PGN Oct. 28-Nov.3, 2016 by The Philadelphia Gay News

pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976

Sen. Farnese calls for indictment dismissal PAGE 2

Vol. 40 No. 44 Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2016

LGBT History Month

Arson at New Orleans’ Up Stairs Lounge PAGE 17

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM

LGBT youth homeless shelter to break ground

Reader survey

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SPECIAL SECTION ON LGBT AGING PAGES 28-35

Community comes together for historic hearing on racism By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The emotion was palpable from every one of the 28 speakers who took the microphone at a historic hearing on racism in the LGBT community Tuesday night. Some speakers were angry, others visibly upset as they shared stories of being marginalized by local bars, businesses, government entities and nonprofits because of the color of their skin. Each speaker at the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations hearing had a unique story, but many shared a common message: that the time for community action to address racism was long overdue. Longtime activist Tyrone Smith said he’s recently had to talk about racism with his great-nephew, also a community member. “This is insane to me,” he said. “I’m old; I’m in my 70s. To have to confront this again in my life when I’ve lived through the dog-biting days, when I’ve lived through the two bathrooms — I’ll be damned if I want to see it again.” Smith’s address brought many in the standingroom-only crowd of about 200 to their feet. The room was full 20 minutes before the hearing started,

prompting organizers to open two overflow rooms where attendees watched the hearing live on projectors. Civil Affairs estimated about 375 people attended overall, said Rue Landau, PCHR executive director. There was a terse exchange between audience members and PCHR chair Thomas Earle after he told them they should have arrived earlier to not have to contend with police who were stopping attendees from entering after the room reached its occupancy limit. Once the meeting got underway, however, the floor was turned over to the community; only a few of the approximately 35 speakers who registered to speak weren’t able to do so due to time constraints. The hearing was convened following a series of allegations of racist nightlife policies in the Gayborhood, like dress codes and hiring practices — an issue fueled by a video of ICandy owner Darryl DePiano using racist language. DePiano was in attendance at the hearing. Several speakers directed their comments to ICandy. “ICandy, you already should pack,” said Asa Khalif, head of the Pennsylvania chapter of Black Lives Matter. “We are going to hit you economically. We’re going to continue to boycott PAGE 12

WORDS AND ACTION: Tyrone Smith gave an impassioned address about his experiences with racism in his decades as an activist. Smith was one of 28 people who testified at a Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations hearing Tuesday about racism in the LGBT community. For more coverage, see pages 12-13. Photo: Scott A. Drake

VP nominee Sen. Tim Kaine: Equality Act a ‘priority’ for Clinton administration In an exclusive interview with PGN, U.S. Sen. Tim Kane, the Democratic nominee for vice president, recently shared his views on LGBT issues and what his position in a Clinton Administration might look like. This Oct. 21 interview started out addressing my conversation with Kaine at the Democratic National Convention the night he was officially nominated. TK: I am surprised I was even capable of delivering a coherent sentence that evening, I had so much adrenaline in my body. PGN: You looked like the happiest of warriors I’ve ever seen. Explain to me the process of elected officials evolving on LGBT issues over the years, particularly yourself. TK: I’ll make it personal since I can tell my story better than others. I’m pretty

religious — I take my Catholicism pretty seriously — but I’m a civil-rights lawyer too. I’m really committed to equality. For a long time, I was battling for equality for LGBT folks in the workplace and housing and hate crimes, but I had the more traditional view about marriage. That didn’t cause me any real cognitive dissonance, I just thought, you know, well, marriage is different. In my state, I was lieutenant governor, which meant president of the Senate. It was 2004 and my legislature decided — it was a Republican legislature — to do one of the marriage amendments in the Virginia Constitution. As the Republicans were putting it together, I remember having conversations with some of them, and I didn’t like the way they drafted it. I was sort of sympathetic to some of it, but it was just so over the top. I remember making suggestions to them about what I thought they could do to make it a little more humane. What they told me was one of two things: Some of

them said, “Look, the goal here is we want to make Virginia really hostile to LGBT folks so they won’t come to Virginia.” That was shocking to me that they would be that blunt with me. But then the other one that might have been even more disappointing to me was, I had colleagues who would say, “Yeah, you’re right. This really sucks, but if we do this we can earn some credit

President: Hillary Clinton

with our base and they’ll let us do some more moderate or progressive things on other issues like funding higher education and stuff.” I was like, “Wow, so you’re really just going to just treat this group of people as your castoffs and if you can kick them around for a while, maybe you can do somebody else some good?” That really started my transition. PAGE 21

Endorsements

U.S. Senate: Katie McGinty Congress First Dist.: Bob Brady Second Dist.: Dwight Evans Seventh Dist.: Mary Ellen Balchunis 13th Dist.: Brendan Boyle PA Attorney General: Josh Shapiro PA Auditor General: Eugene DePasquale PA Treasurer: Joe Torsella

By Mark Segal mark@epgn.com

State House 152nd Dist.: Albert DerMovsesian 154th Dist.: Steve McCarter 170th Dist.: Matthew Darragh 172nd Dist.: Kevin Boyle 177th Dist.: Joe Hohenstein 194th Dist.: Pamela Delissio 200th Dist.: Christopher Rabb State Senate Third Dist.: Sharif Street Fifth Dist.: John Sabatina Ninth Dist.: Martin Molloy

*PGN also endorses incumbent candidates without a general-election opponent: state Reps. Mike O’Brien (175th), W. Curtis Thomas (181st), Brian Sims (182nd), Joanna McClinton (191st) and Donna Bullock (195th), and state Sens. Larry Farnese (First) and Vincent Hughes (Seventh).

LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Sen. Farnese: Toss out my indictment By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Attorneys for embattled state Sen. Lawrence M. Farnese Jr. (D) came out swinging last week, urging a federal judge to dismiss his indictment for bribery and other alleged crimes. Farnese is accused of diverting $6,000 in campaign funds to Ellen Chapman, to secure her support for his 2011 election as Democratic leader of the Eighth Ward. The Eighth Ward is a political subdivision, largely in Center City west of Broad. It serves as a conduit to party leadership, and it’s a source of information during campaigns and elections. Chapman was an Eighth Ward committee person at the time of Farnese’s alleged donation to her daughter’s college fund. Farnese and Chapman are accused of violating state and federal laws relating to bribery, fraud and conspiracy. But in Oct. 21 defense briefs, attorneys for both defendants urged U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe to dismiss their indictments as meritless. According to Farnese’s brief, he has a right to spend his campaign funds as he sees fit, within reason. Securing his election as ward leader helped him win re-election as a state senator. Thus, his donation to Chapman was reasonable and legal. “This case, as described in the indictment, involves nothing more than routine internal party affairs,” attorneys stated in Farnese’s brief. “The federal government shouldn’t be deciding what’s in the best

interest of the ward.” Moreover, Farnese’s donation to Chapman was fully compliant with state laws, the attorneys wrote: “Pennsylvania has its own system for regulating campaign finance law, which not only fully regulates the type of activity here, but permits it.” The brief goes on to accuse the federal government of overstepping its bounds. “Federal law must not be construed to criminalize local political activity that is authorized by state law,” the attorneys

“Pennsylvania has its own system for regulating campaign finance law, which not only fully regulates the type of activity here, but permits it.” wrote. “Federal intervention [in this case] is unacceptable overreaching and violates established principles of federalism.” Chapman echoed Farnese’s position, stating in a brief: “[T]he federal government has no business meddling in private parties’ internal affairs.” Additionally, Chapman contends that the government failed to “create a reasonable probability” that she engaged in any criminal wrongdoing. Both Farnese and Chapman stated that the government hasn’t produced evidence indicating Eighth Ward members felt cheated or deprived due to Farnese’s

donation to Chapman. “[T]he court should reject the government’s effort to impose its own sense of morality upon the inner workings of local ward politics,” attorneys for Farnese stated. Mark B. Sheppard, an attorney for Farnese, issued this statement: “The filing is the first opportunity Sen. Farnese has had to detail to the court why the prosecution’s case is not only a novel reading of the law — it is an incorrect one. As there is no allegation government money was involved, or that Sen. Farnese in any way misused his office or title or that he misled anyone about the purpose of the donation, the prosecutors’ case seeks to extend the reach of prosecutors well beyond accepted constitutional grounds and into areas of purely local party organizational politics. We believe the case should be dismissed with prejudice, immediately. And if for some reason it is not, we remain confident Sen. Farnese will be completely exonerated.” Peter Carr, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice, declined to comment. Attorneys for Chapman couldn’t be reached for comment. Farnese has been a strong advocate for LGBT rights. In 2014, he sent a letter to District Attorney Seth Williams and then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane, urging a new probe of the Nizah Morris incident. He’s also co-prime sponsor of the Senate version of the Pennsylvania Fairness Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. n

Emails raise questions about Morris records By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Prior to issuing their 2013 report on the Nizah Morris incident, members of the city’s Police Advisory Commission were assured they had access to all Morris 911 recordings at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. But documents obtained by PGN suggest that might not have been so. Morris was an AfricanAmerican trans woman found with a fatal head wound in 2002, shortly after entering a police vehicle in the Gayborhood for a “courtesy ride.” Her homicide remains unsolved. In the fall of 2011, the D.A.’s Office sent multiple emails to a PAC attorney, insisting the agency didn’t have any 911 recordings for the Morris incident. At the time, the PAC was in its eighth year of reviewing the Morris case. The PAC already had issued a discredited Morris

report in 2007, and wanted to be sure its follow-up report was based on all available Morris records. In an email dated Oct. 4, 2011, a D.A. staffer wrote: “The only thing[s] I cannot get clearance to show the PAC are the internal legal memos which reflect legal judgments and opinions.” The email went on to specifically deny having Morris 911 recordings. “As to videos, recordings or transcripts thereof, this was the subject of prior litigation with a [PGN] reporter. We do not have any recordings, videos or transcripts in the file,” the D.A. staffer wrote. On Nov. 3, 2011, the D.A. staffer sent another email, stating: “[T]o answer an earlier question, we are not in possession of any 911 materials, tapes, transcripts, etc.” A few weeks later, a D.A. staffer sent a third email on the subject. “We have ripped the entire file apart, yet again,

and have found no 911 transcripts,” the staffer wrote. “I will reconfirm now that the PAC has viewed our entire file. The only thing removed from our file for the PAC’s review were the internal confidential legal memoranda amongst DAO personnel. We do not have transcripts in our file. If we had them, we would tell you we had them. We do not.” But the file that was searched not only didn’t contain any 911 recordings, it didn’t contain any police-department records whatsoever. A list of items in the file was distributed at a public PAC meeting. All of the items originated at the D.A.’s Office, with the sole exception of Morris’ autopsy report, which originated at the medical examiner’s office. Some PAC members knew the D.A.’s Office had a transcript of partial Morris 911 recordings supplied by PGN in 2009. The D.A.’s Office seemingly kept the transcript in a

separate file; when confronted with that information, the D.A. staffer belatedly offered to provide a copy to the PAC. At their January 2012 public meeting, PAC members expressed a desire for a copy of the transcript, and subsequently concluded they had access to all Morris 911 recordings at the D.A.’s Office. PGN currently has an open-records request with the D.A.’s Office for a certified copy of its Morris 911 recordings. The paper contends the office hasn’t provided all responsive records in its possession. As of presstime, the request was under review by the state Office of Open Records. The PAC’s 2013 Morris report, which called for state and federal probes of the case, commended D.A. Seth Williams for cooperating with the PAC’s request for Morris records. But it remains to be seen whether the acknowledgement was warranted. n

News Briefing

Sanctions hearing set for Judge Segal A sanctions hearing has been tentatively scheduled for next month in the case of Municipal Court Judge Dawn A. Segal. She’s accused of engaging in improper conversations with another judge about court cases pending before her. Segal, who’s been suspended without pay since February, faces discipline ranging from a reprimand to permanent removal from the bench. In 2011-12, Segal discussed three cases pending before her with then-Municipal Court Judge Joseph C. Waters. Segal allegedly was influenced by those discussions to rule in accordance with Waters’ expectations. The state Court of Judicial Discipline recently found her liable for several ethics violations. A hearing to determine Segal’s discipline is set for 2 p.m. Nov. 21 in Commonwealth Court Courtroom 5001, Fifth Floor, Pennsylvania Judicial Center, 601 Commonwealth Ave. in Harrisburg. The public is permitted to attend. Attorneys for Segal had no comment for this update.

Fundraiser set for AIDS Law Project Boo!, an annual Halloween party sponsored by the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, will be held 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at Bahdeebahdu in Old City. The event will include a three-course dinner, accompanied by fine wines. At 8:30 p.m., a dance party will be held. “Boo! is a great party that keeps getting better,” said Ronda B. Goldfein, executive director of the law project. “Some of our favorite Philly-based artists will be performing throughout the evening, including Brian Sanders’ JUNK, Miss Finesse Ross, Gunnar Montana, John Jarboe and Heath Allen of Bearded Ladies Cabaret and DJ Sharyn Stone.” Goldfein said the event supports a worthy cause. “All year long, the AIDS Law Project provides vital legal services for people living with HIV and AIDS. This party is an opportunity to support those efforts, have fun and wear a costume.” Tickets may be purchased for the entire event, or simply for the dance party. For more information, go to http://www.aidslawpa.org/boo-2016. n — Timothy Cwiek

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

News & Opinion

2 — News Briefing 7 — Crime Watch 10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Op-Ed Mark My Words Street Talk

Columns

14 — Mombian: A mother’s letter 14 — On Being Well: One-on-one health support

Arts & Culture 37 39 40 43 44 46

OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Dilworth Plaza was transformed into a powerful art and social-justice exhibit Oct. 20. Cardboard cutouts representing the 546 youth who had to be turned away from Covenant House because of a lack of beds last year dotted the courtyard around City Hall. The exhibit, “Am I Cut Out,” was meant to shine a light on the epidemic of youth homelessness. LGBT youth are at particular risk for unstable housing. Photo: Scott A. Drake

— Feature: Tegan and Sara — Family Portrait — Out & About — Scene in Philly — Comic — Q Puzzle

“Incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey has never been a friend to the LGBT community; by removing him from office, we can ensure another voice of fairness in the U.S. Senate, whose support could help advance legislation like the Equality Act, which would federally ban LGBT discrimination.” ~ Editorial, page 10

Out & About Thinking Queerly Dining Out Film Reviews Street Talk Day in the Life of ... Crossword Queer Faith Get Out and Play Mombian Gayborhood Crime Watch Gettin’ On 40 Years Ago Mark My Words Out Money Scene In Philly Family Portrait News Briefing Editorial Which parts of PGN are your favorites? Answer our survey through Dec. 7 and you could win a $100 gift card! PAGE 15

Vying for the title Creep of the Year, the Donald is once again Creep of the Week.

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Candidate interviews are a staple in an election year. Katie McGinty kicks off the Q&A in our election coverage.

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LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Spring groundbreaking planned for pioneering youth-housing building By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com

Sister Mary Scullion, executive director of Project HOME, thanked the local, state and federal officials who supported The sun shone brightly on a parking lot the project. State Rep. Dwight Evans and in North Philadelphia Oct. 21 as Gov. Tom U.S. Sen. Bob Casey also attended the cerWolf announced a $3-million investment emony announcing the state’s investment. from the state for a 30-unit affordable-hous- “We’re so grateful to the commonwealth ing complex that will offer LGBT-friendly to make projects like this possible, to provide young people with the foundation that residency for young adults. The money came through the they can engage in health care, education Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance and employment and move to become future leaders of our community,” Scullion Capital Program. “The reason RCAPs exist is to make said. “We fully expect that all the young Pennsylvania better,” Wolf said. “This is people who will live in this project and an investment. This is not a gift. It’s not all the projects of Project HOME will be a contribution. It’s an investment. This the future leaders of our community. They investment is going to make Philadelphia will be our next elected officials, our next nonprofit leaders and our next corporate better.” Project HOME and the Middleton philanthropists.” Partnership will develop the lot at 1315 N. Scullion introduced one young person Eighth St. Groundbreaking will take place from Project HOME to share his story: in April 2017 with construction expected Joseph Tindell English. to conclude 17 months later. The four-story Dressed in a sharp vest and navy bowtie, the 22-year-old talked about the personal importance of The Attic, the Washington West Project at Mazzoni and The COLOURS Organization. “I was blessed to have them inside my life, to guide me, to put knowledge inside of me, to let me know that I am more than what people think I am,” English said. He talked about seeing some of his peers struggle with homelessness in the Gayborhood. “We’re trying to make it,” SISTER MARY SCULLION OF PROJECT HOME, English said. “We’re trying ALONG WITH LOCAL AND FEDERAL ELECTED to become something.” OFFICIALS, ANNOUNCED A NEW LGBT-FRIENDLY He added it’s tough to susYOUTH-HOUSING COMPLEX OCT. 21 tain a living on the minimum Photo: Paige Cooperstein wage of $7.25 per hour. It necessitates young people building will have more than 36,500 square to have several jobs while trying to go to feet. Each unit will have one bedroom. school and lead happy lives, he said. There will also be laundry and exercise English called the project on North rooms in addition to a community space Eighth Street “truly a blessing.” that will open to an outdoor courtyard for “To have this opportunity for new housing [for] the LGB community, for the trans art events and other public programs. Mel Heifetz, an LGBT philanthropist community, this is amazing for someone to and real-estate mogul, was credited for his actually believe in us,” he said. The total projected cost for the building advice as the project developed. In May, Project HOME and the will be just over $13 million. In addition Middleton Partnership opened another to the state funding, $4.7 million comes affordable housing complex in Chinatown from low-income-housing tax credits, $3.5 that included six units specifically for million from the Philadelphia Department LGBT people. The building on North of Housing and Community Development Eighth Street represents the first time and $1.8 million from Project HOME. LGBT-friendliness will be at the heart of “This is the ultimate public-private partsuch a development. Project HOME partnership,” Sen. Casey said. He thanked nered with The Attic Youth Center and the those involved for “bringing a lot of light Mazzoni Center to link those ages 18-24 to the darkness of homelessness.” with services. Other in-house programs A second $14-million phase will add a will support LGBT youth, which Project nother building to the complex, with 40 HOME staff noted is the fastest-growing units for young adults and adults, not necessarily who identify as LGBT. n segment of the homeless population.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

LOCAL PGN

PHL Diversity panel offers tips for corporations starting employee-resource groups By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com

BEST FOOT FORWARD: About 20 people donned high heels and raced through New Hope in hilarious fashion last weekend. The annual High Heel Race Oct. 23 drew about 2,000 spectators, as contestants wobbled and weaved down Mechanic Street to raise funds for New Hope Celebrates. An after-party was held at Logan Inn, and an after-after-party at The Raven. Guests in town for the event were able to stop in at the pop-up Retro-Scope exhibit featuring archival material about the town’s LGBT history. The exhibit will be accessible at 34 S. Main St. through Oct. 29. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Since the 1920s, PPL Electric Utilities has flown four flags: for the United States, Pennsylvania, Allentown and the company. But after the June 12 mass shooting at an LGBT club in Orlando, members of Fuse, an LGBT employee-resource group at PPL, and others also wanted to fly the rainbow flag. “We had a little resistance,” said Cynthia Gold, director of corporate human resources for PPL. “The thought was, We’ve never flown another flag. Well, just because we never have, doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t.” She added, “We built a business case for why it matters. And for the first time ever, we flew a different flag.” The June story of PPL hanging the rainbow flag made it into Lehigh Valley news media and onto the Facebook page of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown. “Within 30 minutes, we had

3,000 hits and 200 positive comments,” Gold said. “It not only impacted us. It impacted our business and our customers.” She shared that story Oct. 18 as part of a panel on “The Business Value of Diversity and Inclusion,” presented by the Center City Proprietors Association and PHL Diversity. More than 50 people attended the event at the National Liberty Museum in Old City. Various chambers of commerce from Philadelphia participated, including the African American Chamber, Asian American Chamber, Hispanic Chamber and the Independence Business Alliance. Gold spoke alongside Jamar J. L. Johnson, manager of HR Systems at Comcast; Elizabeth A. Morrison, global director of workforce diversity and inclusion at Campbell Soup Company; and Rosa Torres, an IT senior business consultant at Aramark and part of the leadership at the company’s Impacto Hispanic Employee Resource

Group. Greg DeShields, executive director of PHL Diversity at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, moderated. The panelists offered tips for starting and maintaining employee-resource groups, or employee-led organizations that focus on specific demographics or interests. PPL has nine of these groups, Comcast has eight, Campbell has nine and Aramark has seven. Groups for women and AfricanAmericans were often the first formed. When Gold started working with employee-resource groups, she said many saw them more as social clubs and she wanted to emphasize the potential to drive business value. Members of PPL employee resource groups have since become active in science, technology, engineering and math programs at local schools to help engage with a diverse pipeline of talent. They’re also helping the company redesign its customer portal to best serve all users. PAGE 7

Local Pride. Community Proud.

Spending time in Philly’s Gayborhood? So are we! Learn more and connect with AARP at local events. If you think we only offer access to discounts, you’re missing out. From Pride Fest to Philadelphia Outfest, to networking events and educational summits, AARP is here talking about issues that it believes are important to the LGBT community. Discover the difference AARP can make in your life. AARP helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities, and fights for issues that matter most to families— such as health care, employment and income security, and protection from financial abuse. To learn more about what AARP is doing, right here in Philadelphia, visit aarp.org/pa.

Real Possibilities is a trademark of AARP.

PGNON LGBT AGING SPECIAL SECTION

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Aging-services organizations can be out and proud, too! By LaTierra S. Piphus Many organizations that serve older adults have started to make a greater effort to reach LGBTQ elders and to create spaces that are welcoming to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. But how would anyone know you’re a safe space if you don’t show and tell them? Don’t downplay the importance of proudly displaying your LGBTQ-inclusivity to incoming seniors of all backgrounds. Some agencies may experience some apprehension that displaying their LGBTQ cultural competence may “scare off all the straight people.” But in that case, ask yourself and your organization if you’re more concerned with making straight and cisgender folks [remain] comfortable, than with ensuring there is a safe and non-discriminatory environment for your LGBTQ participants? Becoming a safe space is an entire culture shift for not just your frontline staff or administration, but the entire organization. Sure, this process takes courage and perseverance, but that is the point. There is no room for partial investments here. You have to be fully invested and genuine from the beginning. The following list outlines some steps that organizations can take toward becoming more culturally competent. These are also some questions that LGBTQ elders may want to consider when selecting an agency from which to receive services. 1. Has your staff been trained? The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging offers wonderful comprehensive trainings for aging-services providers to gain cultural competencies on working with seniors of all sexual orientations and gender identities. It provides a national network of trainers who can work with your organization to prepare your staff to better serve LGBTQ older adults. More information on these trainings is available at www.lgbtagingcenter.org/training. MEDICARE 800-633-4227 www.medicare.gov Social Security 800-772-1213 www.ssa.gov Housing John C. Anderson LGBTfriendly senior apartments (877) 480-4930 pennrose.com/properties/ john-c-Anderson-apartments/

2. Are you using inclusive language in your organization’s documents? On any intake forms or documents where seniors share their contact information or names of next of kin, make sure your gender category includes more than just woman/man or female/male. Including terminology like transgender/gender-nonconforming or leaving a blank space for someone to write in their gender will leave room for people to identify as they see fit. Also, replacing gendered language to terms like “partner,” “significant other” or “spouse” instead of “husband” or “wife” will show that you don’t assume everyone is in a traditionally heteronormative relationship and that you recognize all commitments. A great resource on this is SAGE’s “Inclusive Questions for Older Adults: A Practical Guide to Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” which can be found online. 3. Are you verbalizing your inclusive language? Don’t limit your inclusive language to just your walls or forms. Normalizing this language will help others at your agency speak about these subjects as well. Speaking openly about LGBTQ issues and using inclusive language in daily interactions will help to signal that your organization is a supportive place for LGBTQ folks. When engaging in conversation, ask for people’s gender pronouns and partnerships in a neutral way. For example, instead of asking about a person’s husband or wife, you can ask them who the important people in their life are. This leaves room for them to share what they feel comfortable sharing. 4. Do your promotional materials include LGBTQ people? Does your agency have decorative photos or brochures in your common areas? If there are couples featured in those materials, make sure some of them are same-sex couples. This is an easy way to model that you recognize more than just traditional heteronormative rela-

Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission 215-686-4670 www.phila.gov/fairhousing/ Senior housing counselors funded by the Office of Housing & Community Development Philadelphia Senior Center - 215-546-5879 Journey’s Way - 215-4871750 Center in the Park – 215848-7722

You can find additional resources and services for LGBT older adults at www.lgbtelderinitiative. org. To contribute additional resources, email info@lgbtei.org or call 215-720-9415.

tionships. Your materials should also offer visibility for transgender and gender-nonconforming seniors as well to indicate your support for people of all gender identities. 5. Are you remembering the “T” in LGBTQ? While it’s great that many organizations are becoming more welcoming of gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals, many organizations that call themselves “LGBT-friendly” are still not very open to transgender issues. LGBT Elder Initiative board member Dawn Munro, a trans activist and resident of the John C. Anderson Apartments, advises for agencies to “be intentional about including transgender folks if you’re stating that you’re LGBTQfriendly. Oftentimes the focus is exclusively on sexual orientation and there is no mention of gender identity or presentation at all.” 6. Are you offering programs and services that are specific to LGBTQ people? LGBTQ folks often benefit from programs, services and resources specifically tailored to LGBTQ elders. LGBTQ older adults experience disproportionately high rates of isolation compared to the general aging population. Helping to create structured supportive communities for LGBTQ people as they age can help to improve the overall well-being of the LGBTQ older

adults using your agency’s services. 7. What is in your nondiscrimination policy? Where is that policy displayed? Your organization surely has a nondiscrimination policy. Make sure that sexual orientation and gender identity are explicitly included. This policy shouldn’t just been written in the fine print of an employee handbook. Your nondiscrimination policy should be clearly visible to everyone who enters the doors of your organization. Have this statement displayed throughout the facility, clearly posted on walls, in seating areas, in meeting rooms and anywhere else you can post it! This reminds everyone that there is an expectation of safety and inclusivity for all persons and welcomes everyone to hold each other accountable if those policies are not followed. This list is not exhaustive, but hopefully provides some tips for making your environment as welcoming as possible. Your services will be most impactful when you have an inclusive and welcoming agency that is open and affirming to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. n LaTierra Piphus is a master of social work student at the Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work and an intern with the LGBT Elder Initiative.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

PGN LOCAL

Suburban synagogue hosts conference on gender inclusion By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com

A Montgomery County synagogue wants to help Jewish spaces become more gender-inclusive. Congregation Kol Ami, in partnership with J.Proud at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia, will host a conference with workshops offering tips for Jewish organizations to support their transgender and gender-nonconforming participants. Kindness Counts (Bet): Moving Beyond the Gender Boxes takes place from 1-5:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at Kol Ami, 8201 High School Road in Cheltenham. It’s free for people under 18, $10 for students and $15 for any other attendees. “Over the last two years in working with institutions, what I’m discovering [is] a lot of leadership at Jewish organizations feel comfortable working with LGB individuals,” said

Phoenix Schneider, director of LGBTQ initiatives at JFCS of Greater Philadelphia. “But when it comes to working with trans folks, people are really asking for more information.” The conference will include 10 workshops touching on topics from teens to elders and synagogues to summer camps. Each will be offered twice throughout the day. Rabbi Isaac Saposnik, executive director of Camp JRF in Cheltenham Township, will lead a workshop on inclusion in informal Jewish education as seen in camping and youth groups. “At the very underlying level we want to move from the idea of welcoming to celebratory,” Saposnik said. “Some of it, we’ve learned over years, is about language.” He said he wants to share the experiences from Camp JRF so that other organizations can walk away with practical ways to update their operations. The Hebrew language uses

gendered nouns and most verbs and pronouns also have grammatical gender. This summer, seven Habonim Dror camps across North America pioneered a gender-neutral form of Hebrew, according to The Washington Post. Saposnik said Camp JRF has tried to make thoughtful decisions when it comes to planning living arrangements and activities. He said it’s important for staff to receive training and young people to be able to define themselves. “To talk about a camper with only one part of their identity misses the point,” Saposnik said. Schneider said, so far, many synagogue leaders have registered for the conference. He encouraged teens and parents to attend as well. He said he wants everyone to feel more comfortable discussing gender. “It’s important for people to really increase their knowledge around the broad spectrum of gender,” Schneider said. n

POLITICAL PARTY: Tom Wilson Weinberg (from left), Janet Wright and Tyler Houchins performed in “Body Politik” Oct. 22 at William Way LGBT Community Center. The show was the fourth in Wilson Weinberg’s “Cabaret Vérité” series and focused on the history of American politics, through a non-partisan and often parody-laden lens. Photo: Scott A. Drake

PGN LOCAL

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Recovery meeting marks 25 years HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIRECTORY By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Every day at 5:30 p.m. — as Gayborhood bars and restaurants fill with the post-work, happy-hour crowds — the second-floor meeting room at Washington West Project at 12th and Locust streets fills with its own crowd. Some visit the space every day, others are in Philly on business and still others are taking their first steps into this community — one that shares a goal of sobriety. Early Night Out provides a safe space for LGBTs and allies seeking recovery 365 days a year. The Alcoholics Anonymous-affiliated group has been operating for 25 years this month. Early Night Out traces its origins to the Recovery Clubhouse, which was situated at the Camac Center at 12th Street Gym. “There was a whole series of 12-step meetings held at Recovery Clubhouse, and each meeting took on a name,” explained Rick, who has been sober for 27 years. “Early Night Out began its gestation within Recovery Clubhouse, which ended up at William Way and eventually dissolved as more and broader resources for recovery for LGBT people and other

“Early Night Out includes everyone: straight, gay, transgender, people still trying to figure out whether or not they are an alcoholic. It’s a safe place for people of all walks of life.” communities became available. But the meeting continues to this day.” The name, time and location with the Gayborhood were all significant, Rick said. “The people who started this knew, ‘Boy, we need an after-work meeting.’ It was always at 5 or 5:30 to provide a gateway to the evenings, which in the LGBT community is bartime for a lot of people. This was a way to go to AA instead of Woody’s.” Early Night Out is an “open” meeting, meaning participants do not need to identify as an alcoholic to attend; “closed” meetings are reserved for those who self-identify as such. The meeting is membership-driven; once a year, the members elect a new general chair, who oversees the monthly business meetings where each month’s meeting chair is selected. Tom said he was attracted to the role of general chair as a way to give back to the meeting that he said has changed his life. “It was about the service aspect,” he said. “Service kept me sober, so every chance I could give back to this group that has kept me sober for the last twoand-a-half years, I’ve wanted to take.” Service is also important for Marie, sober for 24 years. She serves as a sponsor for many people in recovery, more than half of whom are gay men. As a straight ally, Marie said she was attracted to Early Night Out because of the safe environment it offered. “I’ve always been very close with the gay community; even in high school — and you didn’t come out back in those days — my gay friends came out to me first,” she said. “For me, and a lot of straight women in recovery, there’s a dynamic that goes on with

straight guys at other meetings, especially when you may be telling some lurid stories about your history. Early Night Out was always safe.” Though the environment for LGBT people has drastically changed in Early Night Out’s 25 years, Rick said an LGBT-affirming space for people in recovery is still needed. “Times have certainly changed but even now there is some timidness around walking into a place where your sexuality could be an issue. And you’ve already got this big monkey on your back called addiction,” he said. “When you come into a room and you see people like yourself who understand the struggles you may have with your family, in your neighborhood, at the workplace, there’s just a shorthand that occurs between people. The comfort level is so much higher [here] and you’re freer emotionally to deal with the addiction.” Having such a tight-knit group to rely on is also important, Rick noted, as sobriety tends to change one’s social life. Group members often go out for coffee after meetings and meet up for other social occasions. “It’s difficult to find a place that’s safe for everybody,” Tom said. “Early Night Out includes everyone: straight, gay, transgender, people still trying to figure out whether or not they are an alcoholic. It’s a safe place for people of all walks of life.” The journey to sobriety is different for all Early Night Out members. Rick started his process when his partner, who was dying of AIDS, staged an intervention, giving him an ultimatum to take action or he would leave him. He stopped drinking about two weeks later and made his first trip to the Recovery Clubhouse. When Rick’s partner later died, he sought out the only recovery meeting at the hospital — which was a women’s meeting, whose members welcomed him. Tom was also prompted by an ultimatum from a partner, his now-husband. The two used to be drinking buddies, lost touch and reconnected in the Gayborhood. “After that, I found out he was sober. He was attending Early Night Out on a regular basis and it came to light that I too had a drinking problem,” Tom said. “He basically told me that I needed to get help or that’s it, he was leaving. So he introduced me to Early Night Out.” Marie said she was forced to take a closer look at her life after a presentation at her workplace about alcoholism. “They laid out the profile of what an alcoholic looked like. It looked just like me,” she said, adding she went to lunch with the presenter to learn more. “I said, ‘I have a great relationship, I have a kid, I volunteer, I work out all the time, I’ve never lost a job. But I drink every day and have for 17 years.’” Marie went to 90 meetings in her first 90 days of recovery, got a sponsor and a home group. The support of Mazzoni Center, which operates Washington West Project, has been integral to Early Night Out, the members said. The organization charges the group a modest rent and Rick said it has been great to work with on facility and other issues. “Our presence in that facility is a great example of an organization working well with a resource group in the community,” he said. “Despite its sometimes-fractious nature, the LGBT community can do remarkable things.” Early Night Out meets every day at 5:30 p.m. at Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St. n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Donald Trump (yes, again)

Editorial

Vote for change We’re just as excited as the next person for the 2016 election season to be behind us. While a good portion of that has to do with the unprecedented divisiveness fostered by the Republican nominee for president, there’s also a real cause for hope depending on the results of this election. On this front page, we outlined our endorsements for the Nov. 8 election. We already laid out our reasons for supporting Hillary Clinton for president (see epgn.com), and many of the down-ballot candidates we’re backing embrace similar positions and plans for advancing LGBT equality, along with programs to foster economic growth, promote diversity and ensure needed reforms in the educational system. Katie McGinty has a strong pro-LGBT platform and has pledged to champion LGBT issues if elected to the U.S. Senate. Apart from her positions, McGinty deserves our community’s backing especially in light of the context of the race. Incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey has never been a friend to the LGBT community; by removing him from office, we can ensure another voice of fairness in the U.S. Senate, whose support could help advance legislation like the Equality Act, which would federally ban LGBT discrimination. Not to mention,

Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation could use some diversity; all 20 members are currently men. Also looking to diversify that unit is Mary Ellen Balchunis, whom we endorse for the Seventh District in Congress. She is also looking to unseat a Republican — Congressman Pat Meehan — whose support for LGBT issues has been too tepid to earn our backing. Three top-level state positions are up for grabs and we endorse Josh Shapiro for attorney general, Eugene DePasquale for auditor general and Joe Torsella for treasurer. All three have laid out stated plans for ensuring transparency and diversity in their respective offices and have a demonstrated record of supporting LGBT equality. With the election of these forward-thinking candidates, our city, state and country can continue its path toward progress — not just on LGBT issues, but the array of other issues impacting our vibrantly diverse community and the many causes about which our members care. On Nov. 8, we all have the opportunity to help shape the future of our country. Voting is not just a right, but a responsibility. Take that obligation seriously, and make your voice heard on Election Day. n

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.

As part of the liberal media, I have been working night and day to rig this election for Hillary Clinton and I am exhausted. And I know what you’re thinking: “D’Anne (as we are on a first-name basis), you’re not supposed to admit that! It’s all supposed to be done in secret.” But Donald Trump has exposed the plan, so the pussy is out of the bag. Granted, not all LGBT people have gotten the message. Today I watched a video of a guy in a Gays for Trump T-shirt attack an anti-Trump protester and an adorable gay couple from Ohio who say they’re voting for Trump because jerbs in the steel industry (never mind that Trump uses steel made in China. Just keep waving the American flag around). There’s also a Gays for Trump Facebook page that has more than 4,000 likes. And gay billionaire Peter Thiel is giving Trump $1.25 million at a time when other major donors are fleeing the candidate. But hey, not all gays are liberal. Not all the gays are smart, either. Then again, maybe they’re just undercover agents spying for Team Rainbow. I guess we’ll never know. If you follow this column, you know that Trump has been my Creep before. And if you’re getting sick of it, believe me, I feel your pain. This election feels like a bad dream where you can only run in slow motion away from a rich white man trying to grope you and stick his tongue down your throat. And then you wake up to hear stories of a rich white man trying to grope women and stick his tongue down their throats and that there are people who actually want to make him president and you realize you’re living in a nightmare world. At this point, 10 women have come out publicly claiming to be the victims of a whole host of sexual misconduct by Trump. The candidate denies it all, even claiming that some of the women weren’t attractive enough to molest in the first place. As if being molested by Trump should be considered some kind of compliment. Look, Trump’s misogyny matters whether or not you’re a woman, because misogyny is at the root of anti-LGBT animus. Gay men are hated for “acting like women.” Lesbians are hated for “acting like men” and not having sex with men or existing to please heterosexual men. Bisexuals straddle both of these worlds. And the very idea of being trans is the ultimate “insult” to heterosexist gender norms. As some people who don’t understand, or care to understand, see it, to be a man who wants to be a woman is unfathomable in a world where women are considered inferior. And, of course, a woman who becomes a man is just pretending and will never be a “real” man. So when Donald Trump brags about

being able to grab women “by the pussy” and still has people supporting him, it is alarming not just because it demonstrates Trump’s total disregard for women as human beings — it also reveals a sick and limited idea of gender roles that puts heterosexual men at the top of the gender hierarchy, and everyone else existing only in relationship to whatever heterosexual men deem them good for. We’ve made so much progress in this country when it comes to LGBT rights, but Trump is a painful reminder of how much more work we have to do. He’s also

So when Donald Trump brags about being able to grab women “by the pussy” and still has people supporting him, it is alarming not just because it demonstrates Trump’s total disregard for women as human beings — it also reveals a sick and limited idea of gender roles that puts heterosexual men at the top of the gender hierarchy, and everyone else existing only in relationship to whatever heterosexual men deem them good for. a product of backlash: It’s not a surprise that white, heterosexual, cisgender males are his biggest supporters. And to anyone who has paid any attention to history in this country, that is not a demographic that tends to do very well by women and minorities. So get out there and “rig” the “election” by “voting” for Hillary “Clinton” on Nov. 8 at your “local” polling “place.” (As for the “quotes,” the liberal “media” and its “legions” know what I “mean.” Wink, “wink.”) n D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @ MamaDWitkowski.

OP-ED PGN

LGBTs deserve Republican attention Nation, take a look at what is happenthat already was becoming a national trend. ing with the U.S. Senate race here in Therefore he started his current race with Pennsylvania. It is a microcosm of what is this one issue off the table and a chance to happening both within the Republican Party get at those LGBT non-Democrats. and the LGBT community. Toomey, however, has expressed dis Republican Pat Toomey is like other Rs comfort with LGBT equality, perhaps running for re-election with Donald Trump based on his belief that conservatives in running at the top of the ticket. Pennsylvania will not vote for Here’s a fact that the mainstream him based on this one issue — media has not noticed: Toomey’s though that belies the reality in race against Democrat Katie Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf McGinty will be close, maybe was elected statewide with his within one or two percentage very-pro-LGBT-equality posipoints, and the LGBT vote is tion. just as important as other voter A statewide race in segments. But Republicans do Pennsylvania is won or lost in not know how to go after that the five-county Philadelphia vote, and at times they just give area, and that vote is staunchly up. But guess what? They could supportive of LGBT equality. get a piece of it; all you need to When you couple that with do is look at Ohio where prowomen’s-health issues and LGBT Republican Rob Portman Trump’s racist, sexist language, is sailing along to what looks that is a formula for a higher Mark Segal turnout on Election Day. These like a victory. Here’s the answer to this voters are sophisticated and Republican puzzle. could split their vote, but unlike Portman, A 2013 New York Times piece referToomey just doesn’t appreciate the power of enced the GOP’s still-current policies of that LGBT vote. “alienation of minorities and reactionary Why should we as a community care about this race? Until we get Republicans social policies” after the party released its to appreciate our community and treat us “autopsy” on the 2012 election. In part that document said, “We looked at as they do other communities, we cannot the last two election cycles and came to the win our equal rights in state legislatures conclusion that we lost from four to seven and possibly the Equality Act at the fedU.S. Senate seats not because of the party eral level. It is in our interest to push and message, in those cases, but because of the demand these candidates, even Republicans, party’s messenger.” visit our communities and see our issues The LGBT community is not a monoand understand where we, like other comlith. There are LGBT Republicans and munities, need a helping hand. That is what even libertarians and independents. But an election is about. They should also reach the reality is, according to recent elections, out to our media to talk to the voters. Until the LGBT vote goes mainly to Democrats there is communication and engagement since Democrats clearly and openly express with these candidates, it hurts both them their support for equality — and take that and us. message directly to LGBT voters, in their Toomey is one of those lost Republicans. homes, neighborhoods and media. What In his six years as a U.S. Senator, he has Republicans don’t get is that we are fighting almost ignored our issues. Once again, for our equal rights, and for most LGBT LGBT Republicans, Libertarians and people that is the number-one issue. How Independents have no enthusiasm to vote strong is that? Take a look at the voters his way. LGBT publications and community guides by Pride Source in Michigan or in organizations want, and deserve, to hear San Francisco’s Bay Area Reporter. It’s an from Republican candidates. n informed and organized voting bloc. Mark Segal is the nation’s most-award-winning Portman’s position and timing could not commentator in LGBT media. His recently pubbe more advantageous for re-election. By lished memoir, “And Then I Danced,” is availsupporting LGBT issues a couple of years able on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or at ago, he allowed his base to accept an issue your favorite bookseller.

Mark My Words

Op-Ed

Abdul-Aliy A. Muhammad

A response to David Fair’s open letter Conversational space when it comes to issues of racial bias always seems to be co-opted by white cisgender activists using a momentous issue to elevate their voice above the voices of black and brown community members, whom they often identify as having oppositional politics or simplistic diatribes. It is a point of privilege to enter this conversation on race.

We black and brown community members have been dealing and continue to deal with this as something real, lived and not theoretical or from the position of spectator. Pretend allies will and have listed work they have done as a way of centering their voices. My mother, Melody E. Beverly, worked for We The People in the ’90s as the housing director and in other positions

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Street Talk What public figure would you like to spoof on Halloween? "Billy Bush. I'd hold a microphone and have a plastic foot in my mouth. Billy Bush has forfeited his right to speak Lena Krobock publicly on nursing student television. West Philadelphia It was so reprehensible, what was said on that tape [with Donald Trump]."

"Mike Pence. I'd have a lot of powder on my face and in my hair; it would be stonegray powder because he's like Brittany granite. He Robertson appears cold, proofreader distant and Austin, Texas heartless. I'd outline his mouth like a puppet's mouth, because he's just a puppet of the GOP."

"Donald Trump. I'd put on orange make-up and an orange wig to capture his carrot look. And I'd sniffle Alex Smith a lot. I'd glassblower also carry a Austin, Texas machine gun. Donald Trump is a warmonger. He's machine-gunning our constitution."

"Hillary Clinton in boxing gloves and a jumpsuit. I really felt she knocked out Trump in the debates. I definitely Erin Vaughn won't be in a nursing student pantsuit. A Old City boxing outfit will be a welcome [fashion] change for Hillary!"

there. Boastful, arrogant attempts at allyship is just what this community doesn’t need. White LGBT community members should be listening and not writing open letters about community frictions. I know of your legacy, David Fair. David uses this open letter to basically not discuss anti-blackness and conflates black liberation with queer liberation. The clear and present truth of what he wrote is that it highlights why the work of the Black and Brown Workers Collective is so important. The work of black and brown resistance doesn’t exist for the commentary of assumptive allies, but is the necessary work of survival for communities burdened by disproportionate HIV infections, violence and death. David’s words do nothing to be impactful on those truths. The mark of an accomplice to liberation is their ability to have conversations with community and not an omnibus op-ed that is tone-deaf, elitist and without a measure of clarity of privilege. A city with a plurality of black and

brown populations has leadership that doesn’t reflect communities impacted most by policies. From city government to nonprofits, the power structure is overwhelmingly white. Since the inception of the BBWC, we’ve been focused on disrupting this flagrant disparity within the organizations that are funded to provide services to communities of color. Conversations about equity and accountability have to be, as we refrain, black- and browncentered. Without that, this is more of the same. Be bold, my dear black and brown community members. Be steadfast in speaking your truth, for there are well-meaning white people who will jump on your backs to be heard. Onward. n

Abdul-Aliy Muhammad is a Philadelphian and their work has mostly been in HIV prevention. They currently work as an organizer with the Black and Brown Workers Collective and does anti-oppression trainings with the Blaqollective.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

PGN LOCAL

he faced in getting an Afro-queer nightlife you, we’re going to continue to protest you event off the ground in the Gayborhood. until you pack your shit and get the hell out Terrell Green recalled ordering a burger at Tabu and being told by the server, “I of our community.” Khalif shared a story about his late friend thought you people like your burgers wellPrince, who in his final months wanted done.” a night out at Woody’s, during which he In advance of the hearing, the owners of said their group suffered unequal treatment all 11 bars in the Gayborhood were subfrom staff, such as Prince being made to poenaed to attend and give the commission copies of their dress codes and employment wait 35 minutes for a non-alcoholic drink. He opened his remarks with a quote and other policies. Landau confirmed that from Malcolm X — “Nobody can give you the eight owners of the 11 bars were all present at the hearing. freedom. Nobody can give Tabu general manager you equality or justice or Freddy Shelley was the only anything. If you’re a man, nightlife representative to you take it” — in direct speak. He read a letter from response to the suggestion Tabu co-owner Jeff Sotland, of the speaker before him who could not attend. that activists should emu The letter advocated for late the peaceful protests community-wide action on of Dr. Martin Luther King the issue, including from Jr. instead of the style of people who aren’t of color. Malcolm X. “I believe it is time for That disparity in approach everyone to speak out to was evident from a number eradicate this problem and to of participants. open the door to dialogue,” Antoine Johnson commended Landau and Office PCHR EXECUTIVE Sotland wrote. “Debate and of LGBT Affairs director DIRECTOR RUE LANDAU advocacy are stronger when we work together.” Nellie Fitzpatrick for their work, urging the community to pursue dia- Many speakers noted that racism in LGBT nightlife is not a new issue, with logue with city leaders instead of protest. Dominique London of Black & Brown several pointing to a 1986 report by The Workers Collective, however, urged dis- Coalition on Lesbian-Gay Bar Policies. The two-year study found that a “pattern mantling of white-dominated structures. “Destruction equals rebirth,” she said. of exclusivity exists in almost every bar in the city,” revealing itself in inconsistently “The rebirth will follow.” BBWC members have continued to call enforced ID policies as well as employment for Fitzpatrick to step down over what they practices that “work to exclude members of various groups from openings that occur.” say has been ineffective leadership. Sappho Fulton commended all parties The PCHR offered information to attendinvolved in bringing the issue to the fore- ees about how to file a complaint if they believe they have been suffered discrimfront of the community’s conscience. She said she doubted Tuesday’s hearing ination (complaints can be filed online at would have happened if “BBWC hadn’t www.phila.gov/humanrelations), but there jumped up at City Hall,” referring to the was also a frequent refrain that the more collective’s protest at this month’s rainbow systemic, covert instances were just as flag-raising ceremony. “And thank God important, yet perhaps even more challengNellie has the backbone that she can handle ing, to address. “The next step of this is not necessarily that shit.” Earle cautioned at the beginning of the filing something with the Human Relations hearing that it was not a forum to address Commission — though we should — but grievances with the Mayor’s Office person- what do I file about the 100 cuts of subnel, a directive with which speakers largely tle racism we have to endure every single day?” asked Malcolm Kenyatta. “What do complied. Nearly all who testified instead shared I file when I go to a bar and the bartender personal anecdotes about racism in the looks at me and goes to someone else?” community — much of which they said is Kenyatta urged white listeners to take an honest look at their own views, and their more covert than blatant. Gianna, a youth involved with Bryson own privilege. Institute’s Justice League at The Attic Youth “Privilege does not mean everything in Center, detailed how her light-colored skin has encouraged people in nightlife to share their racist views with her. “Great, now look at this riff-raff,” she said an ICandy bartender once said to her as a group of darker-skinned black patrons entered the club. Kemar Jewel testified that he was kicked out of Woody’s last month for wearing sweatpants and sneakers. In one of the lighter moments of the night, he said, “Woody’s is not even that fab to have a dress code,” to cheers from the audience. OFFICE OF LGBT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR Christopher Kyle detailed the challenges NELLIE FITZPATRICK HEARING from page 1

PHILADELPHIA BLACK PRIDE PRESIDENT LE THOMAS (TOP); HAZEL (BOTTOM, FROM LEFT), GIANNA AND MICAH FROM THE BRYSON INSTITUTE’S JUSTICE LEAGUE Photos: Scott A. Drake

your life is right; privilege means you can look on your TV and readily see a representation of yourself. Privilege is the fact that none of the bars in the Gayborhood are owned by a person of color. Not one. That’s privilege,” he said. “I don’t hate you for your privilege but I judge you on how you use it. The real fight is what happens in our living rooms, with our friends and our family who we know say things like was said on that video. For every white person, the next step is on you.” Racism in nightlife was not the only area addressed, as several participants also charged that local nonprofits do not adequately include and hire people of color, or pay consultants for their input. Those speakers called out Philadelphia FIGHT and Mazzoni Center. Representatives of both were present. Hazel Edwards of The Bryson Institute’s Justice League said the community’s youth do not see themselves reflected in the makeup of the leadership of the community’s nonprofit structure. “Youth in the city of Philadelphia, in particularly in the LGBT community, are being taken for granted,” Edwards said. “Far too many nonprofit structures rely on

black and brown youth for funding, yet do not hire us. Black and brown adults given positions in nonprofits are often entrylevel, underpaid, tokenized and they’re fired within the first few months. Even as a client, when I walk into these organizations that claim to support me, yet the leadership doesn’t reflect me.” “Black and brown folks shouldn’t be asked to do your work for you,” added Justice League’s Micah Rodriguez, referring to the claim that nonprofits use or tokenize people of color. Prentice Bush addressed what he said was the irony of being excluded from nightlife, but relied upon for funding from nonprofits. “I have been made both a hero and villain of my LGBT story,” he said. “I’m a threat to the bars but a goldmine to the nonprofits.” Within 90 days of the hearing, PCHR will issue a full report with recommendations for solutions based on the testimony from Tuesday’s meeting and written testimony. PCHR will continue to accept written testimony through Nov. 1 at pchr@phila. gov. n

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Filing a complaint with Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations investigates complaints of discrimination in employment, public accommodations and housing. The agency is charged with enforcing the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, among a number of other factors. According to PCHR, employment discrimination can consist of the denial of a job or a promotion, as well as less-overt measures like less-favorable employment terms or inaccessible services for someone with a disability. Public-accommodations discrimination may occur when an individual is denied admission, or offered less-favorable service or inaccessible service to someone with a disability at a public place, including:

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• Places of lodging like hotels and motels • Restaurants and bars • Casinos and theaters • Retail establishments • Colleges and universities • Medical settings and social-service providers • Parks and recreation settings • Museums Housing discrimination by housing and property-related services like banks, insurance agents and real-estate brokers is prohibited. Such an action may occur when one of those entities denies an application for tenancy or a loan, or offers less-favorable lease terms or interest rates or inaccessible property for someone with a disability. If you feel you have suffered discrimination in one of these areas because of your LGBT identity, or one of the other classes protected under the Fair Practices Ordinance, contact PCHR to initiate a complaint. To file online, visit http://ow.ly/ l0mr305yHSp and download an intake form from the right-hand side of the page. That form can then be mailed or delivered in person to 601 Walnut St., Suite 300 South, Phila., PA 19106. The intake form is the first step and does not constitute the filing of a discrimination complaint. PCHR staff will review the intake form and set up a meeting with the filer. PCHR can only investigate instances of discrimination that occurred within the preceding 300 days. For more information, call PCHR at 215-686-4670. n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

COLUMNS PGN

A letter to my son about the election Navigation Services: One-on-one support for My son is 13 years old, and the curbeen rolling my eyes at fart jokes since you better health and self-efficacy rent election will likely be the first one he were much younger. Know this, however: remembers into adulthood. There are, thereThere is a boundary even to lunch-table and fore, a few things I want to make sure he locker-room conversations, a line of human understands. decency that should not be crossed. Trump Dear son: crossed it. I trust you to know better. Not all elections are like this. Most of Women should not be judged solely on the time, despite impassioned debates and their looks — and there are many standards even negative campaigning, candidates have of beauty. Trump has denigrated the appearnot descended to the level of ance of many women, from former name-calling and overt racism Miss Universe Alicia Machado to and sexism of Donald Trump. comedian Rosie O’Donnell, and Our democratic process allows even suggested former Republican for multiple voices and opinpresidential hopeful Carly Fiorina ions, but our country’s values was so unattractive no one would urge respect. vote for her. We each have our own Bullying and name-calling standards for what we find personare wrong. Trump’s speeches ally attractive, but we shouldn’t and tweets include frequent use belittle anyone for their looks or of “dumb,” “dopey” and other confuse appearance and compeinsults. If I hear you using such tence. words in public about people, Women can be leaders. You have you’re going to spend a long perhaps had a leg up here, being time banned from your video Dana Rudolph the son of two moms who have tried to set good feminist examples games. If you ever use the word for you through our own lives and “deplorable,” as Hillary Clinton did when referring to half of Trump’s supthe media we share. You told me the other porters, apply it to a specific action by day, though, that some male classmates said they supported Trump because they didn’t someone, rather than to the person themwant a “girl” to lead the country. I was gratiselves or a group of which they are part. If you slip up here, apologize as she did. fied you were shocked by this. We are better Racism is wrong and still exists. Although as a country — and as a global society — if Barack Obama is the only president you we don’t discount the leadership potential remember, his achievement does not mean of half the people in it. I also suspect that all is good for people of color in our counattitude may serve you well in your personal try. Neither is it all bad, however, despite relationships with women other than just Trump’s conflation of black communities your moms. Remember your own roots. You are the and poverty- and crime-ridden inner cities. great-grandson of immigrants on both sides Trump’s view of races, religions and ethof your family. On my side, you are Jewish, nicities other than his own is a skewed one. part of a people who have suffered perseThe vast majority of Mexican immigrants cution and ridicule, and who were framed are not criminals, drug dealers or rapists. as an inferior race by Hitler. Think of those Muslim citizens have died defending our things every time someone makes blanket country, and not all Muslim women cower statements about immigrants or people of a behind their husbands. Not all people of a certain race act or think the same way, and it certain faith, race or culture. We are stronger together. Clinton’s camis wrong to talk about “the blacks” or other paign slogan hearkens back to what the groups as if they do. Do not tokenize your founders of our country knew when they friends of color as Donald Trump did at a declared our motto “E pluribus unum.” rally, saying of one attendee, “Look at my Throughout your life, whether in the classAfrican-American over here.” Women are not objects for your plearoom, workplace or neighborhood, welcome sure. You are entering the age range when — and seek out — people of various idenyou might start dating, and you seem to be tities, experiences and skills as friends, colstraight, so this is important. I know talking leagues and partners. Know that almost any with your moms about dating makes you human endeavor benefits from the support squirm, but hear me out. (Trust me, I feel and assistance of others. When they go low, we go high. These weird, too, thinking about the boy whose words from First Lady Michelle Obama are diaper I changed being old enough to date.) Any girl (or later, woman) you touch must one of the true gifts of this campaign. Not first consent to be touched. If you ask and everyone in your life will be nice to you. she says no, then don’t. If she is drunk, Stand up for yourself, but don’t stoop to high, asleep or otherwise incapacitated, then their level, for you are no better than they don’t. Don’t, regardless of your physical are. size or any celebrity you may achieve. With Bluster and bullying will only get you so power and privilege comes responsibility. far. This, I hope, will be the final lesson of And if you see one of your friends trying to the campaign — along with reminding us of kiss or touch someone without permission, how important it is to vote. n stop them. Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of You often hint at the sometimes off-color Mombian (mombian.com), a GLAAD Media lunchtime conversations you have with Award-winning blog and resource directory for your friends. I don’t pry too much; I’ve LGBTQ parents.

Mombian

Philadelphia is fortunate to be home essential. But the language we use someto many agencies that provide holistic times feels like it takes away personhood care aiming to meet the distinct needs of from the individual and unintentionally people living with HIV. These providers changes them into a statistic. understand that comprehensive treatment We are here to serve the people repremeans more than simply offering medical sented by all of those numbers — each of care, but also looking at the overall cir- whom has an individual story and set of cumstances of a person’s life. circumstances that we need to Imagine if this comprehenacknowledge and understand sive and patient-informed care in order to provide them with model could be used not just the right kind of support. to treat HIV, but to prevent For both providers and cliHIV transmission completely. ents, it can feel like a monoto That’s the impetus behind nous, frustrating battle to work HIV Navigation Services at within a machine that accepts Mazzoni Center, part of a new complex input and expects program designed and funded simple output. Thirty years by the Centers for Disease into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Control (CDC) that aims to the overall outlook has drareduce the amount of new HIV matically improved, but too transmissions in Philadelphia many people continue to face and the surrounding areas. barriers to accessing resources The goals of this program and achieving outcomes we Simon know are possible. Through are twofold: to support HIVnegative individuals at high Pedisich Navigation Services, we hope risk of contracting HIV and to to help more people surmount connect HIV-positive individthose barriers. We are at a point where an HIVuals to relevant care and resources. “High risk” is a phrase often used positive person can, with proper medical when discussing sexual health, but it is treatment and care, achieve an “undetectrarely thoroughly defined or explained. able viral load” — where the body is batWhen we talk about individuals being tling the HIV virus so effectively, only a “high risk,” we are referring to persons minimal amount remains in their system. who regularly engage in unprotected, Today we have a medication known as penetrative anal or vaginal sexual inter- PrEP that has been shown to be 99.9-percourse; and/or persons who inject drugs, cent effective in preventing the transmishormones, silicone or other substances sion of HIV. For folks who are negative, using a shared needle. (Other methods of and who may be at “high risk” for whatdrug use that pose a risk include sharing a ever reason, this is a truly groundbreakcrack pipe that may pass blood from one ing option to have. user’s mouth into an open wound on the We need to remind ourselves how important and life-altering these treatother.) Such actions are considered high risk ment options are, and how frustratingly because they facilitate contact between inaccessible the process of obtaining some very specific bodily fluids of one quality, comprehensive, patient-informed person and a mucous membrane or open care can be for many, even in 2016. The wound of the other. That contact is the role of Navigation Services is to change only way that HIV can be transmitted, that, to create access for as many people and there are only five bodily fluids that as possible, to lift people up. can contain HIV: blood, semen/pre-cum, Maybe you would like to get PrEP but your current provider, for whatever vaginal fluid, anal fluid and breastmilk. The problem with using “high risk” as reason, won’t prescribe it. We can help. a term, without additional context, is that Maybe your fear of HIV has impacted it tends to place people into a category your intimate relationships, and your without regard for any mitigating circum- life could be changed with knowledge stances — such as access to stable hous- about and access to the right resources. ing, education, safe and steady employ- We’re here for you. If you have never felt ment and affordable, quality health care welcomed or affirmed by the health-care — that may be preventing them from system, or if you just need help in taking reducing their HIV risk. that first step, you are the person we’re On paper, the goal of Navigation here for and ready to work with. Services is defined in numbers: If we can Health is complicated, but working successfully engage with high numbers toward it doesn’t need to be. of people, connecting them to the kinds Contact us at navigation@mazzonicenof support they need to stay healthy, we ter.org or 215-563-0652 ext. 435. n can point to far-lower numbers of people Note: The Navigation team can provide acquiring HIV in the future. The process of using data to develop services in Spanish and American Sign programs like ours is necessary and Language. Other translation/interpretation

On Being Well

options can be arranged.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

The legacy of the Up Stairs Lounge arson By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Several-dozen Metropolitan Community Church congregants clinked glasses and chatted on the night of June 24, 1973, at the Up Stairs Lounge in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was a Sunday, just after services. The church that prioritized LGBTinclusive ministry had tight ties to the bar and would often host benefits there. One man seemed ornery that night. He’d visited the lounge a few times before, mostly keeping to himself. But this time, he started disturbing patrons. Staff decided to kick him out. The people inside continued to mingle until about 8 p.m. when someone opened the door to leave. Fire shot up the flammable carpet and smoke poured into the Up Stairs Lounge. The stairwell had become something of a chimney flue that stunk of lighter fluid. Buddy Rasmussen, who worked at the bar, knew of a fire exit and got about 25 people out. Others tried to slip through the second-floor windows. But there were bars on them to keep people from falling. The Rev. Bill Larson got trapped halfway out the window and died there. His mangled body was visible from the street for hours. Thirty-one others died inside the bar. It was the deadliest attack on the LGBT community until the mass shooting at Pulse, an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, June 12, 2016 — nearly 43 years to the day after the arson in New Orleans. No one was arrested in the arson, although investigators focused on one man, Rodger Nunez, who was kicked out of the Up Stairs Lounge before the fire. A man matching his description purchased lighter fluid that same night at a drug store a few blocks from the bar. Nunez committed suicide in 1974. After his death, a Catholic nun told authorities that Nunez would call her, probably while drunk, and ramble. She said all the problems in his life could trace to the fact that he was gay and having trouble with it. Others who knew Nunez said he would confess to the arson while under the influence of alcohol. The fire marshal’s investigation officially closed in 1980. Officials felt the evidence was too circumstantial for a conviction. ‘They maintained dead silence’ Clayton Delery-Edwards was just shy of 16 when he saw the first news reports about the arson in his hometown. He described himself as skinny, nervous and just beginning to realize he was gay. He got bullied in high school. “I was watching TV and the program was interrupted,” Delery-Edwards said. “It said there was a fire at a French Quarter bar. The earliest reports said it was a ‘hangout for homosexuals.’ I thought, Oh my God,

they’re going to kill me. I carried that with me for years. For years, I didn’t come out.” By the 30th anniversary of the arson in 2003, Delery-Edwards felt ready to reexamine the event that had inspired such fear. He followed coverage of a memorial plaque placed outside the Up Stairs Lounge. Delery-Edwards started talking with survivors. His book, “The Up Stairs Lounge Arson: Thirty-Two Deaths in a New Orleans Gay Bar, June 24, 1973,” came out in 2014. The author noted the frustration among LGBT residents that civic leaders weren’t speaking out about the tragedy. Mayor Moon Landrieu didn’t say anything publicly for 17 days. Meanwhile, another fire, ignited six months earlier by a Vietnam veteran at a downtown hotel, received continued attention. “The mayor, governor and archbishop thrust themselves in front of news cameras and called for a day of mourning,” DeleryEdwards said. “Then they maintained dead silence” about the arson at the LGBT bar. Delery-Edwards’ book details the investigation, which he classed as thorough by the fire marshal’s office if unambitious by police; the press coverage, which was “compassionate” although it outted some people; and the community healing. Landrieu added openly gay people to the New Orleans human relations commission the summer of 1973. National LGBT activists also descended on the city. The National New Orleans Memorial Fund Collection raised money for victims’ medical expenses. After the mass shooting in Orlando this year, the attendance at the New Orleans Pride Festival went way up. DeleryE d w a r d s marched with the LGBT+ A r c h iv e s Project of Louisiana and noticed that every French Quarter establishment had covered its own sign to replicate the sign for Pulse. “The man next to me said, ‘The people who died in the Up Stairs Lounge would’ve never believed this,’” Delery-Edwards said. “I never thought I’d see it.” A reverend’s mission The LGBT community, as a cohesive social or activist body, didn’t exist in New Orleans in the 1970s, Delery-Edwards said. There was some activism at the close of the

decade to protest a performance by Anita Bryant, a gay-rights opponent. But the action didn’t lead to any sustained efforts, Delery-Edwards said. When the Rev. Dexter Brecht with the Metropolitan Community Church assumed the pulpit in New Orleans in the mid-1990s, there still wasn’t much of a sense of a unified community. “I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “laissez les bons temps rouler” — let the good times roll — or “laissez-faire” — hands off,” said Brecht, who has since assumed leadership of a Metropolitan Community Church in Delaware County in Pennsylvania. “LGBT people [felt] fine as long as they didn’t make an issue of who they were.” While reading “Don’t be Afraid Anymore,” a memoir by Troy Perry, who founded the Metropolitan Community Church, Brecht first heard about the arson at the Up Stairs Lounge. He was surprised more people in New Orleans didn’t know about it and decided to memorialize the 25th anniversary in 1998. Various faith communities and city representatives came together for a service with prayers and speeches. New Orleans City Councilman Troy Carter led the processional from the indoor service to the site of the fire. The procession took the form of a second line with a brass band that started playing dirge-like music in honor of the 32 people who lost their lives in the arson. “Then all of a sudden they do what they say, ‘Cut ’em loose,’ to acknowledge that they’ve gone on to a better place and then it’s upbeat music after that,” Brecht said. “It was very fulfilling for me to be able to create a situation where that could happen.” After the 25th anniversary, the community wanted a more permanent commemoration. Brecht said Larry Bagneris, who had recently been appointed as the mayor’s LGBT liaison, took a special interest in laying a memorial plaque for the arson victims. “ L a r r y worked with the city departments and officials to let us put it actually in the sidewalk outside what would’ve been the front door of the bar, which is on a side street,” Brecht said. “It’s actually there in the sidewalk listing all of the people’s names, including the ones that were unknown male.” Brecht said some bodies were never claimed or too badly burned for identification. He hopes the plaque helps educate

young LGBT people about the history of the community. The local legacy Today, the space that once housed the Up Stairs Lounge serves as storage for The Jimani, a restaurant that stood underneath the bar since 1971. The current owner, Jimmy Massacci, is the son of the man who started the business.

Mayor Moon Landrieu didn’t say anything publicly for 17 days. Meanwhile, another fire, ignited six months earlier by a Vietnam veteran at a downtown hotel, received continued attention. “The mayor, governor and archbishop thrust themselves in front of news cameras and called for a day of mourning,” DeleryEdwards said. “Then they maintained dead silence” about the arson at the LGBT bar. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu is the son of Moon Landrieu, who served as mayor at the time of the fire. Mayor Mitch Landrieu spoke out against discrimination at this year’s Human Rights Campaign Louisiana gala. He referenced pride in “our ability to welcome everybody to the city” when he announced New Orleans would host the 2017 NBA All-Star Game in February. The basketball association decided to move the game from Charlotte, North Carolina, because of that state’s HB2, a law that prohibits local municipalities from enacting LGBTinclusive nondiscrimination ordinances. Less than a week after the shooting in Orlando, Mayor Mitch Landrieu held a press conference at which he classified the incident as “an attack on the LGBT community.” He further tied Orlando to New Orleans, saying, “We also had a massive fire in the French Quarter that killed innumerable people that was targeted toward the LGBT community.” Delery-Edwards said those two cities will forever be linked in the minds of LGBT people. “Now the fire at the Up Stairs Lounge is the second-deadliest LGBT attack,” he said. “That is a record that should never have existed in the first place, much less have been broken. We all need to be grateful today for the people who weren’t afraid 40 or 50 years ago.” n

PGN KAINE from page 1

The referendum did go on the ballot. By the time it was voted on, I was governor. I campaigned against it and was really glad when I joined the Senate in 2013 to sign onto the amicus brief that the Democratic senators put in to promote marriage equality at the Supreme Court. I’m really happy that I had another chapter in public life beyond being governor and that I’ve gotten to not just see but be a small part of the gains that we’ve made. PGN: As vice president, you’re also president of the Senate and preside over the Senate. Some people are predicting it’s possible the Democrats and Republicans will be split down the middle on the Equality Act. How does it make you feel that you might be the one vote that brings nondiscrimination for LGBT people into law? TK: I tell you, it would be the easiest vote I ever cast. As you know, I’m a cosponsor of that act. I think it’s really important that we do it. In fact, I just talked a little bit about this very issue here at Penn State a few minutes ago to a great student audience. You’re right: In theory, I could break the tie. I had to break four or five ties when I was lieutenant governor in Virginia so it’s possible I could do that in the Senate. Sadly, though, as you know from watching the Senate, they’ve sort of turned every piece of legislation into a 60-vote filibuster and cloture vote rather than the 50 votes on the merits, so it means that the number of ties is dramatically dropping. But if the Equality Act ever was a tie, that would be just about the easiest vote I ever passed. PGN: If the Democrats don’t take control of the Senate, do you or will the Clinton Administration have any maneuvering pressure to put on Sen. Mitch McConnell to get him to bring the Equality Act to the floor? TK: That’s a good question. If we posit it that way, OK, we win — I think we’re going to take the Senate too — but whether we’ve taken it or not, what is the likelihood of getting the Equality Act to the floor and then getting over that 60-vote threshold? The Republicans clearly would not allow it to be a 50-vote threshold; they’d want it to be up at 60 votes. What would be the possibility of it? I really think this election is going to send a real mandate for pro-equality policies. It is also going to show the Republican Party, in my estimation, how deeply unpopular they’ve become with certain groups of voters, including millennials, including minorities, including new Americans. There are few issues that are more important to millennials than equality of all kind, including LGBT equality. Millennials overwhelmingly believe in it and the Republican Party, if they lose the presidency for the third election in a row — that’s hard to do now — they’re going to have to do some soul-searching and say, “Wow. Why are we so unpopular with young voters?” They’re going to reach the conclusion that the LGBT-equality issue is one of [the reasons]. Whether or not we

have a majority, we won’t have 60 [votes] so we’re going to need some Republican votes. I have a feeling the outcome of this election is going to be a pretty clear mandate for pro-equality policies. PGN: The Williams Institute recently reported that at least 13 percent of LGBT seniors are worried about housing issues. What can we do on that front? TK: I know that’s got to be a big issue in Philly; it is in so many cities. This is the area I worked in as a fair-housing lawyer for 17 years in Virginia and have done a lot of work around affordable housing as a mayor and governor, too. Here’s some good news: I don’t think we need to create a new program that doesn’t exist. There is a program: It’s the Low-Income Tax Credit Program that allocates tax credits to states, and then states have housing-finance agencies that use those tax credits to promote the construction of affordable rental housing. It’s a very, very good program. The states kind of tailor it to their own circumstances, which is fine. Everybody I talk to in the affordable-housing area says, “Look, you have a program that works. It’s just not funded at a robust-enough level.” So Hillary and I have a proposal to just take that LITC program and dramatically increase the funding so we can produce more affordable rental housing.

“I really think this election is going to send a real mandate for pro-equality policies. It is also going to show the Republican Party, in my estimation, how deeply unpopular they’ve become with certain groups of voters, including millennials, including minorities, including new Americans.” Here’s another reason we have to do it, just demographically. Before the collapse of the economy in 2008 and 2009, we had home-ownership rate up to nearing 70 percent, and that was probably too high. Now it’s coming back down to about 62 percent and it’s probably going to go down to more like 60 percent. As the home-ownership rate falls to what might be kind of an equilibrium for a while, you’ve got to have more rental housing. If more people are renting or staying in a rental property longer, and the population is growing, you’ve got to have more rental housing. That’s why this LITC program is so important. PGN: I saw a campaign commercial recently by a PAC that features Judy Shepard [mother of Matthew Shepard, victim of antigay hate crime]. What concrete steps will the Clinton Administration take regarding hate crimes against the LGBT community?

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

TK: One of the things that I’m really interested in — and it’s related to hate crimes — is the bullying issue. The statistics about LGBT kids getting bullied at school is vastly disproportionate to other kids. Also, LGBT suicide rates are troubling, and that’s connected to the bullying phenomenon. I’ve been giving some thought to that one. There’s a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act called Title IV, which is school-security monies. Virtually every district gets them. Schools that get Title IV monies should be able to use those monies for anti-bullying activities. Bullying not only affects LGBT students obviously — though they suffer from it disproportionately — but it affects others too. I think a real focus on anti-bullying is important. When I was DNC chair, we were pretty involved in the “It Gets Better” campaign to try to get adults of all kinds to basically just look at the kids of today, the students of today, and say, “Hey, look. You may be going through a tough time now and struggling with issues because you’re an adolescent. Hey, we all did. But you’ll get through it, it’ll get better. You just should celebrate who you are.” I think it’s really important for adults — especially adults in leadership positions — to preach that message so not only can kids feel more comfortable in who they are, but it also has a way of reminding students who might be prone to bullying others that that’s not cool behavior. PGN: Do you want to say anything regarding your vice-presidential opponent, who supports conversion therapy and seems to be a very anti-LGBT person? TK: We could talk about a lot of evidence about Mike Pence when he was governor of Indiana. The one that I think was the sharpest was the one that brought Indiana to national attention, which was an effort to pass a bill under the guise or label of religious freedom — which was really inspired by a desire to allow people to treat LGBT folks as second-class, and to make that OK and legal. That really backfired for the state. Businesses in the state urged [Pence] not to do that: “Don’t sign that bill.” The Republican governor of Georgia wouldn’t sign the bill similar to it when the legislature put it on his desk. Even after the business community said, “Don’t do this,” he did it anyway and then businesses were threatening to leave the state or, if they expanded, to expand elsewhere. Business looking to move to Indiana said, “We’re not going to come.” The front page of the Indianapolis newspaper had to run a full-page editorial: “Fix this law,” saying, “Don’t turn us into a poster child for bigotry. Don’t put socially extreme views ahead of the economic future of the state of Indiana.” Eventually, they had to partially back down. But even today, when asked, “Does there need to be legal protection so that people can’t be discriminated against on the grounds of [being] LGBTQ?” he says that’s not a priority for him. Well, it is a priority for Hillary Clinton and me and that’s why we’re such strong supporters of the Equality Act at the federal level. n

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ELECTION PGN

Katie McGinty

Office sought: U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania Party: Democrat McGinty is a Northeast Philadelphia native who earned a law degree from Columbia Law School and went on to serve as a White House advisor on environmental issues under then-President Bill Clinton. She served as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and later chief of staff to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. McGinty’s bid to to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is one of the most closely watched Senate races in the nation. PGN sent the same set of questions regarding LGBT issues to both McGinty and Toomey; despite numerous requests, Toomey did not submit his responses by presstime. For more information on McGinty’s campaign, visit www.katiemcginty.com. PGN: Will you co-sponsor the Equality Act? What do you think is the best strategy to move this bill forward in the next Congressional session? KM: I would proudly co-sponsor the Equality Act. My entire career I have brought people together to advance policies that protect Americans and improve our economy. There is a growing coalition in this country of community leaders, businesses and members of both parties that recognize that discrimination in any form is unacceptable and harmful to the fabric of our country. As Senator, I’ll amplify these voices for change and use my experience working with both sides of the aisle to fight for policies that will end discrimination in our country. PGN: Republican nominee Donald Trump has pledged that, if he is elected, he would sign the First Amendment Defense Act. What steps would you take, if elected, to counter that effort? KM: I strongly oppose legislation like the First Amendment Defense Act and believe it is completely unacceptable to make discrimination legal against anyone, including members of the LGBT community. In the Senate, I would oppose this bill while fighting for critical legislation like the Equality Act, which aims to end discrimination for everyone. PGN: In light of this summer’s mass shooting in Orlando, what confluence, if at all, do you see between the issues of hate crimes and gun violence? And how does your approach to gun control address that? KM: I believe that guns offer those with hate in their heart an easily accessible pathway to turning that hate into violence. My

approach to gun control involves taking commonsense steps to keep weapons out of the hands of those who have previously been convicted of a hate crime and those who are mentally ill, as well as passing legislation that ends the sale of military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. PGN: Violence against trans women, especially women of color, has been reported at alarming rates in recent years. What is your plan to address this issue? KM: Violence against anyone — including trans women, trans women of color and women of color — should not be tolerated. I support increasing awareness of the violence that occurs against trans women and men, including stricter hate-crime reporting that provides accurate information on hate crimes committed against trans men and women. I also support increasing funding for community-outreach programs that create safe spaces for trans people and trans people of color to build relationships with law enforcement. PGN: How do you plan to advocate for racial justice, particularly in connection to fair law-enforcement practices? KM: As the daughter of a police officer who walked the beat in Philadelphia for over 20 years, I know firsthand how important it is for the police to have a relationship with the communities they serve. If elected, I will be an advocate for policies that encourage officers to interact positively with their communities and rebuild the connection between those who serve and those they protect. PGN: How do you plan to demonstrate bipartisanship? KM: Throughout my time at the White House Council of Environmental Quality, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and as Gov. Wolf’s chief of staff, I have worked across the aisle to find common ground and accomplish goals. Being from opposing political parties does not mean complete and total disagreement on every issue, and it’s important to zero in on the issues that matter to other legislators and their constituents and work together to solve those issues. PGN: How will your economic policies affect LGBT residents? KM: I believe that there are many steps we can take to make our economy work for everyone, including the LGBT community. First and foremost, we can ensure equal pay for equal work by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act. Workers doing the same job deserve the same wage — regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Other policies I support — like affordable childcare and higher education, putting an end to discrimination and rebuilding our manufacturing sector in the U.S. — all expand opportunity and fairness to members of the LGBT community and beyond. n

Mary Ellen Balchunis

Office sought: U.S. Representative for the Seventh District Party: Democrat A native of the Seventh District, Balchunis taught political science at La Salle University for more than two decades, and is the former executive director of The Resource Center for Human Services and assistant to the mayor. She is vying to diversify Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation, which is currently comprised of all men. For more information, visit www.balchunis2016.com. PGN: Will you cosponsor the Equality Act? What do you think is the best strategy to move this bill forward in the next Congressional session? MEB: I will definitely support passage of that. I think it’s much-needed. I think this election would be a big step in moving that forward, changing Congress, making sure you have members of Congress who are supportive of these issues. That would make a huge difference. PGN: In light of this summer’s mass shooting in Orlando, what confluence, if at all, do you see between the issues of hate crimes and gun violence? And how does your approach to gun control address that? MEB: This is the area where I think is the biggest difference between my opponent and myself. Pat Meehan in the past has gotten two A ratings from the NRA and taken money [from the NRA]. He was asked after Orlando: “In light of Orlando, have you changed your position on banning assault weapons?” And the events of Orlando have not changed his mind. He will still not support a ban on assault weapons. I’m a Million Mom Marcher and have been fighting for this issue since 2000. In fact, I taught at La Salle for 24 years in the political-science department and one of our students lost his daughter in Sandy Hook. I thought after Gabby Giffords was shot things would change. Then I definitely thought after Sandy Hook, things would change. And then after Orlando … I got the endorsement of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the people who sat on the floor [of the U.S. House], so my staff took that picture of them and Photoshopped me in and sent it and said, “If she were there, she’d be right there with you.” PGN: Violence against trans women, especially women of color, has been

reported at alarming rates in recent years. What is your plan to address this issue? MEB: I do see it as a really serious problem. I think we have to certainly pass the laws we just talked about like the Equality Act — and really make sure we not only pass them but enforce them. I also think we need public-service announcements talking about acceptance. One of President Obama’s first acts was the Matthew Shepard [and] James Byrd [Hate Crime Act]. We need a president to get behind the issues. Hillary’s been behind this. I saw the letter she wrote [for PGN], and I had Hillary back at La Salle once. I’ve been a huge Hillary supporter. PGN: How do you plan to demonstrate bipartisanship? MEB: I grew up in Delaware County, which is heavily Republican. I remember when I was 18 and I asked my dad how to vote, he said, “Register Republican. We’re in Delaware County.” And then I went to Penn and I got politically socialized and learned the differences and what the Republican Party stood for, which is big business, and what the Democratic Party stood for: working-class people, families, women, minorities. So I changed my registration. I have a brother who’s a Republican and a brother who’s an Independent, so we have great Christmases and Thanksgivings. But we don’t fight; we respect each other, so we laugh a lot. And I think that’s what’s lost in this Congress. Mitch McConnell in his first statement after President Obama was elected said his goal was to make sure Obama was a one-term president. That’s so disrespectful. There’s something in American politics that you’re supposed to treat your colleagues with respect, and I think that’s been lost. My opponent voted to shut down the government. The women in the House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats, get together and have breakfast and talk about their children and grandchildren; I don’t have any grandchildren but I have a daughter who’s plenty to brag about, so I would go to those breakfasts and work across the aisle. I hope at least we can have one woman in the Pennsylvania delegation; now we have zero out of 20. We have two male U.S. Senators and all 18 Congresspeople are male. It’s pretty pathetic. It’s not representative at all. PGN: Why should the LGBT community vote for you? MEB: If they back me, I’ll have their backs when I’m in Washington. n The Republican nominee for the Seventh District Congressional seat, Congressman Pat Meehan, did not respond to PGN’s request for an interview.

ELECTION PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Josh Shapiro Office sought: Pennsylvania Attorney General Party: Democrat Shapiro is the chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, on which he has sat since 2012. Previously, he represented the 153rd District in the state House of Representatives. For more information, visit www.joshshapiro.org. PGN: The image and reputation of the Attorney General’s Office have taken a hit in recent months. What would you do to restore the public’s faith in the office? JS: It’s going to require at least two things. One, a competent executive who knows how to lead a government. I lead the Montgomery County government, which is four times larger than the Office of Attorney General. I know how to take over a messy situation and turn it around and make it work. Second, I have a plan on restoring integrity to the office. My first paper in the campaign way back in January was my integrity agenda, specifically talking about what I would do in office on day one. I’ll require everyone to sign a code of conduct. Two, everyone will have mandated ethics training on a regular basis. Three, I’m going to hire a chief diversity officer and that is critically important because one of the problems this office has had is that when it comes time to make big decisions, everybody [making the decisions] looks the same. There haven’t been people of color, LGBT people, not many women, people with diverse life experiences. I think it’s really important to have diversity around that small table in order to make smart decisions. Finally, we need to ban all gifts. PGN: Pennsylvania still lacks LGBTinclusive nondiscrimination and hatecrimes laws. What would you do within your jurisdiction as Attorney General to address these issues? JS: Back when I was in the House, I was one of the original cosponsors of what is now known as the Fairness Act. I was proud to stand with that coalition when it was about 10 of us — now it’s well over 100 — and I’m going to use the bully pulpit to advocate to pass this legislation. And then use my authority as Attorney General to root out any kind of discrimination against our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. When I started running back in January, I had in my first ad a scene about marriage equality, and in addition to that, in probably every speech where I am in Pennsylvania I talk about people’s constitutional protections, including the right to not be dis-

criminated against, specially focusing on our LGBTQ brothers and sisters who don’t have the same protections. It’s heartening that no matter where I go in the commonwealth, people applaud for that. It shows how far we’ve come. Obviously, we have a lot more to do, and I’m anxious to use my position as Attorney General to continue to advance the cause. PGN: Gun control came to the forefront of the LGBT community after the mass shooting in Orlando. What do you see as the best strategy of advancing effective gun-control reform in Pennsylvania? JS: First off, you need to have an Attorney General willing to take on the gun lobby. My opponent has gotten an A rating from the NRA and was endorsed by the NRA. You can’t trust him to take on the gun lobby and deal with this crisis in our community. I have put forth a specific plan on what I would do: One, expand background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those who are mentally ill. We need to make sure we expand the gun-violence task force that exists today between the Attorney General’s Office and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. It needs to be beefed up and also expanded to other regions around Pennsylvania. We have to crack down on straw purchasers. I will use my authority to end reciprocity agreements with other states that people go to to pass checks for concealed carry that is weaker than ours in Pennsylvania. The key issue here is you’ve got to have an attorney general willing to take on the gun lobby. Throughout my whole career I have, and I won’t be afraid to stand up and protect the LGBT or any other community in Pennsylvania from gun violence. PGN: What would you do to combat the disproportionately high levels of violence faced by transgender women of color? JS: That type of hate crime, that type of discrimination, that type of bullying is something we will be very serious about in combatting. I was the sponsor of language to expand hate-crimes protection to LGBTQ and unfortunately the House didn’t pass it before I left five years ago, but it is something needed. As Attorney General, I will take seriously and prosecute those crimes. PGN: The city’s Police Advisory Commission and numerous LGBT-advocacy groups have recommended that the state Attorney General’s Office review the Nizah Morris case; are you familiar with this? If elected, will you initiate a review of the Morris case? JS: I am familiar with the case. Here is my view overall on crime where police are involved. I do not have the jurisdiction as attorney general to take that case from the local D.A. but I have said that I would support the legislature giving me that authority. I would also make myself and my office

available on a voluntary basis to any D.A. in any jurisdiction who wishes to send me a case so there can be an independent review. PGN: How will you work to bridge divides among law-enforcement communities and people of color? JS: I’ve been working on these issues for a long time as chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime. We need to have programs to bring police and the community closer together to allow them the opportunity to understand one another better and respect one another more. These programs are working; we’re seeing great results in communities where we’re able to deploy these programs. We spend a lot of money and time focused on training of police officers on their physical characteristics — and those things are very, very important — but it’s also important we have training available to police officers to understand communities and people who look different than them, training to be able to handle different kinds of situations. That kind of training is welcomed by police, by folks like Commissioner Ross, people like FOP leader John McNesby. It strengthens the community. PGN: What is the biggest issue facing the LGBT community right now? JS: I think there’s many issues facing Pennsylvanians, not unique to LGBT people. The heroin and opioid epidemic is a challenge we all face. But within the LGBT community, discrimination and crime as a result of someone being LGBT have to be at the top of that list. Having an attorney general who is sensitive to those issues, who shows up in the Gayborhood for OutFest, who is someone the community feels comfortable coming to and working with, will help address these issues. PGN: Why should the LGBT community vote for you? JS: I’ve always been there for the community: leading the way to issue the first marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Montgomery County, where we were the first county to do so; leading in the legislature as an original cosponsor of the Fairness Act; having a history of protecting the rights, health and safety of the LGBT community and all Pennsylvanians; and being someone, quite frankly, who in my core raises his four children to understand that we are all equal and are all people deserving of respect. I am the only candidate running who will consistently apply the law without fear and without favor. And that, I think, will be to the benefit of the LGBT community. I have a history of standing up for the community. I hope the community stands up for me Nov. 8 and makes me their Attorney General. n The Republican nominee for Attorney General, John Rafferty, did not respond to PGN’s request for an interview.

Are you as excited as we are? PGN

Pet Issue

The Pet Issue is Nov. 18 For pet photos, contact scott@epgn.com For placing ads, contact greg@epgn.com or call 215-625-8501 ext. 201.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Out Law

Angela Giampolo

What special challenges does the LGBT community face when it comes to the law? Whether it’s adoption, co-habitation agreements or a will, Angela Giampolo shares legal advice for our community each month.

Only in Online and in print every first Friday.

ELECTION CANDIDATES PGN

Joe Torsella Office sought: Pennsylvania Treasurer Party: Democrat Torsella, a Montgomery County resident, said he would bring his local, state and international experience as a fiscal watchdog to the Treasurer’s Office. He served as deputy mayor for policy and planning under Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell in the early 1990s, founding president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, chair of the State Board of Education and, from 2011-14, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform. For more information, visit www.joetorsella.com. PGN: How has your background prepared you to lead the Treasurer’s Office? JT: This job is squarely in my wheelhouse. What I’ve done with my life in public service has been largely about helping public entities do a better job of using their resources. I did that when I was deputy mayor under Ed Rendell and even at the beginning of my work with the National Constitution Center, when it was in virtual bankruptcy, and I took it to what it is today, raising $200 million and got it on the right course. And then most recently as our U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. for Management and Reform, being our fiscal watchdog at the U.N., a $36-billion system. What the Treasury needs is someone to do three things: restore integrity to the office, which has been tarnished too often in scandal; be an effective fiscal watchdog; and use the powerful tools of the job to advance more opportunities for more Pennsylvanians. I think what I’ve done with my life is the exact skill set the job requires. PGN: What would you do to ensure diversity in your office? JT: That’s something I’ve been always committed to. I want to make sure that diversity is front and center, and in not just how I think about the office frankly, but how we also think about using the tools of the Treasury to advance diversity more generally. There have been efforts by other treasurers — states essentially own their shares in every public company in the country — to advance diversity on corporate boards, which, by the way, is not just

good because it reflects our values but it has been shown to be good for the bottom line of the companies. Diverse boards have more profitable companies. I want to stand for diversity not just in the office but also beyond that, in how we leverage Pennsylvania’s resources more broadly beyond the borders of our state. I want to be a voice in Harrisburg and nationally, beyond just the Treasurer’s Office. I would want to go to Harrisburg and be an advocate for finally passing the Pennsylvania Fairness Act and moving us off the list of states that don’t provide basic fundamental protections to LGBT citizens. In my time at the U.N., I was part of an administration that made LGBT issues and rights a central part of our agenda, with the result that we got the U.N. body resolution on LGBT rights for the first time ever, which produced the report on the state of LGBT rights around the world for the first time ever. It was also an administration that made LGBT issues featured on the agenda of the U.N. Security Council for the first time. In all this, I’ve made the point that LGBT rights are not some special category but basic human rights. PGN: What mechanisms would you put in place to ensure transparency? JT: My favorite subject. We in Pennsylvania have seen way too much scandal in public office, particularly in this office. Three of the last treasurers have been brought up on federal charges. I am of the view that more transparency is the only way we will clean up this mess. I put forward a detailed agenda: One, make it possible for every Pennsylvanian to go online and see not just every dollar in state spending and contracts, but every dollar in political giving by people who get those contracts. Two, I will hire a

chief integrity officer to create cultural integrity in the whole department. Three, I’m going to ban this outrageous practice we have in Pennsylvania of paying middle men as money managers who then get compensated, which is money we can’t afford to spend and that has been shown to lead to scandal. My administration will be one of transparency. In my U.N. efforts, I was responsible for a truly historic breakthrough in transparency at the U.N. Items that were on the U.N. agenda for years but were not able to get done, I got done, including the U.N. publishing audits for the first time in history and making every U.N. committee meeting webcast worldwide; they’d been closed to the public before I got there. It’s something I’m deeply committed to and have a record of achievement on. [Transparency] is what I think is the number-one prescription for the disease of corruption we have seen in Harrisburg. PGN: Although your office is not involved in crafting legislation, what efforts, if any, would you engage in to advance pro-LGBT legislation such as the nondiscrimination or hatecrimes bills? JT: The office is a couple things, and one is a $100-million bully pulpit. The Treasurer’s Office is the custodian of $100 million of Pennsylvania’s money, and that provides a powerful platform both within the state but also beyond the state. What you’ve seen if you look around the country, like with Denise Nappier in Connecticut or the treasurer of Missouri, you’ll see they’ve used the power of those shares to advance these values more broadly than within the states. So I will advocate, for example, holding corporations accountable on whether they’re disclosing their political contributions, including to antiLGBT-rights campaigns. The Missouri treasurer serves on the state’s housing board and introduced protections for LGBT renters into the state policy that way. There’s the equivalent in Pennsylvania because the treasurer sits on 18 boards and commissions within Pennsylvania but also has power of using our commonwealth to advance a

forward-looking agenda more broadly and nationally. PGN: Why should LGBT voters support you? JT: Well, I would have two answers to that. One is consistent with what I said earlier about LGBT rights being human rights. LGBT voters are taxpayers, business owners, pensioners, people who care about the quality of government and the state. Sadly, we’ve fallen far behind recently when it comes to basic human rights and on public-policy innovation, and I want them to know I’m going to bring to this office all the determination and innovation and energy that I’ve shown in positions I’ve held in the past. I’m going to make the office not the source of embarrassment it has been but a source of progress and pride and problem-solving. I am passionate about creating opportunities for Pennsylvanians through this office and have put forward a number of ways to do that, from personal retirement accounts for people in workplaces without retirement savings to universal college-savings accounts for every child born in Pennsylvania. I have a record on LGBT issues, from my time at the Rendell administration to the Constitutional Center and to the Obama administration at the U.N. It’s a record I’m proud of and that I would keep adding to in this post. That’s among the differences between me and my opponent. He proudly brags he was the first statewide Republican candidate in Pennsylvania to endorse Donald Trump. He not just stood by Donald Trump throughout every one of his new lows he reached in his historically hateful and divisive campaign, he campaigns with him, leading the crowd in chants of “Lock her up” [in reference to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton]. He doesn’t support the same protections I do support for LGBT Pennsylvania. I think if voters see my record, they’ll think I’m their pick. n Republican nominee for Pennsylvania Treasurer, Otto Voit, did not respond to repeated requests for an interview.

ELECTION CANDIDATES PGN

Gettin’ On

Only in Online and in print every third Friday.

Eugene DePasquale Office sought: Pennsylvania Auditor General Party: Democrat Auditor General DePasquale is pursuing a second term as the state’s top fiscal watchdog, a position he has held since 2013. He represented the 95th District in the state House of Representatives from 2007-13. For more information, visit www. eugene4pa.com.

We’re all getting older. For LGBT seniors, being out in the golden years can pose a whole new set of challenges. Each month, Gettin’ On brings you insights on aging, from legal issues to sexual health.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

PGN: How have you worked to ensure diversity in the Auditor General’s Office? ED: We actually changed the policies to make sure we were being more inclusive. On my transition team I had Adrian Shanker, who is very prominent in the Lehigh Valley LGBTQ community, and he basically headed up the labor portion of my transition team to make sure all of the policies and procedures in the department were updated to make sure we had the most open environment for all employees, including those from the LGBTQ community. That was internal, and then as a public official, I was an outspoken supporter in the 2012 campaign of marriage equality and obviously had maintained that as a

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House member in the legislature for three terms. I supported the anti-workplace-discrimination legislation and continue to speak out on behalf of that legislation. When it comes to our audits, I do make sure taxpayer dollars are not used to work in reverse of [nondiscrimination]. PGN: Although your office is not directly involved in crafting legislation, have there been any opportunities, or would you be open to opportunities in the future, for advancing pro-LGBT measures such as the nondiscrimination or hate-crimes bills? ED: I like to think that my voice on these matters as a statewide official, as opposed to a House member, adds weight to things, just from getting on the stump, so to speak. I’m the chief fiscal watchdog in the state. I believe many of these [LGBT] issues are not only right ethically and morally certainly, but this is where the future of the state needs to be to make good economic sense. PGN: How does your office select the agencies and programs on which it conducts audits? ED: Some are mandated and some are simply my choosing because of issues I think it’s important to tackle. PGN: What mechanisms have you put in place to ensure transparency in the Auditor

General’s Office? ED: I was the first statewide elected official in Pennsylvania to put my expenses online. I’m always game for new stuff that makes things more transparent. I’ve been an advocate of school districts having to put all of their spending online, certainly the same for charter schools, and I’ll continue to work with my team to be more out there as well. I’m a big believer in transparency. PGN: Why should LGBT voters support you? ED: I believe I have earned the community’s support. In my job as Attorney General, I have looked out for taxpayer dollars, finding $300 million in wasteful spending and conducting audits that keep our children safe and our health-care facilities safe and make our school districts run better. I have stood with the LGBTQ community my entire public-service career. It’s not just because of the economics, it’s the right thing to do. The best way for our state to move forward if we want to retain young talent is to let people live their lives. I’m hoping the LGBTQ community recognizes that on Election Day. n The Republican nominee for Auditor General, John Brown, did not respond to a request for an interview.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

SPECIAL SECTION PGNON LGBT AGING

How do you want to grow older? Elder Summit to emphasize training for By David Griffith Many of us prefer not to think about getting old, instead trying to preserve our youth and fight the natural aging process at every step of the way. But the fact is that all of us are aging, and if we are fortunate enough to live long lives, we will some day need to receive services from the network of aging-services professionals and health-care providers who care for older adults. To ensure the highest level of care is available when we need it, it is imperative these professionals have the knowledge, training and cultural sensitivity to serve LGBT elders. LGBT people should be able to access the vital programs and services at senior centers, without the fear of discrimination. We should have access to a provider network that has received cultural-competence training around LGBT issues. Our experiences and needs should be taken into account when politicians and aging-services administrators make decisions about funding and service delivery. If we need to hospice or palliative-care services, those providers should be sensitive to our needs, identities and family dynamics. Fortunately, great work is currently underway within the field of aging to improve the ways that the aging-services network is meeting the needs of LGBT older adults. There are plenty of success stories of agencies completing cultural-competence trainings, developing LGBTinclusive programming and launching new initiatives to better reach LGBT communities. The knowledge and awareness of LGBT aging has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years. Yet, more work is needed to ensure that LGBT people are able to access resources and services that are welcoming, affirming and culturally sensitive to people of all sexual orientations and

gender identities. Navigating the aging-services network can already feel overwhelming to many older adults. It shouldn’t be made more challenging by the presence of discrimination. On Nov. 3, the LGBT Elder Initiative will join with Jefferson Health and community partners to present the 2016 LGBT Elder Summit, “Caring for our Community: Building Cultural Competence in Aging Services and Healthcare.” The Summit will bring together community members, aging-services providers, policymakers, medical providers and thought leaders in the field of aging to explore the current state of LGBT aging and the importance of culturally competent, inclusive and welcoming services for LGBT populations. This event will provide an opportunity to celebrate the progress that has been made since the 2010 LGBT Elder Summit, which led to the formation of the LGBT Elder Initiative, and to look ahead to the future of LGBT aging in the region. The LGBT Elder Initiative is proud to present this Special Section on LGBT Aging, highlighting some of the great work that is currently underway in the field of aging as well as some of the steps that still need to take place. We thank PGN for their attention to this important issue, and for providing an avenue to further educate about the needs facing our older-adult communities. We also extend deep thanks to AARP, Action Wellness, the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE), Center in the Park and Penn Medicine for contributing content to this Special Section. n David Griffith is the director of programs and outreach for the LGBT Elder Initiative. He can be reached at dgriffith@lgbtei.org. To learn more about the LGBT Elder Initiative, visit www.lgbtelderinitiative.org.

providers, navigation tips for community By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com

It’s been six years since the first LGBT Elder Summit. In that time, a lot has changed in the aging-services landscape, particularly as it relates to increased awareness about LGBT older adults, said David Griffith, director of programs and outreach for the LGBT Elder Initiative. Griffith said the Elder Summit that comes to Philadelphia from noon-5 p.m. Nov. 3 will reconvene the stakeholders from the 2010 meeting, in addition to others, and discuss what progress has been made and where more training can help. The summit takes place in the Dorrance H. Hamilton Building at Thomas Jefferson University, 1001 Locust St. It costs $10 to attend, but people can make other arrangements with the Elder Initiative if the price is a barrier. Speaking about improvements since the beginning of the decade, Griffith said, “National groups like AARP and the Alzheimer’s Association do more targeted work with LGBT people.” “A lot of agencies recognize the fact that LGBT people have unique needs,” he added. Griffith said many agency administrators have added LGBT people to their nondiscrimination policies and outreach plans. He would like to see more frontline staff and direct care workers receive training on LGBT cultural competency because they have the most interaction

with clients. “We do still hear a lot of horror stories of people feeling like they need to go back into the closet when accessing aging services,” Griffith said. “On the community side, there is still a lot of fear: ‘What’s going to happen to me when I have to rely on longterm care?’” The summit includes lunch and starts with opening remarks from Elder Initiative co-founder Heshie Zinman and board chair Sandra Thompson. The state Secretary of Aging Teresa Osborne will deliver the keynote address at 12:45 p.m. A plenary on preparing Pennsylvania providers to delivery culturally competent services runs from 1:15-2:45 p.m. The event concludes with three breakout workshops starting at 3:15 p.m.: Building LGBT Culturally Competent Aging Services, Inclusive Health-Care Services for LGBT Elder, and Navigating Health Care and Aging Services. A social celebration runs from 5-7 p.m. in the same location as the summit. Louis Colbert, vice president of operations at the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, will receive the inaugural Edwin J. Bomba Memorial Award for Advocacy. Bomba, a founding member of the Elder Initiative, died unexpectedly in February from complications of surgery. He worked on LGBT, HIV/AIDS, senior and disability causes. Bomba also conceived the “Gettin’ On” column that runs monthly in PGN. For more information or to register for the Elder Summit, visit www.lgbtelderinitiative.org/lgbt-aging-summit. n

New series showcases stories of LGBT elders By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The voices of LGBT older adults are being amplified with a new storytelling project. I’m From Driftwood’s “What Was It Like?” series debuted earlier this month. The initiative features video interviews with elders in which they share stories about their evolving experiences as LGBT people in the last century. IFD has collected more than 1,000 video and written oral histories from LGBTs and allies since its founding in 2009. IFD founder and executive director Nathan Manske said organizers ask interviewees to share one important story regarding their LGBT identity, and they then condense the footage to a 4-6-minute piece for online publication.

“With the elders we interviewed, they tried to cram in as much of their life as possible in this one story. We found that people aren’t going to watch a 20- or 25-minute video, but we felt like we were doing a disservice by not sharing all of their stories,” Manske said. That sparked the idea for “What Was It Like?” “We knew we needed to do separate programming specific for elders,” Manske said. “It made a lot of sense because LGBTQ elders, more than anyone else, have been forced to keep their lives, their stories, in the closet, in the dark. It was about time somebody starting asking them to share their stories of who they are.” IFD teamed up with SAGE (Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders) to find interview subjects.

“We’re very interested in helping to elevate the voices of LGBT older adults,” said SAGE chief engagement officer Susan Herr. “Nathan reached out about a year ago and we were super-impressed with his videos. There are a lot of storytelling initiatives out there, but this one has really gotten some reasonable traction.” Each interview subject will share four to six separate stories. Manske said IFD will have completed five “What Was It Like” interviews by the end of the year, with the goal of taking the initiative nationwide next year. “We want to collect stories from elders all over the country,” he said. “It’s important to hear what it was like to be LGBTQ in New York in the 1950s and ’60s but I also want to know what it was like in Boise, Idaho, in decades past.”

That goal is being supported through IFD’s partnership with Philadelphia-based Comcast, the nation’s largest cable-service provider. Each video will premiere exclusively on Comcast XFINITY and On Demand. “If you say ‘LGBT’ into your remote, the I’m From Driftwood videos pop up. And it’s the main feature on that part of the [XFINITY] website,” Manske explained. “It’s amazing knowing that these stories will be in the homes of millions of people across the country, from major cities to small towns.” After two weeks on XFINITY, the videos will be published on YouTube, where they will be sorted into playlists for each subject, as well as the IFD site and social-media channels. The first series of interviews

with New York City resident Sandy Warshaw published earlier this month. Manske said the YouTube comments have been enlightening, such as “Wow, I rarely hear stories of older LGBT people, I even wondered if they existed.” “It was clear to us that not many people have asked our elders to share their stories,” he said. “Their faces light up when we ask them.” Manske said IFD continues to seek “What Was It Like?” storytellers and plans to film in Philadelphia, working with William Way LGBT Community Center and John C. Anderson Apartments, the LGBT-friendly affordable-housing facility where IDF holds an annual spring fundraiser. For more information, visit www.whatwasitlike.org. n

SPECIAL SECTION PGNON LGBT AGING

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Six years and counting By Heshie Zinman Many of us never thought we would grow old as LGBTQ people. Stigma and discrimination have urged us to stay silent about our sexual orientations and gender identities. Societal expectations have pressured us live in the closet, to marry opposite-sex partners, to conform to strict gender roles and to hide essential parts of what makes us who we are. When we did come out, many of us were harassed. We faced the threat of violence. Many of us were ostracized by friends and family members. We were legally discriminated against. Our relationships were treated as insignificant. We saw the AIDS crisis decimate our communities, as politicians and those in power turned a blind eye. We’ve mourned countless friends and loved ones, experiencing levels of communal grief that still impact us today. Yet, here we are: a generation of LGBTQ people aging openly and proudly. The Baby Boomers have been called the “activist generation” — a generation of people who will not stand for status quo and who are eager to fight injustice. We’ve protested, marched, challenged our politicians. We’ve organized our communities. So in 2010, the year before the oldest of the Baby Boomers would start turning 65, we were faced with a new cause: the prospect of needing to access services and resources from an aging-services network ill-equipped to deliver services that were welcoming and affirming to LGBTQ people. We had seen our older LGBTQ friends be forced back into the closet in order to access care. We heard the horror stories of LGBTQ discrimination in nursing homes, longterm-care facilities and senior centers. So we, a group of community members concerned with what the aging-services network would have in store for us, set out to learn more about the experiences, fears and needs of our LGBTQ communities here in Greater Philadelphia. Through tabling events, community outreach and the distribution of surveys through various means, we set out to hear from our community. What we found wasn’t surprising, but provided quantitative data to add credence to what we had been hearing anecdotally. Our communities were concerned about our physical and mental health as we grew older. We feared losing our support networks and becoming isolated. We doubted if we would be able to find housing that was safe and affordable. And we worried that when the time came that we would need to access care, that the services available would not be sensitive and LGBTQ culturally competent, and would perhaps even be hostile and discriminatory. With this information in hand, we set about creating an LGBT Elder Summit, bringing together community members, aging-services professionals, LGBTQ community organizations and representatives of local government

agencies. More than 120 people gathered at this Summit to develop recommendations focused on addressing the needs of LGBT older adults and the lack of available LGBTQ-inclusive resources. That summit in 2010 would be the catalyst for the LGBT Elder Initiative, which six years later is thriving as a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities have the rights and opportunities to age successfully. Through community education, training, resource dissemination and advocacy, we have worked to bridge the gap between our LGBTQ older-adult communities and networks of services we rely on. Since 2010, we’ve seen the landscape changing before our eyes. At the local, state and national levels, there has been great progress. Marriage equality became the law of the land, something many of us never expected to see in our lifetimes. National organizations like AARP and the Alzheimer’s Association formed new LGBTQ initiatives, making a concerted effort to better serve LGBTQ communities. Here in Philadelphia, we’ve been blessed with the development of the John C. Anderson Apartments, which has become a national model for LGBTQ-friendly senior housing. Senior centers, health-care providers, longtermcare facilities and home-care agencies around the city have started tuning in to becoming more LGBTQ-inclusive. And yet, we know there is still so much work to do. We need to continue to work to ensure that all providers in aging services and health care have the necessary training to meet the needs of LGBTQ older adults. We need to eliminate the barriers to care that still affect many members of our communities. We need to work with our politicians to ensure the passage and implementation of LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination laws. We need to improve the ways that the aging-services system collects data on sexual orientation and gender identity, so that we are counted when decisions are being made around service delivery. Let us be grateful for the positive steps in the last six years, but let us remain vigilant in improving the aging-services system we will rely on as we continue to grow older. And let us not rest until all of services are welcoming, affirming and inclusive to all. In looking back on the last six years, I would be remiss if I did not thank the hundreds of community members, aging-services professionals and supporters who have contributed to the creation and growth of the LGBT Elder Initiatives. The LGBTEI especially recognizes the passion and commitment of Jaci Adams, Gloria Casarez and Ed Bomba, founding board members of the LGBTEI. n Heshie Zinman is a community activist and a founder and current board member of the LGBT Elder Initiative. To learn more about the LGBT Elder Initiative, visit www.lgbtelderinitiative.org, and join us for the 2016 LGBT Elder Summit on Nov. 3.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

SPECIAL SECTION PGNON LGBT AGING

Palliative care: What every LGBTQ person needs to know By Stephanie Chando, MSW, LSW, MEd What is palliative care? Palliative care is specialized medical care for individuals with a serious illness. Palliative care focuses on providing relief from symptoms related to life-threatening illnesses such as pain, shortness of breath, nausea, anxiety, depression and so on. This type of care is available for individuals coping with different types of ailments, including cancer, dementia, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), end-stage renal disease and many others. Palliative care can be provided in various settings, including your home, hospitals and long-term-care facilities, such as senior-living communities and nursing homes. The overall goal of this type of care is to maximize quality of life for both the person with

the serious illness and his or her support network. What services does a palliative-care team provide? Palliative care nurse practitioner Monique Neault most concisely describes the palliative-care team’s role as helping those with life-threatening illnesses and their families “understand and adapt” to changes occurring as a result of their illness. Palliative-care physicians focus primarily on symptom management and also advocating for individuals’ and families’ right to determine their own medical care. In addition to assisting with symptom management, nurse practitioners provide education regarding disease progression and assist social workers in facilitating goals of care discussions. Social workers offer emotional support, assist in the completion

honor box locations 2nd & Chestnut sts. • 2nd & Walnut sts. • 3rd & Chestnut sts. • 3rd & Market sts. • 3rd & Spruce sts. • 4th & Bainbridge sts. • 4th & Chestnut sts. • 4th St. bet. Arch & Market sts., by Holiday Inn • 5th & Spring Garden sts. • 5th & Spruce sts. • 6th St. & Washington Square West • 7th & Pine sts. • 8th & Market sts. • 8th & South sts. • 8th & Walnut sts. • 9th & Market sts. • 9th & Pine sts. • 10th & Market sts. • 10th & Pine sts. • 10th & South sts. • 10th & Spruce sts.• 10th & Reed sts. • 11th & Arch sts. • 11th & Locust sts. • 11th & Pine sts. • 11th & Walnut sts. • 12th & Filbert sts. • 12th & Locust sts. • 12th & Manning sts. •12th & Spruce sts. • 12th & Walnut sts. • 13th & Arch sts. • 13th & Chestnut sts. • 13th & Locust sts. • 13th & Pine sts. • 13th & Sansom sts. • 13th & Spruce sts. • 13th & Walnut sts. •15th & Spruce sts. • 16th St. & JFK Boulevard • 16th & Market sts. • 17th & Lombard sts. • 17th & Pine sts. • 17th & Spruce sts. • 18th St. & JFK Boulevard • 18th & Locust sts. • 18th & Market sts. • 19th & South sts. • 20th & Fitzwater sts. • 20th & Locust sts. • 20th & Pine sts. • 20th & Sansom sts. • 20th & Vine sts. • 21st & Walnut sts. • 22nd & Chestnut sts. • 22nd & Market sts. • 22nd & South sts. • 22nd & Walnut sts. • 23rd St. & Fairmount Avenue • 27th & Poplar sts. • 28th & Girard sts.• 29th & Girard sts. • 30th & Market sts. • 34th & Spruce sts. • 34th & Walnut sts. • 36th & Walnut sts. • 37th & Spruce sts. • 38th & Chestnut sts. • 38th & Spruce sts. • 38th & Walnut sts. • 40th & Walnut sts. • 40th & Spruce sts. • 63rd St. & City Ave. • 69th St. SEPTA station • 505 S. Fourth St. • Broad & Chestnut sts. • Broad & Ellsworth sts. • Broad & Race sts. • Broad & Spruce sts. • Broad & Walnut sts. • Front & Girard sts. • Germantown & Girard sts. • Juniper & Market sts. • Main & Cotton sts. • Main & Levering sts. • Passyunk Ave & 10th & Reed sts. • Passyunk & Mifflin sts. • University City SEPTA Station • Walnut & Dock sts., by Ritz Movies • Welsh Road & Roosevelt Boulevard • Wyndmoor SEPTA Station • All of these locations are now visible on a zoomable Google Map at

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of advance directives including living wills and power of attorney forms and, in partnership with the other team members, help those with serious illnesses and their significant others make complex medical decisions regarding ongoing medical care during hospitalization, and to plan for care beyond discharge. Many palliative-care teams also have non-denominational chaplains and other spiritual counselors to offer spiritual support. Some teams even work with specialized pharmacists to provide recommendations for medication management. For more on palliative care, visit the Center to Advance Palliative Care at getpalliativecare.org. How does palliative care differ from hospice? In the simplest terms, hospice always involves palliative care, but palliative care does not always involve hospice. Palliative care can be provided to individuals with a serious illness at any point after diagnosis and can and should be offered in tandem with medical treatment. Hospice, on the other hand, is only available for individuals with a prognosis of six months or less according to Medicare guidelines, and involves a shift in the philosophy of care to comfort instead of cure. For more on hospice care, visit the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization at www.nhpco.org. When two taboo subjects collide: Serious illness and sexuality Palliative care encompasses a holistic approach to care that attempts to take into consideration all aspects of the individual’s life. However, health-care professionals often neglect sexuality as a significant aspect of life in general, and this is especially true after a terminal diagnosis. In neglecting sexuality, health-care professionals also typically avoid discussing issues related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity. There are many reasons to explain why health-care professionals avoid initiating the discussion of sexuality with palliative-care patients. Within the past few decades, researchers have accumulated evidence to justify the importance of providing those with terminal illnesses the opportunity to discuss their sexual and intimate lives with healthcare professionals. According to Cort, Monroe and Oliviere, it is clear that “when sexual care is not acknowledged as part of every health-care practitioner’s concern, the principle of holistic care is lost and there is potential for patients’ needs to go unmet.”

What are specific concerns for LGBTQ individuals with serious illnesses? Members of the LGBTQ community have very specific needs when coping with a serious illness, but most palliative-care health-care professionals are unable to provide culturally competent, patient-centered care due to lack of training. For this and many other reasons, LGBTQ folks are often afraid to be open about their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or sexual behaviors with health-care professionals. Fortunately and unfortunately, LGBTQ individuals are uniquely gifted at advocating for themselves and navigating imperfect systems, such as health-care institutions. Additionally, many LGBTQ persons have actively engaged in a life-long journey of identity discovery and the evolving development of one’s self-expression, and therefore this is not a new process when diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. For this reason, it is so important for palliative-care health-care professionals to build a trusting relationship and engage LGBTQ clients in life review to honor their resilience. The prime importance of advancecare planning To help navigate this life transition, it is also imperative for LGBTQ individuals who have been diagnosed with a serious illness to document their wishes in regards to medical care and to designate in writing the person or people they would prefer to make medical decisions on their behalf if they are no longer able to do so. As health-care professionals often fail to recognize the importance of the LGBTQ individual’s family of choice, formal documentation is the best way to relay your wishes to any member of your various medical teams. For more on the importance of advance care planning for LGBTQ individuals, visit The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging’s website at www.lgbtagingcenter.org, and pay close attention to the section under the “Resources” tab entitled “End-of-Life Decisions.” For an example of a free Pennsylvania advance-directive form, visit www.caringinfo.org. And finally, for a thorough guide to starting conversations about end-of-life care wishes, visit The Conversation Project at theconversationproject.org. n Stephanie Chando is a kink-aware sexuality educator and palliative-care social worker at Pennsylvania Hospital with more than eight years’ experience in hospice and palliative care. Stephanie is also a Ph.D. candidate in Human Sexuality at Widener University focusing on the sexual and intimate lives of those nearing end of life.

SPECIAL SECTION PGNON LGBT AGING

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Local pride. Community proud. Right here in Philadelphia By Grace Rustia An open letter to the LGBT community: If you don’t think “ally” when you think AARP, then you don’t know AARP. We’re more than just discounts and we’re more than just an organization based in the nation’s capitol. We are local pride, community proud. From Philadelphia Pride to OutFest, we’re in local communities to meet you where you are — to not only have fun, but to connect one on one and learn about issues that are important to you. One of these issues is caregiving. AARP staff and volunteers heard time and time again that many members of the LGBT community were concerned about health care, particularly the inclusion of a caregiver from their “family of choice.” On Sept. 26, AARP collaborated with SAGE to host a networking mixer in Philly’s Gayborhood to talk about caregiving and how the CARE Act, which goes into effect in 2017, could help caregivers support their loved ones. This includes a provision that would allow a patient to designate a caregiver, regardless of his or her relation to patient, so that the care-

giver is informed and is given instruction of medical tasks — such as medication management, injections, wound care and transfers — so that caregivers can perform these tasks at home. This networking mixer was a great opportunity for caregivers in the LGBT community to meet other caregivers, learn about resources and, frankly, have a bit of fun together. And yes, AARP is about that too. The AARP Pennsylvania staff and volunteers, based right here in Philadelphia, enjoy attending festivals and events because we want to show you our fun side. For example, at this year’s OutFest, AARP was proud to take part in the weekend’s festivities! Despite the rain, hundreds of OutFestgoers stopped by our booth to learn about AARP and to pose against the FREE FUN PHOTO backdrop and post instantly on social media. At Pride earlier this year, AARP set up a health tracker where people could track their movements and their impact on health and well-being. Plus, we had an electronic scratch-off game to win free prizes at our booth. But it’s not all fun and games. AARP also deals with pressing issues and collaborates with community organizations to address those issues.

For example, SAGE Philadelphia at the William Way LGBT Community Center is working to increase awareness among aging sector allies about the ways in which LGBT older adults are affected by discrimination, particularly in housing. AARP is collaborating in this effort, known as Sage Story, which focuses on the importance of equal treatment of LGBT older adults. Access to housing and discrimination are concerns for LGBT older adults, and AARP plans to work with SAGE at William Way to improve housing options and decrease discrimination. Also, in early November, AARP Pennsylvania will participate in the 2016 LGBT Aging Summit in Philadelphia. The conference will bring together aging-services providers, policy makers, healthcare providers and community leaders to develop strategies designed to improve services available to LGBT individuals as they age, with a focus on building cultural competence in aging services and health care. If you would like to join us, please RSVP http://ow.ly/PMsG305p8U7. This is just a sampling of what AARP Pennsylvania is involved with here in Philadelphia. AARP is a trusted resource not only in Philly’s Gayborhood, but the LGBT community at large. Organization-wide, AARP is inclusive in its policies, programs and advocacy positions. We seek to embody the bold

words of our founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus: “What we do, we do for all.” AARP’s millions of members represent all walks of life and reflect diverse populations. AARP emphasizes the dignity and worth of every individual. We do not think a person’s age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity should deter us from carrying out our mission. Diversity is a part of everything we do at AARP. We expect all of our initiatives and programs to reflect the diversity of our membership as well as important issues our members bring to us that are part of their everyday lives. This inclusivity has allowed AARP to develop a real connection with LGBT community organizations and people who identify as LGBT. It has allowed us to lead positive social change, deliver value to members, and become a trusted ally on various issues, providing a wealth of resources and information. To connect with AARP Pennsylvania online, follow us on Facebook or email us at paaarp@aarp.org. To connect with AARP Pennsylvania in person, look for us at future events in the Philadelphia Gayborhood. I look forward to meeting you and working together to support the LGBT community. n Grace Rustia is associate state director of outreach for AARP Pennsylvania.

Sexual orientation and gender identity data collection: Why numbers count By Kathy Cubit Much needs to be done to ensure older LGBT adults can age with dignity. Many older LGBT adults face health problems or live with chronic health conditions at a time when they are least equipped to endure discrimination and social stigma. Health-care and human-services providers need to be culturally competent to meet the needs of LGBT older adults and to create inclusive, welcoming services. Sexual-orientation and gender-identity (SOGI) data collection is one step providers can use to identify and meet the needs of LGBT consumers. Unfortunately, SOGI data collection is not routinely done. Government population surveys and research studies need to collect SOGI data as a customary practice to establish reliable baseline data and identify gaps, trends and other issues to be addressed. Even though there is great diversity among LGBT elders, collecting SOGI data can help improve well-documented health disparities, drive funding for research and encourage LGBT-specific programs to close service gaps. While there have been some positive changes in this regard, much more needs to be done to ensure a systematic collection of SOGI data. Advocates need to be vigilant to ensure federal, state and local population-based surveys and policy planning include LGBT individuals.

While there are many reasons to advance SOGI data collection, there are also many challenges. It is not simply a matter of adding questions to a form and tallying the information. Questions are still being tested and validated. There is not yet a standardized way to word questions to elicit accurate responses and have similar data points for comparison. However, there are good models to utilize from those who are pioneering these efforts. For example, individuals are being asked to self-identify their gender and about the preferences for use of pronouns including using a gender-neutral pronoun. (See the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging’s “Inclusive Questions for Older Adults: A Practical Guide to Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.”) Consumers have legitimate concerns about confidentiality and discrimination that need to be addressed. There are a number of federal efforts underway to help advance SOGI data collection. Last fall, the Department of Health and Human Services issued proposed regulations to implement Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Among other things, the regulations would end discrimination in health-care settings based on gender identity. In addition, final rules from the Centers on Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology require all

Electronic-Health Record systems certified under Stage 3 of Meaningful Use to allow users to record, change and access SOGI data. The ONC rule replaces outdated, offensive terminology and endorses tested “best-practice” SOGI question designs for health-care providers to consider for electronic data-collection. Successful data-collection implementation also relies on effective staff training. People implementing surveys, applications, and other forms need to be trained so they are comfortable asking sensitive questions and that they know how to ask the questions in a respectful way. Asking SOGI information is a critical element for person-centered care planning to ensure the individual’s needs and preferences are met. Pennsylvania is embarking on a major system change for the delivery of Medicaidfunded long-term services and supports called Community HealthChoices. CHC offers an opportunity to better serve the LGBT community. Among the opportunities, CHC could encourage culturally competent care, SOGI data collection and person-centered planning that includes identifying SOGI-related needs and preferences. Both the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and Department of Human Services’ Office of Long-Term Living have been receptive to advocacy efforts to be more inclusive of the needs

of LGBT older adults in the implementation of CHC. Plans are underway with SAGE to begin to train government staff as both department leaders recognize the complexities in successfully implementing these policies. Another area of advocacy in Pennsylvania relates to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a national public health-monitoring system that gathers data annually through state-level surveys. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has included sexual-orientation items in its BRFSS in the past but needs to be encouraged to do so on an ongoing basis. Reliable data is a critical element in advocating for funding and policy change. Utilizing best practices in staff training in the collection and use of SOGI data, educating LGBT consumers and ensuring SOGI-nondiscrimination policies are followed is essential for successful data-collection implementation. Since the LGBT population is typically undercounted and ultimately underserved, SOGI data collection is an important component to advance LGBT inclusiveness, provider competence, better health outcomes and an improved quality of life for LGBT older adults. n Kathy Cubit is the director of advocacy initiatives for the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE). To learn more about CARIE and its services, visit www.carie.org.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey 215-665-2500 www.unitedforimpact.org Legal services ACLU Pennsylvania 877-745-2258 or 215-592-1513 www.aclupa.org AIDS Law Project of PA 215-587-9377 www.aidslawpa.org Community Legal Services 215-981-3700 (Center City) 215227-2400 (North Philadelphia Law Center) www.clsphila.org Lambda Legal 212-809-8585 www.lambdalegal. org Mazzoni Center 215-563-0652 www.mazzonicenter. org/legal-services SeniorLAW Center 877-727-7529 215-988-1244 www.seniorlawcenter.org Government services and benefits City of Philadelphia

Commission on Aging 215-686-8450 www.phila.gov/ aging Commission on Human Relations 215-686-4670 www.phila.gov/ HumanRelations Commission on People with Disabilities 215-686-2798 www.phila.gov/ mcpd District Attorney’s Elder Victim/ Witness Coordinator 215-686-8000 www.phila.gov/districtattorney/victim_ ElderAbuse.html Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs 215-686-0330 lgbtphilly.wordpress. com Helen.Fitzpatrick@ phila.gov Police Advisory Commission 215-685-0891 www.phila.gov/pac Police Department liaison Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel 215-686-3318 Police Liaison Committee 215-760-3686 https://www.facebook.com/lgbtpoliceliaison/ ppd.lgbt@gmail. com State Pennsylvania Department Of Aging 717-783-1550 www.aging.pa.gov/ State & Federal MEDICAID 877-267-2323 215-861-4155 (Philadelphia) www.medicaid.gov Federal Affordable Care Act 800-318-2596 www.healthcare.gov

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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Learning how to care for LGBT seniors By Terri Clark, MPH For most of us, aging can present numerous challenges, including the ability to maintain good physical and emotional health. But for the nation’s LGBT older adults, growing older may also mean facing a different set of challenges, such as discrimination in health-care services and having to go back into the closet to remain safe. According to SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders), an estimated 4-8 percent of seniors today identifies as LGBT, and the percentage is expected to double by 2030, as LGBT baby boomers, who are more likely to be open about their sexual orientation, age. The pre-Stonewall generation has been referred to as “Gen Silent,” reflecting their tendency to be “closeted” and their hesitancy to advocate on their own behalf. For many, it was impossible to be openly gay and feel safe. Now at a time in their life when they require services and programs offered by aging-service providers, maybe within a long-term care setting, an adult day-care center or a senior center, many LGBT older adults report heightened fear and anxiety should they disclosure their sexual

orientation and/or gender identity. Moreover, silence greatly increases an LGBT older adult’s risk of social isolation and, as a result, decreases their likelihood of successful aging. Some people may think that being “out” (disclosing your sexual orientation and/or gender identity) to aging-service providers or health-care practitioners is not important, or they may not see the benefits of accessing aging services that are inclusive and culturally competent. But because of their fear of discrimination in an unfriendly environment, LGBT seniors, according to SAGE, are five times less likely to use aging -related services than their heterosexual peers. Additionally, a 2010 study, “Improving the Lives of Older Adults,” found that a majority of those studied reported being abused or neglected by staff, or isolated and/or discriminated against by other residents. Finally, health disparities within our LGBT older-adult population are such that in 2012, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging (AoA), issued new guidance on the definition of the term “greatest social need” in the

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Older Americans Act to include “individuals isolated due to sexual orientation or gender identity.” Having all been brought up in a society that privileges heterosexuality, we need to recognize that the bias this introduces is not automatically lost because we are in the aging-services field. Knowing about someone’s sexual orientation and gender identity is different from knowing about that person’s sex life. Sexuality, including sexual orientation and gender identity, is an integral part of everyone’s identity, LGBT or not. Being able to discuss one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity with providers increases the availability of social support, which is crucial to mental health and psychological well-being, and successful aging overall. LGBT people benefit from being able to share their lives with and receive support from family, friends and acquaintances, as do we all. It is up to us as individual practitioners to explore and challenge issues of homophobia, transphobia and heterosexism, whether they are our own or those of other people or other institutions/agencies. A 2010 study called “Ready to Serve” found that staff training was key in building, understanding and addressing the unique needs of our LGBT older adults. The goal of such training is to ensure that the attitudes, actions and practices of health and other care providers contribute to the creation of aging services that support the safety, inclusion and welfare of our LGBT older adults, their families and their caregivers. According to the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, SAGE’s award-winning resource center, cultural competency training needs to address the following: • Cultural Awareness: being knowledgeable about what LGBT older adults typically experience when accessing, or thinking about, accessing services. • Cultural Humility: No matter how much we learn about or become aware of a culture, each individual is the expert on their own experience. • Cultural Responsiveness: learning new patterns of behavior and effectively applying them individually and within the organization’s setting.

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As a certified trainer with SAGE, I have had the opportunity over the years to provide training and technical assistance to a number of local and regional aging-services providers. I’m encouraged by the interest and support from Pennsylvania agencies such as AARP, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, the Department of Aging, Area Agencies on Aging, the Office of Long Term Living and LINK networks. Providers can now work towards a SAGECare credential. According to Tim Johnston, SAGE’s assistant director of social enterprise and training, “the SAGECare program provides training on how to create welcoming services for LGBT older adults, as well as a credential that your agency can use to demonstrate your commitment to LGBT inclusion.” As advocates and practitioners, we must continue to support the existence of a culturally competent aging network. The array of trainings offered by SAGE is the beginning of the process for providers to insure culturally competent care so that LGBT older adults have the same opportunities as their heterosexual peers to age in a safe and supportive environment. For more information about training and/or SAGECare credential, please contact Terri Clark or Tim Johnston. n Terri Clark, MPH is prevention-services coordinator at Action Wellness and a certified trainer with SAGE.

SPECIAL SECTION PGNON LGBT AGING

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Building bridges: Creating welcoming environments in senior centers By Megan McCoy If someone suggested you check out a senior center, what would you say? One response I typically hear is: “I don’t want to hang out with a bunch of old people.” In this case, I will try to convince you of the numerous social and health benefits of attending a center. However, if you are an older LGBT person, your response might be: “I don’t believe I will be treated respectfully.” Those of us working to create LGBT-inclusive senior centers are battling misconceptions and legitimate perceptions on two fronts: the ageism in American society, and a history of homophobia and transphobia in the aging system. LGBT older adults face significant disparities as a result of lifetimes of stigma and systemic homophobia. Why should we assume senior centers are different? According to the National Council on Aging, for over 1-million older adults in the United States, 11,400 community-based senior centers serve as critical access points for a range of free or low-cost programs

including meals, socialization, classes in the arts, technology, fitness and health education. Studies demonstrate positive health outcomes associated with attending senior centers. LGBT older adults should be able to take advantage of these opportunities. For the past few years, the LGBT Elder Initiative and Center in the Park have worked collaboratively to create a more inclusive environment at the center and to reach a more diverse population of LGBT older adults. Founded in 1968, Center in the Park is a nationally accredited senior community center in Germantown with a rich history of combating ageism (Maggie Kuhn was influential in its founding). After a recent period of internal reflection that involved revisions to equal opportunity and organizational vision statements, as well as staff training in LGBT cultural competency, the center was ready to more intentionally create an inclusive environment for LGBT older adults. The collaboration began with a conversation: Why aren’t we collaborating? What do we have in common? How are we differ-

ent? What can we do together? There was no logical reason not to collaborate. Both missions include building bridges and fostering community connections for older adults. However, organizational differences are what, in many ways, continue to fuel the collaboration. The center is located in the Northwest part of the city, which has one of the highest concentrations of LGBT older adults outside of Center City. Additionally, more than 90 percent of the center’s participants are African-American and 78 percent are women. In contrast, prior to collaborating, the LGBT Elder Initiative primarily held programs in Center City and attendees at many events were primarily white gay men. In 2014, the LGBT Elder Initiative and Center in the Park co-hosted a “Healthy Aging Conversation” at the center. Staff and volunteers from both organizations were engaged in planning. The event was the first LGBEI event outside Center City, and included a diverse audience in terms of both race and gender. More recently, the Center invited the LGBT Elder Initiative to be a partner in the planning of the center’s annual “Balancing Dollars and $ense” event. Held this past April, the day-long housing and

financial-education event was attended by almost 100 participants. The event was not marketed exclusively as an LGBT event, but was inclusive of LGBT older adults. Workshop sessions included facilitators identified by the LGBT Elder Initiative who were able to address participant concerns on topics such as end-of-life planning and housing through an LGBT lens. Earlier this year, Center in the Park and the LGBT Elder Initiative shared our experiences with a national audience of aging-services providers, first at the American Society on Aging’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., in March, and last month at the National Institute of Senior Centers conference held in Philadelphia. The key to successful collaborations that welcome and include LGBT older adults isn’t a complicated formula. Rather, as the poet Audre Lorde wrote, it requires that: “In our work and in our living, we must recognize that difference is a reason for celebration and growth, rather than a reason for destruction.” n Megan C. McCoy, MSS, MLSP, is the director of grant research and development at Center in the Park and is the co-chair of the LGBT Elder Initiative’s Program Committee

Oh, ‘Bi’ the way … Don’t forget about the ‘B’ in LGBT aging By Terri Clark, MPH “Old age is not for sissies,” said Bette Davis. If that is the case, and many of us believe it to be, then old age for bisexuals is for the truly courageous. Bisexuals (young and old) have been underrepresented in research, media and the arts. For the most part, we are merged into the discussions of gay and lesbian aging. Issues confronting older lesbian and gay men do overlap with the experiences of old people who are bisexual, but only partially. Our aging-services and community providers have bisexuals accessing services even if they don’t realize it. Bisexuals exist both as seniors and as caregivers of elderly parents; they also function as spouses, partners, and as parents, siblings, daughters and sons in their biological and logical families. Of significant importance is that bisexuals are rarely seen, and there is little-to-no room for bisexuality within the older generation. When a bisexual falls in love, they sometimes begin to identify (publicly or privately) as lesbian, gay or hetero and thus becomes invisible as a bisexual aging person. What kind of behavior would I, as an aging bisexual, have to engage in for other people to see me as bisexual? Should I walk into the room with a man and a woman on each arm? Should I have multiple partners?

Maybe I could leave someone for someone of a different sex (interestingly, in this scenario people still might not read me as bisexual, but rather as having finally “finished” coming out or “gone straight” or, as in my case, “having gone to the other side”). After years of talking with other self-identified bisexuals, I learned our experiences are strikingly common. Nearly all of us have faced biphobia from parents, partners, friends and acquaintances, as well as within the LGBT community. And many of us find our identities routinely erased or rendered invisible, leaving us with the choice to remain unseen or come out over and over again. Visibility is priceless. Older people are presumed to lose both sexual interest and sexual functioning as they age and are often perceived as inappropriate, senile and “dirty” (i.e., “dirty old men”) when they express their sexuality. The term “bisexuality” was not fully embraced until the gay-rights movement was well underway and bisexuals were attempting to form bisexual communities. Many of our seniors never heard the word “bisexual.” Everyone now over 50 became an adult when the American Psychiatric Association still listed homosexuality as a diagnosable mental illness. The APA never officially classified or declassified bisexuality; in fact, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders never men-

tioned bisexuality at all. Aging bisexuals often face a “double whammy”: society’s ageism and homophobia/biphobia, and from both hetero and non-hetero individuals. Seniors who chose marriage and family during oppressive younger years may be reconsidering their options and now identifying as bisexual. Others who have lived as lesbians or gay men may want to explore other-sex attractions they never lost or have rediscovered. In our own queer community, many gays and lesbians have a reputation for cutting off women and men who “go to the other side.” Non-gay folks often reject bisexual seniors as “fence sitters” or for using heterosexual privilege and “passing” when convenient. In truth, to “pass” for straight and have to deny your bisexuality is as painful as it is for gay and lesbian seniors to have to live in (or go back into) the closet. Being openly bisexual is in many ways still a radical act, even in the LGBT community. Bisexuality is a big, gender-inclusive umbrella. Bisexual community activists have long embraced non-binary people and included those who identify as pansexual, queer and fluid. One definition that is widely used to define bisexuality is bi activist Robyn Ochs’s definition: “I call myself bisexual because I acknowledge that I have in myself the potential to be attracted — romantically and/or sexually — to people of more than one sex and/ or gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way and not necessarily to the same degree.”

Aging-services providers can provide affirmative care in the following ways: • Believe that I exist. Bisexuality is a valid sexual orientation. • Don’t try and talk me into redefining my identity into something more comfortable for you. Or tell me that it is “just a phase.” • Celebrate bisexual culture. We have a rich history and many daring voices who have expressed love beyond the monosexual confines. Remember the “B” in LGBT programming, services and diversity. • Ask me, if appropriate, about my other-sex and same-sex relationships. Bisexuals live our lives in multiple ways. Some of us would like to talk about our relationships without feeling judged. • Speak up when bisexual people are being excluded or defamed. We all know that our silence speaks loudly. Often, bisexual people (young and old) need each other for support and for community, if for nothing more than the relief that comes with being among others to whom we don’t have to defend ourselves. n Terri Clark has been doing work in health education, training and facilitation for nearly 30 years, and is currently the coordinator of prevention sServices at Action Wellness and a certified trainer with SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders). Terri is co-author and editor for a teaching manual that includes more than 50 lesson plans entitled “Orientation: Teaching about Identity, Attraction and Behavior.” She is currently working on a number of projects to advance the field of sexuality and aging, including the sexual health of older adults.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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Twin rockers Tegan and Sara bring the ‘Love’ to Philly By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Out alternative-rock multi-instrumentalists and twin sisters Tegan and Sara are touring behind their latest album — the gloriously synthpop-drenched “Love You to Death” — performing in our neck of the woods Nov. 3 at The Fillmore Philadelphia. The album’s first single, “Boyfriend,” written by Sara, struck a chord with the group’s fans as a song inspired by a bisexual love triangle in which the narrator feels sometimes like a lover and other times like a friend. Tegan said at first they didn’t think the song was going to connect with fans across the board like it did. “Obviously, we love the song and thought it turned out really great, but it wasn’t what we thought was going to be the first single,” she said. “When the label suggested it as the first single, Sara wrote this big e-mail to us wondering if the label was sure and explaining it’s a pretty progressive song thematically. I suppose it’s a good thing that we’re not obsessed with how people react to songs with potentially a message that is more alternative than what is out in the mainstream.

The reaction to the song was so funny and awesome across the board. We got a lot of tweets from dudes saying they said the exact thing. But then a lot of people from the LGBTQ community were reaching out and saying they had the exact same thing happen to them. It was this amazing uniting experience. We’ve all been in that position where you really are invested in somebody and they’re treating you like their boyfriend but they are not locking it down with you. So it was kind of cool.” When Tegan and Sara started out as Canadian indie rockers, they each wrote songs on their own to bring to the group. On their more recent albums, that creative process has changed as the two have started writing together. “Every song we’ve written has been registered 50/50,” she said. “Sara and I have always been partners in that sense. With me with ‘Closer’ and with Sara with ‘Walking With A Ghost’ — which were our two biggest radio songs in America — we both have to do the same amount of work so we’ve always left it as a 50/50 split. With the last few records, it was obvious that when we collaborated we were able to add a different vision and voice. We play almost, like, an editor role with each other, which we would

have never done early on in our career. Oh my god, if Sara would have made a suggestion I would have had a fullblown meltdown. But I think as we’ve gotten stronger and more evolved, we’ve become really focused on our craft and want to write great songs. I think because we’re so focused on the songwriting, it’s easier to collaborate because I feel like she’s helping.” Outside of the group, Tegan and Sara, individually and as a duo, have collaborated with a wide range of artists, from DJs Tiësto and David Guetta to hard rockers like Against Me and members of AFI. Tegan said many of these collaborations come from genuine mutual admiration. “It’s kind of like meeting friends or dating,” she said about the artists with whom they collaborate. “It happens in very different ways each time. With Tiësto, he reached out after he had done the remix of ‘Back in Your Head.’ This was before every artist on the planet got remixes. We loved it and we’d been big fans of Tiësto so we were pretty stoked. We were still an indie-rock band. We saw how huge it was. He was out playing to 10,000 people a night and he was playing our music

video with our remix. He had us come up and sing our remixes at Bonnaroo. It was incredible seeing 25,000 people going nuts. So we just opened the door to it. Instead of saying no when artists wanted to collaborate or write with us, we would do it. Other relationships happened more organically. With Against Me, I was backstage at Warped Tour in Vancouver in 2006 and Much Music — which is like the Canadian MTV — asked if I would interview the band. And just in the middle of the interview, I said, ‘If you ever need a female vocalist, I want to join the band.’ And then they reached out. They were in the studio and had me come in and sing.” In 2014, Tegan and Sara performed at the closing ceremony of WorldPride in Toronto, an event that drew well over a million revelers to the city. Tegan said they were “super-stoked” to be invited to perform at the festival. “It was thrilling,” she said. “We’ve done big festivals and opening slots for other bands. So there was something really exciting about the fact that it was WorldPride and it was in Toronto. We haven’t done a lot of Pride events because most of them unfortunately don’t have the money or the ability to bring in big bands. The fact that PAGE 38

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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WorldPride was so heavily supported by the government and the community, it was just a thrill for us to be able to be there and celebrate with our community.” As Canadians who spend a lot of their time professionally and personally in the United States, Tegan and Sara have an interesting perspective of the current climate here — and how it is perceived by our northern neighbors. “We’re very, very in touch and following what’s happening in the States,” she said. “Especially in this political atmosphere, it would be completely irresponsible of us not to take a stand and say something on stage every night. We’re reminding people that they need to register and vote. Obviously everyone can probably guess how we’d want them to vote but it’s not just about that. It’s about being involved and understanding the ballot and knowing what other bills are on the ballot. It’s really easy to tweet your political opinions about things but that is not social change. People need to get involved. We consider ourselves activists and we are working very hard behind the scenes to help move things forward.”

She added that Canada’s population and political structure make for a different environment. “We’re just a smaller country. We have less people in Canada than you do in California. We’re not as polarized as a country. We have a multi-party system. There’s more representation. There’s less of a divide in our country. I feel that internationally people look to Canada when it comes to social change as an example and I hope we’re influencing America in a small way. America is a great country. Our partners are from America. We spend more time in America than we do in Canada. Our families live in America. I love this country and it’s really sad what’s happening right now, and I don’t think it’s representative of half of the country. So we’re following it closely and I have all my fingers and toes crossed for Nov. 8.” n Tegan and Sara perform 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at The Fillmore Philadelphia, 1100 Canal St. For more information or tickets, call 215-625-3681 or visit www. teganandsara.com.

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PROFILE PGN

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Suzi Nash

Jess Gregan: In the business of busting millennial myths Millennials get a bad rap. And they don’t even get a cool nickname. The people that fought and died in World War II got the inspiring moniker “The Greatest Generation.” The group after that received the tongue-pleasing and alliterative “Baby Boomers.” “Gen Xers” sounds like some sort of Marvel superhero gang. But “The Millennials” sounds like a BBC period drama. Even worse is the walloping they take in the media. When I Googled “Millennials,” the first thing that came up was “worst generation ever.” Whoa. Another article started out, “If you’re reading this article voluntarily, you’re probably not a millennial, because everyone knows millennials don’t read news.” Millennials (born circa 1980-2000) are the largest generation of our time, numbering more than 75 million — so we’d better start being nicer to them. Fortunately, despite the bad press, there are quite a number of engaged and engaging youngsters out there, starting with this week’s profile. Jess Gregan is a go-getter who bridges business with social activism. As the new administrative assistant at the Independence Business Alliance (the LGBT chamber of commerce), she’s all about helping LGBT businesses and people create open and successful workplaces. Before that, she learned LGBT history while volunteering for the Equality Forum and was responsible for a millennial engagement-strategy program for Americans for Informed Democracy to get young people involved in politics and world affairs. A dean’s-list student, she graduated magna cum laude in 2015 from West Chester University while also volunteering for The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County and the Humane League — before that, wielding a hammer for Habitat for Humanity. Now that Gregan is in Philly, this powerhouse has been going to LGBT Elder Initiative meetings and is an ad-hoc volunteer for William Way LGBT Community Center. Take that, bashers.

PGN: So why do you guys get a bad rap? What’s true and not about millennials? JG: I’d say the truest thing is the idealism of millennials. People think that we’re idealistic but don’t know how the real world works. I think yes, we are idealistic, but it’s not that we don’t know how things work; it’s that we want to change the way things work. I think that I’m definitely an idealist but I also have a pragmatic side too.

PGN: So is your name pronounced “Greegan” or “Greg-an?” And what’s the history behind it? JG: It’s “Greg-an.” It used to be O’Gregan generations ago. It’s an Irish name.

PGN: [Laughs] And now you work for a business organization … JG: Yes, I do. But it’s from a much different lens. We are a business organization but we’re also a nonprofit, so it’s the best of both worlds.

PGN: Are you from Philly? JG: I identify as a Philly person. I grew up in the ’burbs — West Chester — but as soon as I came to the city, I knew that this was where I was meant to be. PGN: I understand you’re fresh out of school. JG: Yes, our executive director, Zach Wilcha, jokes that I’m the office millennial. I have to advise him on all things pertinent to my generation.

PGN: You’ve certainly walked the walk with your volunteerism and activism. What’s the first cause you got involved with? JG: I grew up going to Catholic school so I had to do a lot of charity projects with them, but they weren’t exactly social-justice causes that resonated with me. I got more involved with that type of work in college. Like a lot of college students, I was interested in trying to make a tangible impact on the world. It’s funny, I started out going to college for pharmaceutical development because I wanted to do AIDS research. That was kind of my first area of interest. I liked chemistry and thought it would be a good way to combine the sciences with activism, but it took me one college chem class to realize it was not the place where my social-justice passion would be best applied. Throughout the course of my college experience, I changed my major a couple of times but the consistent courses were philosophy, women’s studies, all of those fun classes that help expand the way we think. PGN: What degree did you end up with? JG: I ended up with a liberal-arts degree and four minors. PGN: Oh my! What were the minors? JG: Philosophy, peace and conflict studies, business and technical writing and … oh gosh, I forget the last one. Communications! PGN: You spread your wings wide! JG: I did. I knew I wanted to work in the nonprofit world and I was a business major for a short time. I didn’t like it, though.

PGN: You also worked at a company that was right around the corner from me but I could never quite figure out what they did. Explain Next City. JG: Ha! They are an online magazine that focuses on urban affairs, so urban architects, city planners, local government, etc., were the main audience. I started there when I was in college and actually took a fifth year in school so I could stay there. It was one of the best decisions I made. They

were super-progressive, focused on tackling urban issues and we hosted a lot of conferences in different cities, so I got to travel a bit, which was nice. It was a great place to get me started in nonprofit. You should check them out at nextcity.org. PGN: Will do. What was a favorite course or teacher in college? JG: I had a few really good professors: an English professor my freshman year who encouraged and validated my love of writing and, as a peace and conflict-studies minor, there was one professor, Rebecca Subar, who taught phenomenal classes in a roundtable style. I worked my way through college so I took mostly night classes and there was something romantic about talking about philosophy and global issues at 9 p.m. on a dark college campus. It didn’t seem like classwork. PGN: How do you identify, and when did you start realizing you were on the LGBT spectrum?

that, which I had to come to terms with. I had to realize how it impacted me and come full-circle to overcome the Catholic guilt and things along those lines. My college experience definitely helped me with that. I shifted over entirely to this radical queer-liberation advocate! PGN: Was the whole family very religious or was it just because of the schools? JG: They were not super-religious but were pretty into Catholicism, which never really resonated with me. I think from a very young age I rejected the idea of “original sin,” the idea that people are born bad. [Laughs] Maybe that’s my millennial idealism showing, but I always thought that the logical thing was that we were born good. That’s what I’ve found and what I chose to believe. Then around the time I went into high school, my dad started a Born-Again Christian phase and made me go to a lot of church against my will. That was tough; it’s been an area of tension for us. My parents split at the end of my high-school years and one of the reasons I chose to go to West Chester University was to be near to help support my mom. I came out to her first and then it took me a year to get the courage to come out to my dad. In general, they’ve been pretty accepting. It’s not like they’re waving rainbow flags but I can’t complain. And they’ve learned a lot over the last few years.

PGN: Speaking of learning, you interned with Equality Forum doing research for the LGBT History Month features. What or who did you learn about that interested or surprised you? JG: That’s hard, there was so much I learned. It was a very impactful experience for me. Working there was the first time I’d ever worked in an exclusively queer space and the first time I truly felt, Oh, I belong here. It was a very powerful sensation. Not Photo: Suzi Nash JG: I identify as both or either queer or just the people I was learnlesbian. I think “queer” has a slightly difing about but the people ferent connotation with more of a political who I was working with as well. I became context, but either works. I definitely had super-passionate about it. So to answer your inklings when I was pretty young, elemenquestion, there were a lot of Parisian writtary school — the typical crushes on girls ers who had these amazing salons that were and friends — but I didn’t actually come out basically like 18th-century versions of “The to myself or friends and family until college. L Word,” which was just fascinating to me. I It was hard; I went to Catholic school my remember learning about Talulah Bankhead; whole life and homosexuality wasn’t exactly she was really interesting to research and welcomed in any form there. I probably had some great quotes attributed to her. had some internalized homophobia from The musician Frank PAGE 46

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS PGN

Award-winning writer’s reflections hit the stage By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Theatre Horizon is opening its season with William Finn and James Lapine’s semi-autobiographical “A New Brain.” The heartfelt musical is based on actual events after a children’s television composer, Gordon Michael Schwinn, is diagnosed with a potentially fatal brain condition. He reexamines his life and legacy with help from his family and the occasional hallucination. Barrymore Award-winning actor and Lansdale native Steve Pacek plays Gordon in the production. He said he was

able to draw on his own life experiences to relate to the character. “The story is William Finn’s semi-autobiographical tale,” Pacek said. “I came to know the piece when I was in high school when it was at Lincoln Center in New York City. A friend of mine that I did the shows with in high school, her mom had a similar condition. It was so weird to have a similar parallel in my own life. That’s how I relate. That was my in to the piece. I’ve had experiences in my life that I’ve had to deal with death when it hits a little too close to home, and the questions and fears that brings up. That’s a large part of my character’s journey.” Even though the show deals with some

emotionally taxing subjects, Pacek said it also has a lot of laughs. “In all of Finn’s shows, he has a very active sense of humor; whether that is something that he’s developed over the years to deflect some of the pain that he has gone through is possible,” he noted. “It really does balance the heaviness of the story of the journey that he’s on. The central characters in it — Gordon and his mother and his boyfriend — if you look at it from outside the knowledge of the story as a whole, you’d think these people are being nasty to each other. But it’s actually just their dry, sarcastic sense of humor with each other. They’re all there to help each other get through this very hard time and that’s the sense of humor that they have latched onto. They know that works despite all of the fear they are feeling.” Pacek says he has taken the show’s message of being mindful of how we choose to spend the time we are given to heart — and hopefully audiences will too. “Most of the show is the journey in the hospital,” Pacek said. “It’s really only the last scene that he knows he’s in the upward path and that’s the one that hits home. It brings the whole journey to resolution. And it is really powerful. During the course of the show, this family unit is around him and it seems that he chooses work over them a lot. Once he has that confidence that he’s going to make it through this ordeal, I think that’s the first thing that he reexamines, that he chooses to do differently: to actually enjoy time with those you love that are around you instead of always making yourself busy and distracting yourself. I think that message is really clear and I hope people try to find parallels in their own lives.” n Theatre Horizon presents “A New Brain” through Nov. 6, 401 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information or tickets, call 610-2832230 or visit www.theatrehorizon.org.

Theater & Arts The Birds Curio Theatre Company presents a stage adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s short horror story through Oct. 29 at Calvary Center for Culture and Community, 4740 Baltimore Ave.; 215-5251350. Bruce Nauman: Contrapposto Studies, I through VII Philadelphia Museum of Art presents the premiere of a new exhibit that continues the artist’s exploration of video, sound and performance through Jan. 8, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Classical Splendor: Painted Furniture for a Grand Philadelphia House Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of furniture designed in 1808 by Benjamin Henry Latrobe through Jan. 1, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Gilbert Gottfried The comedian performs Nov. 3-5 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. Inside Out Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of large-scale, highquality replicas of favorite works from the museum’s collection to local neighborhoods through Nov. 1; 215-763-8100.

PRE-HALLOWEEN NEW-WAVE PARTY: Halloween Eve gets extra-fabulous when BEN-FM presents The B-52’s Halloween Scream concert as the alt-rock band performs after a preparty and costume contest hosted by Marilyn Russell, with DJ Robert Drake providing the soundtrack. The fun starts at 8 p.m. Oct. 30 at The Fillmore Philadelphia, 1100 Canal St. For more information or tickets, call 215-625-3681.

Live and Life Will Give You Pictures: Masterworks of French Photography, 1890-1950 The Barnes Foundation presents vintage prints of nearly 200 classic images by French photographers and photographers working extensively in France through Jan. 9 at the Roberts Gallery, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; 215-2787000.

1412 Chestnut St.; 267-239-2941. The Other Place Walnut Street Theatre’s Independence Studio on 3 presents Broadway’s new thriller about a neurologist whose life is becoming unhinged through Oct. 30, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550.

Look Again: Contemporary Perspectives on African Art Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition drawing from the Penn Museum’s esteemed African collections through Dec. 4, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism, 1910–1950 Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of Mexican masterpieces by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Frida Kahlo, Rufino Tamayo and many others through Jan. 8, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100.

Martha Graham Dance Company Prince Music Theater presents the legendary dance company performing its masterpiece “Appalachian Spring” Nov. 3-6,

Plays of/for a Respirateur Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an installation by Joseph Kosuth that includes a selection of his work, along with a group of

seminal works by Marcel Duchamp, through Oct. 30, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Step Afrika!: The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence Dance Affiliates and The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts present the dance troupe that combines African and moderndance traditions Nov. 3-5 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215-898-3900. Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life The stage and screen stars tell stories, sing songs and crack a few jokes Oct. 28-29 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Music Cam The country singer performs 8 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.

PGN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Eighty ‘seasons of love’: Rent celebrates 20th anniversary By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

HEAVY HALLOWEEN: The annual Dracula’s Ball Halloween bash features reunited industrial rock band Stabbing Westward in its only East Coast appearance of its 30th-anniversary tour 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St. For more information or tickets, call 215-922-6888.

Foals and Bear Hands The rock bands perform 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 215-627-1332. Dracula’s Ball Industrial-rock band Stabbing Westward performs its only East Coast reunion show at this Halloween event 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888. Suzanne Vega The singersongwriter performs 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215222-1400. Tegan and Sara The out singersongwriters perform 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at The Fillmore Philadelphia, 1100 Canal St.; 215625-3681. Meshuggah The progressive-

metal band performs 8 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.

extravaganza, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Oct. 31 at Sheraton City Center Hotel, 17th and Race streets; 215-7327711.

Nightlife

Outta Town

Happy Bear: Haunted The bears get dressed up for Halloween 5-9 p.m. Oct. 28 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-9649675. Boos & Booze Gryphons RFC welcome the Washington Scandals Rugby and the Baltimore Flamingos Rugby to town for a Halloween costume party 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Oct. 29 at The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St.; 215627-1662. Henri David Proudly Presents: HALLOWEEN the BALL The annual Halloween

Well-Strung The out string quartet performs 9 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. The Witches The animated 1990 film is screened 2 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228.

Hallowqueen Drag Show The drag show hits Atlantic City 9 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. MST3K: Zombie Nightmare The cult-horror classic is screened 5 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-1228. Genitorturers The fetish-themed industrial-rock band performs 8 p.m. Oct. 30 at Havana, 105 S. Main St., New Hope; 215-7768293. n

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.

Kornfeld said he fell in love with the music of “Rent” long before he ever saw the stage show. “Rent,” Jonathan Larsen’s iconic “I first got introduced to the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning soundtrack when I was 9,” he said. musical, is celebrating its 20th anni- “My parents had seen it and they gave versary this year, coming to The Grand us the CD. We’d listen to it in the car Opera House in Wilmington Oct. and we’d listen to it on the way to soccer practice and school. When I was 11, 28-30. The rock opera re-imagining of I got to see it in New York. It was the Puccini’s “La Bohème” became a first Broadway show I ever saw. Joey Fatone phenomew a s non in the M a r k late 1990s. and I It follows became a year in obsessed the lives of with it.” seven art ists strugKornfeld gling to said the survive and 20th-anfollow their niversary d r e a m s shows without h a v e selling out b e e n amid life in attracting New York longtime City’s East fans of Vi l l a g e , the musiunder the cal as shadow of well as HIV. younger O u t a u d i actor and e n c e s Philadelphia who are native Danny experiH a r r i s encing Kornfeld the show stars in the live for anniversary the first production time. as Mark Cohen, an “ We ’ v e aspiring filmmaker DANNY HARRIS KORNFELD (LEFT) AS MARK AND had the who also KALEB WELLS AS ROGER IN “RENT” p e o p l e serves as the Photo: Carol Rosegg who have seen it 17 narrator of the story. Kornfeld said Mark was times and are seeing it in five different the role he always wanted to play in cities on the tour,” Kornfeld said of “Rent” fans. “But we also have the new “Rent.” “It was always the dream show of generation: high-school kids who have mine and I always thought if there was seen the movie on Netflix and have anyone I could be in it, it would be then wanted to see the show. Or they Mark,” he said. “He’s the everyman of know that Lin-Manuel [Miranda] has the show. He’s very relatable in terms credited Jonathan Larson as so much of being in your early 20s, being sin- inspiration for him for ‘Hamilton’ and gle and having lots of your friends in ‘In the Heights,’ and people want to relationships. It’s very easy to identify check out what his predecessor was. with someone who is the observer of So it’s been a good mix of those who all that is going on around you. He are familiar with those who have never has such a hunger for doing good seen it before.” n work and being artistically fulfilled The Playhouse on Rodney Square presbut doing work that is meaningful and ents “Rent” Oct. 28-30 at The Grand Opera not commercial. Any artist can relate House, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del. to that: wanting to have a successful For more information or tickets, call 302career but wanting it to be on their 652-5577 or visit www.thegrandwilmington.org. own terms.”

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

NIGHTLIFE PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

Halloween rocks and rumbles through Philly By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

AC ul t ure rts

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

This year, the high holy day that is Halloween falls on a Monday, so most of the clubs and live-music venues are getting their costume freak on a day or two early. So, get your costumes ready because there is a full weekend’s worth of parties, shows and other events in the area for a pleasantly fearful and freaky good time. You can get full into character when Bucks County Playhouse presents “The Rocky Horror Show,” the musical that inspired the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” through Oct. 30, 70 S. Main St., New Hope; 215-862-2121. Get your Bingo dabbers ready for Zombie Homecoming Dance GayBINGO! 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at The Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St.; aidsfundphilly. org. The Borgata hosts a Hallowqueen Drag Show 9 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Tabu gets spooky with a Halloween Costume Ball hosted by Sutton Fearce 9 p.m. Oct. 29, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-9649675. Japanese all-girl pop-punk-rock trio Shonen Knife is in town this weekend and celebrating its 35th anniversary, performing 8 p.m. Oct. 29 at Milkboy, 1100 Chestnut St.; 215-925-6455.

RFC’s Boos & Booze as the rugby team welcomes the Washington Scandals Rugby and the Baltimore Flamingos Rugby to The Bike Stop for a Halloween costume party, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Oct. 29, 206 S. Quince St.; 215-627-1662. Cutn Paste presents Hallowqueens, a queer Halloween takeover with performances by Quay Dash, Icon Ebony Fierce,

BUCKS COUNTY PLAYHOUSE’S “ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW”

Ann Artist and Pretty Girl 9 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Barbary, 951 Frankford Ave.; 215-6347400. Devil’s Night has some concerts on opposite ends of the spectrum. On the brighter alt-pop side, The B-52’s get the love shack (and rumps) a-shaking 8 p.m. Oct. 30 at The Fillmore Philadelphia, 1100 Canal St.; 215-625-3681. On the darker side of the rock spectrum, industrial-fetish rockers The Genitorturers sonically (and sometimes literally) spank that ass 8 p.m. Oct. 30 at Havana, 105 S. Main St., New Hope; 215-776-8293. Back downtown, Henri David gets his annual Halloween Ball rolling 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Oct. 30 at Sheraton City Center Hotel, 17th and Race streets; 215732-7711. You can still have fun on Halloween night at some HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM concerts. Indie-rock bands Foals and Bear Hands (we checked, no actual “bears” are in the group) get loud 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Electric HENRI DAVID’S HALLOWEEN BALL Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 215-627-1332. Influential metal singer-guitarist and Party with the Greater Philadelphia Flag former Runaway Lita Ford rocks the house Football League when it hosts its fourth-an- 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at Sellersville Theatre, nual Halloween Party and Player Auction 24 W. Temple Ave. 215-257-5808. At the fundraiser with the theme of “A Night at the Trocadero Theatre, the annual Dracula’s Movies” 8-11 p.m. Oct. 29 at William Way Ball features the only East Coast reunion of LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.; industrial-rock band Stabbing Westward, 215-732-2220. If you are still lusting after 9 p.m. Oct. 31; 215-922-6888. Happy haunting! n athletes after that, head over to Gryphons

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NoLibs pizza place gets fired up for brunch By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Most of us are no strangers to the idea of pizza for breakfast — but wood-fired pizza eatery Bufad, 1240 Spring St., is using its specialty to put an interesting spin on brunch. Normally, the BYOB restaurant focuses on pizzas, Southern Italian antipasti and small plates. And yes, in the late-morning/early-afternoon hours, you can take in some of the more usual pizza offerings. But we found the brunch dishes to be far more adventurous and interesting. Bufad’s chef’s breakfast ($15) is a lovely take on the idea of lox and bagels, with woodfired pizza flatbread taking on the role of an everything bagel. Basil cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, tomatoes and beets round out the dish in a hearty and refreshing fashion. The Italian sausage gravy ($14) definitely pushes the envelope in fine fashion, arriving in a sizzling cast-iron skillet with fennel sausage gravy and fall greens and eggs baked in. Once again, seasoned pizza bread comes in to substitute for biscuits and does an admirable job of soaking up the creamy, herbaceous goodness of the gravy. If you have a sweet tooth for brunch, you need to make a beeline for the cannoli French toast ($12). Actual gourmet bread is the vehicle for this dish, which is cooked to perfection and stuffed with banana ricotta and sprinkled generously with pistachios, chocolate and sliced bananas. Although decadent, thankfully it doesn’t come across as sweet as it sounds, so you can indulge without fearing a sugar coma ruining a good chunk of your weekend. Bufad is already a go-to spot for great pizza and now it is convincingly staking its claim to Philly’s morning cravings too. Swing by so they can fire you up some brunch. n

Food and Drink Directory

CANNOLI FRENCH TOAST Photos: Larry Nichols

If you go The Center City IHOP located at 1320 Walnut St. is now open 24 Hrs on FRIDAY and SATURDAY

THANKS FOR MAKING IT A IHOP DAY

Bufad

1240 Spring Garden St. 215-238-9311 www.bufadpizza.com Tues.-Thurs.: noon-9 p.m. Fri.: noon-10 p.m. Sat.: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

PORTRAIT from page 39

Ocean was also someone that we featured bringing us up to current times. I like the way they put together such diverse groups of people to feature. You could find pieces of yourself in any of them. PGN: What’s something you learned about the importance of learning our history? And why do you think more millennials aren’t interested in learning about it? JG: I have no doubt that it’s very important that we learn our history but I don’t necessarily agree that millennials are any better or worse than other generations about it. It’s more about what you’re exposed to and what you choose to seek out. PGN: That’s true. I know a lot of people from my generation who don’t know who Barbara Gittings was. JG: Yes, that’s why things like the LGBT History Month Project are so important. They put information out there for people who do seek it out and make it easy to access and understand. It was a pivotal experience for me because I hadn’t ever been exposed to LGBT history and to this day I feel like I have so much catching up to do. There are so many important people that have contributed to this movement and gotten us to where we are today that I want to learn about. To not know about and acknowledge those people from our past not only does them a disservice, it does us a disservice in continuing the movement. We need to take their knowledge and tactics and lessons to use them to our advantage when tackling today’s issues. PGN: Agreed. I didn’t mean to solo out millennials, but sometimes there’s a lack of understanding or appreciation for what came before. When you see young people walking down the street holding hands and it’s no big deal, you sometimes want to say, “Do you know how special that is and how many people suffered for it?” JG: Right! Even though I am a millennial, I still get sentimental about things like that. Just thinking about it and knowing that it’s not ancient history, it’s very recently that so much

of this is even possible. It’s easy, especially in a place like Philly, to become insulated in your happy queer bubble to think that everything is fine and great all over — that there are no more gay issues now that we have marriage equality — but clearly there’s a lot of work to be done involving intersectionality and breaking beyond the urban bubbles and reaching out to communities that don’t have the freedoms that we have. There are places throughout America and the world where people are extremely isolated and/or persecuted still. There’s a lot to be done. PGN: Tell me a little bit about IBA. What do they do, and what is your role? JG: I’ll start with our mission statement, which is to provide access, opportunities and resources for LGBT businesses and professionals in the Greater Philadelphia area. Simply put, we connect our member businesses to each other and to our corporate partners and try to help them do business together. What drew me to it was that, while we are a chamber of commerce, we do a lot of things differently than most in that our purpose is to leverage the collective power of a historically marginalized community and allow them to self-identify and support each other. I think that’s huge because our jobs are often where we spend the most part of our lives. Being out or not in the workplace or as a business can be a big deal and this is where people who identify as LGBT can find a place to commiserate or find community or resources for their unique issues, good or bad. We do all sorts of things. For instance, we work with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce to help businesses get certification as an LGBT business, which can help them with contracting opportunities. As one of two staff members, I get to do a little bit of everything: social media, graphics work, event coordination and mostly member management. We try to be pretty personal and customized with our members, so it’s been nice getting to know everyone. PGN: What do you do outside of IBA? Sports? Chess club? JG: I do love nature events

PGN

though I’m terribly un-athletic. We like hiking and biking, camping and kayaking, anything outdoors. PGN: And who is we? JG: My girlfriend Karen; she’s in school for occupational therapy, which is exciting. We’ve been together for about a year-and-a-half. PGN: Any siblings? JG: Well, I have a half-sister and as of a few years ago I gained a few step-siblings [laughs] but I still identify as an only child! And I think some of my siblings would concur, based on my introverted tendencies. I was a very quiet kid who intensively observed everything but rarely spoke. PGN: You’re a snappy dresser. What was a favorite piece of clothing as a kid? JG: Why, thank you. As a kid, I always loved getting my cousin Michael’s hand-medowns. He had some really good denim jackets and cool flannels, things I still like to this day. PGN: Would you rather be in trouble with your boss, your partner or your mother? JG: Well, thanks to my peaceand-conflict minor, I’ve learned the art of negotiating conflicts and how to handle things diplomatically, so hopefully I’d be able smooth things over with any of the three. PGN: A sport you wish was more popular? JG: I don’t know about popular, but I wish snowboarding was more accessible. It’s such a great combination of sports and nature. It’s the one athletic endeavor I’ve enjoyed since I was a kid but it’s very cost-prohibitive. I wish more people had the chance to experience it, me included. PGN: Something you wish you had a picture of? JG: A picture of me at the White House with President Hillary Clinton! n For more information about Independence Business Alliance, visit www.thinkiba. com. To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol.com.

Q Puzzle True Colors Across

1. Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud 5. Harvey’s “Hairspray” role 9. Braggarts blow it 14. Whitman’s “Sometimes With ___ Love” 15. Your first mate, and others 16. Put in a position 17. Election remnant 18. Irene of _Fame_ 19. Ideal spots 20. Bisexual doctor on -Across 23. Sue ___ Ewing “Dallas” 24. Stripped 28. Spanish king 29. Soft rock for bottoms 33. ‘70s TV series with Kristy McNichol 34. Del Tredici’s “In ___ of a Summer Day” 36. Jerry Herman musical 37. She came out as bisexual at the “True Colors: 40 to None Summit” in Los Angeles 40. Good buddy on a radio 42. More touchand-go

43. Bear-like creatures 46. Pick up 47. Baseball great Mel 50. Queen of “Chicago” 52. Spud, to Gomer 54. Seattlebased hospital drama of this puzzle’s character 58. Film maker Frank 61. Lorca’s stick 62. Blows 63. “...a ___ deferred” (Hughes) 64. North Sea feeder 65. Oodles 66. Nuts don’t have this 67. Big top performer 68. Trueheart of comics

Down

1. Sport of “Bend It Like Beckham” 2. Prepare to blow 3. “Come on now!” 4. Come slowly 5. Caesar’s “See!” 6. “Nuts!” 7. Burning software 8. Lammy, for one 9. TV’s “Queen of the Jungle”

10. Like Shakespeare’s night dream 11. Rough stuff for miners 12. Boy toy? 13. Wood and more 21. Put into the ground 22. New York Liberty game official 25. Guillermo of “Weeds” 26. Shade maker 27. Head job? 30. Doc’s org. 31. Alfred Douglas’ title 32. Lucas of “Prelude to a Kiss” 34. Big Easy festival 35. Hit with hand motions 37. Mailed out 38. Caesar’s threesome 39. Part of a

fashion name 40. “M*A*S*H” cross-dresser M. Klinger’s rank 41. Noise of the lambs 44. Triangular lodge 45. Kind of enc. 47. Lawrence portrayer Peter 48. Beats, to Britten 49. No-tell motel meetings 51. Plugs up the wazoo 53. Opportunity for Billy Bean 55. Barneys event 56. Jessica of ”Little Folkers” 57. Witty Coward 58. Accts. of interest 59. Queen’s “We ___ the Champions” 60. James Baldwin’s tool

PGN

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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Activism/Politics

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

Arts

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

Recreation

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

Sports

Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for practice at p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Greenfield Park, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area with games on Sundays, beginning in April, at the Dairy and Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch at Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www.philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club, open to LGBT and allies, practices 8-10 p.m. Mondays and 2-4 p.m. Saturdays; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, open to male and female swimmers, meets 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Friends Select School and 10:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays; www.philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League meets 8 p.m. Wednesdays September-April at South Bowl, 19 E. Oregon Ave.; 856-889-1434, philagaybowling@yahoo.com.

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

Etc.

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

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2016

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