Family Portrait: Jim Sutton blossoms at work PAGE 33
“Gloria Casarez Way” gets a clean sweep by council
Holiday offerings for the table, from the tap and at the theater PAGE 25
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Two stabbed on St. James St. PAGE 2
Dec. 11-17, 2015
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PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 39 No. 50
Gay-bashing trial begins By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The trial opened this week for the lone defendant who remains in last year’s gay-bashing case. Kathryn Knott and her attorney, Louis Busico, were back in court Wednesday morning to begin the jury-selection process. The trial was expected to begin Thursday. Assistant District Attorney Mike Barry is handling the case for the city. Knott is charged with two counts each of aggravated and simple assault, as well as conspiracy and reckless endangerment in connection with the Sept. 11, 2014, attack on Zachary Hesse and Andrew Haught in Center City. Knott’s co-defendants, Kevin Harrigan and Philip Williams, accepted plea deals offered by the District Attorney’s office that include probation, but no jail time. The prosecutor in the case said Knott was offered a similar deal, but she rejected it,
opting instead to take her case to trial. One charge of aggravated assault without serious bodily injury is a felony that is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and simple assault is a misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison. The night of the incident, Knott, Harrigan and Williams were walking with a large group of friends when they encountered Hesse and Haught. Harrigan said to Hesse, “Who is that? Your fucking boyfriend?” and went on to call him a “dirty faggot,” Barry told the court at this fall’s sentencing hearing. Barry said Harrigan then pushed Hesse, Hesse pushed back and Harrigan punched him in the face. Barry said Hesse’s arms were pinned to his side and he was struck multiple times. Williams physically assaulted Haught multiple times, and Knott allegedly attempted to swing at the men but missed, also using homophobic language, Barry said. Haught was left with facial fractures and had his jaw wired shut for two months. n
A PERFECT 10: Olympic gold medalist diver and HIV/AIDS activist Greg Louganis gave an emotional speech at the Loews Hotel Dec. 3 as he accepted a lifetime-achievement award from Philadelphia FIGHT. Louganis was the guest of honor at FIGHT’s 25th-anniversary gala. Many in the sold-out crowd of 400 were moved to tears as Louganis read a letter he penned to his 16-year-old self about his journey of self-acceptance. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Family sues PA school for daughter’s harassment
Alleged policebrutality victim seeks new trial
By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com
By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epn.com Luis A. Berrios 3d says he was brutalized by Philadelphia police during a domestic disturbance five years ago, and he’s requesting a new trial to hold the officers accountable. In 2010, Berrios and his then-lover allegedly were subjected to excessive force by Philadelphia police, who were inside Berrios’ Hunting Park apartment to quell a domestic spat. According to Berrios, once the officers realized the men were lovers, they became violent, hurled anti-LGBT slurs at them and arrested them on bogus charges. Officer Michael Gentile permanently injured Berios’ right arm while arresting him, and Officer Robert Tavarez facilitated the excessive force as a bystander, according to Berrios. PAGE 19
HOLIDAY HIGH NOTE: Members of the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus performed holiday classics with some unique twists at their “Bells, Brass & The Boys” concert Dec. 4 at Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion. The first half of the show featured New Jersey youth organization Impulse Handbell Ensemble and the second included the premiere of an original work. PGMC will host auditions from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 16 at the church, 2111 Sansom St. Photo: Scott A. Drake
After more than five years of alleged anti-LGBT bullying, a local family is suing their daughter’s former school district. R u s s e l l a n d Ta m m y B i t t e n b e n d e r fi l e d a c o m plaint Dec. 4 in federal court in Philadelphia against the Bangor Area School District for failing to adequately address the alleged sexual harassment and physical assault. The district is about a half-hour northeast of Bethlehem. The suit alleges the bullying began in third grade, when the Bittenbenders’ daughter was 9, and created a “hostile environment” that caused “her to ultimately consider killing herself.” Classmates and older students told the girl, “Lesbian, why don’t you go hang yourself?” and told
others, “If you hang around with her, you’ll catch lesbian diseases from her,” according to the suit. “I do not have much to say at this point because I have not yet talked in detail about the situation to the administration, nor have I discussed it with the school board,” Donald F. Spry, solicitor for Bangor schools, wrote in an email to PGN. Spry added that the board is not scheduled to meet this month. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for February, with Judge Lawrence F. Stengel presiding. The district will be represented by John E. Freund 3d. The suit seeks at least $150,000 in damages, which is the threshold necessary to ask for a jury trial in federal court, according to Jason Schiffer, the Bittenbenders’ attorney. “What we’d PAGE 13
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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12th Street Gym, 204 S. 12th St. • 13th Street Gourmet Pizza, 209 S. 13th St. • AACO, 1101 Market St., 9th floor • Action AIDS, 1216 Arch St. • Apt. & Townhouse Rentals, 304 S. 12th St. • The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St. • Bioscript Pharmacy, 1227 Locust St. • Boxers PHL, 1330 Walnut St. • Cafe Twelve, 212 S. 12th St. • Charlie Salon, 203 S. 12th St. • Charlie was a Sinner, 131 S. 13th St. • City Hall NE Entrance • Club Body Center, 1220 Chancellor St. • Com-Har Living Room, 101 S. Broad St., 14th floor • Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. • Cut Salon, 204 S. 13th St. • Danny’s Bookstore 133 S. 13th St. • Dignity/St. Lukes, 330 S. 13th St. • Dirty Frank’s Bar, 13th & Pine sts. • The Foodery, 10th & Pine sts. • GALAEI, 1207 Chestnut St. • ICandy, 254 S. 12th St. • Independent Hotel, 13th & Locust sts. • John C. Anderson Apts., 249 S. 13th St. • Mazzoni Clinic, 809 Locust St. • Midtown II, 122 S. 11th St. • More Than Just Ice Cream, 1119 Locust St. • Nationality Service Center, 1216 Arch St. • Optimal Gym, 1315 Walnut St. • Paolo Pizzeria, 1336 Pine St. • PAT@Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St. • Phila. FIGHT/ Aids Library, 1233 Locust St., 2nd floor • Planned Parenthood, 1144 Locust St. • Reading Terminal Market, 12th & Filbert sts. • Salon K, 1216 Locust St. • Scorpio Books, 205 S. Juniper St. • Spruce Street Video, 252 S. 12th St. • Square One, 249 S. 13th St. • Tabu, 200 S. 12th St. • Toast, 12th & Spruce sts. • Triangle Medicine, 253 S. 10th St., 1st floor • U Bar, 1220 Locust St. • Valanni, 1229 Spruce St. • Venture Inn, 255 S. Camac St. • William Way LGBT Community Center, 1325 Spruce St. • Woody’s, 202 S. 13th St. •
NORTH OF CENTER CITY 1 Shot Coffee, 1040 N. Second St. • 2601 Parkway Condos lobby, 2601 Pennsylvania Ave. • Barnes & Noble, 1700 N. Broad St. • Bebashi, 1217 Spring Garden St. • Beth Ahavah, 615 N. Broad St. • Bridgeview Place Condo lobby, 315 New St. • Colonnade Condos lobby, 1601 Spring Garden St. • Community College CCP Lambda, 1700 Spring Garden St. • Congresso de Latinos, American St. & Lehigh Ave. • Darling’s Diner, 1033 N. Second St. • Girard Vet, 28th St. & Girard Ave. • HIV Early Intervention Clinic, St. Joseph’s Hospital, 16th St. & Girard Ave. • Logan View Apts. lobby, 17th & Callowhill sts. • Northern Liberties Iron Works, 821 N. Second St. • One Day At A Time, 2532 N. Broad St. • Packard Apts., 317 N. Broad St. • Philadelphian Condos lobby, 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. • PYT Restaurant, 1050 N. Hancock St., at the Piazza • Sammy’s Place, 1449 N. Fifth St., 1st floor • SILOAM Ministries, 1133 Spring Garden St. • Temple University Student Activity Center, 1755 N. 12th St. • Vice Coffee, 1031 Spring GardenSty. • Welker Real Estate, 2311 Fairmount Ave. • Whole Foods Market, 2001 Pennsylvania Ave. •
SOUTH OF CENTER CITY Bethel Community Home, 933-935 S. Third St. • Black N Brew, 1523 E. Passyunk Ave. • Essene, 719 S. Fourth St. • Famous 4th St. Deli, Fourth & Bainbridge sts. • Fuel, 1917 E. Passyunk Ave. • Jackson Place, 501 Jackson St. • Rockerhead Salon, 607 S. Third St. • Wedge Medical Center, 1939 S. Juniper St. •
UNIVERSITY CITY Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St. • Bucks County Coffee, 3430 Sansom St. • Bucks County Coffee, 30 S. 33rd St., Rom. 113 • Christian Association, 3627 Chestnut St. • Drexel University, 4001 Walnut St. • Fresh Grocer, 4001 Walnut St. • Goodman Hall, 710 S. 42nd St. • International House, 3701 Chestnut St. • LGBT Center at Penn, 3907 Spruce St. • Metropolitan Community Church, 3637 Chestnut St. • Old Quaker Condos lobby, 3514 Lancaster Ave. • Oslo Hall, 510 S. 42nd St. • Penn Bookstore, 3610 Walnut St. • Sheraton Hotel, 36th & Chestnut sts. • St. Mary’s Church, 3916 Locust Walk • University of the Sciences England Library, 4200 Woodland Ave. • Wilson Hall, 708 S. 42nd St. • World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. •
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Two stabbed outside Voyeur Two men were stabbed in the Gayborhood this weekend. The victims, who were reportedly brothers, got into an altercation with a man in the 1200 block of St. James St. The incident took place outside Voyeur Nightclub around 4 a.m. Dec. 5. It is unclear if any of the parties involved was inside Voyeur at any time. Police spokesperson Officer Christine O’Brien told PGN that one of the victims, a 27-year-old man, told investigators the suspect robbed him near the same area about two weeks previously. That robbery was unreported to police, O’Brien said. When the victim and his brother confronted the suspect about the alleged robbery, the altercation turned physical. The
type of weapon used was unknown. The suspect is described as a 23-year-old black male, between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-7 with a medium build. He was wearing a purple hoodie and tan jacket. Police first responded to 17th and Walnut streets for a report of a stabbing victim. There they found a 31-year-old victim, who was transported to Hahnemann University Hospital. Shortly after, his younger brother took a cab to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was also treated for stab wounds. Both men were both admitted in critical condition. Updates on their conditions were not available as of presstime. n — Jen Colletta
Accused killer of trans woman to act as his own attorney By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Charles N. Sargent, who’s accused of the grisly slashing death of trans woman Diamond Williams, will act as his own attorney during his upcoming murder trial. After a 30-minute court proceeding Dec. 4, Common Pleas Judge Lillian H. Ransom ruled that Sargent is permitted to act as his own attorney. Sargent said he doesn’t believe his court-appointed attorney, J. Michael Farrell, has given sufficient attention to his case. He said Farrell has only visited him once in jail. Dressed in a brown pinstripe suit, Sargent assured Ransom he’s capable of representing himself at his jury trial, which is set to begin March 14. “I’m pretty sure I can get the hang of it,” he told the judge. “I just have to get used to it. Once the trial goes on, I’m pretty sure I can stand up for myself.” Sargent acknowledged being diagnosed with schizophrenia, but said he’s never taken any medicine for the condition. Ransom said she had “reservations” about allowing Sargent to serve as his own attorney, but she’ll allow it. Ransom warned Sargent that if he’s convicted, he won’t be able to argue on appeal that he received ineffective assistance of counsel. Sargent said he understood that fact, but it didn’t change his mind. In July 2013, Sargent allegedly slashed to death Williams, dismembered her body with an ax, then deposited her body parts in a vacant lot. Sargent told police he acted in self-defense, after Williams visited his Strawberry Mansion residence to perform oral sex for a pre-arranged payment of $40. Sargent said that once he realized Williams had a penis, he refused to pay the money. When Williams allegedly pulled out a knife and demanded the money, Sargent killed her.
He’s charged with first-degree murder, possessing an instrument of a crime, abuse of a corpse and related offenses. Sargent said he didn’t want Farrell to attend his trial as a “stand-by” attorney. But Ransom said Farrell will perform that function, and he’ll answer any questions Sargent might have. At the beginning of the proceeding, Sargent refused to be sworn in and testify under oath. “I’m not going to argue with you,” Ransom told Sargent. “You’ll either be sworn in, or you’ll be taken out of this courtroom.” At that point, Sargent agreed to be sworn in. Assistant District Attorney Kristen J. Kemp expressed concern that Sargent won’t observe proper judicial decorum during his trial. But Ransom said safeguards would be in place to ensure an orderly trial. Outside the courtroom, Kemp said she hopes to achieve a first-degree conviction that’s “appeal-proof.” “My concern is to ensure that everyone’s rights are honored and to get justice for Diamond,” Kemp said. “Mr. Sargent’s decision to represent himself will not affect my pursuit of justice for Diamond.” The D.A.’s Office isn’t seeking the death penalty for Sargent, but he faces life imprisonment without parole. In a related matter, Kemp acknowledged that the city Medical Examiner’s Office failed to obtain DNA samples from Williams’ badly decomposed corpse. But she said alternate methods of obtaining DNA evidence are being pursued. Once the evidence becomes available, it will be provided to Sargent. n
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Weekly features
News&Opinion 9 — News Briefing 10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Mark My Words Street Talk Transmissions 14 — Crime Watch 21 — International News
A Philly sports bar is offering specials in exchange for some muchneeded clothing items for Attic youth.
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TOWER OF TOYS: Delaware Valley Legacy Fund executive director Samantha Giusti and board president Ron Lucente organized the hundreds of toy donations amassed at DVLF’s annual TOY. Held Dec. 5 at Fire & Ice, the event raises money for the LGBT grantmaking agency and collects holiday gifts for children of ActionAIDS clients and patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “I was so happy with TOY,” Giusti said. “We collected over 400 toys to support some of the bravest children this holiday season and we collected money to support DVLF’s critical mission. I am so grateful to our presenting sponsors PNC, West Laurel Hill and Fire & Ice for their support.” Photo: Scott A. Drake
Top Stories from 2015
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“We don’t want people sheltered away in an institution. We want to be part of the city where we live.”
~ Rashad Scott, director of Cohmar Community Living Room, on bringing ballet to the residents, page 7
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Gayborhood block to be named for Casarez
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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NEW BEGINNINGS: Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel (center) received special recognition at the Dec. 3 meeting of Philadelphia City Council. The police department’s LGBT liaison is stepping down at the end of this year. Council that day also unanimously approved a plan to rename a section of South 12th Street in honor of the late Gloria Casarez, the city’s inaugural director of LGBT Affairs. Photo: Paige Cooperstein
By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com In a standing vote to show honor, Philadelphia City Council members unanimously approved a resolution last Thursday to name the 200 block of South 12th Street “Gloria Casarez Way.” It recognizes Casarez’s work as an advocate. She served as the inaugural director of the city Office of LGBT Affairs among other work, and died last year from breast cancer. “She meant so much to the people of Philadelphia,” said Councilman Mark Squilla, who represents the First District, including the Gayborhood, and sponsored the resolution. “It’s a great honor for Gloria, who stood up for all people of Philadelphia, but especially for the LGBT community,” he said. Casarez’s mother, Elisa Gonzalez, and several cousins and friends applauded the move to name South 12th Street between Walnut and Locust streets. That span includes 12th Street Gym, the façade of which features a recently completed mural celebrating Casarez’s work. Rue Landau, executive director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, and Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the Office of LGBT Affairs, attended to show support. A timeline for the installation of the signage has not been announced. Council also honored another contributor to the LGBT community at its Dec. 3 meeting.
Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell presented the resolution of recognition to Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel, the outgoing police LGBT liaison. He will leave the Philadelphia Police Department in January to take a post as the first Diana A. Millner Youth Justice Fellow with the Stoneleigh Foundation. Blackwell and others commended Bethel for his work to address the “school-toprison pipeline in Philadelphia.” Before receiving his recognition, Bethel told PGN it was great to be recognized on the same day as Casarez. “It’s just great,” he said. “The unique part of it is we’re all together at one time. It brings LGBT issues into the forefront.” Bethel said there was a time when LGBT issues would have been addressed in a back room, or somewhere less public than City Council’s chambers. “It demonstrates we are moving toward a level of equality where no one feels they can’t stand up and represent themselves,” he said. Bethel said he’s most proud of Directive 152, which set guidelines for proper police interactions with transgender and gender-nonconforming people, and last month’s creation of the Greater Philadelphia Gay Officer Action League, called GOAL, which he called “one of the shining jewels” of his tenure. “It’s a start to take on LGBT issues inside the department,” Bethel said, adding LGBT officers could serve as advocates with the public and “become a force within the city.”
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Attic Youth Center scores People living with HIV go behind the scenes at ballet at sports bar By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Crowded in a vestibule with nine other members of Cohmar Community Living Room, Willie Norris peaked through the glass that separated the lobby of the Pennsylvania Ballet from a rehearsal space. Dozens of lithe men and women in leotards practiced their pirouettes and other steps for the annual holiday performance of “The Nutcracker.” “When I first came in the door, I actually thought I’d look silly as a 58-year-old doing the same thing,” Norris said. “But it was a great experience. It was something I’d
want people sheltered away in an institution. We want to be part of the city where we live. It allows individuals to experience what’s part of our world and contribute.” Charlie Miller, director of programming for Art-Reach, said he had seen Scott organize various art activities for the community living room. He said that’s why he thought the ballet would be a good fit for the organization’s members. In the dance studio, those from Cohmar removed their shoes and took to the ballet barre right away, said Jon Martin, instructor at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet. “Most language is through our hands and face,” Martin told them. “You’ve got to be
never done before.” Norris and the other people from Cohmar were at the ballet studio on North Broad Street Dec. 2 to take a 45-minute dance lesson and watch a rehearsal of two numbers from “The Nutcracker”: “Snowflakes” from the end of Act I and “Flowers” from the end of Act II, which are considered the most recognizable scenes from the ballet. “This is a more in-depth way of understanding the art form,” said Sarah Cooper, director of community engagement at Pennsylvania Ballet. “They’re getting sweat on them and seeing the muscles of the dancers up close.” The Cohmar group concluded its ballet experience this week as audience members of a full dress rehearsal of “The Nutcracker” in the Academy of Music. The ballet partnered with the nonprofit Art-Reach to bring this experience to clients of Cohmar Community Living Room, a community-integrated recovery center. The organization provides community-based activities in Philadelphia for aduls who are HIV-positive and have a mental-health diagnosis or history of substance abuse. It operates as an LGBT-affirming organization. “The whole idea is all of us are resilient and can bounce back,” said Rashad Scott, director of the organization. “We don’t
friends with your feet.” He showed the group first and second position, then explained how to plié and bow. After demonstrating the steps, Martin removed the barre so the Cohmar group could perform the sequence. “This stuff is tough,” he said. “You have to develop strength and willpower. You will get through all this, but it takes determination.” Martin acknowledged that a lot of the advice he gave to improve his students’ dancing could also apply to overcoming challenges in life. He said there’s no difference between succeeding at dance and succeeding in life. “The striving goes hand in hand,” Martin said. The Cohmar participants said they had a great time getting physical. “The exercise and stretching was amazing,” said Timothy Ramsey. “It makes you feel good.” “It’s like another world,” said Toby Tanksley, who started striking poses at the barre the second she entered the studio. “I wasn’t nervous at all. It was doing it to enjoy it.” Elizabeth Holsinger said Martin made everyone feel comfortable from the start of the lesson, adding she had a lot of fun. “We are all children at heart,” she said. n
By Scott A. Drake scott@epgn.com Boxers is helping Attic youth with much-needed winter-clothing accessories this month. The year-old sports bar has installed a collection box on the main floor for donations of new, adult-sized winter hats, gloves and scarves, which will be presented to The Attic the weekend before Christmas. Adult sizes are requested because the youth are almost all in their late teens to mid-20s. Attic staff says that coats are the one item that nearly all youth have or can get, but the insulating accessories for the hands, neck and head are another matter. The Attic is also a donation drop-off point and all collected clothing items will be distributed during the week leading into Christmas. Jay Nieves, assistant manager at Boxers PHL, said the business had been looking for ideas for a holiday event to
benefit a nonprofit when The Attic idea was proposed. “We like to give back to the community,” Nieves said. “And The Attic is a great organization.” He said patrons will benefit as well. “Every time someone donates an item, we will discount their entire bill 10 percent for that visit,” said Nieves. “That’s 10 percent off all drinks, pizza, sandwiches, everything. And there’s no restrictions on how many items can be brought in over the two weeks.” The collection process will culminate with a party and fundraiser on Dec. 18 where, in addition to the donation discount, 50/50 raffle tickets will be sold and there will be special surprises during the evening. And look for some holiday-themed clothing on the staff at the party. Winter-clothing accessories donations can be made at Boxers, 1233 Walnut St., and The Attic Youth Center, 255 S. 16th St. n
Strategy devised to combat racism in LGBT community By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Philadelphia Black Pride released a fourpoint strategy this month to combat racism in the LGBT community. It calls for establishing a reporting system for incidents of racial bias in the local LGBT community and establishments; training to educate the community; a challenge for LGBT establishments to pledge equal access to their facilities and participate in training on consistent implementation of anti-discrimination policies; and creating visible accountability for noncompliant establishments. Over the next three months, Philadelphia Black Pride will work with partners to formalize the strategy, the organization posted on its Facebook page. “We are dedicated to carrying this plan out in excellence and continuing to keep the community engaged in the process,” the organization posted. “This was not an easy task nor done alone.” About 30 people attended a town hall Dec. 2 at William Way LGBT Community Center to create the strategy. Another town
hall will take place in February to evaluate its effectiveness. The first town hall, which had over 75 people in attendance, asked members of the LGBT community to share incidents of racism they had experienced in the Philadelphia area. D’Ontace Keyes, chief creative officer of Philadelphia Black Pride, led the December town hall. He said the events started this fall as a reaction to a Metro column that called out Woody’s and other Gayborhood bars for catering more to white, gay patrons. The discussion surrounding that column ramped up over the summer and fall. The owners of Tabu and ICandy attended the December town hall, as did Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs, and Rue Landau, executive director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. Discussion included identification practices at LGBT bars and how to combat comments people of color heard from fellow patrons. To join the conversation, email info@ phillyblackpride.org. For more information, visit www.phillyblackpride.org/ townhall. n
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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Employer: Trans litigant hasn’t proven physical cause of her disability By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Cabela’s Inc. says Kate Blatt hasn’t proven her gender dysphoria has a physical cause, so she shouldn’t be permitted to pursue a federal disability-discrimination claim against the company. In a Nov. 30 filing, Cabela’s reiterated that the Americans with Disabilities Act only covers gender-identity disorders with a physical cause. Cabela’s contended Blatt’s gender dysphoria may have a mental cause, thus it wouldn’t be covered by the ADA. Cabela’s also refuted the U.S. Department of Justice’s position that medical literature indicates gender dysphoria has a physical cause. “The DOJ’s argument that Ms. Blatt’s gender dysphoria may have a physical basis is rooted in guesswork and surmise,” Cabela’s filing states. “Indeed, Ms. Blatt does not allege, and cannot establish, that her gender dysphoria stems from a physical etiology as required by the ADA.” Cabela’s brief contends that it would be wrong to accept “rank speculation” and “still-unproven and contested hypotheses within the scientific community” that gender dysphoria has a physical cause.
News Briefing Musician pleads not guilty to sex charges Attorneys for Charles L. Cohen, a Center City musician charged with multiple sex offenses, says he’s innocent of all charges. “My client is absolutely innocent,” said attorney Scott A. Harper. “He’s not a pedophile. He has no interest in having sex with minors. In my opinion, it was dishonest activity on the part of authorities that got my client into this predicament. What they’ve said about him is very slanderous. He’s absolutely been wrongfully accused.” Cohen was arrested Sept. 28 after traveling to a shopping complex in Upper Providence Township, where he allegedly intended to meet a 14-year-old boy for oral sex. Instead, Cohen was arrested by law-enforcement authorities engaged in a sting operation. Cohen, 70, is charged with unlawful contact with a minor, criminal attempt of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, and criminal use of a communication facility. “My client got royally screwed by an undercover cop,” Harper added. “They made a mountain out of a molehill. I’m also concerned that homophobia is fueling the prosecution. We’ll find out more as discovery
“No party to this litigation, including alleged unfairness of requiring Blatt, or any the DOJ, Ms. Blatt and [LGBT advocacy trans litigant, to prove a physical basis for groups] can state conclusively that gender their gender dysphoria in order to pursue a dysphoria has a uniformly physical etiol- disability-discrimination claim. ogy or that this phantom etiology is in and “[Although] numerous recent medical of itself an impairment, as required by the studies support the physical etiology of ADA,” Cabela’s filing gender dysphoria, adds. the burden of prov Six advocacy “No party to this litigaing etiology would groups support tion, including the DOJ, fall on individual Blatt’s right to purplaintiffs, consuming sue a disability-dis- Ms. Blatt and [LGBT a substantial amount crimination claim advocacy groups] can of attorney resources against Cabela’s. The for discovery and the groups are Gay and state conclusively that preparation of expert Lesbian Advocates gender dysphoria has a reports and requiring & Defenders, courts to delve into Mazzoni Center, uniformly physical etia thicket of medical National Center evidence and opine ology or that this phanfor Lesbian Rights, on etiology, with the National Center tom etiology is in and of attendant risk of diffor Transgender ferent courts reachEquality, National itself an impairment, as ing differing results LGBTQ Task Force required by the ADA.” in similar cases,” the and Transgender Law groups’ filing states. Center. U.S. District Judge The groups note that the ADA doesn’t Joseph F. Leeson Jr. was scheduled to specifically exclude gender dyspho- hear oral arguments on the dispute 2 p.m. ria. Instead, the 1990 law excludes gen- Dec. 10 at the Edward N. Cahn Federal der-identity disorder. Courthouse in Allentown. In a recent filing, the groups stressed the Blatt, of Pottsville, filed a federal lawsuit
against Cabela’s in 2014. She claims Cabela’s discriminated against her on the basis of her disability — gender dysphoria — by denying her access to a female restroom and a female name tag. Blatt wants the ADA’s GID exclusion declared unconstitutional, regardless of whether gender dysphoria has a physical or mental cause. She claims the GID exclusion is based on anti-trans animus, and violates her constitutional right to equal protection under the law. Blatt worked as a seasonal stocker at Cabela’s outlet in Hamburg between September 2006 and March 2007. The retail chain specializes in outdoor sports items. In addition to her disability-discrimination claim, Blatt is also pursuing sex-discrimination and retaliation claims against Cabela’s. Cabela’s denies any wrongdoing in the matter. The company claims Blatt was properly dismissed after threatening a coworker’s child — an allegation Blatt vehemently denies. The ADA protects people with disabilities from discrimination in private employment, public accommodations and governmental services. n
moves forward.” Cohen posted $100,000 cash bail on Oct. 28 and has been free since. The case is headed for trial in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court if the matter isn’t resolved, Harper said. Assistant District Attorney Sophia G. Polites, who’s prosecuting Cohen, had no comment for this update.
Philly LGBT orgs. receive grants
Prosecutors in email scandal transferred Three prosecutors under fire for participating in a racist, sexist and homophobic email ring have been transferred to lower-profile positions at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. The staffers are Frank G. Fina, E. Marc Costanzo and Patrick J. Blessington. They serve as assistant district attorneys under D.A. Seth Williams. Fina, 51, has moved from the special-investigations unit to the civil-litigation unit. His annual salary is $124,200. Costanzo, 57, has moved from the special-investigations unit to the appeals unit. His annual salary is $129,375. Blessington, 58, has moved from the insurance-fraud unit to the post-conviction relief act unit. His annual salary is $145,340. When they participated in the porn ring, they worked at the state Office of Attorney General. The ring was uncovered by Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane while reviewing a previous administration’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky child-molestation scandal. Former state Rep. Babette Josephs said the
prosecutors should be fired rather than transferred. “Williams should get rid of Fina, Costanzo and Blessington without delay,” Josephs said.
Oral arguments set in Morris case Oral arguments have been scheduled in PGN’s open-records request for dispatch records pertaining to the Nizah Morris incident. The arguments are tentatively set for 9 a.m. April 4 in Room 232 of City Hall, with Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Linda A. Carpenter presiding. PGN is requesting copies of Morris dispatch records in the possession of the District Attorney’s Office. In August, the state Office of Open Records ordered the D.A.’s Office to provide the records, since it hasn’t certified that it doesn’t have them. Rather than complying with the order, the D.A.’s Office filed a notice of appeal in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. Assistant D.A. Douglas M. Weck Jr. is handling the case for the D.A.’s Office. Morris was a trans woman found with a fatal head wound in 2002, shortly after a “courtesy ride” from Philadelphia police. Her homicide remains unsolved and advocates want a state and/or federal probe. In a related open-records request, PGN seeks Morris 911 recordings from the D.A.’s Office. At presstime, that request remained pending at the state Office of Open Records. — Timothy Cwiek
The Attic Youth Center and AIDS Law Project both received $50,000 grants this week. The Barra Foundation, which invests in Philadelphia-area organizations that excel in innovative leadership and adaptability, will parcel out the funds over a two-year period. That works out to $25,000 each year. Thirtyeight other nonprofits received the same grant. Peers in the nonprofit sector nominated organizations to apply, and Barra picked the winners. The 2016-17 Barra awardees can use the money for any purpose. Dr. Carrie Jacobs, executive director of The Attic, said the money would help her organization “continue to build our programs based on what we hear from our young people.” Two areas of importance for The Attic include workforce development and family-therapy programs, Jacobs said. “We are really honored,” she added, noting it was especially meaningful to be recognized as a nonprofit that is innovative and impactful. “You can use those words to describe us,” Jacobs said. “It’s what we aspire to.” Ronda Goldfein, executive director of the AIDS Law Project, said the Barra grant feels like a “double endorsement” because the funds are unrestricted. “It shows the foundation believes we’ll use that money to get to the heart of our mission and battle stigma,” she PAGE 21
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
EDITORIAL PGN
Creep of the Week
D’Anne Witkowski
Peter Sprigg
Editorial
The danger of Donald In the past few months, Donald Trump has been called discriminatory, bigoted, narrow-minded and a slew of other epithets he rightfully earned. But in recent weeks, the Republican presidential frontrunner’s already-outrageous antics have been taken to the next level — transitioning his campaign from a sometimes-amusing sideshow to a downright danger. In a rare show of partisan unity, many leading Republicans joined ranks with Democrats to condemn Trump’s recent pledge to ban all Muslims from entering the United States. Trump has been known to spout offensive and often-racist rants but this latest gaffe seems to have thankfully struck a nerve. Philly Mayor Michael Nutter drew comparisons between Trump and Hitler, adding he would like to prevent the candidate from entering our city borders; the mayor received some criticism for those remarks, but it should be noted he added the caveat “if I could” to that statement. That’s an idea lacking in Trump’s campaign. He doesn’t seem to acknowledge that things like laws and the U.S. Constitution put barriers in place to prevent individual ideology from running rampant in our country. Instead, Trump is trumpeting (excuse the pun) his own biases to rile up the lowest common denominator in our country. That’s what is the most disturbing about his campaign: He actually has followers. A lot of them. When he came out with his “Muslim ban” policy, he was cheered by supporters in South Carolina, who gave him a standing ovation. Whether Trump truly believes all of the drivel he spouts is a matter of debate; the optimist in us wants to believe he is instead trying to take advantage of the biases and prejudices that abound in the uneducated and uninformed. He has made an effort to tap into some Americans’ opposition to political correctness to drum up support for his behavior. But that farce has been tolerated for far too long. Regardless of his motivation, that a person in a seeming position of authority can espouse such hateful — not to mention misguided, anti-American and, of course, unconstitutional — notions gives that way of thinking itself credence and validity. An endorsement of hate begets more hate, and that is the last thing our country needs. Trump’s statements this week — and the support he received for them — illustrate the dangerous path his campaign is headed down. It’s time for Republicans to take a stand against an individual who is bringing down their party, and bringing down this country. n
the threat of being Ho ho ho or whatever greeting you accused of bigotry. choose this season, but the holidays are So, I question the upon us. For the majority of Americans, sincerity of some of that means spending a shit load of money on stuff nobody needs or wants. Still, shop- these policies.” ping is a patriotic duty in this country so In other words, let the games begin! companies are just Of course, for LGBT shoppers and the pretending to be people who love them, it’d be nice to have LGBT-friendly a list of corporations who are naughty and because they don’t nice when it comes to equality. want to look like Thankfully, that exists. The Human meanies. It has Rights Campaign recently released its nothing to do with the bottom line. Corporate Equality Index (www.hrc.org/ “If they want to hire homosexuals and cei) and hundreds of companies you know transgender employees, that is certainly and love earned a 100-percent equality rat- their business,” Sprigg adds. ing. Aww, how generous. He’s implying that So if you drive your Ford over to Barnes he wouldn’t hire such people, but acknowl& Noble for a book, hit Macy’s for a holiedging that he’s not the boss of the world, day sweater, stock up on staplers at Office which is probably very difficult for him. Depot, get condoms at Walgreens and grab “But when you get to the point of trying some Starbucks on the way home, you’d be to impose that sort of policy on others, on having a pretty gay-friendly shopping day! the country through our legal system or Or you could go to even on suppliers and Bed Bath & Beyond for contractors and so forth, And considering a salad spinner, stock then I think it’s gone too up on balls at Dick’s that, in many states far,” continues Sprigg. Sporting Goods, get lum“I think we should stick across the country ber at Lowe’s, hit Big with the free market and Lots for some slippers, you can get fired just let the free market operget cheap holiday decate.” for being LGBT, work- Yes, heaven forbid that orations at Dollar Tree and smoke a Marlboro the disease of equality ing for a company on your way home, and spread throughout the that values equality land. Keep it in the board your spending spree is not very LGBT-merry. room, boys! goes a long way. (Also, you should quit Seriously, though. I smoking.) am not a business major, Now, a low score on HRC’s CEI doesn’t but I have sold a couple of things on eBay necessarily mean a company is anti-LGBT. (which has a CEI score of 100, by the But the higher a company’s score, the betway), but know that corporations don’t do ter that company is to its LGBT employthings that don’t make them money. It’s all ees. And considering that, in many states about the bottom line. If shareholders ain’t across the country you can get fired just for happy, ain’t nobody happy. being LGBT, working for a company that So if more and more companies are values equality goes a long way. scoring 100 on HRC’s equality index, it’s Of course, some folks think the CEI is because equality is good for business. Not a bunch of baloney. Like Peter Sprigg of because HRC is strong-arming Fortune 500 the virulently anti-LGBT Family Research companies to make nice with the gays. So Council. Sprigg can hope this is some kind of fad, “I’m not sure that all of these policies but the smart money is on equality. n have been adopted because these companies think that it helps to operate their busi- D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe nesses better,” he told the American Family it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of News Network. “I think it’s more of a mat- the world, she reviews rock and roll shows in ter of bowing to political correctness and, Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing in some cases, actually wanting to avoid at the University of Michigan.
Tell us what you think Send letters and opinion column submissions to: pgn@epgn.com; PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147; fax: 215-925-6437.
Please include a daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, style and space considerations.
OP-ED PGN
Going from ally to advocate If you’re like me, you often get a quesa public place where we have overheard tion from one of our non-LGBT allies that something that was demeaning to LGBT goes something like this: “I’m people. If you can do so safely, not LGBT but I’m an ally. What you should make a point to can I do to help?” that person or people that there In the past I’ve often sugmight be LGBT people around gested allies work with their who could be offended by those local LGBT organizations. words. Allies can even add, There have been organizations “I’m not gay but I’m offended.” and initiatives focusing on mar And there is another way to riage equality, those that comconfront this invisibility: Bring bat homophobia faced by youth the subject up at family dinners or that pay attention to the or when out with friends, in needs of trans people You and I casual settings. The best way could list numerous others here, to win full equality is to end but here’s a novel approach that invisibility, and the best way to came to me during the Comcast do that is through education — Impact conference I addressed and that only happens with real, last week. Mark Segal honest discussion. After a question-and-answer The time for us to be talked session about my new book, about in hushed tones is over. “And Then I Danced: Traveling the Road It’s now time to celebrate our struggle to LGBT Equality,” I was signing copies for equality. And we’re proud to have our for the attendees. A man approached and allies on that march with us. n made it clear that he already does donate his time to LGBT causes but felt there was Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the more he could do. nation’s most-award-winning commen After thinking it over for a while, one of tator in LGBT media. You can follow my old mantras came back to me: Help the him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ MarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter. LGBT community become less invisible. com/PhilaGayNews. Many of us LGBT people have been in
Mark My Words
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Transmissions
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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Street Talk Can Charlie Sheen be useful as an AIDS educator? "Yes. Charlie Sheen has a lot to offer, even though he's made some mistakes. We're all human and there's good Lyndsey Hochler in all of us. student I think it Gayborhood would be wonderful if he wants to raise public awareness about such a big issue."
"No, he's too much of a bumbling idiot. He doesn't have solid footing to reach and educate people. There are so Chalise Saunders many other program associate people who Northeast can serve Philadelphia as AIDS educators — people who know and do better."
"To an extent. If he treats the subject with respect, I would hope people will respond accordingly and learn Katie Shelly from him. But student it all depends Gayborhood on how he approaches the subject. After all, he has a wild reputation."
"Yes, I think he can be effective. A national conversation about AIDS is really important. He can help do that because Savannah Souza of his name student recognition. Gayborhood Some people might be turned off by him, but some people won't be.”
labeled Dear as a “transgendered leftist activist.” None of those three words seems to apply to Dear. He further stated, “We know that he was a man registered to vote as a woman.” Over the last few years, we have seen an increasing drumbeat from the right in opposition to LGBT rights. The fight against marriage rights has failed, tossed onto the dustbin of Bryant and Briggs. In seeking a new group to demonize, they have happened upon transgender people, or more specifically transgender women. A few weeks before Dear opened fire, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance was defeated. The bill had added sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s nondiscrimination law. It also made explicit protections based on sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, genetic information and pregnancy. The bill was defeated by anti-equality
foes who successfully cast the bill as a “bathroom bill” that would let men into the women’s room to harm your wives and daughters. Buoyed by this, fights are now heating up across the country, including a brandnew initiative in California designed to prevent the government from mandating “co-ed facilities.” Note that language, which is deceptive: It is not about “co-ed” facilities, but about allowing transgender people to use facilities that match their gender identities or expressions. It is not about “protecting privacy,” nor is it about “keeping predators out of women’s rooms.” It is about discrimination, and will be used to strip not just transgender protections, but also anything that opponents can muster. Consider again that long list that was stripped away in Houston. There’s one thing standing in the way of these laws, and that’s facts: PAGE 14 Nondiscrimination ordi-
Gwendolyn Ann Smith
Going too far On Nov. 27, as many hit stores looking for Black Friday deals, a gunman walked into a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs. In the course of his rampage, three people were killed, while several others were injured. The alleged killer, Robert Lewis Dear, a 59-year-old white male, was taken into custody and will stand trial for his crimes. The media was lax on citing possible reasons for his spree of domestic terrorism, though a law-enforcement official did say that Dear told investigators, “No more baby parts.” Dear identifies as an Evangelical Christian and is staunchly anti-abortion. While I am purely speculating, I have to assume the recent attacks by conservatives, spurred on by a series of videos created by David Daleiden that claim to show Planned Parenthood employees discussing the sale of fetal tissue, could have played a role in this case. This is not a column about abortion
rights, however, but transgender rights. After Dear was taken into custody, an error was found on his voter registration: It listed him as female. It was a data-entry error from the El Paso County Department of Motor Vehicles. Dear had the same error on his driver’s license, but had gotten that corrected. The voter registration still had the mistake. This did not stop gatewaypundit.com from reporting that Dear “identifies as a woman.” The site also reported that he had been charged in 2002 for being a “peeping tom.” In spite of every other shred of evidence pointing to Dear not being transgender, conservatives went into high gear. The Liberty Council, a right-wing group focused on religious freedom, tweeted, “Obvious, only a confused man would think he was a woman.” They did not feel that his taking of three lives mattered in that particular tweet. Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz went further. During a campaign stop in Iowa, Cruz
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
PGN
‘Oh God, I hate church’ A DIY guide to couples counseling: part II
Is it harder to come out as gay in reliin queer spaces and watch a mixture of gious spaces or religious in gay spaces? fear and indifference glaze over your The answer is yes — because it’s a trick friends’ eyes. Church brings fright to question and they both equally suck. the gay heart as quickly as an onion One weekend after I’d done all of the brings tears to the ducts. I don’t know, coming out that grown queer folk are guys (church was a little long that day supposed to do, I bought a yellow pencil and I left at 12:30 because I was hunskirt (because curves) and put on my fin- gry), but something’s not right. I have a est black heels. I was going to church! sneaking suspicion that when it comes Heels make me feel a little like Halle to gays and church, we have to look at it Berry in a James Bond movie so I swaglike a breakup: It’s not them, honey, it’s gered down Christian Street, stopping us. From what I discovered, we should short of the Ebenezer Church in South probably throw out the cartoon because Philly. The historic edifice for those of us who crave it, is huge and intimidating and church is pretty damn rad and imbued in me an ethereal, clearly very gay. haunted feeling of the ghosts First of all, group singing. of grandparents past. My It’s like karaoke. If you’ve grandfather used to preach been to Yakitori Boy, then you there when my dad was a know exactly what I mean. kid. And thus, as I entered There’s something magical the double-wooded doors, (some may even say spiritual) half-expecting to see some about belting out the lyrics to a straggling long-lost relative well-known song in mass chowaiting for me in the wings ral fashion. We’ve all done it of the foyer, my swagger in a car with our friends. Why reduced to a solemn, lazy not in a big room with a full Crystal band? clomp. All of the bravado melted away and a haunted Second of all, the message. Cheatham Having poltergeist feeling swept into a speaker get up and my soul. Even though I hadn’t talk about how the moral of a literary story can be applied to our everytold anyone, I just knew that they knew day lives is basically group therapy. It’s that I was a homosexual. I felt transparmade complete with personal sharing ent, like I reeked of gay Pride rainbows time where you get to process your emoand the morning-after breath of North tions after. If you know one thing about Philly hipster whiskey. Maybe the fear of church is a bit the queer sitting next to you, it’s that larger than life, but I felt it that day at she/he/they go to therapy. (Am I right, my granddaddy’s old church. It only got Kristina Furia?) worse as I climbed the steps and entered There are snacks after and churchthe sanctuary. lady hats throughout. Need I say more? A woman in a baggy black suit-skirt Church. Is. So. Gay. greeted me at the entrance. She turned This week alone in Wisconsin, a reliwith a slow reverence and ushered me to gious-extremist group got trans teen a pew. I sat, eyes wide open. You ever get Jazz Jennings’ school appearance canthat feeling like the room is shrinking? celed. Also, the Mormons released new As the choir stood up to sing, I swore I guidelines that target same-sex families saw the organ pipes bending down under by threatening their kids with a kind of the sudden sag of the vaulted ceiling. excommunication. The pew, too, became increasingly more The work of these extremists only creshallow, as if it knew that the full-figured ates a wider and more dubious divide bottom that rested upon it was a lady-lov- between religion and queer people in ing lesbian. And when the usher came general. It’s no wonder we are terrified back and tapped me on my shoulder, I of the politics. But in the brick-andlooked up like a child caught red-handed mortar, flesh-and-blood way that church in a cookie jar. exists, we just can’t keep believing in the “Yes?” I choked. boogeyman. n At arm’s length, she held out a white program. When I was slow to respond, Crystal Cheatham is a writer and activist she placed it on my lap. Apparently she’d in Philadelphia. She chairs the Spirituality forgotten to hand it to me at the door. & Religion steering committee for the “Happy Sabbath,” she said softly. Human Rights Campaign and volunteers The room snapped back to its original with Equality Pennsylvania and William size. In her retreating footsteps I was left Way LGBT Community Center’s Out & to dismantle the cartoonish church nightFaithful Committee, and has written for mare I’d been creating. the Huffington Post. You can find out more We all do it. Say the word “church” about her at CrystalCheatham.com.
Queer Faith
Philadelphia Gay News
Last month, I discussed the value of partner to satisfy your needs because neieffective listening and offered some tips ther of you knows what they actually are. for listening for the sake of understanding, In knowing yourself, you must also versus listening for the sake of generating know how to relay this self-knowledge a response. This month, we’ll focus on to your partner. Here are some things the inverse of that: how to present your you should not do in conveying your thoughts, feelings and overall experience thoughts and feelings: Do not tell your to your partner in a way that is conducive partner how he or she is feeling; do not to being understood. give an extended monologue; do not be There are many ways to turn an absolutist (i.e., “You always a discussion into a disagreedo that”). Alternately, here ment and perhaps even more are some practices you should ways to turn a disagreement do in conveying your points: into an argument. One common Talk only about your feelings and very simple way to escalate and observe any statements a disagreement is by keeping about your partner’s thoughts your focus on being correct. and feelings as your percepIt’s a completely typical and tion (you can’t possibly know even normal desire — “I’m their inner reality); keep your right, you’re wrong” — yet it partner engaged in what you’re almost never leads anywhere saying and hopefully not frusproductive. While there is often trated by allowing him or her a great deal of satisfaction that time to respond; use words like comes from being right, let’s “often” or “sometimes” instead be honest, where does it really of “always” or “all the time.” leave you and your partner? Kristina Furia Lastly, and possibly most Chances are, you get to sit with importantly, talk about what your feelings of validation but you do want instead of what your relationship gets very little. you don’t want. Negative yields negative; This leads me to the first DIY tip for telling someone all of the things he or she decreasing arguing and increasing the is doing wrong is generally frustrating, productivity of an argument when it does angering and fruitless. On the other hand, occur: Focus on what will bring you and discussing a preferred alternative behavior your partner as a couple to a resolution or way of talking about something gives instead of on proving your correctness. If your partner direction and avoids makafter the argument is resolved, you feel ing him or her feel lousy or angry or any unresolved personally and perhaps like other variety of possible negative reacyou haven’t been fully heard or undertions. stood by your partner, there is time to Healthy and effective communicare-explore the conversation later. The tion skills take development. We are not height of an argument is absolutely no born with them and, more often than not, time to try to get someone to calmly and we didn’t have the opportunity to learn rationally understand your point. them in our own households growing up Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way (sorry, Mom and Dad). I’ve seen many suggesting that your personal needs are ailing relationships come close to failing meant to be abandoned for the greater because of issues that do not extend far good of the couple. In fact, that will beyond communication. The good news promptly lead to the relationship’s demise. is, I’ve seen more of these relationships The goal is to deescalate an argument than not improve drastically as effective as fast as possible because the bulk of communication skills were learned, pracproductive communication in a relationticed and implemented long-term. ship does not occur in the midst of a Just remember to be patient with yourfight. Productive, healthy communication self as well as your partner in creating occurs through talking, not yelling, and it these sorts of changes because, while old relies heavily on your ability to express habits do die hard, they can in fact die. n your wants, needs, feelings and experiences clearly and without alienating your Kristina Furia is a psychotherapist spepartner. The first way to ensure you can cializing in issues and concerns of the do this is through self-awareness. You LGBTQ community in addition to depresmust know yourself — your needs, your sion, anxiety, substance abuse, and other wants, your true feelings. You must also mental illnesses. Her private practice, not be afraid to be honest with yourself. Philadelphia LGBTQ Counseling, offers If you aren’t in a place of self-honesty both individual and couples sessions and self-awareness, you can’t expect your (www.lgbtphillytherapy.com).
Thinking Queerly
epgn.com
PGN LAWSUIT from page 1
like to see out of this is actual, real change in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Schiffer said. “We’d like the school districts to be held accountable and prevent this type of behavior from happening. The laws really need to be changed so LGBT people can go to school and feel safe.” The suit identifies eight juvenile females by their initials as perpetrators of the harassment, which included unwanted touching, cursing and the Bittenbenders’ daughter having her personal belongings thrown in the garbage can or having garbage shoved in her gym bag during softball season. According to court documents, Bangor district officials failed to effectively discipline any of the alleged harassers. Instead, court documents said, the Bittenbenders’ daughter was assigned a monitor to follow her and shield her from bullying, which did not abate. According to the suit, the monitor was prematurely removed. Schiffer said the focus was on the victim instead of the harassers. “We think that’s completely opposite of what it should be,” he said. The Bittenbenders have moved with their daughter, now 16, to Warren County, N.J. Schiffer said New Jersey has stronger anti-bullying laws than Pennsylvania, including clear requirements for reporting and investigating the situations. For comparison, he said, Pennsylvania only requires school districts to have a policy, left to their discretion, regarding bullying. n
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LOCAL PGN
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Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the Sixth Police District between Nov. 23-29. Information is courtesy of Sixth District Capt. Brian Korn; Stacy Irving, senior director, Crime Prevention Service; Center City District; the Police Liaison Committee and Midtown Village Merchants Association. To report crime tips, visit www.phillypolice.com or call 215-686-TIPS. INCIDENTS — Between Nov. 13-19 (reported Nov. 23), someone cut the screen to a window of an apartment in the 1300 block of Spruce Street in an apparent attempt to gain entry. Nothing was stolen. Sixth District Officer Keenan lifted fingerprints. — At 1 p.m. Nov. 23, two men stole clothing from Capstone & Hammer, 1106 Chestnut St., fleeing in a tan Lincoln east on Chestnut Street. Both men were described as black, one 5-foot-10 and wearing a gray hoodie and the other wearing a black beanie cap. — At 12:30 p.m. Nov. 24, four or five men, all wearing hoodies pulled up tightly around their faces, punched and kicked an individual who was walking in the 1300 block of Chestnut Street. The suspects stole an iPhone and $10. — At 4:50 a.m. Nov. 25, a man fell outside 201 S. Broad St., hitting his head and rendering himself unconscious. Security video captured a man stealing the victim’s bag, which contained an iPod. The suspect was described as white, 5-foot-10 to 6 feet and wearing a black hat, black jacket, red hoodie, jeans and glasses. — Between 10:30 a.m. Nov. 21 and 5 p.m. Nov. 25, a resident discovered an Xbox missing from inside the front door of a residence in the 1200 block of Chancellor Street. Sixth District Officer Greco attempted to lift fingerprints. — At 2 p.m. Nov. 28, someone stole a leather bag from under a desk inside 800 Spruce St. Security video showed the suspect to be a black man about 40, clean-shaven and wearing a black hat and lightblue sweatshirt. — At 6:30 p.m. Nov. 27, a man was in the Market East concourse at 1100 Market St. when a male punched him and a second man stole his backpack. TRANSMISSIONS from page 11
nances do not remove laws against rape and sexual assault. Crimes remain crimes, no matter if someone had a right to a given restroom. More importantly, there’s no increase to risk when these measures are on the books. From research provided by Brynn Tannenhill of SPARTA, covering more than 35 years of such ordinances worldwide, there has been only one single case of these laws being manipulated in a fashion close to what opponents want to claim. That’s out of a countless number of people using public restrooms around the world. Let me get back to Robert Lewis Dear. Let’s take a moment and look at his moment of domestic terrorism through the fun-house mirror that Cruz and others used. Let’s say that we do call Dear a “transgendered leftist activist” for a moment, and consider that Dear forced his way into a women’s space, using his — or hers, if we continue to assume the voter identification is correct with Dear’s identity — purported rights to public accommodations in the state of Colorado to allow him to enter without
The perpetrators were both described as black and one was about 30, with a dark complexion and wearing dark clothing. — There was one theft of a bicycle reported Nov. 23-29: outside 333 S. Broad St. NON-SUMMARY ARRESTS — At 4:50 a.m. Nov. 28, Sixth District Officers Harragan and Witherspoon were on foot patrol when they observed a man steal tools from a pick-up truck that was parked in the lot in the 1200 block of Locust Street. They stopped the man and located the driver. The 54-year-old suspect with a Southwest Philadelphia address was charged with theft from a motor vehicle. — At 8:30 p.m. Nov. 27, Sixth District Officers Ferrero and Grant arrested a woman outside 1200 Walnut St. who was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear for court. The 49-year-old suspect was charged with contempt of court. — At 9 p.m. Nov. 28, Sixth District Officers Ferrero and Grant issued a citation for a summary arrest at 13th and Locust streets. Upon investigation, they found the suspect to be in possession of a quantity of crack cocaine. The 30-year-old suspect with a North Philadelphia address was charged with possession of a controlled substance. — At 4:05 a.m. Nov. 29, Delaware River Port Authority Police apprehended a man who was using an electric saw to cut a lock off a newsstand at 900 Chestnut St. The 58-year-old suspect with a West Poplar address was charged with burglary and related offenses. SUMMARY ARRESTS — On Nov. 24, Sixth District officers issued citations for summary offenses at 8:15 p.m. outside 1308 Walnut St. and 11:30 p.m. outside 1201 Chestnut St. — At 8:40 p.m. Nov. 27, Sixth District officers issued citations for summary offenses outside 1200 Walnut St. — On Nov. 28, Sixth District officers issued citations for summary offenses at 12:40 a.m. outside 1312 Walnut St. and 8:45 a.m. outside 200 S. Juniper St. n repercussion. In doing so, he killed three people, and would be a model candidate for the repeal of nondiscrimination laws. Except, of course, Dear is not transgender, and none of the above even makes sense. For decades — and especially this year — the right has been attacking Planned Parenthood. Yet this time, they were more than happy to demonize an individual who was literally doing their dirty work at a Planned Parenthood clinic because it would fit an anti-transgender narrative. It would seem that there is no step that is too far for them to go, and no level they won’t stoop to in order to strip away our rights. So the question is this: With foes who will try to paint a killer like Dear as a “transgendered leftist activist” in order to demonize transgender people, and in a time when more transgender people have been reportedly murdered in the United States than ever before, how far will we have to go to defend our rights? n Gwen Smith is mighty tired of cruel lies. You’ll find her on Twitter at @gwenners.
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Tips & Talk “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”- Willie Nelson
Creative DIY Christmas Gifts
Christmas is a wonderful time of year filled with family and fun. You know your kids love the gifts they receive on Christmas, but everyone loves the food! We find so many great recipe ideas on Pinterest, and we really love the holiday recipes we stumble upon. Here are some we have got to try this year, and so should you! This is a holiday twist on a classic dessert that everyone will love. Grab your favorite Betty Crocker brownie recipe and bake a fresh batch of chocolate goodness. Let them cool for about and hour and then cut them into triangles. Get some vanilla frosting with green food dye, and place the icing into a zip lock bag. Cut one of the corners off— and squeeze zig-zag frosting on top of each brownie. Sprinkle with some M&Ms and stick a candy cane at
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Budget bill changes Social Security strategies Q: My partner and I are now married and trying to decide when to file for our Social Security benefits. I read there were recent changes to the rules for spouses. How will this potentially affect our filing options as a couple? A: You are correct that the recent budget bill that was signed into law Nov. 2 did end two popular filing strategies available to married couples. While some people will be grandfathered into the old rules based on age, many will no longer have access to these spousal techniques. Here’s what you need to know.
ability to collect a spousal benefit while your own benefit builds delayed credits between the ages of 66-70 is considered one of those Social Security “loopholes.” It will be closed in four years. If you will be turning 66 in the next four years, you may still take advantage of it.
If you are still under 62 as of Dec. 31, 2015, spousal strategies that take advantage of these closing loopholes will not
be allowed. If you have been counting on spousal benefits for a higher-earning spouse as part of your retirement-income plan, you will need to take them off the table and consider other sources of retirement income. It will now be more important than ever to maximize Social Security benefits by claiming at the appropriate time. For married same-sex couples, this usually means having at least one spouse consider delaying benefits to age 70 to build maximum delayed credits. This will generally provide you and your surviving spouse with higher lifetime income. If you are retiring earlier than age 70, you must consider other potential sources of income during the bridge period, from retirement to age 70. Whether you are single, married, divorced or widowed, it is important for you to take a very personal approach to your Social Security strategy. Please do not depend on the helpful workers at Social Security to make these decisions; they are very good at what they do, but they are not there to help you evaluate various strategies and weigh the pros and cons of each option. I strongly encourage you to seek out professionals who specialize in this type of planning to be sure you are making the best decision for your specific family situation. And for some of you, the clock is now ticking based on this recent legislation. To help our LGBT baby boomers better understand how this recent legislation may impact your Social Security strategy, our friends at the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund and I will be hosting a free educational workshop on Social Security plan-
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor. Please consult me if you have any questions. 1 Source: Horsesmouth *As reported by Financial Planning magazine, 19962015, based on total revenues. **Award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients such as credentials, experience, and assets under management among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers.
the outset.” Moreover, Sitarski allegedly prevented jurors from hearing testimony about the extent of Berrios’ injuries, the appeal contends. “The error denying the treating physician from testifying as to [Berrios’] treatment was not harmless and therefore violated Federal Rules of Civil Procedures, affecting plaintiff’s substantive rights,” the appeal adds. Additionally, Berrios contends that a key witness to the incident — his former lover Jason Mendez — is now available to testify. “The court should relieve [Berrios] from the jury’s verdict based upon newly discovered evidence as to the actual availability of Jason Mendez. This is particularly true as the defense argued the absence of Mendez to the jury in its closing argument without knowing his alleged situation and/ or location and, thereby, unfairly prejudiced [Berrios’] case.”
After the trial, a juror allegedly indicated to Berrios’ attorney, Rania Major, that jurors improperly disregarded circumstantial evidence corroborating Berrios’ injuries. “The jurors either disregarded Your Honor’s instructions that circumstantial evidence is permitted to be considered, made a decision against the weight of the evidence and/or wished for direct evidence such as emergency-room treatment or other evidence which did not exist,” Berrios’ appeal continues. The appeal also notes that the trial transcript isn’t available yet. “All of the notes of testimony have not been received, so counsel is unable to allege other and/or more specific errors of law at this time. Counsel respectfully requests an extension to file a supplemental motion after these notes have been received.” As of presstime, Berrios’ appeal for a
new trial was pending before Sitarski. If she denies his request, Berrios plans to appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Michael R. Miller, a city attorney, would say only: “We believe the jury made the right decision in this case.” On Dec. 7, Miller filed a seven-page reply, urging Sitarski to deny a new trial for Berrios. According to the filing, there were no errors during Berrios’ November trial that necessitate a new trial. Miller’s filing also states that granting Mendez an opportunity to testify wouldn’t ensure a better outcome for Berrios. “Assuming arguendo that Mr. Mendez would also testify in favor of [Berrios], he could not do so in any meaningful way, since even [Berrios] admits that Mr. Mendez was highly intoxicated during the incident and that he was busy fighting police officers — a crime for which he was convicted — during [Berrios’] arrest,” the filing states. n
File and suspend
File and suspend will be disallowed six months from Nov. 2, the date the law was enacted. This popular strategy allows one spouse to file for their benefit to entitle the second spouse to their spousal benefit, after which the first spouse immediJeremy ately suspends their benefit to Closing the loopholes Gussick build delayed credits between As part of the budget bill the ages of 66-70. While vol(H.R. 1314) to raise the U.S. untary suspension will still be debt limit, two key Social Security “loopallowed, no spousal or dependent benefits holes” have been closed: “file and susmay be paid based on a suspended benefit. pend” and “restricted application” for Thus, after April 2016, there will effecspousal benefits. The ban on file and sustively be no reason to “file and suspend.” pend will start with suspension requests Over the next six months, if you are eligisubmitted 180 days after the enactment ble for this strategy (i.e., you are over full of the bill. The ban on filling a restricted retirement age and want your spouse to application will apply to anyone who is receive a spousal benefit while your own not 62 by the end of 2015.1 benefit grows to age 70), you will still be Depending on your birthday, this may able to implement it. After that, it will be affect your Social Security planning. disallowed.
Out Money
Restricted application If you are over 62 now (or will turn 62 before the end of 2015), you may still file a restricted application for spousal benefits when you turn full retirement age. The APPEAL from page 1
“Deep in my heart, I really felt we were going to be killed,” Berrios told a federal jury. But on Nov. 4, after two hours of deliberations, the all-white jury cleared both officers of any wrongdoing. In his Nov. 30 appeal, Berrios contends that U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarski improperly prevented jurors from fully considering the alleged anti-LGBT bias of the officers. “During the opening statement [on behalf of Berrios], there were numerous objections by defense counsel, all of which were sustained to prevent [Berrios’] counsel from informing the jury of [Berrios’] sexual orientation and the effect that it had on the events that occurred,” Berrios’ appeal states. The appeal adds: “These were not harmless errors, as they affected [Berrios’] substantive rights and prejudiced jurors from
What to do once these strategies are gone?
Philadelphia Gay News
ning. If you will be filing for your Social Security benefits in the upcoming months and years, I encourage you to join us to better understand how to make the most of your Social Security benefits. The workshop will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 13 at William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. For more details about the workshop or to register, contact the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund at info@dvlf.org, or email me at jeremy.gussick@lpl.com. n Jeremy R. Gussick is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer.* Jeremy specializes in the financial planning needs of the LGBT community and was recently named a 2015 FIVE STAR Wealth Manager as mentioned in Philadelphia Magazine.** He is active with several LGBT organizations in the Philadelphia region, including the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund and the Independence Business Alliance, the Philadelphia region’s LGBT chamber of commerce. OutMoney appears monthly. If you have a question for Jeremy, you can contact him via email at Jeremy.gussick@lpl. com. LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.
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International Israel to enlist HIVpositive soldiers The Israeli military said Dec. 1 it will begin enlisting soldiers who are HIVpositive, in a policy shift putting the country at the forefront of military inclusivity toward people with the virus that causes AIDS. Military service in Israel is compulsory for Jews, but until now people with HIV were automatically deemed unfit to serve for medical reasons. Col. Moshe Pinkert, the head of the military’s medical-services department, said that policy will change, allowing people who are HIV-positive to serve in a variety of positions, except combat, so long as they meet a series of health-related criteria. The policy will go into effect in the coming weeks. Pinkert said the change came about as a result of shifts in HIV epidemiology, with better treatments available. He said only a handful of soldiers a year would be affected by the policy change, but that it was a “very important step ... for the acceptance of people with HIV into society and reducing the social stigma.” He said Israel was a “pioneer” in making the change. Over the last decade, HIV-positive individuals insisting on enlisting were examined on a case-by-case basis and sometimes allowed to volunteer. Pinkert said HIV-positive soldiers could NEWS BRIEFING from page 9
said. Goldfein said the AIDS Law Project has received targeted grants this year for housing and debt programs. She said the Barra funds would go toward pursuing discrimination cases and equal access to health care. “All those things keep people with HIV fully functional in society,” Goldfein said.
Applications sought for LGBT Congressional internship The Victory Congressional Internship is accepting applications for its summer program. The due date is Jan. 25. Victory seeks current undergraduate students of all genders, orientations and majors. The program pairs students for eight weeks with a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus or an LGBT-friendly member of Congress to learn firsthand about the federal legislative process.
serve in many positions except for those where they might be at risk of bleeding. The U.S. military does not allow people who are HIV-positive to enlist. If a soldier contracts HIV while in service, he or she must undergo medical evaluations to determine whether he or she is fit to continue serving. Gays serve openly in Israel’s military, as does at least one openly transgender soldier, and the military has said it wants to offer transgender soldiers more support in their enlistment process.
Gay refugees rehoused in the Netherlands Five gay refugees have been rehoused in the Netherlands after being threatened by fellow refugees. The five men — three from Syria, one from Iraq and one from Iran — were moved after the Salvation Army said it could not guarantee their safety. The men were originally housed in the Parool, a refugee center in Amsterdam, but were moved to housing owned by corporation Rochdale. A spokesman from the Salvation Army said: “They often don’t dare to leave their rooms.” Junior justice minister Klaas Dijkhoff said he did not support the idea of separating gay refugees because it is “stigmatizing.” Reports suggest that other gay refugees, including in Rotterdam, will also be rehoused and that others in Amsterdam were re-homed earlier this year. “LGBTs are extra vulnerable and I consider it crucial that they have a safe environment to recover and receive care,” said city alderman Simone Kukenheim. n
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National Praise For MARK SEGAL’s Best Selling Memoir
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AND THEN I DANCED TRAVELING THE ROAD TO LGBT EQUALITY
“Mark Segal’s work for LGBT equality is historic and significant. The fact that he is still connecting our community is a testament to the passion which he shares in this memoir.” --Billie Jean King “Mark Segal is a beloved and respected activist for the LGBT movement, and he’s a pivotal voice to tell our story,” --The Advocate “Mark Segal made national news on December 11, 1973 when he interrupted a live broadcast of the CBS Evening News by yelling ‘Gays protest CBS prejudice!’ at none other than Walter Cronkite. He was wrestled to the floor on live national television, an incident often credited as the beginning of the end of LGBTQ invisibility. In his new memoir, Segal looks back on that defining moment in history, as well as the many battles that followed.” --Queerty “If it happened in the gay rights movement, Mark Segal was probably there.” --ABC-TV “Mark Segal is one of the major actors in the struggle for LGBT equality in the U.S....A life as eventful as Segal’s demands that a book be written about it.” --South Florida Gay News “Segal’s And Then I Danced harkens back to the glory days of the gay liberation era. Current activists could learn a lot of useful lessons from reading this memoir, and any American who reads it will learn about some interesting chapters in our nation’s ongoing struggle to form a more perfect union.” --David Carter, Author of Stonewall, The Riots that Sparked the Gay Revolution “And Then I Danced is more than a memoir; it’s a revelation……….and that’s a huge part of why this book is so vital. Equally important is how Segal shatters mistaken beliefs about queer history. Segal really puts the movement in context for the post-Stonewall generation.” Lambda Literary Review --Lambda “Read Mark Segal’s memoir and you’ll get the inside story of how and why he interrupted a live broadcast of The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. What happened afterward will surprise you. It’s one of many surprises in this must-read first-person account of LGBT history as it unfolded after Stonewall. Segal was a witness to that history, and he made some of it happen, changing our country and our lives for the better.” —Louis Wiley, Jr., executive editor, Frontline (PBS)
“I have read about Segal in other places but nothing is like reading about it as he tells it....Because of Segal and others we have openly LGBT people working in the White House and throughout corporate America. He has helped make it possible for an entire community of gay world citizens to finding the voice that they need to become visible.” --Reviews by Amos Lassen “Segal’s writing style is engrossing and never ponderous....And Then I Danced is highly recommended for all LGBT history collections and especially for readers with interest in Pennsylvania/Philadelphia politics.” --American Library Association’s GLBT Round Table “And Then I Danced is a fascinating page-turner that prompted my tears, laughter, envy, and astonishment--but most of all left me feeling very proud of what our community has accomplished and grateful to Mark for sharing his intimate memoir. While there are many who have witnessed the extraordinary history of the LGBT community, few have played as major a role in creating it as has Mark. It is no exaggeration to say that there is no person alive today who has been a more central participant in as much of the contemporary LGBT rights struggle than Mark Segal.” --Sean Strub, author of Body Counts: A Memoir of Politics, Sex, AIDS, and Survival “Mark Segal has for decades been a pathfinder for LGBT journalists of all stripes. We’re indebted to him for his years of radical activism, helping to foster a movement for change that has had a dramatic and positive impact for millions.” --Michelangelo Signorile, author of It’s Not Over: Getting Beyond Tolerance, Defeating Homophobia, and Winning True Equality “Real change never comes without real guts and real vision and real leaders. Mark Segal is the real deal.” --Robert Moore, cofounder of Dallas Voice “Mark Segal’s ideas run from the alpha to the omega. Sometimes I think there’s got to be more than one Mark Segal: he has done way too much for one lifetime. I highly recommend this book. If you can’t get to meet Mark in person, this is the next best thing!” --Michael Luongo, author of Gay Travels in the Muslim World “Before there was Ellen, Will, Grace, Rosie, Andy, and Anderson, Mark Segal was the squeaky gay wheel of American television, pulling stunts that forced the medium to open its closet door. If Walter Cronkite were still alive, he’d say: Not HIM again! And that’s the way it is. And was. Read all about it.” --Bruce Vilanch, Six-Time Emmy Award Winner “Mark Segal has taken the LGBT aging world by storm, and in the process has made a remarkable difference for our community’s courageous pioneers. We’ve all learned so much from him.” --Michael Adams, executive director, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders “With gentle humor and the slightest touch of sardonicism….Segal lets readers into his personal life: his loves, losses, and (spoiler alert!) a very happy ending. “Drama seems to follow me,” he writes, and readers will be glad for it.” --Washington Blade
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Eat, Drink & Be Merry!
Holiday treats and events abound in Philly By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Can we just fast forward to Christmas? Please? Don’t get us wrong, we adore the holidays — especially the hanging out with family and/or friends, the unapologetic post-feast laziness, the brutal honesty that comes with being around acquaintances and alcohol and the pageantry that accompanies the spirit of the holidays. All those parts are just peachy. But let’s be honest, it’s the shopping that grinds our nerves into a fine powder. It’s fine and almost downright tolerable when you are shopping for younger friends and family who know exactly what they want and you have the means to get it for them. But some of us have people in our lives who pretty much have everything they need and we’re wringing out our tired, eggnog-soaked brains to figure out meaningful gifts that won’t end up collecting dust, alongside growing piles of gadgets and knick-knacks on their shelves and in their closets. Yeah, you could go the gift-card route, but that is a little too easy. In recent years, the best holiday gifts we’ve been given are those that resulted in us spending more time with our friends and family. Why buy a shiny new trinket or the latest electronic
doohickey when you can take someone to a nice dinner or dessert, or maybe out for a night on the town for a concert or a show? So in the spirit of doing something more creative with our gift giving, we’ve compiled a list of ways we all can eat, drink and be merry this holiday season. Eat! We feel sorry for people who can’t do gluten or don’t consume carbs around this time of the year because ’tis the season to go off the dietary rails, whether slightly or with full abandon. We don’t know how some of you resist the endless flow of sugary breads cascading down endless rivers of icings and gravies and meat drippings, but some of us can’t. At least not at this time of year. We’ve got sweaters and a few months to work these gorges off before spring hits. So … High Street on Market is rolling out a bunch of special breads for the season including a brown rice baguette and a pumpkin harvest bread. Some of their other breads, like the jasmine-scented cherry-almond panettone ($25), are made special
just for the holidays and require a three-day preorder. For more information, visit highstreetonmarket.com/. For some decadently sweet holiday treats, swing by Flying Monkey Bakery in Reading Terminal Market. The company’s tasty and oftentimes imaginative selection of whoopie pies, brownies, cookies and cupcakes are baked from scratch in small batches with fresh ingredients. Elizabeth Halen, who opened Flying Monkey in 2010, recently competed on an episode of the Cooking Channel’s “Sugar Showdown.” To celebrate the season, Flying Monkey is offering eggnog cupcakes ($2.50 each) and oatmeal apple pumpkin-seed cookies ($2 each). But if you really want to go crazy, order up a slice of its Pumple Cake ($8). Think of it as the turducken of cakes: a double-decker monstrosity with an apple pie baked into a vanilla cake on top of a pumpkin pie — all baked into a chocolate cake on the bottom. Oh, and you can also choose from vegan whoopee pies and cupcakes. For more information, visit www.flyingmonkeyphilly.com/.
Drink!! A couple of guys from Minnesota decided to start their own gay-owned and -operated online coffee shop. Rainbow Brew offers high-quality sustainable coffee that has been handled, processed, shipped and roasted with the utmost attention. The company also supports the LGBT community through its Caffeinated-4-ACause shop. For more information, visit www.rainbowbrew.com. Speaking of coffee, Victory Brewing Company has rolled out its latest creation, Java Cask, a coffee-tinged bourbon barrel stout, which is available this holiday season while supplies last. A collaborative effort commemorating the long friendship with the founders of Philadelphia’s popular Standard Tap and Johnny Brenda’s restaurants, this brew is infused with Johnny Brenda’s hand-roasted coffee. Be Freaking Merry!!! There are many, many ways to get into the holiday spirit as far as live entertainment goes this season, ranging from the classical and refined to the raucous and debauched. If a suit or a fancy dress are more your speed, the Kimmel Center has numerous reasons to get dressed up. The Philadelphia Orchestra performs “The Glorious Sounds of Christmas” Dec. 17-20 at Verizon Hall with Grammy-winning con- PAGE 26
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
PGN FEATURE
Who has impacted the local LGBT community most in 2015?
MERRY: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical” (clockwise from top left), “A Soulful Christmas,” “Holidelic,” The Skivvies, Trans-Siberian Orchestra MERRY from page 25
2015
Person of the Year Coming in the January 1 edition
ductor Bramwell Tovey and the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia. The Philly POPS perform their own “Christmas Spectacular” through Dec. 22 at Verizon Hall with guest vocalist Lisa Vroma and the Philadelphia Boys Choir. For more information or tickets, visit www.kimmelcenter.org. If you want to see Christmases of your childhood come to life on stage, Broadway Philadelphia is presenting “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical” Dec. 17-20 at Merriam Theater. The live-action show is based on the classic stop-motion animated special that told the classic story of the misfit reindeer who saved Christmas for Santa Claus. For more information, visit www.rudolphthemusical.com. If your cherished holiday memories involved a Rubik’s Cube, an Atari 2600 or a Wham album, and you want some adventure, check out “Escape The 1980s Pop Up on Passyunk Ave” through Dec. 31 at 1804 E. Passyunk Ave. Steel Owl Room Adventures presents Philly’s biggest room-escape game, with a totally awesome holiday twist: You and your friends are stuck in a 1980s time warp. Your group has 60 minutes to get through four rooms and find clues to unlock doors, open padlocks and hack into computer systems to get back to the future and meet Santa Claus. For more information, email Steel Owl Adventures at info@steelowl.com or call 215-402-7036. The classic ’80s Christmas film “A Christmas Story” comes to life on stage at Walnut Street Theatre through Jan. 10. Follow Ralphie’s quest for a Red Ryder BB Gun as his quirky family takes on the holidays. Visit www.walnutstreettheatre.org for tickets. Another stage adaptation of a classic is underway in New Hope with “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” at Bucks County Playhouse. Running through Dec. 27, the production takes audiences into a “live” 1940s radio broadcast of the seminal Christmas film. Follow the applause signs and enjoy the classic radio jingles as George Bailey sets off on his Christmas Eve journey to find the true meaning of the holidays. For tickets, visit www.bcptheater. org.
If more contemporary sounds are what’s needed for your holiday cheer, The Kimmel Center presents “A Soulful Christmas” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15, featuring the J. Donald Dumpson Singers and a host of community choirs performing holiday classics, along with spirituals and gospel favorites. For more information, visit www.kimmelcenter.org. If you want to rock out this season, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra hits town 3 p.m. Dec. 19 for its all-new winter tour featuring the Yuletide tale “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve.” The story follows the journey of a young runaway who, on Christmas Eve, breaks into an abandoned theater seeking shelter from the cold, and encounters ghostly visions from that concert hall’s past. For more information, visit www.trans-siberian. com/tour. For something a lot more funky, out Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, producer, actor and dancer Everett Bradley is bringing his “Holidelic” concert to town 8 p.m. Dec. 19 at World Cafe Live. Now entering its 13th season, this holiday concert blends the influences of P-Funk, Sly Stone and other 1970s and ’80s funk and soul bands into original songs that celebrate diversity, individuality and a lot of booty shaking in a show for all races, creeds and lifestyles. Let’s hope the Mothership and the Santa Sleigh don’t collide with each other. For more information, visit philly. worldcafelive.com/. Not to be outdone in the holiday freakfest, underdressed duo The Skivvies brings its “Naughty or Nice” show to SEI Studio Dec. 17-19. New York’s favorite “undie-rockers” are offering up some wacky holiday cheer and musical comedy as they perform stripped-down mash-ups of show tunes, pop songs and holiday classics. For more information visit www.theskivviesnyc.com/. Oh, and lastly… If you going to create something lasting this season, let it be memories instead of debt. Happy holidays! n
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
Wedding Services Directory
Specializing in Nightlife, Weddings & Private Party Events
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
PGN
The
Favorite Photos of 2015 Coming Jan. 1
Since 1976
PGN Guide to the Gayborhood
The Philadelphia Gayborhood is roughly centered at 12th and Camac streets. Look for the rainbow street signs at intersections and remember to be aware of your surroundings wherever you go. Boxers
1330 Walnut St. facebook.com/ boxersphl Sports bar with multiple plasma tvs, pool table, brick oven, djs
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<—
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Rosewood
Tabu
Woody’s
1302 Walnut St. 215.336.1335 rosewood-bar.com Cozy, panelled bar with dj and high-end cocktails
200 S. 12th St. 215.964.9675 tabuphilly.com Sports bar / drag shows and bar food
202 S. 13th St. 215.545.1893 woodysbar.com American-style bar food and large dance floor
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The Bike Stop
Four-level leather bar; basement enforces a dress code; secondfloor pool table and big-screen sports action
Walnut St. Chancellor St.
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St. James St.
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❒ ❒
❍ Manning St.
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Quince St.
Latimer St.
12th St.
Camac St.
13th St.
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11th St.
Locust St.
❍ Juniper St.
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❍ Spruce St.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. On Jan. 1, see what photos captured our community this year.
William Way LGBT Community Center
1315 Spruce St. 215.732.2220 waygay.org
A resource for all things LGBT
Voyeur
1221 St. James St. 215.735.5772 voyeurnightclub.com After-hours private club; membership required
U Bar 1220 Locust St. 215.546.6660
Relaxing corner bar, easy-going crowd, popular for happy hour and window watching
Tavern on Camac West of Broad Street Stir Lounge
1705 Chancellor St. 215.732.2700 stirphilly.com Fun two-bar lounge, DJ in the back, regular poker games and specials
The Attic Youth Center
255 S. 16th St. 215.545.4331 atticyouthcenter.org Safe space and programs for LGBTs age 16-23 weekday afternoons and evenings
255 S. Camac St. 215.545.8731 Piano lounge with upstairs dance floor; Tavern restaurant in the basement.
Knock 225 S. 12th St. 215.925.1166 knockphilly.com Fine -dining restaurant and bar with outdoor seating (weather permitting)
ICandy
254 S. 12th St. 267.324.3500 clubicandy.com Three floors with a total of six bars; dance floor, lounge and rootop deck.
Venture Inn 255 S. Camac St. 215.545.8731
Bar and restaurant with frequent entertainment
Pa. bars close at 2 a.m. unless they have a private-club license. Please drink responsibly.
PGN
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
Photography Scott A. Drake 267-736-6743
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High quality dental treatment and preventive care
Andrea V. Cronin, DDS Craig T. Wakefield, DDS Proudly serving the LGBT community and PWA for over 25 years. Medical Towers Building • Suite 2306 255 S. 17th St., Philadelphia, Pa 19103 (215) 732-8080 Evening hours available.
AC ul t ure rts
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
PGN
PROFILE PGN
Family Portrait
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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Suzi Nash
Jim Sutton: Growing up in the (Longwood) garden It’s hard to determine what I like better: the sights or the scents at Longwood Gardens. If I had to pick, I’d probably say the bling. Encompassing 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains and a 4-acre conservatory complex, Longwood puts up a half-million lights for the Christmas season. Yes, you read that right … a half-million lights throughout the grounds. Even the most humbuggy of Scrooges would find it hard not to crack a smile at that, not to mention the thousands of poinsettias, exquisitely decorated rooms and outdoor displays, holiday sing-a-longs and an open-air fountain with 750 jets creating a rainbow curtain of water dancing to seasonal music. There are concerts and performances, workshops and tours and fine dining. One of my favorite holiday memories was the year Longwood staged a nighttime skating performance in the middle of a clearing surrounded by tall trees. It was absolutely magical, like stepping into a Currier and Ives painting. One of the folks responsible for the magic is display designer Jim Sutton. A former Peace Corps volunteer, Sutton oversees themes and ideas for the world-class horticulture displays. In addition, he lectures and conducts floral demonstrations and serves as a judge for the Philadelphia Flower Show. PGN: Are you a Pennsylvania fella? JS: I am, born and raised in Chester County, right in this area. I pretty much grew up at Longwood; my mother worked here for 30 years so I’ve been around the garden since I was 10. PGN: Wow! Give me an early impression of Longwood. JS: She worked with performing arts quite a bit so I remember being in the conservatory and turning off all the lights and being able to walk through it in complete darkness, navigating my way though 4 acres lit only by the moon. PGN: Did it feel like your extended backyard? JS: Yeah, I feel pretty much at home here. We have a great staff and most of us have been here quite a while, which speaks to our commitment to the field and to Longwood. We’re all very close and we all help each other out. PGN: What was a favorite thing to do there as a kid? JS: Probably just running around through the gardens and watching them change with each season. We have all the seasons represented here, and the displays and gardens change every year. PGN: What did your mother do at Longwood and did your dad work there too?
JS: She was a tour guide and a performance manager and he didn’t work there; he was a truck driver. PGN: Any siblings? JS: Five. I’m one of five. PGN: Oh boy! Where do you fall in the lineup? JS: [Laughs] Well, I’m the baby of the first four, so I therefore consider myself the youngest child. And then there was a 10-year gap before my brother was born, so I consider him to be an only child. PGN: That’s funny! So you went to Penn State for higher learning? JS: Yes. When I went there, there were only two schools in the entire state that had a four-year horticultural program and I got into both of them. I decided that, if I didn’t get into main campus Penn State, I’d go to Delaware Valley School of Science and Agriculture. But thankfully I got in and now have a degree in ornamental horticulture with a minor in business.
paying my farmers to go to other villages further in the mountains to teach them. We were in a cloud-parched elevation so water management and runoff were very serious issues. PGN: Living here on the East Coast, it’s hard to understand how much water and/ or lack thereof, can affect a community. We take a lot for granted. JS: Yes, there’s a lot to learn and teach. Honduras is a very poor country and a lot of the farmers were just doing subsistence agriculture, just trying to raise enough corn, beans and rice to feed their families. My farmers were very business-minded so instead of growing the staples, we would grow things like peppers, cabbage and cut flowers — things we could sell in the nearest city, San Pedro Sula. They’d make enough money to buy the necessities and more. A cool thing is that two of my farmers did so well farming and getting paid to teach soil conservation that they were able to pay for their children, two girls, to go to
PGN: What does ornamental horticulture mean? JS: It basically means all of your landscaped plants and trees, flowers — both annuals and perennials — and things that we grow just for their decorative beauty, as opposed to agronomic crops.
PGN: That was a long stint! JS: You do a half-year of training and then two years of service. I took another halfyear to travel all the other countries in Central America. Because of my degree, I got to travel to other spots in the country and work on other projects. One of the coolest ones we did was on the Nicaragua border where we were trying to combat chagas, which is a disease transmitted by a beetle. It’s actually what Charles Darwin died of. They found that a lot of pregnant women were testing positive for chagas, and we discovered that there was a certain type of chrysanthemum that we could plant around the houses that kept the beetles from crawling up the walls and getting into the house and biting them. It was my job to help them build seedbeds to grow these particular chrysanthemums. PGN: That’s great. So, coming back to the states, how long have you been at Longwood? JS: This is my 18th year. I worked here for 10 years — responsible for the main conservatory — took a break for four years and ran my own business and I’ve been back for eight.
PGN: What was the best part of college life? JS: I enjoyed being at a larger school. It allowed me to do things like a research project for Paul Ecke who, at the time, was the largest poinsettia grower in the country. The school also sent me to New Mexico to participate in a national competition on judging cut flowers, potted plants and professional design. PGN: Were you out in college? JS: No, not really. I didn’t really come out until after I came back from the Peace Corps. PGN: Oh, how was that? Where did you go? What did you do? JS: The Peace Corps is a wonderful organization. It’s incredibly well-run. I was fortunate in that I already knew a second language, Spanish, and I also had my degree in agriculture so I got their flagship site [in Honduras]. I was asked to act as host when organizations like the United Nations, UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] and the World Health Organization wanted to check out a Peace Corps site. My farmers were actually teaching other farmers soil conservation, so we were a model site. I had the people from the water shed, which is where I lived,
you did mattered. It made you believe in what you were doing and the people of Honduras were very warm and embracing. In the two-and-a-half years I spent there, I only came home once. Though my family did come to visit me once, which was nice.
secondary school. It’s a very male-dominated society and most girls don’t get more than a sixth-grade education, but they realized the value of education for their daughters and paid for them to go to school in the city. PGN: That’s impressive. How old were you, and what did it feel like having such an impact on people’s lives? JS: Hmmm, I think I was in my early 20s. It was cool. You definitely felt that what
PGN: What are some of your responsibilities? JS: I am the display designer so I’m responsible for aesthetics for all the seasons and everything under glass. I help plan for all the seasons and events: the Orchid Extravaganza, the Mum Festival and, of course, our biggest, Christmas. I work with a very talented team and an invaluable intern who helps me stay focused. We plan everything a year ahead, so right now we’re working on Christmas 2016. We pick the theme now so we have plenty of time to grow plants to the needed size and bloom time. PGN: For someone who’s never been here, give me the tourist pitch. JS: Sure, Longwood is one of the greatest gardens of the world, no doubt about that. We have beautiful outdoor landscaping, a large extenPAGE 38
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
Mikado Thai Pepper: a great Far East feast By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com They started off as two separate eateries, but Mikado and Thai Pepper have joined forces to become Mikado Thai Pepper, 64 E. Lancaster Ave., offering Ardmore an interesting array of sushi and Asian fusion dishes. The tranquil décor gives diners the option of the traditional Japanese floor seating or the standard table or bar setting. The menu also gives you diverse choices. Sushi enthusiasts have numerous choices of rolls and sashimi. The sashimi platters are available in varying sizes (appetizer $17, regular $18, deluxe $27 and sashimi for two $55), each with a very fresh selection of fish. When it comes to sushi rolls, some like them simple, others complex. Fortunately, Mikado does both very well. On one hand, you have the flamingo roll ($8.50), which, with spicy tuna on the inside and butterflied cooked shrimp on the outside, had clean, uncomplicated flavors. On the other side of the spectrum was the Ardmore roll ($10), a house favorite, with complex flavors and textures, crunchy tempura flakes and sliced avocado atop a roll of spicy tuna and aoli. Bridging the gap between Japan and Thailand is a small plate and house favorite, the beef nigimaki ($9.50). The dish is served up like sushi but is comprised of tender, cooked beef in a teriyaki sauce. If you have dining companions who are sheltered in the culinary sense or are weird about the concept of raw fish, this is the dish with familiar-enough flavors to ease them gently into the world of sushi. On the Thai fusion side of the menu, Mikado Thai Pepper delivers the goods. The spicy calamari salad ($9) was bright, spicy and balanced. The crispy Chilean sea bass ($24) was high art in looks and taste, with an excellent crunch on the outside and tender on the inside. Its sauce was sweet and spicy, highlighting the steamed kale and asparagus on which the bass rested. The spicy noodle with chicken ($13.50) is a great comfort dish, a somewhat sweet and savory dish of ground chicken, wide noodles and spicy peppers. Desserts at Mikado also walk the line between traditional and fusion. We had the pleasure of trying the ginger crème brûlé ($6), which falls into the latter category. It has the feel and taste of a traditional crème brûlé but the addition of ginger to the caramelized crust, and the custard gave it a familiar cookie-like taste that was very enjoyable. Mikado and Thai Pepper tore down their literal and culinary walls and we can’t argue with the results — as it really is the best of two worlds. n
Mikado 64 E. Lancaster Ave. Ardmore, PA 19003 610-642-5951 www.mikadothaipepper. com
Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.- 3 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thu. 5-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 5-10:30 p.m. Sun. 4-9:30 p.m.
PGN
Food and Drink Directory Cuban & Caribbean Cuisine Best Happy Hour in New Hope Taking reservations NOW for our private bar/loft for your holiday event! Specials, Live Music & Dancing Weekly Mojito Cuba Caribe 90 S Main St. New Hope PA 18938 (267) 740-2900 mojitocubacaribe.com Find us on Facebook!
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
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
December 18 & 19
mAUreeN mcGOVerN “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS” with JEFF HARRIS, Musical Director
the
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS PGN
Museum of Art presents an exhibition of the acclaimed photographer’s blackand-white pictures of the 1950s and ’60s through Feb. 21, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100.
What were the important stories for
LGBT Philly in 2015?
What had you talking this year?
Philadanco X-Mas Philes The dance company puts on a holiday performance through Dec. 13 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.
1 year, 12 months, 52 issues Hundreds of stories HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS: The iconic literary detective takes the stage in the new comedy thriller “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” through Dec. 27 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-985-0420.
Theater & Arts Ant-Man The superhero film is screened 8 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.
December 25, 2015 Edition Only In
Audubon to Warhol: The Art of American Still Life Philadelphia Museum of Art presents a survey of American still life in three decades, through Jan. 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery A comedy-thriller based on the classic sleuth, through Dec. 27 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; 215985-0420. Billy Elliot Media Theatre presents the story of one boy’s passion for ballet over the boxing ring through Jan. 3, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-8910100.
The Book of Mormon The blockbuster musical-comedy about the misadventures of a pair of missionaries who are sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word, through Dec. 27 at Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St.; 215-9231515. A Christmas Story, The Musical The holiday musical-comedy tells the beloved story of a boy and his quest for a BB gun, through Jan. 10 at Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St.; 215-5743550. ContempraDANCE Theatre’s Philly Nutt Crak-Up The nutty holiday take-off of the classic Nutcracker, Dec. 11-13 at Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St.; 215925-9914. Genghis Khan: Bring the Legend to Life The Franklin Institute presents the story of one of the world’s greatest
leaders through Jan. 3, 20th Street and the Parkway; www. fi.edu. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker The Pennsylvania Ballet performs the holiday tradition Dec. 11-31 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-7905800. The Glorious Sound of Christmas The Philadelphia Orchestra performs a holiday concert with Grammy-winning conductor Bramwell Tovey Dec. 17-20 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. I’ll Be Home for Christmas Spectacular The Philly POPS perform an evening of Christmas classics through Dec. 22 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Multitude, Solitude: The Photographs of Dave Heath Philadelphia
Richard Lewis The comedian performs Dec. 18-19 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. A Soulful Christmas The J. Donald Dumpson Singers join forces with a host of community choirs to perform holiday classics 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Tammy Pescatelli The comedian performs through Dec. 12 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215496-9001. This Is The Week That Was 1812 Productions brings back the city’s hottest political comedy through Dec. 31 at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St.; 215-592-9560. Work on What You Love: Bruce Mau Rethinking Design Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of designs by the acclaimed commercial artist through April 3, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS PGN
Peek-a-Boo Revue: Slay Belles The burlesque troupe performs a holiday show 9 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.
INDIA INKS: Philadelphia Museum of Art presents “Drawn from Courtly India: The Conley Harris and Howard Truelove Collection,” an exhibition of masterful drawings from the royal courts of northern India, featuring practice sketches, preparatory drawings, subtly modeled scenes and lightly colored compositions created between the 16th and 19th centuries, through Mach 27, 26th Street and the Parkway. For more information, call 215-763-8100.
The Wrath of the Gods: Masterpieces by Rubens, Michelangelo and Titian Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring paintings and the creative processes of some of art history’s most important figures through Jan. 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Yannick Conducts Messiah The Philadelphia Orchestra performs a holiday program Dec. 11-12 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800.
Music The Aimee Mann & Ted Leo Christmas Show with Liz Phair The singer-songwriters perform 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215232-2100.
Get the Led Out The Led Zeppelin tribute group performs 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800745-3000. The Get Up Kids The rock band celebrates its 20th-anniversary 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888. Grace Potter The alt-rock singer performs 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at The Fillmore Philadelphia, 1000 Frankford Ave.; 215-625-3681. Evan Dando The Lemonheads singer performs 11 p.m. Dec. 11 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Between the Buried and Me The metal band performs 7 p.m. Dec. 13 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215922-1011. The Struts The U.K. rock band performs 9 p.m. Dec. 17 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215922-1011.
Nightlife The Eric Jaffe Holiday Special The ukulele and singing sensation performs 8 p.m. Dec. 13 at Franky Bradley’s, 1320 Chancellor St.; 215-735-0735. Hollywood Game Night Queens, kings, performers and comics from all over the Gayborhood compete 8 p.m. Dec. 14 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-9649675. Keeping Up With The #Botox by Dumpsta Players The outrageous performance group unveils its new show 10 p.m. Dec. 16 at Bob & Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215-5454511.
Not Another Gayborhood Show! Landon Blake and John Burd present performances by Lydia Kuntmoore, Chikn Nug-it, Honeytree Evil Eye and more, 11 p.m. Dec. 18 at Venture Inn, 255 S. Camac St.; 215-545-8731.
Outta Town The Polar Express The animated fantasy-holiday film is screened 2 p.m. Dec. 12 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-1228. White Christmas The holiday film starring Bing Crosby is screened 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. Todd Rundgren The rock musician performs 8 p.m. Dec. 13 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave.; 215572-7650. India Arie The neo-soul singer performs 8 p.m. Dec. 17 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave.; 215572-7650. 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.
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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‘Danish Girl’ comes off strong on the surface, struggles with depth By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor The handsome biopic “The Danish Girl,” opening Dec. 11 at Ritz Theatres, chronicles the life of Lili Elbe, one of the first transgender women to undergo sex-reassignment surgery. The film, directed by Tom Hooper, is gorgeously lensed; the lighting makes every scene look like it could be a painting. The costumes, fabrics and period details are exquisite. And the acting, by newly minted Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne as Einer Wegener/Lili Elbe and Alicia Vikander, especially, as wife Gerda, is excellent. But this polite drama spoonfeeds the audience the psychology of the characters — it is as much Gerda’s story as it is Lili’s — which makes it oddly impassive. That said, when Hooper wants audiences to feel something, he simply has Alexandre Desplat’s music swell on the soundtrack. “The Danish Girl” opens with Einer Wegener having a successful career as an artist in 1926 Copenhagen. His wife, Gerda, is struggling as a painter, and when she asks Einer to help her by posing in stockings, he is as taken with the sheer fabric as he is with Gerda’s lace undergarment, and her red lipstick. Their friend Ulla (bisexual actor Amber Heard) catches Einer modeling and dubs him Lili. He soon takes the name as his female persona. Einer is not interested in cross-dressing to “become” Lili, even if he does wear female clothes under his male attire. The film makes this point clear, albeit repeatedly. Einer, with Gerda’s help, learns how to walk and move in a feminine fashion, studying movement from a woman at an open-air market in Copenhagen, or a nude dancer in a peep show in Paris. When Lili goes out in public to a ball, she attracts the attention of the gay Henrik (out actor Ben Whishaw), who kisses her. Gerda catches her husband at this indiscreet moment, which prompts her and Einer to re-evaluate this game of dress-up. Yet Einer knows it is no game, and tells Gerda that something has changed in him. Soon, he is sneaking off to tuck his penis while posing naked before a mirror. He also confesses a kiss he once shared with childhood friend Hans (Matthias Schoenaerts). Encouraged to see a doctor, Einer is treated with radiation therapy for his “aberrant thinking” and “insane” behavior. “The Danish Girl” shows what the early attitudes by medical professionals were towards transgender people. Lili, over time, seeks help from several doctors, and many of them diagnose her to be schizophrenic, or otherwise “deviant.” However, when she meets Dr. Warnekros (Sebastian Koch), he offers Lili a sex change, a risky operation at the time. The film carefully depicts the psychological factors involved, and the mental
(and physical) preparations that need to be undertaken for the irreversible procedure. While these points are made in a refined manner, the whole film feels, well, rather clinical. There is a scene where two men beat up the androgynous Lili in a park to show how “her kind” is not accepted. There is a delicate scarf traded back and forth between Gerda and Lili that acts as a
heavy-handed symbol. And there are didactic moments when Lili explains it “doesn’t matter what I wear … I dream Lili’s dreams,” and that she sees Dr. Warnekros’ surgery as a way of “correcting a mistake of nature.” The important moments do not feel false, but they do feel unimpassioned. Hooper seems so intent on not being sensationalistic — or at least inclined not to offend — that he fails to make Lili’s story as interesting or as engaging as Gerda’s. That Einer’s wife, who experiences frustration, jealousy, even desire, stands by Lili throughout her transformation is the heart of this love story. Vikander conveys this through her exceptional performance, making her character perhaps more sympathetic than Einer/Lily. When Gerda sheds a tear after Lili discloses that she has been seeing Henrik, it is a moving moment. Likewise, it is powerful when Gerda cries out to Lili, “Can you get my husband?” She is aching for the life she once had and hopes in some way to recover. Even Gerda’s meetings with Hans are fraught with little tensions, sexual and otherwise. But “The Danish Girl” does not have enough of these affecting scenes to generate anything other than an appreciation for this safe, classy piece of Oscar-bait. Perhaps screenwriter Lucinda Coxon, in adapting David Ebershoff’s novel, should have told the story from either Einer/Lili’s perspective, or just Gerda’s, to give the film some dramatic momentum. That said, Redmayne does a very credible job of bringing Lili to life and trying to pass as a woman. His delicate features are certainly suited to the role, and he never displays a showiness. In support, both Whishaw and Schoenaerts acquit themselves well in their key roles. Ultimately, “The Danish Girl” is lovely to look at, even if it feels superficial. n
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
PORTRAIT from page 33
sive meadow you can walk through, a very large annual display, a vegetable garden, topiary garden, right here in Chester County. And we also have several conservatories with plants from all over the world. We have an extensive collection of water lilies and orchids, ferns, tropical houses, like the Mediterranean house and the Palm house. You could spend a considerable amount of time just exploring the indoor houses, never mind the outdoor spaces. Christmastime is wonderful but it’s great year-round. PGN: What’s the biggest fear? JS: Our biggest challenges are crop failures, and if something catastrophic were to happen to the conservatories — such as a heating failure in the wintertime — but we go to great lengths to make sure that doesn’t happen. We do have crop losses, but we have great communication between our production and display teams, so if a crop is going to fail or not be ready on time, we generally know about it ahead of time and can make adjustments. We put plans in place for that. PGN: So are you the person in charge of decorating all the Christmas trees in the Music Room, etc., and if so, how do you choose the theme each year? JS: I don’t get to hang a single ornament, but I do get to pick them. My job is more like artistic director sometimes and we want to have a cohesive design. This year, the theme is Fountains and Water and we want the holiday season to overflow. So to bring it to light, we’ve added enhanced fountains and a lot of water features under glass. I set a really tight color palette for our project leaders to work with: blue, silver, white and clear. It’s a very cohesive display from the Visitors Center to the marketing materials to the shop and, of course, throughout all the displays. PGN: What’s the wackiest idea you’ve come up with? JS: Ha. I’ve had a few. One was floating nearly 400,000 cranberries on the fern floor in a stream 10 feet wide and 70 feet long. It actually turned out to be very successful and a few years later I did a tapestry of apples with several thousand apples floating on the floor. We learn a tremendous amount with each display we do.
One year we chose gingerbread as a theme so I learned how to make isomalt, which is used as glass for gingerbread houses, and we had 10,000 cookies made that year. PGN: Speaking of learning, you also do lectures around the country. Give me three workshop titles. JS: “The Hows of Wow,” about how we create our huge elaborate displays. I have a sold-out one coming up called “Floral Fountain,” where people get to create a contemporary floral design built on a piece of marble reclaimed from our Main Fountain Garden Revitalization Project. And my signature presentation is a behind-the-scenes peek at Longwood. I also did an interesting presentation recently in Memphis with our archivist called “Past, Present and Future.” PGN: Where do you get ideas for displays? JS: A lot of people send us ideas and we have a creative and talented staff who are always coming up with new ideas, and I look at a lot of magazines and online. I travel a lot and work is very supportive of that; if there’s a show somewhere I think we should see, they’ll send me to gather information and make contacts. I’ve been to Japan to look at mums and to France to see the gardens, to Holland to check out their tulips and daffodils. We’re very international and enjoy collaborating with gardens around the world. PGN: So what do you do away from Longwood? JS: Well, I’m an avid gardener. I love to bake and entertain. My husband and I have been together for 15 years and we just got officially married in May on our anniversary. He works for a bank, but he’s got a great creative side too; he’s good at interior decorating. He too has a strong aesthetic and a good eye, and our home is a collaboration of the two of us. PGN: Congratulations! So how was coming out for you? JS: Pretty anticlimactic. I have an older brother and sister who are both gay so, by the time it got to me, there was no big hooplah. PGN: OK, tell me two things you did today. JS: Well, I spend every day dealing with either a display
PGN
issue or a crop issue, but today we also did something really fun. We had a celebration for the whole horticultural department. We went out and had a very nice lunch as a thank-you from Longwood to the staff for a great year and an amazing Christmas display. PGN: Fifteen minutes of fame? JS: I’ve done a lot of TV interviews and been a co-judge or co-host for a lot of events with local newscasters like Bill Henley, Sue Serio, etc. PGN: Tell me something about a grandparent. JS: My grandfather really supported my interest in horticulture. We would build a terrarium each year to keep plants alive over the winter and he bought me my first garden books. He was a fascinating man: ambidextrous, bilingual, a great guy. PGN: Middle name? And is there a story behind it? JS: Spencer. No story, just a family name
Q Puzzle
PGN: In winter, what do you miss most about summer? JS: In winter, while appreciating the winter landscape, I spend my spare time looking through seed catalogs, anticipating spring and missing fresh-cut flowers from the garden!
Across
PGN: A movie that always makes you cry? JS: I always cry at the end of “Pay It Forward,” an inspirational movie with a sad ending when, after the boy dies, the town rallies around the grieving mother. PGN: What kind of music would I find on your favorite playlist? JS: Ha. I like to refer to it as “Angry Female.” Probably something from P!nk. I lover her, I’ve been to her concerts and I’d have dinner with her in a heartbeat. PGN: Well, she’s from this area, maybe one of our readers can hook that up. You can give her the grand tour of Longwood. Anybody? n “A Longwood Christmas” runs through Jan. 10. For more information, visit www.longwoodgardens.org. To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol.com.
Modern family man 1. Michelangelo’s “David,” once 5. Supporters in the bedroom 10. Mistake for Paul Taylor 14. A fireman goes down on it 15. Vietnam capital 16. Tow job 17. Barrie’s getting on in years 18. “Ready ___, here I come!” 19. Linc portrayer in “The Mod Squad” 20. Start of a tweet to Reid Ewing of “Modern Family” 23. Gomer, to city slickers 24. Accessory for Wonder Woman 25. Composer Lee 28. Big manager on campus 30. End of the tweet 34. Came upon 37. First name in detective stories 38. Discharge on one’s face 39. Hang one’s head 40. Data transmission letters 41. Ewing’s response to the tweet
43. Gift label word 44. With blood rushing to the head 45. Able to bend over 48. Ancient Mexican 51. Ewing has openly shared about this condition 56. Pass out 57. Make up 58. Funny Dick 60. Web surfer 61. Goes lickety split 62. Final Foursome org.? 63. “Not that I loved Caesar ___ … ” 64. Metal waste 65. Pack down
Down
1. Cruising area 2. Lance of “An American Family” 3. Weight loss product 4. The children’s hour to turn in 5. Avoided stirring Bond’s martini 6. Porn director Chi Chi 7. Bit of history 8. Screwdriver, e.g. 9. Is in session 10. Condom used at Southern Cal? 11. Disney Uncle
12. Boast from a successful cross-dresser? 13. ___ Novo (Benin’s capital) 21. Toy that does tricks 22. Norwegian saint 25. Cultivated pansies 26. Cather’s “One of ___” 27. “___ never fly!” 28. Laura of “Recount” 29. “Showboat”’s “Nobody ___ But Me” 31. Bono’s band, written out 32. Get juice from a fruit 33. Airline to Oslo 34. Oliver Twist request 35. “Gone With the Wind” was one 36. Big top, e.g.
39. Shakespeare’s Antonio of Venice 41. Steamed up 42. Lincoln’s Johnson 43. Earhart and others 45. Former “American Idol” judge Paula 46. Poke the backside 47. Screws around 48. Big name in gas 49. Some basketball defenses 50. Head lock? 52. Play area 53. It may come before 69 54. Foe of Pizarro 55. Sandler of “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” 59. Toto outburst
PGN
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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Religion/Spirituality Arch Street United Methodist Church Services 8:30 and 11 a.m. at 55 N. Broad St.; youth/adult Sunday school at 9:30 a.m.; 5:30 p.m. prayer service; 215-568-6250. Bethlehem-Judah Ministries Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 5091 N. Dupont Hwy., Suite D, Dover, Del.; 302-750-4045.
Metropolitan Community Church of Christ the Liberator Holds services 10:45 a.m. Sundays at the Pride Center of New Jersey; 732-823-2193, mccctl.com. Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia Services 1 p.m. Sundays at the University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, 3637 Chestnut St.; 215-294-2020, www.mccphiladelphia. com.
BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Church Services 10:15 a.m. at 2040 Street Road, Warrington; 215-343-0406.
Old First Reformed Church Open and affirming United Church worships at 11 a.m., summer services at 10 a.m, at 151 N. Fourth St.; 215-922-4566, www. oldfirstucc.org.
Calvary United Methodist Church Reconciling, welcoming and affirming church holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 801 S. 48th St.; 215-724-1702.
Penns Park United Methodist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-598-7601.
Central Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:45 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m, at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610688-0664.
Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral Progressive and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays with Holy Eucharist at 3723 Chestnut St.; 215-386-0234, www. philadelphiacathedral.org.
Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church Services 11 a.m. and Spirit at Play, an arts-based Sunday school for children, 9:30 a.m. at 8812 Germantown Ave.; 215-242-9321.
Rainbow Buddhist Meditation Group Meets 5 p.m. Sundays at William Way.
Church of the Crucifixion Inclusive Episcopal community holds services 10 a.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Fridays at 620 S. Eighth St.; 215-922-1128.
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting worships 11 a.m., summer services 10 a.m, Sundays at 1515 Cherry St.; 215-241-7000, cpmm@ afsc.org.
Church of the Holy Trinity Inclusive church holds services 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 1904 Walnut St.; 215-567-1267.
Resurrection Lutheran Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays at 620 Welsh Road, Horsham; 215-6462597.
Congregation Rodeph Shalom Shabbat services every Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 10:45 a.m. at 615 N. Broad St. ; 215-627-6747.
Silverside Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays followed by a group discussion at 2800 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Del.; 302-478-5921, silversidechurch. org.
Dignity Jersey Shore An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets the first Saturday of the month in Asbury Park; 732-502-0305. Dignity Metro NJ An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets 4 p.m. the first and third Sundays of the month at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood; 973-509-0118. Dignity Philadelphia Holds Mass 7 p.m. Sundays at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-546-2093, dignityphila@aol.com. Drexel Hill Baptist Church Nonjudgmental Christian congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the USA holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 4400 State Road, Drexel Hill; 610-259-2356, www.dhbaptist.com. Emanuel Lutheran Church Reconciling in Christ congregation meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m., New and Kirkpatrick streets, New Brunswick, N.J.; 732-545-2673; www.emmanuelnb.org.
St. Asaph’s Church Inclusive and progressive Episcopal church holds services 8 and 10 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd; 610-664-0966, www.saintasaphs.org. St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; 215-646-2451, www.stjohnsambler.org. St. Luke and The Epiphany Church Open and welcoming church holds fall liturgy 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays, summer sevices 10 a.m., at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-732-1918, stlukeandtheepiphany.org. St. Mary of Grace Parish Inclusive church in the Catholic tradition celebrates Mass 6 p.m. Sundays in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media; 610-566-1393, www.inclusivecatholics. org.
Evangelicals Concerned Lesbian and gay Christian counseling; 215-860-7445.
St. Mary’s Church Diverse and inclusive Episcopal church celebrates the Eucharist 11 a.m. Sundays at 3916 Locust Walk; 215-386-3916; www. stmarysatpenn.org.
First Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds prayer services 10:30 a.m. Sundays and community worship 11:30 a.m. at 123 S. 17th St.; 215563-3853.
St. Paul Episcopal Church Welcoming and inclusive church holds services 9:30 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 89 Pinewood Drive, Levittown; 215-688-1796, www.stpaullevittown.org.
First Baptist Church of Moorestown Welcoming and affirming congregation holds Bible study and discussion at 9 a.m. Sundays and worship services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 19 W. Main St., Moorestown, N.J.; 856-235-1180; www. fbcmoorestown.org; info@fbcmoorestown.org.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Welcoming and diverse congregation with numerous outreach and fellowship groups holds services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday at Third and Pine streets; 215-925-5968; www.stpetersphila.org.
First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne Welcoming church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 140 N. Lansdowne Ave.; 610-622-0800; www.lansdownepresbyterian-church. com. First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia A liberal, welcoming and diverse congregation that affirms the dignity of all. Sunday services at 10 a.m., 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-563-3980, www.firstuu-philly.org. The First United Methodist Church of Germantown A sexual-minority-affirming congregation holds services at 10 a.m., summer services 11 a.m., Sundays, with lunch to follow, at 6001 Germantown Ave.; 215-438-3077, www.fumcog.org. Grace Epiphany Church A welcoming and diverse Episcopal congregation in Mt. Airy with services 9:30 a.m. Sundays at 224 E. Gowen Ave.; 215-248-2950, www.grace-epi.org. Holy Communion Lutheran Church ELCA Reconciling in Christ congregation worships 9 a.m. Sundays at 2111 Sansom St. and 11 a.m. at 2110 Chestnut St. in the main sanctuary; 215-567-3668, www.lc-hc.org. Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church Sexual-minority congregation worships at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 1223 Middletown Road (Route 352), Glen Mills; 610-358-1716, www. ImagoDeiMCC.org. Living Water United Church of Christ An open and affirming congregation that meets for worship 11 a.m. on Sundays at 6250 Loretto Ave.; 267-388-6081, www.lwucc.org. Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist synagogue committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community meets at Calvary Center, 801 S. 48th St.; 215764-6364, www.kol-tzedek.org. Mainline Unitarian Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon; 610-688-8332, www.mluc.org. Maple Shade Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ Affirming congregation open to all sexual orientations and gender identities holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 45 N. Forklanding Road, Maple Shade, N.J.; 856-779-7739, mapleshadeucc.org.
Tabernacle United Church Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 3700 Chestnut St.; 215-386-4100, tabunited.org. Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church Sunday worship with nursery care, 10:30 a.m. and fourth Thursday of the month contemporary worship with Communion at 7 p.m. at 2212 Spruce St.; 215-732-2515, trinityphiladelphia.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County Welcoming congregation holds services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 10:30 a.m., at 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media. Interweave, a group for LGBT parishioners and allies, meets 12:30 p.m. the third Sunday of the month and holds a potluck brunch 12:30 p.m. the first Sunday of the month; 610-566-4853. www.uucdc.org. Unitarian Society of Germantown Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 6511 Lincoln Drive; 215-844-1157, www.usguu.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill Services 10:15 a.m. Interweave, a group of LGBT Unitarians and their allies, meets at 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; 856-6673618, uucch.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration Welcoming congregation holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 6900 Stenton Ave.; 215-247-2561, www.uurestoration.us. Unitarian Universalist Congregation, South Jersey Shore Services 10 a.m. Sundays in Galloway Township; 609-965-9400, www.uucsjs.org. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown Services 10:30 a.m. at 1565 S. Keim St.; 610-327-2662, www. uupottstown.org. United Christian Church Open, affirming and welcoming congregation holds services 10:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown; 215-946-6800. Unity Fellowship Church of Philadelphia Diverse, affirming LGBT congregation holds services 2 p.m. Sundays at 55 N. Broad St.; 215-240-6106. University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 3637 Chestnut St. preceded by “Adult Forum: Sundays” at 9:30 a.m.; 215387-2885, www.uniphila.org.
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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Community Bulletin Board Community centers
■ The Attic Youth Center 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331, atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 4-8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday. ■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St., 215-898-5044, center@dolphin. upenn.edu. Regular hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. MondayThursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
■ ActionAIDS: 215-981-0088
■ Rainbow Room: Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065, rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. Activities held 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays.
■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220, www.waygay.org. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday-Friday Library: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Volunteers: New Orientation, first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.
Key numbers
■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377
■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org
■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221
■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378
■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 n The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 215-496-0330
■ LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK ■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBT-LAW; Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658 ■ Office of LGBT Affairs — Director Nellie Fitzpatrick: 215-6860330; helen.fitzpatrick@phila.gov
■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel: 215-6863318 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686 (Rick Lombardo); ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)
■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833 ■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670
Health
Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 216 W. Somerset St.; 215-763-8870. ActionAIDS Provides a range of programs for people affected by HIV/ AIDS, including case management, prevention, testing and education services at 1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088, www. actionaids.org. GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-851-1822 or 866-222-3871, www.galaei.org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays (walk-in) and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays (by appointment) at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215685-1821. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite
■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia Board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; free referral service at 215-6279090, www.galloplaw.org. ■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly busi-
108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-586-9077. Mazzoni Center LGBTQ counseling and behavioral health services, HIV/ AIDS care and services, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth floor; 215-563-0652, www. mazzonicenter.org. Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronic-disease management, including comprehensive HIV care, as well as youth drop-in (ages 14-24) 5-7p.m. Wednesdays; 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Philadelphia FIGHT Comprehensive AIDS service organization providing primary care, consumer education, advocacy and research on potential treatments and vaccines; 1233 Locust St.; 215985-4448; www.fight.org. Washington West Project of Mazzoni Center Free, rapid HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 pm. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.
Professional groups nesses and professionals; 215557-0190, www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com. ■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgja.org/ philly; philly@nlgja.org.
■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus Regional organization dedicated to promoting LGBT tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region, meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; 215-8402039, www.philadelphiagaytourism.com.
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 11-17, 2015
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