PGN Dec. 23-29, 2011 by The Philadelphia Gay News

Philly LGBT leaders of color show up in force at first BOLD event, held in Minneapolis PAGE 5

Family Portrait: Roberta Gallaway

Local LGBT publishers strategize for a hard-copy future

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Dec. 23-29, 2011

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Vol. 35 No. 51

AIDS orgs take huge prevention funding hit

PA legislature gets first-ever LGBT caucus By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com More than two-dozen members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly are stepping up to the plate for LGBT equality. The state legislature announced this week that it has formed an LGBT Equality Caucus, comprised of 26 members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate, a first for the state. The caucus, first proposed earlier this year by Equality Pennsylvania, will serve as a resource for lawmakers and the public on LGBT issues. “This is the first time there would be a consistent voice within the legislature,” said Ted Martin, executive director of Equality PA. “It’s finally a statement that LGBT rights have a place at the table and are going to be discussed.” Rep. Dan Frankel (D-23rd Dist.) and Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17th Dist.) will serve as co-chairs. Frankel has been the prime sponsor of the LGBT nondiscrimination bill and Leach, the state’s first marriage-equality bill. Frankel said the caucus members will work to advance such measures but will also be heavily focused on education. “We have a vigorous agenda, but it’s an agenda that we’re not in a position to move forward at this time given that conservative members of the Republican caucus control both chambers,” Frankel said. “But at the end of the day, many of us understand that things will only happen with persistence and a sustained effort. So we want to educate our colleagues and the citizens of Pennsylvania about why it’s important for Pennsylvania, for a myriad of reasons, to support these LGBT equality measures. That’s the most important aspect of this.” Leach said the caucus will work to eliminate the “misconceptions and erroneous factual suppositions” that abound about the LGBT community and will also see that the public is kept aware of where legislators stand on LGBT issues. “We want to make sure that LGBT issues are getting the attenPAGE 15

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

GOODBYE TO A LEADER: About 100 people gathered for a repast Dec. 16 at the William Way LGBT Community Center to remember the life of Robert Burns, executive director of The Colours Organization Inc. Burns died Dec. 8 at age 36. He spent his career working in the HIV-prevention field in both Cleveland and Philadelphia, serving as director of The Collective before joining Colours’ staff. He also previously served as executive director of House of Blahnik and deejayed many of the ballroom community’s events. The Colours board plans to discuss the leadership of the organization at a January meeting. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Philly, minorities see highest HIV testing rates in the region By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A new report released by the Public Health Management Corporation this month found that about one-third of Philadelphians were tested for HIV in 2010, with testing most common in African Americans and those living in poverty. The data, drawn from PHMC’s HIV testing by county Community Health Data Base Tested in 2010 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania 70% Never tested Household Health Survey, revealed 60% that 30.4 percent of Philadelphians over age 18 were tested for the dis50% ease last year. Through the entire Southeastern 40% Pennsylvania region, about 21.5 30% percent of adults — or 619,000 people — were tested last year, an 20% increase from 18 percent in 2008. Testing last year was more com10% mon in Philadelphia than in the Bucks Chester Del. Mont. Phila. four surrounding counties, with Source: PHMC Community Health Data Base rates at 20.8 percent, 15.4 percent, 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey

PAGE 8

The AIDS Activities Coordinating Office announced the recipients of a funding program for HIV-prevention efforts this week, and a number of local HIV/AIDS service organizations were absent from the list. The High-Impact HIV Prevention Services awards, funded by the Centers for Disease Control, totaled about $2.8 million, split among 15 agencies, compared with 22 in the most recent cycle. According to the CDC, the High-Impact Prevention efforts use “combinations of scientifically proven, cost-effective and scalable interventions” targeted to certain populations to reduce new HIV infections and work to maximize prevention efforts among those most at risk, including gay and bisexual men and transgender men and women. The funding is divided into six categories: testing in health-care settings, targeted testing, social network strategy testing, comprehensive prevention with positives, health education/risk reduction and local intervention. According to a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the CDC this cycle shifted emphasis from health education/risk reduction for HIVnegative individuals to the other testing categories and efforts with those who are HIV-positive. The PDPH said that 33 agencies submitted 73 proposals for consideration for the funding and that “past performance” was a key criteria in selecting the awardees. Among the agencies that received the funding, those focused specifically on the LGBT community are Mazzoni Center, SafeGuards, Prevention Point Philadelphia’s Trans-Health Information Project and The Attic Youth Center. Agencies that did not receive funding for the next cycle included Action AIDS and The Colours Organization Inc. Mazzoni received a PAGE 16

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

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Center launches discount program for members By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com While a membership at William Way LGBT Community Center represents a valuable contribution to the community, its worth recently increased. The center this month began mailing out new membership cards that can now be used for discounts and specials at a host of area businesses. A similar program had been in place several years ago, said interim development coordinator Paul Blore, but was discontinued. “A lot of people enjoyed being actual card-carrying members and liked feeling like they were really part of something and could show off their membership,” Blore said. “So we wanted to bring it back and add some more value to the membership.” Center staff canvassed the Gayborhood and beyond to garner interest from retail stores and others in the new program and, ultimately, 19 businesses agreed to participate. The locales range from restaurants and coffee shops to gyms and a real-estate company, and each business created its own unique discount for the program — such as 30-percent off a purchase at Eye Candy

Vision, free coffee with the purchase of a lunch sandwich at Café Twelve or a free pint of Miller High Life or PBC Kenzinger at PYT. While many of the shops are in the Gayborhood, several participants are located in Northern Liberties and Rittenhouse, and Blore said the center is continuing to look to expand the program to new businesses and areas. Blore said organizers are hopeful that the program will be a boon for membership. “I think it’ll help fuel memberships,” he said. “People value the center on its own but they may not always feel compelled to help the center in a financial way. So this is a way to encourage them to do that by giving them something in return for their contribution.” The other participating businesses include 12th Street Gym, Baum’s Dancewear Inc., Big Green Earth Store Inc., Café Mocha, Fat Jack’s Comicrypt, Filter Coffee Company on Race Street and South 10th Street, Giovanni’s Room, Keller Williams Realty’s Center City location, Millesime, Optimal Gym, Optimal Sports Health Club on Walnut Street and in Newtown, Pure Fare, Smokin’ Betty’s, Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar, The Velvet Lily and Yards Brewing Company. ■

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. On Jan. 6, see what photos captured your community this year. Favorite Photos of 2011 Coming Jan. 6

News Briefing Scouts settlement on horizon A settlement conference has been scheduled in the dispute involving a city-owned building occupied by a local council of the Boy Scouts of America. U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas J. Rueter will preside at the conference, set for 11 a.m. Dec. 23 in Courtroom 3-C of the U.S. Court House, 601 Market St. The conference is not open to the public, a spokesperson for the judge said. The only parties explicitly invited to attend are the City Solicitor’s Office and the Cradle of Liberty Council. In 2008, the city tried to evict the BSA Cradle of Liberty Council from 231-251 N. 22nd St., on the basis that the council refused to accept gays or, in the alternative, pay fair-market rent. But the council claimed its constitutional right to exclude gays was being violated by the city, and it sued the city in federal court. In June 2010, a federal jury ruled that the city placed an unconstitutional condition on the council when it allegedly asked the council to renounce the national BSA’s antigay policies to remain in the building rentfree. In September 2010, both sides reached a proposed settlement that would have sold the property to the council for about $500,000 — a fraction of its estimated value of $1 million. In return, the council would have dropped its federal lawsuit and stopped seeking about $960,000 in legal fees from the city. However, Philadelphia City Council declined to approve the sale prior to ending its four-year session on Dec. 15. The following day, an order was emailed to all parties to attend a settlement conference. The Dec. 23 conference only can be postponed for “exceptional” reasons, the order states. — Timothy Cwiek

Woody’s to welcome volunteers Woody’s owner Michael Weiss will stage a holiday party to thank LGBT community volunteers from 9-11 p.m. Dec. 23 at the bar, 202 S. 13th St. “A Celebration of Giving” will bring together the volunteers and leaders from agencies such as Mazzoni Center, The Attic Youth Center, William Way LGBT Community Center, Sapphire Fund, MetropolitanArea Neighborhood Nutritional

Alliance, Action AIDS, Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, AIDS Fund and Philly Pride Presents, among several others. The event will feature an open bar. Space is limited, so guests must RSVP by 5 p.m. Dec. 23 to matt@woodysbar.com.

Annual Kwanzaa celebration Several LGBT organizations will come together for an annual celebration of Kwanzaa from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 28 at 3801 Market St., third floor. The event, started by The Colours Organization Inc. in the 1990s, will feature live performances from singers, dancers and spoken-word artists and light hors d’oeuvres, with a celebration of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. For more information, call 215-4960330.

Have a ‘blast’ in NYC Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders will host its annual women’s “Winter Blast” dance from 3:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at LQ Club, 511 Lexington Ave., in New York City. DJ Susan Levine will spin the beats, playing everything from oldies to the top hits of today and everything in between. Red stickers are available for guests looking for dance partners. Raffle prizes will be given, and money raised will benefit SAGE’s work on behalf of LGBT older adults. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.sageusa.org/womensdance or call 215-741-2247.

Indigo Ball to move The William Way LGBT Community Center announced this week that next fall’s Indigo Ball fundraiser will be held at the Franklin Institute. Set for Oct. 6, the annual gala will feature a sit-down dinner for 300 in the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres can be enjoyed throughout several other areas of the museum, including Changing Earth, Electricity and the Giant Heart exhibits, which will be open to guests. “From the moment we started to think about next year’s Indigo Ball, Franklin Institute was one of our top venue choices,” said center executive director Chris Bartlett. “We’re excited to take our biggest event of the year and bring it to such an important Philadelphia landmark, known for its creativity, innovation and fun.” The successful IndiGoGo Dance Party, new for 2011, will return next year following the ball, although a location has not yet been announced. ■ — Jen Colletta

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CONNECTING TO THE FUTURE: William Way LGBT Community Center executive director Chris Bartlett (from right) and board member Adam Hymans, along with Messapotamia Lefae, celebrate the unveiling of the center’s new David Bohnett CyberCenter and Multimedia Lab Dec. 15. The new space contains eight computers, an LCD projector, a printer, scanner and blackboard. It will be open to the public Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and available for rentals the other days. Photo: Scott A. Drake NEWS

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Philly leaders convene on people of color issues By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Twenty Philadelphia LGBT leaders spent a weekend in Minneapolis earlier this month exploring the issues facing the people of color community, and headed back east with a wealth of ideas and information for the local community. The first BOLD Gathering, Dec. 2-4, brought together about 180 LGBTs from all four corners of the nation and was hosted by PFund Foundation and Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, on behalf of eight organizations that participate in the Racial Equity Initiative, including Philadelphia’s Delaware Valley Legacy Fund. Representatives of 20 of the organizations funded through DVLF’s Racial Equity Initiative participated in the conference, making Philadelphia the most well-represented city at the event. Gregory Walker, managing director of The Brothers’ Network, served on the planning committee for the event and was the representative of the Philadelphia cohort. “We wanted queer and transgender people of color to develop support for our own liberation and self-determination,” Walker said. “We need to empower our community within a racial-equity lens to build a stronger, larger movement in the democratic process for our rights.” Walker said the conference offered a rare opportunity for LGBT people of color organizations to share best practices, network and build community. The attendees took part in a range of workshops, discussions and activities, and heard from 40 presenters, including a transgender African-American woman who participated in Stonewall. Kevin Trimmel Jones, founder of the Black LGBT Archivists Society, said that listening to the longtime LGBT activists was an important moment for the younger generations represented. “There were elders there who’ve been involved in the LGBT movement for a very long time and they shared a lot about their lives and the stories,” Trimmel Jones said. “It showed that storytelling is a very powerful tool in terms of motivating people to become involved in deeper forms of action.” Trimmel Jones said that he was also impressed by the unity exhibited by LGBTs across a broad spectrum of racial and ethnic lines. Having so many diverse people of color together to address the shared challenges they face was a valuable learning opportunity, said Elicia Gonzales, executive director of Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative. “It’s not very often that you have the opportunity to meet with other queer people of color organizations in such a structured

way to network and share support for one another,” she said. “That was something I really appreciated, and I’m hoping to continue the conversation with the Philadelphia contingent to keep the momentum now that we’re back in Philly. There is a large number of people of color organizations in Philadelphia and we can be working to collaborate, pool resources and figure out our areas of common interest.”

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GREGORY WALKER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE BROTHERS’ NETWORK, AT THE FIRST BOLD GATHERING DEC. 2-4 IN MINNEAPOLIS Photo: Anna Min of Min Enterprises

The issue of resources was one that most of the groups had to contend with, Gonzales said. One of the presenters took an informal poll during a session about the organizations’ budgets and staffing capacities, and most groups reported a budget of less than $50,000 and five or fewer employees or volunteers. “It really struck me to be reminded of the amazing work that can be done with very little resources,” Gonzales said. “If people come together and see a need to fight for the rights of marginalized communities or against injustices, great things can happen. But it also saddened me that people are doing this great work and not being recognized and funded to the same degree as the larger, non-people of color organizations.” Awareness-raising about the work that is being done, and the efforts that need more support, was among the conference’s aims, Walker said. “Queer people of color are taking their ethnic and racial identities very seriously and we’re moving toward building a larger framework about how we advocate for ourselves,” he said. “The issues that are specifically affecting these communities need to be part of the larger LGBT movement, and the larger, mainstream LGBT organizations need to see that people of color are just as much a part of the community as others are.” Walker said that conference organizers will examine opportunities to convene committees to keep the discussion moving forward throughout the year, and are hoping to make the BOLD gathering an annual event. ■

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Gay man to head Montco Bar Association By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com

Martin, 63, has worked as an attorney in Upon graduation in 1973, he returned the county for 38 years. to the area and got a job with the law firm “Montgomery County has always been Waters Fleer Cooper & Gallager, which has Next month, two historic events will take a very friendly, pleasant place to practice since dissolved. law,” he said. Martin came out at work in 1978, he place in Montgomery County. The MBA, founded in 1885, is a pro- said. On Jan. 3, Democrats will take control of In 1979, he began working as a solo practhe county government for the first time in fessional association that represents about titioner, and continues to do so. 2,000 attorneys in the area, he said. more than 140 years. “I mainly work as a consultant, assisting It has 11 staffers and an annual budget of Ten days later, in an event much less pubabout $2 million, he said. other attorneys in many different areas,” he licized, openly gay “The MBA provides the lawyers and said. attorney Donald J. He enjoys the challenge of working as a judges of Montgomery County the opportuMartin will become nity to improve their professional skills by consultant. president of the “If I don’t have challenges I get bored participating in more than 60 committees county’s bar assoand sections, and taking part in continuing and tend to slack off,” he said. “Everything ciation. gets done. But I prefer something difficult. legal education programs,” he said. When the gavel He said the MBA also sponsors numer- People hire me when they’re facing someis passed to him, ous community-based initiatives. “We view thing difficult. This [work] is all coming Martin will become that as a public service that’s very impor- from other attorneys, so they don’t hire me the first openly gay tant to us.” to do the easy stuff.” president of the For example, the MBA sponsors an eduHe’s been a member of the MBA since Montgomery Bar DONALD MARTIN cational program for public-school students 1973, he said. Association in its “Waters Fleer encouraged MBA particiin Norristown, which is the county’s seat. 126-year history. “We teach civics to sixth-graders in the pation,” he said. “I will be the eighth perThough not directly connected, Martin said both events can be seen as signs of the Norristown Area School District,” he said. son who worked there to become president “It’s a really great program because no one of the MBA. Perhaps [becoming president] changing times. In January 2011, about 25 MBA board teaches civics anymore. The students love wasn’t something I thought about from the members elected Martin as MBA vice pres- it. We began doing it two years ago. As time I became a lawyer. But it was always ident, which automatically makes him pres- president, I’ll be continuing the program. a possibility. It never occurred to me that And I’ll keep teaching it — along with being gay would stand in the way of anyident of the organization in 2012. thing I wanted to do.” “I assume it was a unanimous vote other participants.” B:10.125” Martin will serve as MBA president on Martin grew up in Abington and moved because I ran unopposed,” Martin said. T:10.125” a volunteer basis and will only be compen“But I wasn’t in the room when the vote to the Midwest in 1970 to study law at the sated for food, travel and lodging expenses University of Chicago. was taken.” S:10.125”

incurred in the performance of his duties, he said. Martin and his partner of 32 years, Richard Repetto, live in the Fitler Square section of Center City. “Richard attends all the MBA couples events with me, and we’re always treated very well,” Martin said. He also said members of the Pennsylvania Bar Association — a group closely associated with the MBA — have treated the couple well. Martin and Repetto danced at a Pennsylvania Bar Association Midyear Meeting in February 2011 at Key West, Fla. “It was the farewell dinner, the last night of the midyear meeting,” Martin said. “There was dinner and dancing on the beach. We’re probably the only two men who’ve danced together at a Pennsylvania Bar Association function.” Martin has a long history of activism on behalf of the LGBT community. In 1979, he wrote an amicus brief urging the state Supreme Court to decriminalize sodomy between unmarried persons in Pennsylvania. “The statute historically had been cited as a reason to deny LGBTs their rights,” he said. In May 1980, the state Supreme Court invalidated the statute, largely on the basis that it violated privacy rights and equal-proPAGE 12 tection guarantees.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Out Central PA politico seeks state office By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The pool of candidates seeking to bring an LGBT voice to the Pennsylvania state legislature grew this month as a Central Pennsylvania political leader threw his hat in the ring. Christopher Dietz, 36, is running for the 104th district seat in the state House of Representatives in Dauphin County. Dietz graduated from Penn State in 1998 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He bought a home in the district in 2003, prompting him to get involved in local politics. “It’s been an organic process for me,” Dietz said. “I got involved in community activity when I moved to Millersburg because I had a stake in the community, so I wanted to take an active role. And it’s been one step after another.” Dietz began attending Millersburg borough council meetings and, in 2006, was appointed to fill a vacancy. He has since been approved twice by Millersburg voters, and his fellow council members elected him as vice president of council and then president, a position he has held for the past two years. Dietz worked as a product engineer for about a decade until he was laid off in 2009, prompting him to examine his future career path and consider working for change at the

state level. “For people who have been through that process, it really changes y o u r p e r s p e c t ive o n things,” he said. “Finding another mechanical-engineering job in Central Pennsylvania wasn’t an easy endeavor and the idea of creating jobs in your local community became an issue for me. Millersburg is a commuting community — a lot of residents drive to Harrisburg every day, but that’s a 40-minute drive — and it’s important that we have jobs that are of livable wage within our own local communities. The less we’re commuting, the more time we have to spend in our own communities, which can help local businesses.” A product of the public-school system, Dietz said he would also work for publiceducation reform, which he asserted needs to come from within the system, as well as government reform to encourage more citizens to become involved in the electoral process. LGBT civil rights would also be a priority, he said.

PhillyGayNews_GoodSpirits_10.125x5.6_12.09.2011_OUTLINES.indd 1

Pennsylvania has never had an openly gay state lawmaker, and Dietz said he would use that title to effect progress for the community — including pressing for a statewide LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance, antibullying efforts and marriage equality, especially considering he’s engaged to his partner, Alex. “ T h e L G B T c o mmunity may be a small percentage of the population, but we still need a seat at the table in state government, which we CHRIS DIETZ don’t have now,” he said. “Being there and being in the room when these issues are being discussed can really make a difference.” The largely conservative environment in Central Pennsylvania was one of the factors that kept Dietz from coming out until he was 30, but he said he was well-received by his local community. “It was a lot of the religious upbringing and that type of thinking,” he said. “But once I came out, it really hasn’t been an issue, which surprised me but delighted me at the same time. I think it made a difference that people knew me and the work I

was doing in Millersburg before I came out. But it really hasn’t been an issue.” While Dietz has been successful as an openly gay politico, he has also done so as a member of the minority party. Dietz is the only Democrat on Millersburg council, but he said the rapport he established with fellow lawmakers trumped party politics and enabled him to be elected by council as president — a lesson he would like to bring to the state House. “Partisanship is at such a high level that so many good ideas get gummed up by the politics,” he said. “I have a very good working relationship with people from all backgrounds and all parties and I’m able to assimilate different ideas to come out with the best possible solution to problems. I’m someone who looks at all aspects of an issue before making a decision.” Dietz will challenge Sue Helm, the incumbent Republican who was first elected to the 104th District in 2006. In the coming months, Dietz will work to get his name out, phonebanking and canvassing the district, tasks for which he could use support from the LGBT community in both time and fundraising. “I’m really happy and excited to be running and hopefully we can create some positive change in the legislature,” he said. For more information on Dietz, visit www.votedietz.com. ■

12/7/2011 9:54:09 AM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

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14.7 percent and 13.8 percent in Delaware, Bucks, Montgomery and Chester counties, respectively. Testing in 2010 in the region was highest among African Americans, about 41.2 percent of whom were tested, compared with 37.5 percent of Latinos, 16.2 percent of Asians and 13.9 percent of whites. Testing was also more common — 34.9 percent — in those living below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, compared with 18.4 percent of those above that level. Rates of testing in 2010 decreased with education, with 29 percent of those with less than a high-school education tested, compared with 14.9 percent of those with postcollege schooling. Age was also a factor, as older adults were more likely to not have been tested in 2010 than younger individuals. About 35 percent of those 18-39 were tested last year, compared with 20.7 percent of those 40-49, 15.7 percent of people 50-59, 10.3 percent of those 60-74 and 8.3 percent of those 75 and older. Similarly, older adults in the region were more likely

HIV testing by race (all of SEPA) 90%

Tested in 2010 Never tested

80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

Asians

to have never been tested for HIV throughout their lifetime. Eighty-three percent of those over 75 have never received an HIV test, compared with 71.2 percent of those 60-74, 53.8 percent of those 50-59, 37.4 percent of people 40-49, and 29.5 percent of people under 39. “I would say the most surprising thing is the percentage of older adults who have never been tested,” said Francine Axler, Community Health Data Base Project director.

HIV testing by age (all of SEPA) 90%

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Source: PHMC Community Health Data Base 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey

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Source: PHMC Community Health Data Base 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey

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“Given that persons 50 and older make up a significant percentage of new HIV cases, it is surprising that so many of this population have not been tested.” Throughout the region, 48.4 percent of adults, or about 1.4-million people, have never been tested for HIV. In Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Delaware counties, more than 50 percent of adults were never tested, while that figure stands at about 38.5 percent of adults in Philadelphia. There were also differences among race, as 57 percent of whites and 50.6 percent of Asians in the region reported never having an HIV test, while 27.2 percent of blacks and 28.6 percent of Latinos were never tested. Axler said the data can be utilized to tailor messages about HIV testing to populations where testing rates are lacking. “It can certainly be used for advocacy and outreach efforts,” she said. “Particularly with the older-adult community, a lot of doctors don’t address these issues with their older patients and they should be. We need to be doing more outreach and raising awareness about the importance of regular testing.” ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

The Phoenix-based Alliance Defense Fund, which brought the suit, declined comment on the ruling.

Media Trail Calif. teen gets 21 years for killing gay student CNN.com reports a Southern California teen who pleaded guilty to killing a gay classmate was sentenced Dec. 19 to 21 years in prison. Brandon McInerney, 17, will serve time in a juvenile detention center until he turns 18, at which point he will be transferred to the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He will get no credit for time already served, and was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution. In September, a judge declared a mistrial in the case of McInerney after a nine-week trial when jurors said they were hopelessly deadlocked on whether he should be found guilty of manslaughter or murder in the death of Lawrence King. He was set to be retried as an adult. But last month, McInerney agreed to plead guilty to killing King. McInerney was 14 years old when he brought a handgun belonging to relatives to E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard. He shot the 15-year-old King twice in the back of the head while both were typing papers in a computer lab for their English class. Friends said King, an eighth-grader, was proud of being openly gay. Some students bullied him, pupils said. Other students said McInerney was also subject to some harassment because King had a crush on him and made it publicly known. The victim’s father, Greg King, read a statement in court Monday on behalf of Larry’s mother. “I will never forgive you for what you did,” she wrote. “You have left a big hole in my heart where Larry was.”

Court rules in Ga. case on student’s view of gays CBS News reports a federal court has upheld a ruling that Augusta State University in Georgia was within its rights to require a graduate school counseling student to keep her biblical views on gays to herself. A three-judge panel ruled Dec. 16 that the university was following protocol when it put Jennifer Keeton on a remediation plan and threatened to expel her after she repeatedly said she would have difficulty working with gay clients. The university argued that it would risk its accreditation if it didn’t hold Keeton to a code of ethics. Keeton filed suit, claiming the institution was punishing her for her Christian views.

NJ judge gives gay couple custody in family battle Lehigh Valley Live reports a New Jersey judge has granted a gay couple custody of 5-year-old twins, resolving a family lawsuit over who could best care for them. The lawyer for Donald and Sean Hollingsworth said the ruling is a legal victory for tolerance and diversity. But the lawyer for Donald Hollingsworth’s sister, Angelia Robinson, said the ruling has nothing to do with gay rights. Robinson gave birth to the girls after carrying a donor embryo fertilized by Sean Hollingsworth and was declared the legal mother. But the judge says the children would be better off remaining with the Hollingsworths in Jersey City rather than living with the sister in Middletown. The judge says the sides disagreed on many issues, including what the girls should be told about homosexuality and surrogacy.

Lesbian couple sues B&B for discrimination The Advocate.com reports a lesbian couple from California filed a lawsuit in Hawaii state court Dec. 19 against the Aloha Bed & Breakfast, charging the business denied them lodging because of their sexual orientation. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Diane Cervelli and Taeko Bufford by Lambda Legal. When Cervelli called the business in the east Honolulu neighborhood of Hawaii Kai in 2007 to book a room and requested one bed, the owner Phyllis Young asked whether they were lesbians. The owner said she was uncomfortable having lesbians stay because of her religious views. The lawsuit claims the business violated Hawaii’s public accommodation law prohibiting any inn or other establishment that provides lodging from discriminating based on sexual orientation, race, sex, gender identity or expression, religion, ancestry or disability. Young, who is being represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian conservative legal group, declined to comment. She told the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission in its investigation prior to the lawsuit that homosexuality is “detestable” and “defiles our land.” The lawsuit seeks an order for the business to comply with the law, a declaration that an illegal action occurred and unspecified monetary compensation. Lambda Legal is also investigating whether the Aloha Bed & Breakfast is licensed to operate in Honolulu. ■ — compiled by Larry Nichols

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Merry Christmas

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Chuck Norris

Editorial

PGN holiday wishes Amy: To be able to spend quality time with those I love, never taking for granted the amazing, supportive people I have been surrounded by ... and also, it would be nice to receive a million dollars. Brooke: For Led Zeppelin to go back on tour. Carol: For Santa to bring my daughter-in-law a clean bill of health and that she and my son have a long life together. Dan: For Sallie Mae to lose all of its records. Don: Happy holidays to all and the gayest of New Years. May you find happiness throughout the holidays and may 2012 bring you peace and joy. Greg: For Essene to lower its prices a little so I can pay back my student loans. Jen: For the health and happiness of my family and friends, and that we can appreciate all that we have. Larry: All I wish for or care about for the holidays is family, friends and fun ... and enough time to fully recover from all three. Prab: For more time [to catch up on work]. Sarah: For health and good times with friends and family — and for balance and growth in my life. Scott: That my shoulder surgery and physical therapy go smoothly so I can get back to the gym and riding my bike quickly.

It’s no secret that Chuck Norris is a physical force to be reckoned with. So if you’re gay, stay out of his way. Because he doesn’t like you very much. I’m not saying he would kick your ass. I’m just saying he could. Easily. I don’t care how many hours you put in at the gym. Norris is already on the record as an antigay conservative, but he apparently worried that he was not sufficiently on record about the gay-led War on Christmas. In a Dec. 19 opinion piece in praise of the good antigay works of the American Family Association, he has done just that. “Anyone who knows me knows that for my whole life I’ve been a huge supporter of our U.S. military personnel, who I too congratulate about their victory in Iraq,” he writes. “But when our president and officials in the U.S. Department of Defense exchange a war abroad for a religious war at home, can’t we see something else is seriously awry in this administration?” “Seriously awry” would be an understatement if President Obama actually pulled out of Iraq in order to wage war against religious people at home. That would be totally fucked up. The key word is “if,” of course. Because that didn’t happen. Obama wasn’t all, “Hmm, I’m bored with Iraq. I need those troops back on U.S. soil to gun down live nativity scenes and water board Salvation Army Santas ringing those annoying bells.” That would be intolerable by even the most godless heathen’s standards. Thank God or any other deity/non-deity that such a thing is not happening. Norris then bemoans how “Merry Christmas” is “omitted from signs in your favorite department store.” This is another figment of Norris’ imagination. Look folks, I was at Rite Aid the other day and the piped-in Christmas music mentioned Jesus so many times I’m surprised the cashiers weren’t wearing choir robes. Norris also laments that military chaplains are now forced to gay-marry

everybody, which is also fiction. And, as AmericaBlogGay’s John Aravosis points out, for proof Norris links to a Washington Post article that says the exact opposite of this. I suspect someone may need to give his research skills a workout. But by far the biggest whopper in Norris’ piece is his claim that “Secretary Hillary Clinton demonizes other countries’ religious beliefs as an obstacle to radical homosexual rights.” Aravosis writes, “Actually, Secretary Clinton was criticizing other countries incarcerating, torturing and executing gay and trans people.” Norris continues, “In many respects, we need to turn back the clock in America to our founding principles, values and liberties, and those include the intricate and pivotal role that religion and Christianity played in our early republic. It is not time to flee religious liberties but re-embrace them, especially during this sacred Christmas week.” Got it. So during “this sacred Christmas week” we need to embrace the Christian values of torture and execution of gay people as it says in the Book of Norris. And that’s why, as I said before, you should stay away from this guy. He’s fucking nuts. ■

By far the biggest whopper in Norris’ piece is his claim that “Secretary Hillary Clinton demonizes other countries’ religious beliefs as an obstacle to radical homosexual rights.”

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.

Sean: For continued health and the focus to always appreciate the people around me. Tim: An end to the practice of managed news, so the public gets all the information it wants — within reason. ■

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OP-ED PGN

Finding that Christmas spirit Once again we come to that major Now he wasn’t the first, but he seems to be holiday of the year. No matter what relithe best known, so let’s accept that, give gion you are, here in the United States, him credit and try to share that message. So for all those out there who Christmas is that holiday. If have had a good year, find a way you’re not Christian, it’s hard to not notice. But Christmas has to give back to your community and share a little of that good changed over the years from a solemn religious day to the fortune with others. It’s called present, where we score the holspread the love. For those who iday upon its retail sales figures. had a hard time of it this year, I’m not opposed to capitalknow that there are people out there who care about you and ism or gift giving, but I’d like us to get back a little to that are willing to help. Don’t give spiritual day that Christmas up, love the life you have and the possibilities of the future. once was. Now this comes from someone who is not So, that’s my take on Christian. So you might not be Christ: love, one word that can sure of my meaning. be translated to a thousand We can use any follower of thoughts. My hope is that, this Mark Segal Christmas, those thoughts are any religion as an example. At times we can use Moses as an for the progress and the betterexample of someone who led his people out ment of mankind. ■ of oppression, Allah as a person who taught respect, and then there is Christ who taught Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s most-award-winning commentalove. Is there anything wrong with saying that, tor in LGBT media. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com. or for appreciating where it came from?

Mark My Words

The Amazon Trail

Lee Lynch

All I Want for Christmas When I was a kid, there was a popular holiday song called “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.” So what does a grown-up dyke wish for at Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah? After all these years of accumulating stuff, I can think of more I’d rather lose than gain. Starting with pounds. So no sweet-potato pie, chocolate coins or marzipan rugelach and certainly no stealing Santa Claus’ cookies and milk. This time of year is supposed to be all about peace. I wouldn’t mind a little of that. No, make that a lot. Put a one-way ticket home in every soldier’s stocking. Take all the military funds and purchase ploughshares, not stock-market shares. Plough under all the failed strip malls, strip mines and clear-cuts. Reforest our land. The returning troops and the unemployed could rebuild the United States, from potholes to playgrounds to honest politicians. It’s not that I don’t want a MacBook Air, an iPhone and a sled full of other cool gizmos, but Verizon just sent me a free Android phone whose wonders I’ve barely begun to plumb. It’s not that I don’t want a hand truck or the coffee-table book “Vivian Maier: Street Photographer.” On any given day I could add something new to my stuff lust. The truth is, I have everything I need, including a sled full of electronic gizmos. I have my sweetheart and our comfy home and our beloved pets. We are healthy and have

jobs. We have caring family and friends. I have a new mess of books from the library. I’ll settle for folding down the seats in my car, covering them with the old Army blanket and trundling off to get our tree. We have the worst luck with trees, but we keep trying. This is our fifth holiday season together. We’re kind of a comedy act around the tree, though. The first year went fine. I flew from Oregon to Florida early in December and my sweetheart met me at the airport wearing a Santa hat. That was the zaniest, most festive gesture she could have made. Immediately, it really was the holiday season. We went to an outdoor stand all lit up with colored lights and got a beautiful, fresh tree. We loaded it with a bountiful supply of decorations. By the second year, we had U-hauled me cross-country and were still unpacking. We didn’t have time, energy or space for a tree. So for our third Christmas together, we went to a PTA fundraiser and found the most perfect tree I’ve ever seen. Should I mention my sticker shock at the cost of trees? I remember paying $15; now you can spend $85 on a tree. Yet, while my sweetheart was content with a mere 6-footer, I knew she’d always wanted a big one. She couldn’t stop smiling at the 9-footer I chose, not knowing what lurked within. But, OK, my sweetheart is an old-fashioned girl and likes her trees, so we brought

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Street Talk Does a company’s policies impact your holiday gift-buying? “Yes. The manufacturer must be green. And I like to buy from a nonprofit. That’s much better than buying some Sarah Durney commercial yoga teacher gift without Rittenhouse Square any meaning attached to it. I really like making my own gifts and cards. They express my love and empathy for the recipients.”

“Yes, totally. If a place is really crappy to their employees, I wouldn’t buy their stuff. There’s always Meera Gessner a way to seamstress not be an South Philadelphia asshole! I’ve even boycotted places that were lousy and treated my friends in a foul way. I try to be socially aware in all of my activities.”

“Yes and no. Sometimes I shop impulsively and don’t think about that. But for the most part, I make conscious Samantha Ross decisions pastry chef about the South Philadelphia company I’m supporting. For instance, I wouldn’t shop at a store that uses sexist advertising or isn’t environmentally friendly.”

“I stay away from conglomerates. I don’t want to pay for something made by a child in Indonesia Travis Whiteneck making server less than South Philadelphia minimum wage. Instead, I buy locally — preferably from a familyowned business. I try to get a sense that they’re good, caring people.”

home this perfect tree, lugged it into the dining room and stood it up. A clump of mud fell to the floor. Except, was that mud? What was that? A cry went up from my ferocious femme: “It’s a mouse!” It was indeed a mouse. A dead mouse fell out of our perfect tree. I removed the poor critter, but we were skeeved out. It was like finding a cockroach in your entrée: You lose your appetite. Then, of course, it didn’t fit in the tree stand. We bought it a big sturdy stand. Somehow, we managed to control our gag reactions long enough to get it upright. Nevertheless, we had no desire to decorate it. So it stood in the dining room bereft and when the holiday cards arrived we used them as garland until we took it to the recycling center. In our fourth year we were exhausted from a major surgery and marriage planning. We would be out of town for the holiday. We were a bit leery of the whole live-tree experience, but artificial wouldn’t do. No tree.

This year, I found a Groupon. Forty dollars for an $80 Douglas fir. How could we resist? Sure, we’d have to trek 45 minutes north to get it, but hey, this is the land of Mickey Mouse. The mouse lives, right? Last Sunday we trekked. We scoped out the website, Google-mapped, GPSed, called ahead. We got up there and couldn’t find the darned place. Turns out, it was so tiny we passed right by. Some u-turning went on and we pulled up. The place was locked up, shut down, closed despite its Sunday hours. We called, left a message, gave up. We came home determined. My sweetheart went up into the crawl space and slid tote after tote of decorations down the ladder to me. Our home is adorned with many-hued totes. Will we get to empty them this year? All I want for Christmas is to see my sweetheart smile when we light up our tree. ■ Lee Lynch’s newest novel, “Beggar of Love,” is available at local booksellers and online.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

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MARTIN from page 6

”Having that sodomy law declared unconstitutional was one of the highlights of my career,” he said. “I hope it furthered the cause of LGBT rights. No longer would LGBTs be considered criminals in Pennsylvania. People couldn’t say, ‘They’re criminals, therefore they shouldn’t have rights.’ That was very gratifying. And I hope it did some good.” As MBA president, Martin wants to ensure unfettered access to legal services for all people in the county, including children and the poor. “To the extent it’s feasible, everyone should have access to quality legal representation,” he said. “Things are easier when everyone in the case has a lawyer, rather than when people are representing themselves.” Martin also hopes to enhance the visibility of the MBA, and to increase its membership. He estimated that about 2,000 attorneys in the county haven’t yet joined the organization. “I want people to understand the Montgomery Bar Association is for everybody,” he said. “It’s not a group of insiders. It’s not just a group of white men. It represents all the lawyers of Montgomery County. I would like them all to be members. I have another 2,000 to go.” He will assume the MBA presidency during a luncheon event at the Meadowlands Country Club in Blue Bell on Jan. 13. “They’ll pass the gavel to me, and Richard will be present to share in the honors,” he said. “So will my 88-year-old father.” Robert F. Morris, a former MBA president, said the organization is fortunate to have Martin as its next president. “Donald’s research and briefwriting abilities are widely respected,” Morris told PGN. “Most of the prominent attorneys in Montgomery County have taken credit for winning cases that would have been lost but for Donald’s keen mind. His sharp wit is perhaps the only thing about Donald that is more notable than his legal ability.” ■

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PGN FITNESS

Happy new you! Whether you are nice or Now use the following worknaughty, the holidays may have out as a basic framework for a presents for you, including a few better body in 2012. extra pounds that you will want to eliminate. If you are motivated Full Body-Weight Workout — Body-Weight Squat: Place to make a change in your life, your feet wide apart, toes facing don’t let anything get between forward, arms extended out in you and your goals. You will see that a better body and good front of you for balance, neutral health will be the best gift for the spine or flat-back posture. Now New Year. push your hips back and lower Fitness comes in many forms your body as low as you com— cardio health, strength and fortably can. Go up and back toning, better nutrition or a down in the same manner. Be combination of all sure your heels don’t three. If you’ve been come off the floor and that your knees stay naughty for a few weeks (or more!), aligned with your toes while you are in the one key ingredient down position. in a speedy recovery to a better body is a — Body-Weight making a full-body Prisoner Squat weight workout part (variation): Place your hands behind of your routine. A full-body weight your head, and do the workout will get you same movement as a back in shape because regular body-weight it will help you to Noe Espinosa squat. Once you masgain strength, balance ter this exercise, you can perform jumping squats, and prepare you for daily activities. It also has the advantage of which helps add power to your being performed in many places, legs and boost your testosterone such as the gym, office or at levels. home, so there are no excuses to — Standard Push-Up: Who not accomplishing your goals! hasn’t done a push-up in his or Success in strength training her life? It is one of the most depends on lots of things: intenpopular body-weight exercises and, when performed well, will sity, consistency, variety and give you excellent results! It safety. (That’s why a trainer is a good idea!) But, for a solid start is also a good way to test your on your New Year’s fitness resoupper-body strength. Get into lutions, you can start performing push position. Your body should one set (a “set” is a group of rep- form a straight line from head etitions) of each of the following to toe. Arms should be straight and slightly wider than shoulwith a few reps, then add more as you feel comfortable. der-width. Keep your feet close Before starting your workout, together; tighten up your butt it is very important to prepare and core. Then, lower your body your body with a dynamic warm- until your chest almost touches the floor; make sure your upper up. This will help you increase your core temperature and raise arms form a 45-degree angle your heart rate, as well as prewhen your body is at the bottom pare your body for the exercises position. Then push back up to you are about to perform. The the starting position. Don’t drop following dynamic warm-ups are your hips and keep your head aligned with your torso at all simple cardio exercises that will times. get you ready to go: Let’s start — Wide-Stance Pushworking on our New Year’s resoUp, Diamond Push-Up and lution, a new body! Staggered Push-Up (variations): Wide-stance push up: Dynamic Warm-Up (do three sets of the following): Open your arms a bit wider than — Jumping jacks: 30 seconds to a regular push-up and do the 1 minute standard push-up movement. — Push-ups: 10 repetitions Diamond push-up: Place your — Arm circles: 10 reps (forward hands close enough together, forming a diamond with your and backward) — Butt kick: 30 seconds to 1 thumbs and forefingers, and minute do the standard push-up move— Lunges: 12 repetitions ment. This type of push-up will

Work It Out

make your triceps work harder. Staggered push-up: Place one hand in a standard push-up and the other hand a few inches farther forward and do the standard push-up movement. This type of push-up also helps to strengthen your core and shoulder muscles. Pull-Ups: Grab a pull-up bar with your hands shoulders-width apart. With an overhand grip, pull your chest up toward the bar, squeeze your shoulder blades together and then slowly lower your body to the start position. Do 12 sets of one repetition, resting 30 seconds in between, until you gain enough strength to do more reps in a set. Tip: Imagine you are pulling the bar toward your chest, instead of pulling your chest toward the bar. Crunch: The core is the center of your body strength. A strong core makes every exercise easier and helps to stabilize your spine. Your core muscles also include muscles from your lower back and hips. Start strengthening your core with a simple exercise: crunches. Crunches can be performed anywhere and at an time, but they require a certain technique. First, lay on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your fingertips behind your ears and pull your elbows back. Raise your head together with your shoulder blades and crunch your rib cage toward your pelvis. Pause and then go back to the starting position. It’s very important to focus on your breathing. Inhale at the start position and exhale when you crunch and don’t pull your head forward.

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Now, get a paper and a pencil and write down your fitness goals. Give yourself 30 days to see results. Be realistic with your goals and don’t stress if you have not reached the results you wanted in your first month of working out. Remember, you must be flexible but consistent in your workouts and create a habit for exercising. Also, know that these body-weight workouts are the beginning of your next level — consider it a warm-up for free-weight lifting. Happy New Year and happy new you! ■ Noe Espinosa is a registered personal trainer at 12th Street Gym. To learn more about Noe and more than 30 other top trainers at 12th Street, visit www.12streetgym.com.

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PGN CAUCUS from page 1

tion they deserve in the press,” he said. “People need to be held accountable when they do and do not support equality and, with us having a seat at the table, we can work toward that.” The caucus will meet regularly, Frankel said, and there will likely be occasion for events with the LGBT community. LGBT Equality Caucus members can be a good resource for municipalities considering passing local-level LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances, Frankel added. Other members, all of whom are Democrats, include Reps. Babette Josephs (182nd Dist.), Josh Shapiro (153rd Dist.), Brendan Boyle (170th Dist.), Kevin Boyle (172nd Dist.), Joseph Brennan (133rd Dist.), Tony Payton (179th Dist.), Tina Davis (141st Dist.), Michael McGeehan (173rd Dist.), Matthew Bradford (70th Dist.), Vanessa Lowery Brown (190th Dist.), Tim Briggs (149th Dist.), Ron Buxton (103rd Dist.), Mark Cohen (202nd Dist.), Pamela DeLissio (194th Dist.), Lawrence Curry (154th Dist.), Eugene DePasquale (95th Dist.), Michael O’Brien (175th Dist.), Michael Gerber (148th Dist.), James Roebuck (188th Dist.), Matthew Smith (42nd Dist.), Steven Santarsiero (31st Dist.), Michael Sturla (96th Dist.) and Sens. Larry Farnese (1st Dist.) and James Ferlo (38th Dist.). Frankel said that while Pennsylvania is “late to the table” in forming the caucus, he is pleased with the number of lawmakers who joined the body and the “significant statement” their support represents. Members of the LGBT community should question their current or prospective state lawmakers on their interest in joining the caucus, Frankel said, noting that he is hopeful the launch of the group will encourage those who have expressed tepid support to take a more active role in the fight for LGBT equality. “I’ve frequently met with colleagues about some of these issues who say, ‘Dan, I know you’re right and I’d like to be supportive, but this isn’t something my district would support and it would hurt me politically.’ Across the country, we’re seeing these issues becoming more mainstream and they’re not perceived to be that far out there, so I think legislators should become more comfortable supporting them, and I think our ability to educate will be PAGE 16

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FUNDING from page 1

total of $665,480, with funding in all of the categories, except for local intervention. Nurit Shein, executive director of Mazzoni, said the organization recieved $610,000 in the previous funding cycle, adding that AACO awarded them level funding in two categories, an increase in one category and a decrease in a fourth category. SafeGuards received $50,000 for social networking efforts, TIP got $75,000 for comprehensive prevention with positives and $75,000 for health education/risk reduction and The Attic received $50,000 for health education/risk reduction. At least two organizations that work with LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities and that had been funded in the past through the program were not awarded this cycle: Colours and Action AIDS. According to PDPH, Colours is currently receiving $190,000 through the program: $80,000 for HIV testing and counseling, $70,000 for local intervention and $40,000 for a social-networking strategy. Colours board director John Clayton said the board will meet in the coming weeks to address the significant loss. Action AIDS received $233,000 in the last cycle but was awarded nothing this time around. Action AIDS executive director Kevin Burns said the organization was funded through the program for a number of years, and most recently received $154,000 that was used for testing and referrals and $79,000 that it used for comprehensive risk counseling and services. Burns followed up with AACO after the awards were announced and said he was told that, while Action AIDS’ application was “strong,” the number of positive HIV tests it had been generating

CAUCUS from page 15

helpful with that.” Leach said the growth of the caucus will be a gradual process, one that he hopes includes Republican membership. “I’d like to see all 253 members join but I know we’re not there yet and probably won’t get there in the short term. But if you look at the polls, people’s attitudes have changed dramatically on LGBT issues in the past 10 years and, in fact, in the last three years. People are recognizing that inequality is no longer sustainable for our society and legislators will increasingly come to see that as well,” Leach said. “There is Republican support for LGBT issues; when we defeated the antigay marriage amendment, three Republicans voted with us.

wasn’t high enough to warrant the funding. The current funding cycle ends at the end of December, so Burns said the agency will have to make some quick decisions. “This is going to have a huge impact on our prevention and testing work,” Burns said. “We’re still assessing what this is going to mean in terms of staffing and programming, but I know we are going to have to pull back on our programs and eliminate some of our services. This was our largest source for prevention and testing funding, so I’m pretty devastated.” Numerous agencies not currently funded through the program but that had applied for the coming cycle were not selected. BEBASHI and the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative sought funding through the social-network program, while Philadelphia FIGHT also applied for that category, as well as targeted testing and health education/risk reduction. FIGHT director of development and communications Mark Seaman said the agency was “disappointed” it had not been selected. “There were many qualified and capable applicants, but unfortunately we weren’t selected,” Seaman said. The PDPH spokesperson said funding for people of color organizations was “part of the discussion” and that the program is “only part of the prevention portfolio.” Local agencies are also eligible for money through state and local programs, Enhanced Comprehensive Planning and direct CDC funding, all of which he said were taken into consideration “in making decisions in order to spread funding around.” ■

And there are Republicans I know of who have gay brothers or sisters or relatives and who see LGBT equality as important. So I’m hoping this won’t be a partisan issue going forward.” The members signed on to a mission statement that describes the caucus as an entity for those who “are strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBT people in the commonwealth and around the nation. By serving as a resource for members of the General Assembly, their staff and the public on LGBT issues, the caucus will work toward the extension of equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination of hate-motivated violence and the improved health and wellbeing for all, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.” ■

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PGN FEATURE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

PAGE 28

Bulletin Board Family Portrait Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly Worth Watching

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LGBT publishing companies try to expand their audience By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Local independent LGBT publishing companies are trying to find new ways to reach their audiences and maintain their business in a world wherebookstores — and LGBT bookstores in particular — are closing up shop nationwide and consumers can buy and read books via the Internet and mobile devices. Tw o l o c a l LGBT publishing companies, Tiny Satchel Press and Lethe Press, have similar goals in reaching underserved LGBT readers and consumers. Well-known journalist, writer and editor Victoria A. Brownworth founded Tiny Satchel Press last year because she felt there was a lack of books being written for tween and teenage LGBT readers, especially ones that feature ethnically diverse authors and main characters. “I had been working as an acquisitions

editor for a mainstream publisher for the previous six years,” she said. “I was getting frustrated when I would bring other LGBT stories or stories with main characters of color to the committee and they would say, ‘Well, I don’t think there’s a readership for this.’ Everyone else that I spoke to in our community was saying to me we really need books that address this age range of queer kids. And they just weren’t there. I know when I was a kid, there was no such thing as tween and teen books. You went from children’s book to adult book and there was this big gap in between. The intention when I founded Tiny Satchel was to address that demographic and to focus on books for LGBT kids and kids of color. And whenever possible, combine those two things.” Steve Berman, author, owner and publisher of Lethe Publishing, founded his company in 2001 to publish books for LGBT readers in specific genres. “Right now we focus on a few niche parts

of the LGBT literary world,” he said. “We primarily do speculative fiction, fantasy, science fiction and horror. We also have an imprint for gay people of color and we have an imprint for bears. If it’s a book that is aimed at one of those readers, then I’m interested. It’s just that it makes the most sense to approach one of those types of books.” B o t h Brownworth and Berman agree that one of the biggest challenges their busin e s s e s fa c e is the declining number of LGBT bookstores that support independent LGBT publishers. “ Ye s , i t ’s a problem because it means that there are less of our titles in the bookstores,” Berman said. “But for better or worse, Amazon has stepped in as well as TLA Books. The Internet has pretty much stepped in for people buying gay books at bookstores. I would rather they buy at a gay bookstore, but people go online for their books.” Brownworth agrees that closing book-

stores is a major obstacle but doesn’t see Amazon in such a positive light. “It’s a disaster, especially since the main focal point for books in America is Amazon. Last year, Amazon accidentally deleted all their gay titles. They got them back but they regularly do all kinds of censoring of the books that are available. That is how the majority of people get their books. When there isn’t an alternative to Amazon, there isn’t a way to get your titles out there. I had a problem with two books with Amazon. One book, ‘Dreaming in Color’ by Fiona L ew i s , a w e l l known black lesbian writer, they took the book down because they accidentally transposed numbers in the ISBN [International Standard Book Number]. They told us they couldn’t sell it until they had the right ISBN. We had the right ISBN initially anyway. It took over two months to repost the book. That was two months of sales that were missing. A book by a black lesbian writer for kids just off the grid. You can’t get an actual person on the phone with Amazon like you can when you call

FEATURE PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Giovanni’s Room. Every time you close down a gay and lesbian bookstore, you close down access to queer books across the line. Adults will be able to find gay and lesbian books elsewhere but kids will not. The age range that we focus on will have no access to those books because they won’t know how to find them.” Brownworth added that teenaged and tween LGBT readers, especially the ones that are short on means, are hit hardest by vanishing LGBT bookstores because oftentimes those are the only places they can find literature that they feel represents them. “Everybody is just struggling when it comes to books and booksstores and publishing,” she said. “In our community, despite the image of the rich white gay man, it’s not the case for the majority of our kids out there. There’s not a lot of discretionary income out there. Every other day, there’s a teen who’s posting on YouTube about feeling suicidal. We know how desperately kids need images of themselves available to them. I just know from my own experiences coming up, I would have killed for lesbian books when I was a teenager. “It’s been a huge struggle getting our books into [mainstream] bookstores. It’s

not that our readership isn’t out there, but connecting with the readership is a struggle as well. The economy is what it is. I feel strongly that kids should have access to books and, unless you’re a wealthy kid, you don’t have an iPad or a Nook or a Kindle. You don’t have access, even if you do have those things, to buying your own books and not having your parents check what you’re buying. So I think that it’s important to have print books out there.” Berman has a slightly more optimistic outlook on the impact of e-books on the LGBT community. “Because we’re a small press and we print on demand, we rely on Ingram [Book Company] for most of our distribution,” he said. “It’s s t i l l ve r y difficult for independent bookstores that are primarily gay bookstores to find out and discover our books. Not only have e-books provided new outlets and introduced new readers, but it has also

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helped the cash flow because there are less returns and costs per title because the production is near minimal. E-books have really helped our bottom line.” Brownworth admits e-books d o h ave t h e i r advantages but the importance of the actual physical copies of LGBT books cannot be stressed enough. “We know we have to do them,” Brownworth said about e-books. “All of our books are in e-book form. But we’re not just doing e - b o o k s . We also do print books. Part of the problem with e-books is that they really address a more moneyed demographic. We’re trying to reach kids across the economic strata. We want kids to share books, which unfortunately you can’t do with e-books. There’s no used e-book store. So we are trying to p r o mote books in libraries because that’s where a large percentage of teens and tweens of color who are not middle class are getting their books and their computer access. Being able to have our book in print and e-book means we are reaching a larger segment of the popula-

tion. We have to be doing the books in print because otherwise we can’t reach the kids we most want to reach. They have to be able to pass these books around.” Berman agrees that word of mouth, whether it comes from libraries, bookstores, personal contact or the online community, is key to the success of independent LGBT publishers. “We recently had two titles that received star reviews: a lesbian zombie novella called ‘Eat Your Heart Out’ and a bisexual graphic novel called ‘A + E Forever.’ We’ve received many library orders,” he said. “They have also spread out to some mainstream bookstores. Primarily once you get a starred review, it’s pretty much telling the libraries that this is something of quality. The old standard [of success] is 100,000 copies sold for the mainstream press and 1,000 copies sold for a small press is a success. For us, I would say that if we sell around 500 copies in a year, it may not seem like a lot, but that’s a good book for us. We’re hoping for reviews or a Lambda Literary winner as we had last year.” ■ For more information on Tiny Satchel Press, visit www.tinysatchelpress.com. For more information on Lethe Press, visit www.lethepressbooks.com.

PROFILE PGN

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Suzi Nash

Roberta Gallaway: From country roots to motivating aspirations For those of you unfamiliar, the seven principles of Kwanzaa are as follows: 1) Umoja (unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race. 2) Kujichagulia (self-determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves. 3) Ujima (collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and to make our brother’s and sister’s problems, our problems and to solve them together. 4) Ujamaa (collective economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them. 5) Nia (purpose): To make as our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. To be responsible to those who came before and to those who will follow. 6) Kuumba (creativity): Using creativity and imagination to make our communities better than what we inherited. 7) Imani (faith): Believing in our people, our families, our educators, our leaders and the righteousness of the African-American struggle. Though founded for the AfricanAmerican community, we could all stand to embrace the seven principles. In the spirit of Kwanzaa and community, Colours, Elements and a number of LGBT groups are partnering for a communal celebration. The free Dec. 28 event will be held at 3801 Market St. Last year we spoke to Robert K. Burns, the inspiring executive director of Colours who died earlier this month. For this year’s event, we spoke to another inspiring community leader, Roberta Gallaway, one of the organizers of the event. PGN: Tell me a little about yourself. RG: I was born in Philadelphia but was raised in a little town in Virginia called Tappahannock, which was on the banks of the Rappahannock River. PGN: What was life like on the river? RG: Very rural country living. In the summer I helped pick and can vegetables, I was a tomboy and climbed trees and played outdoors. We did a lot of crabbing too. It was interesting. I was a foster child but didn’t know it. PGN: [Laughs.] I went crabbing once and was so afraid the crabs were going to grab my ankles, I wore shoes and socks into the water. RG: That sounds like my daughter! But when I was a kid, we used to put chicken into a net and throw it in the water. We’d go play for a while and then, when we came back, we’d pull up the net and it would be full of crabs that got stuck in the

net trying to get to the chicken. We’d build a fire and cook them right there and eat them by the river. [Laughs.] As I said ... country life.

PGN: That sounds delicious. How did you find out you were a foster child? RG: My foster mother passed away when I was about 7. Being 7 you know, you always want to touch the things they tell you expressly not to. I was exploring and found a paper that had my name on it but instead of saying Roberta Gary, which was my name, it said Roberta Fredericks. I was like, “Who is that?” It turned out it was me and that my birth mom had given me up when I was about 4 months old. After my foster mother died, I stayed with my [foster] father for a while, but I was being sexually abused by him during that time. When I was 12 they took me away and I ended up back in the system. I was transferred from place to place and ended up with a family in Richmond, Va. PGN: Who helped you get through it? RG: I had two foster families that had a big impact on my life. The first was a foster mother I went with when I was 13. She really helped teach me what a good mother should be. She was my mom and taught me how a young lady was supposed to behave and act and — just as important — what we were not supposed to do. She gave heartfelt motherly advice and chastisement. Unfortunately, when I was 16, she passed away unexpectedly. I was really distraught and tried to commit suicide and spent my 17th birthday in a hospital. But then I was placed with another family and my new foster mother became the backbone of my life. She also taught me things about being a young lady. She made sure I went to school and acted right. I got a sense of what a real family should be like. Those two women had a big impact on making me the woman I am today. PGN: What was your favorite class in school? RG: Biology. I took an honors class and we did nothing but dissecting — frogs, pigs, everything. I loved it, until they decided to do a snake. I was not a fan of that move, and I had to say, “Noooooo, no, no.” It was not going to happen. But one person volunteered to do it and the rest of us watched. PGN: So, what did you want to be when you grew up? RG: Oh wow, I’m still growing up. But when I was very young I wanted to be a nurse or something in the medical field. [Laughs.] That changed quickly. PGN: And what do you want now? RG: Well, when I do grow up, I want to be a motivational speaker. I’d like to be

the female version of Les Brown. I was working in administration but am currently looking for employment. I keep busy though. Right now I’m working as a rape counselor with Women Organized Against Rape as well as volunteering with Colours, where I’m on the advisory board and facilitate the Tuesday’s Drop In, sit in as an ally for Sisters United, which is a trans-woman group, and facilitate the Sistah 2 Sistah group, which is a youth lesbian group. I’m also a part of Fire Island Black Out and of course I work with Elements, currently helping to coordinate Kwanzaa night. All the things I want to do when I grow up! PGN: The Elements mission states, “Our mission is to create and to sustain a safe space for LGBTQ womyn to connect and dialogue while increasing visibility, promoting holistic healing, and addressing key issues within our communities that will move us towards a more just society.” What are some of the key issues facing

We want to try to find ways to bring us all together as a community. For instance, the Kwanzaa event is open to anyone and it’s free of charge. PGN: I know that a lot of times, the concerns of the larger LGBT community don’t always match the concerns of other groups. For instance, gay marriage is not necessarily a big issue for parts of the community that are more concerned with health care and other issues. RG: True. Not that we don’t want that, but if you ask a group of LGBT women of color, that’s probably not their top priority: We would be more concerned about being heard and respected in the community [and] finding a way to make the LGBTQ community more inclusive and acting as a unit. PGN: You’re a motivational speaker. Describe someone who’s motivated you. RG: Andrea LaMour Harrington. She’s had a difficult life and yet always come through with a positive outlook. She’s a transwoman who was ostracized by her birth family and given a hard time and yet she survived and become a pillar of not just the trans community, but the community at large. Knowing her story, I’m amazed by her. I remember you did her Portrait a while back. PGN: Yes, I did her Portrait in 2006 and my ex used to sing with her. RG: For real? Small world. Andrea has such a beautiful voice and so much talent. PGN: Who was your first love? RG: Warren Smith. I was 17 and he was 25. It was a summer love because I was getting ready to start school and I didn’t think boys and school mixed. PGN: Where did you go to school? RG: VCU, Virginia Commonwealth University.

Photo: Suzi Nash

LGBTQ women of color? RG: Being a woman is a struggle, being African American is a struggle and being LGBTQ is a struggle, so when you combine all three, it’s a lot for one to handle. It’s the same for any woman of color — African American, Latino, Asian. One of the hardest things is getting our voices heard, so we have to speak louder and that sometimes gets mistaken for aggression. Another challenge is that we tend to congregate amongst ourselves: It can be a little frightening to go into the unfamiliar.

PGN: OK, some random questions. You’ve lived in the North and the South — would you rather be hot or cold? RG: Cold! PGN: What’s the worst advice you ever gave? RG: [Laughs.] You should stay with him. PAGE 21

MUSIC PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Divas and dubstep clog our inbox By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Mary J. Blige My Life II ... The Journey Continues (Act 1) Geffen Records We get nervous when someone makes an album and names it as the sequel of one of their best albums, especially when the namesake for the album dropped over 17 years ago and was a pivotal album in that artist’s career. But if anyone can fulfill a promise to bring that level of greatness on a new album, it’s Mary J. Blige. And, wow, does she ever deliver. Mary J. comes out of the gate swinging on the bouncy first song, “Feel Inside,” which features a blistering contribution from rapper Nas. The infectious beats and Blige’s silky voice just keep delivering on tracks like the sparse grooves of “Midnight Drive” and “Mr. Wrong,” as well as on funkier tracks like “Next Level.” This is how supremely badass Blige is: She covers a Chaka Kahn song on the

record and doesn’t eff it up, and instead delivers a glistening modern take of “Ain’t Nobody.” Need further proof? She also holds her own with Beyoncé, who we all know has a track record of outshining any and all lesser divas who happen to be in the vicinity — if not elbowing them completely out of the picture — on the elegantly laced slowburning track “Love a Woman.” It turns out the two reigning R&B divas work great together. Beyond the slickly produced but stilltasteful tracks, Blige also proves she can still hold it down on old-school analog songs like the acoustic-guitar-and-pianodriven “Need Someone” and the brilliantly upbeat “25/8.” We hope there’s an act III in the future. Rihanna Talk That Talk Def Jam Lady Gaga Born This Way: The Remix Streamline/ Interscope We’re beginning to think Madonna and Janet Jackson had it easy back in the

day when all they had to do was make an album, do a few videos and do a tour once every three or four years. Today’s pop stars, in comparison, have to keep cranking out the product at a breakneck pace. This is Rihanna’s third album in as many years, on top of international touring, commercials and a role starring in what looks like the silliest action movie of 2012 (“Battleship”). This is probably what happened. They all saw Britney and Christina fall off when they took the smallest of breaks to have a kid, get married, get divorced, make a crappy movie or all of the above. So now the biggest of the pop superstars — Gaga, Rihanna and Katy Perry — are so fearful of our short attention spans that they keep hammering us nonstop with singles, albums, remixes, magazine covers and other whatnot before we’re even done with the last widget they launched at us. Granted, Rihanna leaves all the songwriting to team upon team of producers but, damn, girl — you can’t be up in our face all the time, especially when all the albums start sounding the same. Like last year’s “Loud”

and 2009’s “Rated R,” Rihanna stays in her synthetic-pop safety zone of thumping dance tracks (“Where Have You Been”), mid-temp grind (“You Da One” and “Drunk on Love”), the title track featuring yet another Jay-Z guest appearance) and an ethereal island flavor (“Watch N’ Learn”). Sadly, the most interesting tracks the album, the delightfully dirty “Cockiness (Love It)” and “Birthday Cake,” are the shortest songs on the album, with an average running time of under two minutes. Rihanna, we love you but, please. We need our space. Gaga, we need a breather from you too. You are wearing us out. Yeah, your albums take longer to make and you write or co-write all your own songs. But you’re beating us up with new product too. Let’s see ... eight of the 14 tracks on this album and two remixes each of the singles “Born This Way,” “Judas,” “You and I” and “Marry the Night” were already released when those singles hit stores and iTunes. You greedy little minx! Seeing as Gaga is one of the biggest and most adventurous pop stars on the planet right now, she could have at least given us an entirely fresh batch of remixes or some alternate versions of songs off the album that we haven’t heard a million times. Yeah, we know she was busy meeting the

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president, planning a world tour and doing a Thanksgiving special, but damn. Luckily there are some really cool remixes to sate our frustration. Goldfrapp does a bang-up job with a twisted and narcotic-slow rendering on “Judas.” The Hurst version of the same song is pleasantly choppy and complex as well. The Horrors turn “Bloody Mary” into an awesome and pulsing goth/new-wave feast. Otherwise, the rest of the remixes paint the songs with various shades of discotheque, which is OK but so predictable. Korn The Path to Totality Roadrunner Nero Welcome to Reality Cherry Tree Records/Interscope Popular music has a new “it” genre: dubstep. Not actually, but you can’t really sell PORTRAIT from page 19

PGN: What is the best gift you have ever received? RG: A spa day when my kids were young. Being a mommy, it was fantastic to have four hours of nothing but pampering and peace and quiet. PGN: Tell me about your kids. RG: I have a son named Toyre, he’s 21 and the most awesome young man I could wish for. He’s the man of my life, my rock. He’s at home right now because he’s switching schools and when I’m sad I can cry on his shoulder; when I need a laugh, he’ll pick me up. I’ve never had a day of trouble with him. My daughter is Alesheya and, oh my goodness: She’s a sophomore at Lincoln University with a double major in early childhood education and performance. She sings like a songbird. God has blessed me with two phenomenal gifts. PGN: Do you collect anything? RG: [Laughs.] OK, I’m obsessed with Hello Kitty. I’m a fanatic — fanatic! I have a room with Hello Kitty everywhere: It’s on my computer, I use it as my screen saver. I even have a Hello Kitty tattoo. PGN: Coming out? RG: Well, I’m what people call a newbie. I’ve only been out three years. I was previously married and had been in a long-term relationship for 13 years. We separated and, for the first time in my life, I was just over men in general. It was like, uh, really? I think I’d grown and wasn’t going to take things that I might have put up with in the past. I met a woman online and we decided to meet. [Laughs.] I was a lesbian from that day forward. I told my children a few months later. My son took it well: He was just glad I was happy. My daughter took it a little harder. She was like, “My mom is gay and I’m going to an all-girls’ school!” And when I say I came

the sound if you call it something established, like drum and bass, electronica, industrial or any of the other dozen terms that apply to the aggressive and catchy subsection of electronic dance music. So now we have the term dubstep, which means the genre will be dead soon because once a movement of music has a name, it can be killed by greed, hype and the record industry. Just like grunge, nu-metal, emo, trip-hop and all the other blanket terms that came down the pike, dubstep is probably going to have a short shelf life. How do we know this? Because bands out, I came out with a bang. Everyone knew ... young men who I befriended who were extremely flamboyant told me I was “extra” gay! I hit the ground running and wanted to be a part of everything gay I could find. PGN: What can we look forward to at Kwanzaa? RG: The program is going to be a little different this year. We are going to focus more on the principles of Kwanzaa. We will have entertainment, but it will fit into the categories of the seven principles. Well, as much as possible: It’s hard to have a drag show on, say, Ujamaa. We are going to focus on the elders and what the celebration really means. We want you to feel it in your heart. PGN: My family had a Kwanzaa celebration where we wrote the names of each person who we’d lost on Christmas balls. We passed them around and each person took a ball and shared a personal memory about the person they picked. RG: In that vein, we will be doing a tribute to Robert Burns, the executive director of Colours, who we lost this month. They are the founding group for the event. The night will also include a tribute through the pouring of libations to celebrate our ancestors, in addition to a full night of live entertainment that will include spoken word, live vocal performance and dance. PGN: Where is it going to be held? RG: This year we’re in a new spot at 3801 Market. There’s an open reception with food and vendors at 6 p.m. and then we will have a drum circle that will set the tone for the night. The celebration runs until 9 p.m. ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portrait,” write to portraits05@aol. com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

from outside the genre are jumping on the bandwagon. Korn, a band that helped crystallize the nu-metal genre, collaborated with Grammy-nominated dubstep artist Skrillex for its latest album. And it works for Korn. The band members like to veer off the beaten path every two or three albums, if for no other reason than to make their longtime fans appreciate them more when they snap back to their usual nu-metal form. “The Path of Totality” bristles with metallic fury but is tempered by the processed percussion, obnoxious low-end and dominating synth sounds bouncing between frenetic choppiness and chilly ambience. It’s not exactly the caliber of Nine Inch Nails, and there are times when Korn should have bucked against being completely swallowed by Skrillex, as most of the live instruments, especially the bass and drums, got steamrolled in the mix under all the electronic wizardry. But the album does swing for cheap seats on tracks

like “Bleeding Out,” “Sanctuary” and “Narcissistic Cannibal.” Dubstep duo Nero, a relative newcomer to the genre, represents the more clubfriendly side of the category than the metallic intertwined styles of Korn and Skrillex. But Nero can still take someone’s head off without guitars. For the most part, the album bounces between bass-heavy, four-on-the-floor headbangers with dive-bombing synth lines (“Doomsday” and “Fugue State”) and guilty pleasure electro-dance-pop (“Must Be the Feeling”). But the group’s secret weapon is the angelic singing provided by guest vocalist Alana Watson, which elevates “Me and You” and “My Eyes” to greatness. The cover of The Jets’ “Crush on You” is, at the very least, cute. Overall, both “The Path of Totality” and “Welcome to Reality” are fun batches of songs, either of which would make a decent soundtrack to a night of debauched fun. So go ahead and dig in before the genre inevitably gets oversaturated and fades away. ■

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Q Puzzle Not Just a Cruising Motto Across

1. “Maude” producer 5. Source book for “Jesus Christ Superstar” 10. Doctors make you strip for it 14. Pisa’s river 15. Old line for cockpit workers 16. Brain section 17. Began a hole, with “off” 18. Cocoon creator 19. You may feel it at a gay bar 20. Start of the motto of J. Edgar’s agency 23. More of the motto 24. End of the motto 25. Gardner of

“Show Boat” 28. Willingly obedient 32. Rock guitarist Barrett 35. Streisand, for short 37. Forbidden acts 38. Former Mets’ stadium 39. Rosie’s favorite dolls 41. Old org. of tight ends 42. Bottom bumper of boats 43. He plays the title role in “J. Edgar” 46. Tow job 47. Bean town? 48. Get off the fence 49. Nelson of reruns 53. It comes before mature ejaculation 55. “J. Edgar” director 58. Words of

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empathy 59. The “S” in RSVP 60. “We’re doomed!” 62. Easier on the eyes 63. Threesome in “Roma” 64. Poet Stephen Vincent ___ 65. Belief summary for Troy Perry 66. Thumbs-up 67. Bewilder

Down

1. Caesar’s lang. 2. Before, in the past 3. One way to start 4. Drive in Beverly Hills 5. Where Stonewall Jackson got his name 6. Voyeur’s confession 7. Silents vamp Theda

8. Roman historian 9. Humanist of Holland 10. First name in talk 11. Draw a cross over 12. Muscle Mary’s pride 13. Came upon 21. IRS review 22. k. d. lang’s “Big Boned ___ ” 25. Son of Adam and Eve 26. Sheltered spot 27. Protection when the artillery shoots off 29. One that attacks the fly with a long tongue 30. 411 31. Toss in one’s hand 32. Date more than one person, e.g. 33. Wine list datum

34. Amigo of Lorca 36. Like a fading erection? 38. Made heads get foamy 40. Type of sucker 42. Poli ___ 44. What an athletic supporter might do? 45. “Why should ___ you?” 48. Come to mind 50. Full of flavor 51. Congo, formerly 52. Lesbos and Man 54. Ford lemon that was not fruitful 56. Peter by the piano 57. Sheryl Swoopes’ org. 58. Former govt. watchdog 61. Summer for Rimbaud PAGE 29

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Christmas Wrapping The holidays are finally here! I don’t care Stimulus New Year’s Eve what grumpy old queens say; I love the holiCelebrate the closing of the year with days. I even spent a few hours in the Cherry Stimulus’ New Year’s Eve party from 9 Hill Mall last Saturday at the height of the p.m.-6 a.m. on Dec. 31 at Voyeur Nightclub, craziness — shopping and crowd watching. 1221 St. James St. You probably haven’t It was wonderful! even recovered from Holiday Stimulus a couple weeks ago I loved the music and the yet, right? Well, get ready for decorations but the best part round two because this party was the people. I even saw two will have hot and sexy go-go bearded 20something guys walking around holding hands. It dancers, drink specials from was the most natural thing in the 9-11, a champagne toast at midworld and nobody batted an eye night, a super-sexy shot crew, and DJs Kash and Jovi Baby to at them. keep you movin’ and groovin’ I thought about telling them long after the ball has dropped how adorable they were and and sunrise approaches. how their casual togetherness All this for only $20 if absolutely made my day, but I didn’t want to impose or ruin the you get there before midnight! Jim The price goes up after that, so moment for them. So let that be your mantra this Kiley-Zufelt get there early, then check out holiday season: Don’t let anyone the other parties and close out ruin the moment for you. the night at Voyeur. Enjoy yourselves the next couple of For more information, check out www. weeks but please remember to be careful. stimulusphilly.com. If you’re not used to partying, don’t go all amateur night on New Year’s Eve and get Ladies 2000 New Year’s Day totally wasted. To paraphrase LMFAO, it’s All will not be quiet on New Year’s Day not sexy and you know it. if you celebrate with Ladies 2000 from More importantly, please don’t get too 3-10 p.m. at ICandy. A $10 cover gets drunk to travel. Yes, I’m saying don’t drink you drink specials for the first two hours, and drive, but I’m also saying don’t ride the sexy dancers, hot music, hot women, party train alone at 2:30 in the morning if you’re favors, a ball drop and one of Philly’s completely blotto. favorite DJs, Michael DeCero. If you overindulge, make sure you’re with For more information, see www. ladies2000.com. someone who’s sober enough to help you get home in one piece. If you’re traveling Scene Party New Year’s Day Bash alone, then take it easy and remember to See and be seen at the Scene Party Tea take care of yourself. I want to see you all Dance from 3 p.m.-3:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 at back here safe and sound in 2012! Voyeur Nightclub. For $8 you get sexy dancers, a sexy shot girl and sexy DJs Kash ICandy Christmas Spectacular and Carl Michaels. Be one of the first 50 Yes, Virginia, there is a weekend-long people in the door and you’ll get a Winter Christmas Spectacular in the Gayborhood! 2012 Mix by DJ Kash! If you’re still dragIt all starts at 10 p.m. on Dec. 23, 24 and 25 ging from the night before, they’ll have at ICandy, 254 S. 12th St., where there will lots of soft pretzels so you can carb load to be fun and surprises for the kid who refuses make it through. to grow up inside us all. The club will have For more information, see www.faceholiday drink specials every night, a free book.com/tlbtbproductions. buffet on Christmas Eve and sexy Santa’s Helpers to help stuff your stocking. Mummers Day Parade On Dec. 25, don’t miss Brittany Lynn’s And don’t forget about the Mummers Drag Mafia and, if you dress for the Sexy Santa Contest, you might walk out with cash Parade. Philly’s annual celebration of public drunkenness and straight men in bad and prizes. On Dec. 23 and 25 it’s 18 to drag provides more cruising opportunities enter, 21 to drink. than Grindr and Scruff combined. For more information, see www.clubiDon’t you laugh — I’ve heard many candy.com. stories over the years of guys scoring with Reminisce Happy Hour hot Italian studs stumbling through the Baby it’s cold outside, but you can bask in Gayborhood trying to find their way back the warmth of the holidays with friends old to South Philly. Just keep your wits about and new at the Reminisce Happy Hour from you, don’t do anything foolish and remem5-10 p.m. on Dec. 30 at Ms. Tootsie’s RBL, ber to respect him in the morning (even if 1312 South St., sponsored by the folks at his outfit is more fabulous than yours). Philly Black Gay Pride. There’s no cover, so Happy holidays, everybody! ■ there’s no excuse to miss out on all the drink specials and soulful munchies. Questions, comments or news about upcomFor more information, see www.phillying events? Contact Jim at barcrawlr@gmail. blackpride.org. com.

Barcrawlr

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

��

�� The most award-winning LGBT newspaper in the country! During our 35th year, PGN staff collected a total of seven awards from Suburban Newspapers of America and the National Newspaper Association PGN Staff SNA First Place, Best Special Section World AIDS Supplement Gary M. Kramer SNA First Place, Best Arts & Entertainment Writing-Feature “John Waters Is My Role Model” Jen Colletta NNA Second Place, Best Feature Story “Kelly McGillis talks marriages, divorces and civil union” Larry Nichols SNA Second Place, Best Arts & Entertainment Writing-Feature “The Many Faces of Meshell” Mark Segal NNA Second Place, Best Serious Column “Mosque issue is an LGBT issue” Scott A. Drake SNA Honorable Mention, Best Photojournalism “Outfest” Scott A. Drake SNA Honorable Mention, Best News Photo “Historic Storm”

Congratulations to everyone on a great year! ��

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PGN ENTERTAINMENT

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Worth Watching THE HONOR ROLL: This year, “The 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors” gives it up for cellist Yo-Yo Ma (clockwise from top left), actress Meryl Streep, singer and songwriter Neil Diamond, actress Barbara Cook and saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins, 9 p.m. Dec. 27 on CBS. Photo:

PANDA CLAUS: Po has to choose between family and the job he loves during the holidays on the “Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special” 9:30 p.m. Dec. 23 on ABC.

CBS/John Paul Filo

FAIRY-TALE CHRISTMAS: The 28th annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” features appearances by Christina Aguilera, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson (pictured), Cee Lo Green, Kermit the Frog and more, noon Dec. 25 on ABC. Photo: Disneyland/Mark Ashman

JEFFREY E. GOLDMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW SPECIALIZING IN PARTNERSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT LAW Proven track record of recovering millions of dollars for wrongfully treated employees!* Experience litigating: • Partnership & business disputes • Non-competes • Executive compensation • Employment discrimination • Real Estate Litigation Jeffrey E. Goldman, Esq. 100 S. Broad St. Suite 1330 Philadelphia, PA 19110

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GRINCH VS. GRINCH: Which version of the holiday thief do you like best? You can compare and contrast when Jim Carrey stars in “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” which follows the animated original, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 24 on ABC. Photo: Universal Studios/Melina Sue Gordon

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PGN OUT DINING

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Ela gets cozy and classy in Queen Village By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com The recently opened Ela, 627 S. Third St., is a sophisticated oasis tucked into a cozy corner space just a block away from the action on South Street. The menu at Ela, created and executed by chefs Jason Cichonski and Chip Roman, is broken down into three sub-menus, or “bites” as they call them. Each is concise — no more than five items — with plenty of pleasant surprises to be had. By comparison, the bar menu is epic, including some fanciful cocktails named after song titles from the band Brand New (apparently they love the band there). We were brave enough to try the “Jaws Theme Swimming” ($11), consisting of spiced rum, vanilla, black strap molasses and ginger beer, which had a strong Southern charm with a faint underlying sweetness. We also partook of the “OK I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don’t” ($11), a pleasantly sour

and potent blend of tequila, rosemary, kaffir lime, St. Germain and citrus. The first “bite” we tried were the oysters ($15), served raw with bacon, shallots and hops. If you love oysters and bacon, the dish is heavenly. The himachi ($11), also served up raw with apple, horseradish and truffle, was bright, flavorful and quite refreshing. The second bite had the most wow factor of the evening, with unexpected but delicious takes on items we thought had become overly familiar. The whipped foie gras ($14) was shockingly good and could have passed for a dessert. The flavors of silky smooth foie gras were subdued just enough by a bed of crushed gingerbread and topped by a nicely done huckleberry sauce, making for a wonderful dish. The diver scallop noodles ($15) were another winning dish and a surprise — it never occurred to us that they would render the scallops into noodles. Oh, but it worked. The dish had a wealth of interesting Asian flavors and textures.

If you go

If the second bites were all about culinary showmanship, the third bites were all about showing off excellent displays of technique. The duck magret ($19) was excellent with perfectly cooked and sliced duck brought to the plate juicy and meaty, with nary a trace of the overly greasy richness that one might associate with duck. Accompanying the dish was a wonderful pretzel spaeztle, fried Brussels sprouts and a butternut-squash purée, all lending themselves well to the flavor and texture of the dish. The skate ($18) was flawless as well, making itself a fine vehicle for the flavors brought by the garnishes of red cabbage, sun choke and grain mustard. Ela’s desserts are nothing short of obscenely good. The least decadent, but still addictive, is the red wine-poached strawberries ($8), which swam underneath a cloud of cream and shortbread. Yeah, sexy as hell. The manjari chocolate ($8) stood

Ela

627 S. Third St. 267-687-8512 www.elaphilly.com Open for dinner nightly Photo: Scott A. Drake

on the plate like a dark monument to highend chocolatiering, filled with apricots and served with shortbreads. We heard the house favorite dessert at Ela was the hot chocolate chip cookie dough ($8), which formed a sea of warm, drinkable goodness surrounding and saturating a small island of hot bananas and a cold vanilla semifreddo. Approach this island with caution. You might never leave. If you’re looking for a classy dinner and are ready to give yourself over to the brilliant culinary instincts of two adventurous chefs, get dressed up and head on over to Ela. ■

Food & Drink

220 S. 17th St. � ( 215 ) 790-1799 tavern17restaurant.com

THE ABBAYE EXCELLENT BELGIAN AND MICROBREW SELECTIONS

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HAPPY HOUR Mon.-Fri. 4-6 pm $2 off all Drafts $5 glass of wine $2 select daily $3 Well Drinks domestic bottle New Happy Menu - Nothing over $5 DAILY LUNCH SPECIAL Mon-Fri. 11:30 -2:30pm $2 off all Sandwiches $1 off all Entrees (Eat-in Only) BRUNCH - Sat. & Sun. 10 am-3 pm QUIZZO - Every Thursday 10 pm KARAOKE - Every Sunday 10 pm

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Everett Bradley’s Holidelic A night of holidaythemed funk, 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

Moo Shu Jew Show Some of the country’s best comedians and a multi-course Chinese meal highlight this popular evening, 6 p.m. at Joy Tsin Lau Restaurant, 1026 Race St.; www.events.gershmany.org.

Sat.12/24

Sun. 12/25

Dramatic Readings from Holiday Literature The Kimmel Center hosts readings of holiday classics such as “The Night Before Christmas,” “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” and others, 11 a.m. at Commonwealth Plaza, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800.

Happy Holidays PGN sincerely hopes you enjoy whatever holiday(s) you choose to celebrate/not celebrate/grudgingly tolerate.

OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 12/23 “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” A Christmas Story Quote-Along The holiday film is screened 6 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400. Holiday Dreams On Ice Openly gay ice skater Johnny Weir performs with Ashley Wagner, Armin Mahbanoozadeh, Samantha Cesario, Brandon Mroz and Tamar Katz, 7 p.m. at University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 Arena, 3130 Walnut St.; 215-898-1923.

Mon. 12/26 Winterfest ‘11 Beer Tasting Get your liver in shape for New Year’s Eve with the help of some American craft beers, 5 p.m. at

World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD: Dorothy and her ragtag crew of outcast misﬁts from the land of Oz traipse down the yellow brick road the throw down with the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz,” a stage spectacular celebrating the iconic 1939 MGM ﬁlm, Dec. 2728 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-790-5800.

Groove Night Local musicians join forces to bring the R&B, soul, jazz and funk, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400. Die Hard The action film is screened 8 p.m. at The Trocadero Theater, 1003 Arch St.; 215-9226888. Unlabeled:

Tue. 12/27 The Acoustic/ Electric Open Mic for Up and Comers Sign up and play, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400.

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Project/Object Performing The Music of Frank Zappa and more The rock group performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. TuesGAY Nights Lyrics Lounge and DJ June Rodrigues hosts a weekly night of music and performers for the LGBT community, 8 p.m. at 6527 Roosevelt Blvd.; 215-533-5888.

Wed. 12/28 The Polar Express The animated holiday film is screened 4 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-0223.

Thu. 12/29 Ted Vigil: A Tribute to John Denver with Special Guest Steve Weisberg The folk-music artists performs 8 p.m. upstairs at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400. Rusted Root The rock band performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400. Start Making Sense: Talking Heads Tribute The rock group

performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Bob and Barbara’s Drag Show The outrageousness begins at 11 p.m. at Bob and Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215-545-4511.

Fri. 12/30 Before & After Entertainment presents a PreNew Year’s Eve Celebration Comedians, DJs and bands perform, 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400.

Live Wire The AC/DC tribute band performs 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215257-5808. Third Eye Blind The rock band performs 8 p.m. at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000. Thursday The punk-rock band performs 8 p.m. at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-922-1011. Die Hard The action film is screened 9:45 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223. ■

4W5 Blues Jam Local musicians get down 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400.

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Splintered Sunlight The Grateful Dead tribute band performs 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215-257-5808. The Wailers The reggae group performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

WE WISH YOU A FUNKY CHRISTMAS ... : What do you get when you combine the musical inﬂuences of 1970s and ’80s funk/soul bands with original songs that celebrate diversity, mild familial seasonal dysfunction, individuality and holiday booty shaking? You get Everett Bradley’s “Holidelic,” ready to tear the roof off and turn this mutha out, 8 p.m. Dec. 23 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. For more information or tickets, call 215-222-1400.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Wizard of Oz Dorothy and company traipse down the yellow brick road Dec. 27-28 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Jersey Boys The Tony Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons hits the stage through Jan. 14 at Forrest Theater, 1114 Walnut St.; 215-923-1515.

Anthony Jeselnik The comedian seen on the “Comedy Central Roasts” performs Dec. 28-31 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001.

The King and I The Walnut Street Theatre presents Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic musical through Jan. 8, 825 Walnut St.; 215574-3550.

Continuing

Molly Landreth/Aiden Simon The William Way LGBT Community Center hosts an exhibition of the photographers’ work through Dec. 31 at the center, 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220.

Opening

Dutch Treat: A Glimpse of Holland’s Golden Age Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition devoted to the art and culture of Netherlands, through Jan. 1, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker The Pennsylvania Ballet performs the holiday story through Dec. 31 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Gypsy Tovah Feldshuh stars in the classic musical through Jan. 15 at Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol; 215785-6664.

Motherhood: The Musical Society Hill Playhouse presents the musical comedy from the creators of “Menopause: The Musical” through Dec. 31, 507 S. Eighth St.; 215-923-0211. Noël and Gertie The Walnut Street Theatre presents the story of the remarkable theater duo, Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence, through Dec. 31 at Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Sound of Music Media Theater presents the musical through Jan. 15, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. StripWorks AxD Gallery presents an exhibition by Larry Wood of hand-etched imagery of the human form on steel and bronze through Dec. 31, 265 S. 10th St.; 215627-6250. Time, Light, Chance The James Oliver Gallery presents Ron Johnson’s exhibition of oil paintings through March 2, 723 Chestnut St., fourth floor; www.jamesolivergallery. com. Tristin Lowe: Under the Influence Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition debuting works from the Philadelphia artist through Jan. 29, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Q PUZZLE, from page 24

... AND A SNARKY NEW YEAR: Comedian Anthony Jeselnik, seen of late on a number of the “Comedy Central Roasts,” performs Dec. 28-31 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St. For more information or tickets, call 215-496-9001.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Zaha Hadid: Form in Motion Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of product designs by architect Hadid, who in 2004 became the first female recipient of the renowned Pritzker Architecture Prize, through March 25, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

Closing Ahmed Ahmed The comedian seen on the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour performs through Dec. 24 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. Let Me Tell You About A Dream I Had Philadelphia Art Alliance presents an exhibition by The Miss Rockaway Armada, a collective of artists, teachers, sailors, activists, composers and clowns, through Dec. 30 at the Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St.; 215-545-4302. ■

Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com.

HOLIDAY CHEER WITH CHOPSTICKS: If Xmas isn’t your thing, rejoice! The Gershman Y is offering its “Moo Shu Jew Show,” featuring some of the country’s best comedians, including out comedian Jessica Kirson, and a multi-course Chinese meal beginning 6 p.m. Dec. 24 at Joy Tsin Lau Restaurant, 1026 Race St. For more information, visit www.gershmany.org.

Notices cannot be taken over the phone.

1 year 12 months 52 issues Hundreds of stories What were the important stories for LGBT Philly in 2011? What had you talking this year?

Revisit 2011’s Top Stories Dec. 30

REALPGN ESTATE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

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

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

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

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

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

Key numbers

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

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

■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851

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

■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 1800-662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 ■ The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 112 N. Broad St., third floor; 215-496-0330 ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378

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

Health

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

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

■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson: 215-683-2840 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 267-216-6606; ppd. lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)

■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670

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

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia GALLOP holds board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; GALLOP also provides a free referral service; (215) 6279090; www.galloplaw.org.

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

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

Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth ﬂoor; 215-563-0652. www.mazzonicenter.org. Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronic-disease management, including comprehensive HIV care; 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday except for 12-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

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

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

Activism/Politics

ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) meets 6-9 p.m. every Monday at St. Luke and The Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; 215386-1981; www.actupphilly.org. Delaware Valley Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church and State seeks activists and supporters of church-state separation. Holds monthly meetings and events; www.dvau.org. Equality Philadelphia holds a volunteer night the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605; 215-731-1447; www.equalitypa.org. Green Party of Philadelphia holds general meetings the fourth Thursday of the month except December, 7 p.m.; 215-243-7103; www. gpop.org. Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club meets seasonally; www. libertycity.org.

Arts Library Book Club meets to discuss a new book 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at the William Way Center. Open-mic night and amateur poetry, music and storytelling event sponsored by the Pride Center of New Jersey meets 8 p.m. every third Friday at Stage Stars, 13 S. 3rd Ave., Highland Park; 732-718-0134. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus rehearses 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays; 215-731-9230; auditions@pgmc.org. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Opera Club meets to share and listen to recordings 6:30 p.m. the last Saturday of the month; 215-732-7898. Philadelphia Voices of Pride, Philadelphia’s first mixed GLBT chorus, rehearses 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the William Way Center; www.pvop.org. Queer Writer’s Collective workshop and discussion group meets 4-6 p.m. the fourth Saturday of the month at the William Way Center. Reading Queerly, a group open to all women and genderqueer/trans people, meets 6:45 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.

Recreation

Diversity Dancers ballroom dancers meet the first Sunday of the month for tea and lessons. Other events scheduled throughout the year; 215-922-2129; DiversityDancers@aol.com. Gay Bridge Club non-beginners group meets Monday afternoons at the William Way Center; reservations required. Call 215-732-2220. Gay-friendly Scrabble Club meets 6-11 p.m. in the P.I.C. Building, 42nd and Locust streets; 215-382-0789. Gay Opera Guys of Philly, a new group for opera appreciation, meets the last Sunday of the month at 2:30 p.m. in Roxborough/Andorra area; 215-483-1032. Humboldt Society: Lesbian and Gay Naturalists meets the second Thursday of the month at the William Way Center; 215-985-1456; www.humboldtsociety.org. Independence Squares LGBT square-dance club, modern Western square dancing. Monthly open house. Tuesday classes in the fall; Lutheran Church, 2111 Sansom St.; philadances@gmail.com; www. independencesquares.org. LGBT Bridge Group congenial group meets for supper and to play bridge monthly on a Monday at 6:30 p.m. Members rotate as host. New players welcome. For information, call Tony at 215-732-1020. Male Oenophile Group forming to discuss, appreciate and taste various wines. Will meet once a month to investigate the nuances and glories of the fermented grape. Call 267-230-6750 for more information. Mornings OUT LGBT Senior Social activities for senior gay men are held every Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the William Way Center. PhilaVentures, Philadelphia’s LGBT outdoor group, meets for a hike in Wissahickon Valley Park on Sundays at 2 p.m. at 8701 Germantown Ave.; to RSVP, email the hike leader at ABK121@hotmail.com.

Sports

Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for Tuesday and Thursday practice at Greene Field, Howell Street and Moore Road, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Games are played Sundays, beginning in April, in Fairmount Park; 215-462-2575; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch. Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www.philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club GLBT and allied; practices Mondays and Thursdays at Cruz Recreation Center (Fifth and Jefferson streets), 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 10:30 a.m., at Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, male and female swimmers meets 7 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Friends Select School or Kelly Pool in Fairmount Park; 610-564-6661; www.philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League meets 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays September-April at Brunswick Zone, 1328 Delsea Drive, Deptford, N.J.; 856-889-1434; www.philagaybowling.com. Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League seeks players; games played Saturdays, 10 a.m., at Columbus Square Park, 12th and Wharton streets; phillyflagfootball.com. Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club seeks players, all skill levels welcome; meets 6 p.m. Tuesdays at Columbus Field,12th and Wharton streets, and 7 p.m. Thursdays at George Pepper Middle School, 2901 S. 84th St.; 215-913-7531; phillygryphons.org; info@phillygryphons.org. Philadelphia Liberty Belles women’s semi-pro full-tackle football league holds fall tryouts; phillybelles.com. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association plays year-round, all skill levels welcome; philadelphialibertytennis.com. Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team seeks players; www. philadelphiafirebirds.com. Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League seeks players, all skill levels and ages welcome. Practice is Thursdays, 7:30-9:30p.m., at Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 17th and Fitzwater streets, with games on Sundays; phillywomensbaseball.com; contact Narda Quigley, (day) 215-991-5995 or (evening) 301-919-1194.

Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; 917-656-1936; phury@gayhockey.org. Philly QCycle LGBT bicycling club promotes organized recreational riding for all levels in the Greater Philadelphia region. Contact the organization via Facebook. Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley motorcycle club meets regularly; 215-836-0440; www.groups.yahoo.com/group/rainbowridersdv/. Rainbow Rollers gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Boulevard Lanes in Northeast Philadelphia; rainbowrollers.com. South Jersey Gay Bowling League gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7 p.m. Fridays September-April at Laurel Lanes, 2825 Rte. 73 South, Maple Shade; 856-778-7467. Spartan Wrestling Club, the gay wresting team, meets 7-9 p.m. Mondays, 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays and 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturdays at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-732-4545; www. phillyspartans.com. Suburban Gay Bowling League bowls at 8 p.m. Tuesdays from August-April at Facenda-Whitaker Lanes, 2912 Swede Road, Norristown; sgblbowl@gmail.com. Team Philadelphia, the umbrella group under which the various gay and lesbian sports teams and individual athletes in the Delaware Valley come together to provide a healthy outlet for all members of the community; teamphiladelphia.org.

Etc.

AIDS Law Project provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing; 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 600; 215-587-9377; www.aidslawpa. org. Bisexual Social Support Group open to all bisexual, bi-curious and bi-friendly people, meets 7:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at the Pride Center of New Jersey. BiUnity, Philadelphia-area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends, meets the second Friday of every other month at the William Way Center; www.biunity.org. Delaware Valley Pink Pistols for LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for self-defense; meets 2 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at Classic Indoor Range, 1310 Industrial Blvd., Southhampton; 610-879-2364; www.pinkpistols. org. Delaware Pride holds planning meetings 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at the United Church of Christ, 300 Main St., Newark; 302-265-3020; delawarepride.org. Haverford College’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance holds open meetings 10-11 p.m. Mondays during the school year in the lounge in Jones Basement at Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave.; 610896-4938. Long Yang Club Philadelphia social organization for gay Asians and their friends holds monthly socials; www.longyangclub.org/ philadelphia. Our Night Out, a casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, allied communities, friends and colleagues, meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, send email to OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; more information on Facebook. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice offered 5-8 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month; 215-238-6333. Philadelphia Prime Timers Club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; primetimersofphiladelphia@y ahoo.com Philadelphians MC Club for leather men and women meets 7:30 p.m. first and third Monday of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; philadelphiansmc.org. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL affiliated, private, weekly HF nets, monthly newsletter, email server; 302-539-2392; www.rara.org. Rock ’n’ Roll Queer Bar Party for gay and lesbian rockers with host Psydde Delicious starts 10 p.m. every first Sunday at Fluid, 613 S. Fourth St.; www.RocknRollQueerBar.com. Silver Foxes social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older meets 3-5 p.m. fourth Sunday of the month at the William Way Center.

Health

Alder Health Services provides LGBT health services on a slidingfee scale; 100 N. Cameron St., Ste. 301 East, Harrisburg; 717-2337190 or 800-867-1550; www.alderhealth.org. Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing with Spanish/English counselors 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 3439 N. Hutchinson St.; 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; 215-536-2424. www.asiac.org. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative provides free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; and noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-851-1822 or 866222-3871; www.galaei.org. Spanish/English. HIV treatment: Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents available 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1803. HIV health insurance help: Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing 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; 21 S. 12th St.; 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Philadelphia FIGHT provides HIV primary care, on-site lab services, clinical trials, case management, mental-health services and support groups for people living with HIV regardless of insurance status or ability to pay; 1233 Locust St., fifth floor; 215-985-4448; www.fight.org. Washington West Project offers free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday except for noon-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m., and 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; (215) 985-9206.

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Dave at 215-729-6670, day or evening. G12 _______________________________33-48 I am just of I-95, not farorgy from Center Xdress sexoff party. CD house every Sat. City, Lower Bucks, South Jersey. nite. GWM couple ISO and GWMs 18-40 yrs. for 1 on 1 and group sex. Stockings, pantyhose, I specialize in Outcalls to Phila area Hotels. etc. Starts 9 PM Sat. Call Sat. 7-8 PM 856910-8303, ask for Mark. _______________________________33-24 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. _______________________________33-18

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Handsome Certified Therapist 6’, 195 lbs, Muscle Gives Sensual / Therapeutic Massage

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 23-29, 2011

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