Philadelphia Gay News Dec. 11 - 17, 2009
Vol. 33 No. 50
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
City asks judge to lift injunction barring Scouts’ eviction By Timothy Cwiek PGN Writer-at-Large
KIDS AT HEART: Stormy Lundin and Joe Matthews, co-chairs of the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund’s TOY 2009, gather with the 900-plus items the event netted, which will be distributed to children in the HIV/AIDS unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia this weekend. TOY, held Dec. 4, drew more than 500 people and helped raised about $21,000 for DVLF. Matthews said the event, now in its third year, has seen tremendous growth; last year’s celebration drew about 375 guests, who donated 550 toys and raised about $13,000 for DVLF. “Thank you for everyone that was involved in TOY 2009,” Matthews said. “And if you thought this year was good, just wait until next year; it’s going to be even bigger, bolder and more beautiful.” Photo: Scott A. Drake
NJ one step closer to marriage equality By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer A committee of the New Jersey Senate narrowly passed a bill this week that would legalize same-sex marriage in the Garden State. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-6 to approve the “Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act” Dec. 7. The legislation was expected to go to the full Senate on Thursday. Both chambers of the legislature must approve the bill and send it to the desk of outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine (D) by Jan. 19, his last day in office, to get his promised signature. Corzine was defeated by Republican Chris Christie, an opponent of marriage equality, last month, a development that mobilized both LGBT activists and adversaries. The vote did not go strictly down party lines. Voting for the measure were Republican Sen. Bill Baroni and Democratic Sens. Nia Gill, Ray Lesniak, Nicholas Scutari, Bob Smith, Brian Stack and Loretta Weinberg, while Democratic Sens. Paul Sarlo and
John Girgenti joined Republican Sens. Christopher Bateman, Jennifer Beck, Gerald Cardinale and Joseph Kyrillos in opposition. There are 23 Democrats and 17 Republicans in the Senate, and the bill needs 21 votes to pass. If the bill passes, it would also need approval in the Assembly, where it has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the Judiciary Committee. Some marriage-equality advocates suggest that if the legislation passes in the Senate, it has a very good chance of gaining success in the Assembly. The seven-hour debate that preceded the vote, which didn’t take place until after 10 p.m., drew a reported 1,300 marriageequality advocates and several-hundred opponents to the Statehouse in Trenton, 300 of whom were allowed into the chambers for the proceeding. More than 150 people testified, with supporters running the gamut from Julian Bond, president of the NAACP — who called civil unions “separate but equal” and said LGBT rights are not “special rights” See NJ MARRIAGE, Page 25
City attorneys have asked a federal judge to lift an injunction preventing the eviction of a local Boy Scouts chapter from a cityowned building. U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter issued the injunction on Nov. 18, effectively preventing Common Pleas Judge Mark I. Bernstein from ordering the Scouts’ eviction. Prior to the injunction, the case had been pending before both judges because of overlapping issues that both said they were capable of ruling on. When issuing the injunction, Buckwalter said it’s possible the Scouts’ constitutional rights might be “irreparably harmed” if he didn’t block their eviction at this stage of the litigation. On Nov. 25, city attorneys filed a motion for reconsideration, asking Buckwalter to rethink his position that a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court decision doesn’t apply in the Scouts case. That decision, known as the
Younger doctrine, limits a federal judge’s ability to enjoin a state proceeding. When Buckwalter issued the injunction last month, he said the Younger doctrine didn’t apply because city attorneys already had filed motions in his court, clearly establishing his right to issue an injunction if necessary. In their motion for reconsideration, city attorneys cited a recent federal appellate decision known as the Coughlin case, indicating the prior motions filed with Buckwalter didn’t establish his right to issue an injunction. Buckwalter said city attorneys implicitly waived that right last year when they filed a motion asking him to dismiss the Scouts’ case. The judge said filing that motion in his court established the city’s acceptance that he, not Bernstein, should hear the case first. In their Nov. 25 motion, city attorneys said their filing of the motion to dismiss wasn’t a “clear and explicit” waiver of the See EVICTION, Page 25
Sestak receives nods from gay legislator, activist By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak (D-7th Dist.), who is hoping to unseat longtime incumbent U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (D) in the spring primary, received two endorsements this week from national LGBT-rights advocates. On Monday, openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and former Army Lt. Dan Choi, who is being discharged from the military under its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, came out in support of Sestak in Philadelphia. At a press conference Monday morning at the Center City law firm of Kohn, Swift and Graf, P.C., Frank called Sestak a “true Democrat” and referred to Specter, who left the Republican Party in April to become a Democrat, a “Republican by choice and Democrat by necessity.” Frank went on to praise Sestak’s commit-
A FRANK ENDORSEMENT: Openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass., right) was in town Monday to announce his official support of U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak (D7th Dist.), who is looking to unseat Sen. Arlen Specter (D) in the spring primary. Frank hailed Sestak’s economic policies and commended his support of LGBT issues, such as the repeal of the ban on See SESTAK, Page 25 gay servicemembers. Photo: Scott A. Drake
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DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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News Briefing
Regional
Fashion show fundraiser
REMEMBERING THE FIGHT: Jane Shull, executive director of Philadelphia FIGHT, presents the agency’s Jonathan Lax Award to John S. James, founder, editor and publisher of AIDS Treatment News, during FIGHT’s annual gala Dec. 2 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. About 125 people attended the fundraising event, billed under the theme of “We Remember,” to draw attention to the ongoing AIDS epidemic, as well as to honor the countless lives lost to the disease. The gala, which featured an address by Mayor Nutter, raised about $50,000 for FIGHT. Mark Seaman, FIGHT director of development, said he received abundant positive feedback about the rebranding of the gala. “People felt like it wasn’t just a fundraiser but more like a community remembrance event.” Photo: Scott A. Drake
Westboro extremists back in Philly By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Six members of the Westboro Baptist Church, a virulently antigay and antiSemitic organization based in Kansas, visited Philadelphia and New Jersey this week, but were met with strong resistance from the LGBT and ally communities. WBC toured the region Sunday and Monday, targeting Jewish centers, a punkrock concert and local schools, carrying signs proclaiming “God Hates Fags,” “You’re Going to Hell” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers.” At their first stop Monday morning, they faced more than 100 students and parents outside Cherry Hill East High School, who were armed with signs pledging support for the LGBT and Jewish communities. Next, WBC briefly protested outside Etz Chaim Center for Jewish Studies, 1420 Walnut St. The demonstrators — five adults and a 9-year-old boy — then traveled to the University of Pennsylvania, where they picketed outside a Jewish student organization, Hillel. Across the street, several-hundred students, faculty and staff members from Penn hosted their own demonstration. The event, initially conceived by brothers from the wrestling-team fraternity Alpha Tau Omega, whose house is next to Hillel, was also supported by Lambda Alliance, the coalition of Penn’s LGBT student groups. Sophomore Tyler Ernst, who was elected as chair of Lambda Alliance less than a week before the protest, mobilized mem-
bers and supporters to turn out for the event as one of his first tasks as head, which he said was successful. “It really went viral on Facebook. It was quite amazing,” Ernst said. “We had a great mixture of people from across the wide spectrum of the campus community, with a lot of LGBTs and allies. It’s rare to see the whole campus come together like that, so it was really incredible.” Ernst noted that the counterprotest, which featured ATO brothers grilling burgers and hot dogs in the 30-degree weather, was initially coined the “Tolerance Barbeque,” but organizers decided on a new name. “It was changed from ‘Tolerance’ to ‘Acceptance’ because we all realized that tolerance just isn’t enough,” he said. “We want and deserve acceptance.” Bob Schoenberg, director of Penn’s LGBT Center, said he was impressed by the maturity displayed by the Penn community. “I was very pleased that so many people were there showing their support and that they were not seduced by the WBC people. It’s very easy to get angry with them, so there was naturally some concern that someone might engage them, but they all kept a safe distance,” said Schoenberg. “There was some minor heckling, but there was no significant engagement with the protesters.” Throughout the event, organizers collected money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation and Anti-Defamation League. “I was sitting down with some of the student leaders of Hillel and we were trying to think of what we could do to make it more
memorable and decided, why not make this negative presence into a more tangible positive thing?” Ernst said. “So we had buckets going around and collected $250 literally out of people’s pocket change.” Melody Kramer, 25, had a similar idea, although she said she preferred not to stage a physical counterprotest. Kramer launched a Facebook group that asked users to donate $1 to the Matthew Shepard Foundation for every minute that WBC protested outside of Cherry Hill East — a total of $30 for the half-hour the group was present. More than 1,400 people joined the group, and Kramer said the foundation confirmed the effort has so far netted $6,200, a figure she anticipates could grow to $20,000. A 2002 graduate of Cherry Hill East and a 2006 Penn alum, Kramer said she chose the online route to direct the community’s attention to the more important issues. “I believe when the WBC comes to any area, people want to show that they disagree with everything they think. The first inclination most people have is to show up and protest in person, but that’s exactly what the WBC wants people to do,” she said. “Instead, we collectively raised money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization that actually goes into public schools and educates young students about hate crimes.” To join the Facebook group, visit Facebook.com and search for “Matthew Shepard CHE.” ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn. com.
Fashion insiders, celebrities and community members will join together from 7-10 p.m. Dec. 11 for a fashion extravaganza to raise money for at-risk teens. The second-annual cocktail reception and fashion show Prêt À Porter, held at Painted Bride Arts Center, 230 Vine St., will raise funds for The Evoluer House, a development program for girls ages 12-18. Invited guests include Sarah Dash of vocal trio LaBelle, designer Loris Diran, Bermuda’s former prime minister and current Speaker of the House Hon. Dame Jennifer Smith, Nole Martin of “America’s Next Top Model” and director and stylist for “Real Housewives of Atlanta” Christian Ruart. Tickets to the event are $60 in advance or $75 at the door. For more information, visit www.evoluerhouse.org.
Eating for ASIAC Ms. Tootsie’s Restaurant, Lounge and Bar, 1312 South St., will host “Eating for ASIAC” from 5-10 p.m. Dec. 16 to raise funds for AIDS Services in Asian Communities. The restaurant will donate 33 percent of all proceeds during the event to the HIV/AIDS service organization, and ASIAC representatives will be on hand to collect donations for their holiday gift drive for families affected by HIV/ AIDS. To make reservations, call (215) 9859001 and visit www.kevenparker.net for menu and pricing information.
Gentlemen’s club opens to the ladies The Penthouse Club, 3001 Castor Ave., will host its first ladies’ night, catering to lesbian and bi women, next week. Women can stroll the red carpet into “Women’s Wonderland” — which kicks off at 10 p.m. Dec. 16 — and enjoy drink specials in this new 31,000-square-foot establishment. “Women’s Wonderland” will include performances by bunny luv, Toni and Brianna Taylor, the Philadelphia native and exotic dancer who was a cast member on MTV’s “The Real World: Hollywood.” The cover charge is $10. For more information, visit www.thepenthouseclubphilly.net. ■ — Jen Colletta
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Rand Harlan Skolnick died more than a year ago, his aspirations of advancing social change are very much alive. Before his July 2008 death of pancreatic cancer, Skolnick worked to revitalize the LGBT nightlife scene in New Hope. His partner, Terrence Meck, said Skolnick’s vision stretched far beyond the riverside town. The pair, who purchased New Hope’s The Raven in 2004 and also launched the town’s Nevermore Hotel in 2007, began laying the groundwork for a national grantmaking and educational foundation several years ago. “Our plan was to start it in the next five or 10 years. We thought our lives would be together, so we had talked a lot about what we wanted to see and what we wanted to do moving forward,” Meck said. When Skolnick was diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 2008, Meck said the two, who were together for six years, fast-tracked their plans. “It was very difficult trying to imagine life without him, but in
RAND HARLAN SKOLNICK (LEFT) AND TERRENCE MECK
those months we had some really good conversations about this,” Meck said. The Palette Fund, named after an L.A. restaurant where Skolnick and his best friend Peter Benassi met more than 25 years ago, launched last month to provide financial support to organizations working with LGBT youth, HIV/ AIDS prevention, nutrition and patient navigation, and will also work to expand public awareness about all four issues. Skolnick wanted Palette to focus in part on LGBT youth because, Meck said, “he believed
in the potential of youth and in developing the next generation of leaders.” The two other areas of concentration evolved in part from the lessons the couple learned during Skolnick’s four-month battle with cancer. Meck said Skolnick, who worked for many years at his family’s Solgar Vitamin and Herb Company, had a deep appreciation for the power of nutrition, furthered during his illness. “When he was diagnosed, we had a chef come to our house who became a dear friend, and Rand spent a lot of time talking with her about nutrition and decided he really wanted that to be a part of the foundation,” Meck said. “We saw how much of a difference good food can make in your quality of life. When you have cancer, eating can be really painful, and Rand lost a ton of weight, but when he started working with [chef] Ruth [Fehr], he began to be able to eat again, and for us to be able to have meals together and feel like life was somewhat normal was really an amazing experience.” See PALETTE FUND, Page 20
Leeway hires out activist By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
identifies as a queer woman, already has a long list of her own social-change endeavors. N e w Yo r k Before she arrived at Leeway, native and she worked with LGBT youth of color at the Education for recent college graduate Hope Liberation Project of the Fabulous SteinmanIndependent Educated Radicals Iacullo moved for Community Empowerment in to Philadelphia New York City. this past sumSteinman-Iacullo graduated mer, bringing earlier this year from Wesleyan with her a hisHOPE University, where she majored in tory of LGBT STEINMAN- African-American studies, with a and socialIACULLO concentration in gender and sexuality studies. justice activism, which she will incorporate She said that, through her into her new position with a local work with Leeway, she’s eager to grantmaking agency. expand her understanding of the Steinman-Iacullo was hired last connection between grantmaking month as a program assistant at agencies and social-change develthe Leeway Foundation, which opments. “My work at nonprofits made funds the work of local female and transgender artists. She will sup- me interested in where the money port office operations and assist comes from and what type of founthe organization in raising aware- dational support exists for groups ness about the connection between and people doing radical work.” art and social change. She said she was drawn to At 22, Steinman-Iacullo, who Leeway because of its inclusion
of the transgender community. “Sometimes I think foundations can still replicate some of the injustices in the broader society by not paying attention to certain communities and by funding things that are considered to be more palatable and less radical, instead of really thinking about who’s not being represented.” Denise Brown, executive director of Leeway, said SteinmanIacullo’s experiences and interests made her the top candidate for the position. “Hope is enthusiastic, motivated and passionate about art and social change,” Brown said. “As Leeway works toward creating change in our community on several fronts — in addition to our support of individual artists — we are delighted to add someone to our team with Hope’s unique combination of knowledge, skills and experience.” ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
National Gay marriage defeated in NY By Michael Gormley The Associated Press New York lawmakers rejected a bill that would have allowed same-sex marriage last week, a stunning outcome in a state that was the site of one of the gay-rights movement’s defining moments four decades ago. Opponents of gay marriage said it was a huge victory that could influence votes elsewhere. “It’s just a huge win,” said Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, a nonprofit group whose stated mission is to “protect marriage.” “It’s going to help cement defeat for gay marriage in New Jersey, and I think it’s going to get a whole bunch of politicians in New Hampshire who voted for gay marriage this year pretty nervous when they come up for election.” So far this year, Maine voters rejected a measure and last year California voters rescinded their law. The New Jersey Senate was scheduled to consider a bill to legalize gay marriage this week. Supporters of same-sex marriage, however, point to Vermont and New Hampshire, where lawmakers adopted gay-marriage bills this year, while the city council in
Washington, D.C., is expected to legalize gay marriage next month. Iowa’s Supreme Court also recognized gay marriage this year. Gay marriage was already legal in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Richard Socarides, who was former President Bill Clinton’s senior adviser on gay-rights issues, called New York “clearly the biggest prize in this effort.” “Not only will it affect a lot of people because New York is a big state,” he said, “but symbolically, New York is the country’s leader in finance, the arts and culture. It’s a bellwether for the country.” Across the Hudson River, New Jersey was watching. “Here in New Jersey, many of the legislators would rather not vote on it,” said Gregory Quinlan, of New Jersey Family First, which opposes gay marriage. He said New York’s action bolsters his group’s position. But Steven Goldstein, CEO of Garden State Equality, countered that the demographics of New York and New Jersey are very different. “If Democrats in New Jersey don’t lead the way, as they promised, to pass marriage equality in 2009, there could be a mutiny against the New Jersey Democratic Party
the likes of which this state has never seen,” he said. Last Wednesday, New York’s bill was defeated 38-24 in the Senate led by liberal New York City Democrats holding a single-seat majority. It was the last hurdle for passage for the measure passed three times by the Democrat-led Assembly and strongly pushed by Democratic Gov. David Paterson. Evan Wolfson, director of the national gay-rights group Freedom to Marry, said the vote stung. He and other national advocates blamed the fractured dynamics of the New York Senate, where Democrats won a slim majority this year after a half-century of Republican control, only to face defections from their ranks and a Republican-dominated coup that gridlocked the chamber this summer. The Senate’s Republicans who were expected to support the measure might have been scared off as the state’s conservative party reasserted its power in Republican politics. New York City was the site of the 1969 Stonewall Inn riots, considered the birth of the modern gay-rights movement. The largest U.S. city is more liberal than other areas of the state. ■
New Hope embraces diversity in film project By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer The red carpet was rolled out and the spotlights were focused on the quiet riverside community of New Hope last month for a movie premiere that put the small town’s commitment to acceptance on the big screen. “Embraceable You,” a documentary that details the diversity of the New Hope community through the thoughts, words and images of many of its residents, premiered to a sold-out crowd Nov. 17 at the Bucks County Playhouse. The film is the brainchild of New Hope Councilmember Geri Delevich, who started considering the project several years ago during the town’s first Gay Pride parade. “We started the parade and were coming down toward the center of town, and you could just see that the town was mobbed with people,” said Delevich, an open lesbian who’s lived in New Hope for 35 years. “There were men, women, families with children, all smiles and proud of the community and who we are. It was then that I decided that I wanted to try to show this side of New Hope, and tell the story of all the people in the town who celebrate differences.”
Delevich, along with her partner Marilyn Cichowski, formed the nonprofit Up River Productions in 2007 to support the project. They spent about a year-and-a-half fundraising, employing such initiatives as an art auction, a competition among local bars to see who could create the best “Embraceable You” drink, and a performance by out comedian Bruce Villanch. Up River brought on director Doug Keith to write and direct the documentary. Delevich said Keith spent nearly 400 hours in the past year working on the film. The 30-minute documentary features interviews with more than 25 residents and merchants, who speak not just about the widespread LGBT acceptance in the town, but also the overarching value it places on diversity. “It’s a community where you can be different and be yourself and still be a part of a group,” Delevich said. When organizers saw the overwhelmingly positive feedback the documentary was getting in its early stages, they decided to expand the project to other media. “Embraceable You — We’re All Part of the Music” is a 15-track CD that spans genres — pop, rock, jazz, Broadway classics, folk and country — to tell the musical tale of New Hope through local residents
and musicians who frequent the town. Included on the disc are such artists as Christine Havrilla, Christine Martucci and Matthew Casey. The project also branched out to the written word, with the publication of “Embraceable You — We’re All Part of the Story,” a collection of 57 short stories, essays and poems about the town by local residents. Delevich said the response to the project demonstrates the sense of community that abounds in New Hope. “All the writers donated their stories and the singers donated their work, and so many people from New Hope and all over the surrounding areas donated so much of their time,” she said, noting that more than 100 individual donors contributed $25 or more. “It was a real grassroots effort. And I think people really felt a part of the project, and they are.” Delevich and Cichowski are planning to submit the film to festivals throughout the country, and hoping other towns can use the project as a model for similar works. For more information, visit www.upriver-productions.com. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn. com.
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Media Trail Memphis gay newspaper closes Advocate.com reports the only LGBT newspaper in Memphis, Tenn., has ceased publication. Publishers of the Memphis Triangle Journal cited decreasing ad revenue and declining use of print media as the reasons for closing the publication, which operated since 1990. Out & About Newspaper and InsideOut, both based in Nashville, remain as the state’s only two LGBT publications. Officials from the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center, where volunteers produced the Memphis Triangle Journal, will continue to provide information online.
Utah U. protects gays from discrimination The Salt Lake Tribune reports LGBT students now will be protected from discrimination at Southern Utah University. The school’s board of trustees unanimously voted Dec. 4 to amend its antidiscrimination policy to include protection for those with an alternative sexual orientation. Brigham Young University is now the only institution of higher education in the state without such a policy.
Trans teen: McDonald’s won’t hire me 365gay.com reports that a teenager claims McDonald’s refused to hire her because she is transgender. Zikerria Bellamy, 17, filed the complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations after an Orlando McDonald’s restaurant allegedly refused to interview her. Bellamy applied online for a management position with the McDonald’s restaurant on July 10 and, on July 28, after learning of her transgender status, one of the managers left her a voicemail that included a gay slur, according to Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund. While no Florida law offers protection against discrimination based on gender identity, administrative agencies have ruled that transgender individuals are protected by the state’s human-rights act prohibitions on sex and disability discrimination. A McDonald’s spokesperson said the employee who left the voice message was fired, adding McDonald’s “has a zero-tolerance policy prohibiting discrimination or harassment in the restaurant.” ■ — Larry Nichols
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Editorial Appealing discrimination This week, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would hear arguments in a case in which a lower court ruled a school could refrain from officially recognizing or funding a religious student group that bars gays and lesbians. The case involves the Christian Legal Society at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. The group requires its members to sign a statement of faith, which states that a person who “advocates or unrepentantly engages in sexual conduct outside of a marriage between a man and a woman” can’t become a member or participate in policy setting. (Sexually active unmarried heteros and atheists aren’t welcome here either.) The college, which has an antidiscrimination policy covering sexual orientation and religion, denied the group official status, including meeting space and funding from student activities fees. When the group sued, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit found in favor of the university. This appellate-court finding contradicts a ruling made by the 7th Circuit in a similar case at Southern Illinois University — likely a main reason the court decided to hear the case. For the school, the question is whether it can require student groups to comply with its nondiscrimination policies. If the Supreme Court rules the university must give space and funding to a student group that doesn’t adhere to its policies, the question becomes, can it enforce the policies at all and in what manner? For the university and gay-rights activists, it’s disappointing the court would hear the case at all. However, as the two circuit courts gave contradictory rulings, it seems necessary that the high court give a clear ruling. Considering the current justices, the outcome is uncertain. For Philadelphians, the case strikes a nerve, as it echoes the current suits between the City and the Boy Scouts. At the heart of the debates is this: Does a group, which has the right to discriminate and determine its own members, deserve public funding/perks/ benefits in a municipality or entity that expressly forbids the type of discrimination the group practices? The easy answer would be, of course not. But would stricter compliance with nondiscrimination policies force government to be less friendly to groups that are LGBT allies? And if that is the case, shouldn’t government be neutral regardless? ■
Correction In the spread of World AIDS Day photos in the Dec. 4-10 issue of PGN, it was omitted that Chris Bartlett, interim co-executive director of the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, was a recipient of one of the Red Ribbon Awards from the Penn Center for AIDS Research. PGN regrets the error.
Creep of the Week
D’Anne Witkowski
Star Parker If gay marriage is legalized in Washington, D.C., then everyone will get AIDS. Bam! Just like that. Move along, nothing to see here, everybody’s dead, especially President Obama, and it’s all his fault for loving homos so much. That’s the kind of post-apocalyptic (if by apocalypse we mean gays and lesbians legally marrying) hellscape Star Parker attempts to paint in a Nov. 23 opinion piece on Townhall. com. After laying out D.C.’s abysmally high HIV/AIDS rates, Parker unveils the following: “Amidst this dismal picture, the D.C. City Council, perhaps on the theory that serving up another glass of wine is the way to help a drunk, is scheduled to vote on Dec. 1 to legalize same-sex marriage in America’s capital city.” In other words, making it legal for two guys to marry each other in D.C. would make HIV/AIDS rates go up. It would also make “our nation’s capital city transform officially into Sodom.” Hey, you can’t argue with logic like that. Not because it’s sound, but because it would be, to borrow from the ever-so-gay Barney Frank, like trying to argue with a dining-room table. Actually, a table is a pretty useful piece of furniture, so how
about something less utilitarian, like an umbrella stand or a curio cabinet filled with knickknacks that your grandkids will sell for next to nothing in a garage sale once you die? Of course, one could argue that’s not what Parker is saying at all. After all, she begins her piece by pointing out that the “poverty rate of Washington, D.C., almost 20 percent, is one of the highest in the nation. Its child poverty rate is the nation’s highest.” There’s no question that our nation’s capital is in sad shape. But instead of offering solutions to the problem, Parker blames the gays. She even writes about the Catholic Church’s threat to stop feeding the homeless if gay people are allowed to marry, as if the Church is the victim. “The Catholic Archdiocese of D.C. announced that legalization of samesex marriage would make it impossible to continue its relationship with the D.C. government and require termination of the social services it provides to some 68,000 of the city’s poor — including about one-third of its homeless,” Parker writes. Parker blames D.C.’s council for all of this. In fact, the headline of Parker’s piece as it appears on WashingtonExaminer.com is “D.C.
sells out poor for gay marriage.” Uh, not quite. When the Catholic Church stomped its feet in order to bully the D.C. Council into abiding by the church’s antigay will, the council essentially told it to piss off. And rightfully so. For all Parker’s moaning about the plight of the poor, she seems to have no problem with these very families being used as pawns in the church’s fight against equality for gays and lesbians. But for Parker, the council’s refusal to roll over means that gay marriage “is more important to them than feeding the poor” and that council is “out of touch with the needs of D.C.’s poor.” You know who’s out of touch? People who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus and then say that if two dudes exchange rings, they won’t be able to give starving kids any bread. Even more out of touch is someone who calls such a thing the moral high ground. ■ D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world, she reviews rock ’n’ roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Mark My Words
Mark Segal
Looking back at Obama’s first year In five weeks, the nation will begin to pass judgment on the first year of the Obama administration. And with that, many LGBT pundits will give their views. In order to review fairly, we should look at what the administration has done in the area of LGBT issues. Our community seems to be myopic, only seeing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” marriage state to state and, finally, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. But aside from these high-profile issues are federal regulation and policy revisions, inclusion and appointments. Andy Tobias, openly gay treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, put together a list of the Obama accomplishments to date. It’s impressive. No matter how you critique it, this was by far the best first-year presidency for LGBT issues. According to Tobias, Obama: — Reversed an inexcusable U.S. position by signing the U.N. Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. — Extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. — Endorsed the Baldwin-Lieberman bill, The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009, to provide full partnership benefits to federal employees. — Signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act. — Lifted the HIV Entry Ban, effective January 2010. — Released the first Presidential Pride proclamation since 2000. — Hosted the first LGBT Pride Month Celebration in White House history. — Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King. — Appointed the first transgender DNC member in history. — Issued diplomatic passports and provided other benefits to the partners of same-sex foreign-service employees. — Committed to ensuring that HUD’s core housing programs are open to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. — Conceived an HHS-funded national resource center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elders. — Testified in favor of ENDA, the first time any official of any administration has testified in the Senate on ENDA. — Signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd
Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded existing federal hate-crimes law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. — Supported lower taxes for same-sex couples who receive health benefits from employers. — Hired and appointed a record number of qualified LGBT Americans, including more than 10 Senate-confirmed appointments (and now Ambassador David Huebner). — Changed the culture of government everywhere from — among others — HUD and HHS to the Export-Import Bank, the State Department and the Department of Education. — Eliminated the discriminatory Census Bureau policy that kept our relationships from being counted. — Emphasized LGBT inclusion in everything from the president’s historic NAACP address (“The pain of discrimination is still felt in America. By African-American women paid less for doing the same work as colleagues of a different color and a different gender. By Latinos made to feel unwelcome in their own country. By Muslim Americans viewed with suspicion simply because they kneel down to pray to their God. By our gay brothers and sisters, still taunted, still attacked, still denied their rights.”) to the first paragraph of his Family Day proclamation (“Whether children are raised by two parents, a single parent, grandparents, a same-sex couple, or a guardian, families encourage us to do our best and enable us to accomplish great things”) to creating the chance for an adorable 10-year-old at the White House Easter Egg Roll to tell ABC World News how cool it is to have two mommies, to including the chair of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce along with the Secretary of the Treasury and the president of Goldman Sachs in the very small audience for the president’s economic address at the New York Stock Exchange. — Recommitted, in a televised address, to passing ENDA, repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and repealing the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Now, to my continuing drum beat: We need to make ENDA our number-one goal. It is a reachable goal. Last time it was up for a vote in the Senate, it lost by one. Now the Democrats have the 60-vote majority. Taking our traveling marriage show from state to state has consumed time and resources from a victory that would be for each and every one of us. Let’s make 2010 the year for ENDA. ■ Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com.
Tell us what you think Send letters and opinion column submissions to: pgn@epgn.com; PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147; fax: (215) 925-6437. Please include a daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, style and space considerations.
PAGE 11
Street Talk What impact do the recent victory in D.C. and the defeat in the New York Senate have on the fight for marriage equality?
June Bender musician West Philadelphia
Gregory Holt dancer/choreographer West Philadelphia
“New York is supposed to be liberal, influential, diverse and accepting. A defeat there doesn’t bode well for the future. If that state rejects gay marriage, it definitely hurts the effort.”
“Long-term, gay marriage is inevitable regardless of current victories or defeats. The issue isn’t going away. Eventually, straight people will see it’s more beneficial to assimilate gays and lesbians rather than marginalize them.”
Troy Kreiner student South Philadelphia
Christian Sidel student Center City
“D.C. is a glimmer of hope. But most of the country isn’t sensitized to the issue. I’m optimistic about the ongoing national dialogue. But the supporters [of gay marriage] should advocate in a more respectful and tasteful way.”
“Things look bleak, considering California and New York. Two big states have rejected it. Give the fight some downtime. Wait five or 10 years, then try again.”
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Q: It seems that every year I always wait until the last minute to think about my taxes. I’m trying to be more proactive this year. Do you have any early preparation tips you can share so I can be ahead of the game for once?
you may be able to relax a bit in April.
A: First, let me say I’m impressed that you’re thinking about your taxes early — I wish more of us were! Here are a few things to consider that can help keep you ahead of the curve for your taxes. And to all of our PGN readers, I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season.
Sources of income — W-2 forms from employers — Receipts from odd jobs, rental property or other income — Evidence of pension or disability payments — Proof of unemployment compensation if you collected it
Before you know it, the 2009 tax-filing deadline will be here again. Wouldn’t you rather be watching your favorite television show — or doing something else you enjoy — on the evening of April 15, 2010, instead of rushing through your tax forms to make a midnight postmark? By organizing your tax information now,
Organize your documents Start by organizing all the documents that pertain to your 2009 taxes. You’ll typically receive these types of documents by yearend or no later than Jan. 31 of the new year. This list includes much of the information the average taxpayer will need, although certain items may not apply to you.
Investment income — Documentation of your contribution to an Individual Retirement Account — you may be able to deduct your contribution to a Traditional IRA if you meet income thresholds — Form 1099 — which details yearly investment gains or losses — if you own mutual funds in taxable accounts — Year-end statements from brokerage accounts in which you hold stocks or bonds —Year-end statements from companies in which you own stock and receive dividends — Year-end bank statements that detail interest income
Potential deductions — Documentation of mortgage interest — Evidence of charitable contributions — Receipts for payments of college tuition and student loans (if you meet income thresholds) — Paperwork detailing educational expenses for yourself or a family member (if you meet income thresholds) — Documentation of job-hunting expenses — Evidence of unreimbursed business expenses, such as subscriptions to trade publications or membership in professional associations Strategize to minimize your tax bite Once you have gathered the necessary paperwork, start thinking about ways to reduce your 2010 tax bill. The tips below may help: Make the most of tax-advantaged accounts If you contribute to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, a traditional IRA or an annuity, remember that earnings on your contributions are allowed to grow tax-deferred until withdrawal. At that point, distributions will be taxable as income at then-current rates. With a Roth IRA, withdrawals are tax-free if you meet the requirements for a qualified distribution.* Keep in
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mind, however, that early withdrawals from a qualified retirement plan or annuity may be subject to a 10-percent penalty tax. Offset investment gains with losses At times, you may be able to use losses in a taxable investment portfolio to help offset capital gains you realized by selling assets at a profit. For example, if you sell investments that have lost money, you may opt to deduct up to $3,000 in investment losses from that year’s tax return. Additional losses can be carried forward and used to offset future capital gains. Understand short- and longterm capital gains If you have an investment and hold it for at least one year before selling, you’ll pay a maximum federal tax of 15 percent on capital gains. Keep it for less than one year and you’ll pay regular income taxes — up to 35 percent. Finally, keep in mind that tax rules are changing constantly and investments are not the only aspect of your life that deserves special attention come tax time. For more ideas on how to reduce taxes in 2009 and 2010, consider speaking with a tax professional. ■
* Restrictions, penalties and taxes may apply. Unless certain criteria are met, Roth IRA owners must be 59-and-a-half or older and have held the IRAs for five years before tax-free withdrawals are permitted. Jeremy R. Gussick is a financial consultant with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent wealth management firm.** Jeremy specializes in the financial planning needs of the LGBT community. He is active with several LGBT organizations in the Philadelphia region, including the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, the Greater Philadelphia Professional Network and the Independence Business Alliance. OutMoney appears monthly. If you have a question for Jeremy, you can contact him at jeremy.gussick@lpl. com. This article was prepared with the assistance of Standard & Poor’s Financial Communications and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. Consult your financial advisor or Jeremy Gussick if you have any questions. LPL Financial, Member FINRA/ SIPC. **Based on total revenues, as reported in Financial Planning Magazine, June 1996-2009.
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Ireland’s lawmakers opened debate Dec. 3 on a bill to grant marriage-style rights to gay couples, a social milestone in a country long observant of Roman Catholic opposition to homosexuality. Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said the bill would give gay couples the same rights as married heterosexual couples on questions of property ownership, inheritance, medical care and access to state benefits — and also the same right to go to court seeking financial support from higher-earning partners when relationships fail. Ahern noted the proposal would have been unthinkable only a few years ago in Ireland, a country that defined homosexuality as a criminal offense until 1993. He said denying the reality of thousands of gay couples in Ireland “only helps to reinforce prejudice in our society.” The Civil Partnership Bill faces opposition from a minority of lawmakers in the ruling Fianna Fail party, who are seeking an amendment permitting service providers — such as hotels and wedding photographers — to deny services to gays celebrating their civil partnerships. But Ahern said the so-called “freedom of conscience” amendment was bigoted, violated Ireland’s 2004 antidiscrimination laws and would not be included. The bill’s passage into law this month appeared assured because of strong backing by opposition parties.
Pepsi unwittingly sponsors antigay concert Gay activists have questioned Pepsi for what appears to be the corporation’s sponsorship of a concert performance by the antigay dancehall artist Beenie Man in Uganda on Dec. 5. PepsiCo has been a longtime corporate supporter of gays and lesbians. The Daily Monitor, a Ugandan newspaper, reported on the appearance by the Jamaican performer at the Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala. According to the Monitor, Man said, “In my family, we don’t have
Larry Nichols
any gay person but if you’re gay, my brother, that’s not my fault,” as he performed “Mi Nah Wallah,” a song in which he says he would like to cut the throats of all gay men. Change.org said Pepsi’s involvement is particularly troubling because Uganda is currently debating a bill that “will institute the death penalty for certain members of Uganda’s LGBT population. The bill will also institute mandatory jail sentences for anyone who identifies as LGBT, and will also throw straight allies in prison simply for standing up for their LGBT friends, family and neighbors.” Jennifer Vanasco, editor in chief of 365gay.com, contacted PepsiCo about sponsorship of the concert in Uganda, to which Michele Naughton, the company’s public relations manager, responded. “We are appalled by the performer’s lyrics and find them repugnant,” she said in a statement. “Our bottling partner in Uganda was not aware of the performer’s views and never would have sponsored the concert with this knowledge. Moving forward, we will work closely with our bottling partners to be more vigilant about the events associated with our brands.” The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation also spoke with Pepsi about the concert, and urged mainstream media and corporations to pay attention to what’s happening in Uganda right now.
Spain apologizes for jailing gay man The Spanish government apologized to a man who was imprisoned for being gay in the 1970s. Antoni Ruiz came out to his family as a teenager in 1976, right after the late Gen. Francisco Franco initiated a law during his dictatorship making homosexuality illegal. After his parents told a Catholic monk, Ruiz was soon turned over to authorities. He spent three months in jail and was then barred from returning home for another year. The law was repealed in 1979. Now 50, Ruiz was issued an official letter from the government, as well as $5,900. He is the first Spaniard to receive an official government apology for jailing him due to his sexual orientation. See INTERNATIONAL, Page 20
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
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INTERNATIONAL From Page 18 Some 5,000 men were imprisoned during Franco’s dictatorship. Ruiz is one of a small number of men who was sentenced for the crime following Franco’s death.
Bollywood has first gay love scene An upcoming Bollywood film will feature what is thought to be the industry’s first gay love scene. “I Am Omar,” one of four short stories comprising the film “I
Am,” focuses on male sex workers and homophobic police officers. In one scene, actors Rahul Bose and Arjun Mathur embrace in a public place. They are seen by a police officer, who begins to harass them. The film is set in the context of Section 377, the colonial-era law that banned gay sex. Bose previously acted in a film involving a gay gang-rape scene. Director Onir said he hopes the scene will get past India’s film censors. “Luckily, none of my actors had any inhibitions,” he said. “Rahul
and Arjun did the scene, which goes much beyond anything seen in Indian cinema. They behaved like thorough professionals.” The film will be screened at the Rotterdam Film Festival.
Russian commish: Moscow Pride should be in Germ. Moscow Commissioner for Human Rights, Alexander Muzykantsk has suggested that Russian gays and lesbians should hold gay Pride marches
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
in Germany, instead of their own country. “I’m not ready to support the parade of sexual minorities in Moscow,” he said. Instead, he suggested, they should hold them in Berlin, Germany’s capital, with the help of the city’s mayor. “In recent years, Berlin became de facto the world capital of sexual minorities,” said Muzykantsk. “Because there are friendly relations between the mayors of Moscow and Berlin, why not [sign] an agreement in which the representatives of sexual minorities in Moscow will hold their
parade in Berlin with the support of the city?” Gay Pride marches have had a troubled history in Russia, and especially in the capital of Moscow. Although other cities in the country are seen as more tolerant, attempts to hold gay events in Moscow have generally ended in violence. In 2007, marchers such as U.K. gay-rights activist Peter Tatchell were beaten by neo-Nazis, and there were claims of police brutality at a brief march this year. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
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Meck said he and Skolnick also had a patient advocate to help them navigate the ins and outs of a cancer diagnosis, a service that could be invaluable to others. “We found a wonderful patient advocate who came in and just mapped out our choices. Without him, I would’ve been the one at the computer all day and night trying to figure things out and not having the time to be there for Rand in the way that I wanted to be.” The foundation’s work is being supported by the $13.5 million allotted in Skolnick’s estate, and Meck said the organization will also begin fundraising efforts in 2010 to perpetuate the work. The organization has already announced two grant recipients for 2010. The Point Foundation, a national LGBT student organization, will offer the inaugural Rand Harlan Skolnick Scholarship beginning next fall, and Palette has also teamed up with Point to create an internship program for former Point scholars, starting this summer. Meck said the foundation, headquartered in New York, is committed to exploring funding opportunities throughout the country. Meck still owns Nevermore and The Raven, which was recently leased to a former employee, and proceeds from the sale of either establishment — which Meck said he is considering, although not in the immediate future — will go to the foundation. For more information, visit www.palettefund.org. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
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EVICTION From Page 1 right to object to a federal injunction later in the litigation. According to the Nov. 25 motion, Buckwalter overlooked a recent federal appellate court decision that specified that filing a motion to dismiss in federal court isn’t a “clear and explicit” waiver of the right to object to an injunction later in the case. City attorneys also want Buckwalter to lift the injunction because he allegedly failed to order the Scouts to post a bond when granting the injunction. The bond requirement is “almost mandatory” under federal law, according to the city’s motion. Buckwalter allegedly failed to “identify any rare or exceptional circumstances justifying
SESTAK From Page 1 ment to overturning the Defense of Marriage Act and the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and pledged to return to the area in the spring to do more campaigning on his behalf. Frank noted, however, that he did not want to comment on what impact he thinks his support of Sestak could have on local voters, so as not to appear “obnoxiously arrogant” or “unbelievably humble.” Choi also announced Monday that he was throwing his public support behind Sestak. Choi, who is undergoing discharge following his disclosure on the “Rachel Maddow Show” last spring that he’s gay, said he met Sestak at a gay-pride event
NJ MARRIAGE From Page 1 — to everyday New Jersey residents, like a 13-year-old girl who testified in support of her lesbian moms, and Lucy O’Brien, a mother of three who challenged the legislators to come to her house and tell her gay son that “he’s not good enough.” “No one gets down on one knee and asks someone if they’ll please enter into a civil union,” O’Brien said. The Rev. Manish Mishra, openly gay minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill, submitted written testimony about the “legal, psychological and practical distinctions” between marriage and civil unions — which New Jersey has
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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the absence of a bond,” states the city’s motion. The Scouts are in rental arrears of about $300,000, and city attorneys want the bond to protect the city’s financial interests. If Buckwalter declines to lift the injunction, the city wants him to hold a hearing to determine the amount of the bond. The Scouts hadn’t responded to the city’s motion by press time. Buckwalter is expected to rule on the matter in the next few weeks. Bernstein concluded the state eviction case on Nov. 20 due to Buckwalter’s injunction. But city attorneys have filed papers reserving their right to pursue the eviction case at a later date. The Scouts have occupied the Parkway building since 1928, but the chapter refuses to sign a lease
containing anti-bias language mirroring the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance. That ordinance, enacted in 1982, forbids antigay discrimination in a variety of venues, including city-owned buildings. For several years, LGBT activists implored city officials to enforce the ordinance and remove the Scouts from the building, have them pay fair-market rent or require them to end their discriminatory practices. In 2007, in response to those pleas, city officials told the Scouts they must begin paying $200,000 annual rent beginning June 1, 2008, or vacate the premises. When requesting the injunction, attorneys for the Scouts said the city singled out the organization for punishment for exercising its constitutional right to ban
openly gay participants — a right reaffirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000. City attorneys responded by noting the Scouts are free to associate with whomever they please, but aren’t entitled to city subsidies to facilitate discriminatory practices. Attorneys for the Scouts countered that other Fairmount Park renters appear to have exclusionary membership policies that might violate the city’s Fair Practices Act. Those renters include the Colonial Dames of America, Women for Greater Philadelphia, the Royal Heritage Society of Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia Girls’ Rowing Club and the Roman Catholic Church of the Maternity BVM, according to court documents filed by the Scouts.
When issuing his injunction, Buckwalter said the city hasn’t sufficiently explained why those entities are permitted to rent space at nominal rates. He said it’s possible the city is singling out the Scouts for punishment, which would be unconstitutional. In opposition to the injunction, city attorneys noted the Scouts haven’t provided any substantiated evidence that the other entities are violating the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance. City attorneys also stated that approximately 37 Fairmount Park renters are subject to periodic review of their rental arrangements, but the reviews cannot take place simultaneously due to limited resources. ■
this summer in San Francisco. “That was the day before I had to go before the Discharge Board, so I was really on an emotional rollercoaster and once we met, the Congressman was one of the first people to really go out there and collect support for me. He wrote a statement for me to give to the board and since then has been such a vocal supporter,” Choi said. Sestak, the highest-ranking veteran ever elected to Congress, has written letters to President Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, urging them to take action on the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and recently pressed for an investigation of torture claims by a discharged gay vet. “Dan’s said before and I agree that [‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’] asks people to live a lie,” Sestak
said. “It diminishes their service. The military is supposed to value integrity and honesty. I remember what Dan said on the ‘Rachel Maddow Show:’ ‘I love the Army.’ Here’s someone who loved the service and wasn’t down on the institution at all, even though he couldn’t be a part of it. He loved it and wanted to be, as the Army slogan says, all he could be. Without that important thread of the gay community, our military can’t be all we can be. It isn’t healthy for us to go forward like this.” Through his work with Sestak, Choi said he realized that the candidate’s support for the LGBT community is genuine and not fostered for political gain. “You have to look at and judge leaders based on what they stand for, and I have no problem with endorsing and supporting 100
percent the basic ideals and principles that Joe Sestak has,” Choi said. “We don’t see a lot of leaders like him. A lot of politicians will do things based on political expediency and the reading of polls, and you see that in both the Democratic and Republican parties, but those people forget everything that they’re supposed to stand for, which is a betrayal of everything I learned as a soldier. To be a real leader, you have to understand your values and what you stand for and go from there, and that’s what is so attractive and magnetic about Joe.” Choi said he’s seen many politicians who agree that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” should be ended, but who are hesitant to take as public a stance as Sestak. “There are a lot of people who essentially are afraid to come out
in support of the gay community,” Choi said. “I think that what Joe’s done is really a hallmark of somebody who’s attuned not only to the gay community but to issues in general, as we head toward the direction of people seeing that this as a civil-rights issue. We need leaders who are able to step up and do the right thing.” Sestak said he will continue to press for hearings on the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which seeks to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” A version of the bill has not yet been introduced in the Senate, and Sestak said that, if he’s elected and such legislation has not yet made it to the legislative body, he would take the lead “in a heartbeat.” ■
offered since 2006 — that create “harmful inequalities” for samesex couples. Religious leaders from a variety of faiths testified both for and against the measure and, before the vote, legislators approved an amendment clarifying that the bill does not require any clergy member to perform a same-sex marriage and that no religiously affiliated organization would have to participate in such unions. Mishra said that Sarlo, the committee chair, said at the start of the hearing that it would be conducted in a professional manner. “He made it clear that there would not be any tolerance for applause, expressions of support or dismay or anything like that,” the minister said. “So people didn’t clap, didn’t boo, which
made for a very smooth hearing, but it wasn’t the type of charged energy that wouldn’t been there if there was cheering or applause allowed.” Although the proceeding was professional, Mishra said the testimony offered by LGBT families did have a strong impact on the crowd. “There were individuals who talked about not being able to see their partners in the hospital, the impact it’s had on their kids or not having the same status as other parents,” he said. “That testimony was really pretty emotive.” Mishra added that some senators were vocal in their support for the bill, while others were “completely inscrutable.” In the days before the vote, the
New Jersey Catholic Conference delivered a petition with more than 150,000 signatures of people calling for the legislature to enforce the civil-union law instead of instituting marriage equality. Legislators also received a petition signed by about 200 prominent Democratic leaders from throughout the state, including elected officials, lobbyists and fundraisers, supporting the shift from civil union to marriage. Following the vote, one of Jersey’s most legendary residents — Bruce Springsteen — publicly announced his support for marriage equality through a posting on his Web site. “Like many of you who live in New Jersey, I’ve been following the progress of the marriage-
equality legislation currently being considered in Trenton,” Springsteen wrote. “I’ve long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same-sex couples and fully agree with Gov. Corzine when he writes that, ‘The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is — a civil-rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law.’ I couldn’t agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now.” Christie, a fan of Springsteen who has attended 122 of his concerts, recently asked the musician to perform at his inauguration, but the musician declined. ■
Timothy Cwiek can be reached at (215) 625-8501 ext. 208.
Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
A departure from the ordinary
Detour
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DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
‘wax’
nostalgic
Out punk pioneer, in the past and present By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer Our musician and artist Grant Hart has embarked on varied and various artistic endeavors in the 30 years since starting the seminal punk/alternativerock band Hüsker Dü. The latest of these is his recently released album “Hot Wax,” his first solo compilation since 1999’s “Good News for Modern Man.” Hart, 48, explained the large gap of time between the two albums allowed him to focus on and explore some of his other artistic passions. “Without going into specific details, I was kind of in pursuit of schools of thought,” he said, “just picking up things that I had put down when I was 16 or 17. I was revisiting the things in my life that gave me pleasure and finding satisfaction in ways that I hadn’t allowed myself to for a long time — a lot of the satisfaction that comes with
taking on a difficult task, performing it and having something work perfectly after you take it apart and put it back together; hobby stuff.” One of those hobbies included restoring classic automobiles. “About 15 years ago, I started fucking around with Studebakers,” he said. “A couple years after getting into that, I zeroed on the idea that if I was to have one perfect Studebaker, what would it be? I pursued it and did everything by hand myself without resorting to eBay for a single part. Totally humanto-human networking for odd bits and pieces that were needed, if not fabricated by me and a couple of friends. I’ve enjoyed being a gear-head.” Hart, who produced all the artwork for Hüsker Dü’s records, also took that span of time to get back to creating visual art. “I spent a lot of time doing visual, two- and three-dimensional art and enjoyed the hell out of it,” he said. “I
continued to tour throughout, but a lot of my time that would normally go to recording and such I applied to regaining all of the elements of my catalog, regaining control of them and putting a system in place with MDV Records where I can re-release them and be in control of my own destiny.” For an artist who likes control of his own destiny, it’s no surprise Hart prefers being a solo artist to being in a group. But he did admit that group settings, when done right, usually make for better songwriting. “There is a reality in playing with other people. It’s a different discipline. There’s more give than take. When that works to the benefit of all, that can be very rewarding. When you’re working by yourself, for yourself, with yourself, you end up following the path of least resistance. You tend to do things that you do well instead of challenging yourself to do something differently and becoming proficient in doing things that
way. The compromises that come with playing in a band with other people, the results are very powerful, but if they’re not giving as much as you’re giving, it’s got a limited shelf life. “It’s simple to feel rewarded doing things for yourself because you’re always doing it for yourself if you’re working alone — every note that you hit, every city that you decide to play. But maybe if you’re in a situation where you’re playing some little town because somebody in the band has a cousin that lives there, well, that gives you an opportunity to discover a place that you’ve never been to before. It’s kind of two different worlds.” The group situation to which Hart refers is, of course, Hüsker Dü, rather than anything that came after. Throughout the band’s tenure, Hart, who played drums and co-wrote songs often clashed with out guitarist Bob Mould over creative and personal differences. Hüsker Dü broke up in 1987,
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after which both Hart (who then moved to playing guitar) and Mould started and fronted new bands (Nova Mob and Sugar, respectively) before forging ahead as solo artists. The Minneapolis-based band’s influence grew after the band broke up: Many credit the group for paving the way for future alt-rock/punk superstars like Nirvana and Green Day. Hart said his former band gets far more attention now than when it was active. “Look at how much attention the Abominable Snowman gets and nobody has seen that in years either. Nowadays, I hear people qualifying themselves by
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
whether or not they had a chance to see the band live, and I guess that really does mean something because you would almost have to witness those times to be fully aware of what it was like.” Speaking of what it was like, we had to ask Hart what it was like for both him and Mould to be gay members of a band that was, at first, lumped into the hardcore-punk scene, which is long on youthful male aggression and a little short on political correctness and tolerance. Hart explained the hardcore scene was a different animal back then. “There wasn’t a lot of [the early] hardcore [scene] that was preserved. We went out West for our first U.S. tour and when we came back, we were flying the hardcore flag as high as we could. We moved away from it partially because we existed for so long after we set down that mantle. It came to look as if it was a passing fancy and I guess it was a fancy that passed.” So,the fact that he and Mould were gay was rarely an issue. “There were times we would be around people where we would hear comments,” he said. “Mind you, we weren’t broadcasting the fact that we were homosexuals. At a personal level, if we met somebody that we liked and
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HÜSKER DUDE GRANT HART Photos: Timothy G. Piotrowski
the opportunity allowed it to become something more than a quick hello, we were like anybody else. I think the whole focus was different. We didn’t have to be in a band to be. We were doing that to be satisfied beyond sexual satisfaction. It’s almost like we didn’t need to consider ourselves as homosexual musicians because we were fucking punk rockers. That was the thing we wanted to be most beyond anything in the world. That encompassed everything else that we were and wanted to express. The term ‘punk rocker’ covered it. You could be gay if you wanted to. You could express yourself with clothing in many different ways. It wasn’t as tightly restrictive as it became later on. That’s probably why we were so happy to move away from it. We knew the other gay people in town and as it applied to our daily lives, it’s nothing we ever denied. I’d like to think we were beyond it being an issue.” Their sexuality became an issue after the demise of Hüsker Dü. “The thing that kind of throws a hook in the whole thing is, after the band broke up, it seemed like all the focus was on the individuals rather than the band. I know that Bob was plagued with so many people that wanted him to
make a statement or endorsement and I know that it troubled him. I didn’t even give it a consideration. I had male lovers that traveled with me and went out in public with me. There was no denial of it. In Minneapolis, when the band was together, Bob was comfortable. When the focus changed, he seemed to retreat a little bit, and I think I would lay a little bit of that on his friendship with [queer R.E.M. singer] Michael Stipe. Maybe Stipe’s ambiguity inspired Bob to be more private about it. As far as difficulties on the road, we already mastered the art of living discreetly. We didn’t use it to attract attention to ourselves. We took the opportunity to lend our popularity to the AIDS crisis, working with other bands. I’m sure there were episodes and incidents, but to me it was smooth sailing.” Listening to “Hot Wax,” his solo work, is smooth sailing as well. It’s a pleasantly upbeat and almost-celebratory-sounding rock record overflowing with 1960s pop and wall-of-sound sensibilities. “There’s a lot of that influence there,” Hart said. “On this album, I took the approach where each song is an individual song rather than the component of an album. Each song is the A-side of a two-sided single. That’s pop. That’s the glory of production but not over-production — take it as far as you can go without overdoing it.” Grant Hart performs at 9 p.m. Dec. 17 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. For more information, visit www.granthart. com or call (215) 222-1400. ■ Larry Nichols can larry@epgn.com.
be
reached
at
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DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Best Sellers Information is courtesy of Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; (215) 9232960; www.giovannisroom.com. Ten-percent off most hardcover instore sales.
DVDS GAY 1. “Make the YuleTide Gay,” directed by Rob Williams (2009, 89 min., $19.99 DVD). Follows a young gay couple — Nathan and Gunn — as they face their first Christmas apart. 2. “Eating Out: All You Can Eat,” directed by Glen Gaylord (2009, 81 min., $24.95 DVD). Casey is new to the gay scene, refreshingly cute, geeky and extremely shy. When bombastic Tiffani befriends Casey and takes him under her wing, his adventures have only just begun! 3. “The Closet, Vol. 1,” directed by Maurice Townes (2006, 470 min., $24.95 DVD). Serving a bold dose of human life that reflects real stories, such as STD awareness, forbidden love, manipulation, religion, AIDS and drug use, which all instill thought-provoking insight for viewers.
4. “Were The World Mine,” directed by Tom Gustafson (2008, 95 min., $24.95 DVD). Armed with a magical love potion and empowered by dazzling musical fantasies, struggling with his identity and acceptance, adorable teen Timothy turns his narrowminded town gay while capturing the heart of Jonathon, the rugby jock of his dreams. 5. “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom,” directed by Patrik-Ian Polk (2008, 101 min., $24.95 DVD). “Noah’s Arc” is back, and you’re invited to the big wedding! 6. “Finding Me,” directed by Roger Omeus (2008, 115 min., $19.99 DVD). Faybien Allan has it all going on: He’s young, stylish and knows the importance of being seen with hip friends at NYC’s trendiest spots. But beneath the sparkle of his nightlife and his stunning good looks is a man buckling under his father’s homophobia. 7. “Redwoods,” directed by David Lewis (2009, 90 min., $19.99 DVD). Tells the story of a man in a sexless relationship who meets and falls in love with
a writer passing through his small Northern California town. 8. “Gods of Football: The Making of the 2009 Calendar,” directed by Grant Carroll (2009, 80 min., $24.95 DVD). Australia’s hottest footballers (rugby players) naked for a cause! Built! Hot! Sexy! And baring it all for breast-cancer research! 9. “Newcastle,” directed by Dan Castle (2008, 107 min., $24.95 DVD). A coming-of-age tale combining the gorgeous Australian surfing beaches with the raw energy, music and rebellion of teen culture. 10. “Adam and Steve,” directed by Craig Chester (2005, 99 min., $19.99 DVD). In the 1980s, Adam and Steve shared an embarrassing one-night stand. When they meet again years later, they fail to recognize each other and fall in love — as do their wisecracking best friends. LESBIAN 1. “Lovers and Friends Show,” directed by Charmain Johnson (2008, 393 min., $24.98 DVD). Six minority lesbian women navi-
gating through life’s obstacles, making new friends and experiencing new drama. 2. “Gia,” directed by Michael Cristofer (1998, 126 min., $5.95 DVD). Angelina Jolie gives a stunning performance as reallife lesbian supermodel Gia, who lived the wild life of the New York fashion scene in the ’70s. 3. “But I’m a Cheerleader,” directed by Jamie Babbit (1999, 90 min., $14.95 DVD). To Megan’s surprise, one day her family and friends confront her with evidence that she is gay: She’s a vegetarian, she doesn’t like kissing her boyfriend and she’s got a poster of a cheerleader in her locker. In spite of Megan’s protests, her parents send her packing to a homosexual rehabilitation camp. 4. “Lesbian Sex & Sexuality,” directed by Katherine Linton (2007, 158 min., $29.95 DVD). Takes viewers on an uncharted and provocative journey where the subject of lesbian sexuality and desire isn’t whispered, but celebrated. 5. “The L Word: Final Season,” directed by Angela Robinson
(2008, $49.95 DVD). It’s the final season of the show that won our hearts and got us talking, for its unwavering dedication to portraying sexy lesbian characters in a steady stream of increasingly hot and wild story lines. 6. “Stranger Inside,” directed by Cheryl Dunye (2001, 96 min., $9.95 DVD). From the author-director of “Watermelon Woman.” 7. “Go Fish,” directed by Rose Troche (1994, 83 min., $14.95 DVD). A funny and sexy glimpse into the lives, loves and drama of a cluster of lesbian friends. 8. “The Gymnast,” directed by Ned Farr (2006, 98 min., $24.95 DVD). Winner of 28 awards, this is a visually stunning film about hope, second chances and finding the courage to defy gravity. 9. “The Guitar,” directed by Amy Redford (2008, 93 min., $26.95 DVD). A captivating portrait of a woman’s self-empowerment (including a tryst with the pizza delivery girl). 10. “Girl Seeks Girl,” directed by Sonia Sebastian (2009, 153 See BEST SELLERS, Page 37
Grand Reopening Sale!
Two Days Only! Sat., Dec. 12 & Sun. Dec.13 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ � � ����������������������������������������� • On Sat., 2 – 5 pm, you can tell Santa what makes you happy. • All day Sat. & Sun. get 15% off everything in the store. • Brick-in-the-Wall Raffle drawing is on Sat. at 5 pm. – Dozens of prizes* worth thousands of dollars! We’ve crossed the half-way mark to the $50,000 we need to pay for the front wall. Come this weekend, save money on your holiday gifts and buy a brick for $50 or a lintel for $500. Together we can reach the goal! • Flavor of Philly: Two Flavor of Philly Food Tours • Philadelphia Cinema Alliance: 10 Passes to Philadelphia Cinefest, 10 passes to Philadelphia QFest • 15-Minute Workout: 6 Free Classes • Mixto: Two $50 Gift Certs. • Philadelphia Theatre Company: Two Complimentary Tickets • Fusion: One 5 Group Cross-Training Sessions or Personal Coaching Session or Nutrition Counseling• Absolute Abstract: One Art Block • Danny’s: Gift Cert. • Rapunzel’s Beauty Salon: $25 Haircut, $10 Eyebrow Wax • Spruce Street Video: 30 Rentals, 20 Rentals • Uncle’s Upstairs Inn: One Night Stay • Q Lounge: Brunch for 2 • Tommy D’s Café: 2 Brunches • Andre Richard Salon: Free Haircut (3) • Cut: Hair and Skin Studio: $70 Gift Cert. • 12th Street Gym: 3-Month Gym Membership • Soleil: 3Month Tanning Membership • Lion’s Mane: Gift Cert. • Spring Mill Cafe: Gift Cert. • Charlie Salon: Gift Cert. • Mango Moon: Gift Cert. • Chabaa: Gift Cert. • Qdoba Mexican Grill: (10) Free Entrée Tickets • Naked Chocolate: $20.00 Gift Cert. • Sage Massage Therapy: One-Hour Massage • Venture Inn: Two $50 Gift Certs. • Brew HaHa!: Free Breakfast for 10
������������������������������ ������������������������������ ��������������������������������������� ��������������������������������� ������������������������������������ ��������������������������������� ������������������������������� ���������������������������������
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Lesbian on the Scene
PAGE 31
Tracy Buchholz
Gifts, parties and other goodies for the holidays With two weeks left before Christmas, we’re thinking of things to do and presents to buy (and receive). Combining the two is even better. Looking into the future, there are some great events to get tickets for now. February is going to be a hot month for music lovers. That said, so far we’ve picked up tickets for expected lesbianpacked concerts La Roux on Feb. 9 at Voyeur, 1221 St. James St., and Tegan and Sara on Feb. 16 at the Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. Buy your tickets now as gifts: We promise it will make your lady lover warm with affection and grateful for your early planning come Christmas Day! These days, monthly parties are hot. Proof? On Dec. 10, Grind takes over Fluid Nightclub, 613 S. Fourth St., for a holiday blowout. This second-Thursday-ofthe-month dance party isn’t for amateurs, as renowned DJ Jalen takes over the joint, spinning
hip-hop, house and dancehall for a diverse crowd. Cover for the night is $7, with drink specials and giveaways throughout the evening. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Northeast Treatment Centers. Want another opportunity to give back? Now is a great time to support the community while channeling your holiday spirit. On Dec. 11 at 8 p.m., join the Traverse Arts Project for its first annual TAP Holiday Celebration. This event takes place at the Arch Street Methodist Church, 55 N. Broad St. Queers and their families are encouraged to attend this holiday-themed story celebration and sing-along benefiting the Philadelphia International GLBT Arts Festival. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Drinks and pastries are included. For tickets or more information, visit www.traversetheater.tix.com. Sisters, 1320 Chancellor St., and Cynful promotions are teaming up to bring you a “Sinful Christmas” on Dec 12. Performances by the sexy and saucy Sister Sirens promise to heat up your Saturday night, and
there will be a $2 happy hour from 9-11 p.m. Plus, get some holiday shopping done thanks to the Party Girls, who will be selling naughty accessories and other tantalizing goods. If you’re looking for an extra stocking stuffer, you’d better show up. Want to learn more? Check out www.sistersnightclub.com. On Dec. 18, Stimulus once again takes over Marathon, 929 Walnut St. Last month, more than 500 of Philly’s hottest women showed up for this superhot event. This month, Stimulus producers Amber, Morgan and Sasha are giving back by donating 10 percent of the proceeds to MANNA, which provides meals to people with life-threatening illnesses. The charge for this mega-dance party is $5, and it kicks off at 10 p.m. with drink specials until midnight. E-mail stimulusparty@gmail.com for more information. Last week, TLBTB Productions held its first Play party at Stir, 1705 Chancellor St., and welcomed a huge turnout and rave reviews from the community. This new weekly LGBTQ Thursday event boasts
$1 drinks and $2 domestics from 9-11 p.m. with no cover. If you didn’t know, Stir is the new “it” place to be! With rotating DJs Battleaxebaby and Lil Sis, the music is always hot and the crowd is always easy on the eyes. Play will also feature fun bar games, promising a night of fun and debauchery! For pictures and more, visit www.facebook. com/thescenephilly. All right, ladies of Philly, these
holiday-themed events should keep us busy. There are so many options out there, your hardest choice won’t be if you should go out, but rather where to go. Rest assured you’ll see me out and about supporting these events so make sure to say hi! ■ Tracy Buchholz is an LGBTQ party producer-promoter in Philadelphia. She can be reached at tracy.buchholz@gmail.com.
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Family Portraits Listening to DJ Sandi Stabler’s list of credits is like taking a trip down memory lane: Sneakers, Hepburns, Mamzelle’s, Sisters, the Newport Tavern, the DCA Club, The Cartwheel. Throughout the years, she’s played them all. And that list doesn’t count the fundraisers and private parties she’s been a part of. Stabler has been making people smile, sweat and groove to her music for three decades. When she stands in the booth at Sisters early Jan. 1, welcoming 2010, she will be celebrating her 30th consecutive New Year’s party for the women’s community. PGN: Over the years, you’ve had many titles, but I know the one you’re proudest of is “lesbian mom.” It couldn’t have been easy back in the day. SS: Very true. When I first decided that I was going to have children, it was back in the mid’80s. I wanted to share the process with the people in my life. My family was very supportive, but I was shocked and surprised that so many of my friends were not very receptive — at all. I had gay people tell me that gay people should not have kids.
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Suzi Nash When I started the process in 1990, I was very public about it, which was unheard of. I shared the trials of the insemination, the difficulties of pregnancy and we even filmed the labor and delivery and showed it at Hepburns, which was the big lesbian club at the time. PGN: It’s amazing how homophobic we can be as a community. SS: Yes, and we had a lot of rules back then. I came out in 1980, when I was 17 years old and, at the time, there was a real butch/femme dichotomy. I was really attracted to feminine women and people would tell me that it was wrong, that two feminine women couldn’t be together. I remember walking into Sneakers and I had long curly hair and had on high-heel shoes. People would flat-out tell me I was in the wrong place, and I’d say, “Oh no, this is where I belong.” But I had to fight for it. It’s so nice now to be in a club and see the younger generation, and they have so much more freedom to express themselves however they want and to date
whomever they please. I’m sure they have other struggles now, but there’s so much more open to them — motherhood; in some places, marriage. PGN: Although at times it seems they’re missing the sense of community that having a common struggle brings. SS: There’s still plenty to fight for, they just need to look harder! One thing that really gives me hope is the children of gay families. I look at my two girls and they’re such wonderful human beings. They’re socially conscious and politically aware, they treasure the earth and they love themselves and respect other people. It’s just amazing. I think LGBT people have the opportunity to raise children who are going to change the world for the better. PGN: Speaking of families, tell me about yours. SS: Well, I have an older brother and two younger sisters. We were born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia. I’m very close to all of them. My mother was a homemaker and my father has
SANDI STABLER Photo: Suzi Nash
been in the insurance business for 45 years. They’ve always been supportive, even through my rebellious periods or when I wanted to start a family. Of course, I have my two girls and they’re the loves of my life. PGN: Tell me about work. SS: I founded Futuristic Dee Jays in 1980 and brought my sister Selina in as a partner in 1985. I still spin at the clubs and do weddings, private events, commitment ceremonies, etc. I also run the family insurance company. PGN: What’s the song you hate for people to request? SS: Meatloaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” Only because if people are requesting that song, it usually means they’re drunk out of their minds! I’ll tell you what I’ve found fascinating is that lesbians love “It’s Raining Men.” I never quite understood that. PGN: I know. At karaoke, “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” really gets everyone going. SS: That’s funny. But I have to tell you, there aren’t really any songs that I hate to play, because for me, if a song means something to someone and I’m able to touch them or make them feel good by playing it, I love playing it for them. Maybe it’s someone who only gets out once a year and just wants to hear something that reminds them of a good time. It’s my joy and privilege to do it.
PGN: Since you are in the sound business, tell me three sounds you love. SS: The most incredible sound is the sound of girls laughing. When I have a bunch of my kids’ friends in the car and they’re talking and laughing and having fun, it’s the greatest sound in the world. I love to hear my children sing. They both sing in Mt. St. Joseph Academy choir. Mt. St. Joseph’s is an all-girls’ academy that they attend, and [my daughter] Taylor’s there on a vocal scholarship. My last thing would be the sound of tap dancing. The kids do a lot of big tap-dance shows and there’s nothing like the sound of 50 feet tapping. When they’re doing a big number, it does something to the audience. You can feel the energy. PGN: With the holidays coming up, what’s the best gift you’ve received? SS: The sperm I was given by the girls’ biological father. I mean what a gift that is, the gift of life. The girls’ father’s name is Michael and he’s married to one of my best friends, Christine. He gave my girls life and she donated her eggs to someone else, who then was able to have kids with her eggs. When they were little and our kids would be together at the same party, I would just watch them and think, how incredible Michael and Christine were to give such a gift to me and to the other family. They live in Texas so we don’t see the other kids often, but when they visited last, my kids were
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
dragging them around telling everyone about their half-brother and sister. They were so proud of their family dynamics. PGN: What’s the best gift you’ve given? SS: I like to give of myself, my time and my home. Right now, I have a girl named Sang Eun Lee living with us. She was an exchange student from South Korea and she’s been with us for three years. I call her my other daughter. I have a dear friend, well, you know how you meet someone and instantly bond? I met this wonderful woman and she and her husband were getting married. They were just going to go to a justice of the peace but I knew she’d love a real wedding. I’d only known her a month but I threw her one in my backyard. It was beautiful. Her entire family came in from Costa Rica and they all stayed at my house. It was a nice moment to be able to do that for someone. In April, I have 15 people from a different family in Central America coming to stay with me. That’s the kind of gift I like to give. PGN: A memorable incident while DJing? SS: It’s actually really sad: I’ve had two people drop dead on the dance floor: a groom’s father and a bride’s aunt. I’ve killed two people!
Q Puzzle I Need to See a Doctor! Across 1. Where a sailor may hit bottom 5. Direct elsewhere 10. Emulates B.D. Wong, e.g. 14. “___ put it another way ... ” 15. Writer Dykewomon 16. Wet spot cause 17. Dorothy’s dog 18. Day of many Hudson flicks 19. Gossip columnist Barrett 20. Where to see ... Paula Marshall as Dr. Regina Barnes 23. Tendency to get pissed 24. Big hole 25. Fruity mixed drink 28. “Ed Wood” Best Supporting Actor Martin 32. Quiet time 33. ... Sara Ramirez as Dr. Callie Torres (with 43-Across) 37. Moves the head 38. “You can’t teach ___ dog ... ” 40. URL ending 41. Tone of many Stein photos
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PGN: Wow, you must be spinning some serious dance music. SS: Yeah, I really kill ’em. Wait, let me think of something good to counteract that. I remember a time when I got a job in Atlantic City working for the World Boxing Association. I walked into the facility and the entire crowd, about 2,000 people, was all African-American people. I could tell the people were looking at me like, “What’s this girl doing here? What’s she going to play for us?” But I really take pride in being able to accommodate all crowds regardless of age, background, orientation, ethnicity, whatever. It’s really important to me. The different people I get to work with is one of the things I love about my job. It only takes about 10 or 15 minutes of my playing to gain an audience’s respect and I’m proud to say that they brought me back to do that gig for several years after that. PGN: So how did you become such an open person? SS: Well, my parents were very accepting people, but I think I truly blossomed when I went to Temple University. I’d gone to an all-girls’ Catholic high school and I remember sitting in class and thinking, There’s got to be more. More people to meet, more experiences to have. At Temple, it was like being a kid in a candy store. There were people from all 42. Frigid 43. See 33-Across 46. Hosp. scan 47. Dose of AZT, e.g. 48. Tennis pro Roger 49. Wicks of the WNBA 50. Blow in a comic book 51. Regret bitterly 53. ... Olivia Wilde as Dr. Remy Hadley 57. ... Roma Maffia as Dr. Liz Cruz 61. Peru native 62. Inside tongue? 64. Elvis’ middle name 65. Sign on a door 66. Style Tracy Turnblad’s hair 67. Lesbos, e.g. 68. Broadway opening for a lot? 69. Compelled to go 70. A little behind
Down 1. Poppycock 2. Suffix with switch 3. Piercing rebuke from Caesar? 4. Kopay’s field 5. Warning sign 6. Become wife and wife secretly
over. I think I was always trying to define myself and buck the system. When I was about 12, I wanted to be an altar boy because they got to do all sorts of cool stuff during service. I was told that females were not allowed to serve. I was really mad, so I went home, got a chain from our swing set and padlocked myself to the doors of the church. I called the local papers first, so I could really air my grievances. The Philadelphia Inquirer took my picture and I did some interviews. So, in order to appease me, the church let me be a lector. I was the first female lector at Christ The King Parish. PGN: And what was coming out like? SS: I remember when I first fell in love with a woman, I was like, “I can’t be gay, I just really like this particular woman.” Then I started DJing at Sneakers, which was a women’s bar down at Third and Market and, as the women would come in, I realized that, no, it wasn’t just her: I loved all women! I didn’t share it with my family until my mother came to me and said, “I know you like women, and I want you to know it’s OK. Your father and I will always love you.” I have to tell you, back then, that was pretty unusual. I know a lot of women whose families disowned them, who lost everyone dear to them. 7. Jamie who cross-dressed on “M*A*S*H” 8. Seminal computer 9. They may act up 10. Beach’s partner Monnier 11. “Peter Pan” critter, for short 12. Fork feature 13. Site for three men in a tub 21. Suffix with human or fact 22. Some dam project 25. Prospector’s piece of land 26. Cup fraction 27. Andrew ___ Webber 29. Knuckleheads 30. Foucault’s final word 31. The way we word 34. Yellow-brick way 35. Ziegfeld Follies costume designer 36. Role for Bela 39. “Platoon” star Willem 41. It goes on top of pancakes 44. Third R reform 45. Had coming 50. Reading at Metropolitan Community Church 52. Sexual favors obtained online? 53. Rose fruit 54. One way to come 55. NCAA home of the Bruins
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Every Mother’s Day, we’d go to Hepburns for brunch and she was so good and so kind to the women whose families had turned their backs on them. She was a great example of unconditional acceptance. As for me, once my family knew, there was no stopping me: I was out everywhere and to everyone. Even now, at my kids’ school, everyone knows that I’m gay and it’s not a problem. I’ve been a volunteer there for 14 years and I’ve never hidden who I am. Being open and honest about who I am is not only important for me and my own kids, but it could be important for some kid who’s just discovering their sexuality, who might say, this is scary, but I know Ms. Stabler and everyone likes her, so I guess it’s not all that bad. PGN: Backtracking, did you go straight into DJing after graduating from Temple? SS: No, I was in television production for a while. I did sound engineering, I did camera work for a lot of football games and other sports. One of my favorite jobs was shooting boxing matches. Because I was a woman and lighter than the guys, I got to be in the cherry picker right above the fights. It sounds gross, but I was right there filming all the action, blood splattering and all. It was pretty thrilling. I still love boxing. I was living and
56. De Matteo of “Desperate Housewives” 57. What Sam twitched on “Bewitched” 58. Astronomer’s bear
working in New York during the week and coming back to Philly on the weekends. I finally had to leave New York and come run the DJ company exclusively. I had a full-time staff running Futuristic Dee Jays and had 60 people working for me and it was still growing. Other work I’ve done: I produced an album for Doreen Montalvo featuring legendary Cuban singer/songwriter Meme Solis. It came very close to winning a Grammy for New Spanish Album. PGN: You’ve had a lot of protégés along the way. SS: Well, years ago, when I got started, there weren’t any mobile female disc jockeys. There were some on the radio like Laney Goodman and Lyn Kratz, but no one doing the parties like I was. I got so much business I couldn’t handle it, so I started hiring and teaching all of my girl friends from high school. We became known as the all-female disc-jockey company. It was an incredible ride, incredible. PGN: By the way, you filmed sports. Ever play any? SS: Sure, I played basketball in high school, I played softball. I was a pretty good tennis player until I broke my hip playing volleyball. I was diving for a ball See PORTRAIT, Page 41
59. Revolver inventor 60. You may go down on one 63. k. d. lang’s “Big Boned ___ ”
See SOLUTION, Page 36
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
CDs New divas unleash CDs in time for the holidays By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer
Looking for an extra hand?
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Considering the year she’s had, you can’t fault Rihanna for veering into some dark territory with her new Rihanna album. Rated R For “Rated Def Jam R,” Rihanna pretty much followed the same formula that made her last album, “Good Girl Gone Bad,” a smash hit (i.e., lots of big-name outside producers and songwriters). The results find Rihanna still cranking out slickly produced pop music, but some might find “Rated R” lacking that certain something. While “Good Girl” overflowed with brash, bouncy, radio-ready pop songs, “Rated R” is stocked with plodding, moody songs often punctuated with lyrics about fire and gunplay (not to mention the occasional f-bomb), especially on the first half of the album. “Hard,” the only exception on the first half, is the only track that comes close to the party swagger of the last album. Some of the tracks are better for this gloomy vibe. “Rockstar 101,” featuring former Guns ’n’ Roses guitarist Slash, is a gritty and unapologetic ode to hedonistic celebrity club-hopping. “Fire Bomb” is a meditative and elegant track augmented by an undercurrent of metallic guitars. Things lighten up on the second half of the album. “Rude Boy” and “Photographs” are both pleasantly upbeat and synth-happy, the latter benefiting greatly from the presence of Will. I.am from the Black Eyed Peas. “Te Amo” is another great track, benefiting from a deft intermingling of synths and Latin percussion. Justin Timberlake’s fingerprints are all over the track he wrote for the album, “Cold Case Love,” which boasts the most rhythmically complex and epic composition on the record. Perhaps the best moment on the album is “The Last Song,” a majestic slow-burner of a track
that builds to a great climax. One thing is for sure: Despite all the controversy and drama, Rihanna is back in business. Earlier this year, it seemed premature to label Lady Gaga as the next Madonna, simply Lady Gaga because she The Fame only had one Monster album out and Interscope also because she owes just as much of her inspiration to artists like Grace Jones and David Bowie as she does the material girl. But with a number of highprofile and insane award-show performances and the release of her new mini-album, “The Fame Monster,” this year’s “it” girl gets a lot closer to prying Madonna’s pop mantle from her expensively manicured hands. The eight new songs on this record showcase just how adept Miss Gaga is at genre-hopping while remaining true to her freakish pop sensibilities. The glossy and ambitious electro-pop and powerful choruses she’s now famous for still blow the doors off on tracks like “Bad Romance” and “Monster.” The mini-diva summit that is “Telephone,” featuring Beyoncé, isn’t greater than the sum of its parts, but it’s still bound to be another dance-floor hit dripping with sass. Other tracks get a little more adventurous, with “Dance in the Dark” pulling heavily from gothic synth-pop territory with amazing results. “Speechless” sounds almost completely analog in a very convincing stab at Elton John-influenced ’70s rock. The sampled Native American chanting in the background gives a unique flavor to the minimalist bluesy stomp of “Teeth.” “Alejando” seems restrained by comparison, coming across like the best song Ace of Base never wrote. Normally that would be a high-grade insult, but not in this case. Gaga nails it. Is this album a monster? Hell, yes! See CDs, Page 40
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Philadelphia Gay News Happy Holidays!
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Ms. Behavior
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Meryl Cohn
Drunk slut vs. bored housewife: Who wins? Dear Ms. Behavior: I am a 23year-old gay man. After a string of failed relationships, I decided that I was the common factor; if I want things to change in my love life, then I will have to be the one to change. For a long time I was making all
these wrong decisions. I would fall for men who would not treat me right and eventually leave me. I would also go out as often as I could, get drunk and hook up with the first guy whose eye I caught. This only led me to feel slutty, worthless and alone. It wasn’t until recently — after almost breaking up someone else’s relationship by first having a threesome with both members, then later sleeping with one of them on the sly — that I came
to this realization that things needed to change. Not only was I hurting myself, but I was also hurting others. Then I read your article about how to meet the person of your dreams and fall in love. That seemed to have put things in perspective for me. Although I haven’t completed everything on your checklist (which includes flossing, using great skincare products, things to improve yourself, etc.), I have made great changes to my own personal lifestyle. I’ve been staying in more, drinking less, cultivating my own hobbies and, while I haven’t been waking up hung over in strangers’ beds, I have been extremely bored. Staying in alone on a Friday night watching “Ugly Betty” has led me to feel like a bored, lonely housewife. I realize that I am not ready to be in any sort of relationship — not even sure if I’m ready to be intimate with another person — yet I still want to go out and
Q PUZZLE SOLUTION From Page 33
meet people and at least be on the right track to finding love. I know I shouldn’t be focusing on bars to meet people, but I can’t seem to meet other gay men anywhere else. Believe me, I’ve tried. My eyes are constantly on the prowl. I’ve tried bookstores, joining a soccer team, even my college campus is pretty limited. So I was wondering if you had any tips on how to meet people without being a drunk slut and how to not be absolutely bored out of my mind. — Bored and Reformed Dear Bored and Reformed: It may be a relief to stop feeling “slutty, worthless and alone,” but in the long term, if you don’t find other activities to replace your usual routine, life is bound to feel monotonous. Luckily, you don’t really have to choose between being a “drunk slut” and a “bored housewife” (or even a drunk housewife and a bored slut). You are neither a virgin nor a whore. You are a man who needs to find some balance, which means you’ll have to patiently explore (or discover) your other interests. OK, so you went to a couple of bookstores and you kicked a soccer ball around a few times, but that hardly sounds like an exhaustive list of new activities. Think about how much of your thoughts and energy you devoted to supporting your time in the bars: searching for the right jeans to wear, whitening your teeth, choosing your signature scent
and perhaps even perfecting your special blow-job technique. There’s nothing wrong with any of these activities, but the question is whether you’re willing to devote the same time and energy to cultivating other interests. You could try joining a book club, a cooking class, a ski group, a volunteer activity, a political organization or a poker game. No one’s saying you need to behave like a Boy Scout, but you’ve said the bar life doesn’t work for you anymore. This doesn’t mean you need to give up on life and resign yourself to staying home with bad television. However, going through a mildly dormant period — where you evaluate your life and decide what you want to do next — isn’t necessarily the worst thing. It enables you to reach out to new people and think about what you value. You’re at the right age to begin figuring out who you are and what you want. (It’s actually a lot easier if you start now than if you wait until you’re 40 or 50.) If you follow your own interests during this fallow period, you’ll find new friends and new opportunities. If all else fails, check out a gay AA meeting or two: You might meet some cute men who are experts at boozefree fun. ■ Meryl Cohn is the author of “‘Do What I Say’: Ms. Behavior’s Guide to Gay and Lesbian Etiquette” (Houghton Mifflin). Email her at MsBehavior@aol.com or visit www.msbehavior.com.
‘tis the season to see NAUGHTY
with over 30 original drawings & prints of sexy Ol’ Saint Nick with plenty of packages that don’t come in boxes
in first U.S. solo show by Michael Broderick OPENING RECEPTION Friday, Dec 11th from 5 to 8 pm continues through Dec 31st, noon - 6pm, Wed - Sat. plus, in studio gallery: photographs by Butch Cordora of syndicated TV show In Bed with Butch and at 8:15 pm, Victor Rodriguez and Carla Mariani of Sunday Musicale present Holiday Hoopla Cabaret ($10 tickets for cabaret available at the door)
AxD Gallery
265 S. 10th Street Philadelphia, PA
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
BEST SELLERS From Page 28 min., $24.95 DVD). This hot and hilarious lesbian soap opera takes you on a wild ride through the mixed-up love lives of a group of sexy Madrid lesbians. BOOKS LESBIAN 1. “Animal Magnetism: My Life with Creatures Great and Small,” by Rita Mae Brown (Ballatine, 235 pp., $25 hb). Bestselling author shares the lessons she’s learned from these marvelous creatures as well as her deep appreciation for them. 2. “The Importance of Being Iceland: Travel Essays in Art,” by Eileen Myles (Semiotext[e]), 216 pp., $17.95 pb). Myles travels New York City, seeing it with a poet’s eye for detail and with the consciousness that writing about art and culture has always been a social gesture. 3. “My Red Blood,” by Alix Dobkin (Alyson, 275 pp., $16.95 pb). This groundbreaking book, first published in 1982, is the story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings. 4. “Push,” by Sapphire (Vintage Books, 192 pp., $13 pb). Precious Jones, 16 years old and pregnant by her father with her second child, meets a determined and highly radical teacher who takes her on a journey of transformation and redemption. 5. “If Loving Two is Wrong,” by Kim Beverley (Oshun Publishing, 270 pp., $15 pb). Ever wonder what could make a woman fall for another woman? Neither did Kayla Thomas. Why would she? Her childhood crush, and the man of her dreams, has finally stepped up to the plate. 6. “Ash,” by Malinda Lo (Little, Brown Young Readers, 264 pp., $16.99 hb). Cinderella retold. Entrancing, empowering and romantic, “Ash” is about the connection between life and love and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief. 7. “Fun Home,” by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books, 232 pp., $13.95 pb). In this groundbreaking, bestselling graphic memoir, Bechdel charts her fraught relationship with her late father. 8. “Valencia: New Edition,” by Michelle Tea (Seal Press, 216 pp., $14.95 pb). In this gritty, confessional memoir, Tea takes
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the reader back to the city of her childhood: Chelsea, Mass. — a place where time and hope are spent on things not getting any worse. 9. “Pink Steam,” by Dodie Bellamy (Suspect Thoughts Press, 192 pp., $16.95 pb). Railroad buffs know pink steam as the first blast from a newly christened steam engine, which appears pink as it spews out rust. And now “Pink Steam,” the book, reveals the intimate secrets of Bellamy’s life — sex, shoplifting, voyeurism and writing. 10. “Pulling Me Back,” by GStarr (UrbanL Publishing, 284 pp., $14.95 pb). A hot and spicy fictional story chock full of erotic sexual pleasures, family feuds and infidelity, with side dishes of fatal attraction and revenge. GAY 1. “Murder On Camac,” by Joseph DeMarco (Lethe, 396 pp.,
$18 pb). Gunned down in the street, author Helmut Brandt’s life ebbs away and puts a chain of events in motion that places P.I. Marco Fontana on a collision course with the church and the local community. 2. “Murder in the Garden District,” by Greg Herren (Alyson, 256 pp., $14.95 pb). A leading candidate for the upcoming senatorial race and a scion of a Louisiana political dynasty is shot to death in his Garden District mansion, and the prime suspect is his much-younger second wife with a checkered past. 3. “The Dance of No Hard Feelings,” by Mark Bibbins (Copper Canyon, 96 pp., $15 pb). The second collection from Lambda Award-winner Bibbins. 4. “Mental: Funny in the Head,” by Eddie Sarfaty (Kensington, 256 pp., $15 pb). Perfect for fans of David Sedaris, Sarfaty translates his
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astute and acerbic standup into a hilarious essay collection that explores career lows, schizophrenic felines and much more. 5. “Giovanni’s Room,” by James Baldwin (Delta, 176 pp., $14 pb). Set in the 1950s Paris of American expatriates, liaisons and violence, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality. 6. “You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas,” by Augusten Burroughs (St. Martin’s Press, 224 pp., $21.99 hb). Burroughs, in his caustically funny, nostalgic, poignant and moving collection, recounts Christmases past and present — as only he could. 7. “Some Day This Pain Will Be Useful to You,” by Peter Cameron (Picador USA, 229 pp., $13 pb). The story of James Sveck, a sophisticated, vulnerable young man with a deep appreciation for the world and
no idea how to live in it. 8. “I Shudder: And Other Reactions to Life, Death and New Jersey,” by Paul Rudnick (Harper, 318 pp., $23.99 hb). Charming and touching, “I Shudder” is rendered in gorgeous, zinger-laden prose and reminds to keep our tongues sharp in the midst of life’s many obstacles and absurdities. 9. “Mapping the Territory,” by Christopher Bram (Alyson, 258 pp., $23.95 hb). Bram’s first collection of nonfiction ranges from such topics as the power of gay fiction, coming out in the 1970s in Virginia and the sexual imagination of Henry James. 10. “Mama Dearest,” by E. Lynn Harris (Karen Hunter, 400 pp., $25.99 hb). Delivers sensual thrills and electric plot twists — with one unforgettable woman of radiant star power, sexual magnetism and unapologetic ambition at the heart of the action. ■
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Avalon delivers authentic Italian goodness By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer As the chill of winter sets upon us, there is no better time to get reacquainted with fine Italian cuisine. Avalon, 312 S. High St. in West Chester, delivers that rustic comfort with a menu that excites and surprises. Things got off to a great start on a recent visit with a cocktail of vodka and pomegranate and orange juices, followed by an amuse-boûche of Parmesan gelato. The gelato was pleasantly creamy and rich, with a thin layer of honey on top, giving it just enough sweetness to counteract the slight sharpness of the cheese. As we settled into the restaurant’s comfortable but modern décor, the meal continued in fine fashion with Avalon’s artisan cheese and charcuterie table, a platter consisting of three ($17), five ($25) or seven ($35) choices
from a menu of more than a dozen cheeses and meats. Even if you know squat about fine cheeses, Avalon’s attentive waitstaff can guide you through the selection process or select a tasty assortment for you. Ours consisted of Testun Al Barolo, an aged sheep’s-milk cheese, whose strong flavor was balanced with a sweet strawberryvinaigrette jam alongside it. Pieces of fruit were a nice complement to the Minuet cheese, a smooth, subtle selection that isn’t on the menu, as it isn’t always available. Finocchiona, a tasty fennel salami, served with spicy mustard, rounded out the platter nicely. Next up was the insalata mixed with poached pear ($9). The quality of the components — local field greens, a whole pear poached in red wine, candied pecans, balsamic vinaigrette and goat cheese — was excellent, though the abundant helping of goat cheese
muscled out the delicate flavors of everything except the pecans. The flavor combinations, while satisfactory with the goat cheese, worked much better without it. With chef John Brandt-Lee at the helm, Avalon’s rustic charm really came through with bold main entrées, which are separated into two categories: homemade pastas and meat and fish. If you have trouble deciding between the two, don’t fret. Diners have the option of choosing the giro del menue (a tasting tour of the menu, $31 mid-week, $40 Friday and Saturday) that includes a choice of antipasti, a pasta dish, a meat or fish dish and a dessert. (Now would be a good time to tell you that Avalon is a cash-only restaurant.) The biggest surprise was the chicken-liver soffritto ($19). Even those who usually run screaming from liver will delight in this savory dish of pappardelle pasta,
vegetable soffritto and cognacsoaked chicken livers, as the combination of the soffritto and the cognac went a long, long way in making the livers delectable. Avalon’s hand-rolled manicotti was also a treat, especially when ordered with the lamb Bolognese sauce ($19). This dish is also available with San Marzano tomatoes ($17) or porcini mushroom cream ($19). To our surprise, the cheese didn’t dominate the dish, nor did the lamb take a back seat in the flavor department: The restraint of the cheese and the pasta struck an impressive balance with the lamb and vegetables in the sauce, giving the dish a welcome meaty texture most manicotti just can’t muster. Avalon worked culinary magic again with a surf-and-turf chef’s special, comprised of sea scallops and braised veal on top of risotto-style toasted orzo and redwine reduction. Both the scallops and the veal were flavorful and so
perfectly cooked and tender that our forks sliced through them as if they were butter. Both the veal and the scallops are available individually on Avalon’s carne and pesci classics menu ($34 and $25, respectively). Avalon Restaurant makes us envy — just a little — West Chester residents. For more information, visit www.avalonrestaurant.net. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
If you go Avalon 312 S. High St. West Chester (610) 436-4100 www.avalonrestaurant.net Open daily for dinner
Fresh and Healthy Food
Dine In, Take Out, Free Delivery, BYOB Philadelphia, PA
Lunch Special, Dinner Special 3 courses - until 6 p.m.
2028 Chestnut St.,
between 20th and 21st sts.
215-568-7058
AVALON DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN
Published the 2nd and 4th week of every month.
Call one of our dedicated advertising representatives today:
(215) 625-8501
Greg, ext. 201 Kelly, ext. 207 Morgan, ext. 212 David, ext. 219
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
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Still more holiday gift ideas 11th Street Auto Repair
Scott A. Drake Photography
The only thing harder to find than a politician you trust is finding a mechanic you trust. But the good people at 11th Street Auto, 820-22 S. 11th St., continue to win over customers every day with their expert automotive skills, friendly demeanor and ability to make you feel like you’re in good hands every step of the way. Plus, they won Philadelphia Magazine’s 2009 “Best of Philly” and PGN’s Pink Penny Award for Best Place to Get Auto Repair. For more information, call (215) 928-0376.
Scott A. Drake Photography is a great resource for art-portrait photography for the LGBT individual. Drake’s photographs have been seen in the gallery at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, the Sketch Club and at numerous fundraising events throughout Philadelphia. From artistic representations of emotions through light painting to historic and iconic images of Philadelphia to intimate and erotic photographs of men, nearly all needs and tastes can be fulfilled. Intimate and formal portraits are two regularly requested services of Drake Photography. Drake offers everything from the simple headshot to specialized intimate photography. Getting a solo shot done as a gift or perhaps enjoying a photo shoot with your partner are only two of many ways to go with these ideas. Commemorate a special event with a professional behind the camera by getting candid and professionally posed photos of
110over70 Don’t miss 110over70, 1100 S. Broad St., and its one-time offer: a three-month membership for only $99. This offer is only valid through Dec. 31, so don’t miss out. Located in the Marine Club, this full-service fitness center offers state-of-the-art equipment, personal training, nutrition services, innovative group-exercise classes and specialty programs. And if you join now, you can take part in the 110 Fitness Challenge starting Jan. 2, for a New Year and a new you. For more information, visit www.110over70.com or call (215) 790-1025.
your holiday, anniversary party, birthday or other party. Local and regional events are always a consideration, and many community leaders and activists have come to expect Drake at large events. Drake has been shooting around Philadelphia for over 20 years. Large collages of historic places, one-of-a-kind images of Philadelphia’s icons and special and commissioned works are also available. For more information, visit www.scottdrakephotos.com or call (267) 736-6743. VIX Emporium One of the more unique shopping experiences in the city, VIX Emporium, 5009 Baltimore Ave., boasts a historic storefront built in the early 1900s featuring beautiful built-in cabinetry The store carries an eclectic mix of jewelry, apparel and other gifts, mostly handmade by local artisans. Visit the store or shop online at www.vixemporium.com. For more information, call (215) 4717700. ■
A John Waters Christmas The State Theatre in New Brunswick, N.J., will present a one-man show next month that looks at the holidays in a whole new light. Openly gay filmmaker John Waters, director of “Hairspray” and other cult flicks, will perform his yuletide extravaganza “A John Waters Christmas” at 8 p.m. Dec. 18. Waters will take the audience on a rollercoaster ride through modern art, true crime and exploitation films, where absolutely nothing is sacred. Niels Lind Larsen, head of programming for CPH:PIX, a film festival in Copenhagen that has hosted Waters’ standup performance, said Waters is “brilliant, depraved and has an excellent sense of comic timing.” Tickets for the show are $27$47. For more information, visit www.statetheatrenj.org.
Specializing in formal and intimate portraits, special events and art photography.
Scott A. Drake Photography 267.736.6743
PGN
Happy Holidays!
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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CDs From Page 34 Shakira’s latest collection of tunes can be a bit too predictable at times, but the international superShakira star still has She Wolf some interestEpic Records ing tricks up her sleeve, and some genuine thrills can be found on “She Wolf.” The closer she stays to her Latin and hip-shaking influences, the better. The strippeddown and percussive groove of “Long Time” is far more interesting than the calculated and Daft Punk-leaning title track and the too-plastic pop of “Did It Again.” But here’s the crazy thing: The Spanish versions of both those songs, “Loba” and “Lo Hecho Esta Hecho” (along with some others), work so much better. Strange but true. Shakira’s voice is distinctive and good enough on its own without all the digital wizardry that she really should stop pan-
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
dering to mainstream American audiences and messing up a perfectly good Spanish song by singing it in English. Some of the English-language songs are worthwhile, though. Simplicity and funkiness save the day on selections such as “Spy,” featuring Wyclef Jean. The Caribbean-flavored “Good Stuff” and the booty-bumping “Why Wait” are also excellent examples of less being more, in which the minimal instrumentation gives Shakira’s siren-like voice room to play. Also not to be missed is “Mon Amour,” a rousing rock song bristling with relentless energy. Shakira, we love you, but real wolves eat sheep — they don’t copy them. Out Canadian duo Tegan and Sara continue to impress with their sixth album, “Sainthood,” Tegan and Sara exploring Sainthood devotion, Sire Records delusion and exemplary behavior in the pursuit of love.
Tegan and Sara seem to have their songwriting down to a science by now and, at times, seem like the second coming of Missing Persons (it’s their voices and intricate harmonies) — especially urgent and efficient, yet with sonically complex synth-augmented tracks in their arsenal like “Arrow,” “Night Watch” and “On Directing.” But “Sainthood” isn’t all polish either. Garage rock also reigns on this record with sparser, more punk-influenced tracks like “Hell,” “Northshore” and “The Cure.” Tegan and Sarah are at their best when they find a happy balance between those extremes. “Don’t Rush” is a strong, intense piece of newwave-influenced rock muscle. “The Ocean” is an energetic piece of alt-rock that makes us miss the early days of R.E.M. A simple and laid-back vibe makes “Red Belt” a catchy standout as well. Canadians are so freakin’ cool. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
STREET Domestic & Foreign Care State Inspection & Emissions Inspection
215-928-0376 820-22 S. 11th Street at Christian
PGN
Have yourself a Merry Christmas, Mary.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
PORTRAIT From Page 33 during a championship game and hit the steel plate that holds the poles up and shattered my pelvis. It ended my tennis career. PGN: A celebrity encounter? SS: Taylor is also an actress and she got real close to being cast in “Gypsy” with Bernadette Peters. For years I used to carry an old vinyl 7-inch single of Bernadette’s rendition of “Gee
worth watching:
Wiz” and “Dedicated to the One I Love.” We got to go to the cast party and got to meet her. I told her that I used to play her records and she was absolutely floored by it. She wanted to know where I played and if I still had the records. It was exciting that she was so excited. PGN: What’s one of the best things about your work? SS: I get to work with some wonderful charities. Over the years, I’ve helped raise money for AIDS, for cancer,
FRIDAY Yes, Virginia
SUNDAY No Fats, Femmes or Asians Comedian Alec Mapa performs in the world premiere of his new one-man show. 1 a.m. on Logo.
Ugly Betty Look for gay character Marc. 9 p.m. on ABC.
Trick A stripper picks up an aspiring musician on a subway one night and the two desperately try to find some place to be alone. Tori Spelling costars. 8 p.m. on Logo.
An 8-year-old girl in 1897 New York City tries to discover if Santa really exists. Out actor Neil Patrick Harris stars. 8 p.m. on CBS.
SATURDAY It’s a Wonderful Life Merry Christmas! 8 p.m. on NBC. Red Without Blue Identical twins Mark and Alex have always defined themselves in terms of each other. But when Alex decides to undergo a sexchange operation, Mark starts to question his own sense of being. 8 p.m. on Logo. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer The stop-motion holiday classic is back. 8 p.m. on CBS.
The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty The surviving Jacksons have their own reality show. We’re guessing Janet is probably sitting this one out. 9 p.m. on A&E. Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special Do you think Oprah needed an invitation? 10 p.m. on ABC. Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew Look for gay cast member, writer/director Duncan Roy. 10 p.m. on VH1.
Suze Orman Show The out money expert gives MONDAY advice. 9 p.m. on CNBC. PTown Diaries This documentary explores The Wanda Sykes how Provincetown became Show one of the top LGBT vacaThe out comedian has a tion communities. 4 p.m. drag-queen sidekick, an on Logo. open bar and celebrity guests. 11 p.m. on Fox. Jennifer Hudson: I’ll Be Home For Saturday Night Live Christmas Taylor Lautner (“New The award-winning actress Moon”) hosts and Bon Jovi and singer performs. 8 is the musical guest this p.m. on ABC. week. 11:30 p.m. on NBC.
for children. Over the years, I’ve invited different political figures to come into the clubs so we could ask them what they planned to do for our community. It’s nice when you can do something that helps make a difference. PGN: So after 30 years in the business, what do you think? SS: Well, there’s a lot of cynicism in the world — and especially in our community — and that saddens me. People will ask me how I’ve been able to
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do it for 30 years. I think it’s really important that we express what an incredible community we have. Part of what has made working in the women’s community enjoyable for me is reaching out, building relationships, unifying the generations and trying to close the gap between us, appealing across the board to young and old, city to suburbs. I love our community and cherish being a part of it. I can’t believe it’s been 30 years: It seems like I just started yesterday. But there’s always some-
How I Met Your Mother Openly gay Neil Patrick Harris stars as skirt-chaser Barney. 8 p.m. on CBS.
Out comedian Wanda Sykes plays Christine’s best friend Barb. Molly Shannon guest stars. 8 p.m. on CBS.
The Sing-Off A-cappella groups from around the country compete for a cash prize. 8 p.m. on NBC.
So You Think You Can Dance The two-hour live finale. 8 p.m. on Fox.
The Decorating Adventures of Ambrose Price The out design guru’s reality show spruces things up. 10 p.m. on Logo. TUESDAY Charlie Brown Christmas The Peanuts gang spreads holiday cheer. 8 p.m. on ABC. So You Think You Can Dance Part one of the season finale. 8 p.m. on Fox. WEDNESDAY The New Adventures of Old Christine
thing new to do. This spring, I’ll be running the Spring Fling, which is a formal event that was run by a group of fabulous women who recently stepped down, so I’ve been nominated to take over. And, of course, I hope everyone will come out for my Back in the Day holiday party at Sisters on the 20th. Ho ho ho! ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portraits,” write to: Family Portraits, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 or portraits05@aol.com.
Glee The club’s unity is threatened. 9 p.m. on Fox. Modern Family Watch for gay couple Mitchell and Cameron. 9 p.m. on ABC. Top Chef The reunion show. 10 p.m. on Bravo. THURSDAY Survivor: Samoa Watch for lesbian contestant Shambo. 8 p.m. on CBS. Grey’s Anatomy Gay-friendly and a repeat this week. 9 p.m. on ABC.
Queer TV you can always see: One Life to Live
Kyle and Fish are going to have sex at some point before the year is over, so stay tuned. Monday-Friday, 2 p.m. on ABC. Ellen
Monday-Friday, 3 p.m. on NBC. The Rachel Maddow Show
Monday-Friday, 9 p.m. on MSNBC.
PRIMETIME PLAYER DISHES THE DIRTY: Once “SNL” and “The Wanda Sykes Show” is over on Saturday, click over to Logo to watch actor and Philly Pride stage alum Alec Mapa (“Ugly Betty,” “Desperate Housewives,” “TransAmerican Love Story”) deliver the laughs in the world premiere of his new stand-up special, “No Fats, Femmes or Asians.” This special is too wild for primetime, airing at 1 a.m. Dec. 13, and touches on topics ranging from the raunchy to the unbelievable. Photo: Courtesy of Logo
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Diversions
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Your guide to arts and entertainment
Theater
A Christmas Carol/ The Christmas Carol Conspiracy: Scrooge’s Revenge Both plays — one a faithful production of the holiday classic and the other a dark farce — run on alternating nights through Dec. 20 at the Heritage Center, 635 N. Delmorr Ave., Morrisville; (215) 295-3694. The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon The classic children’s book comes to life through Jan. 3 at the Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St.; (215) 893-1999. Babes in Toyland The traditional holiday musical is performed at 10:15 a.m. Dec. 11 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 572-7650. The Eight: Reindeer Monologues BCKSEET Productions presents the return of this holiday black comedy in which eight reindeer vent about Santa and Rudolph, through Dec. 23 at the Red Room at Society Hill Playhouse, 507 S. Eighth St.; (215) 923-0210.
Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Diversions, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147; fax them to (215) 925-6437; or e-mail them to diversions@epgn. com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.
The :nv:s:ble Play Philadelphia Theatre Workshop presents the world premiere of the story of people trying to hang on in the workplace, through Dec. 13 at Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio 5, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550.
The Glorious Sounds of Christmas The Philadelphia Orchestra performs timeless holiday classics at 7 p.m. Dec. 1719 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat The Devon Theatre presents a rainbow ride through biblical Egypt, through Dec. 13, 6319 Frankford Ave.; (215) 3386300.
Get the Led Out The Led Zeppelin tribute band performs at 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; (215) 627-1332.
The Light in the Piazza Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the love story set in Italy, through Dec. 13 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; (215) 985-0420. Oliver! Walnut Street Theatre presents one of the world’s most beloved musicals, through Jan. 10, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550. On Golden Pond Act II Playhouse presents the now-classic drama, through Dec. 13, 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler; (215) 654-1011. Rabbit Hole The Arden Theatre presents the story of a family in crisis, facing the challenges of surviving great loss and making a life with the family that remains, through Dec. 20, 40 N. Second St.; (215) 9221122. Red, White & Tuna Walnut Street Theatre presents two comic masters bringing to life 24 characters from Tuna, Texas, through Jan. 3 at Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 5743550.
Music other
BETTER WATCH OUT: If you’ve got a Santa fetish or, at the very least, a thing for an older bear-ish man in red velvet and leather boots, you might want to sleigh on down to AxD Gallery for “Naughty,” an exhibition of grown-up (read: mature-audiences-only) holiday drawings starring Kris Kringle by out graphic artist Michael Broderick, through Dec. 31, 265 S. 10th St. For more information, visit www.a-x-d.com or www. hottlead.com or call (215) 627-6250.
The Santaland Diaries Flashpoint Theatre Company presents the holiday comedy based on the bestselling book by out humorist David Sedaris, through Dec. 20 at Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St.; (215) 6659720.
Music classical Holiday POPS! Peter Nero and the Philly Pops perform a series of holiday-themed shows, through Dec. 20 at Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Scapin Lantern Theater Company presents Molière’s classic farce, through Jan. 3 at St. Stephen’s Theater, 923 Ludlow St.; (215) 8290395.
The Ring-Orchestral Adventure The Philadelphia Orchestra presents the world premiere of the Violin Concerto by George Walker, 8 p.m. Dec. 12 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
This Is the Week that Is 1812 Productions presents its signature take on political satire, through Jan. 3 at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St.; (215) 592-9560.
Messiah The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Handel’s holiday classic, 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 7905847.
Fourth-annual Lizanne Knott and Friends Philabundance Benefit Beaucoup Blue, John Conahan and Lizanne Knott Band team up for a benefit show at 9 p.m. Dec. 11 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400.
presents an eye-opening journey through the inner workings of the human body through a broad collection of authentic human specimens, through Feb. 20, 222 N. 20th St.; (215) 448-1200. Clublife The William Way LGBT Community Center hosts an exhibition by photographer Kalina Isato featuring transgender women, through Dec. 31, 1315 Spruce St.; www. transvamp.com/gallery. Diana: A Celebration The National Constitution Center presents an exhibition exploring Diana’s childhood, her engagement to Prince Charles, their royal wedding and Diana’s life and work as a global humanitarian, through Dec. 31, 525 Arch St.; (866) 9171787.
Anne McCue The out singer-songwriter performs at 8 p.m. Dec. 12 at the PSALM Salon, 5841 Overbrook Ave.; (215) 477- 8x10 and Under: Small 7578. Landscapes Gallery 339 presents a new Drivetime with Justin photography exhibition Guarini through Jan. 23, 339 S. 21st The jazz group and the St.; (215) 731-1530. “American Idol” runnerup perform at 8 p.m. Dec. 16 Lace in Translation at World Cafe Live, 3025 The Design Center at Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400. Philadelphia University presents a new exhibition of contemporary work inspired by historic lace, through Agulhas April 3, 4200 Henry Ave.; Gallery 339 presents an (215) 951-2860. exhibition of works by Edward Dimsdale, through Ragas and Rajas: Jan. 23, 339 S. 21st St.; Musical Imagery of (215) 731-1530. Courtly India The Philadelphia Museum Annual Holiday Show of Art presents a diverse ArtStar Gallery hosts an selection of paintings and exhibition of handmade sculptures from across the ornaments and holiday subcontinent, through Feb. cards by select artists, 28, 2600 Benjamin Franklin through Dec. 31, 623 N. Second St.; (215) 238-1557. Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Exhibits
Body Worlds 2 & The Brain The Franklin Institute
Rockwell’s America The largest 3-D Norman Rockwell exhibit in the
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
world takes visitors on a unique journey that includes segments from the Academy Award-winning film “Norman Rockwell’s World,” 20 theatrical environments, 35 threedimensional life-sized depictions of Rockwell’s characters and dozens of interactive educational experiences, through March 14 at King of Prussia Mall’s Lower Level Plaza, 256 Mall Blvd.; (610) 7680710. Step Right Up Bahdeebahdu presents the talented mixed-media work of Ryan Wilson Kelly, Melissa Stern and Ricky Boscarino, each bound by a circle of light to produce a single circus theme, through Jan. 30, 1522 N. American St.; (215) 6275002.
Dance
The Nutcracker The Pennsylvania Ballet
performs the holiday classic Dec. 12-31 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Film
White Christmas This 1954 holiday musical is screened at 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 9170223. A Christmas Carol: A Unique Take on a Holiday Classic Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents Drexel professor Ian Abrams for a screening and discussion of a very special version of the Dickens classic starring Alastair Sim, Michael Caine, George C. Scott, Bill Murray, Patrick Stewart and Mr. Magoo — all playing Scrooge — at 7 p.m. Dec. 16, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr; (610) 527-9898.
PGN
Books
Robert Gabrick The author of “Going Santa Day the Greyhound Way: The Out sci-fi author Samuel R. Romance of the Road” Delaney dresses up as Ol’ hosts a reading at 7:30 p.m. St. Nick for a family event Dec. 16 at Central Library, and raffle, 2 p.m. Dec. 12 1901 Vine St.; (215) 686at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 5322. 12th St.; (215) 923-2960. Julie Powell The author of “Julie and Julia” and “Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession” hosts a reading at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; (215) 686-5322. Trudy Rubin and Aldo Magazzeni The journalist and the Pennsylvania businessman who builds water systems for poor Afghan communities host a discussion on the state of affairs in Afghanistan, 7 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17 at Moonstone Arts Center, 110A S. 13th St.; (215) 735-9600.
Pick
Who doesn’t aspire to be as cool and badass as Joan Jett when they get to 50? With an arsenal of stagerattling anthems under her belt, the singer, songwriter, record-label head and allaround rock icon brings her band, The Blackhearts, to the area to blow the windows out of everything in earshot, 8 p.m. Dec. 12 at Harrah’s Atlantic City, 777 Harrah’s Blvd. For more information, visit www.joanjett.com or call (609) 441-5000. Photo: Mick Rock
Cabaret
Mel & El: Gay Married The comedic cabaret duo performs at 9 p.m. Dec. 12 at Harlans at The Nevermore, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; (215) 862-5225. Andy Prescott The local piano-bar entertainer performs from 6-10 p.m. Dec. 21 and 28 at Bowman’s Tavern, 1600 River Road, New Hope; (215) 862-2972. Jon and Kate plus HATE in Outer Space The Dumpsta Players take out this year’s trash with another outrageous show, from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec.
PAGE 43
16 at Bob & Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; (215) 5454511.
Auditions
Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus Auditions for the 200910 concert season will be held for singers of all skill levels and voice parts by appointment only, 7-9 p.m. Dec. 16 at Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2111 Sansom St.; (215) 731-9230 or auditions@pgmc.org.
Etc.
Protecting LGBT Youth Lambda Legal hosts an update and discussion on its work in Philadelphia and the importance of institutions supporting youth in the community, 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; (215) 923-2960. Jackie Mason The comedian performs at
8 p.m. Dec. 12 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 5727650. Cirque Dreams: Holidaze The holiday spectacular, in which performers pull off astonishing feats, runs through Dec. 13 at Xanadu Theater at Trump Taj Mahal, 1000 Boardwalk Ave., Atlantic City; (609) 449-5150. Latkepalooza Philadelphia’s biggest Hanukkah celebration, serving over 3,000 latkes to over 500 adults and kids, will take place from 2-4 p.m. Dec. 13 at The Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St.; (215) 545-4400. Open Mic Sign up at 6:30 p.m. to read or perform at 7 p.m. Dec. 13 at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; (215) 9232960. ■
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 44
Meeting Place A community bulletin board of activities, facilities and organizations
Community centers ■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held from 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday through Friday. See the Youth section for more events. 255 S. 16th St.; (215) 545-4331 ■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St.; (215) 898-5044; center@dolphin.upenn.edu, Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. ■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; (215) 348-0558 ext. 65; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. ■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; (215) 732-2220; www.waygay.org. Peer counseling: Monday through Friday, 6-9 p.m. Library hours: Mondays 3-9 p.m., Tuesdays 3-6 p.m., Wednesdays 3-9 p.m., Thursdays 3-9 p.m., Fridays 3-9 p.m., Saturdays noon-6 p.m., Sundays noon-6 p.m. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.; Volunteer Velada, third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.
Health Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 166 W. Lehigh Ave.; (215) 763-8870 ext. 6000. AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., suite 205; (2215) 536-2424. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; (215) 851-1822 or (866) 222-3871. Spanish/English. HIV testing Free, anonymous testing and counseling is offered from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment at AIDS Resource, 520 W. Fourth St., suite 2A, Williamsport; (570) 322-8448.
Key numbers
HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; (215) 685-1803. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications, confidential HIV testing available at 17 MacDade Blvd., suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; (610) 586-9077. Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 1201 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-0652. www. mazzonicenter.org. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; (215) 985-9206.
Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: (215) 686-2555
■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: (215) 587-9377
■ Mazzoni Center: (215) 563-0652; www. mazzonicenter.org
■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: (856) 933-9500 ext. 221
■ Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine: (215) 563-0658
■ AIDS Library: (215) 985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: (215) 592-1513
■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): (215) 572-1833
■ AIDS Treatment hot line: (215) 5452212
■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: (215) 686-4670
■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: (215) 685-1633
■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: (215) 772-2000
■ The COLOURS Organization Inc. 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; (215) 4960330. ■ Equality Advocates Pennsylvania: (215) 731-1447; (866) LGBTLAW ■ Equality Forum: (215) 732-3378 ■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: (215) 732-TALK ■ Mayor’s liaison to LGBT communities: Gloria Casarez, (215) 686-2194; Gloria.
■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Chief Inspector James Tiano: (215) 685-3655 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: (215) 494-LGBT; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: (215) 875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: (717) 920-9537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: (215) 732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)
Religion/Spirituality
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Arch Street United Methodist Church Services at 8:30 and 11 a.m. at Broad and Arch streets; (215) 568-6250.
First United Methodist Church of Philadelphia Inclusive, welcoming and progressive congregation worships at 11 a.m. Sundays at 6023 Germantown Ave. Lunch follows; childcare is provided; (215) 438-3677.
Bethlehem-Judah Ministries Open and affirming congregation holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 3847 N. Dupont Hwy., Kent Plaza Suite #2, Dover, Del.; (302) 734-9350.
Gay Christian Singles Philly Burbs Provides support and fellowship for GLBT singles through discussion groups and social events; (610) 457-2081; gcsphillyburbs@aol.com.
BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Church Hold services at 10:15 a.m. at 2040 Street Road, Warrington; (215) 343-0406.
Global Heart Spiritual Center Holds services at 10:30 a.m. at 1812 HaddonfieldBerlin Road, Cherry Hill, N.J.; (609) 868-2372.
Calvary United Methodist Church Reconciling, welcoming and affirming church holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue; (215) 724-1702.
Grace Epiphany Church A welcoming and diverse Episcopal congregation in Mt. Airy, holds services at 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sundays, at 224 E. Gowen Ave., Mt. Airy; (215) 248-2950; www.grace-epi.org.
Central Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:45 a.m. Sundays at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; (610) 688-0664. Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church Services at 11 a.m. and Spirit at Play, an arts-based Sunday school for children, at 9:30 a.m. at 8812 Germantown Ave.; (215) 242-9321. Church of the Crucifixion Inclusive Episcopal community holds services at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sundays at Eighth and Bainbridge streets; (215) 922-1128. Church of the Trinity Lutheran Reconciling in Christ parish holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 18th and Wolf streets; (215) 334-6656. Dignity Jersey Shore An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets first Saturday of the month in Asbury Park. For time and location, call (732) 502-0305. Dignity Metro NJ An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets at 4 p.m. Sundays at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, N.J.; (973) 857-4040. Dignity Philadelphia Holds Mass at 7 p.m. Sundays at 330 S. 13th St.; (215) 546-2093; dignityphila@aol.com.
Holy Communion Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation worships Sundays at 9 a.m. at 2111 Sansom St. and 11 a.m. at 2110 Chestnut St.; (215) 569-1840; www. centercitylutheran.org. Hope Ministry Family Fellowship Affirming Christ-centered church meets at 11 a.m. Sundays in Allentown; (610) 791-0716; hmff2001@aol.com. 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.
St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation holds services at 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 liturgy at 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays fall through winter and “Prayer Around the Cross” at 7 p.m. first Friday of the month at 330 S. 13th St.; (215) 732-1918. St. Mary of Grace Parish Inclusive church in the Catholic tradition celebrates Mass at 6 p.m. Sundays in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media; (610) 566-1393; www. inclusivecatholics.org.
Tabernacle United Church Open and affirming congregation holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 3700 Chestnut St.; (215) 3864100.
Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist Synagogue committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community meets at Calvary Center, 801 S. 48th St.; (215) 764-6364; www. kol-tzedek.org.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County Welcoming congregation holds services at 10:30 a.m. at 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media. Children’s program (pre-8th) 10:30 a.m.; youth programming 6 p.m. Sunday; (610) 566-4853; www.uucdc.org.
Maple Shade Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ Affirming congregation open to all sexual orientations and gender identities holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 45 N. Forklanding Road, Maple Shade, N.J.; (856) 779-7739; mapleshadeucc.org.
Episcopal Church of St. Paul Welcoming and inclusive church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 89 Pinewood Drive, Levittown; (215) 945-2886; www.saint-paulslevittown.org.
Metropolitan Community Church Holds services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays preceded by a 9:30 a.m. Bible study at The Pride Center of New Jersey.
Evangelicals Concerned Lesbian and gay Christian group meets at 2 p.m. the second and fourth Sundays of the month; (215) 860-7445.
Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia Holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at the William Way Center, 1315 Spruce St.; (215) 735-MCC3; www.mccphiladelphia.com.
The First United Church of Germantown A sexual-minority-affirming congregation holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at 6023 Germantown Ave.; lunch follows; (215) 438-3677.
St. Asaph’s Church Inclusive and progressive Episcopal Church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays, with a contemplative communion at 8 a.m. at 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd; (610) 664-0966; www. saintasaphs.org.
LC/NA Delaware Valley chapter A group for Lutherans who are not out in their own congregations meets at 7 p.m. fourth Sunday of the month at University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St.; (215) 387-2885.
Emanuel Lutheran Church Reconciling in Christ congregation meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at New and Kirkpatrick streets, New Brunswick, N.J.; (732) 545-2673; www. emmanuelnb.org.
First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia A liberal, welcoming and diverse congregation that affirms the dignity of all. Sunday services at 10 a.m. at 2125 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-3980; www.firstuuphilly.org.
Silverside Church Holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays followed by a group discussion at 2800 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Del.; (302) 478-5921.
St. Mary’s Church Diverse and inclusive Episcopal church, with openly gay rector, celebrates Eucharist at 11 a.m. Sundays; adult forum is held at 9:30 a.m.; and evening prayer is at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 3916 Locust Walk; (215) 386-3916; www.stmarysatpenn. org.
Mainline Unitarian Church Holds services at 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon; (610) 688-8332; www. mluc.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.org.
Resurrection Lutheran Church Holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 620 Welsh Road, Horsham; (215) 646-2597.
Interweave Organization of LGBT Unitarians and allies meets monthly at Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill, N.J., 401 N. Kings Highway; (856) 667-3618; www.uucinch.org.
Drexel Hill Baptist Church Non-judgmental Christian congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the USA holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at Childs Avenue and State Road, Drexel Hill; (610) 259-2356; www. adhbaptist.com.
First Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays at 123 S. 17th St.; (215) 563-3853.
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting worships at 11 a.m. Sundays at 1515 Cherry St.; (215) 241-7260; cpmm@afsc.org.
New Thought Spiritual Community Nondenominational service is offered at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at Cradle of Liberty Council, 1485 Valley Forge Road, Wayne; (610) 962-9923. Old First Reformed Church Open and affirming United Church worships at 11 a.m. Sundays September through June, and 10 a.m. June through August at 151 N. Fourth St.; (215) 922-4566; www.oldfirstucc.org. Penns Park United Methodist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; (215) 598-7601. Rainbow Buddhist Meditation Group Meets at 5 p.m. Sundays at the William Way Center.
Unitarian Society of Germantown Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 6511 Lincoln Drive (West Mt. Airy); (215) 844-1158; www.usguu.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill Holds services at 10:15 a.m. at 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; (856) 667-3618. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration, Mt. Airy Welcoming congregation holds services at 11 a.m. Sundays September through June at 6900 Stenton Ave.; (215) 836-1812; www.uurestoration.us. Unitarian Universalist Congregation, South Jersey Shore Holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays in Galloway Township, N.J.; (609) 926-8890; www.uucsjs.org. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown Holds services at 10 a.m. at 1565 S. Keim St., Pottstown; (610) 327-2662. United Christian Church Open, affirming and welcoming congregation holds servies at 11 a.m. Sundays at 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown; (215) 946-6800. Unity Fellowship Church of Philadelphia Diverse, affirming GLBT congregation holds services at 2 p.m. Sundays at Broad and Arch streets; (215) 222-3180. University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation Welcoming congregation holds services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 3637 Chestnut St. preceded by “Adult Forum: Sundays” at 9:30 discussing religious alienation and struggles of faith; (215) 387-2885.
Send submissions to pgn@epgn.com or fax (215) 925-6437 PGN Meeting Place, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 Meeting Place is a public service. Submissions must include a phone number for publication.
Complete Meeting Place listings of all Parent/Family, Professional, Recovery, Recreation, Religion, Sports, Men, Women, Trans, Youth groups can be found online @ www.phliagaynews.com and www.epgn.com
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 45
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 46
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Classifieds With Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services and Personals
Rates on 30-year mortgages set new record low By Alan Zibel The Associated Press The average interest rate for a 30-year mortgage dropped to a record low of 4.71 percent last week, pushed down by an aggressive government campaign to reduce borrowing costs. The rate, published last Thursday by Freddie Mac, is the lowest since the mortgage-finance company began tracking the data in 1971. The previous record of 4.78 percent was set during the week ending April 30 and matched last week. The Federal Reserve is pumping $1.25 trillion into mortgagebacked securities to try to bring down mortgage rates, but that money is set to run out next spring. The goal of the program is to make
home buying more affordable and prop up the housing market. Despite the government support, qualifying for a loan is still tough. Lenders have tightened their standards dramatically, so the best rates are available to those with solid credit and a 20-percent down payment. Freddie Mac collects mortgage rates on Monday through Wednesday of each week from lenders across the country. Rates often fluctuate significantly, even within a given day, often tracking yields on long-term Treasury bonds. Last week’s drop reflects a rush of investors into the security of government debt after concerns about financial trouble in Dubai drove investors to safe harbors. But rates climbed back later in the
week, and analysts say they are likely to remain volatile. “There are no guarantees that mortgage rates are going to stay at these low levels,” said Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com. And millions of American families have not been able to take advantage of them, particularly in the areas where home prices have fallen the most. About 11-million households, or 23 percent of homeowners with a mortgage, owe more on their home loans than their house is currently worth, according to First American CoreLogic, a real-estate information company. That makes refinancing difficult. While the government has launched a program designed
to help these “underwater” borrowers, only about 140,000 homeowners have used it so far. In Orlando, mortgage broker Chris Brown said the low rates are a boon to first-time homebuyers, who can qualify for a loan. But he added he isn’t getting much business from homeowners looking to refinance. “Most of the people that could refinance probably have” done so, he said. “Rates have been artificially low for quite some time.” The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low of 4.27 percent, from 4.29 percent last week, according to Freddie Mac. Rates on five-year, adjustablerate mortgages averaged 4.19 percent, up from 4.18 percent a
week earlier. Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages fell to 4.25 percent from 4.35 percent. The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. One point is equal to 1 percent of the total loan amount. The nationwide fee for loans in Freddie Mac’s survey averaged 0.7 points for 30-year loans. The fee averaged 0.6 points for 15-year, five-year and one-year loans. Buyers and homeowners who want to refinance are picking up their phones. Mortgage applications rose 2 percent last week from a week earlier, the Mortgage Bankers Association said last Wednesday, driven by a more-than 4-percent increase in purchase applications and a nearly 2-percent increase in applications to refinance existing loans. ■
Location! Location! Location! This week’s featured property
Beds: 3 Baths: 2.5 Square footage: 1,600 Age of property: 4 years Cost: $399,900 Realtor: Barbara Capozzi Real-estate co.: Capozzi Real Estate Phone: 215-551-5100 Direct: 267-973-0848 Web site: www.CapozziRealEstate.com E-mail: bc@CapozziRealEstate.com
Lovely corner, beautiful bright home on 2 levels. Driveway. 6 yr. balance of tax abatement. Many upgrades.
Check your ad
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Packer Park Reserve
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Philadelphia Gay News assumes responsibility for errors in classified ads only when notified by noon the Tuesday after the ad first appears. To receive credit for errors, please notify PGN by then. Credit only will be extended in the form of additional advertising space. Any cash refunds, for any reason, are subject to a $10 service charge. PGN will publish no classified ad — in any category — that contains sexually explicit language. Obviously excluded are traditional four-letter words that relate to sexual activity. Other words may be excluded at the discretion of the publisher, who reserves the right to edit or rewrite any ad that, in his opinion, violates this policy or its intent.
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REAL ESTATE
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GREAT BUILDING IN GAYBORHOOD GREAT INVESTMENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY NEAR 11TH & LOCUST, $599K Come see this wonderful bldg w/2 spacious rental apartments and large commercial space on 1st floor. In the heart of Center City. Currently a doctor’s office, zoned C-1. Could be made into condos or large single dwelling. Great condition, price, location. Call for appointment. JULIE WELKER COLDWELL BANKER WELKER REAL ESTATE 215-235-7800 _______________________________33-52
WOODED LAND & FARMS Riverfront & Ponds “Garage Sale” List Over 20 properties that must be sold now! Discounts as much as 50%. CALL NOW! 800-229-7843 www.LandandCamps.com _______________________________33-50 VENTNOR, NJ, FACING THE BAY House and Adjacent Lot (inground swimming pool). 1st floor 3 bedrooms, bath, living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room and deck. 2nd floor 2 bedrooms, bath, efficiency kitchen, living room, dining area and deck. Central Air. Corner Property. Call 215 468 9166 evenings only. $675,000.00. Also property for rent1500.00 month plus utilities. _______________________________33-52
GREAT INVESTMENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
NEAR 11TH & LOCUST, $599K
REAL ESTATE
SALE
Upstate New York Old Farmhouse & Barns on 5 Acres- $39,995. Excellent recreated area. Near snowmobile tracts, stateland, & farms. Excellent hunting & fishing right there! Call Christmas & Associates 800-229-7843 Or Visit www.LandandCamps.com _______________________________33-50 Cameron County- 9.8 acres in Portage Twp with 500’ of trout stream frontage and state forest frontage, electric, Perc, hard road. $89,000 owner financing. 800-668-8679. _______________________________33-50 1-4 Bd Homes from $176/mo! Move in 12/mo’s, OR, apply your 12/mo’s of rent as down-pymnt! For Listings 800-350-4198. _______________________________33-50
Come see this wonderful bldg w/2 spacious rental apartments and large commercial space on 1st floor. In the heart of Center City. Currently a doctor’s office, zoned C-1. Could be used made into condo’s or large single dwelling. Great condition, price, location. Call for appointment.
JULIE WELKER
COLDWELL BANKER WELKER REAL ESTATE
215-235-7800
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Conrad Kuhn Kuhn Conrad
Broker/Sales Rep. Rep. Since Since 1987 1987 Broker/Sales NJAR Circle Circle of of Excellence Excellence Sales Sales Award Award 19911991- 2007 2007 NJAR Weichert President’s President’s & & Ambassador’s Ambassador’s Clubs Clubs Weichert
Office: 856.227.1950 856.227.1950 ext. ext. 124 124 Office: Cell: 609.221.1196 Cell: 609.221.1196 www.conradkuhn.com Realtor856@aol.com Realtor856@aol.com www.conradkuhn.com TV, heat and hot water, all included. Washingtonsatellite Township Office Washington Township You pay; gas Office cooking and electric. Subway 5070 Route 42 door. $1,200 / month. 42 and 5070 bus atRoute the front Turnersville, NJ 08012 08012 215-416-5545. Available May 2008. This is a Turnersville, NJ
����������� ����� �������������������� Art Museum Area-- off 26th St. (800 N. Bambrey, 19130) Corner house on quiet street, close to public transportation. Newly renovated, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, hardwood floors, AC, laundry, deck, PARKING, wired. $1600+ call 215-990-4850. Go to kratzworks. com for pix. _______________________________33-20 ���������������� Two bedroom split-level apartment on second floor of row home at 20th and Christian streets. LR, kitchen/dining, bath, small foyer. On-street parking, pets okay. Utilities separate. $875+two months deposit. Scott 267.736.6743. _______________________________33-18 ����������������� 1 BR apts. avail. Various choices. $750 to $1000/mo. Call soon, 215-901-0041. _______________________________33-21 �������������������� 3 room apartment, living room, kitchen, bath, and bedroom (all Large rooms) 2nd floor, private entrance. $1000.00 month, includes utilities. Call 215 686-3431 or 215-468-9166 evenings. _______________________________33-24 ������������������ Entire 3rd floor apartment for rent has large eat-in kitchen with ice maker, built in micro, d/w, garb disp. lots of counter and storage. hall closet, very large living room, rent includes all channel Tevo. bathroom has a washer/dryer, another hall closet and two bedrooms with more closets. Heat and hot water is also included. $1,200.00/month. This is a non-smoking building. 215-416-5545. _______________________________33-20
Gay is our middle name.
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Gay is our middle name.
_______________________________32-18 5 bedroom, 2 Baths Bank Repo only $45,000! Payments from $199/month! 5% down, 20
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3 Bedroom Bank foreclosure only $207/month! 4 bedroom, 2 bath home only $238/month! 5% down, 20 years @8% apr! For listings ��������������������������������
�������������������������������� �������������������������������� ������������������������� ___________________________________ ����������������� ���������������� Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 Lovely 3 W/D, bd. 1upper ba. fully furnished home in full baths, and lower decks, use of beautiful secluded gay court. 2 blocks to kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 beach, jitney at corner. Long season-12,500. min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + _______________________________32-17 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. _______________________________33-19 Lg. twhnse, 3 BR, 2.5 BA. No pets or smoking. NE Phila. house to share. $350/mo. Call Jim, _______________________________32-19 215-821-1062. _______________________________33-18 Best selection�������������� of affordable rentals. Full/partial weeks. Call for free brochure. Open daily. Beach blk. Share lovely 3 BR house w/senior Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102 Online citizen. Full house privileges. Must be employed. $950/mo. Call Jim at 609-458-3711 _______________________________32-16 to discuss details. eld, Debordieu, The _______________________________33-19 Jewels of the South Carolina Coast. House/ condo 2rentals. Beach start cable. here! Share BR apt. Uppervacations Darby, W/D, www.lachicotte.com. For availability call 1$350. Call 610-352-1188. _______________________________33-21 _______________________________32-16 Roommate wanted to share home in Norristown. $600/mo. + half utils. Ref. req. Must love cats. call 610-270-0288. No drugs. _______________________________33-21 _______________________________32-16
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DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
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Attention Hunters! 60 Acres- $99,900 Timber ������������ liquidating a hunting 20AC with Utilities & paradiseCountry loaded Road w/big was Condo 4 Sale, End Unit, 3rd Fl., 2 BD/1 BA, co. whitetail hardwood trails me$99,900 deer. Now All $69,900 BLMsetting, access. Deer & Cozy studio available Dec 1 with separate XL Kitchen-granice countertops, cherry wood eat-in-kitchen and bath, French doors, andering throughout, pristine mountain views. elk galore! Call to view 877-229-7840 www. cabinets, H/W wood floors t/o, Mstr. BD with hardwood floors, dishwasher, garbage disposal, central air,frontage, washer/dryer stor- to Old state road just 20and minutes town. Best buy in (8th Westand Virginia! Easy owner w/i closet & loft, hi ceilings, 6ft. windows in $4 _______________________________32-16 age space. Good credit history a must. 919 South 8th Street Montrose) hund’s. Pet friendly. Doree Gitzes, Realtor, financing. Call now 1-877-526-3764. cmorris@ssproperties.us _______________________________33-18 Long & Foster Real Estate, 215-348-0000, Luxury four bedroom, four bath. Fully furnished. Mountain and lake views. $678,000. Call Dave X-8015. Open House, Sunday May 3, 1-3 _______________________________33-18 Bright one bedroom available Jan 1 with fireplace, hardwood floors, garbage _______________________________32-16 72 acres along McKean/Potter disposal, washer/dryer & central air. Good credit history a must. 506 SouthCounty 8th line near Shinglehouse. Mostly wooded, some Street. cmorris@ssproperties.us open area, includes old hunting cabin, electric, $199,000. Field and Stream RE.
����������� REAL ESTATE �SALE ����
Cozy Studio, $675/mth
One Bedroom with Fireplace, $810/mth
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Ask about a����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� free month! Brand new, largve,_______________________________32-16 two bedroom, two bath in certified �������������������������������������������������������������������� historic property on Washington Square with hardwood floors, BBQ area, large �� ��������������������������������������������������������������������� closets, SS appliances including dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave, central �� ������������������������������������������������������������������ �� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ air and laundry facility in building. Good credit history a must. 711 Walnut on the ������� park. �������� ������������������������������������������������������������ ��������������������������������������������������������
SS Properties cmorris@ssproperties.us ��������������������� ������������� ���������������� ��������������������� 267-402-8017 �������������� ��������������
Future Plans Include Your Own Home? Start Your Future . . . Now! 604 S. American: Unique & Charming! 1650 Sq. Ft. 3 fireplaces, Large Studio Attached, 2 BR , 1.5 Baths $359,000
Pier 3 2/2 w/PARKING Best view at end of Pier of Bridge & River . . . Ready to Make a Deal! $329,000
1027 Arch 2/2 Sleek 4 Stylish! Best of upgrades. . . Aquick Possession possible . . . Hardwood, Granite/Steel! $385,000
at’s going on? Check out Diversions. 338 S. 12th Wash West w/ secure parking! 3+/2Ba Available now! $575,000
or call Suzanne Petruzel
215-790-5671 or 215-546-0550
PAGE 49
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ADULT VIDEO & TOY STORE FOR SALE. WITH 8 VIDEO BOOTHS. LOCATED IN STRATFORD, NJ. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL TED @ 215-694-0060
����������������� HELP WANTED �������������������������������� ������������������������
ALL CASH VENDING! Do you earn $800 in a day? Your own local candy route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy All for $9,995. 1-800-460-4027. _______________________________33-50
Hotel Night Auditor
The Alexander Inn seeks ROOMMATES ������������������������ a night auditor for full �������������������� PGN WILL NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DIStime work. Must have TINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS. SUCH ������������������������������������� prior front desk experiNOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. ������������������� ence. Good salary plus ___________________________________ GREATER NE PHILA. bonus package. ������������������������������������ Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay �������������������� men. House is 4 BR, 2 Call 215-923-3535 full baths, W/D, upper and lower decks, use of daytime. kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 ����������� min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. _______________________________33-52 Daddy w/2 BR sks M/F. 69th. 610-352-1188. _______________________________34-02 HAMILTON/TRENTON GAY HOME SHARE Share nice 4 bedroom home with 2 gay men. $500. per month includes all utilities, full house privileges, off street parking. Cable, wireless internet. Choose furnished or unfurnished room. Garage available for rent if you have storage needs. No smoking inside - outside o.k. Security deposit and reference please. 609-954-8763. _______________________________33-50 SOUTH PHILLY Share private home 1 block from Broad. Furnished BR, shared bath, full house priv. No drugs. Must be employed. $400/mo., utils incl. except phone. 215-551-7611. _______________________________33-50 SPRING CITY, CHESTER CO. Room for rent, $500/mo, all utils incl. Call 702-277-6864. _______________________________33-50 FLORENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ Share townhouse with GM, Pvt. BR. Near Riverlink rail line. Pet friendly. $650, utils. incl. Call Dave, 609-306-7846. _______________________________33-50
REAL ESTATE
RENT
12TH & DICKINSON AREA Furnished Townhouse for rent: 3 levels. Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2 bedrooms , bath. Very Unique. 1500. mo plus util. (negotiable). Call 215 468-9166 after 6 pm. or 215 686 3431 daytime. _______________________________33-52 STUDIO, RITTENHOUSE SQUARE AREA Hot water & Heat Included, Two months free on 15 month lease! Great Deal! $795+Elec (215) 546-1424. _______________________________33-50 FLORENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ Share townhouse with GM. Pvt. BR. Near Riverlink rail line. Pet friendly. $650, utils. incl. Call Dave, 609-306-7846.. _______________________________33-50 BROAD & ELLSWORTH VIC. 1 BR, 3rd fl. Modern. $925. 215-806-5050. _______________________________33-51 RITTENHOUSE SQUARE AREA Studio & One Bedroom Apartments (215) 735-8050 $795-$995 + Electricity. Heat & Hot Water included. Two Months Free on 15 month lease! Call now! (215)546-1424. _______________________________33-51 QUEEN VILLAGE 2 BR, ultra modern, brand new, granite and total stainless steel kitchen, tile bath, C/A, W/D, G/D, hdwd flrs, architecht’s dream! $1100/mo. Call 215-336-4629, cell: 215-687-8461. _______________________________34-01 WEST PHILADELPHIA. large 2nd flr 1 bdrm apt for rent $525 large 1st flr 2 bdrm apt for rent $650 54XX Chestnut St. gkfgroupllc@gmail.com _______________________________33-50 MANAYUNK APTS 1 BR 1 BA $900 + utils 1 BR 1.5 BA $1200 + utils 1 BR 1.5 BA $1225 + utils EADEH.COM or 610-647-1776 _______________________________34-02 OLD CITY APT 1 BR 1.5 BA $ 1000 + utils EADEH.COM or 610-647-1776 _______________________________34-02
HELP WANTED Werner Enterprises. Drive the Big Rigs. 35 Driver Trainees Needed. $700 to $800 Week. No CDL, No Problem. No Credit, No Problem. Start ASAP. Call 800-961-4319. _______________________________33-50 Driver: Flatbed Drivers - We Have The Freight To Make You $$. Must Have TWIC Card or Apply Within 30 days. Class A CDL. Western Express. 888-801-5295. _______________________________33-50 Driver: COMPANY DRIVERS average $800+ per week. Immediate Benefits. Great Equipment. CDL-A with 1 year experience, 23 yoa. Call NFI Sunday or anytime: 877-888-8476. www.nficareers.com _______________________________33-50
������������������ Position at �������������� ����������� Reading Terminal Market ������������
Part Time Christmas Help
����������������� Heavy Sales Experience Required ������������������
High End Sophisticated Person Ability to Speak French Helpful Dress Well, Likes to Talk to People May Turn Into a Permanent Position
Call for Appointment 610-306-4507
PAGE 108
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PAGE 108 CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIEDS
SERVICES DIRECTORY ����������������
PAGE 108
CLASSIFIEDS
W m APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008
Want to let mom, dad and all of your exs know you’re tying the knot?
Is it time to Is it time to look for a look for a new doctor? new doctor?
Is it time to look for a new doctor?
CLASSIFIEDS DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
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Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today!
Classifieds Liner Insertion Order
Select the TYPE STYLE you want from the examples below, and begin each line under the arrow to the left of the letter representing that style. Write to the end of the line (hyphenate words correctly. Do not stop at any other arrow, as each arrow represents a starting point. Allow one block for each letter, number, punctuation mark and space. Be sure to skip a space between words. PHONE NUMBER MUST INCLUDE AREA CODE. Be sure to circle one of the classifications and compute the cost of your ad. Liner advertising is on a PREPAY BASIS ONLY, and payment must accompany this form. PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL.
A
Type STYLE A Type STYLE B TYPE STYLE C
B
HEADLINE (24 SPACES PER LINE) FREE WHEN PLACED ONLINE 40 spaces Per Line 36 spaces Per Line 24 SPACES PER LINE
C
7 point 7 point 7 POINT
NAME ADDRESS CITY PHONE
PLEASE PRINT STATE
ZIP
AMEX • MASTERCARD • VISA • DISCOVER CARD NUMBER EXPIRATION SIGNATURE NAME ON CARD # # #
“A” LINES @ $5.50 - $ “B” LINES @ $7.50 - $ “C” LINES @ $10.00 - $ BOX YOUR AD $5.00
SUBTOTAL
S wed
a an w B
Send us your in %wedding/civil TERM DISCOUNT - union/ AD TOTAL commitment edit TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED ceremony CLASSIFICATION (CIRCLE ONE) Return form and payment to: Masco Communications REAL ESTATE FOR SALE • REAL ESTATE FOR RENT • ROOMMATES • SEASONAL RENTALS • SERVICES • FINANCIAL SERVICES announcement 505 S. Fourth St., Phila., PA 19147 Reach Over 40,000 Readers For As•Little LittleRESORTS As $25.00 $25.00orA A Week. Reach Over Readers As As Week. HELP WANTED • JOBS WANTED •���������������������������������������������������������������� BUSINESS40,000 OPPORTUNITIES • FOR SALEWeekly •Weekly AUTOMOTIVEFor • AUCTIONS TRAVEL ���������������������������������������������������������������� (2 fax: 215-925-6437 don@epgn.com ADOPTION • PERSONALS • FRIENDS MEN • FRIENDS BISEXUAL • FRIENDS TV/TS • FRIENDS WOMEN andor email: we’ll share it with the City of Brotherly Love. NUMBER OF WEEKS X SUBTOTAL
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
CLASSIFIEDS
PAGE 51
SERVICES DIRECTORY
this space: only $25 per week*
Your ad dollars go further when you target your audience *when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today!
Advertising Sales Representative
Placing Classifieds Liner Ads In Person: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, By Phone or on the Web: 24 Hours, 7 Days Deadline for Line Advertising is Friday at 3 p.m. for the following Friday’s issue. You may place your ad via our secure voicemail system, fax or e-mail at any time, or on our Web site. Please have the following information ready to place your ad:
YOUR AD COPY • YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS • DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER • CREDIT CARD INFORMATION
PHONE: 215-625-8501 ext. 200 OR 215-451-6182 (DIRECT) • FAX: 215-9256437 • E-MAIL: don@epgn.com
GENERAL INFORMATION
All classified advertising must be in our office by 3 p.m. Friday for the next Friday’s paper. Ads arriving after that time will be held for the next available issue. PGN reserves the right to edit or rewrite ads as needed, to refuse any ad for any reason and to determine the final classification. Ads determined to be in bad taste, directed to or from persons under the legal age of consent or containing racially or sexually discriminatory language will be refused. We need your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number on the insertion order form for you ad. This information is confidential and will not appear in the paper. Any ads received without full information will be destroyed. Sexually explicit language will be edited or refused at the discretion of the management.
PAYMENT AND PLACEMENT
Classified ads may placed online or by mail, fax, e-mail or in person at the PGN offices at 505 S. Fourth St., Phila. Phone, fax and e-mail orders are accepted with credit/debit cards only. A $10 minimum applies to all charges. If you are paying in person with cash, please have the exact change as we cannot make change at the office. All ads must be prepaid for their entire run. NO EXCEPTIONS! DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL; IT’S NOT SAFE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED.
TERM DISCOUNTS - BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ISSUES PREPAID 4 weeks, 5% • 8 weeks, 10% • 16 weeks, 15% • 26 weeks, 20%
CANCELLATION POLICY
All PGN Classified ads are cancelable and refundable except for “FRIENDS” ads. Deadline for cancellation is 3 p.m. Friday. The balance will be credited to your credit/debit card. Checks take two weeks to process. The date of the first issue the ad appeared in, along with the classification, your name, address and daytime phone number is required to cancel your ad.
PGN, one of the country's most award-winning Gay and Lesbian publications, is looking for a special candidate to fill this position in our advertising sales department. Applicants should have previous advertising sales experience, preferably in a similar environment. You should have a strong work ethic, good communication skills (both written and verbal), and an aggressive desire to sell advertising in this very special niche market. Most important, you should aspire to become an integral part of our successful sales team. We offer a competitive salary plus bonus, as well as Health Insurance. Applicants should call Greg Dennis at 215-625-8501, ext. 219. Email resume to greg@epgn.com or send resume to:
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little
PGN, 505 S. 4th St., Phila. PA. 19147 Attn.: Dennis As $25.00 A Greg Week. EOE
PAGE 52
CLASSIFIEDS
PAGE 106
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY
Family owned and operated. Residential and commercial electricians. Licensed and insured.
Radio dispatched crews. Emergency service available. All credit cards accepted. 30 years of industry experience.
215-722-2988
• Custom Kitchens & Baths • Complete Home Remodeling • Interior/Exterior
877-K-Ridge-1 www.kridge1.com info@kridge1.com
LAUTERBORN ELECTRIC 100 to 400 AMP services House re-wiring Recessed and track lighting Troubleshooting For all your electrical needs call:
(215) 425-6693 (215) 688-8472
www.lauterbornelectric.com
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today!
CRC, CVE
bility
DEC. - 17, 2009 PAGE11 110
CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008
CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS
APRIL APRIL25 25--MAY MAY1,1,2008 2008
LEGALHEALTH & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS
APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008
53 APRIL 1,1,2008 APRIL2525- -MAY MAYPAGE 2008
VACATION
RENTALS MARCO ISLAND & NAPLES, FLORIDA Relax in the sun this winter! Condos from $950/ week- Homes from $1400 ***Monthly Rentals Discounts** Charde Group. (800)762-3222. www.marco-island-vacation.com _______________________________33-50
FOR SALE SEX TOY EMPORIUM ONLINE Low Price Guarantee. Private and Discreet. Free Shipping. www.RedHotandYOU.com _______________________________33-50 Metal XB Standing Seam Roofing,18” W. 24 Ga. Kynar paint, M. Bronze, Reg. Price $1.61, Close-out “AS IS” price NOW $.96 SQ FT www. abmartin.net 800-373-3703. _______________________________33-50
James JamesM. M.Quesenberry, Quesenberry,MA, MA,CRC, CRC,CVE CVE Disability Consultant James M. Quesenberry, MA, Disability Consultant CRC, CVE Disability Consultant
James JamesM. M.Quesenberry, Quesenberry,MA, MA,CRC, CRC,CVE CVE Disability DisabilityConsultant Consultant
Social SocialSecurity SecurityDisability Disability Social Security Disability Claims Appeals Claims Appeals Claims Appeals 215-629-0585 215-629-0585 215-629-0585
Social Social Security SecurityDisability Disability Claims Appeals Claims Appeals
Suite Suite202 202 Suite 202 Rd. Oxford Valley Oxford Valley Rd. Oxford Valley Rd. Fairless Hills, PA Fairless Hills, PA19030 19030 Fairless Hills, PA 19030
215-629-0585 215-629-0585
Suite Suite202 202 Oxford OxfordValley ValleyRd. Rd. Fairless FairlessHills, Hills,PA PA19030 19030
SERVICES
PROVIDING DIRECT LEGAL SERVICES, EDUCATION & POLICY REFORM FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY. FREE LEGAL HOTLINE (215) 731-1477
ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE From Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Computers, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 866-858-2121 www.CenturaOnline.com _______________________________33-50 AIRLINES ARE HIRING Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified -Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (888)349-5387. _______________________________33-50 MIKE D COMPUTER SERVICES Having problems with your Laptop, PC, Network or Devices? Software acting screwy? Need more Disk or Memory? Call MikeD. First, we’ll talk on the phone, and if we can fix it that way, it’s free. If not, I’ll come to you and give you a fair price up front. 215.298.4598 or MikeyDeeeee@comcast.net _______________________________33-51
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625ADOPTION
www.equalitypa.org Terence S. Brady, Esq. Legal Representation In New Jersey Drunk Driving, Speeding, All Traffic Cases, Family Matters, Divorce, Visitation, Custody Criminal Matters, Real Estate Purchases, Foreclosures
Mt. Holly, N.J. 609 504 6310
ADOPT Childless loving woman (teacher) wishes to adopt a newborn. Financially secure home with close extended family. Legal/Confidential. Expenses paid. Please call Denise: 1-866-2014602 Pin#0196. _______________________________33-50 A loving couple wishes to adopt a newborn into a home filled with happiness, security and endless love. Expenses paid. Please call Brendan and Laura toll-free at 1-800-991-0782 or email us at adoptbaby2009@yahoo.com _______________________________33-50 Adoption: Loving parents and their 9 year old adopted daughter would love a baby brother or sister. Stay at home mom, professional dad. Expenses paid. Please call Becky/ Mike 800-472-1835. _______________________________33-50 OUR OPEN HEARTS And home are ready to welcome your baby with love, security and extended family. Expenses Paid. 1-800-476-9455 or Email annieandjimmy1@aol.com _______________________________33-50
AUTOS Buy Police Impounds! 01 Honda Accord $500! 99 Toyota Corolla $450! 00 Nissan Sentra $800! Hondas, Chevys, Jeeps & More! For listings 800-546-5204 ext 3553. _______________________________33-50
RELIGIOUS
GROUPS
GAY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP OF S. J. For info write to PO Box 760, Elmer, NJ 08318. _______________________________34-04
Reach Readers Over 40,000 Readers Weekly As Little As $25.00 Week. ach Over 40,000 Weekly For As Little For As $25.00 A Week. Call A 215-625-8501 Today!
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS ADULT PERSONALS
PAGE 54
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009
Adult/Personals ���������������
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PAGE 54
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FRIENDS PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
MEN
LOOKING FOR ROMANCE Attractive GWM, warm, sensitive, caring, 48 y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for other GWM, 30-50, who is also in good shape. I live in NE Phila. I’m looking for guys who are also sensitive, caring with a fun personality. If this sounds interesting to you feel free to call me, David, 215-698-0215. _______________________________33-52 GWM, Italian, top or bottom, 7” cut. Also into assplay, toys & water sports. Bi, straight, out of towners welcome. Day or night. Call Jeff at ������� 215-850-7900. � _______________________________33-52 Slim, in shape GWM, 45 into safe J/O and ass-play, also am top/bottom. Central NJ area. ������������������� 908-397-7194. MAY GWM, 2 - 8, warm, 2008 sensitive, caring, 48 Attractive _______________________________33-51 y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for SEEKING otherinGWM, 30-50, whoyounger is also inmen, goodLatinos shape. WM late 50’s seeks I live in NE Phila. for guys who are & Mexicans a +, I’m for looking friendship & fun. Enjoy arts, travel & caring outdoors. also sensitive, with 856-547-4163. a fun personality.No If calls after 11. this sounds interesting to you feel free to call _______________________________34-02 me, David, 215-698-0215. SEEKS SPECIAL FRIEND _______________________________33-28 Bi/gay male seeks special friend. Perfer Ch. Hill, Roxboro, Myk. area. No calls after 22 PM. Karl, 215-984-8881. _______________________________33-50 GW bottom, 55 y.o., br/bl, med. build (160), 6’, 165 lbs., 60 year oldDD Master, greek active, moderate to hairy body, free.for Fun, romantic, Available french passive requires slave for interested in a Latino top, obedient 50+ with the same in/out appointments. training, S&M,Must B/D, be W/S, etc. Limits respected qualfi cations. discreet. I travel to you. and expanded. Assistant Master wanted. Call 267-918-4440, John. _______________________________34-01 Dave at 215-729-6670, day or evening. Muscular male, 62 seeks same. John Larish, _______________________________33-48 575 Laurel Pottsville, PA 17901. Xdress sexTerrace, party. CD house orgy every Sat. _______________________________33-51 nite. GWM couple ISO GWMs 18-40 yrs. for WEEKEND LOVER 1 on 1 and group sex. Stockings, pantyhose, Philly or burbs Hbg etc. Starts 9 PMweekend Sat. Calllover Sat. wanted. 7-8 PM 856B24 Amtrak. I am masc, nice, NS, ND, DDF, B24 42, 910-8303, ask for Mark. oral, vers, mostly btm, not sub tho. Dan 717_______________________________33-24 930-0219. GWM, Italian, top or bottom, 7” cut. Also into _______________________________33-52 assplay, & water sports.looking Bi, straight, WM, NEtoys Phila. If you’re for out hot of towners Day or night. Call Jeff at action, callwelcome. 215-934-5309. No calls after 215-850-7900. 11 PM. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________34-01
For All Your Adult Needs
TEASERSVIDEO.COM Over 10,000 Items - Check it out
Handsome Certified ������� Therapist
Are You Ready to Enter the Web’s Biggest and Best Adult Shopping Site?
Toys & Novelites Lubes & Lotions ������� ������� DVD’s Apparel Fun & Games ���� � ��� Bachelor & Bachelorette Gifts Costumes & Holiday Items WM 60, 5’7’ 155, bottom, nice looking, discreet, GWM seeks new friends. 610-352-1188.
Allrelationship Transactions and Discrete THE PLAYGROUND _______________________________33-21 fit, hot, seeks top men only for in Safe ������������� NE. 215-264-1058 LM. within city limits, personal _______________________________33-19 Shuttle service CERTIFIED WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot shopping, help with bags, companion service, lite cooking, dog walking & house sitting, any action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after reasonable request. 215-205-5453. Refs. avail. 11 PM. Reasonable rates! _______________________________33-19 _______________________________33-18 ������������ 60 y.o., 5’7”, 160, 7” crossdresser looking for You: big equipment! Me: real nice white butt. casual sex. Northern suburbs. 215-538-2040 a professional, 215-732-2108, 8-11 PM. ask for Zeta. _______________________________33-20 _______________________________33-21 therapeutic, and
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS ADULT PERSONALS
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PAGE 55
FRIENDS
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PAGE 56
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
DEC. 11 - 17, 2009