PGN Dec. 27, 2013 - Jan. 2, 2014 by The Philadelphia Gay News

Holiday cheer throughout the PAGE 14 Gayborhood

Family Portrait: Tara Lessard, behind the lens PAGE 29

LGBT parent books for the year Looking back at 2013’s films

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Dec. 27, 2013 - Jan. 2, 2014

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TOP PGN STORIES

and Republican lawmakers. Also that day, Equality Pennsylvania announced new poll numbers that found that 70 percent of the state’s residents support the measure. “This is common sense and long, long overdue,” Farnese said at the conference. “We have an opportunity to do the right thing — to cast a vote, not because of special interests knocking at our door or because of who we know but because, damnit, it’s the right thing to do.” H B 3 0 0 wa s r e f e r r e d t o the House State Government Committee, which is chaired by

Morris activists call for federal probe The city’s Police Advisory Committee called for a state and federal probe in an 11-yearold homicide case involving a Philadelphia transwoman. Nizah Morris died in 2002 from blunt-force trauma to the head. Before her death, Morris accepted a courtesy ride from Philadelphia police but was later found in Center City with a head wound. Her homicide remains unsolved. In 2007, the PAC, a civilian-oversight committee, issued an opinion that police were not involved in a cover-up, but this year’s report marked a sharp reversal. In the April report, PAC called the investigation “appalling,” urging state and federal officials to follow up. “It’s certainly problematic that the police and/or D.A. were not forthcoming about giving official police documents to the Commission,” the opinion stated. “It certainly exemplifies the subterfuge concerning the Nizah Morris investigatory material and why we are compelled to forward our opinion to other criminalinvestigation agencies.” The report included a number of recommendations. This past summer, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey agreed to new policies regulating police courtesy rides, the cancellation of medics for people in need of hospital care and the use of cell phones during official police business.

EQUALITY PENNSYLVANIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TED MARTIN (CENTER) UNVEILED A POLL REVEALING RECORD SUPPORT FOR AN LGBT NONDISCRIMINATION LAW MAY 7, THE DAY HB AND SB 300 WERE INTRODUCED

Republican governor. Reps. Dan Frankel (D-23rd Dist.) and Chris Ross (R-158th Dist.) submitted HB 300 May 7 in the House, while state Sens. Larry Farnese (D-First Dist.) and Pat Browne (R-16th Dist.) submitted SB 300 the same day in the Senate. The bill would amend the state’s already-existent nondiscrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The House version, which was originally introduced with 77 cosponsors, now has 93 cosponsors, and the Senate has 25. Gov. Tom Corbett came out in favor of the legislation earlier this month. The legislation was unveiled in a Harrisburg press conference that was attended by both Democratic

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antigay Rep. Daryl Metcalfe. This past summer, Metcalfe told news outlets he would block the measure from a hearing. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission held a public hearing Oct. 28 on the bill, with eight organizations — four that support the legislation and four that oppose — in advance of its decision about whether to back the measure.

LGBT-friendly senior apartments prepare to open The John C. Anderson Apartments compex will open its doors next month, after a year of groundbreaking progress. The facility is located at 249257 S. 13th St. and will host 56

one-bedroom apartments for those 62 and over. The apartments, which are headed by the Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund and Pennrose Properties, include accommodations for residents of varying income levels. The facility is a $19.5-million project that received city, state and federal funding and is the largest publicly funded LGBT building project in the nation. Ground was broken last fall, and in the past year, up to 200 construction workers worked daily on the site. A topping-off ceremony took place June 5, officiated by Mayor Michael Nutter, to commemorate the final piece of the exterior being installed. A rental office opened in late August at the William Way LGBT Community Center, and seniors — and community volunteers who offered to hold their places — lined up overnight Sept. 9 to turn in their preapplications for residency. A l s o t h i s p a s t s u m m e r, Pennrose hired Kecia Hilliard to be the facility’s building manager. Hilliard, 48, an out lesbian, has more than 20 years of experience in property management. As of earlier this month, the building passed all city, state and federal inspections and regulations.

NJ bans conversion therapy

This past summer, New Jersey became only the second state in the nation to ban conversion therapy for youth. The New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee voted 7-1 in the spring to support the measure that would prohibit New Jersey service providers from performing gay-to-straight conversion therapy on individuals under age 18. Sens. Raymond Lesniak and Loretta Weinberg lead the measure in the Senate, while out Assemblyman Tim Eustace sponsored the bill in his chamber. The Assembly passed the measure June 24 in a 56-14 vote, and a Senate vote of 28-9 followed. Out Assemblyman Reed Gusciora said this year’s closure of Exodus International, a Christian ministry that was dedicated to opposing same-sex attraction and relationships, helped bring more lawmakers forward in support of the bill. Garden State Equality also helped lead the effort to ban conversion therapy. Despite uncertainty from lawmakers about Gov. Chris Christie’s plan of action for the legislation, the Republican governor signed the measure into law in August, stating he believes that “exposing children to these health risks without clear evidence of benefits that outweigh these serious risks is not appropriate.” California became the first state in the nation to ban conversion therapy in 2012 with a law that ultimately was enacted this year following legal wrangling. In Pennsylvania, state Sen. Anthony Williams (DEighth Dist.) introduced similar legislation in the spring, and out Rep. Brian Sims THE FIRST APPLICANTS FOR THE JOHN C. (D-182nd Dist.) ANDERSON APARTMENTS (ABOVE) AND A followed suit in the RENDERING OF THE BUILDING fall. ■

Philadelphia Gay News wishes you and your loved ones a Happy New Year.

TOPPGN STORIES

American Civil Liberties Union, along with firm Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, filed a suit in federal court on behalf of a group of same-sex couples, their children and New Jersey joined the marriage- a widow, arguing that the state ban on same-sex marriage is unconstituequality ranks this fall. The Garden State became the first tional. In the following months, at least state in the nation to legalize samefour more lawsuits were filed in both sex marriage after the momentous state and federal court. Each of the suits takes a different approach: One attacks the state law’s impact on the inheritance-tax law; another contends the ban violates couples’ rights to sovereign immunity; one argues couples issued marriage licenses in Montgomery County should have their unions recognized; and still another looks at the federal DOMA’s provision allowing states to refuse to U.S. SEN. CORY BOOKER (RIGHT) recognize legal marriages perPRESIDED OVER THE WEDDING OF formed elsewhere. The first major court proORVILLE BELL AND JOSEPH PANESSIDI SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT OCT. 21 AT ceeding — the ACLU suit — NEWWARK CITY HALL begins in June. MARRIAGE from page 1

Marriage comes to the Garden State

U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned a key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson ruled in September that New Jersey’s civilunion law was unconstitutional and that the state must offer full marriage equality, taking into account the Supreme Court order. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie immediately appealed the ruling, but once the state Supreme Court denied his request to delay the implementation of the ruling, Christie dropped the appeal. Marriages began at midnight Oct. 21, and several municipalities waived the usual waiting period following license applications so couples could get married in the early-morning hours that day. Couples married on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, at Lambertville City Hall and at Newark City Hall, where newly elected U.S. Sen. Cory Booker performed his firstever marriage ceremonies; the former Newark mayor had declined to officiate any weddings until New Jersey adopted marriage equality. New Jersey was the 14th state, at the time, to adopt marriage equality. The development left Pennsylvania the only state in the Northeast without legalized same-sex marriage.

PA joins marriage fray Within days of the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, Pennsylvania same-sex couples threw their hat into the ring to press for relationship recognition in the Keystone State. On July 9, the local and national

MontCo takes center stage in marriage fight The register of wills in Montgomery County threw down the gauntlet in his own challenge to the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. On July 24, D. Bruce Hanes became the first person in Pennsylvania to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple. He said he took the step after a lesbian couple inquired about receiving a license and, after consultation with county attorneys, he determined the state’s law prohibiting same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, relying largely on the previous month’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Loreen Bloodgood and Alicia Terrizzi, Pottstown residents who have been together for 17 years, were the first couple to be granted a license. And in the ensuing days, another 173 same-sex couples were granted licenses. The state Department of Health filed suit July 30, requesting a writ of mandamus to halt Hanes’ action, arguing he was in “direct defiance” of state law. After oral arguments in early September, Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini ordered Hanes to stop issuing the licenses, although the judge did not rule on the actual constitutionality of the law, or the validity of the completed licenses. Hanes appealed to the state Supreme Court, arguing the Health Department did not have standing to bring the suit and requesting a determination as to the constitutionality of

the law. Oral arguments are expected early in 2014.

Kane, Corbett weigh in on marriage The quick pace of the marriageequality movement in Pennsylvania put several top politicos on the spot. After the ACLU filed a lawsuit against state officials, including Gov. Tom Corbett and Attorney General Kathleen Kane, challenging Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage, Kane announced that she would not defend the law in court. In a July 11 press conference at the National Constitution Center, two days after the ACLU suit was filed, Kane announced the state law was “wholly unconstitutional” and, thus, she would decline to defend it. Her decision was met by sharp criticism from Republican leaders, yet she was released as a defendant from that suit and has pending requests to be released from other suits challenging the law. But Corbett took a different tactic. His administration has sought dismissals of all suits challenging the

PLAINTIFFS IN THE ACLU MARRIAGE LAWSUIT AT A JULY PRESS CONFERENCE

state ban on same-sex marriage, and filed suit against Hanes for issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But the governor’s words went even further. In August, his administration, in a legal filing, compared marriage licenses for same-sex couples to licenses issued to children. While Corbett acknowledged the wording was inappropriate, in an October interview about the filing, he went on to liken same-sex marriage to incest. Corbett will run for reelection in 2014. ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

GOODBYE from page 1

City. This fall, the Silk City owner, Mark Bee, filed a request for the transfer of Sisters’ liquor license to his Justaplumber, Inc., founded in September and headquartered at Sisters’ address. Heifetz and Bee did not respond to repeated requests for more information.

Giovanni’s Room to sell business, building Ed Hermance, owner of Giovanni’s Room, the oldest LGBT bookstore in the nation, announced in September that he would sell both the business and the building in which it is housed after 37 years at the helm. Hermance, 73, has owned the independent LGBT bookstore since 1976 and plans to retire this winter. Hermance and Arleen Olshan took over Giovanni’s Room three years after it opened its doors, and Olshan departed in 1986. Hermance said there are several buying options for a new owner including the purchase of both the business and building, at 345 S. 12th St.; the purchase of the business but not the building; or the rental of the business from Hermance and the opening of the store in a different location. Hermance is handling the sale himself and has been exploring options for keeping the business running as is with a new owner. If no such prospects come through, however, Hermance said he will be forced to sell to a different buyer. Hermance said he would give profits from the sale or rental of the business to Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, an LGBT grantmaking organization. “The community loves this store. It is unbelievable the attachment people have to it,” Hermance told PGN. “There is an emotional bond to this store, and that is why we are here and so many other bookstores are not.” Since his announcement, Hermance said he has received many inquiries but no firm offer yet.

SEPTA ends gender markers After years of debate, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ended its gender-marker system on its monthly and weekly trans and trailpasses. In April, SEPTA hosted public hearings on its proposed 2014 budget, which included a plan to eliminate the markers. City Council last year adopted a resolution calling for an end to the system, long criticized by LGBT and ally activists as discriminatory against transgender and gender-nonconforming riders. Earlier this year, the SEPTA board voted to eliminate the markers, but because the system was part of the fare tariff, the change also required inclusion in the public hearings. SEPTA officially discontinued the gender-marker stickers, in place since the 1980s, July 1. “It took years of waiting even after they said they would phase out the stickers with the new farePAGE 16

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Dave Agema

Editorial

What is your New Year’s resolution? Angela: I am trying a new thing this year, and that is to not make New Year’s resolutions but just to live life to the fullest. Carol: I intend to continue my pursuit of Greg Dennis and of course to keep Angela Thomas happy. Dan: Spend more time doing the things I enjoy and less time on things that I feel obligated to do. Don: As always, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. They’re a recipe for failure! Greg: To take less cabs and to check my phone less throughout the day. Jen: To better approach challenges by taking each task, and each day, at a time without getting overwhelmed by the big picture. Larry: To continue striving for happiness and contentment. Mark: To cut the ribbon on the senior building and walk away with a big smile on my face and have a little downtime before starting my next project. Prab: Find more lambies with nice warm fleece. Sandy: To see or experience no injustice, sickness, death, destruction or otherwise negative event. Scott: I plan to work harder at relaxing and enjoying all of the things that make each day special. Also to rebalance my physical, emotional and spiritual needs so I can be a better partner.

Have you heard the news? American Airlines gives away free health insurance! Now, I know what you’re thinking: This sounds too good to be true. Where’s the catch? There isn’t one! You just have to get AIDS and find a guy who works for American Airlines who’ll pretend to be your gay lover. It’s as easy as stealing candy from a baby, where in this case, candy is health care and a baby is a major airline in the United States. This sweet deal was apparently on the down low until Republican National Committeeman and former Michigan Rep. Dave Agema got all loose-lipped on Dec. 5 at the Berrien County Republican Party Holiday Reception (a.k.a. the Berrien Birth of Jesus Banger). Agema, who used to be an American Airlines pilot, did a little role-playing to explain how gays are gaming the health-care system there. “I’m a flight attendant,” Agema said. “You have AIDS. You come to me and say, ‘Hey, tell them I’m your lover for the last six months.’ You get on our health care,” Agema said. “American Airlines spends $400,000 before you die of AIDS.” Ah, there’s the catch. To get the free health care, you have to pretend that Dave Agema is your boyfriend. All of a sudden this plan seems a lot less enticing. And wait, where does that $400,000 figure come from? Who cares! That’s a lot of money! It’s like winning the lottery, though in this case you are dying of AIDS. Oh, well. Nothing’s perfect! Agema continues, “And he goes on to the next, and the next, and that’s what was happening.” By “he,” does Agema mean the guy with AIDS who asked Big Dave to be his pretend boyfriend? Didn’t that guy die in this scenario? So how does he go on to scam the next fake boyfriend? And the next one after that? I am very confused. Unless this guy is only pretending to have AIDS and

keeps faking his death so that he can be treated for a disease he doesn’t actually have over and over again at the airline’s expense. Honestly, that explanation makes as much sense as anything Agema has said. And what on earth prompted Agema to launch into this diatribe to begin with? Why, he was simply defending traditional marriage, of course. “I stand for traditional marriage, no homosexual ones,” he told the partygoers. Unfortunately for Agema, there was a journalist in the audience who found his antigay rant newsworthy. And once word got out, some noteworthy Republicans rebuked him, including Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who had a spokesperson call out Agema’s comments as “extreme and discriminatory.” This, coming from a governor who has, along with his attorney general, come out swinging at a lesbian couple who dare sue for both marriage and adoption rights in the state. Even American Airlines released a statement saying, essentially, that Agema was full of shit. But don’t worry, Agema isn’t apologizing. Far from it. “I was simply making a point about my opposition to same-sex benefits and for traditional marriage,” he said. “I stand by my words as I said them, despite efforts by others to twist the meaning of those words.” I stand by his words, too. That is, if I can just change “twist” to “report” and “the meaning of those words” to “the fact that I said such hateful things.” Equality Michigan wants to see Agema take a hike. You can help at www.equalitymi.org. ■

Ah, there’s the catch. To get the free health care, you have to pretend that Dave Agema is your boyfriend. All of a sudden this plan seems a lot less enticing.

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: To be better at time management and to remember to be more patient when things go wrong. Tim: My New Year’s resolution is to live in the present and think outside the box. Tim Cwiek: To always be polite, even when I know someone is feeding me a line of BS. ■

Tell us what you think Send letters and opinion column submissions to: pgn@epgn.com; PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147; fax: 215-925-6437.

Please include a daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, style and space considerations.

OP-ED PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

All is not calm or bright As I was writing a column about seniors There is one word that describes how it is done: education. Our struggle since and LGBT poverty, Kevin Jennings, a day one was based on coming out of the longtime gay activist and friend, wrote me closet and getting non-gays to see that the following: “The grinches who stole Christmas in India, Uganda and Nigeria ...” we were not equivalent with the propaWow, he’s right. We in the West have a ganda of evil that some had bought. And wealth of rights that we have if you don’t think that is possible, know your LGBT history. achieved over the last four Right here in the United States, decades, but in other parts of before 1969, LGBT people were the world they are facing everything from jail time to death tossed in jail. In some cases just for being out, or for even they were legally tortured, yes, bringing up the subject and/or with sentences handed down by judges. Some were actually word “gay” itself. lobotomized. Then there are We are so busy with topics the Metropolitan Community like marriage equality, nondiscrimination and gays in Churches that were burned and the military that we might not their pastors hung. have noticed that people in So, it’s time we share the sucthose three countries are doing cess story of the United States hard time. And it is even worse and how we accomplished in other countries. Gangs go change, since these countries are Mark Segal back in 1950. We can make a around Iraq and Afghanistan looking for gay men and killchange, since we already know ing them. Iran and other hard-line Muslim how. The only decision is what resources countries have publicly hanged gay men. and what time do we take away from our struggles here. And in South Africa, a country that has Merry Christmas. LGBT people are gay rights written into its constitution, raping lesbians is almost a public sport. dying. What will we do to make it a better We need to open our eyes to what is Christmas next year for them? ■ happening in the world. We cannot turn Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the our backs and just say, “Not my area of nation’s most-award-winning commentaconcern.” If it is not dealt with, it can tor in LGBT media. He can be reached at spread and, believe it or not, it can be changed. mark@epgn.com.

Mark My Words

Transmissions

Gwendolyn Ann Smith

Street Talk What’s your New Year’s resolution? “To find inner peace. When I’m confronted with struggles, I want to accept those struggles and breathe Chris Bettex through teacher them, Manayunk not react negatively to them. In other words, I want to be less controlling in life and let it flow.”

“Start working out. It’s not that I’m unhappy with my body image. Everything in my life seems to be going Jennifer Blanda pretty good. student I just want Graduate Hospital to exercise area more so I can get those endorphins going and be happy.”

“Excel in my new job. In six months, I’m going to be reevaluated. I have to do well to make sure I’ll be retained. I need to have a job and save money for my future.”

“To transition from a Type B personality to a Type A personality. I’m not assertive enough. I had a very lax Patrick Morris upbringing. line cook Things that Queen Village should get accomplished in my life tend to fall by the wayside. I want to shine like a star.”

Gabrielle Maunder assistant account manager Graduate Hospital area

Standing out in a very trans year The weather has once again turned cold, and the television hawks Clappers and Chia Pets. Soon the barrage of weight-loss and self-improvement goods begins as we head into an uncertain 2014. Everywhere, columnists like us look back on the year that was and try to make sense of the actions and activities of the last 12 months. This year, individual members of the transgender-rights movement have driven more than probably any other. First and foremost has to be Chelsea Manning. Manning came out Aug. 22 in an announcement on “The Today Show.” This was at the conclusion of her trial for leaking several-thousand documents to WikiLeaks. She was sentenced to 35 years, a reduction in rank from Private First Class to Private, a dishonorable discharge and the loss of her military pay. While the debate over what Manning did will rage on, it was the way the media treated her coming-out narrative that made it important news. MSNBC, Slate and the Huffington Post were quick to revise their use of names and pronouns, while CNN and USA Today expressed caution, expecting more “evidence” before changing their stories. The Associated Press and

NPR seemed to change their policies back and forth, and Wikipedia ended up in a firestorm over page edits and transphobia among its scores of volunteer editors. The Wikipedia Foundation ended up locking several editors out of the Manning page. Laverne Cox is part of the hit television show “Orange is the New Black.” Her portrayal of Sophia Burset, a credit-card defrauding transwoman of color — as well as her involvement in past programs such as “I Want to Work for Diddy” and “TRANSform Me” — has helped make her a public figure, known not only for being trans, but a dynamic actress. One need look no further than Time Magazine, which named Sophia as one of the most influential fictional characters of 2013. Hers was not the only trans-identified character to hit screens in 2013. Much like the late 1990s saw an upswing of gay and lesbian storylines, 2013 saw transgender characters and stories that made their way into popular television shows such as “Two and a Half Men” and “Glee.” While we can argue over how well these portrayals have been done — and there may well be room for improvement — they are a far cry from Billy Crystal’s Jodie Dallas character on “Soap” in the 1970s, or horrible situation

comedies like “Work It” or “Ask Harriet.” The big screen was less affected, though many have pointed to the movie “Dallas Buyers Club” and, in particular, Jared Leto’s performance as Rayon, a fictionalized portrayal of a transgender AIDS patient in 1985. Leto’s performance has been floated as Oscar-worthy. I don’t doubt them, though I do wish that it were a transwoman in that role. Yet some of the bigger heroes of 2013 have been children. Cassidy Lynn Campbell won as homecoming queen at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., while Jeydon Loredo’s photo in a tuxedo was banned from the La Feria Independent High School yearbook. Loredo, a transman, was told that to be included, he would need to wear a “drape or blouse.” The La Feria School District eventually approved the photo after a threat of possible legal action on the part of the Southern Poverty Law Center. In Fountain, Colo., a 6-year-old transgender student named Coy Mathis was prevented from using the girls’ restroom at Eagleside Elementary School. The school originally accepted Mathis, agreeing with her parents’ insistence that she identified as and should be treated like a girl. A few

months into her first-grade year, the school changed its mind, barring her from the girls’ restroom and restricting her to staff restrooms or the gender-neutral facilities in the school’s health office. Mathis’ parents responded by lodging a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, which ruled the child was discriminated against. On the heels of the Mathis victory was the passage of AB 1266 in California, which requires all of California’s K-12 schools to let transgender students choose their preferred restrooms and school sports team. The blowback on this bill’s passage has been large, with the Pacific Justice Institute looking for plaintiffs for a legal challenge to the bill, while many others pushed for a ballot initiative to repeal AB 1266. The fate of the initiative remains in doubt as of this writing. We are a community composed of many strong individuals, and one that has definitely gained notice, even notoriety. There are still plenty of people out there, however, who will seek to hurt us. It is together that we will need to move forward. ■ Gwen Smith will not be sorry to leave 2013 behind, even if 2014 worries her. You can find her at www.gwensmith.com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

FAMILY PGN

A year in books about LGBT parents This past year saw a number of new food forms a metaphor for her personal books for and about families with LGBT life. Walsh begins with the stories and foods of her Cuban and Greek grandparparents. Here are some favorites. ents and leads us through her growing First, several memoirs each showed a up, failed relationships, struggling career, different aspect of LGBT families. drug and bulimia problems, marriage “Stuck in the Middle with You: A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders” by and parenthood with a man and, finally, divorce and falling in love with Jennifer Finney Boylan, professor of English at Colby College a woman. This is a rare lesbian-mom memoir that isn’t and a New York Times-bestsellabout a lesbian couple trying to ing author, tells of Boylan’s get pregnant. It isn’t primarily experiences as a mother, father “about” being a lesbian mom and in between. This is not a story about the details of her — the “mom” part comes late and the “lesbian” part later — gender transition, however (which she has shared elsebut reminds us that we come to where), but rather about her LGBT parenthood in a variety family relationships. Boylan’s of ways. brilliance is that she not only In a more-traditional “lesshows us her particular experibians have a baby” vein, ence as a transgender parent, but Dumesnil’s “Love Song Dana Rudolph Cheryl also helps us to reflect upon the For Baby X: How I Stayed whole venture of parenting in (Almost) Sane on the Rocky general. Road to Parenthood” is a memoir that Alysia Abbott’s “Fairyland: A Memoir shows her background as an award-winning poet in its careful details, metaphor of My Father” tells of her childhood and young adulthood in 1970s and ’80s San and self-reflections. While Dumesnil’s Francisco with her single gay father, Steve struggle with infertility provides the main Abbott, an author, editor and leading figure theme of the book, the marriage-equality fight in California — and her role as in the New Narrative poetry movement. participant, chronicler and media subject After he died of AIDS-related complications in 1992, Alysia began reading his — also looms large. journals, and eventually interwove them Two books took a broad look at queer with her own memories to create a compel- families past and present. ling tale that is part-history, part-memoir “Family Pride” by Michael Shelton is a good book with a bit of an identity and part-coming-of-age story. problem. The subtitle, “What LGBT Candace Walsh’s “Licking the Spoon: Families Should Know about Navigating A Memoir of Food, Family and Identity,” Home, School and Safety in Their is another coming-of-age story, in which

Mombian

Neighborhoods,” makes it seem like a parenting handbook. While it does contain some actionable information for LGBT parents, it feels less like a handbook and more like a readable synthesis on the state of LGBT families in our country today, discussing our racial and economic diversity as well as specific challenges related to coming out, schools, health and mental-health care, recreation and leisure, religious institutions and the legal system. The book should be valuable to allied policymakers, teachers, doctors and youth and faith leaders as well as to LGBT families ourselves. Daniel Winunwe Rivers’ “Radical Relations: Lesbian Mothers, Gay Fathers and their Children in the United States Since the Second World War” shines a needed light on the earliest out lesbian and gay parents. His coverage is sketchier for more recent years, but his book demonstrates both that we have a longer history than many think, and that we parents have helped shape the direction of the LGBT-rights movement as a whole. In a welcome trend, several new parenting books for mainstream audiences are also inclusive of LGBT parents. “The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby’s First Year” by Dawn Dais is a funny, no-holds-barred look at the early days of motherhood. Dais, a lesbian mom, uses her own experience as a jumping-off point, but weaves in the perspectives and advice of 16 lesbian and straight friends. This is not a reference manual for raising an infant, nor a memoir, but rather a hilarious, anecdote-

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driven, lesbian-inclusive guide for biological moms (and their partners) who are realizing their new bundle didn’t come with an instruction manual. “Finding Our Families: A First-of-ItsKind Book for Donor-Conceived People and Their Families” by Wendy Kramer, founder of the Donor Sibling Registry, and Naomi Cahn, a professor of law at George Washington University and a senior fellow at the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, offers detailed and sensitive advice for parents and teen/ grown children on both practical and emotional issues. While not exclusive to LGBT families, it addresses areas where we might have particular concerns — noting, for example, that fears of an unknown donor making a legal claim to the children may be greater for LGBT parents than for others. Similarly, “Grandmothering: Real Life in Real Families” by public-health professional, midwife and grandmother Becky Sarah, is a general guide that includes a sensitive and positive discussion of being a grandmother to a child who has gay or lesbian parents. (Alas, there is nothing there on being a lesbian grandmother.) Whether you’re looking for personal stories, practical advice or a bit of history about LGBT families, this year gives us plenty of reasons to curl up with a good book. ■ Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (mombian.com), an award-winning blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

LOCAL PGN

HOLIDAY OUTINGS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) The first-annual Sashaying of the Santas hit the Gayborhood Dec. 21. Organized by Philly Pride Presents, whose executive director Franny Price posed as Santa Claus, and Philly Gay Calendar, the event drew partiers clad in a variety of holiday getups for a bar crawl that hit most of the local watering holes. Photo: Patrick Hagerty On Dec. 12, Andrew (from left), AP, Rob, Brian, Jeff, Steve, Justin and Chris mixed and mingled at Our Night Out’s holiday party at XIX. About 100 people turned out for the event, which featured drinks, hors d’oeuvres and ample networking opportunities. On Dec. 17, about 100 people celebrated with Independence Business Alliance at the LGBT chamber of commerce’s annual holiday soiree at Hard Rock Cafe. Guests included Leona Thomas (from left), Jamie Marcucilli, Ashley Flenard and Dian Wender. Photos: Scott A. Drake

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

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card system to get to this day,” city director of LGBT affairs Gloria Casarez told PGN. “We’ll take it as a victory, but it was a fight that shouldn’t have taken SEPTA this long to resolve. All riders should

STATUE OUTSIDE THE BOY SCOUTS’ BUILDING AT 22ND AND WINTER STREETS

have equal access to public transportation. I’m glad we will now.”

Boy Scouts finally out The years-long Boy Scouts saga over the agency’s occupation of a city-owned property despite its antigay policy finally came to an end this year. The city and the local Cradle of Liberty Council announced a settlement May 3 that required the agency to vacate the property, at 22nd and Winter streets, by June 30. In return, the city gave the Scouts $825,000 for improvements the organization reportedly made to the facility. The city attempted to evict the Scouts several years ago, contending the organization’s policy of barring membership to openly gay or atheist Scouts violated the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance, but the organization filed a suit claiming the eviction violated its civil rights.

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In 2010, a federal jury handed down a mixed ruling, which the city appealed. The appeal was still pending when the settlement was announced. “We felt it was time to put an end to the litigation and turn our attention back to our core mission of serving Philadelphia’s youth,” Cradle said in a statement. Plans for the building’s sale have yet to be announced. Later in May, the national BSA voted to allow openly gay Scouts, although it maintains its ban on openly gay adult leaders.

ASIAC closes The organization that provided HIV/AIDS services to local Asian and Pacific-Islander communities for almost two decades closed its doors this year. C i t i n g fi n a n c i a l r e a s o n s , the board of ASIAC, formerly known as AIDS Services in Asian Communities, voted to shutter the organization at its March 13 meet-

ASIAC SUPPORTERS AT THE AGENCY’S CLOSING PARTY IN JULY

ing and rolled out a strategic closing over the subsequent weeks, ending operations June 30. ASIAC was founded in 1995 by Richard Liu to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV/AIDS services, including prevention and education, testing and counseling and case management. “Although a chapter will end for Philadelphia’s Asian and PacificIslander community, much has

been accomplished by ASIAC with the help of our program partners, collaborators, funders and volunteers,” board chair Luis Lim said in April. ASIAC worked to transition many of its programmatic activities to the Philadelphia AIDS Consortium. In July, about 30 supporters of the organization came together for a closing celebration at Tabu. ■

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NEWS PGN CAMPAIGN from page 1

bipartisan cosponsors, and Republican Gov. Tom Corbett earlier this month came out in support of the bill. The new campaign — in which community organizers will generate support across Pennsylvania for the effort — is expected to launch in January, but planning has been underway for some time. Martin said the organization has worked closely with the Equality Federation and met with LGBT advocates throughout Pennsylvania — in Philadelphia, Allentown, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh — including NCTE and Keystone Progress to discuss efforts to pass HB 300. Each of the three participating organizations will hire a community organizer — one of whom will focus on the transgender community and one on the rural community — and Equality Pennsylvania will also enlist its staff for assistance. Heifetz said he has been a supporter of Equality Pennsylvania for years and was asked by the Gill Foundation to participate in the campaign. “Equality Pennsylvania is the leader in what has been going on in the last twothree years in regards to recognition in Pennsylvania,” Heifetz said. “They have offices and contacts in every single county and have really become a statewide organization responsible for getting everyone and even the governor’s office to recognize LGBT issues. They are in the trenches making sure that the state goes from being bright red to a light blue for all LGBT citizens.” Martin said the final planning meeting took place in October, where the grants were awarded. Equality Pennsylvania is also a participant in Why Marriage Matters PA, a new campaign by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is leading a lawsuit looking to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Martin said nondiscrimination and marriage equality are issues that go hand in hand. “I think both issues are complementary to each other. Nondiscrimination is the foundation to a lot,” he said. “If you can be married in your state but still be fired for putting a wedding photo on desks, it makes marriage a much less glorious win.” Martin said Gov. Corbett’s recent backing for the nondiscrimination bill makes the launch of the campaign even more timely. “The work we did to bring the governor and the legislature forward, that is all important,” he said. “We need a campaign now to bring a larger community together to bring pressure on the people in the legislature to keep them moving forward.” ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

Liberty City Press DEC. 22 — DEC. 29, 2013

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Meth-a-zoning Part II Hell hath no fury like a city councilman scorned would have issued the permit as of right because a methadone clinic would classify as a medical office. The Zoning Board of Adjustment’s (ZBA) conclusion that it does not is an error of law. Although this court might sympathize with the concerns of the surrounding community, we are bound to follow hen Common Pleas Court Judge the existing law of this City and Commonwealth. Idee C. Fox ruled in favor of The This permit was properly issued ‘over-the-counter’ Healing Way (THW) and its pro- by L&I and the ZBA improperly reversed that deciposed methadone clinic and against sion.” the neighborhood groups from Mayfair, HolmesHell hath no fury like a city councilman scorned. burg and Tacony mobilized against it, she said her And scorned is exactly what Councilmen Brian hands were tied. In her June 19 opinion, Fox found O’Neill and Bobby Henon felt. In this case doubly that this methadone clinic was a permitted use at scorned: first, by THW which, they believed, tried to the C-2 zone site, writing: “While L&I was not pull a fast one on L&I in getting its over-the-counter aware of THW’s plan to create a methadone clinic permit; second, by a city zoning ordinance that preat the Frankford property at the time of the permit vented the neighborhood from stopping a methadone application, an L&I employee testified she still clinic. So they did precisely what Judge Fox prompted them to do — they changed the law. If the zoning code allowed a methadone clinic to get a zoning permit by right, and therefore over-the-counter, under the category “medical, dental, and health practitioner,” then the answer was simple: change the code. But this is where the councilmen got it wrong. Rather than use a scalpel to draw a narrow definition around methadone clinics — a path that might not withstand a civil rights court challenge by the clinics — they The Thomas Jefferson University Narcotic Addiction Rehab chose the club. Program Operates a clinic in the rapidly NIMBYfying G-Ho South Their move was to create a Northeast area. Photo by Salvatore Patrone Zoning Overlay, covering both O’Neill’s In Part I we saw a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) zoning battle play out in the Northeast between a proposed methadone clinic and the Mayfair Civic Association. In Part II, City Council jumps into the fray.

10th District and Henon’s 6th District, designed to ban all medical, dental and health practitioners from moving into a large part of the Northeast. This language of the bill effectively bans all “office uses related to diagnosis and treatment of human patients’ illnesses, injuries, and physical malfunctions that can be performed in an office setting with no overnight care” as well as “surgical, rehabilitation, and other medical centers that do not involve overnight patient stays” and “medical and dental laboratories, unless otherwise indicated.” So now not only will every proposed methadone clinic be thrown into a ZBA hearing (probably a good idea), so too will the dentist, outpatient surgical center and rehabilitation clinic (definitely a bad idea). Upon council’s passage of the Northeast Overlay bill, Mayor Nutter correctly jumped into the fray to veto it, saying “[a]t a time when access to healthcare should be expanding for all Americans, this Bill carves out two Councilmanic districts where that evolution toward a better, healthier society will face an undue hurdle in the form of zoning rules that are exclusionary in nature.” The mayor sees a “Doctors Not Wel-

City Councilman Brian O’Neill

come” sign stretching across the Boulevard at Cottman. He sees the irony of this site specific legislation passing just months after the same council passed a new zoning code rooted in the principles of uniformity and consistency. So he vetoed the legislation with these words: “Zoning by Council district ignores this foundational principle of sound urban planning.” Before the mayor could use his veto pen, the Republican City Committee (and when was the last time they became relevant in a policy discussion in this town) issued a press release titled: “Mayor Nutter Doesn’t Care About the Residents of Northeast Philly.” And with that, City Council overrode the mayor’s veto 16 -1. This just in: now Councilman Squilla wants an overlay for his district. Hell hath no fury. DEC. 22-29, 2013

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Constitution Ratifying Just Fine Continued from page 12 Carroll’s first foray in the event). “We played two years ago with Savon Goodman and Daiquan Walker,” he said. “It’s nice to be undefeated at the Villa Classic. Not many teams can say that. We embrace every opportunity to play at a high level and in front of a good crowd. Having it in our gym is a bonus. (Constitution plays its home games at Ben Franklin High.) My kids feel comfortable playing there.” Constitution suffered through growing pains a year ago but, led by junior Ahmad Gilbert and senior Kimar Williams, the team looks like it has taken a step forward. “I think absolutely we could be a championship team this year,” Moore said. “It’s going to be tougher than two years ago but we have all the pieces in place. If the kids continue to get better and listen to the coaches, we should be in Hershey in March.” Moore knows that Gilbert is the player that college coaches have been watching for the past two seasons but he thinks it’s his onetwo touch that will give his team a shot in the postseason. “Gilbert has a great upside,” he said. “Once he commits to getting stronger and becoming a more well-rounded basketball player, I think his recruitment will take flight. He has a lot of schools fishing around but they all want to see more out of him. A local high major assistant school coach told me he thinks Gilbert will really blossom at the next level once he starts eating better, hitting the weight room and focusing more time on his craft. “The sky is really the limit

for Ahmad. That being said, I’m not even sure he’s my best player on the court day in and day out. He is neck-and-neck with Kimar. Ahmad gets the press but anyone who takes a minute to actually watch us play will realize that Kimar is the best basketball player right now. What he is able to do with that ball as the point guard really makes our team go.” Overall, the revamped Public League with the six best teams — Constitution, Frankford, Philadelphia Electric, MCS, Imhotep, and Martin Luther King — playing each other twice has made for an interesting arrangement. “I think the Public League lacks the elite players we’ve had over the past years, but I think this could be the best year for competition and we have four legitimate state contenders this year, one at each classification,” said Moore. “I think that playing each other two times will really start some good rivalries and will turn out some great games. From what I was told, the MCSKing game (won by King 66-62) was a great game. Expect to see that every week. [There will be] thirty great games in the A division this year that will eventually turn out four great teams in a very balanced Final 4 in the Public League.” Of those six schools, only Frankford has been in existence for more than the last 12 years. “Times have definitely changed,” said Moore. “But it’s still great basketball.”

A Christmas Wish Focus on future while waiting for a miracle by Sheila Simmons

n a recent issue of Administrator magazine, Philadelphia Schools Superintendent William Hite discusses funding issues and the “incredible distraction” they pose to educational needs. “I’m looking forward to a time when we don’t have to have conversations about school closures or layoffs or program reductions or eliminations,” he states. “I’m looking forward to a time when we can really begin talking in earnest about high-quality instruction and terrific school leadership.” Me, too, except that I don’t remember when exactly that time was. A North Carolina native, I was introduced to the Philadelphia School District as a young reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News. Twenty years later, I view it through the lens of a parent, with my son in a charter school, and a former policy advocate for public school children — mostly poor, mostly AfricanAmerican. And rarely during that time — save for a year here and there — have I not heard the woes of underfunded Philadelphia schools. So anything different and sustained, therefore, would sort of equate to a miracle. And since this is the season for miracles, let’s wish it for our children — all our children. Let’s wish we could have a state legislature with the will to really increase education’s budget line in 2014, and then distribute it in a way that puts all our children on equal footing in resources. And let’s wish that people would vote for a governor that supports removing the phrase “underfunded schools” as a cliché in our commonwealth. (Note: There was another option on the ballot during the last governor’s election who supported a stable funding formula. Think what a difference that would have looked like these past few years.) And let’s wish for a citizenry that embraces the need to pressure legislators for funding. Kind of like the Moral Mondays rallies staged weekly in North Carolina, the Philadelphia Coalition Advocating for Public Schools hosts Full Funding Fridays outside

Students at Carver High School of Engineering and Science partake in an all-day hack-a-thon as part of Computer Science Education Week. Photo: PhillyEducation/Twitter

various schools each week. My other wish for our children — while we adults are working on a miracle — is that we remember to stay in the moment with them. Whether or not our school budgets limp along each year tied together with string, we still have an obligation to educate the city’s children each day they walk through the doors. A new class of graduates will walk across a stage each spring. I will give Dr. Hite credit for his outlook in the magazine article — not for his optimism that the day will arrive when Philadelphia won’t have an “economic situation,” but for identifying “innovating for the future” as a focus, despite our situation. On Thursday, Dec. 12, he retweets a photo of a pair of students at Carver High School Engineering and Science, participating in an all-day hack-a-thon for Computer Science Education Week.

DEC. 22-29, 2013

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Constitution Ratifying Just Fine Revamped Public League promises thrilling games and postseason ambitions by Jeremy Treatman

ponents. Most of our plays and defensive sets are already in place so we are just trying to perfect everything and win one game at a time.” Imhotep (1-1) and Math, Civics and Sciences (12) received most of the preseason accolades by pundits to start the season. But Constitution fans think their team is right there with those two powers. (In fairness to MCS and Imhotep, the two teams lost at the Villa event as the Elephants played without three players who violated team rules and Imhotep lost to Long Island Lutheran without head coach/athletic director Andre Noble, who was overseeing the team’s football championship game loss Sunday.) Said Moore: “We don’t care who gets attention. Worrying about attention is not something men do. We don’t want to talk trash like some other teams. We don’t care who plays here and who plays there. We care who we beat or who’s going to be in the event we are playing. We know we can beat anyone in the Public League on any given day and anyone in 2A in the state. We also know that we can lose to those same teams if we don’t come prepared and ready to play.” The Wings win was one of four games between Philadelphia and New York teams. The cities split. Archbishop Carroll beat Bishop Loughlin but Imhotep and MCS lost. “The Wings game was a great experience,” said Moore. “We’ve played in front of good-size crowds in each of our first three games. New York teams are always tough and bring a lot of heart. Wings pushed our guys and played physical. It will really help us over the next week as we leave for the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas to play in one of the top events in the country.” Constitution now can claim it is the only local Jakwan Jones (#3) of Imhotep brings the ball up the court at the team not to lose in the Villa Classic that has Sneaker Villa Classic at Ben Franklin HS. played a minimum of two games (this was Photo by Sarah J. Glover

n a crazy, busy weekend for high school sports in the city, many teams, players and coaches are celebrating, while others are experiencing hard times and heartbreak. (This includes the PIAA A, AA, AAA and AAAA football championships that we will mention below). But right now, the members of the basketball team at Constitution have to be feeling as good about themselves as anyone. The Generals pulled out an overtime win over New York power Wings at the Sneaker Villa Classic on Sunday at Ben Franklin High. The team had won big in its previous two days against Howard Tech (Del.) and West Catholic and now sits with an impressive 3-0 record. “I feel like we have a lot of room to improve over the course of the season,” said coach Rob Moore. “Our chemistry is great so we don’t have to worry about or waste time building chemistry. We can spend time preparing for games and scouting op-

Continued on page 2

Devin Liggeons (#24) of Imhotep shoots two but is called for a charge and Basil Thompson (#35) of Imhotep shoots a free throw at the Sneaker Villa Classic. Photos by Sarah J. Glover

FOOTBALL WINS AND LOSSES St. Joseph’s Prep and Archbishop Wood grabbed the AAAA and AAA PIAA football championships during a snowy weekend in Hershey. Prep (12-3) knocked off nationally ranked Pittsburgh Central Catholic 35-10 Sunday with a resounding performance. Prep scored four touchdowns in the second quarter and was paced by quarterback Chris Martin, who returned from a knee injury before the state playoffs, starred in all three playoff games. He threw for three touchdowns and 192 yards in the state championship victory. Martin also played a key role in the team’s no-huddle running and passing attack in wins over Neshaminy and Parkland. Coach Gabe Infante scheduled top teams such as Jesuit Prep (Texas), Don Bosco Prep and Archbishop Wood during the season to help the team achieve its ultimate goal. “We believed all along to beat the best you have to play the best,” he said. The team survived losses to Archbishop Ryan, Don Bosco and Malvern Prep during the regular season to win the school’s first state title. “There’s no better way to go out,” Martin said. Meanwhile Wood knocked off Bishop McDevitt for the second time in three years in the AAA final 22-10, as Jarrett McLenton rushed for 238 yards and three touchdowns. “I wanted the ball and didn’t want to give it up,” he said. Surprisingly, Imhotep was stunned 41-0 by South Fayette (16-0) in the AA final. Imhotep (12-3) was ranked as the best team in the Philadelphia region before stumbling in the title game. “We have a lot to be proud of,” said Panthers coach Albie Crosby. Division I recruit Brett Brumbaugh showed why Temple and Akron have offered him scholarships. He passed for 299 yards and three touchdowns in the upset win. (Philly.com and Lehighvalley.com contributed to this article.)

DEC. 22-29, 2013

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

PGN’s Person of the Year Issue

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

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PGN FEATURE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

PAGE 39

Dining Out Family Portrait Get Out and Play Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly Worth Watching

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Rating 2013’s standouts and letdowns of queer cinema By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor With actors in challenging roles and filmmakers crafting provocative drama, comedies and documentaries, 2013 was another Queer Year for Film. Here’s a rundown of queer films and trends, including the good, the better and the best — as well as the worst — of 2013. Best Queer Film of the Year “Blue Is the Warmest C o l o r.” I t was three hours long. It had explicit lesbian sex scenes. It won big at Cannes. And it’s a masterpiece: an intimate, erotic and ecstatic romantic drama that captures issues of self-worth and selfexpression in ways that are both authentic and devastating. Plus, lead actor Adèle Exarchopoulos gives a phenomenal performance. Trans Performance By a NonTrans Actor Best in a Good Film: Jared Leto will likely score an Oscar nomination for his terrific portrayal of Rayon in the AIDS drama “Dallas Buyers Club.” Best in a Bad

Film: Kate del Castillo’s scenerychewing performance as a trans inmate in “K-11” wasn’t bad — in fact, she was quite entertaining as the LGBT cell’s queen bee. But this lurid drama directed by Jules Stewart (Kristen’s mom) was a mess. Murderous Lesbians and Queer Twists Worst: “Side Effects” had the negative effect of having one of its big plot twists be that two characters were murderous lesbians. The film irresponsibly equated lesbianism with venality. Best: Out filmmaker Jamie Babbit made the far-more-interesting — and tricky — “Breaking the Girls,” in which two women fall in love and exchange murders (a la “Stranger on a Train”) only for the delicious twists and double-crosses to begin! Documentaries of the Year Best: “Call Me Kuchu” presented a wake-up call for LGBT rights in Uganda and a commemoration of the work — and murder — of African queer activist David Kato. This blistering documentary about how LGBT individuals survive and even thrive in a country where being gay is illegal shone a bright light on its brave subjects. Another fine doc, “God Loves Uganda,” also addressed

the issue of being queer in Africa. Honorable mentions: “Valentine Road,” about the shocking aftermath of a gay hate crime, and “After Tiller,” about late-term abortionists (one of whom is a lesbian). Beat Films Three films this year portrayed the Beats. Worst: “Kill Your Darlings,” in which Allen G i n s b e rg ( D a n i e l Radcliffe) falls in love with and under the spell of the murderous Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan), was an ambitious but largely unsuccessful effort to capture the early Beats. Better: “On the Road” was Walter Salles’ earnest adaptation of the Kerouac classic. Sam Riley’s Sal Paradise and Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarity were respectfully the Kerouac and Cassidy characters. This handsomely mounted drama captured the restless spirit with mixed results. Best: “Big Sur,” featuring JeanMarc Barr as an older, alcoholic Kerouac, is both beautifully filmed and superbly acted, making it the Beat film to beat.

Short Films American: “Alaska is a Drag,” which features Leo (Martin L. Washington, Jr.), a tough but flamboyant gay African-American man, making an unexpected new friend in Declan (Spencer Broschard) at the cannery where he works. While the tone, which oscillates between hard-edged realism and dreamlike flights of fancy, is familiar, this winning short gets deep into the characters, thanks to Washington’s fantastic turn. “Alaska is a Drag” begs for feature treatment. International: “Holden,” a Spanish/French import, is an absolutely magical short that captures an entire romance in 20 minutes. Sexy, funny, heartfelt and heartbreaking, writer Juan Arcones, who co-directed with Roque Madid, chronicles a photographer (Juan Trueba) and an actor (Xavier Lafitte) who meet and spend a memorable night together. Sexist: In the visually stylish and highly erotic “Fire Island, 1979,” Patrick McGuinn directed Todd Verow, who wears only a salt-and-pepper mustache. Verow becomes Chase Hook, a deceased (and fictional) porn director, whose answering machine reflects his life. Home-movie footage shows him cavorting naked in the water, on the beach and in the pines, which may cause viewers to writhe in ecstasy, not unlike Hook does in the sand. Teen Spirit Good: The girls in “Spring Breakers” shared some same-

sex kisses while Marc (Israel Broussard) in “The Bling Ring” loved those heels he stole. Very Good: Emory Cohen gave a knockout performance as a gay teen who has a date with a much older, married African-American man (Wendell Pierce) in the remarkable drama “Four.” Best: The gay couple, Luis (Luis Figueroa) an d B ra n do n (Brandon Diaz), shine in the enchanting comedy-drama “The We and the I.” The treatment of these queer students seen on a long bus ride home was truly honest, with the couple’s sexuality never sensationalized or demeaned. Gay Directors, Straight Films Good: Bill Condon’s “Fifth Estate” was an entertaining-enough drama about Julian Assange, but it never quite reached the depths it might have plumbed. Best: Lee Daniel’s “The Butler” was a remarkable history of civil rights in America as seen through the eyes of a White House butler, played by Forest Whitaker, although it contained no queer content. Gay Directors, Gay Films Best: Spanish bad-boy Pedro Almodóvar created one of his funniest and gayest films in decades with “I’m So Excited,” about a trio of gay flight PAGE 28

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

FEATURE PGN FILMS from page 27

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attendants attending to panic-stricken first-class passengers when their landing gear fails. Honorable Mention: François Ozon’s splendid “In the House” was a return to queer storytelling for the out auteur. He tells the complex but seductive story of a student who engages his professor by chronicling the events of his gay friend’s household. Pornographic Content Mediocre: “Lovelace,” made by gay filmmakers Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein, was about the meteoric rise to fame of porn star Linda Lovelace and the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband. It had some good elements, but never quite grabbed viewers by the throat. Best: “The Canyons,” by straight filmmaker Paul Schrader, who worked from a script by the gay Bret Easton Ellis, told of a stylish, sordid love triangle featuring bad behavior and bared bodies — Lindsay Lohan and James Deen among them. Most Promising Newcomers Male: Wentworth Miller not only came out publicly this year, he also penned a wicked script for the stylish and sinister thriller “Stoker.” Female: Stacie Passion offered a notable directorial debut with the absorbing lesbian drama “Concussion.” Missed in Philly Best: “Una Noche” is an absorbing Cuban drama that concerns three teenagers in a love triangle — Lila (Anailían de la Rúa de la Torre), her gay twin brother Elio (Javier Núñez Florián) and Raul (Dariel

A r r e c h a g a ) , E l i o ’s friend and the object of his crush. Writer/director Lucy Mulloy’s film feels incredibly authentic; she duly captures the oppression from the heat, poverty and the law that informs and weighs upon her characters’ lives. The film palpably conveys the sexual and emotional tensions the teens face as they drift towards Miami on a homemade raft. This extended sequence is particularly gripping. Now out on DVD. Worst: Directed by James Franco, “Sal” is less a biopic and more a lousy mood piece that chronicles the last day of Sal Mineo’s life. More enervating than illuminating and consisting of inscrutable and interminable passages of Sal (Val Lauren) on the phone, driving and working out, viewers may become impatient waiting for Mineo to be murdered. Franco’s vague film asks audiences to piece together the gay actor’s life from hints about dinner theater and film projects, as well as potential boyfriends and mentions of James Dean, but ultimately this film fails to do its fascinating subject justice. The (Rear) End There is always a question about the sexiest queer film or the work with the best nude scene. While Matthew McConaughey’s character in “Dallas Buyers Club” instructs the medical establishment to kiss his naked ass, it was not seductive. And it would be tough to choose between the actors in the three Beat films: studly Garrett Hedlund answering a door in the altogether in “On the Road,” adorable Daniel Radcliffe displaying his cute caboose in “Kill Your Darlings” or the uninhibited Jean-Marc Barr showing off his divine behind in “Big Sur.” All these guys have attractive asses. But it’s no contest, because the sexiest film this year was “Blue Is the Warmest Color,” featuring Adèle Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, who bared their derrieres along with their souls. ■

PROFILE PGN

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

Suzi Nash

Tara Lessard: Chronicling the community 8,000 times a month The New Year is always a good time to reflect on the year gone by. For Tara Lessard, looking back might entail looking at the thousands upon thousands of pictures she’s taken of people and events in our community. If you’ve been at any LGBT functions, from sporting events to street marches to black-tie galas, Tara and her company Freedom G Photography were probably there chronicling our community. Just in the past month, I’ve had my own picture snapped by Ms. Lessard at the Stimulus Black and White Party as well as at the DVLF TOY fundraiser. When we sat down to talk, I found out about a whole different side of Lessard that took me by surprise. PGN: Tell me about yourself. TL: I was born in Jamaica, N.Y., and lived a few years in South Carolina when my dad was in college before moving to Pennsylvania. I’ve never actually lived in Philadelphia. I still live in Bucks County, near where I grew up. PGN: Really? All these years I’ve seen you at every function in town and I just assumed you lived here or near. That’s one heck of a commute. TL: I know! I’m in Philly four-six days a week. I put a lot of mileage on my car. My full-time job is with the family business; my dad’s a chiropractor and my brother and I both work in the office, where I’ve been working since I was 14 years old. I put in 40-plus hours a week in Bucks County and then I come in to the city and work some more! PGN: That’s crazy! Do you do chiropractic work? TL: I do everything but adjustments. In the office I do all the marketing, I run the front desk and all the insurance admissions and all the office stuff. Out of the office, I do lectures and spinal screenings in the community a few days a week. PGN: Something you did for fun with the family? TL: Honest to God, we worked. We had a 100-percent work ethic all the time. As far as family vacations were concerned, we didn’t take weeks off. We’re all really hard workers and we weren’t about accruing vacation memories, we were about being professional and doing good work. It’s the reason I can’t stop working. I definitely have that same driving force and work ethic in me. PGN: And your mom? TL: She’s an interior designer. She was just doing it for fun, including changing around the office interior every six weeks, and then in 2010, she opened

her own business right around the time I started the photography business.

cred. We were also on a Depeche Mode tribute CD, “Bright Lights, Dark Room.”

PGN: Any other siblings? TL: I have a sister too who is an artist married to another artist living in New York. I’m the oldest of the three.

PGN: When people see you at functions, you are so affable and personable, so I was surprised to read that your music was so ... [laughs]. I saw it described as “electro-violence.” One person described your voice as ranging from “whispery, scary little girl to screaming banshee.” TL: [Laughs.] Have you heard any tracks? It’s more industrial. Think Nine Inch Nails, more goth than anything. I’d been a huge metal head in high school. I loved heavy metal and punk rock and then transitioned to goth and industrial during my career.

PGN: There seems to be a lot of creativity in the family. Which parent do you get it from? TL: I think from both, but the crazy thing is I recently found out that my biological father is a photographer! So I guess it’s both nature and nurture. He lives in Canada and I just met him for the first time a few years ago. It turns out I’m the oldest of three on that side of the family too. PGN: Were you adopted or was he from a previous relationship with your mom? TL: She was married to him but I never knew that side of the family growing up. I adopted my dad — the one I work with — and he’s pretty awesome. What’s funny is that I’m more like him than my brother and sister, who are biologically his.

PGN: I was reading that a platoon of soldiers in Iraq used the song “Strike” from your “Dead Monsters” CD as the soundtrack to a video they made of themselves in battle. TL: Yeah, it was crazy. A lot of people made their own videos of our songs and they got thousands of hits.

PGN: What was your favorite class as a kid? TL: English. I wasn’t so much into the grammar aspect, conjugations and dangling participles, etc., but I loved writing. PGN: Who was your first boyfriend? TL: Ugh, I was 14 and it was a tragedy! [Laughs.] A good example of a bad example, that’s all I’ll say. PGN: What were your extracurricular activities in school? TL: I was into two things: dance and drumming. I took dance classes and did recitals and performances for seven years. I played sports like racquetball and I also was totally into music and loved playing the drums. I went on to be in the music industry in an electro/industrial band for a while. PGN: I read about it! You guys were rather well-known. I had no idea you had that past life! TL: Yeah, Brainclaw, we did pretty well. We toured quite a bit in the tristate area, released two albums and even had two songs: Insekt/Angel and When The Dark Rains Come, which were used on the DVD releases for the movies “The Matrix Revolutions,” “The Matrix Box Set” and “Spider-Man Collectors Edition.” PGN: As in Toby Maguire’s “SpiderMan” and Keanu Reeves’ “The Matrix”? Pretty cool! TL: Yeah, it was. It didn’t earn us any money but gave us some serious street

PGN: Amazing. And you box too. When did you start that? TL: I didn’t come out until 2009 and my first relationship ended with some domestic-abuse issues. It happened twice. The second time I left. I was really affected by it. I had been such a positive person all my life and after that I became very small and weak and unsure of myself. In order to recover — physically, emotionally, spiritu-

ally, all of that — I embraced boxing. It was a lifesaver. I don’t compete; I train and spar at the gym, but the training that I got and the people that I met put me back on the right path. The discipline that it takes to be an athlete is tremendous and to be surrounded by people who were so focused and driven was monumental for me. There was a lot of drama surrounding me coming out. I was previously married and then got into a bad relationship and boxing helped me become the person I am now. I’m also a brown belt in Kenpo. PGN: Glad to hear you’re not fighting matches. Although I wouldn’t mind meeting Laila Ali if you took her on. TL: [Laughs.] No, I respect and love the sport but I like my nose too much to do a bout. PGN: On to your photography ... How did you get started shooting in the LGBT community? TL: Philly Gay Calendar was the first connection I had to the community when I first came out. I was single at the time and I wanted a way to be involved and give back and PGC gave me a purpose. It gave me a reason to go to events even though I was by myself. It was an awesome gift from Steve McCann. I was an OK photographer, not the greatest, but I loved doing it and he was just like, “Show up and do your best.” I did well with people and turn-around times and over time I’ve evolved. I now shoot for Stimulus, Mazzoni Center, LICK. I’m the staff photographer for a production company that produces the films series, “Crazy. Sexy. Cool.” that my girlfriend Shanel was in. I’m on staff for the radio program “Queer to the T.” I shoot on occasion for PGN. There are so many amazing connections that I’ve made in the community over the years. It’s very cool, I do four-six shoots a week and take about 8,000 pictures a month. I don’t take it lightly that I’ve been able to come through hard times and into a position to help others and give some exposure to what we do and who we are. PGN: And you shoot outside the community as well. TL: Yes, I shoot MMA fighters monthly for “Xtreme Fight Events” at Harrah’s Casino in Chester. PAGE 34

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

Get Out and Play

SPORTS PGN

Scott A. Drake

Fins finish year looking forward The Philadelphia Fins Aquatics Club board and officers had an informal batonpassing Dec. 14 at Café Cret on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It was also a strategy session for a busy and celebratory January. Fins president Bob Breitel confirmed the annual Postal Swim would coincide with the organization’s 25th anniversary on Jan. 25. Details for the silver-anniversary celebration are still in the works, but plans seem to be going along swimmingly (pun intended). The Postal Swim is one of the annual events the Fins participate inwhich they compete against swimmers from around the country. It also raises money for the team and a local nonprofit. Last year’s beneficiary was The Attic Youth Center. The Philadelphia Fins Aquatics Club is a member of the United States Masters Swimming and the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics. For information on the Fins, the party or to pledge money on one of the swimmers for the Postal Swim, check website philadelphiafins.org. Looking back It was a pretty decent year for athletes coming out in 2013. Outsports.com has a list of 77 athletes,

and for asking prominent LGBT athletes to represent us there. • Team Philadelphia meets again on Gay Games initiatives at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the William Way LGBT Community Center. • You can find contact information for all LGBT sports groups in the area through the PGN sports listings on the inside the back cover every fourth week of the month. ■ Countdown to Gay Games 9: 252 days. Are you having a sports fundraiser, holiday party, bar crawl or strip-poker party? Tell me about it at scott@epgn.com.

LIKE FISH OUT OF WATER: Fins Aquatics Club incoming and outgoing board members and officers sat for a chat at Café Cret after a recent Saturday-morning practice. The group is planning an anniversary celebration for January. Photos: Scott A. Drake

coaches and sports writers who announced their gayness during this year, right up through last week’s Brian Boitano release.

Each has an accompanying link to his or her announcement that the site posted previously. A sadder note was the execution of some very important sports from Temple University’s curriculum (see “Temple and the moneychangers,” Dec. 13-19.) Bad karma is sure to follow that decision and you can show your support of at least the gymnastics team at thepetitionsite. com/798/504/911/save-temple-universitymens-gymnastics/. Short stops • Kudos to President Obama for not attending the Winter Olympics next year

PART OF THE FRONTRUNNERS ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT AT THE WILLIAM WAY LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH COMES DOWN AT END OF THE YEAR Photo: Scott A. Drake

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

FUN PGN & GAMES

Q Puzzle You da man Across

1. Left to pirates 5. Fruit container 10. Either of the two O’s in 51-Across 14. Geometrical finding 15. Miserable dwelling 16. Tiger’s ex 17. Tuft of pubic hair, e.g. 18. What straight soldiers do with their eyes in the shower 19. “Nick at ___” 20. Actor of Cuban descent recently featured in “Da Man” 23. Castle in a board game 24. “It’s ___ for me to say” 25. TV series in which 20-Across played a nurse 27. Phi Beta Kappa concern, for short 30. Fingerprint feature 34. Cruising the Atlantic 35. Turn on

37. Long of “If These Walls Could Talk 2” 38. Sch. with a condom for a mascot? 39. TV series in which 20-Across plays a former CIA operative 40. RN offering 41. J. Caesar’s tongue, or back muscle 42. Like the big top 43. Chiang Kai-___ 44. Big name in bulk food 46. Pride’s place 47. TV series in which 20-Across played a drug dealer 48. Top record 50. English channel, with “the” 51. 1999 movie with 20-Across 57. Do style 58. Woman without a woman, e.g. 59. In the pink 61. Come clean, with “up” 62. Type of probe 63. Bus. major’s study 64. Perry of

PORTRAIT from page 29

It’s awesome because I train with a lot of the guys who are competing. I’ve seen a lot of them grow from amateur to pro over the last four years and I’ve been able to document their progress. PGN: What’s your favorite MMA picture? TL: There’s a fighter, Anthony Terrell, who had a kick to the face that caused a knockout, wining him the match. It was a 28-second fight and I just happened to get the shot perfectly as his foot was making contact! PGN: You mentioned your girlfriend Shanel Sherese, actor and Mr. Drag King Philadelphia, who I profiled back in July. How long have you been together? TL: It’ll be two years in March. I’m shocked and amazed! I’d been shooting shows for Liberty City Drag Kings and knew her through there and I also shoot for the Stimulus parties, where she was a shot boy. Between the two events, we got to know each other a little. After that first relationship, I stayed single for a few years, until Shanel and I got together. I knew as soon as we started dating that I wanted to be with her and it’s been pretty amazing ever since.

Metropolitan Community Church 65. “West Side ___” 66. Where to stick your tool

Down

1. Fondle clumsily 2. Pg. in a photocopier 3. Brings back 4. Starchy dessert 5. Billiards cube 6. Go from one gay bar to another, e.g. 7. Spit it out, with confidence 8. Six years for a senator 9. John of “Aida” fame 10. Top 11. “A Streetcar Named Desire” director Kazan 12. Play about a gay bathhouse, with “The” 13. Queen’s “Another ___ Bites the Dust” 21. Myrna of “The Thin Man” 22. Carpenter’s rod 25. Handles roughly 26. Francis Bacon

work 27. Long piano 28. Italian bridge 29. Writer Wystan Hugh 31. Nevil Shute novel 32. Rubbed the wrong way 33. Doesn’t have 35. It may top a queen 36. McCullers’ “Ballad of the ___ Café” 39. Greek philosophical type 43. Gets hot 45. Fastidious 47. Astroglide alternative 49. Cash drawers 50. Fruit on a bush 51. “Buy one get one free” offer 52. Roughly 53. Toe woe 54. In the year, to Nero 55. Admiral’s position? 56. Fruit flavor for gin 57. Toward the rudder 60. Put a halt to PAGE 39

PGN: What’s the best gift you’ve given to or received from her? TL: Shanel’s a fantastic gift-giver. Very thoughtful. Best gift I ever received was for Valentine’s Day. I have a penchant for puppets and she commissioned a fantastic artist named Lance Prawling to create a mini-me puppet and a mini-Shanel puppet. They are spot-on and I love them! It was so creative! We actually had a chance to use them in a Liberty City Kings show last month. It was my first time performing and we had a blast! PGN: Have you traveled much together? TL: Here’s the thing. She mirrors me in work ethic. Her heart is just as big as mine is for volunteering in the community. We both work a lot separately and now we’ve also joined forces because she’s shooting pictures with me as part of Freedom G Photography. So we’ve made a commitment to each other that once a month we go away. Because if we stay in Philadelphia, we will be working. So every month, we create situations where we go somewhere — whether it’s to D.C. or Rehoboth or New York or Virginia — and we try to get off the grid. We love camping or just staying in a hotel and exploring places. PGN: Living Social has some cool local things to do.

TL: I know, we both love being outside and active so a staycation might be signing up for a Segway tour of Philadelphia, which we just did, or ziplining or wine tasting or even just hopping trains in Philadelphia, weird and fun stuff. Shanel also travels for work so I try to join her when I can. PGN: Let’s do some arbitrary questions. If I could switch places for a day with one person, it would be ... TL: Brian Sims. He’s on a roll right now. He’s beautiful to watch as far as the role he’s taken in the community, politically and through the connections he’s making with and for people. I’m enamored of his position in the community. The support and love, as well as backing that he gets from the people and how he uses it to the best of his ability for the good of the community ... I’d love to be in that position to effect change. PGN: Two of your favorite things ... TL: I love hats. I have a huge collection and wear them as often as possible. I am currently in love with my food dehydrator. I was a vegetarian for 10 years and I love being creative with dehydrating veggies. My fave these days is kale dipped in a creamy mix of raw cashews, lemon, salt and pepper.

PGN: Best concert experience? TL: That would have to be Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” I saw it three times and each time was a moving journey complete with tears. It is a very powerful show! PGN: You are chosen to make dinner for a very special guest. What will you cook? TL: Dinner for a special guest is a tough one because I am a foodie and love to experiment. Right now, I would say a Waldorf salad, roasted chicken, mashed sweet potato and kale. [Laughs.] It’s winter and I happen to be hungry! PGN: You’re making me hungry! Favorite piece of clothing? TL: Right now, my favorite piece of clothing is a tight black shirt I have that makes my chest look great! Shanel loves it and that makes me happy! PGN: Well, on that happy note, Happy New Year to all! ■ For more information on Freedom G Photography, visit freedomgphotography.com/. To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol. com.

Philadelphia Gay News wishes you a Wonderful Holiday Season and a Joyous New Year.

PGN TELEVISION

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

Haute Mexican? Haute Mexican!

PANIC! ON THE STRIP: “New Year’s Eve Live” rings in 2014 with performances by J. Cole, Krewella, New Politics and Panic! At The Disco (pictured) live from LIGHT Nightclub at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, 11 p.m. Dec. 31 on Fox.

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DAPPER DAD: Sean, played by out actor Sean Hayes, sets out to be a more involved father at Ellie’s school on a new episode of “Sean Saves The World,” 9 p.m. Jan. 2 on NBC. Photo: NBC/Chris Haston

SHELDON THE ENTERTAINER: Sheldon (played by out actor Jim Parsons) tries to learn how to be funny on a new episode of “Big Bang Theory,” 8 p.m. Jan. 2 on CBS. Photo: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc./Michael Yarish

TASTE-MAKERS: Now in its second season, cooking competition “The Taste” returns with judges Chef Anthony Bourdain, British food star Nigella Lawson, expert chef/ author Ludo Lefebvre and author, chef/restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson, 8 p.m. Jan. 2 on ABC. Photo: ABC/Craig Sjodin

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

PGN

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DINING PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

Upscale food and service charm at Davio’s By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com It’s always nice to end the year on a classy note, and Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, 111 S. 17th St., more than fits the bill. We see many a restaurant come and go in this city, but Davio’s, one of a handful of restaurants that share the same name along the East Coast, has built a reputation as a long-running institution in Philly. And we can see why. They aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel or create outrageous new spins with their menu, as they focus

on service, atmosphere and honing classic dishes to perfection. The Two-Minute Calamari ($14) was impressively tender with a subtle and building spicy flavor in the tomato sauce it was dressed in. Pasta dishes at Davio’s are the picture of perfection. The hand-rolled potato gnocchi ($26) was impossibly light and velvety and the wild mushrooms and truffle oil gave the dish the perfect balance of refined flavors. The tagliatelle bolognese TWO-MINUTE CALAMARI ($22) was a perfectly seasoned dish with braised veal, beef and pork in a rich tomato sauce.

After each course, the dutiful and attentive wait staff would swarm in, refilling waters, swapping out used plates and utensils for clean ones and refolding the napkins of whomever got up and stepped away from the table. The entrees were as spectacular as the service. The pan-seared jumbo sea scallops ($28) more than lived up to their name, as they were plump and hearty. They were almost outshined by the excellent bacon red-wine risotto and fava-bean puree that they rested on, as those ele-

ments could easily be a dish by themselves. The sautéed veal tenderloin ($33) had an amazing depth of flavor layered with prosciutto, polenta and porcini mushrooms in marsala sauce. The veal was also pleasantly fork-tender. If you are looking for an elegant place to dine for New Year’s, or just have an upscale night on the town any night of the week, you should definitely get dressed up and make a reservation at Davio’s. ■

If you go Davio’s

111 S. 17th St. 215-563-4810 www.davios.com Breakfast: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner: Monday-Saturday 5-11 p.m.; Photos: Scott A. Drake Sunday 5-10 p.m.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS PGN

OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 12/27 Sing-a-Long Sound of Music Sing along with the film 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400.

Sat. 12/28 Beatlemania Now! The Beatles tribute band performs 3 and 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave; 215-257-5808. Eddie Money The rock singer performs 8 p.m. at Harrah’s Casino Hotel, 777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City; 609-4415501. Bearlesque A bear-themed burlesque show, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. Tiesto The electronic musician performs 10 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

Sun. 12/29

Photos: Scott A. Drake

’s Get Out and Play All the action with Philly’s jocks Every other week in PGN

Sing-a-Long Sound of Music Sing along with the film 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Live Wire The AC/DC tribute band performs 7:30 p.m. at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave; 215-257-5808.

David Guetta The house musician performs 10 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

Mon. 12/30 Free Quizzo and Board Game Night Roll the dice, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. 2U The U2 tribute band performs 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave; 215-257-5808. Gremlins The creature feature is screened 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888. Lipstick Mondays A weekly drag show featuring a changing roster of queens takes the stage 9 p.m. at The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St., New

DANCE REVOLUTION: Global electronic music superstar Tiesto gets Atlantic City warmed up for New Year’s Eve 10 p.m. Dec. 28 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J. For more information or tickets, call 609-317-1000.

drag and burlesque show, 7 p.m.-2 a.m. at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. Madame The outrageous and iconic puppet performs 7:30 and 10 p.m. at the Rrazz Room, in The Ramada New Hope, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 888-5961027. New Year’s Eve Concert The Philadelphia Orchestra performs 7:30 p.m. at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Second Annual Masquerade Ball Wear a mask to this New Year’s Eve party, 10 p.m.2 a.m. at ICandy, 254 S. 12th St.; 267-324-3500. Stimulus New Year’s Eve The monthly LGBTQ party rings in the New Year 10 p.m.-6 a.m. at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James St.; 215735-5772. Philly Bloco Ring in the New Year with the samba/funk/reggae

band 10:30 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

Wed. 01/01 Groove and Pulse Two girl parties in one, 3-10 p.m. at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 Saint James St.; 215-735-5772.

Thu. 01/02 The Burlesque Show The new event kicks off 9 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way,

Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Bob and Barbara’s Drag Show The outrageousness begins 11 p.m. at Bob and Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215545-4511.

Fri. 01/03 Raymond the Amish Comic and Earl David Reed The comedians perform 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave; 215-257-5808. ■

Tue. 12/31 Hope; 215-8622081. Dr. K’s Motown Revue The R&B tribute band performs 7 and 10 p.m. at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave; 215257-5808. Glitter Gayla presented by Liberty City Kings A New Year’s Eve

ROCK THE HOUSE: Mega-star house musician David Guetta will have rumps shaking 10 p.m. Dec. 29 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J. For more information or tickets, call 609317-1000.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Opening Cirque de la Symphonie The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Jan. 3-4 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Steven Brinberg Iis Simply Barbara, A Christmas Show Babs gets channeled Dec. 27-28 at the Rrazz Room, in The Ramada New Hope, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 888596-1027. Tom Rhoades The comedian performs Dec. 31 and Jan. 2-4 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001.

Continuing

From Philadelphia to Monaco: Grace Kelly, Beyond the Icon James A. Michener Art Museum hosts an exhibition tracing the unique path Grace Kelly took from Philadelphia to Monaco, through Jan. 26, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215-340-9800. Gender Comedy: A Less Stupid 12th Night Gay Fantasia Curio Theatre Company presents the world premiere of the new comedy by Harry Slack through Jan. 4, 4740 Baltimore St.; 215-525-1350. Jersey Boys The Tony Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons hits the stage through Jan. 5 at Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St.; 215923-1515.

Barbarism A queer, gender-upending multimedia exhibition through Jan. 31 at Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine St.; 215-9223456.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Media Theatre presents the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical through Jan. 4, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100.

Disney on Ice Animated characters come to life on skates through Jan. 6 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 215-389-9543.

Léger: Modern Art and the Metropolis Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of 160 works and a multimedia exhibition of important paintings by the French painter Fernand Léger through Jan. 5, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Live Cinema/Fiona Tan: Inventory Philadelphia Museum of Art presents a multiprojection installation inviting viewers to consider museum collections, as well as the human compulsion to capture the transience of time and lived experience, through March 23, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Marc Newson: At Home Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of furnishings by the influential designer through April 20, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

(ST)RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR: The outrageous and iconic puppet Madame rings in the New Year performing 7:30 and 10 p.m. Dec. 31 at the Rrazz Room, located within The Ramada New Hope, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope. For more information or tickets, call 888-596-1027.

Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.

The Surrealists: Works from the Collection Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of the museum’s unique collection of great masterpieces and lesser-

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014

known works of the movement, through March 2, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Closing I Love Lucy The stage production based on the classic TV show runs through Dec. 29 at Merriam Theatre, 250 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. Jim Bruer The comedian performs through Dec. 28 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001.

WHO LET THE BEARS OUT?: Things get hairy at Tabu when Bearlesque comes out of hibernation 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 28, 200 S. 12th St. For more information, call 215964-9675.

Nerds The Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the story of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as they went from garage inventors to Silicon Valley mega-billionaires, through Dec. 29 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; 215-985-0420.

Sophie Tucker: The Last of the Red Hot Mamas Walnut Street Theatre presents the story of America’s queen of the double entendre through Dec. 29, 825 Walnut St.; 215-5743550. ■

Congratulations We want to know!

If you are celebrating an anniversary, engagement, wedding, adoption or other life event, we would be happy to help you announce it to the community. Send your contact information and a brief description of the event to editor@epgn.com.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013 - Jan. 2, 2014

Classifieds Real Estate Sale

Real Estate Sale

Real Estate Sale SECLUDED HISTORICAL DISTRICT OF LUMBERTON Beaut. rest. 1870’s home, 3 BR, 1.5 BA, 30 mins to Phila. 3 ﬂoors, all new HVAC, screened porch, 3/4 acre, mod. kit & baths, beaut. details. $285,000. 609-784-8324. _____________________________________________38-10 VENTNOR, NJ House for sale in Ventnor NJ. 2 story 5 bedroom house, needs some repairs. Priced right. Call 215 468 9166. ________________________________________38-01 TURNKEY FAMILY CAMP FOR SALE Beautifully Finished Cabin on 5 Acres, Woods and Nice Lawn, Quiet County Road, Stocked Fishing Pond & Guest Cabin. On Snowmobile Trail. Only $69,995. Call 800-2297843 Or visit www.LandandCamps.com ________________________________________37-52

Help Wanted





  

 





   

    

Regional Owner Operators for dedicated run hauling plate glass needed. All Miles Paid! Also need regional stepdeck and RGN Contractors. Contact Daily Express 800-669-6414. ________________________________________37-52 Exp. Reefer Drivers: GREAT PAY /Freight lanes from Presque Isle, ME, Boston-Lehigh, PA. 800-277-0212 or driveforprime.com ________________________________________37-52 HOME WEEKLY & BI-WEEKLY EARN $900-$1200/WK. Major Beneﬁts Available. Class A CDL & 6 Mos. Exp. Req. No Canada, HAZMAT or NYC! 877-705-9261. ________________________________________37-52 Owner Operator DEDICATED HOME WEEKLY! Solos up to $175,000/year, $2500 Sign-on Bonus! Teams up to $350,000/year, $5000 Sign-on Bonus! Forward Air 888-652-5611. ________________________________________37-52 Start your Holiday Season with a Great Career by Joining our Team. Class A Professional Drivers Call 877-457-1313 for more details or visit SuperSericeLLC.com ________________________________________37-52 WANTED: LIFE AGENTS Earn $500 a Day; Great Agent Beneﬁts; Commissions Paid Daily; Complete Training; Leads, Leads, Leads; NO LICENSE NECESSARY TO APPLY. Call 1-888-713-6020. ________________________________________37-52

For Sale SAWMILLS from only $4897.00- MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills. com 1-800-578-1363 Ext.300N ________________________________________27-52

Services AIRLINE CAREERS Begin here - Get FAA approved Aviation Technician training. Financial Aid for qualiﬁed students. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 1-888-834-9715. _____________________________________________37-52

Public Notices Fictitious name notice is hereby given that Julie Lipson of Philadelphia, PA ﬁled a Registration of Fictitious Name for Inner Rhythms Music Therapy on 11/26/13 with the Dept. of State of the Commonwealth of PA. Place of business: 4721 Pine St., Philadelphia, PA. ________________________________________37-52

PGN All real-estate advertising is subject to Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and ﬁnancing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). PGN will not knowingly accept any real-estate advertising that is in violation of any applicable law.

Placing Classiﬁeds Liner Ads In Person: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, By Phone or on the Web: 24 Hours, 7 Days

Deadline for Line Advertising is Friday at 3 p.m. for the following Friday’s issue. You may place your ad via our secure voicemail system, fax or e-mail at any time, or on our Web site. Please have the following information ready to place your ad:

YOUR AD COPY • YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER • CREDIT CARD INFORMATION PHONE: 215-625-8501 ext. 200 OR 215451-6182 (DIRECT) • FAX: 215-925-6437 • E-MAIL: don@epgn.com

GENERAL INFORMATION

All classified advertising must be in our office by 3 p.m. Friday for the next Friday’s paper. Ads arriving after that time will be held for the next available issue. PGN reserves the right to edit or rewrite ads as needed, to refuse any ad for any reason and to determine the final classification. Ads determined to be in bad taste, directed to or from persons under the legal age of consent or containing racially or sexually discriminatory language will be refused. We need your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number on the insertion order form for you ad. This information is confidential and will not appear in the paper. Any ads received without full information will be destroyed. Sexually explicit language will be edited or refused at the discretion of the management.

PAYMENT AND PLACEMENT

Classified ads may be placed online or by mail, fax, e-mail or in person at the PGN offices at 505 S. Fourth St., Phila. Phone, fax and e-mail orders are accepted with credit/ debit cards only. A $10 minimum applies to all charges. If you are paying in person with cash, please have the exact change as we cannot make change at the office. All ads must be prepaid for their entire run. NO EXCEPTIONS! DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL; IT’S NOT SAFE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED.

TERM DISCOUNTS - BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ISSUES PREPAID 4 weeks, 5% • 8 weeks, 10% • 16 weeks, 15% • 26 weeks, 20%

CANCELLATION POLICY

All PGN Classified ads are cancelable and refundable except for “FRIENDS” ads. Deadline for cancellation is 3 p.m. Friday. The balance will be credited to your credit/debit card. Checks take two weeks to process. The date of the first issue the ad appeared in, along with the classification, your name, address and daytime phone number is required to cancel your ad.

PGN does not accept advertising that is unlawful, false, misleading, harmful, threatening, abusive, invasive of another’s privacy, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful or racially or otherwise objectionable, including without limitation material of any kind or nature that encourages conduct that could constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, provincial, national or international law or regulation, or encourage the use of controlled substances.

PGN

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013 - Jan. 2, 2014

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013 - Jan. 2, 2014

ADONIS CINEMA “THE ONLY ALL MALE ADULT THEATER IN THE CITY”

2026 Sansom St (located 3 doors up from Sansom St Gym)

215-557-9319

Friends Men LOOKING FOR ROMANCE Attractive GWM, warm, sensitive, caring, 48 y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for other GWM, 30-50, who is also in good shape. I live in NE Phila. I’m looking for guys who are also sensitive, caring with a fun personality. If this sounds interesting to you feel free to call me, David, 215-698-0215. ________________________________________37-52 Big tool BM top needs ginger boy bottom : Scottish or Irish men. Must be uncut for docking. Please call 6 PM to 2 AM weekends only, 215-763-3391. ________________________________________37-52 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. ________________________________________38-02 Real nice white butt looking for big thrill. I’m 6’1”, 210, 59. Call me at 215-732-2108 8-12 PM. ________________________________________38-03

Massage

OPEN 24hrs A Day /

David, 64, 6’, 200 lbs., attentive. 215-569-4949. (24/7) ________________________________________38-12

7 Days A Week

3 Small Theaters with Video & Dark Room Area

wishes you a gay holiday season.

THE BIGGER, BETTER & CLEANER CLUB IN THE CITY...

SEASONS OF CHANGE

Saturday, Jan. 11th • Time: 11pm-3:30am WHAT TO EXPECT: • DJ David Dutch • Complimentary Food & Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & So Much More ROOMS: Members: $25.00 & Non-Members: $35.00 LOCKERS: Members: $18.00 & Non-Members: $28.00 ROOMS GO QUICKLY!!!C HECK IN EARLY!

P.A.N.G.(Philadelphia Area Nudist Group) Sunday, Jan. 12th • Time: 3pm-6am

BOYS WILL BE BOYS- AWAKEN YOUR INNER SPIRIT JOIN PANG FOR: • An Afternoon of Naked Socializing • Complimentary Food & Beverages & So Much More For More Information On Group:www.phillynakedguys.com/

BUSY TIMES FOR US:

These our are most popular days when people come-

SATURDAY AFTERNOON DELIGHT 4 Hour Lockers (8am - 4pm) Members: $5.00 and Non-Members: $15.00

SUNDAY RELIEF

Half Price Rooms (6am Sunday till 8am Monday) Members: $12.50 and Non-Members: $22.50

MONDAY thru FRIDAY:

Business Mans Locker Special (8am to 4pm) Members: $5.00 and Non-Members: $15.00

TUESDAYS

Half Price Rooms (6am till 12 Midnight) Members: $12.50 and Non-Members: $22.50

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY NIGHT CRUISE

$12 Flat Rate for Locker Admission & Clothing Optional (4pm-12 Midnight) Check out our website for our WEEKLY SPECIALS & JOIN OUR e-mail List to get the latest information on upcoming events....

Don’t forget to visit the Adonis Cinema right next door!! 2026 Sansom St/ PH: 215-557-9319

PGN

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.; 215-386-1981; www.actupphilly.org. Delaware Valley Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church and State seeks activists and supporters of church-state separation. Holds monthly meetings and events; www.dvau.org. Equality Pennsylvania holds a volunteer night 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 August and 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. Men On Tap, an LGBT group that performs with choirs, organizations and at the Fringe Festival, rehearses Mondays at 8 p.m. at The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St.; dale@magicalfantasies.com. Philadelphia Freedom Band, an audition-free LGBT band that does concerts and parades, rehearses Mondays 7-9:30 p.m.; philadelphiafreedomband.com. 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, open to all women and genderqueer/ trans people, meets 6:45 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.

Recreation

Gay Bridge Club non-beginners group meets Monday 1:30-4:30 p.m. 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 7:30 p.m. 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. 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 267230-6750 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 hikes in Wissahickon Valley and Valley Forge Park; philaventures.org.

Sports

Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for Tuesday and Thursday practice at 8 p.m. Greenfield Park, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Games are played Sundays, beginning in April, at the Dairy and Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch. Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www. philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club LGBT and allies; indoor season starts Nov. 4 at Guerin Rec Center and runs through the end of March, every Monday 8-10pm and Sat 2-4pm; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, male and female swimmers, meets 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Friends Select School and 10:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 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 games played Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at FDR Park. For more information please visit www.phillyflagfootball.com Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club seeks players, all skill levels welcome; meets 7:45 p.m. Thursdays at Columbus Square Park, 1200 Wharton St.; 215-913-7531; philadelphiagryphons.org; becomeagryphon@gmail.com. Philadelphia Liberty Belles women’s semi-pro full-tackle football league holds fall tryouts; phillybelles.com. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association plays yearround, all skill levels welcome; philadelphialibertytennis. com. Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team seeks players; www.philadelphiafirebirds.com. Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League seeks players, all skill levels and ages welcome. Practice is Thursdays, 7 p.m. at Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 17th and Fitzwater streets, with games on Sundays 2:30 p.m.; phillywomensbaseball.com; contact Narda Quigley, (day) 215991-5995 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. Spartan Wrestling Club, the gay wresting team, meets 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays (no August practice) at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-732-4545; www. phillyspartans.com. Suburban Gay Bowling League bowls at 8 p.m. Thursdays from August-April at Facenda-Whitaker Lanes, 2912 Swede Road, Norristown; sgblbowl@gmail.com. Team Philadelphia, the umbrella group for 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; 215-5879377; www.aidslawpa.org. 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 selfdefense; meets 2 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at Classic Indoor Range, 1310 Industrial Blvd., Southampton; 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.; 610-896-4938. Men and Women for Human Excellence support group meets from noon-2 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month at 26th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue; 267-2733513; cmoore8300@yahoo.com. Long Yang Club Philadelphia social organization for gay Asians and their friends holds monthly socials; www. longyangclub.org/philadelphia. Our Night Out, a casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, friends and colleagues, meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, email OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; more information on Facebook. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice offered 5-8 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month; 215-238-6333. Philadelphia Prime Timers club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; primetim ersofphiladelphia@yahoo.com. Philadelphians MC Club for leather men and women meets 7:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; philadelphiansmc.org. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL-affiliated, weekly HF nets, quarterly newsletter; www.rara.org. Silver Foxes, a social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older, meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Sunday of the month at the William Way Center. SNJ Queers meets monthly for queer/queer-friendly folks in South Jersey to mix and mingle. Search for SNJ Queers on Facebook; contact Wendy at 856-375-3708 or wmf69@comast.net.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013 - Jan. 2, 2014

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

■ The Attic Youth Center 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331; atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 48:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available MondayFriday. See the Youth section for more events.

■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St., 215-898-5044; center@dolphin. upenn.edu. Regular hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

■ ActionAIDS: 215-981-0088 ■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377 ■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221 ■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 ■ The COLOURS Organization, Inc.: 215-496-0330 ■ District Attorney LGBT Liaison: Helen “Nellie” Fitzpatrick, 215-6869980, helen.fitzpatrick@phila.gov

■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Youth Center 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065 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: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Key numbers

of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833

■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org

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

■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378

■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 1-877-pride-2000

■ GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization: 215-8511822 ■ LGBT Elder Initiative: 267-5463448; info@LGBTEI.org ■ LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK ■ Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs: Gloria Casarez, 215-6862194; Gloria.Casarez@phila.gov; ■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBT-LAW; Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658 ■ Parents, Families and Friends

■ Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel: 215-686-3318 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686 (Rick Lombardo); ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)

Health

Anonymous, free, conﬁdential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 216 W. Somerset St.; 215763-8870. ActionAIDS Provides a range of programs for people affected by HIV/AIDS, including case management, prevention, testing and education services at 1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088; www.actionaids.org. GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-851-1822 or 866-222-3871; www.galaei. org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays (walk-in) and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays (by appointment) at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215685-1821. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia Board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; free referral service at 215-6279090; www.galloplaw.org. ■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, selfemployed and business owners meets monthly in a different location throughout the city; www. gppn.org; 215-922-3377. ■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT

11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-586-9077. Mazzoni Center LGBTQ counseling and behavioral health services, HIV/ AIDS care and services, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth floor; 215-563-0652; www. mazzonicenter.org. Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronic-disease management, including comprehensive HIV care, as well as youth drop-in (ages 14-24) 5-7p.m. Wednesdays; 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Washington West Project of Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 pm. Monday-Friday, 1-5p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

Professional groups Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses and professionals; www. IndependenceBusinessAlliance. com; 215-557-0190; 1717 Arch St., Suite 3370. ■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgja.

org/philly; philly@nlgja.org. ■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus Regional organization dedicated to promoting LGBT tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region, meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; P.O. Box 58143, Philadelphia, PA 19102; www.philadelphiagaytourism. com; 215-840-2039.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 27, 2013 - Jan. 2, 2014

CONNECTING. COMMUNITY.

PGN