PGN Nov. 28 - Dec. 5, 2014 by The Philadelphia Gay News

Skinny Puppy gives the skinny on new U.S. tour

The PGN staff gives thanks

PAGE 33

PAGE 10

Family Portrait: William Brawner on overcoming secrets, stigma PAGE 35

DVLF gears up for TOY change PAGE 5

Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Since 1976

PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM

Vol. 38 No. 48

Milano killer says abusive childhood a factor in his crime By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com

WORKING FOR CHANGE: Spencer Brown (from left), Rusty Doll, Anthony Pinkney and Mary Ragland were among the guests at a fundraiser for Change Philly Today Nov. 21 at William Way LGBT Community Center. The event featured a silent auction to benefit the organization’s work with LGBT homeless youth. The previous night, as temps dipped to the mid-20s, Change Philly Today supporters spent the night camped out at Love Park to raise awareness about the experiences of homeless youth and the services available to them. Photo: Patrick Hagerty

Richard R. Laird, the twice-convicted killer of gay artist Anthony V. Milano, says jurors weren’t fully informed of his abusive childhood before resentencing him to death in 2007. Laird claims his father, who is deceased, molested him on a regular basis between the ages of five11. Laird wants another trial, partly on the basis that jurors in 2007 weren’t provided enough facts about the alleged molestation. But prosecutors insist the jurors had sufficient facts about all extenuating circumstances that could have lessened Laird’s penalty,

Local couple overcomes hurdles to build family By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Many parents spend the requisite nine months preparing their homes and lives for a baby. But, for Stephen Wagner and husband Brian Sedor, the wait for their son, Colton, was many years, and many challenges, in the making. The family will celebrate Colton’s first birthday next month. The Norristown couple adopted Colton through a domestic adoption that was facilitated by A Baby Step Adoption, a local nonprofit private adoption agency, which works with many same-sex couples. Wagner, 32, a clinical social worker, and Sedor, 39, an automotive technician, have been together since 2006. Wagner said they discussed children early on. “We always knew we wanted

including the alleged molestation. In 1987, Laird and Frank R. Chester escorted Milano from a Bristol Township tavern and brutally slashed him to death in a nearby wooded area. The following year, a Bucks County jury convicted Laird and Chester of first-degree murder and sentenced them to death. But in 2001, a federal judge ruled that Laird merited a new trial due to faulty jury instructions by the trial judge. Laird admits killing Milano but says he acted with “diminished capacity,” due to excessive alcohol consumption, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and organic brain disease due to repetitive head inju-

PGMC makes Thanksgiving history By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

STEPHEN WAGNER (FROM LEFT), BRIAN SEDOR AND SON, COLTON

kids,” he said. “But we wanted to make sure to go through all the proper steps first.”

They bought a house in 2008, got engaged in 2009 at Niagara Falls and were PAGE 20

ries. But when Laird was retried in 2007, a Bucks County jury rejected his diminished-capacity defense and resentenced him to death. Laird is appealing in state Supreme Court, claiming his retrial attorneys should have hired an expert on the effects of childhood sexual abuse, such as Dr. David Lisak. Lisak, a clinical psychologist, was hired by Laird’s current attorneys. He interviewed Laird for about six hours and conducted other in-depth research on the Milano case. In 2012, Lisak submitted a lengthy report about the effects of childhood sexual abuse on Laird’s behavior. According to PAGE 20

The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade has entertained audiences for nearly a century. And this year’s festivity was a lot more historic. The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus was among the dozens of entertainers that graced the stage in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Thanksgiving morning for the 6ABC/Dunkin’ D o n u t s T h a n k s g iv i n g D a y Parade. This was the first time that an LGBT group participated in the 95-year-old tradition. About 60 PGMC members performed a rendition of “Jingle

Bells” about halfway through the parade at Eakins Oval. The group did not march in the parade, which was broadcast live on 6ABC, although artistic director Joseph Buches did not rule that out in the future. This inaugural opportunity arose earlier this year, suggested by parade producer Todd Marcocci. “He emailed us asking if we’d be interested in performing so, of course, I said, ‘Yeah, sure!’” Buches said. “I thought it would be great exposure for us and for the city, and it was really cool to be asked.” The chorus spent the last few weeks rehearsing. Fourteen PAGE 18 m e m b e r s

The Philadelphia Gay News and ActionAIDS World AIDS Day supplement

PAGES 21-28

PGN LOCAL

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

After-hours youth clinic celebrates anniversary By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com Mazzoni Center’s one-stop-shop medical-services program for young people is celebrating its five-year anniversary. The youth drop-in program offers free medical care for individuals ages 14-24, with no appointment or insurance required. Services include HIV testing and counseling, risk-reduction tips, health education and information on safe-school programs. Drop-in case manager Bevin Gwiazdowski has worked for the program for four years and witnessed its capacity increase significantly. “I started working at Mazzoni about a year after [the program] started. We actually have increased the number of providers who are able to see patients from two to four, who are able to see about six youth each,” Gwiazdowski said. “Capacity is the big thing. Four people doesn’t sound like a big difference, but it is huge.” The number of youth each week varies. “Because youth are able to come in for a variety of reasons — a medical appointment or to see a case manager — we have a mix of folks. We can see upwards of 30 youth a night,” Gwiazdowski said.

The program’s goal is to get youth to start thinking about primary care as something they need to do as part of staying healthy, said Gwiazdowski. “We want to get them integrated into our ‘regular practice’ but we have youth who, for whatever reason, have a hard time keeping appointments during regular hours. So the drop-in works.” The drop-in offers food, SEPTA tokens, hygiene kits, assistance with benefit applications and housing, mental-health, education and vocation referrals. Looking ahead, the focus remains on increasing capacity and expanding waiting-room programming. “We are hoping to continue to increase our numbers and potentially expand some of the programmatic offerings during the drop-in hours,” Gwiazdowski said. “We are partnering with other organizations for more waiting-room programs, where we can engage the youth while they wait for their appointments. They could be in the waiting room from five-20 minutes, so we want to make the most out of that one-on-one time.” Drop-in hours are 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays at 809 Locust St. For more information on the youth drop-in and its services, contact Gwiazdowski at 215-563-0658 ext. 321 or at bgwiazdowski@mazzonicenter.org. n

News Briefing Appeals panel announced in Shephard case The composition of a three-judge panel that will decide whether William F. Smithson gets a new trial in the Jason Shephard murder case was announced last week. State Superior Court Judges John T. Bender, Christine L. Donohue and Eugene B. Strassburger 3d will sit on the panel. In 2008, Smithson was convicted of strangling to death Shephard, and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. But Smithson maintains that C. Bruce Covington — who was also inside Smithson’s home when Shephard was killed — wasn’t properly investigated. Covington was convicted of drug offenses relating to the incident but Delaware County prosecutors insist Smithson killed Shephard. Advocates for Smithson, who is gay, say there’s no direct evidence linking him to the strangulation and that homophobia played a significant role in Smithson’s prosecution. Smithson, 49, remains incarcerated in Huntingdon. A decision on his bid for a new trial is expected early next year.

FIGHT supports Morris probe Philadelphia FIGHT, a comprehensive AIDS-services agency, has endorsed a state probe of the Nizah Morris case. FIGHT executive director Jane Shull confirmed the agency’s support this week. Morris served as a volunteer at FIGHT, prior to getting inside a Philadelphia police vehicle for a Center City “courtesy ride.” Shortly after the ride, Morris was found by passing motorists with a fatal head injury. Her 2002 homicide remains unsolved, and advocates want a state probe. But state Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane hasn’t yet agreed to review the case. In a related development, on Nov. 18 former state Rep. Babette Josephs urged the executive board of AFSCME District Council 47 to support a state probe of the Morris case. D.C. 47 represents about 3,500 white-collar municipal workers in Philadelphia. Josephs said Morris’ advocates expressed concern that local authorities are engaged in a cover-up. She said advocates have been blocked from accessing key documents that should be in the public domain. “We’re getting the royal runaround,” she told 30 union leaders in attendance. D.C. 47 president Fred Wright said the union will take Josephs’ remarks under advisement and report back to her. n — Timothy Cwiek

free library and honor box locations FREE LIBRARY LOCATIONS

Andorra Branch, 705 E. Cathedral Road • Blanch A. Nixon Branch, 5800 Cobbs Creek Parkway • Bustleton Branch, 10199 Bustleton Ave. • Falls of Schuylkill Branch, 3501 Midvale Ave. • Fishtown Branch, 1217 E. Montgomery Ave. • Frankford Branch, 4634 Frankford Ave. • Independence Branch, 18 S. Seventh St. • Joseph E. Coleman Branch, 68 W. Chelten Ave. • Kingsessing Branch, 1201 S. 51st St. • Lehigh Branch, 601 W. Lehigh Ave. • Logan Branch, 1333 Wagner Ave. • Lovett Branch, 6945 Germantown Ave. • Main Branch, 1901 Vine St. • McPherson Square Branch, 601 E. Indiana Ave. • Northeast Regional, 2228 Cottman Ave. • Oak Lane Branch, 6614 N. 12th St. • Ogontz Branch, 6017 Ogontz Ave. • Olney Branch, 5501 N. Fifth St. • Thomas F. Donatucci Branch, 1935 Shunk St. • Richmond Branch, 2987 Almond St. • Rodriguez Branch, 600 W. Girard Ave. • Roxborough Branch, 6245 Ridge Ave. • Southwark Branch, 932 S. Seventh St. • Welsh Road Branch, 9233 Roosevelt Blvd. • West Phila. Branch, 125 S. 52nd St. • Wynnefield Branch, 5325 Overbrook Ave.

HONOR BOXES

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

All of these locations are now visible on a zoomable Google Map at

http://www.epgn.com/pages/where_to_find WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION ON THIS LIST? Contact Don at don@epgn.com or 215-625-8501 ext. 200 to arrange for delivery of complimentary copies.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

PGN

Weekly features

News&Opinion 2 — News Briefing 7 — Crime Watch 10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Transmissions Mark My Words Street Talk

AC &

35 37 40 42 43

C o l u m n s

— — — — —

Family Portrait Scene in Philly Out & About Q Puzzle Comic

8 — Work it Out: Love your body 9 — Mombian: What marriage laws mean for parents 16 — On Being Well: A men’s Mo’vement 38 — Get Out and Play: Wade Davis on making a difference

Classifieds 44 — Real Estate 46 — Personals 47 — Bulletin Board

Next week Before the Bells OutLaw Gift Guide: Bucks County edition

Two weeks Gift Guide: Book edition

FORMAL FRIDAY: Stimulus partiers kept the dance floor packed all night at the sixth-annual Black & White Party Nov. 21 at Voyeur. The event served as the birthday celebration of Stimulus founders Morgan Levine and Amber Hikes and featured music by DJ Jovi Baby, Precolumbian and DJ Deluxx. Stimulus will return for its Back 2 Basics party, 10 p.m. Dec. 13 at Tabu. Photo: Patrick Hagerty

This week in PGN 6 — PGN moves forward with appeal for Morris records 8 — LGBTEI to look at grief 33 — Arts & Culture cover story: Skinny Puppy on new tour, collaborations 39 — Dining Out and a slice to go 41 — Straight Out and into nighttime television

“Rather than saying, ‘It’s OK to be who you are, people like who you are,’ what if we said, ‘It’s OK to be who you are, because who you are is great!’ I don’t want to be proud of my body because other people want to grab it.” ~ Jessie Timmons, on the message behind “All About That Bass,” page 9 PGN 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147-1506 Phone: 215-625-8501 Fax: 215-925-6437 E-mail: pgn@epgn.com Web: www.epgn.com

Publisher Mark Segal (ext. 204) mark@epgn.com Executive Assistant/ Billing Manager Carol Giunta (ext. 202) carol@epgn.com

Editor

Jen Colletta (ext. 206) jen@epgn.com Staff Writers Ryan Kasley (ext. 215) ryan@epgn.com Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) timothy@epgn.com

Advertising Manager Greg Dennis (ext. 201) greg@epgn.com

Advertising Sales Representative Prab Sandhu (ext. 212) prab@epgn.com Jen Johnson (ext. 219) jenj@epgn.com Office Manager/ Classifieds Don Pignolet (ext. 200) don@epgn.com

PGN’s annual World AIDS Day Supplement is an eight-page pullout section produced in conjunction with ActionAIDS. The World AIDS Day section alone can be found at various locations around the region during and after World AIDS Day programming. For a list of local events commemorating World AIDS Day, turn to the center spread.

Art Director/ Photographer

Scott A. Drake (ext. 210) scott@epgn.com Graphic Artist Sean Dorn (ext. 211) sean@epgn.com

National Advertising Rivendell Media: 212-242-6863 Philadelphia Gay News is a member of: The Associated Press Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Suburban Newspapers of America

Published by Masco Communications Inc. © 2014 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-5155 The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned “Editorial” column. Opinions expressed in bylined columns, stories and letters to the editor are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of PGN. The appearance of names or pictorial representations in PGN does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that named or pictured person or persons.

LOCAL PGN

Venue change for annual TOY drive By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com LGBT grantmaking agency Delaware Valley Legacy Fund is back at it again for another night of charity and cocktails to raise funds for patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. DVLF’s TOY 2014 will be held 7 p.m. Dec. 6 at a new location, Fire & Ice Lounge, 312 Market St. Samantha Giusti, DVLF executive director, said, “the venue change was prompted by TOY attendee feedback. They wanted a more modern, sleeker venue. I think Fire & Ice is exactly what we are hearing they want.” TOY raises money to support DVLF’s mission and to provide toys for CHOP patients and those served by ActionAIDS. “The toys will go to kids in the HIV/ AIDS outpatient program at CHOP. At ActionAIDS, they will go to the children

of adults with HIV/AIDS,” Giusti said. “We’re able to make their Christmas a lot brighter.” More than 400 guests attended last year to enjoy cocktails, dancing and a silent auction. “It is kind of like one big philanthropic Our Night Out event,” Giusti said, referring to DVLF’s popular happy-hour-style networking events. “We’ve been promoting TOY through Our Night Out a lot this year, and we have a lot of new people who are aware of it and will be attending.” Members of the new Out Philadelphia Athletic League will be volunteering their time as bartenders, Giusti noted. And, local organizations and businesses have been supportive of the event as well. “We are well over our sponsorship goal,” Giusti said. “We have seen a huge amount of interest in TOY this year.” For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.dvlf.org. n

KEEPING THEIR MEMORIES ALIVE: About 100 people attended a commemoration of International Transgender Day of Remembrance at William Way LGBT Community Center Nov. 20, which paid tribute to the trans women and men who have been lost to violence, while also celebrating the achievements of the transgender community. TDOR planning committee member Sharron Cooks called the event “a tremendous success.” “It was both inspiring and uplifting,” she said. “We kept some of the traditional elements of the event but focused on the progress that the trans community has made locally and nationally while honoring and remembering members of the trans community who have passed.” Photo: Benard Williams/Making Our Lives Easier LLC

Philadelphia Gay News

We love to get picked up.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Appeal for Morris dispatch records moves forward By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com

THERE’S MORE BEHIND THE APRON. Each one of our highly trained Wine Specialists

at Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection Stores can help you ﬁnd what you need or suggest

something new to try. Whether you’re looking

for the perfect wine to pair with a speciﬁc dish or want to make a splash at a special occasion,

just look for the green apron, and go ahead and ask.

FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com

Efforts to settle PGN’s open-records request for complete dispatch records pertaining to the Nizah Morris incident from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office have been unsuccessful. A series of emails between PGN and the D.A.’s Office were exchanged earlier this month, in the hope of resolving the matter without court intervention. However PGN remains concerned that a proper search for the records wasn’t conducted. On Nov. 17, the paper informed the agency that it’s moving forward with an appeal for the records in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. Morris was given a Center City “courtesy ride” by Officer Elizabeth Skala during the early-morning hours of Dec. 22, 2002. Shortly after the ride, Morris was found by passing motorists with a fatal head wound. The transwoman died two days later, and her homicide remains unsolved. Skala initiated an unrelated vehicle stop near 13th and Market streets while still assigned to handle Morris, who was extremely inebriated. In June, PGN requested all complete dispatch records for Skala’s vehicle stop from the D.A.’s Office. The records could help explain why Skala didn’t help facilitate Morris’ transportation to a hospital after her head injury. By the time Morris was transported by medics to Jefferson University Hospital, she was brain-dead, according to hospital records. The officer who responded to Morris after her head injury placed a jacket over her face as she was clinging to life, according to an eyewitness. The D.A.’s Office conveyed to the state Office of Open Records that it has complete dispatch records for Skala’s vehicle stop that were provided by PGN in 2013. On Oct. 1, the open-records office ordered the D.A.’s Office to give a copy of the records to PGN, and the agency did so last month. But PGN contends the records are incomplete, because they’re missing a date, time, location, priority level and district-control number for Skala’s vehicle stop.

District-control numbers — also known as police-tracking numbers — are generated by computer at the city’s 911 call center, and help track various incidents, including vehicle stops. Recently, the D.A.’s Office provided two attestations under penalty of perjury, stating that it doesn’t have complete dispatch records for Skala’s vehicle stop, aside from those provided by PGN. But the attestations set forth a five-digit tracking number for Skala’s vehicle stop, and complete tracking numbers have six digits. PGN asked the D.A.’s Office to provide an attestation verifying that its search encompassed dispatch records with a six-digit tracking number In a Nov. 12 email, the agency replied: “[T]his is not the proper time or format to expand your original [open-records] request.” In response, the paper informed the agency that it’s proceeding with an appeal. Melissa B. Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said asking an agency for a comprehensive search is appropriate. “It’s appropriate for an [open-records] requester to seek that type of verification from an agency,” Melewsky said. “PGN is still asking for the same records. It just wants verification that a comprehensive search was done.” Melewsky also noted that the state’s open-records law requires agencies to conduct a “good faith” search for requested records. “I would hope the D.A.’s Office would want to make sure their affidavits are accurate,” she added. Additionally, Melewsky said, it’s in the public interest for complete dispatch records for Skala’s vehicle stop to be released, if the D.A.’s Office has them. PGN’s appeal, which was filed last month, hasn’t been assigned to a judge by presstime. Advocates for Morris continue to seek a state probe of her homicide, due to concerns that local authorities are engaged in a cover-up. But so far, state Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane hasn’t agreed to review the case. n

CHECK OUT OUR PREMIUM COLLECTION STORES NEAR YOU:

2040 MARKET STREET

PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103

1218 CHESTNUT STREET

PHILADELPHIA, PA 19107

THE COURT AT GRANT AVENUE 2550 GRANT AVENUE

PHILADELPHIA, PA 19114

epgn.com

Please enjoy responsibly.

9230-13-163096_FW&GS_Apron_5x11.35_PGN_4C_r2.indd 1

Philadelphia Gay News

11/6/13 3:25 PM

LOCAL PGN

Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the Sixth Police District between Nov. 10-16. Information is courtesy of Sixth District Capt. Brian Korn; Stacy Irving, senior director, Crime Prevention Service; Center City District; the Police Liaison Committee and Midtown Village Merchants Association. To report crime tips, visit www.phillypolice.com or call 215-686-TIPS (8477). INCIDENTS — Between 11 p.m. Nov. 13 and 4 .m. Nov. 14, someone entered the parking valet’s booth outside 111 S. 11th St. without force, forced open and damaged the safe and stole cash. Central Detectives processed the scene for evidence and fingerprints. — At 12:05 a.m. Nov. 15, SEPTA Police took a report from a complainant who was pushed down when exiting the subway at 1322 Locust St. and had a handbag stolen. The suspects were five black males all wearing dark clothing, one with a multi-colored cap. — There were two thefts from parked vehicles reported Nov. 10-16: outside 1125 Walnut St. and 1200 Latimer St. — There were two thefts of bicycles reported Nov. 10-16: outside 1301 Chestnut St. and 912 Pine St. NON-SUMMARY ARRESTS — At 10:55 a.m. Nov. 10, Sixth District Officer Harrigan arrested a male outside 200 S. 12th St. who was wanted for failure to appear in court. The 53-year-old suspect with a homeless-shelter address was charged with contempt of court. — At 5:45 p.m. Nov. 11, a male took items from Century 21, 821 Market St., without paying. When security attempted to detain him, he pulled out a pocket knife and attempted to assault them. He was apprehended without injury and the items were recovered. The 46-year-old suspect with a North Philadelphia address was charged with robbery and related offenses. — At 8:40 a.m. Nov. 12, a woman was waiting outside 900 Market St. when a female cursed and spit at her, then a male stole her handbag. Sixth District Officer Rivera saw the altercation, arrested the suspects and recovered the handbag. A 31-year-old female and a 34-year-old male with a South Philadelphia address were charged with robbery and related offenses. — At 2:45 p.m. Nov. 13, Fire Rescue was called to 1301 Chestnut St. and, while attempting to help an intoxicated

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

JEFFREY E. GOLDMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW SPECIALIZING IN PARTNERSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT LAW

patient, the man kicked and injured the paramedic. Sixth District Officer Duncan arrested the 44-year-old homeless man, who was cleared medically and charged with assault. — At 8:45 p.m. Nov. 14, Sixth District plainclothes Officers Ferrero and Grant observed an illegal narcotics transaction outside 1300 Irving St. and confiscated a quantity of crack cocaine and marijuana. The 25-year-old alleged seller with an Olney address was arrested and charged with illegal narcotics sales, and a 46-yearold alleged buyer with a Southwest Philadelphia address was charged with illegal drug possession. — At 7:25 p.m. Nov. 14, someone stole a hand-held scanner from a delivery van that was stopped outside 1234 Locust St. GPS tracking enabled the device to be tracked to the area of Manning and Camac streets, where security video showed a male with the item. A description was broadcast over police radio and at 9:40 p.m., Sixth District Officers Kovach and Keenan stopped the suspect at 13th and Locust streets and recovered several stolen items taken from the van. The 35-year-old suspect with an Old Forge, Pa., address was charged with theft from a motor vehicle. — At 11:05 p.m. Nov. 15, Sixth District plainclothes Officers Ferrero and Grant observed an illegal narcotics transaction by the operator of a 2014 Chrysler to a male outside the driver’s window, outside 242 S. 13th St. The suspect attempted to drive away but was thwarted, and the alleged buyer fled on foot. Officers confiscated a quantity of oxycodone pills. The 37-year-old suspect with a Mount Royal, N.J., address was charged with illegal narcotics sales. SUMMARY ARRESTS — At 12:05 a.m. Nov. 11, Central Service Detail officers issued a citation for a summary offense inside 123 S. Broad St., and at 5:55 p.m., Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 400 S. Juniper St. — At 8:25 p.m. Nov. 12, Sixth District officers issued two citations for summary offenses outside Juniper and Locust streets. — At 12:10 p.m. Nov. 13, Central Service Detail officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 123 S. Broad St. — At 6 p.m. Nov. 14, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 1200 Chestnut St. — At 7:40 a.m. Nov. 15, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 300 S. Juniper St. n

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

Also handle: • Wills, Living Wills, Trusts and Powers of Attorney

Jeff.Goldman@verizon.net

*Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Put 18 years of experience to work for you!

Triangle Medical General Practice Progressive HIV Care Mark T. Watkins, DO Rebecca Calder PA-C

(215) 829-0170

253 S. 10th St., 1st Floor Philadelphia

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

PGN FITNESS

Is it really all about that bass? I find myself having a hard time not your mother made it, because it can make thinking about Meghan Trainor’s song, another person, because your heart beats “All About That Bass.” The song’s mesabout 100,000 times in one day without sage is captured in the lyrics: “Yeah, my you even trying, because it houses your momma says baby don’t worry about your brain. Maybe your body can run, maybe it size/she says boys like a little more booty can lift heavy things, maybe it has taken to hold at night.” you through physical and emoThe tune is catchy and fun, tional challenges you weren’t and I can totally get behind always sure you could overthe attitude of loving yourself come. Your body can dance, and your body for what it is. it can spark intense passion Unfortunately, though, I worry between you and a lover, it can about both the justification for feel a warm summer rain and a loving yourself and the “us vs. cool breeze. them” nature of the song and Bodies are genuinely amazour culture. ing, all of them, and that’s Is it really in any of our best really something to celebrate. interests to begin to love our This is a point I think we somebodies only insomuch as other times miss in a culture that people find them compelling? tells us we have to denigrate It seems problematic to suggest others in order to feel good that we ought to appreciate our ourselves. We see this in Jessie about bodies because other people the song’s angry dismissal of Timmons “skinny” bodies in favor of the want to grab them, or watch us shake them or appropriate them ubiquitous (currently) “booty” in some way. In the end, this doesn’t free of larger bodies. In a world where we have us from the idea that our bodies are only learned to appreciate different cultures, as good as any random stranger declares races, ethnicities, sexualities, relationship them to be. structures, physical and mental abilities, This is the dangerous idea that leads to might we finally learn to appreciate differthe current epidemic of problematic relaent bodies, too? Can we feel good about tionships between people and their bodies. all different body sizes? Can we acknowlRather than saying, “It’s OK to be who edge that any good piece of music needs you are, people like who you are,” what both bass and treble? n if we said, “It’s OK to be who you are, because who you are is great!” I don’t Jessie Timmons, LCSW, is a licensed clinwant to be proud of my body because ical social worker practicing psychotherother people want to grab it. I don’t conapy at the Camac Center at 12th Street sider “shaking” to be a skill of any parGym. Jessie specializes in substance ticular note, anything I can find myself abuse, LGBTQ-related concerns including being really proud about. I’d like to hear gender transition, anxiety and depression a song about loving your body because it and living with HIV/AIDS. For more inforhas gotten you through the world, all the mation about Jessie, visit jessietimmons. way up to where you are today. Because com or 12streetgym.com.

Work It Out

IT’S HIGH TIME I said SOMETHING:

MARTHA GRAHAM CRACKER’S Intervention AT THE MUSEUM Dec. 3 and 4 at 7 pm • Dec. 6 at 7 pm and 10 pm

An original NMAJH-inspired cabaret created as part of the Museum’s OPEN for Interpretation artists-in-residence project. $18/$15 Members – Reserve your spot today! Details and tickets at NMAJH.org/OPEN Recommended for ages 16 and up

Available this fall: Martha’s Museum audio experience!

Corner of 5th and Market Streets Philadelphia 215.923.3811 • NMAJH.org Image: Andrew Loxley

Community convo to shed light on grieving process By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com The next segment in the LGBT Elder Initiative’s ongoing “Conversations” series will focus on grief and the possibility for growth after a loss. The workshop will explore the grieving process, give attendees the opportunity to share experiences and perspectives and to examine the path to future happiness that can result from the difficult times in life. The program is free and open to the public, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at the University of Pennsylvania LGBT Center, 3907 Spruce St. “As folks get older, our community experiences deep losses, especially with regards to HIV and AIDS,” said LGBTEI chair Heshie Zinman. “But it could also be loss of health, youth, friends, family or independence.” “The way we cope with the loss ultimately determines how we come out on the other side,” Zinman added.

The program will feature a clinical health professional who will talk about the process, which Zinman said “will provide a framework for the rest of the day.” Two members of the community will then share their personal experiences with loss, how they coped and what they learned from the experiences, after which guests will break into small groups and have the opportunity to share their own experiences. “We have never really come together as a community before to talk about loss. This is a first,” Zinman said. After the sharing, there will be a discussion on possibility, including a section on mindfulness and how to use that approach to work through difficult experiences. “It helps you assess things,” Zinman said of mindfulness, “and gain a sense of perspective. Which is key to being able to see beyond the loss.” There will also be people available to listen if attendees want to talk one on one. To register or for more information, call 267-546-3488 or email info@lgbtei.org. n

PGN PARENTING

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Marriage and parental rights: It’s complicated Marriage equality has dominated the LGBT news headlines for the past few weeks, but marriage shouldn’t be the only right we think about when it comes to protecting our families. Different-sex parents are not required to marry in order for both to be recognized as legal parents. It should be the same for same-sex couples. Several judges and lawyers have shown recently, however, that they may not understand that. On Nov. 6, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals said Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee did not have to allow same-sex couples to marry. For one of the plaintiff couples in the case, the ruling means putting off not only marriage, but Dana also the security of having two legal parents for their child. April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse of Michigan had originally only sought second-parent adoptions of their children, LGBT family-law expert Nancy Polikoff explained recently on her blog (beyondstraightandgaymarriage.blogspot.com). At the urging of the trial court judge, however, they amended their complaint to seek marriage, which would bring with it the ability to do a step-parent adoption instead. The judge said, in essence, that the couple and their children are not

injured by the adoption statute per se, but rather by the fact that they can’t marry. If they could marry, then they could adopt. Polikoff rightly, in my opinion, takes the couple’s lawyers to task for not maintaining the separate claim that the refusal to grant a second-parent adoption violates the parents’ and children’s rights, when the adoption is in the child’s best interests. If the lawyers had made that claim, then even if the court ruled against marriage equality (as it did), it would have been forced to rule separately on adoption. DeBoer and Rowse might therefore have had a chance of both becoming legal parents by now — which have publicly said was Rudolph they their first priority. Because their right to adopt is now wholly dependent on their marriage claim, however, they must wait to see what the U.S. Supreme Court decides regarding marriage, since the case has now been appealed there. That’s bad enough. Just as worrisome, however, is Polikoff’s comment in her post that “the anecdotal evidence is trickling in that judges in some marriage-equality states are denying second-parent adoptions and requiring a couple to marry and do a step-parent adoption.”

Mombian

That’s akin to the companies that refuse to continue domestic-partner benefits once their state enacts marriage equality, forcing couples to the altar if they wish to continue benefits. My spouse and I ended up planning and having our wedding within two weeks of her taking a new job at such a company, just so I could be covered by her health insurance. But although some judges may be denying second-parent adoptions to samesex couples unless they marry, a judge in a recent New York case denied a second-parent adoption to a married twomom couple because they were already married. They judge said that, because state law allowed both moms to be on their child’s birth certificate, the nonbio mom was already a legal parent and couldn’t adopt. But, because the non-bio mom’s right to be on the birth certificate is dependent on the recognition of her relationship with the other mom, her parental rights might not be honored in all states that don’t recognize their marriage. A second-parent adoption, however, is a legal relationship between the parent and the child and should be respected in all states. The New York court clearly didn’t understand the intricacies here. Granted, the legalization of marriage for same-sex couples has led to an expansion of adoption rights for married same-sex couples in states such as Arizona, Utah

and Virginia, where adoption was denied to cohabiting unmarried couples, or where second-parent adoption was denied or uncertain. That’s wonderful news, but it doesn’t change matters for those couples who choose not to marry (or want to take their time to plan a wedding rather than rush things like my spouse and I did). Marriage, despite its many benefits to same-sex couples and our kids, is thus not the sole solution to the problem of making sure a child with two parents has legal ties to both of them. Adoption laws need to be clearly separate from marriage laws so that all children of unmarried couples have the same protections as those of married couples. More states should also recognize de-facto parenthood (basically, someone who, with the permission of the legal parent, acts as a responsible parent for long enough to develop a parental bond with a child). That will cover the children of parents who have not done an adoption, either because the paperwork is time-consuming, they don’t have the money or for any other reason. As marriage equality continues to spread, we must make sure that all of our family laws keep pace. n Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (mombian.com), a GLAAD Media Award-winning blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.

OPEN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 RIVERRINK.COM l 215.925.RINK

Blue Cross RiverRink

@River_ Rink

Delaware River Waterfront

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Jase Bolger

Sean: I’m thankful for my family, the freedoms and the comfort and experiences my life has let me experience. And I’m thankful for my dog.

In Michigan, where I live, it is perfectly legal to fire someone for being gay. Or for being lesbian, bisexual or transgender, for that matter. For years, LGBT people and allies have been trying to amend the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity, which would protect LGBT people from discrimination in areas like hiring and housing. Alas, it hasn’t come to pass. Then a funny thing happened earlier this month: Democrats stupidly stayed home and Republicans won just about everything (except for Terri Lynn Land, who deserves some major props for being such an embarrassment that not even Michigan’s Republicans would vote for her). And now, all of a sudden, Republicans are interested in — gasp! — amending the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to make it inclusive. But not too inclusive, mind you. L? G? B? Step right this way. T? Not so fast. Michigan would like to continue to legally discriminate against you. This is, of course, unacceptable. Granted, some argue that getting something is better than nothing. But transgender folks face a hell of a lot of discrimination, which is evidenced in their intentional absence from the possible Civil Rights Act update. You show me a trans man or woman who has not faced discrimination in his or her life, and I’ll show you a photo of Michigan’s Speaker of the House Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) wearing a ball gag at a bondage club. (Note: To the best of my knowledge, said photo does not exist, which is my point. However, should someone possess such a photo, I beseech you to Instagram that shit and I will gladly replace the above hypothetical example with something else.) Speaking of Bolger, he supports the T-minus amendment and says he’ll vote for it so long as he gets his so-called “religious freedom” act too. And I know some folks might say, “Well, religious freedom doesn’t sound so bad. That’s one of this country’s founding principles, isn’t it?” To which I say, “Ha.” Because in Republican-speak, “religious freedom” is code for “freedom to discrim-

Tim: I’m thankful for family and friends, a great job, new leadership in Harrisburg and that I still have some hair. n

Tell us what you think

Editorial

What are you thankful for this year? Carol: I’m thankful for all the wonderful people I work with, especially Greg. I’m also very thankful for a husband who put up with me for 45 years; after all, it’s difficult dealing with a queen who is always right. Don: I’m thankful that after all these years together with my husband, Michael, that we’re finally legally married. It will be officially one year over the holidays, but really 39 years together. Greg: I’m grateful for my friends, my family, my health, red wine, coffee, highspeed Internet and space heaters. Jen: I’m thankful for my health and that of my family and friends, a job that keeps me on my toes and never fails to amuse, and that I’ll be able to legally marry my partner in our home state in a few months. Jen J.: I am thankful for great family and friends, the new farmers’ market in Narberth, my cat Gatsby and the feeling of putting on my PJs and finally getting into bed. Larry: I am thankful that I have a passport and I get to use it relatively often. I’m also thankful that I enjoy what I do for a living and that I am surrounded by positive and supportive friends, family and coworkers. Mark: I’m thankful for a unified community that has worked so hard to achieve equality, and especially to the residents of John C. Anderson LGBT-

friendly affordable senior apartments for their welcoming of the community into their home and the community’s welcome towards them. It is a joy to behold. Prab: I’m thankful for getting my bedroom back after renovation and not having to live like a refugee in my own home. Ryan: I’m thankful for my friends and the great times we’ve had together this year. Sandy: I’m thankful that, for better or worse, 2014 has given me memories. So thanks, 2014 — for letting me keep most of my loved ones another year. Scott: I am thankful this year is almost over. With roof repairs, a hot-water heater replacement, furnace repairs, car troubles, Micheal being unemployed, the real-estate taxes battle and a host of other days-gone-bad issues, 2015 can’t come quickly enough. I am, however, very, very thankful and grateful my boo quit smoking this year.

inate against LGBT people.” That’s right. Bolger is all, “Oh, sure, let’s include sexual orientation in our Civil Rights Act so long as we provide a loophole for people who think homos are going to hell.” In other words, if you’re a photographer and a gay couple wants to hire you to document their wedding and you think that would make Jesus cry, Bolger wants to protect your right to discriminate. The gay couple’s right not to be discriminated against? Not so much. “I don’t want to create a license to discriminate,” he told The Detroit News, apparently without irony. “I am passionate that we don’t judge each other on both sides,” he also told The News. “That we do try to achieve a society that’s live and let live.” This is coming from the guy who was all for taking domestic-partner benefits away from gay and lesbian public employees, claiming that the state was spending millions “to provide health-care benefits for roommates of state employees.” Thankfully, the benefits ban was just declared unconstitutional by a federal judge who said it existed solely to “harm same-sex couples” and was motivated by “an irrational prejudice.” Alas, Michigan’s Republican lawmakers are still very much interested in harming same-sex couples, and trans men and women to boot. And they’re still operating under an irrational prejudice, or as Bolger would call it in the Bizarro World he apparently inhabits, “Live and let live.” n

Bolger is all, “Oh, sure, let’s include sexual orientation in our Civil Rights Act so long as we provide a loophole for people who think homos are going to hell.”

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

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 and roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan.

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

Op-Ed PGN

Challenge to the next guv For more than 45 years now, this colher agenda through the legislature if they umnist/activist has been involved with the are willing to dialog with lawmakers. It’s political system of this state. As one of called compromise, since both sides have the first to lobby the governor and legisissues they wish to push — or to put it lature back in the early 1970s, the wealth bluntly, it’s about making deals. And with of knowledge of the system that I’ve accuthe right leadership, that is possible. mulated over the years is over For a good example, take forwhelming. It started with the mer Gov. Ed Rendell’s number historic work I did with Gov. one-issue, which was to bring Shapp, who was a very brave gambling to Pennsylvania to leader for our state; that’s what gain needed revenue. The legisI’m looking for in our next govlative arm of state government ernor. overwhelmingly opposed that At my suggestion, Gov. plan but, a little horse trading Shapp created “The Governor’s and, presto, Pennsylvania has Commission for Sexual gambling. Minorities.” It was the first offi So, I have hope that Gov.cial government council in the elect Tom Wolf will use that nation, on any political level, same power for us. Here’s the that was tasked with looking challenge: a promise to the citiinto the problems of the LGBT zens of the commonwealth that, community and generating in the next four years — that’s ideas to solve them. That Gov. Mark Segal one term — he will use the Shapp did this in the 1970s was power of his office to pass the beyond courageous. long-stalled LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimi While many will debate the other issues nation law and, especially in light of what that abounded during the most recent happened in Center City recently, to bring gubernatorial election — and there are equality to the hate-crimes law. These are certainly other important issues affecting simply the basics of what our community our state — this columnist will continue to deserves. n press for the basics of equality: That means nondiscrimination and criminalizing hate Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the crimes against our community. nation’s most-award-winning commen Anyone can make a promise to us during tator in LGBT media. You can follow an election. What about action? him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ Here’s the real truth. Any governor worMarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter. thy of the office knows how to get his or com/PhilaGayNews.

Mark My Words

Transmissions

Gwendolyn Ann Smith

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Street Talk Should the letter 'A' be added to LGBT, to recognize allies? "No. I'm an ally and I don't need recognition for being supportive of a group. It's just who I am. I don't expect Jennifer Duguay kudos. If I'm flight attendant stigmatized Italian Market for being an ally, who cares? It's not about me. Being included in the community won't make it any different."

"No. Allies don't need special recognition. The LGBT community already knows the effort they Eunique Moore put in. It's nurse’s aide great when North Philadelphia they get honored at ceremonies and special events. But that's enough. Let ‘LGBT’ stay the same."

"No. ‘LGBT’ is fine. We've had it this long, why change it? People know it by now. Nothing against allies, but Hector Rivera if it's not cosmetologist broken, don't South Philadelphia fix it."

"No. It just becomes too long and drawn out. Keep it simple and original. There's no need to add Bianca Roberts another nurse’s aide letter, that South Philadelphia just confuses people. It takes away from the original concept."

Transgender Day of Remembrance: The big question Fifteen years ago, on a rainy evening in San Francisco, a group of transgender people and others met at the Castro Street MUNI station. From there, this small group would walk across the way to the Castro Theater, standing out front with placards naming various victims of anti-transgender violence while “The Brandon Teena Story” was shown inside. I then said a few words while standing out in the street in the rain — the sidewalks were smaller back then — and we all made our way back to MUNI and headed for home. From these rather humble beginnings was formed the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Today it honors those lost in the last year due to anti-transgender violence around the globe every Nov. 20. It has become something much larger than was thought possible by those of us who met that one night. Today it is one of the few yearly events honored throughout the LBGT community — and even beyond. I’m honored to have founded the event and am truly humbled to see what it has become. I founded it, yes, but it has gained a life far beyond me — and that is cool.

Every year, as I give interviews about the event, I get asked one question that has a very difficult answer: People want to know if the number of people being killed due to anti-transgender violence has dropped. The answer? No, the number of people being killed due to anti-transgender violence has not markedly changed in decades. In fact, it is possible that the numbers have grown as the transgender community has gained visibility. It is hard to say for certain, as reporting of anti-transgender murders has also improved, and the community is paying attention to these deaths a lot more. Those interviewing me never ask what seems like the obvious follow-up question: If this hasn’t helped cause a decline in anti-transgender violence, can the Transgender Day of Remembrance be seen as a failure or, at the least, ineffective? I don’t have an easy answer to that question, and I don’t think there even is an easy answer to be had. I suppose if your metric is a simple cause and effect, then yes, it would seem that the event itself has not caused less anti-trans-

gender murders to happen, and that is a pretty damning indictment of the event. But, the same could likely be said of most other attempts to draw attention towards violence and murder in other communities. It is not so cut and dry. What the Transgender Day of Remembrance has done, first and foremost, is build an awareness of anti-transgender violence. It has not done it via ribbon magnets, color-coded merchandise, silicone bracelets or other tchotchkes. Instead, it has done it via direct action, honoring those we have lost, and remembering them when so many others would rather they simply be forgotten. It has helped bring together a community, and provided a focus. The Transgender Day of Remembrance was the first transgender-specific event. Today many tie it into a Transgender Awareness Week, while the Transgender Day of Action and Transgender Day of Visibility borrow liberally from the Transgender Day of Remembrance’s name. The transgender community honors its lost, something I personally consider a very noble and valu-

able thing. Along those same lines, the Transgender Day of Remembrance has increased the visibility of transgender issues overall. In the fight for rights, the first and foremost one is simply the right to exist. From the discussion of anti-transgender murder comes discussion of violence, prejudice, slurs and so on. It has been cited in hatecrime bills, in anti-bullying measures and in all forms of transgender-inclusive equalrights bills. The event has also served as a place for members of other communities to begin to understand our issues. They may glaze over a lot of our needs and desires, but everyone can understand how violence and murder can affect a community, and everyone should be able to empathize with another’s loss. It is also important to note that the event has not only drawn attention to the issue of anti-transgender violence, but has also drawn attention to other prejudices visible in these murders. It’s not enough to simply talk about bias against transgender people in these murders, PAGE 17

HEALTH PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

How To

OVERCOME Your

Dr. Steven Rasner Patient Approved

Dental Fears

1. Pick a dentist that specializes in dental anxieties. 2. Schedule an initial consultation.

3. Bring a friend or family member for support. 4. Choose from a number of sedation options.

“friendly & professional” Ramone R. , Vineland

“less stressful”

Judith B. Philadelphia

“Absolutely the best” Eman D., Millville

5. Listen to calming music.

And don’t worry about the

Warm Blanket

we’ll provide that for you.

Now In Philadelphia 1601 Walnut Street, Suite 1001

New Patients Welcome! Call Today.

www.pearlsmiles.com

215.563.0138

Medical Arts Building

Congratulations Dr. Rasner for the honor of being selected for the November cover of Dentistry Today.

A growing Mo’vement for men’s health As a family doctor, I take care of a lot of men. Far too many have suffered from prostate and testicular cancer — and far too few are knowledgeable about the subjects. My hope is to change that, and to shift the focus of research to earlier detection and finding better treatments. So I have gone against the grain and grown a special handlebar mustache this month (so fashionable!). But it’s all in the interest of men’s health awareness. This November marks the third year that I’ve been involved in the “Movember” project. As you may know, Movember is an annual fundraising and awareness-raising campaign focused on men’s health, specifically prostate and testicular-cancer initiatives. Movember started as a tiny grassroots effort among a group of friends in Australia in 2003. By last fall, 4-million people had gotten involved, using the simple gesture of growing their Dr. facial hair to make very visible statement, prompting private and public conversation around the often-ignored issue of men’s health. Compared with many other developed countries, the United States has a higher rate of men dying prematurely of preventable causes, such as heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes. Men’s health is a cause that I feel strongly about, and as a health-care provider, I have the opportunity to raise awareness and start conversations with people about these issues every day. Prostate cancer is the second-most common type of cancer in the United States. One in seven American men will be diagnosed at some point in their lives, with about a third of cases in men under 65. About one in every 36 men will die from prostate cancer. Among the risk factors are aging (which we obviously can’t control) and family history, which is why it’s important to have these conversations and learn as much as you can about the health history of men in your family. There are other risk factors we certainly can control: poor diet and lack of exercise. A 2012 Centers for Disease Control study found that only 2 percent of American men follow all the basic heart-health guidelines, such as eating a healthy diet and not smoking. These behaviors not only increase your risk of prostate cancer, but the other health ailments I mentioned earlier (heart disease and diabetes). If you’re not sure how healthy your diet actually is, talk to your primary-care provider, or ask about seeing a nutritionist who can provide oneon-one counseling and advice. The good news for folks who are diagnosed with prostate cancer is that there are many treatment options and support

resources that can help people through this difficult time and on toward a normal, healthy life. Many prostate cancers are slow-growing and may not need surgery or other radical treatment. Active surveillance (monitoring) is now a common treatment option for men with low-risk, low-grade prostate cancer. Testicular cancer, while relatively rare, remains the most common form of cancer in men aged 18-35. It starts as an abnormal growth or tumor that develops in one or both testicles (usually just one), and commonly presents as a small, hard lump, with swelling or a change in the consistency of the testicle. Some men also experience a dull ache in the testicle or lower abdomen. Regardless of age, any man who discovers an abnormality should see a doctor immediately. Testicular cancer is highly treatable, and often curbut like any form of canRobert able, cer, the earlier it’s diagnosed, Winn the better the outcome is likely to be. While prostate and testicular cancers are the primary focuses of the official Movember campaign, there are other issues just as important to consider in any discussion of men’s health. For gay and bisexual men, understanding and working to reduce your risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases is certainly one. Gay and bisexual men are more severely affected by HIV than any other group in the United States, and many gay and bisexual men with HIV are unaware they have it. Data collected by the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System (NHBS) in 2011 revealed that age has a great deal to do with whether or not people are aware of their HIV status: Among HIV-positive individuals, 76 percent of those 40 and older were aware of their status, whereas only 49 percent of gay and bisexual men 18-24 were aware. For sexually active gay and bisexual men, the most effective ways to prevent transmitting or becoming infected with HIV are to be on antiretroviral medications (to either treat or prevent infection) and to correctly use a condom every time they engage in anal sex. For HIV-negative individuals, the use of antiretrovirals is commonly referred to as PrEP (PreExposure Prophylaxis), and sometimes by the pharmaceutical brand name Truvada. Your primary-care provider should be able to answer any questions about PrEP and whether it’s the right option for you (and if they can’t, be sure to find a provider who is knowledgeable about PrEP and how it works). Sexually active gay and bisexual men

On Being Well

PGN

should make HIV testing a regular habit, every three to six months. And since gay men are at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, we recommend that sexually active gay and bisexual men be tested at least annually for these infections as well. In recent years, the team behind Movember has incorporated mental-health issues into their awareness campaign, recognizing the close relationship between physical and mental well-being. For a host of complex reasons, including lack of awareness, stigma and shame, mental-health problems in men often go undiagnosed. Some men may act out with risk-taking behavior (in the form of sexual activity, substance abuse or other behaviors) to numb or avoid the problems they face. At Mazzoni Center, we are fortunate to have an in–house staff of highly experienced mental-health counselors, which makes referring patients to the resources they need, and following up on their care, that much easier. The reality for many gay and bisexual men around the country is that homophobia, stigma and discrimination can place them at risk for various

physical and mental-health problems and affect whether they seek and are able to obtain competent, high-quality care. As a provider in an LGBT-focused practice, I’m working with my colleagues to change that every day. My goal this month is not just to increase the understanding of men’s health issues, but to encourage men to act on that knowledge. So if you’re reading this, take some time to educate yourself on your family health history and personal risk factors for these conditions. Take the steps you can to improve your own health — whether that means finding a trusted primary-care provider, making an appointment you’ve been putting off, getting tested for HIV/STIs or talking with someone you trust about feelings of depression or anxiety. While there are some things in health we can’t control, there are plenty of ways we can improve our well-being and outlook. Believing that your health matters is the first and most important step. n

TRANSMISSIONS from page 11

direct result of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, I do believe that the consequences for these murders have been affected. These killers may not know it when they commit murder, but the transgender community is now one that does pay attention to those it has lost, and will be there to see that justice is served. That, to me, is the biggest part of all. We as a community have grown to the point that you cannot so easily murder us. We’re not so easily forgotten that you can erase us with a knife or a bullet. In our numbers, we have strength and will always fight for justice. And that is the real answer. n

but also that the majority of these cases are transgender women and are black or other people of color. The places where transgender issues intersect with racism and sexism are abundant in the event; you cannot talk about anti-transgender violence without looking at this broader picture. Now back to that question at hand. All of these have been the impact of the event over the last 15 years. In the grand scheme of things, the Transgender Day of Remembrance is a very big part of what the transgender community has become over the last 15 years. These are our histories, very much intertwined. While the rate of violent anti-transgender murder may not have changed as a

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Dr. Robert Winn is medical director at Mazzoni Center. For more information, visit mazzonicenter.org or call 215-5630658.

Contact Gwen Smith at www.gwensmith. com.

AC ul t ure rts

Because Life Is More Than Just Gay News

Film Reviews, Theater Reviews, Food Reviews, Book Reviews, Music Reviews, Nightlife, Sports and Travel

Since 1976

N G P

News updates more reliable than “a little bird told us”.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

NEWS PGN CHORUS from page 1

LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Charles S. Frazier, Esq. Attorney at Law

Concentrating in Planning for Lesbian and Gay Couples • Probate • Wills • Living Wills • Powers of Attorney

• General Practice • Wills and Trusts • Living Wills • Powers of Attorney • Probate

1900 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.amysteerman.com

Wayne, PA (610) 687-4077 cstar1@verizon.net

PARTNERS IN LAW PARTNERS IN LIFE

When It Comes To Your Money… Experience Counts

215-735-1006

minster & facciolo, llc • wills & estates • • discrimination • • small business • • divorce • • employment • • real estate • • civil actions • • auto accidents • • power of attorney • • pre-nup agreements•

215-627-8200 PA 302-777-2201 DE 521 s. 2nd st., phila., pa appt. also avail in de & nj

Serving our LGBT Community for over a decade. • Retirement Income Planning • Investment Management • Estate Planning • Insurance and Annuities

2013 Five Star Wealth Manager Philadelphia Magazine Award details at www.fivestarprofessional.com

Jeremy R. Gussick, MBA Certified finanCial Planner™

856-354-3200 x203 jeremy.gussick@lpl.com

A Registered Investment Advisor Member FINRA/SIPC

KET AO M L A Spend as little as $50 a week when

A Sp Li en tt d Le

AMY F. STEERMAN Attorney at Law

you run for a minimum of 8 weeks. Make your voice heard to a target audience with higher than average disposable income.

The PeoPle’s lawyer (No Fee till you win)

Call for free Consultation Car/bus/train accidents • Slip & Falls Medical mistakes • Birth injuries

This Fabulous Space Could Be Yours

for only $50 per week when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks.

Your personal injurY attorneY for tHe people Member of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers

215 665 8989

Call and speak to attorney Bobbie Thornburg

Two Liberty Place, 50 S. 16th St. Phila, PA

Helping injured people

pre-recorded the music — which Buches likened to the Barbra Streisand version of the Christmas classic — and the PGMC dance subset was brought in to choreograph the number. “We have a group of dancers who do all the dancing for our concerts so they’re a part of this. And we had a group of guys in the studio to record, which was a really fun night.” Buches said PGMC had not previously requested to participate in the parade. They are now in talks to perform in the Fourth of July parade next summer, he added. “It’s definitely an honor and I’m hopeful this will open new doors for us and for other groups in the city too,” Buches said. “We do things all over the city, with various organizations, and it’s really nice to be recognized for our musical performances in such a well-exposed manner.” The parade, which ended with the ceremonial arrival of Santa Claus, kicks off the holiday season, and PGMC will celebrate its own holiday festivity with “Down Home Holiday,” Dec. 4-6 at Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2110 Chestnut St. The concerts will be staged at PGMC’s “home base,” Buches said, after the closure of former host Prince Music Theatre. “We found out they were closing in mid-July and the executive director called and offered for us to do the holiday concert before Thanksgiving, but we thought that was too early. We’re glad to come home to the church, which is where we rehearse and where we’ve done concerts in the past,” Buches said. “We’re going to be doing a lot of work building the staging. We really try to transform it into a theater. It’s going to be a great concert.” The first half of the show will be traditional American holiday classics — like “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and an “Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem” singalong — followed by “a holiday ho-down.” “For the second half the chorus will don their country-western garb. It’ll have a country-western feel, complete with fiddles and a banjo. It’ll be fun, good music and a good hootenanny time,” Buches laughed. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit pgmc.org. n

NEWS PGN

International Gambia to jail gays for life Gambia’s president has signed a bill into law that calls for life imprisonment for some homosexual acts. The Associated Press received a copy of the approved bill on Nov. 21. It is dated Oct. 9, but Gambian officials have not previously acknowledged that President Yahya Jammeh, one of Africa’s most vocal antigay leaders, signed it into law. The law contains language identical to antigay legislation in Uganda that was overturned by a court earlier this year on procedural grounds. Gambia’s law criminalizes “aggravated homosexuality,” which applies to “serial offenders” and people living with HIV/ AIDS. People found guilty of aggravated homosexuality can be sentenced to life in prison. Confirmation of the new law comes amid a new wave of homosexuality-related arrests targeting at least eight people since Nov. 7.

Google removes antigay game Google has confirmed that it will remove a game uploaded to its Play store, in which users are instructed to kill as many gay people as possible. The game was previously banned by Facebook, which said it broke the terms and conditions of the site. In it, users must shoot at gay men in order to avoid being sexually attacked. Google confirmed it would remove the game, but said it did not comment on individual apps. It was first created in 2002 by a Frenchman called Stéphane Aguie. Gayrights groups in France have previously tried to ban circulation of the game in the country. The description on the Google Play store reads: “Popular game hunting on gays is now on Android! Play and do not be gay! Legendary game, where you are hunter and your mission is to kill gays as much as you can or escape between them to the next level. Gays may be hidden in bushes and unexpectedly catch you. Remember! When they catch you, they will do with you what-

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

ever they want!” Users have rated the game 3.9 out of five stars with 362 total ratings; however, some said they downloaded it only to be able to rate it one star and to express their disgust. It has been downloaded between 10,00050,000 times.

Polish town opposes Pooh Bear Officials in a Polish town have opposed a proposition to name a playground after Winnie the Pooh due to the bear’s unclear gender and immodest clothing. The matter was debated in a closed-door meeting weeks ago in the Central Polish town of Tuszyn, but didn’t get much media attention in Poland until recent days. Voice recordings of the meeting were leaked to the media in which officials complained that Pooh Bear is immodestly dressed and also lacks a clear gender. One called the bear a “hermaphrodite.” Some said a fully clothed Polish cartoon bear named Uszatek would be a better choice. One of the Pooh Bear opponents, Ryszard Cichy, told a newspaper that he had been joking at the end of a discussion on a playground that had gone on too long.

Japanese dictionary goes for LGBT inclusion A leading Japanese dictionary has altered two of its entries to make it more LGBTinclusive. The edits were made in the latest edition of the Sanseido Kokugo Jiten, the National Language Dictionary. It revised the way it defines words relating to love and sex, and removed restrictive definitions referring specifically to men and women. In the seventh edition of the dictionary, words like “love,” “romantic chemistry” and “carnal desire” have been altered to remove those references. The definition of the word “koi,” which is used to describe romantic love, now reads: “To have unquenchable feelings of affection for a person, of wanting to see them and always wanting to be with them.” In previous editions, it said: “Unquenchable feelings of affection between a man and woman, of wanting to see them and always wanting to be with them.” The definition of “shikijou,” which refers to carnal desire previously read: “Feelings of sexual desire between a man and a woman,” but has been simplified to just: “Feelings of sexual desire.” n — compiled Larry Nichols

Philadelphia Gay News

Looking For Wedding Services Unlike Any Other? ’s Wedding Services Directory can help you plan for a special day that is as unique as you are.

ADVERTISERS: CONTACT YOUR PGN AD REP AT (215) 625-8501

NEWS PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

MILANO from page 1

ADOPTION from page 1

the report, Laird’s father repeatedly raped him as a child, both orally and anally. “The sick fuck would rub his dick between my cheeks,” Laird told Lisak. Laird said the abuse was predictable when his father would get drunk. “Every time he came home drunk, I knew I would either have to suck his dick or get beaten,” Laird said. After oral sex, Laird’s father would say to Laird, “No-good dirty bastard. Go wash out your mouth,” according to Lisak’s report. As a result, Laird has a “gag reflex” related to anything that reminds him of the “taste and consistency” of his father’s ejaculate. He also has flashbacks and nightmares about the alleged abuse. After anal sex, Laird “would feel rectal pain and discomfort for days,” according to Lisak’s report. The alleged abuse caused Laird to adopt a hyper-masculine persona, to compensate for his feelings of helplessness and inferiority. For example, while playing youth football, Laird would be especially rough with his teammates, according to Lisak’s report. “As I got older I started to feel I could be the baddest mother-fucker,” Laird said. But Laird eventually grew to avoid any type of physical contact with other men. “I can’t stand it if a man touches me in any way,” Laird said. Laird also avoided male bonding, including recreational activities such as going fishing with another man, according to Lisak’s report. To this day, Laird finds it difficult to urinate in the presence of another man, unless the restroom has private stalls or a partition between urinals. Laird’s brother, Mark, told Lisak their father was physically abusive to family members. Mark Laird said he witnessed their father strangling their mother during a particularly violent incident. “She was turning blue and he’s saying, ‘I’m not hurting her, I’m not hurting her,’ and he’s killing her,” Mark Laird told Lisak. Lisak’s report indicates that Richard Laird could control his pent-up rage and anger if he wasn’t drinking excessively. For example, when Laird was about 15, another male touched his crotch inappropriately. Laird rebuffed the grope without violence, because he wasn’t inebriated at the time. Lisak’s report also notes that Laird has only fragmentary memories of the night that he killed Milano. Referring to that night, the report concludes: “It is possible that in an extremely intoxicated state, Richard may have acted on the long pent-up rage he was capable of feeling towards any male whom he perceived as wanting to touch him against his will.” Laird also claims he should have a new trial because his attorneys failed to adequately object to prosecutorial misconduct; failed to object to impermissible victim-impact testimony; and failed to object to Chester being in the courtroom in shackles. Oral arguments on Laird’s bid for a new trial are expected sometime next year. Chester also seeks a new trial, and his request is pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Laird, 51, and Chester, 46, remain on death row in state prisons, pending the outcome of their appeals. n

joined in a commitment ceremony the following summer. They looked into several family-building options — surrogacy, international and domestic adoptions — and decided that the latter was the best fit. But, they knew they’d need to save for the often-costly process. “We created a baby fund and put any extra money into that. I took on a second job working part-time at night doing therapy and Brian was working six days a week. But, even after two years of saving, we were still really far from our goal,” Wagner said. They applied for a wealth of grants, but Wagner said many of the programs restricted eligibility to heterosexual couples. “We applied for every grant we could, but the reality is that there aren’t that many grants out there for same-sex couples,” he said. “There’s a lot of discrimination against same-sex couples trying to adopt, from a grant perspective.” The couple was selected for a grant from HelpUsAdopt.org. And, their family and friends organized a fundraiser, which raised about $20,000 in just one night. “We felt like we had to do it on our own for a long time; we didn’t want to ask anyone for help. But, facilitated by my parents, they put together this fundraiser for us because they knew how much we were struggling to save. And we had over 200 family and friends show up; even two of my kindergarten teachers came,” Wagner said. The couple got connected with A Baby Step, which estimated that the whole process could cost about $50,000. A Baby Step owner and adoption attorney Barbara Casey said the organization’s offerings include case workers for both adoptive parents and birth mothers, social workers, attorneys and support staff. “It’s a special kind of organization because there are some organizations that are just attorneys or some just representatives for the birth mothers or the families, but we have it all under one roof,” Casey said. Wager and Sedor continued saving as they began to work with the agency, putting together a complete profile on themselves. “We felt like we were marketing ourselves; we had to give pictures of our house, our family, a lot of information about ourselves because that’s what the birth mothers look through to pick from,” Wagner said. “One of the reasons we went with A Baby Step over others is that we also got to see information on the birth mothers, so we could say, ‘Yes, send her our information’ and then she’d look through it. Most places you just send your info out and wait to be picked. We felt like we had more say in what would make a good match.” But, getting to the point of a match wasn’t easy.

“It was a really emotional trip. You go through a lot where you submit your information and you don’t get picked. It was a continual let-down,” Wagner said. “We were actually matched at one point with a baby and mom from Florida and it fell apart. That was just devastating. There were points where we talked about if we didn’t know if we could continue emotionally with it.” They ultimately decided to keep pursuing a match. Their case worker called and said they were working with a mother who was specifically seeking a same-sex couple. Wagner said he and Sedor were somewhat apprehensive because of the spot in which the woman was in her life — she was incarcerated at the time — but they decided to go ahead and submit, and she ultimately selected them. Over the coming months, they readied their home for their son, although Wagner said they had the nagging worry that it could still fall through. “Because she was incarcerated, we didn’t even get to meet her until November and Colton was born in December. So we still had that anxiety that, at any moment, things could fall apart and she could pull out,” he said.

“We were actually matched at one point with a baby and mom from Florida and it fell apart. That was just devastating. There were points where we talked about if we didn’t know if we could continue emotionally with it.” But, the woman gave birth Dec. 18, and Wagner and Sedor met Colton in the hospital, an experience that Wagner said came with its own challenges. “The hospital had just recently changed its policy to allow adoptive parents in the nursery but, if they hadn’t, he would’ve been sitting there for three days by himself because the birth mom didn’t want contact with him after he was born,” Wagner said. “I feel like we’re really behind the times on adoptive rights. The first day we were there was really stressful but once we were able to personally connect with the nurses and they heard our story, that we had been trying for three years to get him, their attitudes toward us changed.” The couple’s family and friends were waiting for them when they got home, and the family spent the next few months waiting to finalize the adoption. “In Pennsylvania, the birth mother has 30 days to change her mind, so we had to wait the 30 days for the paperwork to be

done,” Wagner said. “Then we had three months of a social worker coming once a month to check on him until the paperwork could be sent to the court for finalization.” And, they ran into a number of obstacles during the waiting process — including getting Colton covered on health insurance, which required a copy of his birth certificate and his Social Security number, neither of which the couple could access yet, because the adoption wasn’t finalized. “It was months of headaches back and forth asking for information we didn’t have,” Wagner said. But, on May 2, the paperwork was signed and sealed. “At that point, he was fully ours and nothing could be changed or altered.” The adoption went through just weeks before Pennsylvania adopted marriage equality, but the state had allowed joint adoption by same-sex couples for years — and the couple also got legally married in Delaware shortly before Colton’s birth. Casey noted that the judge her agency, which is based in Reading and Rosemont, works with has long been LGBT-friendly — and their work with same-sex couples has helped change other minds as well. “In Central Pennsylvania, some of the people in the courthouse weren’t always used to families that, several years ago, were thought of as non-traditional, but which today are just part of the mainstream,” she said. “But one court employee came up to me and said that some of the people we’ve worked with just won her over and made her see that these are families just like any other families. She was just really impressed by all the love.” That love, Wagner said, got him and his husband through the ups and downs of the adoption process. “Patience is going to be the most important thing,” he advised prospective adoptive parents. “You might at times feel like giving up, if you’re feeling rejected or hopeless and like it’s not ever going to happen. But once it does, it’s amazing. Colton has been the best thing that has happened for me and Brian. If we had a stressful day, we come home and hearing his laugh and seeing his smile make everything go away. He’s worth all the pain we went through to get him.” For more information on Wagner and Sedor’s journey, visit Wagner’s blog, https://babysedorwagner.wordpress. com/2012/09/. For more information on A Baby Step Adoption, visit ababystepadoption.com. n

PGN

DEC. 1, 2014

WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT • A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

Page 21

Changes today mean progress tomorrow What’s love got to do with it?

Pennsylvania’s same-sex marriage ruling and HIV prevention By David W. Webber ActionAIDS senior development specialist *with special thanks to Lisa Bevilacqua for contributing background research Here at ActionAIDS, we couldn’t agree more with the recent federal court ruling that Pennsylvania’s law prohibiting same-sex marriage should go “into the ash heap of history.” We’re also delighted that Gov. Tom Corbett promptly decided not to appeal the case, thus establishing Pennsylvania as the 19th state (plus the District of Columbia) where same-sex marriage is legally recognized, with many other states having followed since. Right now, more than 60 percent of the U.S. population lives in states that recognize the right, and we expect even more states to follow quickly. But how does same-sex marriage relate to our mission of creating the first AIDSfree generation? In several different ways, as researchers on this topic have demonstrated. Over the past several decades, we’ve witnessed a continuous sea change in societal attitudes, both about homosexuality and HIV/AIDS. Judge Jones’ ruling is just yet another indication of the changing attitudes about sexual orientation. Public opinion has been steadily more accepting of same-sex marriage, and by February, a Quinnipiac University poll of Pennsylvanians found that 57 percent supported same-sex marriage, 37 percent were opposed and 6 percent were undecided. But we still have

a long way to go, and the legal recognition of same-sex marriage is an important one in addressing the problem of “minority stress,” which has negative physical and mental-health impacts within the LGBT community. Indeed, researchers have documented that the LGBT community has significantly compromised health-care delivery and adverse health outcomes when compared with the population at large. In Jones’s ruling striking down the prohibition on samesex marriage, he found that the “plaintiffs suffer a multitude of daily harms, for instance, in the areas of childrearing, health care, taxation and end-of-life planning.” Jones characterized these as “stigmatizing harms” that are “profoundly personal to plaintiffs and all other gay and lesbian couples, married or not.” Jones might also have mentioned, although it was not directly relevant to the issues in the case, that this stigma also affects gay men and lesbians who are not in couples. Along precisely these lines, in comparing married heterosexual couples, married same-sex couples and LGBT individuals who are not in a legally recognized relationship, researchers have found disparities in levels of psychological distress. Married heterosexuals experience the lowest level of distress, while married same-sex couples are significantly less distressed than LGBT persons who are not in legally recognized relationships. Legal recognition of samesex marriage thus removes a significant source of stigma, and may PAGE 6

ON YOUR MARK: Members of the ActionAIDS team readied for the 2014 AIDS Walk/Run. The Oct. 19 event, organized by AIDS Fund, raised more than $325,000 for HIV/AIDS causes.

ActionAIDS teams up to improve client health By David W. Webber ActionAIDS senior development specialist In an innovative project that will increase access to health care for our clients, ActionAIDS will team with the Family Practice and Counseling Network to provide health care at our West Philadelphia offfice, 3901 Market St. Starting in January, this project marks the first time in ActionAIDS’ history that health-care services are provided to clients on site at one of our offices. “This project has a huge potential for improving the health of our clients,” said ActionAIDS executive director Kevin Burns, noting “there’s great potential for

Examining the science, perceptions of PrEP By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com You may have heard the word “PrEP” floating around in conversation lately. You heard it is a drug that can “prevent HIV,” but you’re not sure you believe that. People say they can take the pill and have unprotected sex, worry-free. It would appear as if PrEP were a miracle drug for the gay community but it has just as many critics as proponents, with the facts about PrEP often misunderstood or misinterpreted. To help clarify what PrEP is and to weigh the pros and cons, PGN spoke to a few local medical professionals. Jean-Marie Zippo is a registered nurse and drug and alcohol specialist for ActionAIDS. Dr. Helen Koenig is a physician at the Philadelphia FIGHT Lax

Center and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She is triple-boarded in internal medicine, infectious diseases and preventive medicine. PGN: What is PrEP? JMZ: PrEP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis HK: PrEP is a pill that you can take every day that drastically reduces your chances of getting HIV. PGN: How does it work? JMZ: It works by blocking HIV. HK: It works by preventing the virus that causes HIV to cause productive infection in your cells (that is, it prevents the virus from taking hold in your cells and thereby aborts infection before it starts).

PGN: What does taking PrEP entail? JMZ: It entails taking one pill, one time a day. HK: You also need to see your clinician to have the medication prescribed and undergo some fairly simple baseline testing for HIV, kidney function and other STIs. Also, repeat testing for these things at regular intervals, no less frequently than every three months. PGN: Can you still contract HIV while taking PrEP? JMZ: Yes. Although PrEP is very effective in preventing transmission of HIV, it is not 100 percent. HK: Yes, especially if the medication is not taken consistently. PGN: How effective is PrEP

PAGE 3

this project to be expanded in the coming months and years, which will mean a great deal in terms of improving client health.” By co-locating this clinic site at the ActionAIDS West Office, health-care services will be provided by the Family Practice & Counseling Network (FPCN), thus ensuring that clinical staff have a high level of expertise and experience in treating our HIV-positive clients. FPCN already provides HIV medical care at two of its health centers, the Health Annex and Abbottsford Falls. As a federally qualified health center, FPCN’s HIV services are integrated into the comprehensive PAGE 7 medical, behavioral and social

• An AIDS-free generation?: page 2 • Social media and HIV prevention: page 3 • Dining Out for Life: page 4 • World AIDS Day events: pages 4, 5 • Prisoner re-entry health care, holiday stress: page 6 • Resources, testing sites and puzzle: page 8

PAGE 22

WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT • A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

DEC. 1, 2014

Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-free generation By David W. Webber ActionAIDS senior development specialist Just a little over a year ago, the ActionAIDS board of directors amended our mission statement to explicitly include our commitment to “creating an AIDS-free generation through a combination of proven strategies.” On World AIDS Day 2014, with its official theme of Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-free Generation, we can’t think of a better time to explain our focus, how we partner and what we’re achieving to create an AIDS-free generation. Our focus on proven strategies Among our “proven strategies” is our medical case-management program. Medical case management is our biggest program, with 71 employees involved in providing services to approximately 2,700 clients every year. Our medical case-management services facilitate access to ongoing medical care, which is crucial to enhance and prolong the lives of our clients. By ensuring con-

tinuity of medical care, we also reduce the development of drug-resistant HIV, decrease sexual-risk behaviors and, as our clients in treatment maintain low or non-detectible viral load, we reduce or eliminate the risk of HIV transmission to others. These services are among our most effective means of achieving our mission of creating an AIDS-free generation. Medical case management: Partnering with clients and their service providers Medical case-management services link HIV-positive people to medical care; public benefits; behavioral health/substance abuse treatment; medication management; service coordination (housing, employment, education, childcare, emergency financial assistance); and transition to greater health and self-sufficiency. While services are individualized, all clients participate in an intake and assessment process to determine an overview of need. Once a client is assigned to the appropriate service, the medical case manager and client develop an individualized Care Plan, which sets priorities, goals and

objectives related to a client’s health and stability. The plan guides intervention and also tracks progress. Clients have contact with their case manager on a minimum of a monthly basis, but often new clients are engaged in services more frequently. Case management has a cross-coverage system and 24/7 beeper service to ensure that a staff person is always available during times of crisis. Our medical case-management program has grown out of our volunteer Buddy program and has been developed over nearly 28 years, in partnership with HIV-positive clients. The Philadelphia (Prison) Linkage Program (PLP) works to assist clients in their transition from prison to the community. Clients who have been incarcerated face a myriad of challenges including poverty, homelessness, drug and alcohol and mental-health issues. The stigma of having been incarcerated, coupled with the emotional and physical manifestations of having HIV disease, all contribute to the potential for clients to be lost to care, re-incarcerated or unable to engage in treatment. Our Prison Case Management model was designed to address the significant challenges we faced in working with this transitioning population. First, we identify potential clients before their release from jail and immediately engage them while they are incarcerated. During this time, the medical case manager has regular face-to-face contact with the client. These face-to-face meetings allow the case manager to establish trust and to build a relationship that enables the case manager to work with the client to facilitate medical care while the client is incarcerated and to remove barriers to primary medical care once the client is released from prison. The model utilizes frequent contact in the first three months of the client’s release from prison, and we have explicit protocols on accessing medications, face-to-face contacts and accompanied primary-care visits. Program staff is heavily involved in ensuring that the client keeps initial primary-care appointments and in working with a pharmacy to ensure that medication regimens are not interrupted during the transition from prison to the community. Additionally, clients establish relationships with the entire prison team staff, allowing for more effective and efficient back-up staff coverage when a client experiences a crisis. Partnering for outcomes A key component of our medical case-management model is the delivery of medical case management in partnership with community sites. ActionAIDS’ medical case-management staff are “out-stationed” to provide care at 29 sites in the community, in additional to our own five ActionAIDS offices, including locations in Center City, North Philadelphia,

West Philadelphia and Delaware County. Challenges faced by clients Our clients with HIV face serious challenges when it comes to accessing health care and keeping up with HIV-treatment schedules — whether they are in the PLP program or not. About 90 percent of our clients are low-income, and 79 percent fall below the Federal Poverty Level. Many clients also are also homeless. In the past year, approximately 55 percent had a history of mental illness or substance abuse. Our clients’ achievements Despite the challenges they face, our clients are quite successful — with our support — in accessing and staying in treatment for their HIV disease. This treatment can have a significant impact on viral load. Viral load is the amount of HIV in a person’s blood stream — and is thus a crucial indicator of the impact of antiretroviral treatment. If viral load is high, a person’s CD4 count will be low, which results in higher vulnerability to opportunistic infections. Lower viral load, on the other hand, protects the immune system. Ideally, we aim for “undetectable” viral load — a level so low that it can’t be measured. From the beginning of 2009 to midyear 2014, our client data shows a strong correlation between the length of time in medical case management and viral load. The initial effect is particularly dramatic: Average viral load drops 76 percent during the first six months during which a client receives medical case-management services. Clients who remained engaged in medical case management for 24 months had an average viral load of just under 3,000, a 93-percent reduction in viral load. On average, clients in medical case management for 48 months have undetectable viral load. At the same time, during 2013 (our most recent period with complete data), 95 percent of our clients were linked to HIV medical care. These results are particularly impressive when compared to the objectives set forth in President Obama’s 2010 National HIV/ AIDS Strategy (NHAS). The NHAS calls for an increase in the proportion of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clients who are in continuous care (at least two visits for routine HIV medical care in 12 months, at least three months apart) from 73-80 percent. ActionAIDS exceeds that level, with 95 percent of our clients retained in routine HIV medical care. To put it quite simply, our medical case-management services out-perform the goals of the president’s HIV/ AIDS Strategy. When it comes to our ActionAIDS clients, we expect to create the first AIDS-free generation ahead of schedule. n

DEC. 1, 2014

WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT • A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

PrEP from page 1

in preventing HIV? JMZ: When taken consistently, one pill once a day, PrEP has been shown to lower transmission risk by 92 percent. HK: Between 92-99 percent effective when taken daily. There have been several different analyses of efficacy. PGN: What drugs are being used for PrEP? JMZ: Currently, it is Truvada. HK: Currently, Truvada is the medication approved for PrEP in the majority of patients. Tenofovir alone (which is a part of Truvada) is approved for use in some populations, specifically people who use injection drugs. PGN: How do I determine if PrEP is right for me? JMZ: Have a discussion with your health-care provider and be very honest about your behaviors. It is behaviors that put people at risk for HIV infection. HK: Talk to your clinician about your risks, and the potential benefits of PrEP. PGN: If I take PrEP, do I still need to wear a condom? JMZ: Yes, the recommendation is to continue with safer-sex practices including condom use. HK: Yes. In addition, condoms protect against other STIs, whereas PrEP only prevents you from getting HIV. PGN: My partner is HIV-positive, I am HIV-negative. Is PrEP right for me? JMZ: It may be. All discordant couples, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, should discuss PrEP with a health-care provider. That includes couples in mutually monogamous relationships. HK: It very likely might be right for you, but a full discussion with a clinician is warranted. Every person (and couple) is different. PGN: What about side effects from Truvada for PrEP? How will my body be affected? JMZ: Truvada is a well-tolerated medication. The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache. It may change the color of skin on palms

or soles of the feet. More serious side effects include worsening of Hepatitis B infection and a build up of lactic acid in the blood. It is very important to continue seeing a health-care provider while taking PrEP. HK: Side effects are minimal. You may experience some nausea, loose stools and headache for the first few days. These side effects should last no longer than two weeks at most. PGN: Does PrEP give people an excuse not to wear condoms? Is it irresponsible not to wear condoms? JMZ: Scientific research has indicated people do not increase risky behaviors when they begin PrEP. It is up to individuals and couples to decide their own acceptable level of risk; hopefully, the decision is being made with reliable information. HK: Every person is different, and PrEP is another powerful tool in our arsenal to protect against HIV. PrEP, as a general rule, is not an excuse to not wear condoms. PGN: Aren’t condoms enough? JMZ: No. Consistent condom use is effective in decreasing risk of HIV infection. However, like PrEP, they are not 100 percent. HK: Condoms, when used regularly, correctly and consistently, are very effective at preventing HIV. However, condoms can break, get stuck “inside” and sometimes forget to be used. Condoms may not be something every person and every couple wants to use. Hence, the need for PrEP. PGN: Why do we need HIVprevention medications like PrEP? JMZ: Transmission of HIV continues to be a significant public-health issue. People have different needs and we do not have one perfect way to prevent transmission. The more choices available, the more likely people will be able to find what works for them. HK: Because HIV is something that is fully preventable without impacting sexual practices and sexual freedom, and without causing significant adverse side effects for the person taking PrEP. n

PAGE 23

Social media: An opportunity for HIV prevention By Lisa Bevilacqua

Social media is a relatively new type of online communication in which users engage with one another via the development of online communities, through which they can create and share information and ideas. Some common websites that have been integral to the growth and popularity of social media include MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. However, the meteoric rise of social media in today’s society is largely attributed to Facebook, which now has close to one billion active users just nine years after it was founded. In fact, the rise of social media has been so great that Internet users now spend more time on social-media sites than any other type of website, according to a Nielsen report from 2012. The rise of social media has undoubtedly had widespread effects on society, and its impact has yet to be completely elucidated. For example, social media has been cited as a factor in the rise of some negative outcomes, including cyber bullying, online stalking and privacy infringement. However, many have also noted positive effects of social media, such as the ability for thousands of people to interact and share information in ways that were never before available, with some even crediting social media with the democratization of the Internet. One positive role of social media that has recently gained attention is the impact of social-media sites on facilitating HIV prevention. Prior to the rise of social media, researchers knew that the majority of online HIV-prevention campaigns focused predominantly on Caucasian participants, despite the fact that the majority of HIV risk in the United States fell on African-American and Latino populations. However, subsequent research has demonstrated that there are no ethnic differences in social-media use, thus

Save the date:

April 30, 2015

supporting social media as venue for sending HIV-prevention messages to previously unreached and underserved populations. One of the earliest studies to investigate the role of social media was initiated in 2005, just one year after Facebook was founded. These authors investigated the efficacy of social media as a venue for peer-led HIV-prevention programs among African-American and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) in Los Angeles. In the study, peer leaders were ran-

Prior to the rise of social media, researchers knew that the majority of online HIVprevention campaigns focused predominantly on Caucasian participants, despite the fact that the majority of HIV risk in the United States fell on AfricanAmerican and Latino populations. domly assigned to deliver either HIV-specific or general health information to participants via Facebook over a period of 12 weeks. At the end of follow-up, the authors found that more men in the intervention group (HIVspecific information) compared to control group (general health information) requested home HIV-testing kits during the study, suggesting that Facebook may be an effective method of increasing HIV-testing rates among this population. Unfortunately, no

studies to date have followed participants long term to determine the effect of these online social-media interventions in reducing risk behaviors and preventing HIV transmission. In another study focusing on homeless youth in Los Angeles, mixed results found both positive and negative correlates of social-media use. For instance, online social-media use, even for discussions about safe sex, was associated with increased chances of meeting a recent sex partner online. However, it was also found that social-media usage among this group, when utilized specifically to discuss love and safe sex, was associated with having more knowledge on HIV/STI prevention, a positive outcome. Finally, the authors found that simply being a member of an online social network was associated with having been previously tested for STIs among this group of homeless youth. Another recent study found that participants voluntarily used Facebook to discuss a range of HIV-prevention topics, including testing, knowledge, stigma and advocacy. It is clear that much work still needs to be done to understand the true relationship between social media and HIV. However, there is promising evidence that social media can be effectively leveraged as a tool through which large-scale, low-cost HIV-prevention efforts can be implemented, with the additional hope that these social-media interventions can reach the most at-risk groups who may have been missed by other efforts. n

Lisa Bevilacqua is a former ActionAIDS volunteer, both as a Dining Out for Life Ambassador and as an ActionAIDS Buddy. She graduated from Duke University in 2010 and formerly worked in clinical research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is now in medical school and hopes to pursue a career in Addiction Medicine.

WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT â&#x20AC;˘ A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

PAGE 24

DEC. 1, 2014

)NSNSL 4ZY KTW 1NKJ

$FĘ¤LĘ?É&#x161;ĆŁÇ?Ç&#x2C6;6 Ę&#x192;KĘ&#x2039;ÉťNÉĄ ÉŞÉ¸É&#x2014; SÉ&#x2C6;ÔŻLĘ&#x17D;Ę&#x2013;SDĘ¤Ę&#x2013;QÉ&#x2019; ČžHVWĘ&#x2039;ĘŚUĘ&#x2039;QWÉĄ Ę&#x2039;QÉ? Ę?Ę&#x2013;Č¸Ę&#x2018;UÉĄ &WYX 'NXYWT FSI 1TZSLJ &ITGJ (FKJ &ITGJ (FKJ 2FSF^ZSP &QQF 8UNSF &QRF IJ (ZGF &RFIF &RNX &ZIWJ^ (QFNWJ &ZLZXY 'FHNT 'FWGZ__T 'FWHQF^ 5WNRJ 'FWWF 7TXF 'JFZ 2TSIJ 'JQQNSN ,WNQQ 'NXYWT 7TRFST 'NXYWTY 1F 2NSJYYJ 'ZIIFPFS 'ZYHMJW FSI 8NSLJW (FKJ 3TQF (FWNGTZ (FKJ (THMTS (TSYNSJSYFQ 2NIYT\S (TSYNSJSYFQ 7JXYFZ WFSY (TUFGFSFSF (ZUHFPJ (FWSN[FQJ )F^ G^ )F^ )JQNHNFX )N3FWITĹ X +FRTZX 8JFKTTI )NXYWNYT *Q 7J^ *Q ;J_ +JYYJ 8FZ

+TT 9WZHP 3TRFI 5N__F (TR 8VZFWJ +TWP UFS^ 'JQQF ;NXYF 9FGZ +WFSPKTWI -FQQ 3TRFI 5N__F (TR 9FQZQFĹ X )FNQ^ +WNIF^ 8FYZWIF^ UFS^ 2NIYT\S 9FQZQFĹ X ,FWIJS 8ZSIF^ 3TRFI 5N__F 9WZHP 9MJ (T\ 9MJ (ZWI ,FWHJX 9WFINSL (TR 3TTWI 9MJ )FSIJQNTS UFS^ 3TWYM WI 7JXYFZWFSY 9MJ +FWR 9WZHP ,JJHMJJ ,NWQ 7NHJ (FKJ 4UF 9MJ ,TQI 8YFSIFWI ,NLNĹ X FSI 'NL 7 4^XYJW -TZXJ (FKÂŤ ,NTWLNT TS YMJ 5NSJ 5FQTRF 2J]NHFS -FZYJ 9MJ .SIZXYW^ ,TTI )TL (ZNXNSJ 9MJ 5WNRJ 7NG -FW[JXY 8JFXTSFQ ,WNQQ 5FWH 9MJ 7JXYFZWFSY 8HMTTQ .Q 5NYYTWJ 5JSSX^Q[FSNF FY <FQSZY -NQQ (TQQJLJ .SIJ'QZJ 5JWHM 5ZG 9MJ 9F[JWS /FHPĹ X +NWJMTZXJ 5JWH^ 8YWJJY 'FWGJHZJ 9NRJ /FRTSJWF 5N__JWNF 8YJQQF 9NSYT /, )TRJXYNH 5THTĹ X 7JXYFZWFSY 9WF] 7JXYFZWFSY FSI /TMSS^ 'WF[T 5TI (FKJ /TMSS^ 'WJSIFĹ X 5TXNYFST (TFXY G^ &QIT 9WNF 7NYYJSMTZXJ /TSJX 1FRGJWYN 9WNF <FXM <JXY 0STHP 7FHJ 8YWJJY (FKJ 9\JSY^ 2FSSNSL 1J ;NWYZ 7JI 4\Q 9F[JWS ;FQFSSN 1JRTS ,WFXX 9MFN 7JI\TTI 7JXYFZWFSY ;FWFQQN 1NYYQJ 3TSSFĹ X 7JRGWFSIYĹ X ;FWLF 'FW 1TSITS ,WNQQ 7NHPĹ X 7JXYFZWFSY ;JILJ 2FH 2FWY 7NXYTWFSYJ 5FSTWFRF ;JSYZWJ .SS 2FY^XTS 7TGJWYTĹ X 9WFYYTWNF ;JWSFQNHNTZX 2JWHFYT 7TXF 'QFSHF ;NLLNFSTĹ X '>4' 2JYWTUTQNYFS (FKJ 7TXJ 9FYYTT (FKJ ;NQQF )N 7TRF 2TWJ 9MFS /ZXY .HJ 8FRUFS ;NQQFLJ <MNXPJ^ (WJFR 8JFKTTI :SQNRNYJI ;NSYFLJ <NSJ 'FW 2TWNRTYT 8NQP (NY^ )NSJW 'NXYWT 2^ 9MFN 8TZYM\FWP <JXYGZW^ 'FW 3J\ -FWRTS^ ;JL 8UFXXT <MNYJ *QJUMFSY 7JX JYFWNFS 7JXYFZWFSY 8UTY 'ZWLJW YFZWFSY 3NSJYJJS 8UWNSL 2NQQ (FKJ ?NSH 'NXYWT F ;NSX

.K ^TZ \TZQI QNPJ YT QJFWS RTWJ FGTZY )NSNSL 4ZY KTW 1NKJ MJFI T[JW YT \\\ INSNSLTZYKTWQNKJ HTR UMNQFIJQUMNF

)NSNSL 4ZY KTW 1NKJ

WJYZWSX &UWNQ

KEEP ON TRUCKINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: Diners made the rounds at the food truck line-up on Locust Street for Dining Out for Life this spring. This marked the first year that the trucks set up shop in the Gayborhood. DOFL returns April 30.

World AIDS Day 2014 events CODE: RED

8 p.m. Nov. 29 at Voyeur, 1221 St. James St. Cherry Pop and Brandon Robert present the second-annual charity event featuring performances by more than 30 local drag queens. Proceeds benefit Mazzoni Center, AIDS Fund and Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance. Tickets start at $12 and can be purchased at the door or at codered2014.brownpapertickets. com. Donations are also accepted at www.gofundme.com/codered2014.

World AIDS Day Prayer Breakfast 8-10 a.m. Dec. 1 at DoubleTree Hotel, 237 S. Broad St.

The Rev. Dr. Leslie D. Callahan from St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Baptist Church will provide the keynote speech for Philadelphia FIGHTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sixth-annual breakfast that unites faith leaders from around the region.

Red Ribbon Awards

9:30 a.m.-noon Dec. 1 at Philadelphia City Hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conversation Hall The Penn Center for AIDS Research Community Advisory Board

presents its 11th-annual awards to Bertha Jackson, Dr. Roberta Laguerre-Frederique, Keisha and Kevin Diggs, the Rev. Arthur White, Mari Ross-Russell and Waheedah Shabazz-El.

Mobile Testing Unit

9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Community College of Philadelphia, 17th and Spring Garden streets 1:30-5 p.m. at University of Pennsylvania Law School, 3501 Sansom St. 5:30-9 p.m. at Philadelphia AIDS Thrift, Fifth and Bainbridge streets Mazzoni Center will offer free rapid testing and counseling, along with free condoms and lube throughout the day Dec. 1.

Light Up the Night!

6 p.m. Dec. 1 at Martineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 14 E. Ferry St. in New Hope FACT Bucks County and New Hope Celebrates will stage a World AIDS Day candelight vigil and walk. Hot cider will be served outside the restaurant before a ceremony honoring the lives lost to HIV/AIDS, followed by a luminary lighting and walk through the center of New Hope to The Studio, 19 W. Mechanic St.,

DEC. 1, 2014

WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT • A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

PAGE 25

www.ActionAIDS.org

TAKE ACTION ACTIONAIDS help us create the first AIDS free generation

GLAMMED UP: Guests at ActionAIDS’ February Glamsino Royale fundraiser hammed it up before trying their hand at the table games. The event, held at Kimpton Hotel, included an appearance by special guest Viktor Luna of “Project Runway.”

World AIDS Day 2014 events for a wine and cheese reception. Visit factbuckscounty.org for more information.

$5-$10 and can be purchased in advance at http://ihousephilly.org/ calendar/25-to-life.

World AIDS Day Delaware Commemoration

Know Your Status

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 1 at First and Central Presbyterian Church, 11th and Market streets, Wilmington AIDS Delaware will present a silent memorial in honor of those who have died from HIV/AIDS. The occasion will be followed by a public gathering and discussion from 6-7 p.m. at Dominion Church, 1512 N. French St., which will include the presentation of 50 gift baskets to those living with the disease. Call 302-652-6776 for more information.

25 to Life

7 p.m. Dec. 1 at International House, 3701 Chestnut St. Reelback, in collaboration with The African-American Film Festival Release Movement, International House and Haven Youth Center, presents the Philadelpia premiere of the documentary about a local man’s struggle to keep his HIV status a secret for 25 years. Film subject William Brawner will take part in a post-film Q&A. Tickets range from

Giving Tuesday December 2nd

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 1 at ShopRite, 1575 N. 52nd St. and 2385 W. Cheltenham Ave. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority alumnae will offer an HIV-testing and awareness event, with resources and giveaways. Email international@ phillyalumnae-dst.org for more information.

2014 FIGHT for Life Gala 7-10 p.m. Dec. 5 at The Union League, 140 S. Broad St.

Former NFL player Wade Davis serves as the guest speaker for Philadelphia FIGHT’s annual gala. Tickets start at $125. For tickets, visit fight.org/gala.

World AIDS Day Forum

noon-2 p.m. Dec. 6 at 800 N. Lombard St., Wilmington, Del. The City of Wilmington, AIDS Delaware and Duffy’s Hope will host a community discussion around HIV/ AIDS, with guest speaker D.J. Mifflin of “Sleepy Hollow.” n

GIVE

online: log onto: www.ActionAIDS.org

mail: 1216 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

follow ActionAIDS:

@actionaids #GivingTuesdayPHL

Page 26

WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT • A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

MARRIAGE from page 1

confer health benefits that reduce the disparity in health outcomes between the LGBT community and the population at large. Another important health-improving result of recognition of same-sex marriage is the increase in the number of people with health insurance, particularly insurance provided by employers, which in turn enhances access to health-care services. Men and women in same-sex relationships are generally less likely to have employer-sponsored health insurance than are their married counterparts in opposite-sex relationships. This disparity, however, is narrower in areas where same-sex marriage is recognized and is greater in areas where it is not. This positive impact of marriage on health is reported in other studies as well. One such study, for example, shows that during the year after the legalization of same-sex marriage, sexual-minority men had a statistically significant decrease in medical care visits, mental-health care visits, and mental-health care costs, compared with the year before same-sex marriage was legalized. This study also found, quite remarkably, that the positive health effect of same-sex marriage laws was similar for partnered and non-partnered men. A similar finding is that people with HIV have a longer life expectancy when in stable relationships, compared to those not in such relationships. In yet another study, researchers asked the study participants to report on their health status. Married men in same-sex couples were more likely to report having “excellent health” than men in unmarried mixed-sex couples. They were no more likely to report “excellent health” than men in married mixed-sex couples, thus showing no disparity between sameand mixed-sex married couples. So does this stigma — or its attenuation by recognizing same-sex marriage — have an impact on HIV/ AIDS? First, at least one investigation of HIV and antigay intolerance supports the view that intolerance is a factor that affects HIV-infection rates. The researchers in this study examined data from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s and found that tolerance of gay men is “negatively associated with the HIV rate.” The researchers found this evidence to be consistent with the theory that tolerance allows low-risk men to partner with other low-risk men, while sexually active men “substitute away from underground, anonymous and risky behaviors.” In a similar study specifically looking at legal recognition of relationships, researchers found that legal recognition actually does affect behaviors involving risk

of HIV transmission: Men in legally recognized relationships are less likely to engage in sexual encounters outside the relationship. But it’s the fact of legal recognition that makes a difference, not just the fact that it is a long-term, stable — but legally unrecognized — relationship. A study involved men in California, New York and Illinois during the 1990s, before any of those states had recognized same-sex marriage; all of them do today. The study found that men in domestic partnerships — a legal status not equivalent to marriage, but nevertheless a legally recognized status — had a statistically significantly lower number of sexual partners and lower rates of condomless anal intercourse with partners other than their domestic partner. As a result, men in these domestic partnerships had decreased risk behaviors for STDs, including HIV infection. Other studies have shown some effects of legal recognition of samesex marriage and STI and HIV rates, but are less conclusive. A 2008 study concluded that empirical evidence is consistent with the view that gay marriage reduces risky sexual behavior. Analyzing data from European countries, that study found that legal recognition of same-sex partnerships led to “large and statistically significant reductions in syphilis rates” — by approximately 24 percent. But at the same time, attempts to estimate the effect of gay marriage on gonorrhea and HIV yielded results that were “smaller and statistically insignificant,” although syphilis plays a significant role in the spread of HIV. In 1986, when ActionAIDS was founded, it was far too common that a diagnosis with AIDS was the event that “outed” a gay man whose sexual orientation may have been something that he didn’t share with his family, certain friends or neighbors or his employer. Too often, the response to a diagnosis was both AIDS-phobic and homophobic — employees were fired from their jobs, ostracized by friends and neighbors and abandoned by their families. This disapproval was based not only on the AIDS diagnosis, which many people found frightening, but also because of intolerance of homosexuality. For many people, homosexuality and AIDS thus became equivalent and interchangeable in terms of disapproval. ActionAIDS was founded because of the need for compassionate, not disapproving, recognition of people with AIDS as human beings in need, without judgmental attitudes about sexual orientation. We’re pleased that the recent court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania is another step in putting those disapproving attitudes into the ash heap of history. n

DEC. 1, 2014

Prison to community re-entry, with the addition of health-care coverage By Maureen Barden Project Fellow, Pennsylvania Health Law Project In this article, we share information about important work being done by the Pennsylvania Health Law Project to expand access to health care for persons in prisons and jails in Pennsylvania. The ActionAIDS Philadelphia Linkage Program actively links clients to healthcare services upon release from prison, and we applaud these efforts to expand that access to others upon release. People re-entering the community from Pennsylvania’s prisons and jails have a great need for medical care upon release. They are disproportionately afflicted with behavioral and physical illnesses. For example, approximately 20 percent have serious mental illnesses, more than half have substance-use disorders and 18 percent have hepatitis C. While many are stabilized by prison-health services, most do not have health insurance or a good connection to care upon release. A few programs in Philadelphia — including at ActionAIDS — currently enroll their clients in Medicaid prior to release, but most people leave custody with a few days’ supply of necessary medications and no health insurance. Health-care reform has the potential to change that reality. Reentering individuals with incomes above 100 percent of poverty ($11,490 for an individual) can currently purchase insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Most of those with lower incomes will be eligible once Medicaid is expanded; under the pending Healthy PA proposal, expansion would occur in January. According to an estimate from the

Department of Justice, approximately 30 percent of the newly eligible population will be made up of people leaving custody. As a fellow at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, I am currently assisting Pennsylvania prisons and jails in making seamless access to health-care coverage an integral part of re-entry planning. Many people in custody qualify for coverage under current Medicaid rules, such as those whose illnesses make them unable to work or who require life-sustaining medications. If institutions begin now to enroll these people in Medicaid that becomes effective when they leave custody, there will be several benefits: • The individuals will be able to access necessary medical services without the customary wait of 30 days or more for Medical Assistance coverage, during which their health often deteriorates. • Communities will be healthier and safer. Studies in Florida, Washington, Rhode Island and Michigan have shown a 16-17-percent reduction in re-incarceration for re-entering individuals who are covered by Medicaid at the time of release. • Prisons and jails will be ready to implement those enrollment practices for the larger population once Medicaid is expanded. A number of local jails are currently enlarging their mission to include filing COMPASS applications for those who qualify. In partnership with their local county-assistance offices, they are working to have Medicaid coverage turned on the day the person leaves custody. If this process is implemented across the commonwealth, and expanded to the newly eligible population at the earliest opportunity, health-care reform can make a significant, positive difference for re-entering citizens and their communities. n

De-stress during the holidays By Kristen Gallagher ActionAIDS development associate We are right in the middle of the holiday season and instead of feelings of joy and good tidings, you might be feeling down, overwhelmed and lonely. Check out these de-stressors to melt away anxiety and warm up to enjoy this holiday season. 1. Take a time out Don’t forget to take time for yourself! It’s easy to get wrapped up in the needs of others. Whether it’s meditation, reading or going for a walk, remember self-care during these busy times. 2. Forgive someone During the holidays, we hold on to a lot of emotions from the past that can cause us stress or pain in the present. Call up someone who you have been holding resentment towards and forgive them. Remember, it’s not about them; this will make you feel more at peace to not hold on to the anger.

3. Remember your achievements Take stock of your year and list three things you did that make you feel proud. They can be big like running a marathon or less public like eating healthier. Whether you realize it or not, in certain parts of your life, you have made a lot of progress, so be proud of it! Write them down and put them somewhere you can see them. 4. Exercise When you work out, your brain releases chemicals that have antidepressant-like effects and also help to decrease muscle tension. Exercise is more fun with a friend, and you will be more likely to keep it up. 5. Help someone Nothing will make you feel as good as when you are helping someone else. Make it your goal to do an act of kindness every day this month. Hold the door for a stranger, send a friend a card and give a genuine compliment to someone you know who works very hard at something. Or volunteer at ActionAIDS: 215981-3324. n

WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT • A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

DEC. 1, 2014 ACTION from page 1

services it provides to more than 20,000 individuals across six sites in Philadelphia and York, Pa. FPCN is a program of Resources for Human Development, a comprehensive, nonprofit social-service organization with headquarters in Philadelphia. Founded in 1970, RHD currently oversees and supports more than 160 locally managed human-service programs in 14 states. Clinic patients will be our uninsured or under-insured clients at high risk to being lost to care. In addition to being HIV-positive, our clients often face challenges from mental-health and addiction diagnoses and struggle to make ends meet. As is typical with our clients in general, roughly 80 percent have incomes under the Federal Poverty Level. Because of these issues, they tend to have difficulty engaging in medical care on a consistent basis with traditional, large institutional-care providers. But by basing the clinic at our office, we can coordinate health-care services with our medical case-management services. We can streamline scheduling, reduce in-clinic waiting time and provide clinic services in a highly supportive setting that enhances the client’s experience, thus increasing rates of retention in HIV medical care. ActionAIDS medical case-management staff will have frequent contact with clients to establish and maintain a close relationship with medical clinic staff. Medical case managers, in consultation with the medical staff, will assess client needs for care retention. The medical case manager and client can then develop an individualized care plan to address potential environmental and psychosocial barriers to care. Housing counseling and referrals, and volunteer-support services will also be available. ActionAIDS staff will facilitate ActionAIDS

West Philadelphia Office

3901 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

www.ActionAIDS.org

concurrent “drop-in group” sessions during clinic hours. Food and beverages, as well as a variety of therapeutic activities, will provide an incentive for client participation in these voluntary sessions. Clients will be called out of group or individual session when clinic staff are available, and will be encouraged to return to the group session after their appointment, if they would like. Group sessions will feature brief presentations of interest to our clients, such as HIV treatment adherence, sexual-risk reduction or other client concerns. These sessions will be an opportunity for clients to engage in mutual support, which is highly effective in motivating HIV-treatment adherence. The ActionAIDS West Office is the base from which we provide medical case-management services to clients in nearby Delaware County and West Philadelphia. The West Office is in an area of West Philly that includes eight census tracts identified by the Public Health Management Corporation as being high risk for HIV/AIDS based on demographic factors for HIV/AIDS and high HIV/AIDS rates — within the top 20 percent for Philadelphia. This new collaboration with FPCN will directly advance the ActionAIDS mission of creating an AIDS-free generation. By increasing access to health care, and reducing the number of clients that drop out of care, we enhance and prolong the lives of thousands of our clients. By ensuring continuity of HIV medical care, we also reduce the development of drug-resistant HIV, decrease sexual-risk behaviors and, as our clients in treatment maintain low or non-detectible viral load, we reduce or eliminate the risk of HIV transmission to others. Because of programs like this one, the creation of an AIDS-free generation is not just a slogan, but can become a reality. n

Welcome to the

ActionAIDS/Health Annex

Primary Care Clinic

coming soon

PAGE 27

1 IN 5 PEOPLE INFECTED WITH HIV

DON’T KNOW IT

GET TESTED FREE. CONFIDENTIAL. RESULTS IN 20 MIN.

1026 Arch Street Mondays: Tuesdays: Wednesdays: Thursdays:

11 am - 1 pm 10 am - 12 pm 1 pm - 4 pm 12pm - 2pm

or by appointment

phone: (267) 940-5515 A safe and familiar clinic located within our West Philadelphia office • uninsured welcome • no wait time • lab services on-site A joint venture of ActionAIDS and RHD’s Family Practice and Counseling Network

opening January 2015

ActionAIDS.org

WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT • A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

RESOURCES

12 13 14 15

22 23 24 25 26 Created on TheTeachersCorner.net Crossword Maker

minutes

DineOutForLife

not

blood

October

condoms

11. We wear red ____ to show support for HIV/AIDS awareness. 12. Immediate ____ is a program where individuals who are HIV-positive can receive free tickets to shows or sports events. To obtain tickets, call 215-981-3362. 14. ____ Day is Dec. 1 in 2014 (two words). 16. One way HIV can be transmitted is through having unprotected ____. 18. Worldwide, an estimated 3.6____ people 50 and older are living with HIV. 21. New ActionAIDS clinic will be located in ____

ActionAIDS

million

Seating

Mondo

RyanWhite

Philadelphia. 22. Designer on “Project Runway” who courageously revealed his HIV-positive status after he created the challenge-winning print, “Pozitivity.”

million

o d n

a c

i t

10 6

e d

a m

h 5

i g

b i o

e l

e r 9

e r i

b 4 1

c n

o 2

d n

o o

c o

l i

p c e

s t

e d

l x

o m

Complete the crossword below

World AIDS Day

Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Office 1211 Chestnut St. Suite 405 215-496-9696 Mon.-Wed. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Thur. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Planned Parenthood Locust Office 1144 Locust St. 215-351-5560 Mon. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues. and Thurs. 9 a.m.-7

p.m. Wed. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. William Way LGBT Community Center 1315 Spruce St. 215-732-2220 Mon. 4-7 p.m. Youth Health Empowerment Project 1417 Locust St., third floor 215-564-6388

North Philadelphia Congreso 216 W. Somerset St.

215-763-8870 Walk-in hours Wednesdays and Thursdays Covenant House Health Services 251 E. Bringhurst St. 215-844-1020 Maria de los Santos Health Center 425 W. Allegheny Ave. 215-291-2500 PHMC Health Connection 1035 W. Berks St. 215-765-6690 Planned Parenthood Far Northeast 2751 Comly Road 215-464-2225

Mon. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tues. and Thur. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed. and Fri. noon-3 p.m. Sat. noon-2 p.m. St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children 3601 A St. 215-427-5000

South/West Philadelphia ActionAIDS West Office 3901 Filbert St. 215-243-2800 Fri. 1-4 p.m. CHOP 3550 Market St., fourth

floor 215-590-3537 Health Center #3 555 S. 43rd St. 215-685-7504 Health Center #4 4400 Haverford Ave. 215-685-7601/7654 Urban Solutions 1408 S. Broad St., first floor 215-755-0700

Philadelphia testing sites West Project 1201 Locust St. Mon.-Thur. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat. 1 p.m.-5 p.m. 215-985-9206

2. The 2014 AIDS Walk occurred during this month. 3. A viral load is considered to be undetectable when the amount of HIV in the ____ is so low that it cannot be measured. 5. “____” is a 1993 film that acknowledged HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia. (Hint: It starred Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington and parts were filmed at ActionAIDS) 8. Retired famous basketball player who is HIV-positive. (First name) 9. An HIV test in Philadelphia is cost-____. (At ActionAIDS, 1026 Arch St.; call 267-940-5515 for testing information.)

Magic

Club

Down

Program

less

ribbons

sex

WorldAIDS

West

free

Temple

months

Immune

Philadelphia

Mondo

six

ActionAIDS

PrEP

October Seating

Mazzoni Center Legal Services Department 1-866-LGBT-LAW www.mazzonicenter. org/programs/legalservices

less Club

AIDS Law Project aidslawpa.org 215-587-9377

Created on TheTeachersCorner.net Crossword Maker

Mazzoni Center and GALAEI’s Washington

AIDS Library 215-985-4851 aidslibrary.org

WorldAIDS

GALAEI 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor 215-851-1822 Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

LEGAL/ RESOURCES

4 5

months free

The Attic Youth Center 55 S. 16th St. 215-545-4331

Youth Health Empowerment Project 215-564-6388 www.y-hep.org

six Philadelphia

ActionAIDS 1026 Arch St. 267-940-5515 Mon. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tues. 10 a.m.-noon Wed. 1-4 p.m. Thur. noon-2 p.m.

St. Christopher’s Pediatric AIDS Program 215-427-5284 www.stchristophers-hospital.com

PrEP

Center City

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 215-590-1000 www.chop.edu

1. Program called “Age is ____ a condom” challenges beliefs about older adults not needing protection. 4. Wearing these can help prevent spreading HIV. They are available in male and female forms. 6. Indian teenager who inspired federal funding in 1991 (two words). 7. A university in Philadelphia that discovered an HIV-related breakthrough in 2014. 10. Annual fundraiser that began in Philly in 1991 where friends can dine out to fight AIDS. (four words) 13. Recent prevention medication for people who are at high risk of contracting HIV. 15. PA’s largest AIDS service organization. It started in 1986 by a group of 84 committed volunteers. 17. The Buddy ____ connects individuals who are HIV-positive with trained buddies who provide emotional and practical support. (Call 215-981-3324 for more information.) 19. Older people are _____ likely than younger people to talk about their sex lives or drug use with their doctors. (Hint: more or less) 20. “The Dallas Buyers ____” is the 2013 film about a man from Texas who transforms himself into an importer and distributer of experimental AIDS medications after contracting HIV. 23. Rapid HIV testing will provide results within 20 ____. 24. AIDS stands for Acquired ____ Deficiency Syndrome. 25. You should get tested every 3-6 _____. 26. One in ____ people with HIV are unaware of their status.

Magic not condoms RyanWhite

Safeguards Project 215-985-6873 www.safeguards. org

The Attic Youth Center 215-545-4331 www.atticyouthcenter. org

Across

West sex minutes Program blood

ActionAIDS ActionAIDS 215-981-0088 215-981-0088 www.actionaids.org www.actionaids.org BEBASHI AIDS Fact Line 215-769-3561 (Pennsylvania) www.bebashi.org 1-800-662-6080 Congreso de CHOICE Latinos Unidos 215-985-3300 -Programa www.choice-phila. Esfuerzo org 215-763-8870 www.congreso.net Colours Inc. 215-496-0330 Gay and Lesbian www.coloursorga- Latino AIDS Education nization.org Initiative 215-851-1822 Philadelphia www.galaei.org FIGHT 215-985-4448 Mazzoni Center www.fight.org 215-563-0652 Prevention Point www.mazzonicenter. Philadelphia org 215-634-5272 Philadelphia www.preventionFIGHT pointphilly.org 215-985-4448 www.fight.org Project Safe 866-509-SAFE www.safephila.org

YOUTH AND FAMILY

ribbons DineOutForLife

HIV CASE MANAGEMENT

World AIDS Day Complete the crossword below

Temple

HIV EDUCATION/ OUTREACH

DEC. 1, 2014

Immune

PAGE 28

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

The Miss Fancy Brigade: Putting the girls BACK on the streets in 2015!

Karen Von Say BOB & BARBARA’S

1509 South Street Phildelphia, PA 19146 www.bobandbarbaras.com

MUMMERS

LGBT Liaison Commi ee The Miss Fancy Brigade will proudly lead the Mummer’s New Year Parade, January 1st, 2015, starting at City Hall and down Broad Street back to the Gayborhood. Meet us on Broad Street, from City Hall to Spruce Street, starting at 8am.

Counting down to the PGN Holiday Gift Guide Our present to you: An early gift list of the latest books, CDs, movies and other entertainment with plenty of time left to buy them!

Coming Dec. 12

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

PGN

Since 1976

PGN

Photos: Scott A. Drake

’s Get Out and Play All the action with Philly’s jocks

Every other week in PGN

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIRECTORY Anthony Petchalonis, D.M.D

Located Near Rittenhouse Square General & Aesthetic Dentistry Now Accepting New Patients Early Morning Appointments Available 248 South 21st St., Phila, PA 19103

215.732.3350

epgn.com Check Us Out Online

Scene in Philly Cartoons Columns

& Back Archives Entertainment Listings in

Out and About Meetings, Team Sports, & Support Groups on our

Community Bulletin Board Find a PGN anywhere in the Greater Philadlephia Region www.epgn.com/ where-to-find-us Zoomable interactive Google map of locations you can pick up a PGN

www.yourphillydentist.com

Featuring One Hour Teeth Whitening

P S

Now Forming……

Group for Gay Men

Saturdays 12 – 1:30pm, 8 sessions Professionally led by David Skowronski, MA, LPC Call 215-545-7895 to register, $40 per session

Professional Psychological Services

Rittenhouse Square Area

250 S. 17th Street, Suite 10, Philadelphia, PA 19103 • 215-545-7895 www.psychologyservices.com

This Fabulous Space Could Be Yours

for only $50 per week when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks.

John Bishop, Ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Individual, Couples, and Family Therapy In New Jersey, Just Over the Bridge

304 Newton Ave. Oaklyn, New Jersey 08107

215-341-5645 Most Insurances Accepted

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

PGN

Wedding Services Directory

Wedding Services Directory Ads in PGN. For Wedding Services designed with you in mind. FOR ADVERTISING INFO CONTACT YOUR PGN AD REP AT (215) 625-8501

“YOUR HAPPILY EVER AFTER BEGINS HERE...”

BRIDAL GOWNS TUXEDOS BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES DRAG SHOW WEAR ALTERATIONS ON-SITE

Victorian Style Trolleys Arrive at your wedding in style.

The Perfect transportation for your special day. Horse drawn carriages.

Call 215-389-8687 for booking information.

Wedding Services Directory Ads in PGN. For Wedding Services designed with you in mind.

**PRIVATE APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE**

9355 OLD BUSTLETON AVENUE PHILADELPHIA, PA 19115 215-676-9206 WWW.LHBRIDAL.COM

FOR ADVERTISING INFO CONTACT YOUR PGN AD REP AT (215) 625-8501

AC ul t ure rts

FEATURE PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

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

Page Page Page Page Page Page

39 35 38 40 42 37

PAGE 41

AS A Skinny Puppy takes aim on new tour by larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

Electro/industrial pioneers Skinny Puppy are assaulting the United States in support of their new album, “Weapon,” with The Alliance of Sound Tour, which hits the Trocadero Dec. 3, along with Front Line Assembly, Haujobb and Youth Code. The tour was supposed to be a co-headlining tour with European EDM duo VNV Nation, an interesting sonic ying-yang pairing for anyone who is familiar with the two groups’ contrasting styles. But alas, VNV Nation dropped off the tour a month out under mercurial circumstances. OhGr (birth name Kevin Graham Ogilvie), the group’s singer and lyricist, said the change in the lineup ended up fixing what was shaping up to be a contentious tour. “Not as much as one would think,” OhGr said about how much chaos changing the plan at the 11th hour brought. “It’s the way it should have been in the first place as far as pragmatic things like poster art, which was utterly turned down by VNV in the beginning. It fit perfectly in the end. The writing was on the wall six months ago based on the interactions and some of the other responses we were getting.” OhGr added that the group has respect for VNV Nation and their accomplishments, but the idea of touring with them worked better than the actual execution. “That was the whole point, to get something that is in the same universe, just a few neighborhoods over,” he said. “We had seen them in Germany back in 2005. I remember pulling into

[the] M’era Luna [Festival] and seeing 10,000 kids out in the audience with their fists up in the air and I was like, What is this strange form of disco music? and it was VNV Nation. They have a big audience and a big following and we thought it would be a good idea. When you do packages like this, you want to be able to draw from each other’s fan bases and create a copasetic thing. But the internalized mechanisms in all that wasn’t functioning properly, even with the sales. When we announced Front Line Assembly was taking their place, our sales took a jump. You try and figure this stuff out. You can’t really predict people’s personalities. So we just calmly moved forward. Luckily for us, there were a few bands that were out there where our things overlapped. Front Line, we’ve toured with them before, so it’s a more familial fit in a way. So it will go a lot smoother.” Skinny Puppy started in 1982 and their original and caustic take on electronic music paved the way for groups like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry that helped to define industrial music. OhGr admits he never envisioned the group lasting as long as it has. “In fact, it was quite the opposite,” he said. “I thought it would be an experience to put on the bucket list when I was 20. I thought it would be an amazing thing to somehow utilize this obsessive-compulsive poetry thing and stream-of-consciousness babbling, and use it to some purpose. We went

into a studio and made a discordant, dissonant album, thinking it would be a one-off and we would maybe g e t some play

with it. That was not in the cards. We created this situation with me about to turn 52 and still getting up on stage. It’s pretty amazing.” Back in the 1980s and early ’90s, electronic and rock groups had an artistic line drawn between them as the more traditional rock bands frowned upon groups that played to loops, tapes and backing tracks. Fastforward to today and that kind of technical augmentation is standard across the board for touring artists of all genres. OhGr said the change in attitudes in using technology in a live setting came from so much riding on concert tours these days. “There’s two trains of thought on doing that,” he said. “That trickery is a safety net for a lot of these big shows. There’s a lot of money involved, so they are created and programmed to play on their own if need be. A lot of musicians in so-called live bands can switch between playing live or to what’s on tape. It’s a function of technology but it’s more of a charade than what we use it for, which is to play things that couldn’t be played live. You can do it that way and some bands do have banks of computers that are behind the stage playing everything. Initially, we were the ones using tape back in the 1980s. It was very well-known and accepted that there was stuff on tape because to create a lot of these sounds on a PAGE 34

FEATURE PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Fall SalE!!! - Pioneer or Sony w/ iPod compatibility

installed from $150.00 1 pr. 6 1/2 speakers installed from $70.00 TINT INSTALLED w/ Lifetime Waranty (non transferable)

CAR AUDIO CAR ALARMS IPOD INTEGRATION

215-545-5293

617 S. 24th Street, Phila, PA 19146 • email: GK@allthatjazzphilly.com HID LITES • GPS • TINT • LOGO VANITY PLATES & KEY CHAINS

• Cosmetic dentistry • Crowns • Implants • Veneers • Whitening

High quality dental treatment and preventive care

Andrea V. Cronin, DDS Craig T. Wakefield, DDS Proudly serving the LGBT community and PWA for over 25 years. Medical Towers Building • Suite 2306 255 S. 17th St., Philadelphia, Pa 19103 (215) 732-8080 Evening hours available.

Philadelphia Gay News Our middle name is Gay.

Engagements Weddings Holiday cards and gifts Scott A. Drake 267-736-6743

SKINNY PUPPY from page 33

keyboard back then, with no presets or ways of storing sounds, became cost-prohibitive to have that much gear on stage and also very difficult to pull off. That’s the reason why we were forced to do it. On the other side of the coin are these shows that are too big to fail.” When asked about the group’s enduring popularity and influence, OhGr said that Skinny Puppy over the years has attracted a broader range of fans than the stereotypical black-clad “rivet-head” industrial fans. “When we first started, we used to see a bunch of weirded-out rivet-head kids,” he said. “We always noticed in the back corners are these Pink Floyd psychedelic dudes older than us in their 40s kind of grooving to the music. That’s when we saw ourselves differentiating from the normal rivet-head mode or whatever that became, that dance-structure construct. We found a psychedelic wormhole in a way. When I look out now, we do these festivals in Europe where there are three generations of

Skinny Puppy fans. They’re all gothed-out and camping at the festivals. I’m definitely seeing some new fans that are into the hipster-minimalist synth thing that has been turned around and resurfaced again, which is similar to what happened in the early 1980s. You pick up from that, and it’s an amazing trip. There’s old and new. I don’t see as well as I used to so I don’t recognize faces. I just see sizes and shapes.” It probably doesn’t help that OhGr spends most of his time on stage wearing elaborate costumes and surrounded by a blinding light show. “I’m wearing these masks that have globes for eyes,” he said. “I’ve got projections scrambled inside my head reflecting back and forth inside these orbs. It can be difficult. We’re constantly getting strobed. It feels like being Alex in ‘A Clockwork Orange.’” n Skinny Puppy performs 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St. For more information or tickets, call 215-9226888 or visit www.skinnypuppy.com.

PROFIlE PGN

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Suzi Nash

William Brawner: Screening his story of sex, betrayal, faith and redemption In 1981, 18-month-old William Brawner contracted HIV after receiving a blood transfusion following a severe burn injury. Due to the hysteria and fear of HIV/AIDS in the early stages of the disease, Brawner’s mother swore him to secrecy — a secret he kept for more than 25 years. The documentary “25 to Life” details Brawner’s journey and his decision years later to tell former girlfriends and sexual partners with whom he had unprotected sex, that he has AIDS. A brutally honest film, it is sometimes hard to decide if Brawner is villain, victim or victor. A graduate from Howard University with a master’s degree from Marygrove College, Brawner is now an activist and founder of Haven Youth Center, a nonprofit organization that provides educational, social and recreational services to HIV-positive youth in Philadelphia, and has received numerous awards for his advocacy and service. He took time to talk about sex, betrayal, faith and redemption. That’s also the tagline for “25 to Life,” playing Dec. 1 in more than a dozen theaters in honor of World AIDS Day — including a screening at International House Philadelphia, where Brawner will take part in a Q&A. PGN: I just came from seeing my nephew in his first Shakespearean play and it strikes me that your story is Shakespearean in nature too. wb: Oh yeah? How so? PGN: Lots of drama, changing characters, tragedy and triumph. wb: True, lots of drama. PGN: You became infected at a very young age and, in the film, your mother speaks about the fact that she saw what Ryan White, the American teenager who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984, and his mother went through — being expelled from school, ostracized and vilified by their community — and that’s what prompted her to keep your status a secret. wb: Yes, it was crazy back in those days. People were awful. PGN: His experience with ignorance and intolerance brought him into a close relationship with the LGBT community. Have you found yourself becoming an ally? wb: Oh, I would definitely consider myself an ally. I’m not sure of the year, but I think I was about 8 or 9, and I remember being in a diner downtown with my mom and they were holding the Philadelphia Gay Pride parade outside. I remember people in the diner saying bad things about the gay people and my mother starting to cry. I asked her why she was crying and she said, “If it was not for the gay community, you wouldn’t have the medication that keeps you alive. The gay community fought tooth and nail for you to have the access to medication and if it wasn’t for

them, you might not even be here.” I remember that clearly. PGN: You’re very outspoken now, but as a kid were you shy or still outgoing? wb: I don’t think I was ever shy. I was pretty much the same outgoing person. I played a lot of sports, I wanted to be a basketball superstar and when I found out that Magic Johnson was HIV-positive, I just knew I was going to play ball. I was an average student, Bs and Cs, an occasional A. I grew up in West Philadelphia in a single-parent household and for the most part of my younger years I was raised by my mother and my grandmother. I saw a lot of stuff but was never a part of it. I remember when the crack epidemic hit the inner-city communities, I remember when rap music first became popular and cars would roll by with music blaring out of the windows so loud it would shake your house. I was shielded from a lot of it; my mother and grandmother would not allow me to go outside without some type of adult supervision. If I visited friends, one of them would escort me to their house and I’d have to stay there. They were worry warts, especially my grandmother. There wasn’t a lot to do in the community so a lot of times we’d get in the car and drive to a park or movie or go roller skating.

were a lot of emotions around my health. I realized that it could take me out when I was about 11. I’d go to support groups and see these very sick kids who were my age, who had the same exact thing that I had, I remember this, and building bonds with someone and them being gone the next week. I’d think, I need a support group from going to support group. I started wondering, How soon before that happens to me? I still struggle with that, wondering when it could take me. I’ve seen countless people and friends pass with this, I’ve seen us on our last days and ask, Is that how I’m going to go out? PGN: In the documentary, you seem to convey a feeling of invincibility having lived this long with it. wb: It’s a full circle of emotions. One minute I’m scared that I’ll go out like that and the next, granted this was when I was young, I’d say to myself, I don’t look like that, I don’t look nothin’ close to anything like that and it ain’t took me out yet! Maybe I have some sort of different strain from everybody

PGN: What was your favorite subject in school? wb: Recess! No, actually it was math. It was my favorite until algebra hit. I might have liked it better if I had a good teacher. Mine sucked. PGN: Your mother told you that you had AIDS at a very young age. When did you begin to understand what it was? wb: Phew, I’ll tell you when it sunk in how important it was to keep it a secret and when it hit me that I could die … It was in the early 1980s and I remember seeing ads about AIDS and they were bleak, dark messages with AIDS in red letters and they were just like … I remember being so scared, not even in relation to me having the disease but in how people perceived people with HIV/ AIDS. You would hear stories about Ryan White and other people with AIDS and I didn’t need to go outside to understand why I needed to keep it a secret, all I needed to do was turn on the television. I was 5 or 6 and I’d think, If people knew that I had the stuff in this commercial, they’d try to kill me. We didn’t even tell my grandmother at first until I started taking the medications and she had to know because I’d have reactions to the drugs. It was awful, 5 years old and having to swallow all these pills. This was before AZT. I didn’t know the severity of the disease, I just knew what I had to do. My only hint was that while I got to be a kid and have fun, my mother was always melancholy and overly cautious. If I had a cough, she’d panic. There

wb: I was educated very early on about how the disease was transmitted so it wasn’t a concern for me. If I had a cut and came into contact with someone else, blah, blah, blah, I knew what was what. PGN: Which brings me to, why would someone who’d been struggling with this for so long and who’d been an educator and activist go — as you stated — “wild” and have unprotected sex with so many women? wb: That is something I still struggle with. When I was 18, I started engaging in unprotected sex with a woman I was dating. I disclosed to her after two years and believe it or not, it was OK with her. We were supposed to get married, etc. When I got to college, we broke up and she wrote a letter to the president of the school that rocked my world. She was the only person outside of my support groups that I’d ever told and she betrayed me. And I didn’t know what her next move would be, if she was going to put up posters or stand with a megaphone. So I went into survivor mode and decided to do everything and anything so that people wouldn’t believe her. I threw all of my medications away and began to become a guy I called Reds. He was a party dude, a ladies man, the wild and crazy boy. I don’t have any rationale for what I did. It’s just where my mind was. I did not engage in much unprotected sex, just with one person at school and that was by accident. PGN: The film gave a different impression both on how she felt and your multiple partners. wb: No, no. But I’ll say this, even though I used protection the majority of times, I should have disclosed. My partners should have had the opportunity to make a decision for themselves. As a 35-year-old man with a daughter, I take full responsibility, but back then I saw things differently.

else or maybe I’ve found the cure. If I keep eating this peanut butter and doing pushups, I’ll beat this thing. That was my young mind. PGN: Did that lead to your apparent fearlessness? I recall reading about Olympic diver Greg Louganis and his fear when hitting his head during the Olympics that he could accidentally infect someone. Were you concerned when playing basketball? At that time there was a lot of ignorance about the disease.

PGN: I wonder if part of your “hyper masculinity” was to counteract the perception that anyone with AIDS had to be gay? wb: Well, no one knew I was positive. Especially after being betrayed, I thought I’d go to the grave without ever telling anyone else. PGN: No fear though that people would think that? wb: Here’s what did happen. After I finally did disclose, I’ve spent PAGE 42

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

PGN

Enjoy

your holiday

meal.

Let someone

else

cook it. Read PGNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food reviews every second and fourth week of the month

- and check out our archive of past reviews on epgn.com.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Get Out and Play

SPORTS PGN

Scott A. Drake

Wade Davis is making a difference in young LGBT lives I spoke to Wade Davis a few weeks ago and, last column, I wrote about the work he has been doing with youth since retiring from football and coming out as gay. He works with LGBTQ youth who face challenges at home and at school and even on the streets, through sports programs and other initiatives. Davis makes no bones about why he immerses himself in helping LGBTQ youth. Whether it’s about bullying, homophobia or sports inclusion, his passion stays strong. One of the questions I asked him was why he was interested in speaking at the Philadelphia FIGHT gala Dec. 5 at the Union League. Some people become active or even activists because they or someone close to them is HIV-positive. In Davis’ case, his passion stems from the very base: his concern for every fellow human. “I am coming to speak for my personal interest,” he said. “Very frankly, the reason I am as seemingly courageous as I am in the public space and feel so passionately about these issues is because of the young people I work with. “At the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York City, the young people there taught

me what real courage was, every time I had a chance to work with the young people out there on the front lines, the ones who don’t have the same privileges that I do. There are youth who can say one minute, ‘Hey, I’m gay, Mom,’ and they can truly be homeless the next. To have the privilege to do anything to impact the lives of young people, show what is possible for them, is more dear to my heart than working with the NFL.” So we talked about the high rates of new HIV cases among LGBTQ youth in many large urban areas and about some of the programs that try to address the growing number of young people infected and homeless. Davis uses the idea that celebrity and media often go hand-in-hand to get the word out. He said he feels many youth would be completely overlooked by society were it not for individual efforts and the efforts of the HIV and youth centers. “We are all living with HIV,” he said. “Whether you are HIV-positive or negative, we are all still living with it. We all need to look at it from that framework. It is not someone else’s problem. It is not something that I will never have contact with. So I look at it as that, I am living

Want to let mom, dad and all of your exs know you’re tying the knot?

Send us your wedding announcement and we’ll share it with the City of Brotherly Love. E-mail information to editor@epgn.com or fax us at (215) 925-6437.

with HIV even though I’m negative, but the people who do have it are my brothers and sisters. They are a part of our family and I can never honor them if I look at them that way, that it is someone else’s problem.” Davis works to empower others in the fight and create conversations on the issue, especially The greater philadelphia flag football league’s that it affects cerRaven’s Minority Report took top honors for the tain demographTHIRD time Nov. 22, previously winning titles in 2011 ics more, like and 2013, the most in GPFFL history those that FIGHT our family. If you start to call them ‘at serves. It’s a promise,’ then they start to believe it too reminder that this fight isn’t over and we and they start to reimagine the future for have not ended the disease; just because themselves.” it’s not in the media like it was in the 1980s and ’90s, there are still many people Wade Davis will be the featured speaker impacted by the disease. at the FIGHT for Life Gala Dec. 5 at the And all of his work is interwoven: youth, HIV, homophobia in sports and bul- Union League. Tickets start at $125. Davis is also tentatively scheduled to play vollying. leyball with a group of LGBTQ youth at 3 Davis met a girl of 16 at one of his p.m. Dec. 4 at Lloyd Hall along Boathouse events. She was planning on running Row. away from home. When he asked her why, she told him it was because if she More Stonewalling told her mom about her identity, she’d be out on the street anyway. When he asked Stonewall Philly is starting dodgeball how she knew that, she gave the standard and volleyball leagues, with play beginanswer that her mom is like everybody ning in January. Dodgeball will be Sunday else. “One of the biggest things I’m learning afternoons at St. Paul’s Community Center, 1018 Wallace St., and volleyball is that there are certain misconceptions, games will be on Tuesday evenings at especially within the African-American Parkway Center City High School, 13th community, about homophobia, that anyand Spring Garden streets. Both are easily one who is black is homophobic,” said accessible from the Broad Street subway. Davis. “It’s something young people Details about cost, location and team believe, because they oftentimes don’t size are at stonewallphilly.org and if you give their own family a chance.” have any questions, email stonewall Nine months or more later, he said, he sportsphilly@gmail.com. Registration runs ran into this girl and she looked great. through Dec. 10. She told him everything was great and her mom said she knew anyway. The Short stops young girl had run away and lived on the streets when she didn’t have to because • If you have a trophy or plaque at the she believed the myth. recently shuttered Westbury Bar and “We should stop using the phrase ‘at risk’ when we are talking about the youth Restaurant, now is the time to contact Chuck Brault and make arrangements to who are facing challenges and instead pick it up. say they are ‘at promise,’” Davis said. “Language and words are power and they • Sports and recreation information can be found on the inside back cover of PGN become mapped onto the individual they every fourth Friday of the month or any refer to. If I continually call a young pertime on epgn.com. son ‘at risk,’ they start to believe that. Rephrase that. Let them know that they Having a holiday party or fundraiser for have promise. And it’s my responsibilyour team or league? Email scott@epgn. ity as an adult who cares about a person, com for coverage. regardless of bloodlines, that you are

dINING PGN OUT

Brigantessa brings Southern Italy to South Philly by larry Nichols larry@epgn.com It’s easy to see why Joe Cicala, executive chef and co-owner of Brigantessa, 1520 E. Passyunk Ave., is a three-time semi-finalist for the James Beard Award (for his work at Le Virtù), as he is obviously putting his considerable talents to good use at his latest venture. Brigantessa’s menu draws upon the culinary traditions of Southern Italian regions like Abruzzo, Campania and the island of Sicilia for their inspiration, and the results are spectacular. Brigantessa’s dim candlelit confines are the perfect setting for its adventurous menu. Things get off to a brilliant start on the sputini (Italian tapas) and antipasti menu. The oil-poached swordfish ($8), bathed in an orange vinaigrette with fried sardine bones, had refined and delicate flavors. The wood-oven roasted long-hots ($7), stuffed with sausage and pecorino, weren’t too spicy but left a pleasant, lingering kick to the palette. The braised artichoke hearts ($7), seasoned with breadcrumbs, lemon and capers, were delightfully bright with a nice contrast in textures. The smoked duck rillette ($12) has amazingly potent flavor without the super-fatty richness that one asso-

ciates with duck, and the garnish of crispy duck skin added smoky depth to the dish. On to the main menu, it has to be said that Brigantessa makes a damn good pizza. Cicala is enamored with the hard-to-acquire piennolo tomatoes, and buys a lot of them whenever he has the chance to work them into the menu. The Regina pizza ($16) is a simple but effective affair where the piennolo tomatoes and their briny, almost seafood-like flavor are allowed to shine with only basil, a mild and creamy buffalo mozzarella and thin but hearty wood-fired crust sharing the stage. Be warned: Brigantessa’s pizza has the capacity to ruin you for anyone else’s pies. The piennolo tomatoes were also featured in the distinctive Rustichella Black Spaghetti ($19), with long hots and octopus. The ocean-like flavor profile hinted in the Regina pizza comes to full bloom in this dish with a complex convergence of spicy, briny seafood qualities that make for a comforting rustic experience. If you are looking for a temporary culinary getaway from the hectic pace of the upcoming holiday season, reserve yourself a table at Brigantessa, uncork a bottle of wine and take someone you want to impress on a delicious virtual tour of Southern Italy. n

If you go brigantessa

1520 E. Passyunk Ave. 267-318-7341 www.Brigantessaphila.com Hours: Mon.-Thu.: 5 p.m.-midnight Fri.: 5 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Sat.: noon-12:30 a.m. Sun.: noon-midnight

bRIGANTESSA PIZZA

Photo: Kateri Likoudis

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Food and Drink Directory

1109 Walnut St Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.627.2273 www.bareburger.com

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Program examines controversy, contradictions of gay filmmaker By Ray Simon PGN Contributor Jean Genet, the famous French author and political activist, could be jarringly honest. “I said publicly that I was a queer, a thief, a traitor, cowardly,” Genet once told an interviewer who asked how he presented himself to the public. Such unflinching candor repelled many people, but it also inspired a few, like photographer Moyra Davey. On Dec. 3, Davey and a handful of colleagues will gather at International House Philadelphia for an evening of films and discussion devoted to Genet. A highlight of the program is a screening of Genet’s 1950 film “Un Chant d’Amour.” In addition, Davey and four guests will read passages from Genet’s writing and discuss work inspired by him. Among her interlocutors are the feminist film theorist Kaja Silverman and the art historian Eric Rosenberg. The program is co-sponsored by Penn’s Institute of Contemporary Art, which currently features the exhibition “Moyra Davey: Burn the Diaries.” It promises to be a freewheeling event, which would no doubt appeal to the anarchic Genet. “There’s a lot of potential to go in many directions and be surprising,” Davey said. Genet’s personal story is as gripping as any novel. Born in 1910 to a young prostitute, he spent part of his youth in the notorious Mettray Penal Colony, where delinquents mixed with hardened criminals. As a young man he was a vagabond, hustler and petty thief. Genet bounced in and out of jail from the late 1930s through the mid-1940s, but it was prison where he began writing. He soon produced a series of novels, among them 1949’s “The Thief's Journal.” After suffering a spell of writer’s block in the early 1950s, he reinvented himself as a successful playwright, staging self-conscious, confrontational works like “The Balcony.” By the late 1960s, Genet had transformed himself yet again, becoming a political activist. He always lent his support to underdogs, most notably the Black Panthers and Palestinian refugees. In 1986, after years of heavy smoking, he died from throat cancer. Genet remains an important author, especially for young queers with a literary bent. Davey, who is straight and married, admits that she’s a relative newcomer to his work. “I had never read Genet until I began this project a couple of years ago. I just kind of bumped up against him,” she said. Davey’s encounter with Genet began during a panel discussion on photography and writ-

ing, when a colleague cited comments Genet made about art and private life. Intrigued, she tracked down the source and soon immersed herself in Genet’s essays, interviews and polemics. “It was interesting for me to come to him much, much later in my life and to have this sort of intellectual — not just intellectual — but very visceral encounter with him, because he’s an incredibly visceral writer,” she said. Davey found that Genet’s novels were not necessarily to her taste. Despite what she referred to as Genet’s abrasiveness, she was nonetheless drawn to his honesty and integrity. “All the contradictions in his personality are so fascinating,” she said. “On one hand, he was kind of a saintly person; on the other hand, he was monstrous. To look at those two sides of him and try and reconcile them is a JEAN GENET really interesting process.” Viewers can get a glimpse into that process by checking out her current exhibit at the ICA. Mixing photography, writing, and video, it offers one artist’s deeply felt response to the work of another. On Wednesday evening, however, “Un Chant d’Amour” is likely to be the focus. Genet’s only film is a silent, black-andwhite movie lasting fewer than 30 minutes. According to his biographer, the novelist Edmund White, it is “one of the most intense evocations in film of homosexual eroticism.” The movie, set in a prison, revolves around an awkward, warped love triangle between two prisoners and their jailer. This incredibly erotic film, nonlinear and poetic, drifts between reverie and pornography, mixing tender imagery with depictions of shocking brutality. Phallic symbols abound: a bouquet of flowers, cigarettes, a straw, even a handgun. Genet is not coy: He shows men masturbating and focuses his camera directly on naked cocks. Fellatio, sadism and voyeurism are all touched upon, but also longing and love. According to White, the film’s subject matter and imagery were deemed pornographic, so it wasn’t screened in public until a few years after being made. In 1964, when the filmmaker and archivist Jonas Mekas showed it in New York City, he was beaten and arrested by police. Fortunately, the police won’t be raiding International House for this screening. The real issue, though, is whether, like Moyra Davey, attendees can see beyond the provocation and make a connection with this dead, gay Frenchman and his confrontational art, despite differences of gender, politics and sensibility. n

Theater & Arts Curtis Chamber Orchestra The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents an evening of classical music 8 p.m. Dec. 5 at Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5847. Jill Lepore The historian and author of “The Secret History of Wonder Woman” hosts a discussion 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215-567-4341. Joseph R.G. DeMarco The Philadelphia author hosts a book signing and reading 6 p.m. Dec. 2 at Philadelphia AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960. Mary Poppins Walnut Street Theatre presents the musical based on the classic Disney film through Jan. 4, 825 Walnut St.; 215574-3550. The Matter of Frank Schaefer Curio Theatre Company presents its new play about the Rev. Frank Schaefer, who was defrocked for officiating his son’s gay wedding, through Dec. 6, 4740 Baltimore Ave.; 215-5251350.

Morales Plays Rossini The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Nov. 28-30 at Kimmel’s Verizon For more information about this event, visit Hall, 260 S. Broad http://ihousephilly.org/calendar/un-chant-d- St.; 215-790-5847. amour-jean-genet-in-chicago.

CABARET FOR A CAUSE: Tom Wilson Weinberg and Andrew Crowley present “CABARET VÉRITÉ” 9 p.m. Nov. 29 at The Ethical Society Building, 1906 Rittenhouse Sq. The duo joins with seven performers — Kathryn Bezella, V. Shayne Frederick, Alexander Kacala, Ezra Berkley, Lexi Schreiber, Dena Underwood and Ibrahim Vicks — for a night of upbeat tunes. Proceeds will benefit The Adolescent Initiative, which provides medical care and other services to HIV-positive or at-risk youth. Tickets are $15 in advance (www. cabaretverite.brownpapertickets.com) or $20 at the door.

Outside Mullingar Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the Tony Award-nominated romance set in rural Ireland through Dec. 28 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; 215-985-0420. Parsons Dance The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the dance company Dec. 4-6 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215898-3900. Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition highlighting the works of the famed fashion designer through Nov. 30, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

Paul Strand: Master of Modern Photography Philadelphia Museum of Art presents a major retrospective of the critical figure in the history of modern art, photography and filmmaking through Jan. 4, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella The Tony Awardwinning Broadway musical, through Nov. 30 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-7905847. Todd Glass The out comedian performs Nov. 28-29 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001.

Tom Green The TV personality and comedian performs 7:15 p.m. Dec. 2 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. Vitra-Design, Architecture, Communication: A European Project with American Roots Philadelphia Museum of Art presents some of the most innovative designs from the family-owned Swiss company Vitra through April 26, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. Yannick Conducts Brahms The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Dec. 4-6 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Slayer The heavy-metal band performs 7 p.m. Nov. 30 at Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; 610-3522887. Interpol The alternative-rock band performs 8 p.m. Dec. 1 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215232-2100. Skinny Puppy The industrial group performs 8 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888. PGMC Down Home Holiday Concert The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus goes country for its annual holiday concerts, Dec. 4-6 at Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2111 Sansom St.; www. pgmc.org.

Nightlife Happy Bear, Grateful Bear The Black Friday happy hour celebration for bears, 5-9 p.m. Nov. 28 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. Weird Beard Revue The cabaret group performs 7 p.m. Nov. 29 at L’Etage, 624 S. Bainbridge St.; 215-592-0626.

Out comedian stars in new talking-head show

Music Gwar The shock-rock band performs 8 p.m. Nov. 29 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Logo TV is throwing its hat into the late-night comedy news and pop-culture commentary ring with its new series “The Straight Out Report.” The show, which premiered Nov. 7, pairs up openly gay comedic actor Stephen Guarino and straight comedian and co-host Mike E. Winfield to inject their insights on the cultural highs and FLASH DANCERS: Dance Affiliates presents the acclaimed lows of the Parsons Dance troupe performing its breathtaking week. masterpiece “Caught,” which uses strobe lights and Guarino athletic leaps to simulate flight, Dec. 4-6 at Zellerbach said, before Theatre, 3680 Walnut St. For more information or tickets, the show, he call 215-898-3900. had never worked with The Kinsey CODE: RED 2014 p.m. Nov. 29 at Winfield. Colonial Theatre, Sicks’ “Oy Vey The drag show and “I did a 227 Bridge St., In A Manger” benefit for local traditional Phoenixville; 610The drag-comedy a u d i t i o n LGBT and HIV/ group performs AIDS organizations 917-0223. through Dec. 4-6 at the in commemoration the casting Rrazz Room, of World AIDS Day Almost Queen o ffi c e a n d in The Ramada The Queen tribruns 8 p.m.-midthen they New Hope, 6426 ute band performs night Nov. 29 at whittled Lower York Road, d o w n t h e 8 p.m. Nov. 29 at Voyeur Nightclub, Sellersville Theatre, New Hope; 8881221 St. James St.; gay guys to 24 W. Temple Ave.; 596-1027. 215-735-5772. just two of 215-257-5808. us,” he said. Lewis Black “ We r e a d Outta The comedian Jerry Seinfeld with nine performs 9 p.m. The comedian perguys, includTown Dec. 5-6 at the forms 8 p.m. Nov. ing Mike, and I think they thought the best Borgata Hotel, 29 at the Borgata chemistry was with Mike and me. We had Casino & Spa Hotel, Casino & Monty Python never met before that audition, but Mike is Music Box, 1 Spa Event Center, and the Holy a great guy.” Borgata Way, 1 Borgata Way, Grail While both Guarino and Winfield are Atlantic City, The classic comedy Atlantic City, N.J.; experienced stage performers, Guarino 609-317-1000. N.J.; 609-317is screened 2 and said his professional background is more 1000. 9:30 p.m. Nov. 28 grounded in sketch comedy than standup. at Colonial Theatre, Sister Christmas’ “I started out in sketch and improv in New Catechism Les Misérables 227 Bridge St., York and I was on ‘Big Gay Sketch Show’ The holiMedia Theater Phoenixville; 610for Logo,” he said. “Then I did sketch day-themed compresents the 917-0223. comedy for CBS for a couple of shows edy, 2 p.m. Nov. classic musical that never quite got off the ground. I have 30 at Keswick through Jan. 11, Tony Bennett done standup but only for gay stuff like gay Theatre, 291 N. 104 E. State St., The iconic crooner shows and gay cruises. Mike is super-traKeswick Ave.; 215- Media; 610-891performs 8 p.m. ditional, on the road all the time doing all 572-7650. 0100. n Nov. 28 at the kinds of clubs. That’s not quite my scene. Borgata Hotel, I’m a character person. Being myself is just Casino & Spa not interesting.” Event Center, Guarino said that a lot of the charm of 1 Borgata Way, “The Straight Out Report” comes from how Send notices at least one week in Atlantic City, N.J.; well his and Winfield’s different approaches advance to: 609-317-1000. to comedy work together. Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. “He’s painfully sincere,” Guarino said Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 Dead Poets about Winfield. “He’s so open and thoughtfax: 215-925-6437; Society ful and sweet. He’s not really sarcastic. He or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. The drama film says what he means. My style is all smoke is screened 2 Notices cannot be taken over the phone. and mirrors. I’m usually saying the oppo-

Notices

site of what I mean and I’m deflecting with comedy. Neither of us is really mean-spirited but he has a sincerity that I don’t have, which makes for a nice mix. People seem to really like it. They enjoy the fast pace. It’s fast, funny, topical and relevant.” “The Straight Out Report” is one of a number of projects on the air for Guarino, who recent reprised the role of Derrick, the “stereotypical gay friend” of the group

of friends on the sitcom “Happy Endings” on the new sitcom by the same creators, “Marry Me.” Guarino joked that the number of TV projects he’s involved in only gives the illusion of his career looking busy. “The key to my success is always look busy but I only work 17 actual days out of the year,” he said. “So I’m basically available. People keep saying, ‘Man, what a year!’ I’m like, yes it’s true. It took days to accomplish. But it’s been a great year for me in television.” Guarino added that, while his guest appearance on “Marry Me” was an inside joke, it might turn into a recurring role. “It’s just a one-off for the moment, an inside joke for ‘Happy Endings’ fans,” he said. “But the response was so insane from it that I have a sneaking suspicion they will have me back. They were just testing the waters because they were trying to get away from ‘Happy Endings’ to a certain degree, but I think it might work out in my favor.” n The Straight Out Report” airs Fridays at 10 p.m. on Logo. For more information visit www.logotv.com.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Q Puzzle I hear a melody Across

1. Chart with the bottom line, maybe 6. Pansy supporter 10. “Quills” subject 14. Spinechilling 15. Irene of “Fame” fame 16. Mireille of “World War Z” 17. Photographer Grace 18. LSD, e.g. 19. Carbon compound 20. Kitchen appliance with spinning blades 23. Airline in “The Aviator” 24. Sebastian or Joan 25. He rubs you the right way 29. Says “Bottoms up!”

33. Sixth word of Abe’s address 34. Over one’s head 37. Actress Perlman 38. Subject of a recent book of photos by James Spada 42. Place in a Robert Redford movie 43. Gussy up 44. Island necklace 45. Rough house 48. Broadway title woman that everybody noes? 50. Roman Empire invaders 53. Pt. of SSN 54. Song about 38-Across using 20-Across on a dairy product? 59. Swimmer you can eat 60. “To be” to Henri 61. Tiny amounts

63. Russian singing duo 64. Screw royally 65. Snatch 66. Get ready for action 67. Chose not to swallow 68. Flynn role opposite Davis

Down

1. Dropout’s doc. 2. Where a sailor may hit bottom 3. Alice’s Restaurant patron 4. Earhart and others 5. Condoms? 6. “The Lion King” villain 7. Meat-filled treats 8. Lucci’s Kane in “All My Children” 9. Arrived 10. Be an onlooker at the Oscars? 11. Word used in dating 12. Closet

PORTRAIT from page 35

more time than I care to convincing people that I actually got AIDS as a child. People assume that there’s no way that I’ve lived this long and look as healthy as I look, so I must have had contracted it as an older person and I must be gay. I don’t care about people speculating about my sexuality, I know who I am, but when you detach yourself from the reality of what HIV/AIDS really is and attach stigmas, it bothers me. If you think that the only way you can get AIDS is to be gay, there’s a problem. It’s not just a gay disease. And because of the stigma, you have less and less people coming out with their status. PGN: You are the founder and executive director of Haven Youth Center here in Philadelphia. Tell me a little bit about what you do and what the stats are. I know that HIV/AIDS has been a growing problem in the black community. WB: Yes, the largest growing population of people with AIDS right now are young African-American MSM [men who have sex with men], but AIDS doesn’t stand still; it may be heavy within one population now and will move tomorrow, understand? Just a few years ago, HIV/AIDS was the number-one killer of African-American women between the ages of 25-44, before that it was white MSM. So I have a problem with dividing us up into subdivisions, we need to focus on ev-er-y-body. We can’t just fight for our specific populations, we need to fight for everybody. Let’s bring all of our forces to bear. Don’t just send in the Army, send in the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force to fight this battle. Because when you walk into a room

opening 13. Immigrant ed. choice 21. Former “American Idol” judge Abdul 22. Cone head? 25. “Pirates of Penzance” heroine 26. Type size 27. Somewhat, slangily 28. “The Horse Fair” painter Bonheur 30. “Thou ___ not covet thy neighbor’s ... ass” 31. Religious principle 32. When repeated, a “Funny Girl” song 35. Flower shop letters 36. Disney sci-fi flick 39. What the top did from underneath? 40. Wipe away 41. Not at all 46. Kind of truck

47. Maupin’s “Significant ___” 49. Rubber stamps 51. Highly agitated down south 52. Lebanon neighbor 54. Whar she blows? 55. Crime category 56. ___ to the bottom (sank) 57. “You know how ___” 58. Use wrecking balls on 59. Gas additive 62. Sarah Jessica Parker’s “city” activity

and people know you have HIV/AIDS, they don’t give a damn how you got it. You’re still the person they’re going to give a plastic plate to, talk to you for a minute and keep it moving. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay, hemophiliac, perinatal; if you got it, you got it. PGN: I was struck by something you said in the film: “I was alone with AIDS. Any time I tried mention it to my mom, she’d get upset. I wasn’t allowed to talk about it and because I couldn’t talk about it, I couldn’t express it and so it didn’t exist.” WB: I created Haven to be what I wished I had. As an activist, I’m trying to be the person I wish I’d seen. Magic Johnson was great, but he wasn’t reachable. I first thought of it when I was 8, 9 years old going through the side effects of my meds in a bed alone, shaking and sweating under the covers with no one to talk to. It’s a place where infected and affected youth can just come and be themselves and talk about what they’re going through, so they won’t make some of the same decisions that I made. We also focus a lot on testing and getting people into care so they can get the proper meds and live a long and productive life. We also have a camp, Bright Feathers, that the kids go to. I attended it as a youth and it inspired me to start Haven House. The kids get a free week of rock climbing and canoeing, fresh air and bonfires, swimming and all that. PGN: Are there LGBT youth in your group? WB: Absolutely. We have everybody. And if you recall in the film, there’s a segment where I tell the kids, “I don’t give a damn, what goes on outside these walls, what you

think about each other. When you come in here, this is a safe space for all of us. We are all family here.” And I have to check them sometimes when someone will say, “Well I didn’t ask for this, my mom gave it to me.” Who the hell asked for this? Do you think you’re better? Are you taking different meds from the rest of us? No! We’re all in the same boat. Get over it. PGN: Is there ever any backlash because you have survived for so long, looking so “healthy?” WB: Funny you should mention that. I do a lot of public speaking and this one college had invited me for years. One year they didn’t ask me to come back. I called to see if they’d lost their funding or something and they said that they couldn’t have me come out any more because the kids saw me and figured AIDS was no big deal. I’m thankful for how I look and feel and give all glory to God for that, but at the same time it can hinder my message. I think about death damn near every day, not to mention that I pop pills. Every day. And that I have a disease that was second-only to Ebola in the fear and negative connotation it has. Not to mention that I can’t have unprotected sex with my wife. If you think all that’s no big deal … perhaps you need to look a little closer. This ain’t no walk in the park. PGN: Yes, the part of the film is about you trying to have a baby and having to do it through in-vitro, something I never considered. WB: Yeah, something that should have been the most natural thing in the world became a whole process.

PGN: Bringing things full circle, I was just saying to someone that the Ebola hype reminded me of the AIDS epidemic: People scared of flying, quarantining patients, the CDC telling people that you couldn’t catch it through the air and no one listening. WB: Yes! Absolutely. I try to point it out to people and remind them of what it was like, the masks and the tents and being turned away by hospitals and emergency workers. It really brings it home. n Reelback and the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement will screen “25 to Life” at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at International House, 3701 Chestnut St. For more information, visit 25tolifefilmsite. com. To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol. com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

SOwE ChICKPEA FRITTERS

FIRE ANd ICE wIlTEd wATERCRESS

REd Owl ShORT RIb

PENNSYlvANIA 6 YEllOwFIN TUNA TARTARE

StT. JAMES PEPPERONI PIZZA

hEAdhOUSE bAKEd bEANS

PGN

Since 1976

PGN

Photos: Scott A. Drake

‘s Dining Out

A rainbow of flavors, every second and fourth week

Who will be PGN’s Person of the Year? Who has impacted the local LGBT community most in 2014?

2014 Person of the Year coming in the January 2 edition

THINKCITYSPACE.COM

CITYSPACE re•thinking real estate

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

Classifieds Real Estate Sale

Real Estate Sale

Christopher Baker Realtor®

o: 215.625.3650 • c: 267.255.2253 f: 215.625.4721

6359 Woodbine Avenue, Overbrook Farms, Phila, PA

$694,000

Meticulously restored, the historical Geiger House boasts lovely architectural details and fine millwork throughout. Generous room sizes. 6 BR, 4.2 BA, LR, DR, EI Kit, Den, Library, Study, Gym, 1 BR Apt w/kit, ba. 3+ car GAR. 6,184 sqft, 0.46 acres. Walk to train.

Diane Krause

610-547-1239 call or text

diane.krause@foxroach.com

Available for rent. The most photographed and painted farm in New Jersey, has appeared in commercials, calendar’s and catalogs. An artists paradise and the quintessential Courier & Ives home. Late 1700’s farm house, nestled on 72 acres. Perfect for weekend getaways. Electric included. 5 minutes to New Hope.

cbaker@phillycityspace.com www.cbpphillyrealty.com 2200 Walnut Street • Philadelphia, PA 19103

VENTNOR, NJ House for sale in Ventnor NJ. 2 story 5 bedroom house, needs some repairs. Priced right. Call 215 468 9166. ________________________________________38-49 GAYFTLAUDERDALEREALESTATE.COM MARK EAGLE 954-203-2345 ________________________________________39-08 168 READING AVE, OAKLYN NJ Charming 3 BR 1 bath home. Maintenance free exterior. Hardwood floors, crown molding, finished basement with wet bar! Washer/dryer, energy efficient HVAC system. Fenced-in yard, garage and shed. Ready to move in! $159,000. Call 856-278-2611. ________________________________________38-48 Waterfront Home Oak Island, NC. 4BR/2BA w/Pier, 2 Boat Lifts, Orig. $650K, Auction Price $349K. Taxes Under 3K. Iron Horse Auction Co., Inc., 800-997-2248. NCAL3936. www.ironhorseauction.com ________________________________________38-48

Real Estate Rent SPRING GARDEN AT 11TH ON BRANDYWINE 3 or 4 BR, 1 bath. Architectural redesign of 1840’s townhouse. Short walk to Reading Terminal/Chinatown. $1761/mo. MARSTON AT DICKINSON & 28TH ST. 3 BR, 1 BA, 10 mins. to University City. $795. DARIEN AT MOYAMENSING & 9TH ST. 3 BR, 1 BA, 10 mins to Italian Market. $1071. Each of the above have all amenities. Ongoing improvements if agreeable. Must see! Call 215-849-4049. _____________________________________________38-48

Services 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 baths, outdoor shower, large living room, dining room, eat in kitchen (granite counter tops), historic hard wood floors, wrap around porch, walk in closet. Clean and neat. If you ever dreamed of a country home this is a must see. Caretaking included. 3500$ / month. One year lease.

springmeadow@comcast.net/ phone number: 908-581-3973

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. 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.

CARE GIVER FOR OLDER GENTLEMAN Male, 55, Center City and Northeast. Part time, no live in. Call Allen, 215-776-5867. _____________________________________________38-48 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. ________________________________________38-48 MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEEDED! Train to become a Medical Ofﬁce Assistant! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Online training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & PC/Internet needed! 1-888-424-9412 ________________________________________38-48 SOCIAL WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM! Help others in your community now! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Orleans Tech in Philadelphia can get you trained! 1-888-407-6008 HS Diploma/GED required Orleanstech. edu/disclosures ________________________________________38-48

Help Wanted EXPERIENCED DRIVER OR RECENT GRAD? With Swift, you can grow to be an award-winning Class A CDL driver. We help you achieve Diamond Driver status with the best support there is. As a Diamond Driver, you earn additional pay on top of all the competitive incentives we offer. The very best, choose Swift. *Great Miles = Great Pay *Late-Model Equipment Available *Regional Opportunities *Great Career Path *Paid Vacation *Excellent Beneﬁts. Please Call: (866)271-7613. ________________________________________38-48 Drivers: Need CDL A or B, to relocate vehicles from area body plants to various locations throughout U.S. – No forced dispatch – Regional and OTR – 1-800-501-3783 or www. mamotransportation.com under Careers. ________________________________________38-48 Drive in a whole new way with Quality Drive Away! Quality Drive Away, Inc. is hiring CDL A and CDL B drivers to transport vehicles from Macungie, PA and other terminals throughout the region. Industry leading pay, Non-forced dispatch, home time when you want it, and a nice variety of long and short hauls. Call 1-866-764-1601 or apply online at qualitydriveaway.com today! ________________________________________38-48

For Sale DESIGNER FURNITURE GARAGE SALE STARTING 11/28 BUSYBEE HOMESTORE, 734 SOUTH STREET EVERYTHING 50% OFF WWW.BUSYBEEPHILLY.COM _____________________________________________38-48

PGN Holiday Gift Guide

Coming Dec. 12

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

SERVICES & HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY Alert Roofing All types of roofing: shingles, rubber, coatings, sidings & gutters In business since 1988 All work guaranteed Fully insured

Phone: 215-676-3333 Fax: 215-244-1597

$$ SAVE MONEY $$

4521 Springfield Ave., Phila PA 19143

215-222-5703

www.waynesgarageinc.net

AAA Certified Repairs • ASE Certified Tecs • BBB Accredited, ASA, Ask Patty Certified

FULL SERVICE AUTO REPAIRS Domestic, Asian, European Cars & Mini-vans. 4x4’s LT Trucks & Vans 6 month Interest Free for Well Qualified Clients

Pot Holes Got You In A Rut? ALIGNMENT DONE HERE

Damage to your Home or Business? Fire, Smoke & Soot Floods

Lightning Vandalism Wind and Rain

Snow and Ice Backups Plumbing Leaks

Theft Collapse and Many More . . .

Decrease Your Carbon Footprint - Increases Your Fuel Economy

A.O.K. Autobody Inc. Ar t h u r K u l i s • S t e p e h e n Ku l i s • Ti m K u l i s

Call for your FREE inspection and policy analysis. The experts at Apple will work with your insurance company to negotiate the proper loss settlement.

Call Shawn McKenna 215-913-5197

or visit us at www. applepublicadjusters.com

133 0 Washington Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19147 215.4 65.43 00 • Fax 215.4 65.135 6 Email:info@aokautobody.net www.aokautobodyan dglass.com

PHILADELPHIA HOMEOWNERS

Find Out What Your Home is Worth On-Line Visit: www.phillyhomepricing.com Keller Wil iams Main Line Real Estate Sales Rep Joel Brown

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 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 4 Small Theaters with Video & Dark Room Area

HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday - Thursday

7am-6am

(closed an hour for cleaning)

Friday- Sunday:

Open 24hrs

ADMISSION: $12.00

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. ________________________________________38-49 Philly boy looking for mail correspondence with guys in Philly while I ﬁnish my incarceration. 6’3”, blond hair, hazel eyes. Lots to discuss. Will reply to every letter. Give this a try, I guarantee you’ll have fun. Kenneth Houck, #06743-015, Englewood FCE, 9595 W. Quincy Ave., Littleton CO 80123. ________________________________________38-49 BM with big tool wans to nail a bottom to the ﬂoor. BM has equipment to make a bottom wish he wants more. I’m 6 ft and 198 lbs. and have 8.5 inches and 1.25 girth and know how to use it. Call anytime 215-763-3391. All replies answered. ________________________________________38-49 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. ________________________________________38-50

Massage David, 65, 6’, 200 lbs., attentive. 215-569-4949. (24/7) ________________________________________39-09

Since 1976

PGN

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

P.A.N.G. (Philadelphia Area Nudist Group) Sunday, Dec. 14th • Time: 3pm- 6pm

BOYS WILL BE BOYS- AWAKEN YOUR INNER SPIRIT WHAT TO EXPECT:

• DJ David Dutch • Complimentary Food & Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & So Much More For More Information: http://groups.yahoo.com/pang

WEEKLY SPECIALS: LATE NIGHT CREEP

Half Price Lockers (12 Midnight- 8am/ Monday- Thursday) MEMBERS: $9.00 & NON-MEMBERS: $19.00

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:

UNDER THE MISTLETOE

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

WHAT TO EXPECT:

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

Saturday, Dec. 20th • Time: 11pm-3:30am • DJ David Dutch • Complimentary Food & Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & So Much More

- ROOMS GO QUICKLY SO CHECK IN EARLY -

TUESDAYS

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

Arts

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

Recreation

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

Sports

Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for practice at p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Greenfield Park, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area with games on Sundays, beginning in April, at the Dairy and Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch at Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www.philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club, open to LGBT and allies, practices 8-10 p.m. Mondays and 2-4 p.m. Saturdays; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, open to male and female swimmers, meets 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Friends Select School and 10:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays; www.philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League meets 8:30 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 plays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at FDR Park; www.phillyflagfootball.com Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club, open to players of all skill levels, meets 7:45 p.m. Thursdays at Columbus Square Park, 1200 Wharton St.; 215-913-7531, philadelphiagryphons.org, becomeagryphon@gmail.com. Philadelphia Liberty Belles women’s semi-pro full-tackle football league holds fall tryouts; phillybelles.com. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association plays yearround, all skill levels welcome; philadelphialibertytennis. com. Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team seeks players; www.philadelphiafirebirds.com. Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League seeks players, all skill levels and ages. Practice is 7 p.m. Thursdays at Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 17th and Fitzwater streets, with games at 2:30 p.m. Sundays; 215-991-5995 (day), 301-919-1194 (evening), phillywomensbaseball.com. Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; 917-656-1936, phury@gayhockey.org. Philly QCycle LGBT bicycling club promotes organized recreational riding for all levels in the Greater Philadelphia region; contact the organization via Facebook. Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley motorcycle club meets regularly; 215-836-0440, www.groups.yahoo.com/ group/rainbowridersdv/. Rainbow Rollers gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Boulevard Lanes in Northeast Philadelphia; rainbowrollers.com. Spartan Wrestling Club gay wrestling team meets 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-732-4545, www.phillyspartans.com.

Etc.

AIDS Law Project provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing at 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 600; 215587-9377, www.aidslawpa.org. BiUnity, Philadelphia-area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends; http://biunity. org. Delaware Valley Pink Pistols, for LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for self-defense, meets 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; primetimersofphiladelphia@yahoo.com. Philadelphians MC Club, for leather men and women, meets 7:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; philadelphiansmc.org. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL-affiliated, weekly HF nets, quarterly newsletter; www.rara.org. Silver Foxes, a social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older, meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Sunday of the month at William Way; 215-732-2220. SNJ Queers meets monthly for queer/queer-friendly folks in South Jersey to mix and mingle; 856-375-3708, wmf69@comast.net.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 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 4-8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday. 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 n The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 215-496-0330 ■ District Attorney LGBT Liaison:Helen “Nellie” Fitzpatrick,

■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, self-employed and business owners meets monthly in a different location throughout the city, invites speakers on various topics, partners with other nonprofits and maintains a website where everyone is invited to sign up for email notices for activities and

■ 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 215-686-9980, helen.fitzpatrick@ phila.gov ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378 ■ LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK ■ Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs: Gloria Casarez, 215-6862194; Gloria.Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: 215-686-2555

■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670 ■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 1-877-pride-2000 ■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel: 215-6863318 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686 (Rick Lombardo); ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288

■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBT-LAW; Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658

■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537

■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833

■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)

Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 216 W. Somerset St.; 215-763-8870. ActionAIDS Provides a range of programs for people affected by HIV/ AIDS, including case management, prevention, testing and education services at 1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088; www.actionaids.org. AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 1711 S. Broad St.; 215-629-2300; www.asiac.org. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; 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.; 215-

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia GALLOP holds board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; GALLOP also provides a free referral service; 215-627-9090; www.galloplaw. org.

■ 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.

685-1821. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing available 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.; 610-5869077. Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth floor; 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronic-disease management, including comprehensive HIV care, 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-noon Friday; 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

Professional groups events; www.gppn.org; 215-9223377.

■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www. nlgja.org/philly; philly@nlgja.org.

■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses and professionals. Visit www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com for information about events, programs and membership; 215-557-0190; 1717 Arch St., Suite 3370.

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

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014

COMING UP AT

PGN

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29 • 3PM – 8PM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 9PM Jamison Celtic Rock 10PM DJ Sev One

10 winners selected every hour; GRAND PRIZE $10,000 free slot play!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29 5PM Where’s Pete Band 9PM Bigg Romeo 10PM DJ Eric Vanderslice

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30 3PM Showcase Sundays

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 9PM Conklin’s Comedy Night

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 9PM Latin Night

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 9PM The BSTREETBAND 10PM DJ Sev One

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 5PM Tuesday’s Gone 9PM The Exceptions 10PM DJ Eric Vanderslice

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 5PM Smooth Edge Band Visit parxcasino.com/calendar for full schedule.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2 2PM – 10PM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 2PM – 10PM

Earn entries to roll the Parx Dice for HOT free slot play prizes!

One winner every 15 minutes takes a turn in the Parx Money Machine!

PARXCASINO.COM • MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR CANCEL THESE PROMOTIONS AT ANY TIME. MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN. VISIT XCLUB FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS, RULES & REGULATIONS. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1.800.GAMBLER