is allowed in your hospital room. The moral of the story is, even if you have these documents in place, your wishes could go disrespected, so imagine how vulnerable you are if you don’t have them. Estate planning I recommend strongly the following doc If you have prepared estate-planning uments: documents, the firm you executed them • Will is necessary for everyone — with understood the unique needs of LGBT regardless of age, sex, orientation, race, reliindividuals and likely drafted your docugion, etc. If you have loved ones, you need ments in light that you were not to make sure they will be propmarried. Married couples have erly cared for after your passing. always enjoyed impactful and • Durable Power of Attorney robust privileges and benefits to allow someone to make finanin estate planning and, as such, cial decisions for you when you your “pre-marriage-equality” are unable to do so estate plan needs an overhaul. • Health-Care Power of If nothing else, I recommend Attorney that includes a HIPAA re-executing your estate-planning Waiver to allow someone to documents so the definition used make health-care decisions for in the documents reflects your you when you are unable to do legal relationship: spouse, husso band/husband or wife/wife. And • Living Will to let your Healthfor those with more complicated Power of Attorney know Angela Care needs, you should review what your wishes if you are in an Giampolo end-stage medical condition new benefits are available to you • Hospital Visitation and take advantage of them. Authorization to allow your spouse or cho Lastly, just because marriage is legal sen family to visit you in the hospital nationwide does not mean you don’t need estate-planning documents. Gay or straight, • Agent for Disposition of Remains to everyone in this country needs these declare what you would like to happen with basic legal protections. I became passionyour remains if you pass away ate around estate planning after the Terri • Pet Care Directive to nominate the perSchiavo case. The case was a legal struggle son who will take any of your furry comover end-of-life care involving a woman in panions when you pass away an irreversible vegetative state from 19902005. Schiavo and her husband were legally Where/when/how can I get married? married and had all of their estate-planning documents in place, as well as her husband LGBTQ couples call me weekly and litbeing her legal guardian and health-care erally just want to know how to get married. power of attorney. Shockingly, despite those You can apply for your marriage license protections being in place, Schiavo’s husimmediately at your nearest Register of band could not end her artificial life supWills Office. There is a mandatory threeport because her parents argued in favor of day waiting period in Philadelphia before continuing artificial nutrition and hydration you are considered legally married. Please and challenged Schiavo’s medical diagnonote, the three-day waiting period includes sis. The highly publicized and prolonged weekends, so couples who apply on a series of legal challenges presented by her Thursday or Friday can be eligible to get parents, which ultimately involved state and married on Monday. See this link to obtain federal politicians up to the level of the one your marriage license in Philadelphia: and only President George W. Bush, caused http://secureprod.phila.gov/wills/marriagelia seven-year delay before Schiavo’s feeding cense.aspx. tube was ultimately removed. Moreover, full equality does not equal Real property full acceptance. Just because you’re married doesn’t mean that you won’t face discrimi If you and your partner own propnation at a crucial moment. Imagine you’re erty jointly, you must retitle your deed to driving to Key West, Fla., and you’re in an “Tenants by the Entirety,” which had previaccident in Tennessee and the front-desk ously been unavailable to LGBT couples. clerk requires your marriage certificate “Tenants by the Entirety” is a special type before you’re let into the hospital room. of joint ownership of property with rights of You may have a great lawsuit, but wouldn’t survivorship only allowed between spouses. you rather be in the hospital room? I proWhen one spouse dies, the surviving spouse vide my clients with Hospital Visitation immediately becomes the sole owner of the Authorization (HVA) forms, which I shrink property and the property passes outside of down and laminate, and you carry them probate and it is completely creditor-pro-
Out Law
LEGAL PGN
tected. Lastly, if you and your partner own property in multiple states, it is highly recommended that you obtain a Revocable Living Trust to avoid passing through probate in each state you own property. This can save you several thousands of dollars in probate fees and months and months through the probate process.
first aspect to determine is whether or not it will be contested. A couple should always mediate if possible; the only people who stand to win in a contentious divorce are lawyers. But regardless of whether it will be a simple or contest divorced, contact a lawyer and he or she will assist you in charting this new territory so that you can move forward with new relationships in your life.
Just say I don’t!
As with every civil-rights movement, there are moments where people should take a moment and applaud their achievements. Congratulations everyone; now get to work! n
The average marrying age is 27-29 between women and men; the oldest it has been in over 100 years. Maybe you don’t want to get married, and that’s absolutely fine! You just need to make sure you have a cohabitation agreement (aka pre-pre-nup) and your estate-planning documents. The Big D! With marriage comes divorce — and that’s just reality. As with all divorces, the
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Angela D. Giampolo, principal of Giampolo Law Group, maintains offices in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and specializes in LGBT law, family law, business law, real-estate law and civil rights. Her website is www.giampololaw.com and she maintains a blog at www. phillygaylawyer.com. Reach out to Angela with your legal questions at 215-645-2415 or angela@giampololaw.com.
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MURDER from page 1
suffering,” TIP staff wrote, “and we know we still have to fight.” Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the city’s Office of LGBT Affairs, told PGN the violence is “an epidemic in humanity that needs to stop.” “It’s not just Philadelphia,” she said. “This is a national problem. These murders are happening from the East Coast to the West Coast, from north to south. It requires, HANES from page 1
call me or my first deputy, Joan Nagel, and we will explain to them why it is a valid marriage license,” Hanes said. He can be reached at 610-278-3400. Hanes added: “The U.S. Supreme Court has spoken. Marriage equality is the law of the land. Marriage equality is not a created concept. It’s an inherent right. Moreover, the U.S. Supreme Court made it clear that the law prohibiting marriage equality in Pennsylvania is and was unconstitutional. So the marriage licenses that I issued are valid. These marriages are not in limbo. And anyone who believes otherwise needs to read the Supreme Court decision.” Frank E. Echols 3d, a gay man who received one of Hanes’ same-sex marriage licenses, remains unconvinced. “Mr. Hanes can pontificate all he wants,” Echols told PGN. “But all I know is my husband’s employer refused to recognize our marriage for purposes of health benefits.” Echols, 45, and Robert W. Robinson, 57, received a marriage license from Hanes in August 2013. “I have to pay about $6,000 annually in health benefits because Bob’s employer refused to recognize our marriage license,” NEWS BRIEFING from page 34
ternity’s request to be dismissed from the case. Attorneys for the fraternity declined to comment for this update.
Reconsideration request denied in benefits case The state Superior Court has declined to reconsider its rejection of an appeal by relatives of a man whose former same-sex partner wants his death benefits. Joseph A. Hallman seeks the death benefits of his deceased partner, Stephen T. Gallagher. The proceeds total about $345,000. Gallagher, who was employed at the University of Pennsylvania as a computer specialist, died in May 2011 after a lengthy illness. Gallagher’s mother, Joann P. Gallagher, contends that she’s entitled to her son’s death benefits. Last year, Philadelphia Orphans’ Court Judge John W. Herron ruled that Hallman failed to prove he was the beneficiary for Gallagher’s life-insurance policies. As a result, the death-benefits proceeds should go to Joann Gallagher as the default beneficiary, according to Herron’s ruling.
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honestly, a national response.” There has been speculation about, if and when an arrest is made in Jenkins’ case, whether hate-crimes charges could be pressed. Fitzpatrick said the ShepherdByrd Act, which expanded the federal hatecrime law, does cover crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. But Pennsylvania’s hate-crime law does not include those provisions; it covers race,
color, religion, national origin and ancestry. Philadelphia adopted an LGBT-inclusive hate-crime law earlier this year that instates fines and jail time for such crimes. Murder charges are expected to be filed in Jenkins’ case, regardless of whether it’s also a hate crime, Fitzpatrick said. “Any attack on an individual, when five or six people beat that person into the ground, and then that person is executed by being shot two times in the back, that’s a crime
committed with such malice,” she said. Fitzpatrick said Jenkins’ murder is a tragedy that should motivate people to look at the bigger picture. “It’s time to start solving this epidemic issue and solving this violence before it occurs,” she said. Fitzpatrick encouraged people to attend the fifth-annual Trans* March taking place 3 p.m. Oct. 10, starting in LOVE Park, 1599 JFK Blvd. n
Echols said. “And my tax accountant refused to recognize it for the purpose of filing a joint tax return.” Echols said the date on their marriage license appears to be problematic. “They won’t recognize us as a married couple because the date on our marriage license is Aug. 8, 2013 — prior to the state legalizing same-sex marriages,” Echols explained. “We would like Montgomery County to change the date on our license to May 20, 2014, which is the date Pennsylvania legalized same-sex marriage.” In September 2014, a judge allowed about 25 same-sex couples who received marriage licenses from Hanes to change the issuance date to May 20, 2014. But the couples had to engage in extensive litigation prior to doing so. “I wish I knew about that litigation,” Echols continued. “Bob and I definitely would have added our names as plaintiffs. I would have jumped on it, if I knew that’s what everybody had to do to get their licenses validated.” Because Montco officials maintain the validity of the couple’s marriage license, they’ve denied Echols’ request to simply void it, which would allow the couple to get a new marriage license, Echols added.
He also expressed concern about how Robinson’s estate would be distributed, should he pass away before a court determines the validity of their marriage. “If Bob were to pass away, even with all the legal paperwork we have filed to try to
“I’m very grateful to Mr. Hanes for what he tried to do for the community,” Echols said. “But where is he now to clean up this mess? He might say he didn’t leave a mess. But that hasn’t been my experience. No one seems to be doing any follow-up to ensure these marriages are legal.” Echols hopes to network with other couples in a similar situation. “I would like to reach out to the other couples who are in the same boat as I am, and see if we can form a group to try and do something about having our marriage licenses changed, voided or validated. There may be someone in my situation with advice on what to do, or we may collectively come up with some ideas.” Echols said he’s willing to spearhead the effort, and urged interested couples to contact him at echrob123@gmail.com. Attorney Michael P. Clarke represents Hanes in the pending state Supreme Court matter. “We continue to speak with the state Department of Health regarding resolving this issue,” Clarke said in an Oct. 5 email. “Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach a final resolution. I will notify you once we do.” n
But Hallman appealed in state Superior Court, and in July the court remanded the case back to Herron for further consideration. In August, attorneys for the Gallagher family filed a petition in state Superior Court, asking the court to reconsider its ruling. On Sept. 28, Superior Court denied the petition, without elaborating. As of presstime, Cletus P. Lyman, an attorney for the Gallagher family, didn’t know whether an appeal will be filed in state Supreme Court.
D.A. releases salaries for staffers The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has released the salaries of three staffers involved in a pornographic email ring that’s been described as misogynistic, racist and homophobic. The staffers are Frank G. Fina, E. Marc Costanzo and Patrick J. Blessington. They serve as assistant district attorneys under D.A. Seth Williams. Fina, 51, began working at the D.A.’s Office on Jan. 22, 2013. His annual salary is $124,200. Costanzo, 57, initially worked at the
“I would like to reach out to the other couples who are in the same boat as I am, and see if we can form a group to try and do something about having our marriage licenses changed, voided or validated.” prevent it, his family could say that I have no legal right to anything that is his, and possibly take his half of everything we have because we are not legally married. The most upsetting part is feeling like no one is helping to do anything about it.” Echols said he realizes Hanes tried to help the cause of LGBT rights when issuing same-sex marriage licenses in 2013. D.A.’s Office from May 1987-August 1993. He returned to the office on Jan. 7, 2013. His annual salary is $129,375. Blessington, 58, initially worked at the D.A.’s Office from March 1986-May 1997. He returned to the office on Jan. 1, 2011. His annual salary is $145,340. When they participated in the porn ring, they worked at the state Office of Attorney General. The porn ring was uncovered by Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane, while reviewing a previous administration’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky child-molestation scandal. The local chapter of the National Organization for Woman is calling for the dismissal of Fina, Blessington and Costanzo. But Williams said they’ll receive sensitivity training, and he’ll continue to employ them. Former state Rep. Babette Josephs said Fina, Costanzo and Blessington should be dismissed. “Taxpayer money is being wasted on men who are supposed to investigate and charge the rest of us for the very same crimes they have been committing themselves,” Josephs said in an email. “Ordinary citizens can get investigated and arrested. They can end up with criminal records. But our front-line enforcers of the criminal code get off with sensitivity training.”
Both sides in bullying case agree to mediation Both sides in a student-bullying case involving the nephew of a gay man have agreed to participate in mediation next month. Thomas Vandergrift, 38, contends the Pennsauken School District subjected his nephew to anti-LGBT bullying. But when Vandergrift advocated for a proper education for his nephew, district officials allegedly retaliated by accusing Vandergrift of child molestation. Vandergrift filed a federal lawsuit in 2012, seeking policy changes and an unspecified amount in financial remuneration. The case is in the discovery phase, and a jury trial is tentatively planned for early next year. But last week, attorneys for Vandergrift notified the court that both sides will utilize the mediation services of a private attorney, in the hope of avoiding a trial. Last month, Vandergrift urged nine Pennsauken school-board members to engage in settlement talks, noting that the litigation has been stressful for his nephew. Neither side had a comment for this update. n — Timothy Cwiek
PGN SEGAL from page 18
ending invisibility and creating community.” It was with those missions in mind that, upon his return to Philadelphia in the 1970s, Segal undertook a campaign to target television coverage of LGBT issues, an undertaking that secured a wealth of television firsts — and forged his unlikely friendship with Walter Cronkite. From the airwaves, Segal turned his attention to political circles, using his burgeoning notoriety to stage uniquely crafted demonstrations, such as chaining himself to a Christmas tree in Philadelphia
“I wanted to show young gay people how our community got the rights that we have today. It wasn’t writing letters or visiting Congresspeople. Many of us got arrested, received death threats, were targets of physical violence. It was a rough ride getting to where we are today. It wasn’t, ‘One, two, three. We’re there.’ Any social-justice movement takes a lot of work and a lot of time.” For Segal, much of that work in the past four decades was focused on getting Philadelphia Gay News off the ground. “And Then I Danced” traces the history of the
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
PAGE 39
HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIRECTORY
E D E K N E TL A OT P S LIT M L A A Spend as little as $50 a week when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks. Make your voice heard to a target audience with higher than average disposable income.
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SEGAL STORMS “THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW” (LEFT) AND AS A GUEST ON “THE PHIL DONAHUE SHOW”
City Hall and throwing a faux reception in the office of then-District Attorney Arlen Specter to thank him for his support for gay-rights legislation — which he had not yet offered. Segal said it’s those kinds of actions that are needed to enliven the LGBT community’s modern political activism. “We need that spark of creativity and fun again. Gay liberation can be fun,” he said. “We have to get away from the Internet and the online petitions and start doing things to get people’s attention. Our leaders are stuck in this quagmire because they’re used to being in suits and ties in offices in New York and Washington, D.C., and not out among people. We need to think outside the box. Be nonviolent, but think outside the box.” Creativity needs to be paired with tenacity, Segal noted; another message he hopes readers, especially of the younger generation, take away from his book.
publication, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, from its meager beginnings in a building with no plumbing and a leaky roof, where staffers would use quarters from the newspaper boxes for lunches, to a 2014 awards dinner where it received a national award for its investigative series on the murder of a local transgender woman. Exploring such transitions through the writing process, Segal said, was eye-opening. “I encourage anybody, whether you publish it or not, to write your own memoir. You learn so much about yourself,” he said. “It sounds strange, but I don’t think I had an appreciation for what I’ve accomplished until I read the finished book. This made me look back. I didn’t realize all the issues I was involved in, and how much change they had made over the years. I’m just beginning to get in touch with my own history. And I’m finding out I’m a different person than I thought I was.” n
ASYLUM from page 22
She said AsylumConnect is important because it gives agency to an oppressed population. “It’s important to me to develop models of care that directly empower and directly involve the individuals you’re serving,” she said. Matthew Keating, the youngest member of AsylumConnect, works as the director of partnerships while he studies in Belgium during a gap year before college. He is gay and has worked with political campaigns, nonprofits and the International Youth Council, part of the Youth Assembly at the United Nations. Keating reaches out to other nonprofits that focus on asylum seekers and refugees to see how AsylumConnect can work with them. He also emails resource organizations in the catalogue to verify that they are LGBT-friendly. “I’ve realized how small the world is in terms of how the LGBT community helps each other,” said Keating, who noted he runs across the same individuals and organizations whenever he researches resources. “It’s nice to see how far-reaching our efforts are.” For more information, visit www.asylumconnect. org. n
501c3. Buckley said the team is considering whether to function as a full nonprofit or a hybrid. Tiff Lu, software developer, met Sgarro and Abdullaev at Alpha Phi Omega. She identifies as pansexual and is heavily involved in LGBT advocacy at Penn. Her thesis focuses on social-impact technology. Lu works on user experience and web development for AsylumConnect. Some of her goals for the project include creating a mobile app, offering the ability to search resources with multiple tags and a chat client. Lu expects a redesigned version of the website to launch in the new year. Emma Biegacki, director of catalogue, has a background in cultural and medical anthropology. She studied in the same academic program as Sgarro. Biegacki developed interview questions for asylum seekers to help improve AsylumConnect. She wants to ask asylum seekers what tools are useful for them and if the website should use more visual or cross-language symbols. She will work with the team to conduct interviews starting in November. Biegacki works in HIV/AIDS care in Philadelphia.
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PGN
Classifieds All real-estate advertising is subject to Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). PGN will not knowingly accept any real-
estate advertising that is in violation of any applicable law. 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.
Real Estate Sale
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Can You Dig It? Heavy Equipment Operator Career! We Offer Training and Certifications Running Bulldozers, Backhoes, and Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement. VA Benefits Eligible! 1-866-362-6497. ________________________________________39-40 SALES Make your own schedule. Commission Based Sales Program. Self-Starter, Motivated, Experience in Advertising Sales a plus. Send Resume to jobs@pa-news.org. No phone calls please! ________________________________________39-40 Werner Enterprises is HIRING! Dedicated, Regional, & OTR opportunities! Need your CDL? 4 wk training avail! Don’t wait, call today to get started! 866-494-8633. ________________________________________39-40 Drivers – No experience? Some or LOTS of experience? Let’s Talk! No matter what stage in your career, its time, call Central Refrigerated Home. (888) 673-0801 www. CentralTruckDrivingJobs.com ________________________________________39-40
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Roommates SHARE HOME, PRIVATE ROOM GM couple seeks RM. 3 BR home in Manayunk. Steps to Main St. & all pub. trans. W/D, D/W, G/D, new hdwd flrs, 1.5 BA, updated kit. Must love dogs. $695 incl. all uitils, cable & internet. Furnished if needed. Rhett, 267-688-1946. ____________________________________________39-39 OLNEY SHARE 2 rooms avail. W/D, large kit, LR, DR, sunporch. $400/mo. incl utils. 215-316-0437. ____________________________________________39-42
Help Wanted Can You Dig It? Heavy Equipment Operator Career! We Offer Training and Certifications Running Bulldozers, Backhoes, and Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement. VA Benefits Eligible! 1-866-362-6497. ________________________________________39-40 SALES Make your own schedule. Commission Based Sales Program. Self-Starter, Motivated, Experience in Advertising Sales a plus. Send Resume to jobs@pa-news.org. No phone calls please! ________________________________________39-40 Werner Enterprises is HIRING! Dedicated, Regional, & OTR opportunities! Need your CDL? 4 wk training avail! Don’t wait, call today to get started! 866-494-8633. ________________________________________39-40 Drivers – No experience? Some or LOTS of experience? Let’s Talk! No matter what stage in your career, its time, call Central Refrigerated Home. (888) 673-0801 www. CentralTruckDrivingJobs.com ________________________________________39-40
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PGN
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PAGE 75
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Sunday,October 10th Time: 9pm- 3am
• BuffBoyzz LIVE ENTERTAINMENT • Complimentary Food & Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & So Much More
Eating Out Should Be Fun! Read PGN’s food reviews every second and fourth week of the month - and check out our archive of past reviews on epgn.com.
WEEKLY SPECIALS:
SUNDAY RELIEF
Half Price Rooms & Lockers (6am Sunday till 8am Monday) ROOMS: Members: $12.50 and Non-Members: $22.50 LOCKERS: Members: $9.00 and Non-Members: $19.00
ROOM: $50.00 LOCKER: $30.00
MONDAY thru FRIDAY: (8am to 4pm) Business Mans Locker Special 4 hour lockers Members: $5.00 and Non-Members: $15.00
P.A.N.G. (Philadelphia Area Nudist Group)
Half Price Rooms (6am till 12 Midnight) Members: $12.50 and Non-Members: $22.50
FLAT RATE DURING PARTY NIGHTS: (Standard Club Rates & Specials Not Effective During Party Nights)
Sunday,October 18th Time: 9pm- 3am BOYS WILL BE BOYS- AWAKEN YOUR INNER SPIRIT
WHAT TO EXPECT:
• An Afternoon of Naked Socializing • Complimentary Food & Beverages • A Full House of Guys to Choose From & Soo Much More...
TUESDAYS
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY NIGHT CRUISE $12 Flat Rate for Locker Admission & Clothing Optional (4pm-12 Midnight)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON DELIGHT 4 Hour Lockers (8am - 4pm) Members: $5.00 and Non-Members: $15.00
Check out our website for our WEEKLY SPECIALS & JOIN OUR e-mail List to get the latest information on upcoming events....
www.sansomstreetgym.com
BIGGER, BETTER & MORE ENTERTAINING EVENTS...
PGN
Religion/Spirituality Arch Street United Methodist Church Services 8:30 and 11 a.m. at 55 N. Broad St.; youth/adult Sunday school at 9:30 a.m.; 5:30 p.m. prayer service; 215-568-6250. Bethlehem-Judah Ministries Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 5091 N. Dupont Hwy., Suite D, Dover, Del.; 302-750-4045.
Metropolitan Community Church of Christ the Liberator Holds services 10:45 a.m. Sundays at the Pride Center of New Jersey; 732-823-2193, mccctl.com. Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia Services 1 p.m. Sundays at the University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, 3637 Chestnut St.; 215-294-2020, www.mccphiladelphia. com.
BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Church Services 10:15 a.m. at 2040 Street Road, Warrington; 215-343-0406.
Old First Reformed Church Open and affirming United Church worships at 11 a.m., summer services at 10 a.m, at 151 N. Fourth St.; 215-922-4566, www. oldfirstucc.org.
Calvary United Methodist Church Reconciling, welcoming and affirming church holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 801 S. 48th St.; 215-724-1702.
Penns Park United Methodist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-598-7601.
Central Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:45 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m, at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610688-0664.
Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral Progressive and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays with Holy Eucharist at 3723 Chestnut St.; 215-386-0234, www. philadelphiacathedral.org.
Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church Services 11 a.m. and Spirit at Play, an arts-based Sunday school for children, 9:30 a.m. at 8812 Germantown Ave.; 215-242-9321.
Rainbow Buddhist Meditation Group Meets 5 p.m. Sundays at William Way.
Church of the Crucifixion Inclusive Episcopal community holds services 10 a.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Fridays at 620 S. Eighth St.; 215-922-1128.
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting worships 11 a.m., summer services 10 a.m, Sundays at 1515 Cherry St.; 215-241-7000, cpmm@ afsc.org.
Church of the Holy Trinity Inclusive church holds services 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 1904 Walnut St.; 215-567-1267.
Resurrection Lutheran Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays at 620 Welsh Road, Horsham; 215-6462597.
Congregation Rodeph Shalom Shabbat services every Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 10:45 a.m. at 615 N. Broad St. ; 215-627-6747.
Silverside Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays followed by a group discussion at 2800 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Del.; 302-478-5921, silversidechurch. org.
Dignity Jersey Shore An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets the first Saturday of the month in Asbury Park; 732-502-0305. Dignity Metro NJ An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets 4 p.m. the first and third Sundays of the month at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood; 973-509-0118. Dignity Philadelphia Holds Mass 7 p.m. Sundays at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-546-2093, dignityphila@aol.com. Drexel Hill Baptist Church Nonjudgmental Christian congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the USA holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 4400 State Road, Drexel Hill; 610-259-2356, www.dhbaptist.com. Emanuel Lutheran Church Reconciling in Christ congregation meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m., New and Kirkpatrick streets, New Brunswick, N.J.; 732-545-2673; www.emmanuelnb.org.
St. Asaph’s Church Inclusive and progressive Episcopal church holds services 8 and 10 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd; 610-664-0966, www.saintasaphs.org. St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; 215-646-2451, www.stjohnsambler.org. St. Luke and The Epiphany Church Open and welcoming church holds fall liturgy 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays, summer sevices 10 a.m., at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-732-1918, stlukeandtheepiphany.org. St. Mary of Grace Parish Inclusive church in the Catholic tradition celebrates Mass 6 p.m. Sundays in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media; 610-566-1393, www.inclusivecatholics. org.
Evangelicals Concerned Lesbian and gay Christian counseling; 215-860-7445.
St. Mary’s Church Diverse and inclusive Episcopal church celebrates the Eucharist 11 a.m. Sundays at 3916 Locust Walk; 215-386-3916; www. stmarysatpenn.org.
First Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds prayer services 10:30 a.m. Sundays and community worship 11:30 a.m. at 123 S. 17th St.; 215563-3853.
St. Paul Episcopal Church Welcoming and inclusive church holds services 9:30 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 89 Pinewood Drive, Levittown; 215-688-1796, www.stpaullevittown.org.
First Baptist Church of Moorestown Welcoming and affirming congregation holds Bible study and discussion at 9 a.m. Sundays and worship services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 19 W. Main St., Moorestown, N.J.; 856-235-1180; www. fbcmoorestown.org; info@fbcmoorestown.org.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Welcoming and diverse congregation with numerous outreach and fellowship groups holds services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday at Third and Pine streets; 215-925-5968; www.stpetersphila.org.
First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne Welcoming church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 140 N. Lansdowne Ave.; 610-622-0800; www.lansdownepresbyterian-church. com. First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia A liberal, welcoming and diverse congregation that affirms the dignity of all. Sunday services at 10 a.m., 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-563-3980, www.firstuu-philly.org. The First United Methodist Church of Germantown A sexual-minority-affirming congregation holds services at 10 a.m., summer services 11 a.m., Sundays, with lunch to follow, at 6001 Germantown Ave.; 215-438-3077, www.fumcog.org. Grace Epiphany Church A welcoming and diverse Episcopal congregation in Mt. Airy with services 9:30 a.m. Sundays at 224 E. Gowen Ave.; 215-248-2950, www.grace-epi.org. Holy Communion Lutheran Church ELCA Reconciling in Christ congregation worships 9 a.m. Sundays at 2111 Sansom St. and 11 a.m. at 2110 Chestnut St. in the main sanctuary; 215-567-3668, www.lc-hc.org. Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church Sexual-minority congregation worships at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 1223 Middletown Road (Route 352), Glen Mills; 610-358-1716, www. ImagoDeiMCC.org. Living Water United Church of Christ An open and affirming congregation that meets for worship 11 a.m. on Sundays at 6250 Loretto Ave.; 267-388-6081, www.lwucc.org. Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist synagogue committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community meets at Calvary Center, 801 S. 48th St.; 215764-6364, www.kol-tzedek.org. Mainline Unitarian Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon; 610-688-8332, www.mluc.org. Maple Shade Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ Affirming congregation open to all sexual orientations and gender identities holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 45 N. Forklanding Road, Maple Shade, N.J.; 856-779-7739, mapleshadeucc.org.
Tabernacle United Church Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 3700 Chestnut St.; 215-386-4100, tabunited.org. Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church Sunday worship with nursery care, 10:30 a.m. and fourth Thursday of the month contemporary worship with Communion at 7 p.m. at 2212 Spruce St.; 215-732-2515, trinityphiladelphia.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County Welcoming congregation holds services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 10:30 a.m., at 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media. Interweave, a group for LGBT parishioners and allies, meets 12:30 p.m. the third Sunday of the month and holds a potluck brunch 12:30 p.m. the first Sunday of the month; 610-566-4853. www.uucdc.org. Unitarian Society of Germantown Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 6511 Lincoln Drive; 215-844-1157, www.usguu.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill Services 10:15 a.m. Interweave, a group of LGBT Unitarians and their allies, meets at 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; 856-6673618, uucch.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration Welcoming congregation holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 6900 Stenton Ave.; 215-247-2561, www.uurestoration.us. Unitarian Universalist Congregation, South Jersey Shore Services 10 a.m. Sundays in Galloway Township; 609-965-9400, www.uucsjs.org. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown Services 10:30 a.m. at 1565 S. Keim St.; 610-327-2662, www. uupottstown.org. United Christian Church Open, affirming and welcoming congregation holds services 10:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown; 215-946-6800. Unity Fellowship Church of Philadelphia Diverse, affirming LGBT congregation holds services 2 p.m. Sundays at 55 N. Broad St.; 215-240-6106. University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 3637 Chestnut St. preceded by “Adult Forum: Sundays” at 9:30 a.m.; 215387-2885, www.uniphila.org.
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
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Community Bulletin Board Community centers
■ The Attic Youth Center 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331, atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 4-8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday. ■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St., 215-898-5044, center@dolphin. upenn.edu. Regular hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. MondayThursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
■ ActionAIDS: 215-981-0088
■ Rainbow Room: Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065, rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. Activities held 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays.
■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220, www.waygay.org. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday-Friday Library: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Volunteers: New Orientation, first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.
Key numbers
■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377
■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org
■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221
■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378
■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 n The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 215-496-0330
■ LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK ■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBT-LAW; Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658 ■ Office of LGBT Affairs — Director Nellie Fitzpatrick: 215-6860330; helen.fitzpatrick@phila.gov
■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel: 215-6863318 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686 (Rick Lombardo); ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288 ■ 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)
■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833 ■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670
Health
Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 216 W. Somerset St.; 215-763-8870. ActionAIDS Provides a range of programs for people affected by HIV/ AIDS, including case management, prevention, testing and education services at 1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088, www. actionaids.org. GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-851-1822 or 866-222-3871, www.galaei.org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays (walk-in) and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays (by appointment) at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215685-1821. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite
■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia Board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; free referral service at 215-6279090, www.galloplaw.org. ■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly busi-
108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-586-9077. Mazzoni Center LGBTQ counseling and behavioral health services, HIV/ AIDS care and services, 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, as well as youth drop-in (ages 14-24) 5-7p.m. Wednesdays; 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Philadelphia FIGHT Comprehensive AIDS service organization providing primary care, consumer education, advocacy and research on potential treatments and vaccines; 1233 Locust St.; 215985-4448; www.fight.org. Washington West Project of Mazzoni Center Free, rapid HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 pm. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.
Professional groups nesses and professionals; 215557-0190, www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com. ■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgja.org/ philly; philly@nlgja.org.
■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus Regional organization dedicated to promoting LGBT tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region, meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; 215-8402039, www.philadelphiagaytourism.com.
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 9-15, 2015
PGN
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