PGN Dec.12-18, 2014

Where to go, what to see, all things LGBT: Out & About PAGES 38-39

Family Portrait: Amir Yogev makes Christmas dance PAGE 35

Local authors, artists and musicians have some holiday options for shoppers PAGE 33

Activist calls on local school district to ban Scouts PAGE 5 Dec. 12-18, 2014

Since 1976

PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM

Vol. 38 No. 50

Local man contends discrimination from PA car-rental co.

Montco marriages remain in limbo

By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com

By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com A plan is underway to validate about 100 marriage licenses issued in Montgomery County to samesex couples prior to Pennsylvania legalizing marriage equality.

The Whitewood ruling, issued May 20, established marriage equality throughout the state.

But due to conflicting legal interpretations, the validity of about 100 marriage licenses issued

by Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes remains in question. The state challenged their validity, claiming Hanes exceeded his authority when issuing the licenses.

Twenty-one same-sex couples with marriage licenses issued

by Hanes filed suit in September 2013, seeking to have their marriages validated. That case, known as Ballen, was settled in September, when the state agreed to validate the plaintiffs’ marriages, effective May 20, 2014.

Now, Hanes says the state should validate the marriages of an additional 100 couples who did not take part in the lawsuit. He said letters will be sent to those couples this week, suggesting they contact the state Office of General Counsel to have their marriages validated, effective May 20, 2014.

“I certainly hope we can put this matter to rest as soon as possible with this viable option,” Hanes told PGN. Hanes expressed optimism that state officials will cooperate.

“I’m hoping the state will honor our request,” Hanes continued. “I can’t imagine the Office of General Counsel will want to treat these [100] couples PAGE 23

FOOTBALLER AND FUNDRAISER: About 275 people turned out for Philadelphia FIGHT’s annual gala, including FIGHT executive director Jane Shull (from left), keynote speaker and former NFL player Wade Davis, Jonathan Lax Center medical director Dr. Karam Mounzer, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, FIGHT deputy director Mike Marsico, Y-HEP communications and operations supervisor Tiffany Thompson and FIGHT counselor and tester Waheedah Shabazz-El. The event, held Dec. 5 at The Union League, raised about $60,000 for the agency. Photo: Scott A. Drake

A Philadelphia resident visiting family in Pittsburgh over Thanksgiving weekend says he was subjected to antigay remarks by a staffer of the company from which he rented a car.

Kevin Hoover, 43, rented a car from an Avis dealer in Philadelphia. He was with his 73-year-old mother Nov. 28 in Pittsburgh when, he says, an Avis employee made discriminatory remarks based on Hoover’s sex and perceived sexual orientation.

He has filed a complaint with the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations.

Philly reports no LGBT hate crimes in 2013

Out Reading Terminal head to make Council run

By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com The manager of an iconic Philadelphia landmark will step down from his longheld position to make a run for public office.

Paul Steinke, general manager of the Reading Terminal Market, announced Monday he is resigning from RTM to make a run for Philadelphia City Council.

If elected, Steinke would be the first openly gay City Council member.

“I think to be elected as the first openly gay Councilmember would be a great honor,” he said. “I have made LGBT advocacy a priority throughout my entire life. I am on the board of directors at William Way and the steering committee at PAGE 23 Human Rights

While out shopping, Hoover noticed that the “check tire” light came on on the vehicle dashboard.

Hoover did not have a tire-pressure gauge on him, nor did he know the best way to remedy the situation given that the car was not his.

He took the car to a nearby Avis, located at 625 Stanwix St., and approached a female employee inside the Avis office with his concern.

“I told her what happened, that the light on the dash came on. She told me that her manager was not here right now, but would be back soon, and would probably tell me to just go to a GetGo convenience PAGE 23 store for air,”

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

SANTA’S HELPERS: Members of the Out Philadelphia Athletic League traded their team colors for bartender blue at Delaware Valley Legacy Fund’s TOY, Dec. 6 at Fire & Ice, which hosted the event for the first time. DVLF executive director Samantha Giusti said more than 350 toys were collected for children served by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and ActionAIDS. “We are so thankful to Fire & Ice for being such an excellent partner in our event and to Hoffman Designs for transforming the space into a winter wonderland,” Giusti said. “Because of the community’s support, DVLF was able to raise significant funds to support the LGBTQ community in the region.” Photo: Scott A. Drake

According to statistics released by the FBI Tuesday, there were no hate crimes motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity committed in Philadelphia in 2013.

The data comes from the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics 2013 report, which documents bias-motivated incidents.

Pennsylvania’s hate-crimes law does not include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but new federal guidelines encourage optional tracking of such incidents.

There were 64 bias incidents reported in Pennsylvania last year, eight of PAGE 13

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PGN LOCAL

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

News Briefing Sixers to host LGBT night The Philadelphia 76ers will host its third Pride Night this weekend.

The team will welcome LGBTs and allies to its game versus the Grizzlies, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at Wells Fargo Center.

Proceeds from a 50/50 raffle at the game will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. Also that night, ACLU communication specialist Ben Bowens will be honored as a “Hero Among Us.” The Sixers last staged an LGBT night in 2010, and before that in 2006. To buy tickets for seats in the community section, use promo code PRIDE at checkout: www. sixers.com/promocode.

— Jen Colletta

Event to memorialize homeless Join hundreds of fellow Philadelphians to remember those homeless and formerly homeless who died in 2014 and to call for an end to homelessness.

The 2014 Homeless Memorial Day will take place 5 p.m. Dec. 18 at Dilworth Park, 15th and Market streets. It is hosted by Homeless Memorial Philly.

The group asserts that there are many factors that contribute to homelessness, including lack of affordable housing, inadequate education and economic opportunity and lack of access to quality health care. Homeless people are also often discriminated against in the form of dehumanizing attitudes, laws criminalizing homelessness and even acts of violence.

However, an important step in addressing homelessness is to assert the fundamental dignity of all persons who are in situations of homelessness and poverty.

For more information, contact Will O’Brien at 215-232-7272 ext. 3047 or WillOBrien@projecthome.org.

— Ryan Kasley

Settlement conference scheduled in cop case A settlement conference was slated to take place this week in the case of N. Melville Jones, an openly gay Philadelphia police officer who alleges pervasive antiLGBT workplace bias.

The conference was set for 3 p.m. Dec. 12 in Room 622 of City Hall.

“The settlement conference typically involves an official from the court discussing the case and reasoning with the sides to encourage a settlement,” said Barak A. Kassutto, an attorney for Jones. “I can’t go into more details at this time.”

Jones filed suit last year, alleging exten-

sive harassment and hostile working conditions due to his sexual orientation.

He also claims that a supervisor outed him throughout the police department after seeing him leave a gay bar in Washington, D.C. Jones is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, according to court records.

Local transwoman to challenge constitutionality of GID exclusion Transgender woman Kate L. Blatt plans to challenge the constitutionality of Congress excluding gender-identity disorder as a protected disability when enacting the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1989.

The ADA protects persons with disabilities from discrimination in employment, public accommodations, transportation and other venues.

Blatt is suing her former employer, Cabela’s Inc., alleging discrimination on the basis of her sex and disability. Blatt, 33, says she suffered from GID while working at Cabela’s in Hamburg, Pa. She says Cabela’s banned her from a female restroom, thus denying her a reasonable accommodation for her disability.

But Cabela’s argues that since GID isn’t covered by the ADA, Blatt couldn’t have been discriminated against because of a disability.

In a Nov. 26 filing, Blatt notified the court she plans to challenge the constitutionality of excluding GID from the ADA. On Dec. 1, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L.

Schmehl gave Blatt until Jan. 5 to file her constitutional challenge.

Schmehl also said Blatt could file a 45-page brief, rather than a standard 25-page brief.

Schedule issued in Morris case Philadelphia Common Pleas Court has issued a scheduling order in PGN’s open-records request for complete dispatch records pertaining to the Nizah Morris case.

PGN filed suit in October, seeking complete dispatch records from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office for a vehicle stop initiated by Officer Elizabeth Skala.

Shortly before her Dec. 22, 2002, vehicle stop, Skala gave Morris a Center City “courtesy ride.”

Shortly after the ride, the transgender woman was found by passing motorists with a fatal head wound.

It remains unclear why Skala embarked on the unrelated vehicle stop. At the time, she was still assigned to handle Morris, who was extremely inebriated.

According to a scheduling order, PGN’s brief is due by March 2 and the D.A.’s brief is due by April 6.

Oral arguments are expected to be held some time after May 4.

The Morris homicide remains unsolved, and advocates seek a state probe. But so far, state Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane hasn’t agreed to review the matter. n — Timothy Cwiek

locations in Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA — AROUND THE GAYBORHOOD

12th Street Gym, 204 S. 12th St. • 13th Street Gourmet Pizza, 209 S. 13th St. • AACO, 1101 Market St., 9th floor • Action AIDS, 1216 Arch St. • Apt. & Townhouse Rentals, 304 S. 12th St. • ASIAC, 1711 S. Broad St. • The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St. • Bioscript Pharmacy, 1227 Locust St. • Cafe Twelve, 212 S. 12th St. • Charlie Salon, 203 S. 12th St. • City Hall NE Entrance • Club Body Center, 1220 Chancellor St. • Com-Har Living Room, 101 S. Broad St., 14th floor • Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. • Cut Salon, 204 S. 13th St. • Danny’s Bookstore 133 S. 13th St. • Dignity/St. Lukes, 330 S. 13th St. • Dirty Frank’s Bar, 13th & Pine sts. • The Foodery, 10th & Pine sts. • Fusion Gym, 105 S. 12th St., 2nd floor • Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St. • I Goldberg, 1300 Chestnut St. • ICandy, 254 S. 12th St. • Independent Hotel, 13th & Locust sts. • John C. Anderson Apts., 249 S. 13th St. • Mazzoni Clinic, 809 Locust St. • Midtown II, 122 S. 11th St. • More Than Just Ice Cream, 1119 Locust St. • Pa. AIDS Law Project, 1211 Chestnut St., 12th floor • Paolo Pizzeria, 1336 Pine St. • Parker Hotel Lobby, 261 S. 13th St. • Phila. FIGHT/Aids Library, 1233 Locust St., 5th floor • Phila. Family Planning Commission, 260 S. Broad St., 10th floor • Planned Parenthood, 1144 Locust St. • Sansom Cinema, 120 S. 13th St., basement • Santa Fe Burrito, 212 S. 11th St. • Scorpio Books, 202 S. Juniper St. • Sisters, 1320 Chancellor St. • Spruce Street Video, 252 S. 12th St. • Packard Apartments, 317 N. Broad St. • Safeguards lobby, 1211 Chestnut St. #610 • Salon K, 1216 Locust St. • Sante Fe Burrito, 212 S. 11th St. • Tabu, 200 S. 12th St. • Tavern on Camac, 243 S. Camac St. • Toast, 12th & Spruce sts. • Triangle Medicine, 253 S. 10th St., 1st floor • U Bar, 1220 Locust St. • Valanni, 1229 Spruce St. • Venture Inn, 255 S. Camac St. • Westbury, 261 S. 13th St. • William Way LGBT Community Center, 1325 Spruce St.

PHILADELPHIA — C.C. EAST OF BROAD

Bean Café, 615 South St. • Best Western Independence Park Hotel lobby, 215 Chestnut St. • Cedrone’s Flowers, 800 Lombard St. • Chocolate Works Condo lobby, 321 N. Third St. • Copabanana, 342 South St. • Dane Décor, 315 Arch St. • Famous 4th St. Deli, Fourth & Bainbridge sts. • Hopkinson House, 604 S. Washington Sq. • Hyatt Regency Hotel lobby, 201 S. Columbus Blvd. • Independence Place Condos, 241 S. Sixth St., lobby in both towers • Independence Visitors Center, Sixth & Market sts. • Old City Ironworks Gym, 141 N. Second St. • Nationality Service Center, 1216 Arch St. • Packard Apts., 317 N. Broad St. • PGN offices, 505 S. Fourth St. • Philadelphia Java Co., 518 S. Fourth St. • Reading Terminal Market, 12th & Filbert sts. • Strands Salon, 25 N. Third St. •

PHILADELPHIA — C.C. WEST OF BROAD

Adonis Cinema, 2026 Sansom St. • Art Institute, 2300 Market St. • The Attic Youth Center, 255 S. 16th St. • Bob & Barbara’s, 1509 South St. • Book Bin, 22nd & Market sts. • Dan Tobey R/E, 1401 Walnut St., 8th floor • Dr. Wakefield’s Office, 255 S. 17th St., Suite 2306 • Drexel Partnership, 1427 Vine St., 3rd floor • Latimer Deli, 255 S. 15th St. • L-2 Restaurant, 22nd & South sts. • MANNA, 12 S. 23rd St. • Marine Club Condos lobby, Broad St. & Washington Ave. • Metropolitan, 115 N. 15th St. • Safeguards Lobby, 1700 Market St., 18th floor • Sansom St. Gym, 2020 Sansom St. • South Square Market, 2221 South St. • Titan Room, 22nd & Market sts. • Touraine Building lobby, 1520 Spruce St. • U Do It Laundry, 15th & Spruce sts. • Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel, 17th & Race sts. •

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 Dec. 12-18, 2014

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PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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Weekly features

News&Opinion 2 — News Briefing 7 — Wedding 10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Mark My Words Op-Ed Street Talk 14 — Crime Watch

AC &

35 37 38 38 42

— — — — —

C o l u m n s

Family Portrait Scene in Philly Out & About Comics Q Puzzle

8 — Thinking Queerly: Harmful effects of bullying 21 — Out Money: Estate planning

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

Openly gay UArts president Sean Buffington is stepping down.

33 DRINKS AND DESSERTS: Mazzoni Center care-services director Alecia Manley (left) and medical-case manager Jessica Cooper dished out treats at the agency’s annual Beer & Cupcakes fundraiser at The Bike Stop Dec. 5. About 150 people attended the event, which raised more than $2,000 for the organization’s Emergency Need Fund, which Mazzoni communications manager Elisabeth Flynn noted “will provide warm winter coats and other critical items for low-income clients and families who are living with HIV, as well as the youth who attend our weekly drop-in clinic.” Flynn added that the agency gives its “thanks to everyone who attended, and especially to our friends at The Bike Stop who have generously hosted us for several years.” Photo: Scott A. Drake

This week in PGN 5 — Scouts assembly puts school district under scrutiny 6 — Out UArts president moving on

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33 — Arts & Culture cover story: What local artists have to offer for the holidays 39 — “The Circle” looks at 1950s gay Zurich

“Not only are victims of bullying much more likely to experience pervasive feelings of shame, low self-esteem and rejection, but they are also substantially more susceptible to mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.” ~ Kristina Furia, “Thinking Queerly,” page 8

Two weeks Our annual issue recapping top stories and favorite photos

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

One half of the “gay-porn twin burglars” pens memoir: “On My Search for a Better Life, This is How I Became Infamous.”

Judy Gold to tell New Hopers “If You Only Knew the Agony” this weekend.

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

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

HOmE FOR THE HOLIDAYS: The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus officially welcomed the holiday season with a “Down-Home Holiday” concert Dec. 5 at Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion. The performance included traditional holiday classics fused with country tunes. PGMC will host auditions from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 17 at the church, 2111 Sansom St. Photo: Scott A. Drake

School district under fire for hosting Scouts assembly

By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com A Chester County public-school district that hosted a Boy Scouts of America recruitment assembly in September has come under criticism.

The Freethought Society, a nontheist organization, wants the Octorara Area School District to stop hosting BSA recruitment assemblies. But district officials say the BSA Chester County Council hasn’t been shown to discriminate and will be allowed to continue holding assemblies on campus.

The school district is based in Atglen, Chester County Margaret A. Downey, president of the Freethought Society, said BSA discriminates against nontheists, gays and other groups.

She said BSA shouldn’t be allowed to recruit in public schools during regular school hours.

Downey plans to attend an Octorara school-board meeting to explain her position.

“I will attend a school-board meeting to inform the public and more school officials that it’s irresponsible to allow BSA to recruit during school hours, on school property,” Downey said. “Allowing the assemblies conveys that BSA is endorsed by teachers and administrators.”

Octorara Area School District superintendent Thomas L. Newcome issued this statement about the BSA assemblies: “The [school board] feels this is a local matter and will address it as such if residents express a concern to either the admin-

istration or the [school board]. If any student has been harmed by the BSA presentations or if discrimination is brought forward in regards to local troops, the [school board] should be made aware and the district will address the situation. The district is welcoming to many organizations — and each has detractors. It has been our experience that the BSA troops in the Octorara community are open and welcoming to all children and have provided great opportunities for many to thrive.”

Newcome said he discussed Downey’s concern with the board.

“Since no person in the Octorara Area School District has registered a complaint to either myself or to the [school board] about our practice to allow the Boy Scouts of America to present a recruiting assembly with the children in the early elementary grades, the [board members] have directed me to let [Downey] know that the practice will continue into next September unless addressed as a local concern,” he said. “As we discussed, [Downey’s] fight is with the national organization not our local organization — which has shown no discrimination in practice that anyone has brought forward.”

Downey said the school district’s position won’t go unchallenged.

“Dr. Newcome is letting a blatantly discriminatory group on campus and that’s totally unacceptable,” Downey said.

She expressed concern that board members don’t fully understand the impact of BSA’s exclusionary membership policies.

“Just because there isn’t an active BSA discrimination case in Chester County doesn’t mean that PAGE 12

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LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

Pioneering out UArts prez to depart post

By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com

SHARING HER STORY: Dawn Munro read from “Outer Voices, Inner Lives” Dec. 7 at the John C. Anderson Apartments. Munro was one of 16 LGBTQ writers over 50 who shared their stories in the book, which was released last month. Munro is a retired science professor, transgender activist, and member of the board of the LGBT Elder Initiative and Police LGBT Liaison Committee, among other community involvement. She was awarded the Jaci Adams OutProud Transgender Award by Philly Pride Presents this fall at OutFest.

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One of the country’s first out college presidents is stepping down from his longheld position at a Philadelphia university.

Sean Buffington, president of University of the Arts since August 2007, will resign from his position effective Dec. 31. He has accepted a position at the Henry Luce Foundation in New York. Kirk Pillow, the current provost for UArts, has been elected interim president by the board effective Jan. 1. Buffington will remain at the university through of January to oversee the transition.

Buffington, 42, was recruited for the presidency by UArts from his previous position as an associate provost at Harvard University. Buffington said the reception was extremely positive at UArts.

“I was upfront with the search committee with my sexuality from the beginning,” he said. “The chairman of the search committee and the chairman of the board even met my partner. It was never an issue.”

We he arrived at UArts, he was not the only openly gay high-level administrator but was, to the best of his knowledge, the school’s first openly gay president, and only one of a few out college presidents in the country at that time, he said.

“When I first got here, there was a vice president who was openly gay, and of course there were some faculty members too, and there have been a lot more to come out since I have been president,” Buffington said.

As an LGBT person in a position of leadership, Buffington said he believes he and everyone in similar positions have an obligation to be open about their sexuality.

“It is important for us to stand as evidence that one can be LGBT and out and occupy important positions of leadership in our communities,” he said. “I hope that in being out I have served as an inspiration to younger academic professionals.”

The Chronicle of Higher Education profiled Buffington when he was appointed president at UArts and lamented the fact that there were not many out presidents.

Buffington said this prompted a lot of LGBT presidents to “raise their hands and say, ‘Hey, I am out.’” According to Buffington, this actually led to the formation of an LGBT presidents group that communicates regularly via email and has held two in-person meetings. Buffington estimates there are at least 50 presidents in the group now.

To academic professionals considering whether or not to come out, Buffington says: “Do it.”

“If you have the belief that you can make a difference in your academic community, then go for it,” he said. “If you are going to be a leader in higher education, one should

be upfront and honest, not just about what he believes intellectually, but in all aspects of his life, including his sexuality. The principles of openness and transparency are fundamental in the academic community.”

Buffington’s legacy at UArts began when he asked administrators and faculty, “Are we the institution we want to be?” Thus began a thorough self-assessment process that started with the faculty and ended up engaging everyone in the UArts community, Buffington said.

“We identified a number of areas we wanted to improve, then began a thorough planning process which led to big changes — new curricula that encourages collaboration across disciplinary boundaries, new majors, new faculty,” he said. “The university is in a very different place than it was seven years ago. That is not just my accomplishment but also a community accomplishment, initiated by me, but created and imagined and implemented by everyone.”

Before UArts, Buffington spent 13 years as an administrator at Harvard in various positions, such as assistant director of the Harvard Alumni Association from 1994-97, strategic planning and development work in the development office from 1997-99, assistant provost for Interfaculty Programs from 1999-2002, and finishing as associate provost for Arts and Culture from 2002-07.

During his time at Harvard, Buffington said he encountered no pushback from his colleagues because of his sexuality.

“Within the general community of the university, it was largely a non-issue,” he said. “I was out and my supervisors knew I was out. Every once in a while interacting with an alumni or donor, there may have been internalized homophobia, moments when I thought, maybe this is something I should not talk about, but 15-20 years ago we tended to censor ourselves more in those situations.”

The La Plata, Md., native said it was hard growing up gay in a very-Catholic family and in a small rural town.

“I went to Catholic grade school and high school,” Buffington said. “It wasn’t virulent but kind of an assumed low-level homophobia that generally permeated the culture that I grew up in. I certainly understood that I was attracted to men in high school.”

When Buffington PAGE 12

LOCAL PGN

Wedding Trish Aristone and Linda Jo Bird

By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com Trish Aristone and Linda Jo Bird were married on Nov. 22 at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. The couple won an Instagram video contest sponsored by Caesars Entertainment and received a wedding package valued at $50,000 — enabling them to have the wedding of their dreams.

The ceremony and reception at Bally’s, well attended and much celebrated by 150 friends and family members, was followed by a Caribbean honeymoon to Curaçao, an

island off the coast of Venezuela.

Aristone, 38, a director of reimbursement and customer service at a home health-care agency, and Bird, 48, a quality-assurance specialist for a small IT company, met on MySpace in January 2007. They look back and laugh about it now.

“We know, of all the places, MySpace,” Aristone joked. “But a week later we met at PJ Whelihan’s in Maple Shade, N.J. One of my friends was playing there that night.

The rest is history.”

“We were smitten with one another from the beginning. I cancelled my other dates that week,” Bird added jokingly. “Trish is the most patient person that I know. It’s

probably one of her best qualities. Not to mention, she is a really smart and caring person, just very nonjudgmental. That’s what I love about her. She is just perfect for me.”

“LJ is also perfect for me,” Aristone said.

“We have so much in common but we are opposite in a lot of ways so we balance each other out. LJ is kind to everyone, beautiful.

She is patient with me even though she has no patience. We are kind of like a yin-yang situation. Everything just clicks with us.

Arguments don’t even last long with us.

We don’t hold grudges. It’s just a really easy relationship. I’ve never been happier in my life.”

It didn’t take long for the couple to decide they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

On their three-year anniversary in November 2010, the couple got engaged at the fountain in front of the Lincoln Center in New York City.

“I surprised LJ,” Aristone said, “and popped the question with my grandmother’s ring. I already had the blessing of both our families. Of course, LJ said yes.”

However, marriage was not yet legal in their home state of New Jersey and they decided to wait until it was.

“We weren’t in a rush,” Aristone said.

“When it became legal in October 2013, we started coming up with ideas. Then later on, in March, we heard about the contest that Caesars was having.”

The “Love is Love $50,000 Giveaway” contest asked same-sex couples to share why the prize should be theirs in an Instagram video. Aristone and Bird took a unique approach, and centered their video entry on marriage equality. In the end, it paid off.

The couple, affectionately known as “The Birdstones” (a combination of their surnames), currently resides in Merchantville, N.J., with their “dog-child,” a Shih Tzu named Dixie.

To view the @birdstones2be video entry, search Instagram using #loveisloveinac. n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

PGN mental health

The harmful effects of bullying having “special needs,” making any of Yet another young child took his own life as a result of persistent gay-based the acts described here clear examples of bullying last week. Ronin Shimizu, 12, bullying. One national survey conducted shows that (one of) the most likely groups started being bullied at school last year to be targets of bullying are after becoming the only male children and adolescents who student on the cheerleading are either LGBT or thought squad. While some of his to be so. In 2011, the Gay, friends described Ronin as Lesbian and Straight Education seemingly impervious to this Network found that 82 percent sort of mistreatment, it is clear of LGBT adolescents surveyed now that he was suppressreported experiencing some ing the painful feelings that form of bullying within the accompany being bullied by last year — a truly alarming peers until he could no longer rate. Of those students, 61 pertolerate it. We all know that cent stated they did not report children can be mean but bulthe incident to the school; of lying is a far cry from child’s the students who did inform play. It has very real and school administration, they long-lasting effects, the worst of which is suicide.

Kristina Furia reported little to no action Bullying is described as being taken. Consequently, unwanted aggressive behavior occurring LGBT students are also more likely to repeatedly towards the same person with miss school due to feeling unsafe, which, the presence of an imbalance of power of course, brings about its own set of between the individual targeted and the problems, such as poor academic perforbully. Bullying includes more than just mance. afflicting physical harm; any effort to For those who have ever been the vicharm a person’s reputation, to damage tim of bullying, you well know that there their property or to verbally assault the are much greater effects than simply the target are considered bullying behaviors. embarrassment and pain experienced Unfortunately, at present, LGBT youth in the moment. In fact, it’s been shown generally experience an inequality of that the psychological effects of bullypower and are sometimes described as ing could last long into adulthood. Not

Thinking Queerly

only are victims of bullying much more likely to experience pervasive feelings of shame, low self-esteem and rejection, but they are also substantially more susceptible to mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, LGBT youth are more likely to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, which often turns into dependence that may then lead to dropping out of school, engagement in high-risk behaviors and even incarceration. Most tragically of all, LGBT teenagers are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide and up to eight times more likely to commit suicide if they are not accepted by family members.

Interestingly, there is no significant difference in these statistics between LGBT youth and youth bullied for being perceived as LGBT by others — a reminder of how negatively society views homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism.

For those of us who have never been subjected to bullying and its harmful effects, it certainly feels impossible not to be affected by hearing stories like Ronin’s, a little boy his parents described as “loving, compassionate, empathetic, artistic and funny” and “not afraid to follow his heart.” Stories like his not only serve as cold, hard reminders that, no, we have not gained full acceptance, but they also perpetuate feelings of alienation

from mainstream society for many of us.

We are not the same as our heterosexual counterparts. Our youth is bullied. Our youth suffers. Our youth commits suicide.

If there has ever been a time to make a call to action, it’s now. While in recent years anti-bullying laws were instituted in every state but Montana, we need to ensure that these laws are enforced. We must encourage parents of LGBT youth to provide their children support in the form of acceptance and, if necessary, counseling and psychotherapy. There is a great urgency to help the youngest members of our community to experience feelings of acceptance, because with acceptance comes lower rates of mental illness, substance abuse and suicide attempts and successes. With acceptance, LGBT youth will thrive in school and go on to pursue higher education. Without it, there will undoubtedly be more stories like the one of Ronin, a little boy who was meant to live. n Kristina Furia is a psychotherapist specializing in issues and concerns of the LGBTQ community in addition to depression, anxiety, substance abuse and other mental illnesses. Her private practice, Philadelphia LGBTQ Counseling, offers both individual and couples sessions (www.lgbtphillytherapy.com).

We put our energy into celebrating pride.

At PECO, we’re proud to support the LGBT community. So much so that the Exelon family of companies was recently recognized with the “2014 Corporate Equality Index Best Place to Work for LGBT Employees” award. Not to mention, PECO received the “Best Business” award at the Pride Day LGBT Parade and Festival for the second year in a row. We’re committed to LGBT inclusion and equality because we believe that working with individuals with different perspectives and backgrounds drive some of the most powerful outcomes. It’s what makes us proud to be a part of Exelon and happy to celebrate the power of diversity.

© PECO Energy Company, 2014

70-14-186074_PECO_PGN_10.125x5.6_4C_r0.indd 1

www.peco.com

7/21/14 4:53 PM

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

The Duggars

Editorial

Ignorance is not bliss With legislative, judicial and public-opinion victories this year, the LGBT community in our country appears to be at an unprecedented crescendo. But our wins aren’t universal, and shouldn’t make us impervious to the seemingly distant fights plaguing our LGBT brothers and sisters.

While here at home we’re celebrating state after state adopting marriage-equality laws, LGBTs in other parts of the globe are being killed, tortured and persecuted simply for identifying as LGBT. Just this week, police in Egypt raided a bathhouse in Cairo, arresting several-dozen men who are expected to be charged with “debauchery”; the arrests are thought to be the direct result of a television-news broadcast about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in which a reporter identified the location of the club. The reporter proclaimed she was moved to report on the bathhouse because “our society is full of disasters, and if we kept hiding from that without facing those disasters, we will all be destroyed.”

It wasn’t all that long ago when bathhouse and bar raids were common in our own country. But the sobering realization that this remains a way of life in a great portion of the rest of the world puts our own successes into stark contrast — and should make us better appreciate the freedom with which most of us are able to live each day.

And it should motivate us to affect change beyond our small corner of the world. The geographical distance between ourselves and the areas where LGBTs face daily dangerous conditions may be an inherent barrier, but we can still support the organizations that have in-roads in those societies, and do our own part to heighten public awareness and mobilization.

While our community — and American society in general — could benefit from being more cognizant and engaged in global conditions, this discussion can also be centered on our country. The community is at a very important tipping point, as LGBT becomes more mainstream and major fights like marriage equality are quickly being resolved — but homophobia and prejudice remain rampant. Changing laws doesn’t always equate to changing minds.

Just this month, a young boy took his own life after pervasive bullying for what his peers deemed to be non-masculine traits. While the LGBT community in our country may no longer be subject to bathhouse and bar raids, the spirit that motivated such incidents — and continues to spur more overt and deadly conditions around the world — is by no means eradicated.

While victories should be marked, they shouldn’t preclude us from working to uproot the mindsets that made those wins necessary in the first place. n

I’ll admit I’ve never watched “19 and Counting,” the reality show about the Duggar family.

But from what I understand, it’s a show about Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, a woman and man so sex-obsessed that they can’t stop fucking to the point that Michelle is literally pregnant, like, all of the time forever.

Anyway, they have anywhere from 19-100 children — who can keep track?

If the above description sounds a little inflammatory and sensationalized, well, welcome to how LGBT people feel when right-wingers like the Duggars and the American Family Association describe their families. The fact that two women or two men might — gasp! — want to have sex with each other is all of the proof the antigay right needs to dismiss our families as illegitimate and to campaign for and support discriminatory laws against us.

Personally, I would not want to have 19 children. That is so many children! If the Duggars had cats instead of kids, they would still be on TLC, only instead of having their own show they’d be featured on “Hoarding: Buried Alive.”

But you know what? Ain’t none of my business how many kids the Duggars have (I mean, aside from the fact that, by being on TV, they’re basically making it everybody’s business).

I’m a very live-andlet-live kind of person.

That is, until Michelle Duggar makes antitrans robo-calls and the Duggars drop $10,000 in an effort to reverse an LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance in Fayetteville, Ark. They may be busy popping out kids, but they apparently have time to try to make life more difficult for people and families they don’t like.

Needless to say, this pissed some folks off and TLC, the TV channel that the Duggars call home, was called upon to cancel their show. Which of course they won’t do because … money.

Still, the very idea that the Duggars might have to have their next kid off the air sent the antigay stalwarts at the American Family Association into a tizzy and they urged their minions to #DefendTheDuggars.

“Rabid homosexual activists have made America’s favorite family enemy Number One,” the AFA lamented on its website. “The Duggars are under a mali-

cious attack because of their uncompromising stand on marriage and abstinence; the homosexual lobby has drawn a bully bead on Jim and Michelle Duggar. Gay activists are publicly labeling Jim and Michelle with words like ‘ignorance’ and ‘fear mongering.’”

Well, if there’s one thing that’s true of “gay activists,” we know “ignorance” and “fear mongering” when we see it.

Apparently that hurts the Duggars’ feelings. I have the perfect solution: Stop being ignorant fear mongers.

The AFA post continues, “In the past week, homosexuals launched a very frightening and fast-growing petition asking TLC to cancel ‘19 Kids and Counting.’ Already, their hate-filled petition has gathered 130,000 signatures, thanks to the liberal media’s propaganda machine.”

Actually, as of this writing, that number is 172,725. (You can sign it here: http://tinyurl.com/ CancelTheDuggars.)

The AFA has a Support the Duggars petition of its own with 130,839 signatures at last count.

The best thing to come of all of this, however, is the #DefendTheDuggars Twitter campaign started by Scott Wooledge, which has raised more than $25,000 for Lucie’s Place, an organization that helps homeless LGBT youth in Arkansas. And with The Duggars fighting against laws to protect the very kids Lucie’s Place serves, they sure can use it.

So head over to www.luciesplace.org and send them $19 bucks (or more!) in (dis) honor of the Duggars. n

The very idea that the Duggars might have to have their next kid off the air sent the antigay stalwarts at the American Family Association into a tizzy and they urged their minions to #DefendTheDuggars.

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.

Op-Ed PGN

The LGBT welcome mat Pope Francis, thank you for your kind Buenos Aires … We have to find a way to words about LGBT families and LGBT help that father or that mother to stand by children. their son or daughter,” he said in an inter Last week, His Holiness said, “The view with Argentina’s La Nación.

Catholic Church must help parents stand So with this in mind, we need to help by their gay children.”

U.S. bishops learn more about our com The pontiff’s comments munity. Chaput will be among came a day after he urged the hosts of the World Meeting church officials to pay attenof Families in Philadelphia next tion to the “signs of the times.” fall, which Pope Francis will This is groundbreaking espeattend. Chaput has stated that cially since he was speaking thousands of Catholic housein regards to a meeting of holds should offer to house American bishops, who, to say some of the visitors who will be the least, have not been so kind coming from around the globe. to LGBT Catholics. And sadly With that in mind, I’d like to enough, while other bishops suggest that LGBT Catholic see a church attempting to join families meet that calling and the 21st century, Philadelphia call the Archdiocese to offer Archbishop Charles Chaput their homes. Let us help His now seems to be leading a camHoliness with his mission.

On a personal note, Your paign of opposition.

While the pope noted it is Mark Segal Holiness, my offer to take you important to welcome gay for a cheesesteak is still on the Catholics, he still is opposed to same-sex table. n marriage. But he said his views on LGBT Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the youth were in part formed from personal nation’s most-award-winning commenexperiences. tator in LGBT media. You can follow “We come across this reality all the time in the confessional: a father and a mother him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ whose son or daughter is in that situaMarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter. tion. This happened to me several times in com/PhilaGayNews.

Mark My Words

Op-Ed

Jennifer Patterson, DO

Healthy living with HIV As recently as the late 1980s, an HIV infection usually meant an early death.

Within a few years or even a few months of contracting the virus, people would develop AIDS, a disease that destroys the body’s ability to defend itself from threats including viruses, bacteria and some types of cancer cells.

Since HIV can quickly cause damage to your immune system and can lead to AIDS, getting timely treatment can help improve life expectancy. With the right treatment, you can help prevent the virus from developing into AIDS, improving both your life expectancy and quality of life. Today, people with HIV are living a long time due to the many highly effective treatments available. Modern treatments for HIV, such as highly active antiretroviral therapy, prevent the HIV virus from multiplying and destroying the immune system.

This keeps your body strong and healthy by helping you fight off life-threatening infections and preventing HIV from progressing to AIDS. Once you are diagnosed with HIV, it’s important to find an HIV provider you can build a trusted relationship with. Work with your HIV provider and family physician to address your HIV, obtain the right treat-

ment and, most importantly, take care of yourself. You and your physician should work to develop a personalized plan to slow the progression of the disease. This will generally include: Health maintenance interventions: Get routine vaccinations for diseases, such as tetanus and diphtheria and an annual flu shot.

Disease prevention: Obtain regular cholesterol and cardiac screenings, blood-pressure checks, colonoscopies, mammograms, pap smears and other screenings tailored to risk factors.

Antiretroviral therapy: Antiretroviral drugs are usually used in combinations of three or more drugs from more than one class, called “combination therapy.”

Combination therapy helps prevent drug resistance. Manufacturers are researching ways to make their drugs easier to take, and have combined some of them into a single tablet regimen.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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Street Talk Is the killing of Michael Brown an LGBT issue?

"Yes. I think Michael Brown very possibly was the victim of excessive force by police. That [excessive Gary Schultz force] often computer programmer happens to Gayborhood members of our community. I've been victimized by police myself.

The experience really opened my eyes. So yes, I see a connection between what happened to Michael Brown and what happens to LGBT people on an occasional basis."

"No. I'm not even sure the killing of Michael Brown was a racial issue, let alone an LGBT issue. As far Katie Harris as I know, dog walker Michael Collingdale Brown's sexual orientation was never called into question. I'm open to hearing any facts that could convince me otherwise. But for now, I don't think it's a racial or LGBT issue."

"No. If the LGBT community focuses on its own cause, it's in a better position — rather than trying to fight Andrea Leombruni everyone artist else's battles. Horsham If you lose your focus, you really do dilute your strength. Put your positive energies into your cause."

"No. Gay people don't have the police after them as much as AfricanAmericans do. It's not a systemic James Gitto problem for store manager gay people to Rittenhouse Square be victimized by police brutality. I think it would be best for the LGBT community to just leave that [Michael Brown] issue alone."

Eat a balanced diet. Healthy eating is a good defense against HIV. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. If your medications reduce your appetite or cause stomach trouble, you’ll need to make an extra effort to get the nutrition you need. Discuss your nutritional needs with your doctor or a dietitian who is familiar with HIV. Talk with your doctor about vitamins and supplements. A general multivitamin can supplement your diet, but you might also benefit from supplements like selenium, which has been shown to boost immunity in HIV patients while suppressing level of virus in the body. Other helpful Getting the right treatment is just one supplements include vitamin D and calpart of staying healthy. You also need to cium for bone health and iron to fight anelive a healthy lifestyle and protect your mia, especially for menstruating women. body. Here are some ways to maintain your Exercise regularly. Exercise can improve health: lean body mass; decrease fat, stress, fatigue

and depression; and improve strength, endurance and cardiovascular fitness. It may also help the immune system work better.

Practice safe sex. Take precautions to reduce your risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease and infecting others.

Quit smoking. And don’t use any recreational drugs or medications not prescribed for you.

Relax and get enough sleep. There’s evidence that stress and fatigue will speed up the progression of HIV disease. Getting enough sleep will also give your body the strength and energy it needs to fight your illness. n Jennifer Patterson, DO, is an infectious-disease physician at Mercy Suburban Hospital, in East Norriton. For more information, call 610-275-0200.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

PGN SCOUTS from page 5

the BSA doesn’t discriminate,” she said.

“Literature, evidence and incidents around the nation and BSA’s own membership application have made it very clear that gays and atheists aren’t welcome.”

Downey also said a public school isn’t an appropriate venue for a BSA recruitment assembly.

“The fact that BSA is a private club should be enough evidence that a public school is the wrong venue for recruitment,” she continued. “Let them recruit in private religious schools since that is where they will find their target audience.”

She hopes enough pressure will be applied to prevent another BSA recruitment assembly at the Octorara Area School District.

“The next BSA assembly may take place in September 2015, so we have until June of 2015 to put a lot of pressure on the school district to stop this shameful activity on campus,” Downey said. “The Freethought Society has members with children in that school district. We represent them, because they’ve requested anonymity as they are fearful of retaliation.” n BUFFINGTON from page 6

came out his junior year of college at Harvard, his family was understanding, despite their religion.

“They were very loving and supportive when I decided to come out,” he said. “But it was challenging for them to come to grips with something they were unfamiliar with.”

Buffington credits the strong activism presence on campus as the impetus behind his decision to come out.

“Coming to terms and accepting that part of me took a couple of years of a different environment at Harvard. Boston and Harvard were reasonably welcoming places, but I remember that it still felt uncommon to see people standing up for LGBT rights and visibility.

“It was an interesting moment in the late ’80s. It was kind of in the immediate upwelling of activism spurred by the AIDS crisis. ACT UP was a very significant presence, right at the end of high school and beginning of college. Then, Queer Nation emerged as a more generally engaged activist organization while I was in college. That was the moment that I sort of came of age.”

Shortly thereafter, Buffington began to see himself going into academia as a career.

“When I came back to Harvard after grad school in Michigan and started in an administrative role, new and exciting opportunities kept presenting themselves to me. Each moment became another step in a 20-year career in higher education.”

Buffington never expected he would land a presidency — not because he was gay, but because “I don’t have a Ph.D.,” he said jokingly.

“The traditional path is to work your way up from a tenured faculty position. I knew it would be challenging because I didn’t go that route. But I seem to be among a growing number of presidents with vastly different life experiences, who are taking non-traditional paths.” n

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

HATE from page 1

which were motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation. There were no reported incidents related to a victim’s gender identity in the state; this was the first year the FBI tracked gender-identity-related crimes. The number of sexual-orientation-related incidents in the state doubled from 2012, when, of the four sexual-orientation-related incidents in Pennsylvania, two occurred in Philadelphia. The previous year, there were seven incidents motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation in Pennsylvania.

Nationally, there were 5,928 incidents in 2013 reported from 1,826 law-enforcement agencies, up from 5,796 the previous year. There were 1,233 incidents motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation, compared with 1,135 in 2012. The sexual orientation-related crimes comprised about 20 percent of the overall incidents, second only to race. There were 31 incidents motivated by a victim’s gender identity reported nationally in 2013, 23 of which were categorized as anti-trans, and eight of which were anti-gender-nonconforming.

In Pennsylvania, sexual orientation was the third most-common motivator; there were 44 race-related incidents, 11 motivated by religion and one by ethnicity. Of the eight incidents related to sexual orientation, three were committed in Pittsburgh, three in Reading, one in University Park and one in Skippack County. n

Finally.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

PGN LOCAL

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Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the Sixth Police District between Nov. 24-30. 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 — At 2:45 a.m. Nov. 26, two males met outside Woody’s and started walking together, with one stopping to talk to two other males at 13th and Locust streets before resuming walking with the first man. Once in the 200 block of South Jessup Street, the two males from 13th and Locust appeared and pushed the first man down and stole his wallet and cell phone. All three males left together. The suspects were described as black males. The first was in his 30s, 5-foot-9, stocky, with a beard and wearing a gray sweatshirt and black hat. The second was between 24-27, with an athletic build, short hair and a dark complexion and wearing a gray hoodie. The third was between 24-27, with long braided hair, wearing a dark hoodie.

— At 1:30 p.m. Nov. 25, a male stole the tip jar from Starbucks, 800 Chestnut St. He was described as a 60-year-old black male with a heavy build, wearing a gray coat and jeans.

— At 1 p.m. Nov. 28, a male stole clothing items from Danny’s Book Store, 133 S. 13th St. He was described as a 22-year-old black male, tall, thin, with a beard and medium complexion wearing a black sweater, white button-down shirt and black pants with a stripe.

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— Between 7 p.m. Nov. 21 and 9:30 a.m. Nov. 24, someone stole a 2011 Toyota that was parked in the 800 block of Pine Street with a spare set of keys inside. At 10:20 a.m. Nov. 25, 22nd District officers arrested a male operating the vehicle in the 1900 block of Etting Street. The 46-year-old suspect with a North Philadelphia address was charged with auto theft and related offenses.

— At 12:30 p.m. Nov. 27, while on a westbound MarketFrankford train at 11th and Market streets, a woman let a male use her cell phone and he then disappeared with the device. At 13th Street, the woman saw the male and demanded the phone back, and he refused and shoved her when she tried to detain him. SEPTA Police were alerted and took the suspect into custody at 16th and JFK Boulevard. The phone was not recovered.

The 54-year-old suspect with a Nicetown address was charged with theft and related offenses.

— At 11:30 p.m. Nov. 30, a guest in the Loews Hotel, 1200 Market St., punched and assaulted another guest, who sustained facial injuries, and several others inside the lobby. SEPTA Police arrested two suspects after being alerted by family members of the victim. A 35-year-old with a Cherry Hill, N.J., address and an 18-year-old with a Belmar, N.J., address were charged with assault and related offenses.

SUMMARY ARRESTS REPORTED: — At 4:25 p.m. Nov. 28, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 1302 Walnut St. — At 12:50 a.m. Nov. 30, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 124 S. 13th St. n

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

Winter Arts Festival Shopping Saturday, December 13, 2014

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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.

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PGN FINANCES

An estate-planning checklist Q: We are a married lesbian couple living in Pennsylvania with our two young children and are concerned that we may not have our affairs in proper order if something happened to one or both of us. Can you please offer us some guidance?

A: Now that your marriage is legally recognized both federally as well as on the state level in Pennsylvania, you have some important new protections you previously did not have. This is certainly a good time to revisit any past estate planning you may have done to make sure it is current.

Because you have worked hard to create a secure and comfortable lifestyle for your family and loved ones, you will want to ensure that you have a sound financial strategy that includes trust and estate planning. With some forethought, you may be able to minimize gift and estate taxes and preserve more of your assets for those you care about.

with careful planning. While your spouse will receive your estate free of estate taxes if he or she is a U.S. citizen, anything your spouse receives above his or her federal applicable exclusion amount may eventually be subject to estate taxes upon his or her death.1 Also, if you own assets such as property in another state, many states also have their own estate-tax regimes and apply different (lower) estate-tax applicable exclusion amounts, which you will need to consider with your estate-planning professional.

An estate-settlement cost analysis summarizes the costs of various estate-distribution arrangements. In estimating these costs, the analysis tests the effectiveness of any proposed estate-plan arrangement by testing various estate-settlement scenarios, the inflation and date of distribution assumptions as well as specific personal and charitable bequests.

Needless to say, estate planning can be very complex. And Jeremy while a simple will may adeGussick quately serve the estate-planning needs of some people, you should meet with a qualified legal advisor to be sure you are developing a plan that is consistent with your objectives.

Finally, be sure to recognize that estate planning is also an ongoing process that may require periodic review to ensure that plans are in concert with your changing goals. In addition, because estate planning often entails many facets of your personal finances, it often involves the coordinated efforts of qualified legal, tax, insurance and financial professionals.

Out Money

A needs evaluation One of the first steps in the estate-planning process is determining how much planning you will need to undertake. No two situations are alike.

And even individuals who don’t have a great deal of wealth require some degree of planning. On the flip side, those with substantial assets often require highly sophisticated estate-planning strategies.

Two key components of your initial needs evaluation are an estate analysis and a settlement-cost analysis. The estate analysis includes an in-depth review of your present estate-settlement arrangements.

This estate analysis will also disclose potential problems in your present plan and provide facts upon which to base decisions concerning alterations in your estate plan.

For example, you may believe that your current arrangements are all taken care of in a will that leaves everything to your spouse. However, if you have named anyone else as a beneficiary on other documents — life-insurance policies, retirement or pension plans, joint property deeds — those instructions, not your will, are going to govern the disposition of those assets.

You want to ensure that all your instructions work harmoniously to follow your wishes.

In addition, under certain circumstances, you may want to consider alternative asset-ownership arrangements. An estate plan that leaves everything to a surviving spouse enjoys the unlimited marital deduction against all estate taxes but fails to take advantage of the decedent spouse’s applicable exclusion amounts against estate taxes under federal and state law. This may result in a larger estate-tax burden at the death of the second spouse. Yet these are taxes that can potentially be minimized

Estate-planning checklist Bring this checklist to a qualified legal professional to discuss how to make your plan comprehensive and up-to-date.

Part 1: Communicating your wishes • Do you have a will?

• Are you comfortable with the executor(s) and trustee(s) you have selected?

• Have you executed a living will or health-care proxy in the event of catastrophic illness or disability?

• Have you considered a living trust to avoid probate?

• If you have a living trust, have you titled your assets in the name of the trust?

Part 2: Protecting your family • Does your will name a guardian for your children if both you and your spouse are deceased?

• Are you sure you have the right amount and type of life insurance for survivor income, loan repayment, capital needs and all estate-settlement expenses?

• Have you considered an irrevocable PAGE 23 life-insurance trust to

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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towards Hoover with his fists up and said that if Hoover did not leave he would call security, according to Hoover.

Once outside, Hoover says, he saw the female employee laughing through the window, and he gave her the middle finger, after which the manager approached him again threatening to call police if Hoover did not get in the car.

Hoover says he called Avis customer service as soon as he got into the vehicle. A customer service agent talked Hoover through the proper procedure to inflate the tire, and was apologetic for the incident Hoover relayed to him.

Hoover returned the car to a different location the next day in suburban Pittsburgh, where an employee there recommended he call the Avis district manager.

Hoover said he has been in contact with two Avis district managers. On Monday, one of the district managers told him that the male employee that allegedly threatened Hoover “is no longer there because of numerous complaints about him from other customers.” PGN was able to confirm with an Avis district manager, who asked to not be named, that the male employee is no longer working for the company but he could not confirm if he was terminated specifically because of the incident concerning Hoover.

Hoover said he was told by the district manager that the manager-in-question’s last day was Nov. 30.

However, the female employee is still working for the company.

A second Avis district manager, Barb Corsi, told PGN Tuesday that the woman is still employed

by Avis but, as of presstime, had not responded to questions regarding any remedial action taken against the female employee. n

MONTCO from page 1

AVIS from page 1

plaintiffs.”

Joshua Maus, a spokesperson for the state Office of General Counsel, indicated that state officials will work collaboratively with Hanes to resolve the matter.

“Since Whitewood was decided by Judge Jones May 20, the state Department of Health and its attorneys at the state Office of General Counsel have worked cooperatively and successfully with legal counsel for many same-sex couples — who had received marriage licenses from [Hanes] in the summer of 2013 and filed marriage certificates with [Hanes] — to obtain court declarations respecting the legality of their marital status,” Maus said in an email. “We are anxious to work with other similarly situated samesex couples who also wish to seek a judicial declaration respecting the status of their marriages, and we welcome the involvement of [Hanes] in a collaborative effort to aid those couples.”

If state officials cooperate, a notation will be made in the couples’ county records, specifying their new marriage dates, Hanes said.

“Once we get formal acknowledgement regarding these 100 couples, we’ll treat them exactly like the Ballen plaintiffs, and their marriages will be effective May 20,” he explained.

Hanes acknowledged that some of the couples may decline to participate in the plan.

But he expressed hope that all of them would do so.

Kenenth W. Oakes and K. Edward Rice are among the 100 couples whose marriages remain in question. They’ve been together for 19 years and got married in September 2013, after receiving a license issued by Hanes.

“I just hope this can get resolved as soon as possible,” Oakes told PGN. “At stake for us is several thousand dollars in federal-tax savings for this year. And we want to move forward.”

Oakes said he’s amenable to the plan set forth by Hanes.

“If the state cooperates, we’ll gladly go along with Mr. Hanes’ proposal. We’re perfectly willing to change the effective date of our marriage, if it will bring finality to the situation.” n

Hoover said. “I told her I did not have a tire gauge and did not know how much air to put in the tire.”

Then, according to Hoover, the employee went to the back of the office and started complaining to an associate about Hoover’s service request.

Hoover said the woman made remarks like, “These people are crazy,” within earshot of Hoover and his mother.

I said to her, “Excuse me, but we are standing right here and can hear you.” That’s when Hoover said the female employee told him, “Any real man would know how to put air in a car tire.”

“I told her that her remarks were discriminatory and that it is illegal to treat someone differently because of their sexual orientation in Pittsburgh.”

Pittsburgh’s nondiscrimination ordinance has included protections based on sexual orientation since 1990 and gender identity since 1997.

Hoover asked the employee for her name and she replied that it was “yo mamma.”

Then a man, whom the female employee referred to as her boss, appeared and asked what was happening, Hoover said, to which the woman replied, “These people were getting smart with me.”

Hoover said he asked to speak with the manager in private, but he refused.

“I told him that the female employee had made less-than desirable remarks, and that I was going to make a complaint. I asked if he would give me her name and he refused. He also refused to give me his name.”

He said he then told the manager that the female employee had made a homophobic remark, and he was going to make a complaint.

The manager proceeded to walk

MONEY from page 21

Part 4: Protecting your business • If you own a business, do you have a management-succession plan?

• Do you have a buy/sell agreement for your family business interests?

• Have you considered a gift program that involves your family-owned business, especially in light of “estate-freeze” rules?

(These rules were enacted by Congress to prevent people from artificially freezing their estate values for tax purposes.) n

exclude the insurance proceeds from being taxed as part of your estate?

• Have you considered creating trusts for family gift-giving?

Part 3: Reducing your taxes • If you are married, are you taking full advantage of the marital deduction?

• Is your estate plan designed to take advantage of your applicable exclusion amount?1 • Are you making gifts to family members that take advantage of the $14,000 annual gift-tax exclusion?

• Have you gifted assets with a strong probability of future appreciation in order to maximize future estate-tax savings?

• Have you considered charitable trusts that could provide you with both estateand income-tax benefits?

Jeremy R. Gussick is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer.* Gussick specializes in the financial-planning needs of the LGBT community and was recently named a 2014 FIVE STAR Wealth Manager by Philadelphia Magazine.** He is active with several LGBT organizations in the Philadelphia region, including the Delaware Valley

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

STEINKE from page 1

Campaign. Being gay is a large part of my identity — I have been in a 19-year relationship. I have always taken action in advancing LGBT equality.”

Effective Dec. 31, Steinke’s resignation will give him time to focus on his campaign throughout the month of January, he said.

“I have always had an interest in public service and running for office. I thought this cycle was the perfect opportunity.”

He will run for one of the seven at-large Council seats in the 2015 election.

“This will truly be a bittersweet transition,” Steinke said. “Reading Terminal Market has been a passion of mine for a long time, so to walk away for the last time as GM will be really tough. But I believe that I am leaving the Market in a strong position, and I want to see how I can apply my experience to help improve my hometown and the city that I love.”

Steinke’s major accomplishments at RTM include: leading the effort to get the Market open regularly on Sundays in 2006; overseeing a $4-million renovation project, which saw the additions of several new and renovated merchants; bringing back the highly popular Party for the Market gala fundraiser and supporting programming for nutrition education for Philadelphia school children.

Steinke was born and raised in Philadelphia, and said getting to know the city and improving it is a passion of his.

“I have spent the last 20

Legacy Fund and the Independence Business Alliance, the Philadelphia region’s LGBT chamber of commerce. OutMoney appears monthly. If you have a question, email Gussick at jeremy.gussick@lpl.com. LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. 1 The estate-tax exemption is $5.34 million for 2014, with a top tax rate of 40 percent.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor.

This article was prepared with the assistance of Wealth Management Systems Inc. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor.

Please consult me if you have any questions.

Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error

23

years in three separate positions,” he said. In addition to GM at RTM, his résumé boasts stints as the first executive director of the University City District and the director of finance and administration for the Center City District for seven years.

“That has given me exposure to how the city runs, and the problems and challenges of small business.”

In his current position, Steinke manages about 80 small businesses on a daily basis. He said he has seen how city government can sometimes be impeditive to the success of businesses.

“I would like to see the city be more of a partner with these businesses,” he said.

“Only through business can we grow the tax base, which is what we rely on to provide essential city services like parks and police and fire.

Only through business do we create job opportunities for our citizens.”

Steinke pointed out that the city has the highest poverty rate out of the 10 largest cities in America and a dismally high jobless rate.

“That is why I am making economic development, jobs and opportunities, helping small businesses start and develop and reducing city poverty and homelessness some of my top priorities,” he said. “I look at City Council and city government as it stands today and think, We can do better. We can solve the city’s problems in a better way. I think I have some unique strengths and experience to be part of making this city a better place and solve its problems.” n

by Wealth Management Systems Inc., or its sources, neither Wealth Management Systems Inc., nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall Wealth Management Systems Inc. be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscribers’ or others’ use of the content.

Wealth Management Systems, Inc. and LPL Financial are not affiliated entities. *As reported by Financial Planning magazine, 19962014, based on total revenues. **Award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients such as credentials, experience, and assets under management among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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

Page Page Page Page Page Page

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PAGE 37

Round off your shopping list with new works from area artists

By PGN Staff The local LGBT scene is rife with artistic talent, so if you’re going to spend your hard-earned gay dollars this holiday season, why not support the community in the process?

From new books to new music to new artwork, PGN culled standouts from locals that would make good additions to your holiday-shopping list. Happy reading (and listening, and viewing … )!

Alan Finn “Things Half in Shadow” Horror/Supernatural “Things Half in Shadow” is a funny, dark and edgy historical fiction that courts the supernatural in 1869 Philadelphia.

Civil War veteran and reporter Edward Clark is out to disprove mediums he believes are fakes. But, when he becomes tied to the murder of Lenora Grimes Pastor — perhaps the city’s only legitimate medium, the adventure begins to prove his innocence and find the real killer.

Princeton, N.J., resident Todd Ritter (who uses the pen name Alan Finn) said the idea for the book grew out of his own personal interest in the late-1800s time period.

“Mediums and spiritualism have always fascinated me,” Ritter said. “I was reading this book about tricks mediums used at that time, and the idea really took off.”

This is the fourth book for Ritter, who was originally a journalist, and is very different from his other works.

“They were pretty basic mystery/thrillers,” he said. “They were part of a series.

They took place in the same town, present day. I wanted to do something completely different with this book.”

Ritter conducted a lot of research in order to make the book as accurate as possible.

“I focused on Philly history right after the Civil War. I found these great old maps of the city online. I went to Eastern State Penitentiary, Rittenhouse Square, the Water Works, Fairmount Park. I also read a lot

of books about famous (and mostly fake) mediums. All very interesting stuff.”

Ritter’s favorite, non-spoiler moment from the book occurs at what he calls the “jumping-off point.”

“When the medium dies in the séance.

That’s my favorite part,” he said. “The main character goes there expecting her to be a fake — they know all the tricks in the book — but then things start happening that cannot possibly be explained. It was a great scene to write and read.”

“Things Half in Shadow” will be available Dec. 30 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major book retailers.

For more information, visit www.alanfinnbooks.com.

— Ryan Kasley Susan Gilmore “The Peace Seeker: One Woman’s Battle in the Church’s War on Homosexuality” Memoir Out activist, businesswoman and church worker Susan Gilmore graduated from bible college in the early 1980s and had planned a career in Christian work until she realized her sexual orientation might get in the way of this goal. She instead chose a career in real estate and is currently vice president of one of the largest title-insurance companies in the nation.

But, she was motivated to tell the story of how she struggled to reconcile her identity with the misinterpretations and prejudice she encountered in the Christian Church.

“It was a long time coming,” Gilmore said about “The Peace Seeker.” “I felt driven, called to do it. I would come home at night and spend hours in front of the computer again just trying to put it together. It was one heartbreaking event after another trying to reconcile my faith and my gayness, and trying to make myself feel a type of peace within myself of being both Christian and gay.”

Gilmore, who lives outside Philadelphia, is now an outspoken advocate for increased

tolerance toward gay Christians who have been ostracized from their family of faith.

She hopes her book will minimize the inner conflicts for gay Christians and create greater understanding and compassion in the Christian community.

“The book was written for the silent among us, who are the folks that go to church and don’t say anything,” she said.

“It was also written for the people that have realized they are gay, known the church’s stance and said ‘f--- you’ to the church and are not going back. They think, Why would I go back to a place that doesn’t love me?

They’ve thrown out the baby with the bath water. They’ve thrown out any kind of spirituality and religion in their life and have given up on everything when I believe God hasn’t given up on us.”

For more information, visit www.thepeaceseeker.com.

— Larry Nichols Kevin Scott Hall “A Quarter-Inch From My Heart” Memoir For his second book, out actor, musician, journalist and author Kevin Scott Hall headed in a more-personal direction.

“A Quarter-Inch From My Heart” is a memoir that takes readers on more of an emotional roller-coaster than the black comedy of his debut novel, “Off the Charts.”

“I like to surprise people,” Hall said. “The first novel was a very dark satire about the music business. It was raunchy and racy.

This one is a memoir, a true story. I’m hoping it will rip people’s hearts out. It’s about things I’ve been through, namely the story of when I took in a roommate after Hurricane Katrina and he ended up staying with me for two-and-a-half years. I also flash back to the 1990s when I was almost stabbed to death on the street, and overcoming that wound to my psyche and my heart. That’s where the title comes from; that’s how close to the blade I was.”

That metaphor is expounded to reference the time period Hall took in his guest.

Hall said that writing about his own life was gratifying but much more difficult than dreaming up a work of fiction — and it is not likely something he’ll do again.

“It’s really draining in a lot of ways,” he said. “From beginning to end it was a sixyear process. It’s very healing once it’s finished, but it’s a huge process. It didn’t take a lot of imagination because I already knew the story, but it went though several drafts.

They told me I was telling the story like a journalist: This happened and this happened.

I needed to talk more about what I was feeling and what was going on in my soul when it was happening. It was almost like an excavation project. I had to go back and rewrite the whole thing again and really dig and put my feelings into the book. That is what was ultimately healing but very difficult to write about.”

For more information, visit www.kevinscotthall.com.

— L.N. Kent T. Jackson (Taleon Goffney) “On My Search for a Better Life, This is How I Became Infamous” Memoir Under a pen name, onehalf of the “gay-porn twin burglars” details how his life on the streets led him to porn, to prison and now to making a new path for himself.

Goffney and his brother rose to infamy several years ago after being arrested for a string of daring rooftop break-ins throughout the region. It was later discovered the pair had been featured in gay porn; Goffney is straight and his brother is gay.

Goffney spent six years in prison and was released this past spring, eager to share his version of the often-sensationalized story.

“A lot of people have heard about the scandal, but I want to show how true change is possible. I didn’t want it to all be for nothing,” he said, noting it was challenging to find a publisher to take a chance on a first-time author, so he went with a self-publishing company.

PAGE 34

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

PHILLY ARTS from page 33

He wrote the story under a pseudonym — Kent for himself and Kyle for his twin — and spent several months on the editing process, working to delve deep into his mindset.

Recounting the lows of his life, Goffney said, was a struggle.

“When I was doing the porn, it was hard to stomach, so going back and reliving those moments again was hard,” he said. “It put me in a bad mood to go through some of those old wounds. I kind of put all that to the back of my mind, but writing about it and reading about it depicted it right there for me. It was tough.”

Goffney, who is in school to become an HVAC technician, said the book-publishing process showed him his own potential.

“It’s crazy, I don’t have a lot like I used to but I’m doing so much more with my life than I was when I was in the streets. I’m in school, I just became an author. I’m doing all the right things and it didn’t take thousands of dollars, it just took diligence. I’m starting to believe in myself.”

That message of self-empowerment is what he hopes readers take away.

“When all else fails, trust yourself. I always knew what I had to do but I was never brave enough to do it. Take a chance on yourself.

No matter how bad a mistake you make, you can always turn it around if you start trusting yourself.”

For more information, visit http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-000983703/ On-My-Search-for-a-Better-Life-This-IsHow-I-Became----Infamous.aspx.

— Jen Colletta “A Gathering Storm”

By Jameson Currier Fiction Based on real hate crimes — Matthew Shepard’s murder in particular — “A Gathering Storm” is especially timely and topical in light of the recent homophobic attacks in Center City. Set in a small Southern university town, Danny is a gay freshman who is beaten up, tied to a fence like a scarecrow and left overnight.

Author and publisher Jameson Currier provides a prismatic narrative, detailing the impact of the crime from multiple perspectives: Danny’s, his friends and family’s, the culprits and members of the community and the media. This approach, which forces the reader to recalibrate each event, is initially distracting, but it can be effective at times.

The point and the power of “The Gathering Storm” is the impact the crime has to transform the characters — spurring some to come out or stand proud against hate, and others to vocalize their homophobia. Currier’s novel is marred by too many characters and some clunky symbolism, such as a “Love bandit,” but it is an absorbing read about an important topic.

— Gary M. Kramer

PGN FEATURE

Gary M. Kramer “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina” Essay/review collection Out journalist, film critic and PGN contributor Gary M. Kramer continues to be our cinematic global tour guide, collaborating with fellow editor Beatriz Urraca on “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” Readers are introduced to early films about gauchos and the tango, contemporary works about human rights and groundbreaking experimental documentaries.

“This is part of a series,” Kramer explained. “I contributed to the French edition and asked about editing a collection.

For Argentine films, a lot are sponsored by the country or the government and there are distribution channels in place to show them in theaters, but most people who are Argentine go see American movies because that is what is popular. A little independent Argentine film will get a two-week run at a local cinema but has to compete with ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Spider-Man.’ So I think it’s important to make people aware of all the cinema gems that are available from a nationalist cinema or a country’s output.”

Kramer added that the book and classes he teaches on the subject are attracting Argentine cinephiles and novices alike.

“I recently taught a class at Bryn Mawr and there were people from Argentina who bought the book because they wanted to see what we were talking about, films they “The Gay Gospel: A Survival Guide for Gay 20Somethings in America Today”

By Justin Luke Zirilli Advice Once LGBT people get past the hurdle of coming out, they often feel liberated into their new community — but traversing all that community has to offer, and what an LGBT identity means, can be just as stress-inducing as the coming-out process itself.

Zirilli’s “The Gay Gospel” details common twists and turns many gay guys in their 20s may face, offering simple, sage advice for meeting those challenges. A good portion of the book is devoted to tracing the gay-male relationship process in detail — from tips for looking (or not looking) for a partner to first-date dos and don’ts to the moving-in process to potential breakups and advice for moving on. “The Gay Gospel” delves into sex, with frank and often-humorous advice for questions some guys may have trouble voicing, as well as partying, proffering a nonjudgmental outline for doing it safely and smartly.

While a lot of “The Gay Gospel”

knew about and films they didn’t know about,” Kramer said. “There were also people who weren’t familiar with Argentine film who bought the book because we whet their appetite. They wanted to see more film like that. The new Argentine cinema is like the Italian neo-realism of the 1940s or the French new wave. There are elements of all those genres.”

For more information, visit http://press. uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/D/bo16812124.html.

— L.N. Natalie Hope McDonald Sketches Writer, editor and artist Natalie Hope McDonald is one of Philly’s most creative and talented LGBT-ers, and her work is now appearing on several products at the American Institute of Architects Bookstore & Design Center.

And, she is selling custom sketches for the first time.

McDonald is a painter (among other things) represented by an Old City gallery.

She has been keeping a journal of line drawings for years, from which she has gifted sketches to friends and family. She recently began sharing these sketches on social media, which led to a demand for commissioned work. One of her sketches of Philly rowhomes is now featured on several products at the AIA Bookstore this season. She is also working on a series of focuses on the practical, there is also an underpinning of more intangible lessons — such as loving and respecting oneself in any situations: the dance club, the bedroom, the office or among a group of friends.

Written by someone with a wealth of knowledge on the topics within — Zirilli is a New York City LGBT party promoter — “The Gay Gospel” is an ideal companion book for young gay men looking to find their place and embrace their potential in their community.

— Jen Colletta “The Vines” Christopher Rice Thriller Christopher Rice’s latest creepy-crawly thriller probably isn’t the best book to read during a late-night, can’t-sleep session — speaking from experience. It is, however, captivating and might just keep you up under the lamp longer than you planned.

In “The Vines,” Rice returns to his roots, as it were, and looks at the darker side of the present-day polished plantation picture in New Orleans and the sur-

sketches based off Instagram photos.

Thanks to the success of both ventures, she is now offering custom 5-by-7 line drawings that can be purchased directly from the artist.

“My goal is to create affordable, oneof-a-kind art that has a human touch,” McDonald said.

Her drawings range from people to skylines to rowhomes and other slice-of-life scenes.

“The nature of the medium lends itself to the subject matter — like wires stretching over a street or intricate stonework on brownstones near Rittenhouse Square,” McDonald said. “The lines themselves, make the subjects interesting to me.”

The drawings are relatively simple, yet manage to convey a range of emotions.

“I like to keep things simple — breaking down a subject to its simplest form, the line,” McDonald said. “But the way a line is drawn can certainly convey a lot of emotion — be it energetic or even serene.

The subject dictates the form a drawing inevitably takes. The process is so radically different from my painting style, which is rooted in abstraction and involves layering and subtracting of paint. It’s refreshing to balance between the two methods.”

To purchase AIA products, visit www. aiabookstore.com. To inquire about custom sketches from McDonald, email her at natalie.hope.mcdonald@verizon.net. More information about her work can be found at www.nataliehopemcdonald.com.

— R. K. PAGE 36

rounding area. A sketch found of slaves being whipped by their master has the appearance of oak tree branches wrapping around the whip in mid-air. The plantation image holds fear, anger and retribution in its lines.

Caitlin, who, as we happen upon her, is celebrating her birthday at Spring House, has the unfortunate occasion of catching her husband cheating on her at her own party. Angry and distraught, she runs out of the gazebo to get away and decides there to kill herself. The first drops of blood through the wood planks onto the ground below awaken the old evil.

Caitlin’s husband mysteriously disappears, and the mistress goes mad.

Her best friend, Blake, who is gay, gets drawn back into her close circle as she tries to discover what is becoming of her and what is going on. Bullies who are after Blake come around and are quickly dispatched by vines, earth and insects.

There are many plot twists, some great surprises and many wonderfully crafted scenes that will grab you as you read this book. It’s a perfect winter-weather, wrap-up-in-a-blanket-on-the-couch kind of tale that will keep you turning the pages.

Just keep an eye on that Christmas tree and the poinsettia. n

PGN PROFILE

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

35

Suzi Nash

Amir Yogev: Bringing the holidays to life through ballet If you know me, then you are aware that I’m one Christmas-loving atheist. I love everything about it: the smell of evergreen and mulled cider, the good will that the holidays foster, the traditions my family has passed down and the sounds of Christmas — the tinkle of bells and, yes, even the Christmas music that plays 24/7. I can’t help but smile when I hear Vince Guaraldi play the Charlie Brown theme song, I choke up a little when I hear “My Grown-up Christmas Wish” and I get excited when I hear the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.” It brings back memories of my childhood and going to see “The Nutcracker” at Lincoln Center and then, later, here at the Academy of Music performed by the Pennsylvania Ballet. Seeing “The Nutcracker” is a tradition that now spans three generations, as my mother, nephew and I still make a point to catch it every year. How thrilling, then, that this week I got to speak to one of the performers, Amir Yogev.

PGN: I understand that you have been doing “The Nutcracker” for 12 years?

AY: Yes, I think so. Wait, maybe I’m exaggerating, let me do the math. I think I did it first with the American School of Ballet in 2005, so almost 10 years with different companies. I’ve played just about every male role possible, aside from the cavalier.

I’ve been very lucky.

PGN: Tell me a little about yourself.

AY: I’m 26 years old. I was born and raised on a kibbutz in Israel. When I was little, my friends and I would put on holiday shows on the stage at the kibbutz and I guess that was my entrée into dancing. I grew up doing Israeli folk dancing with a small troupe, which eventually led me to ballet.

At 16, I moved to New York City to study at The School of American Ballet.

PGN: Was that your first time in the states?

AY: No, I came here off and on as a kid.

Both of my parents are American so we have a lot of family here: my grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. So I was pretty familiar with the states.

PGN: I notice that you don’t have any accent. I wouldn’t have known you weren’t originally from Philly.

AY: I grew up speaking Hebrew but my parents made it a point to speak English in the house. I was always exposed to a lot of American culture. Apparently my accent was a little stronger when I first got here, but it’s not noticeable any more.

PGN: In the United States, there’s a stigma attached to any young boy wanting to be a ballet dancer. Is it the same in Israel?

AY: Yes, definitely. Israel is a very religious country and there are a lot of factions that aren’t very gay-friendly. But I

was always myself, though not knowing what that meant. There was some bullying at times, but in seventh grade I got into a performing-arts high school in Jerusalem and it was a different story. It was a very warm, welcoming environment, a bubble where everyone was accepting and no one cared about your sexuality. There were actors and dancers and musicians, both gay and straight and no one cared. A lot of my teachers were openly gay. I was very lucky; my family has always been very accepting too.

PGN: Brothers and sisters?

AY: Four. I’m the second-oldest of five, and we range from 15-29.

PGN: What do you think are some of the biggest differences between growing up here and in Israel?

AY: A lot, probably even more so for me since I grew up on a kibbutz, which was an enclosed, gated community. Then at 13 I commuted to Jerusalem, which was pretty big, and at 16 I moved to New York. I loved life on the kibbutz, it was a great way to grow up, though life outside the kibbutz was more conservative. I moved to New York the summer of 2002 and I remember coming out of the subway on the first day of classes and it just happened to be Pride Day. In Israel, Tel Aviv is very open and Pride there is huge, but I’d never experienced it. What’s cool about New York is that you can be yourself and no one bats an eye. I loved the freedom and felt at home here right away. In Jerusalem, you could walk by and people would do a double take at how you were dressed or how you held yourself. In New York City, you really are just one of a million. Culturally, the biggest difference would be the holidays. The holiday season here is such a massively commercial thing, but in Israel we knew about and celebrated all the Jewish holidays.

You always had time off for all Jewish holidays. When I’m here I have to make an effort just to remember when they are!

Unfortunately, in Israel, there’s not much separation between church and state; for instance, there’s no public transportation on Saturdays because of the Sabbath. A lot of the state is run by super Orthodox people with a lot of power and it’s a problem.

PGN: So is it odd for a little Jewish boy from a kibbutz in Israel to be dancing in “The Nutcracker,” one of the most iconic events of Christmas?

AY: Yeah, what’s funny is that, growing up, the Israel Ballet Company would put on “The Nutcracker” each year but not as a Christmas offering. It’s a classic dance piece and there are many, many versions of it. It was in March and it was just performed as a great ballet, not a holiday show. [Laughs] I was a super-hyper kid and

remember thinking ballet was stiff and boring! But I didn’t grow up in a super-religious family. We always celebrated all the holidays including Christmas.

pumping before a show. Now that I’m older, I know how to channel that nervous energy into my performance and use it in my favor.

PGN: Even on the kibbutz?

AY: Oh yeah, we all celebrated together.

PGN: There’s nothing like live performing.

AY: Yes, I do lose a lot of sleep before doing a big role. Mainly because you keep playing it over and over in your head along with everything that might go wrong! I played Soldier at today’s matinee performance and it reminded me of the first time I did it back it 2009. The night before I barely got any sleep, I was freaking out, but last night I was lying in bed thinking how lucky I was. There was no fear because I’ve done it so many times.

It’s so nice that PA Ballet lets the dancers experience a lot of different roles. You grow and learn with each experience. I’m a different dancer than I was even two or three years ago.

PGN: So back to “The Nutcracker.” What role are you playing this year?

AY: What’s nice about this company is that you often get to rotate with different roles. This year I’m mostly playing Soldier, Candy Cane and the principal in Spanish, in addition to the corps de ballet parts of parents and mice, etc. … They do the casting about 10 days before we open and you get a schedule of which roles you are playing on which nights. Of course with a run this long and cast this big, people get sick or injured and you might get asked to do a different role. It’s a little jarring at first, but having done it for so long, I’m comfortable with all the parts I do and how to approach them.

PGN: Do you get nervous?

AY: Oh yes, especially doing Candy Cane; any time you have to use a prop, it’s a little nerve-wracking. Last year, in one of the last shows, I hit my toe during the finale with the hoop and sprained it pretty badly. I couldn’t do the rest of the shows, but thankfully it was near the end of the run. So now I’m a little traumatized during rehearsals … I hope I didn’t jinx myself by mentioning it! Anyway, there’s always a ton of excitement and adrenaline

PGN: Is “The Nutcracker” special for dancers or are you like, Here we go again …

AY: It’s definitely something special that we look forward to. It’s great to have children in the audience, especially kids who have never been before.

It brings back the magic for us each time seeing it reflected in their faces.

And having kids in the production is fun too. They’re so enthusiastic and it’s kind of neat to have them look up at us. I remember when I was a kid dancer and being enamored by the professionals on stage with me, so to be in that role now is cool. And I love the idea that a kid out there might fall in love with ballet after coming to “The Nutcracker” for the first time. The other night I got to sit in the audience during rehearsal and it’s such a gorgeous production.

There’s so much going on and it’s so intriguing, it Photo: Suzi Nash truly is magical.

PGN: I read that you danced in Miami for a while.

AY: I did, with Miami City Ballet. That was my first company out of school. It was a great time. We did the same production there but it was kind of funny doing “The Nutcracker” in 85-degree weather. There’s a big snow scene in the show, which was fun for people who’d grown up in Miami and never seen snow!

PAGE 42

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

PHILLY ARTS from page 34

Nalla “Faces” Poetry “Faces” follows, through poetry, a local man’s struggle to come out to himself in light of an upbringing that condemns homosexuality.

Nalla, a pen name the author uses to conceal his identity, grew up in the United States but moved to the Middle East when he was a teenager, moving to Philadelphia two years ago.

He said he had long used writing to express his feelings about his identity.

“I used to do some writing but never believed it was good, then, one of my friends took me to this event of a PalestinianAmerican poet in Brooklyn; her words really touched me. I went home and started writing again,” he said. “I realized I could do better and improve, and I put it as my goal to have my work published.”

As he collected pieces for publication, Nalla said he found many of them were related to the pain of being in the closet.

“They represent the struggle, the rejection, how I felt through this whole process.”

“Faces” contains about 45 poems in four chapters. Nalla said reading the poems he wrote over the last five years contained in “Faces” has shown him the growth he’s undergone, a process that has largely been fueled by his reliance on writing.

“I’ve learned how to adapt and be more comfortable with myself. Yes, it is a struggle, to be gay and to be called different and not normal. But whenever I’m feeling upset, angry or anything, I write it down and sleep.

And then I can go back and read what I wrote and understand how I felt and better deal with that self-discomfort.”

Since publishing the book this past fall, Nalla said he’s received positive feedback from a diversity of readers.

“I had an interesting conversation with a priest a few weeks ago who I never met but who emailed me. He said he’s never felt comfortable with himself but read my work and it made him feel comfortable to know there’s someone out there living a similar experience and who can craft that experience in words and put it out there.”

“Faces” is available at www.lulu. com/shop/nalla/faces/paperback/product-21888001.html and is expected to be carried by Barnes & Noble and Amazon by the end of the month.

— J.C. Trophy Wife “All the Sides” Punk/post-hardcore band Need a break from Christmas carols?

Then check out Trophy Wife, a local two-piece band that kicks up quite a racket.

PGN FEATURE

Part of the burgeoning queer arts scene, Trophy Wife is comprised of Diane Foglizzo on guitar and Katy Otto on drums.

Both women have roots in the Washington, D.C., punk scene, which they first encountered as teenagers. Roughly six years into this project, a feisty, DIY spirit still informs the band’s post-hardcore music.

Trophy Wife’s third album, “All the Sides,” was released earlier this month. It includes eight tracks, ranging from the raucous “Insomnia” to the brooding “Mineral Memory.” Overall, quiet passages alternate with loud sections, and many cuts end with a satisfying feedback hum.

According to Foglizzo, listening to the band is like overhearing two old friends talking. And that conversation is expansive.

“It touches on a lot of feelings, ranging from joy to sadness to anger to fear to loneliness to love,” she said.

Trophy Wife’s lyrics can be oblique and poetic. On the new album’s opening cut, “Breakdown,” they sing, “Dirty teeth infect/My bones.” But the band is also unafraid to tackle serious issues. “Audrey’s Song,” for example, is partly about white privilege.

When possible, Foglizzo and Otto like to book shows in inclusive spaces and play with like-minded bands. In their adopted hometown, they’ve participated in Phreak N’ Queer and done benefits for Decarcerate PA. “Being a part of a queer music community as well — a queer, feminist and political music community — has been and is integral to our band,” said Foglizzo, who works at Girls Rock Philly.

Live, the band is exuberant and intense.

Foglizzo and Otto focus on one another and often sing in unison.

“At a certain point in our band,” Otto said, “we made a decision to play facing each other, because that’s how we practice, and we’re a two-piece, and anything else just doesn’t feel normal or natural to us.”

Trophy Wife’s shows are a lot of fun too, and not just for the audience. When things get heavy, Otto really wallops the drums and Foglizzo cranks up the guitar.

In fact, Foglizzo noted, playing together has been especially enjoyable lately.

Performing live, she said, is “a celebratory and revolutionary act of being up there and playing, putting things out there, and that in itself can be a joyful process, even if some of the places where that music and those feelings come from really is a difficult and hard one.”

Trophy Wife’s next local gig is Feb. 6 at the Boot & Saddle. For more information, visit www.trophywifetheband.blogspot. com.

— Ray Simon Al Vernacchio “For Goodness Sex: Changing the Way We Talk to Teens About Sexuality, Values and Health” Advice With “For Goodness Sex,” renowned sexuality educator Al Vernacchio is teaching a new audience: parents.

The Philadelphia native has taught at Friends’ Central School for 17 years; he currently teaches human sexuality to ninth and 12th graders and English to 11th graders, as well as serving as the advisor to the school’s gaystraight alliance.

The inspiration for the book, which was published in September, was sparked in 2011, when Vernacchio was the subject of a New York Times Magazine cover story.

“That led to my TED Talk, and that led to the book,” Vernacchio said. “I never thought I’d write a book, I always joked with my friends that I’d never do that. But then the opportunity came, and I worked with my literary agent on the proposal and he shopped it around and Harper Collins bought it. It happened quickly and I didn’t quite expect it to happen, but when it did it was like, OK I gotta write a book now!”

Vernacchio used his 20 years of classroom notes as the foundation for the book.

“Trying to figure out how to fit 20 years of experience into a book that would be readable, not 1,000 pages long, was quite a challenge,” he said.

As he is so accustomed to teaching highschool students, Vernacchio said, he also had to keep in mind an adult audience.

Vernacchio taps into his classroom experiences to illustrate to parents and guardians how they can talk with their teens about sometimes-sensitive topics like safe sex, respect for one’s body and sexually transmitted diseases in ways that the youth will relate to. And “For Goodness Sex” aims to show adults that such conversations should be approached without fear or judgment, that having open and sex-positive dialog is productive.

Chapters include such titles as “OK, So I have a Body. How Do I Like It and What Do I Do With It” to “Gender Myths” to “Sexual Orientation: Whom We Love.”

Vernacchio’s career as a sexuality educator was sparked by his coming out.

“I was raised in a very religious Roman Catholic family and figured out I was gay early on in life. I went on a quest to figure out how those two things — gay and Catholic — could be true at the same time, but nobody could answer my questions, so I started looking up information and sneaking books off library shelves. The process of coming to know myself as a gay man allowed me to read and become knowledgeable about and comfortable with human sexuality. I studied theology in college, and in grad school I studied human sexuality. I know I would not be the kind of sex educator I am today if I didn’t have that coming-out process and if I weren’t able to live my life as an out gay man.”

Vernacchio, 50, who is married to his partner of 20 years, said he’s eager for both straight and LGBT parents to learn from “For Goodness Sex.” “I grew up in a generation where, when you came out, you were pretty much also

saying you weren’t having kids; but it’s so amazing that it’s so different today and LGBT people can either have and raise biological or adopted children. That’s such an amazing step forward and I really want to support my own community and parents in our community with this book.”

For more information, follow Vernacchio on Twitter at @AIVSexed or Facebook at Al Vernacchio, Sexuality Educator.

— J.C. Joe Wenke “The Talk Show” Thriller “The Talk Show” follows polarizing television personality Abraham Lincoln Jones (think gay-male outrageous version of Oprah), who finds himself disappointed in his medium’s inability to connect with viewers, and takes his show on the road.

His “Emancipation Tour” puts him and pal Winthrop in the crosshairs of a racist, psychopath killer — let the dark, humorous thrills begin.

“If you like Tarantino-esque dialog, you will love ‘The Talk Show,’” Wenke said.

From talk-show hosts to strippers, the cast of characters is as diverse as the rainbow — and that’s intentional, said Wenke.

“The book is really about diversity.

Jones’ message is radical, but also momand-pop, because it’s storytelling. I want people to learn to be able to empathize with other people. When you get to know these fringe characters, they are a lot like you: warm, personable, even the people who hang at the Tit-for-Tat strip club. Once you get to know a guy like Jones, as crazy as he is, you realize he has great depth of character.”

Wenke’s first two books were religious satires, one of which was a memoir.

“The Talk Show” represents a completely alternative approach to storytelling for Wenke, he said.

“This novel lets me tell other people’s stories,” he said. “It gives readers an opportunity to find common ground with the characters and their stories, to really key into them.”

Wenke’s characters take risks. He said the theme of thrusting yourself into the unknown and seeing what happens was inspired by his interest in Norman Mailer, a gay activist about whom he wrote a book.

“Mailer was the center of the LGBT community,” Wenke said. “There was inherent risk in that. But you grow by taking risks.

The characters in the book take risks, and we find out what happens. There is a sense of paranoia and dread, which lends itself to the thriller genre. We walk around thinking something bad is going to happen — ISIS, terror, Ebola. The whole novel is invested with this sense of fear.”

“The Talk Show” is available on Amazon.

For more information, visit www.joewenke.org. n — R.K.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

Theater & Arts Christmas Spectacular The Philly Pops perform holiday songs through Dec. 20 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800.

The Glorious Sound of Christmas The Philadelphia Orchestra performs traditional holiday arrangements Dec. 18-20 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5847.

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker The Pennsylvania Ballet performs its holiday show through Dec. 31 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-7905847.

The Human Condition Twenty Two Gallery presents a collection of figurative paintings and drawings by Laura Ancona that present a subtle critique of the conditions of life, through Jan. 4, 236 S. 22nd St.; www.twenty-twogallery.com.

Gershwin and Bernstein The Philadelphia Orchestra performs through Dec. 13 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.

Mary Poppins Walnut Street Theatre presents the musical based on the classic Disney film through Jan. 4, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550.

Mummenschanz The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the Swiss performance troupe through Dec. 14 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215-898-3900.

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.; 215985-0420.

Paul Strand: Master of Modern Photography Philadelphia Museum of Art presents a major retrospective of the work of the critical figure in the

PGN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS

history of modern art, photography and filmmaking through Jan. 4, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

PGMC Auditions The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus holds auditions 7-9 p.m. Dec. 17 at Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2111 Sansom St. Sign up for a time slot at www.pgmc.org.

Philadanco: Risky Business The dance company’s fall program boasts the premiere of a new work

by Christopher Huggins, as well as ballets that feature high-risk choreography, through Dec. 14 at Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.

OLD, NEW & BLUE: Out indie folk singer-songwriter Chris Pureka is on the road in support of her latest album, “Chimera II,” a collection of old and new tracks that didn’t fit in with her previous albums, and will be performing 8 p.m. Dec. 16 at Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 267639-4528.

The Second Annual Nutcracker Market The Kimmel Center offers free indoor shopping with more than 70 regional and

national artists, complete with live entertainment, food and beverage courtesy of Garces Trading Co., through Dec. 14, including

an LGBT Night from 6-8 p.m.

Dec. 12 with a free holiday performance by the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, 300 S. Broad St.; 215-551-7000.

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 through April 26, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100.

Music A Soulful Christmas The Kimmel Center presents a holiday gospel concert performed

by J. Donald Dumpson Singers and a host of community choirs 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5847.

Chris Pureka The out singer-songwriter performs 8 p.m.

Dec. 16 at Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St.; 267639-4528.

PGN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

39

Hybrid docu-drama shows Switzerland coming full circle

By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor “The Circle,” which is Switzerland’s submission for the Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar, provides a fascinating glimpse into gay life in 1950s Zurich. The film, directed and co-written by Stefan Haupt, alternates between dramatic episodes and documentary interviews. The hybrid approach effectively chronicles the lives of various men involved in a secret homophile society called “The Circle.”

The film will only show twice, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th St. In the film, Rolf (Stefan Witschi) leads the PUNCHLINE PAINS: Emmy Award-winning out comedian and actor Judy Gold organization, which was founded in 1942 comes to New Hope with her latest show, “If You Only Knew the Agony,” 8 by actor Karl Maier. The 2,000 international p.m. Dec. 13 at the Rrazz Room, in The Ramada New Hope, 6426 Lower York members receive the title publication, and Road. For more information, call 888-596-1027. are invited to various balls where transvestite singers like Robi Rapp (Sven Schelker) perform. Haupt shows how Ernst Ostertag The classic R&B Opeth and In First Person Let the Right singing groups per- (Matthias Hungerbühler), a schoolteacher, Flames Story Slam One In joined The Circle and fell in love with Robi. form 8 p.m. Dec. The European Local performers The indie Swedish Interspersed between these scenes is foot13 at Keswick prog-metal bands tell unscripted stohorror film is age of the real-life Robi and Ernst, an elderly Theatre, 291 N. perform 7:30 p.m. ries 7:30 p.m. Dec. screened 9:45 p.m.

Keswick Ave.; 215- couple who still live together in Zurich.

Dec. 17 at The 17 at L’Etage, 624 Dec. 12 at Colonial The documentary scenes recount how the Electric Factory, Theatre, 227 Bridge 572-7650.

S. Bainbridge St.; couple met and negotiated their relation421 N. Seventh St., Phoenixville; 215-592-0626. ship in the restrictive era. Their romance A Christmas St.; 800-745-3000.

610-917-0223. blossomed during the time of Paragraph Story Comedian The classic holiday 175, which criminalized homosexuality in Justin Trey Anastasio Deconstruction Germany. While homosexuality wasn’t illeTimberlake The Phish frontman movie is screened Comedians and gal in Switzerland, being openly gay was for free 7:30 The pop singer and his solo band improv groups pernot entirely “safe” either. As the film shows, p.m. Dec. 15 at performs 8 p.m. form 7:30 p.m. Dec. perform 7:30 p.m.

Sellersville Theatre, police raids at clubs and arrests were not Dec. 17 at Wells 18 at L’Etage, 624 Dec. 13 at Tower 24 W. Temple Ave.; uncommon.

Fargo Center, S. Bainbridge St.; Theatre, 19 S. 69th “The Circle” makes its salient points about 215-257-5808.

3601 S. Broad St.; 215-592-0626.

St., Upper Darby; the dangers of being out, but also for the need 215-389-9543.

610-352-2887. of gay men to be true to their natures, assert Bad Santa Jingle Belles A holiday cabaret Judy Gold: If You The irreverent hol- their identities and “cultivate friendship and love in freedom.” That Ernst decides to join iday comedy is featuring local perOnly Knew the Nightlife screened 9:45 p.m. The Circle before he is officially confirmed formers Dec. 19-20 Agony Dec. 19 at Colonial as a teacher at his school (which ensures him at Tabu, 200 S. 12th The out comedian Theatre, 227 Bridge job security) is a risk he feels is worth taking.

St.; 215-964-9675. performs 8 p.m.

His relationship with Robi is a bit trickier.

St., Phoenixville; Night of 100 Dec. 13 at the While the men first meet when Ernst is transQweens!

Rrazz Room, in The 610-917-0223.

Outta fixed by Robi’s performance in drag, he does Brittany Lynn Ramada New Hope, not believe the singer is a man. However, the Les Misérables hosts an eve6426 Lower York Town men do not truly connect until Ernst visits Media Theatre ning of drag Road, New Hope; presents the classic Robi, a hair stylist, at his work. The couple performances 9 888-596-1027. soon start spending their nights together. musical through p.m. Dec. 12 at Patty Larkin Their relationship, while affectionate, has The out singer-song- The Temptations Jan. 11, 104 E. the Trocadero some glitches. Whereas Robi is open to his State St., Media; Theatre, 1003 writer performs and The Four mother, Erika (Marianne Sägebrecht), Ernst 610-891-0100. n Arch St.; 215-922- 8 p.m. Dec. 12 at Tops is closeted to his parents. In the interviews, 6888.

Sellersville Theatre, the real-life Robi and Ernst discuss how 24 W. Temple Ave.; long it took for Ernst to introduce him to his Dynasty 215-257-5808. parents, a scene recreated in the film. Ernst’s Realness sister is also interviewed in the documentary The Dumpsta Get the Led Out Send notices at least one week in portion, and she explains how the relationadvance to: Playas perform an The Led Zeppelin Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. ship between the men was understood, if not ’80s-themed show tribute band perFourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 discussed. Ernst’s sister also discloses that 11 p.m. at Bob & forms 8:30 p.m. fax: 215-925-6437; her brother fabricated stories about women Barbara’s, 1509 Dec. 12 at The or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. he was dating to maintain a double life. She South St.; www.

Electric Factory, explains Ernst came out at age 70. dumpstaplayas.

421 N. Seventh St.; Notices cannot be taken over the phone. “The Circle” benefits from the mix of org.

800-745-3000.

Notices

documentary and drama not only to emphasize the importance of stories like Ernst and Robi’s, but also to show images of gay life during the late 1950s. The film includes a subplot about gay murders that were taking place in Zurich and how that put additional pressure on Rolf and the members of The Circle. The decision is made to maintain the sanctity of their organization and not start protesting ill treatment in the streets.

A sequence recounting the murderer being brought to court and portrayed as a victim — while the gay murder victims are portrayed as criminals — underscores the second-class citizenship LGBT folks had in Zurich at the time, even with the country’s more liberal attitudes towards sexuality.

The film also introduces another important point when it presents an episode in which Ernst and Felix (Anatole Taubman) smuggle the banned magazine into Germany. While this episode has some mild tension as the men race across the border, a romantic dalliance the two friends have on their trip is underdeveloped.

Likewise, a storyline about Ernst’s boss, Mr. Sieber (Peter Jecklin), who has secret sexual trysts in toilets with rent boys, is critical to establishing the repressive culture at the time. While Ernst and Mr. Sieber silently accept each other’s (homo)sexuality, this episode plays out somewhat predictably and fails to have sufficient dramatic impact. It seems to be a case of Haupt trying to shoehorn as many plotlines as possible into 102 minutes.

The filmmaker does best presenting the factual material, such as how the magazine could publish artistic nudes but photographs could not feature naked genitals. In addition, pictures from the era of the real-life Robi in costume are interesting, especially in contrast to the handsomely mounted “recreation” scenes.

Despite its flaws, “The Circle” is an important film, and it provides a critical history lesson. The various degrees of acceptance and sexual expression are represented even if some of the characters are toobroadly portrayed. Haupt does make Ernst and Robi sympathetic in both the dramatic and documentary segments. When the film closes with the detail that these men were the first couple to enjoy same-sex marriage in Switzerland, “The Circle” is extremely gratifying. n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

PGNOUT DINING

Cibo: Supper club, almost super

Food and Drink Directory

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

Happy New Years?

If your bar or restaurant has plans for special Holiday meals or a New Years Eve package, its not too soon to start to get the word out.

CONTACT YOUR PGN AD REP:

(215) 625-8501

Slipping into the restaurant skin that used to be the Walnut Street Supper Club, Cibo Ristorante Italiano, 1227 Walnut St., doesn’t stray very far from the formula of its predecessor. The space still has that throwback elegant buttoned-up charm and still is the ideal place, theme-wise, to have a meal before or after a show at one of the nearby theaters. The menu is still very centered on Northern Italian cuisine, but Cibo’s menu is more focused on the classics without any of the fusion elements the Supper Club had. The members of the waitstaff are still attentive, friendly and occasionally take the stage at various moments throughout the evening to croon a number with whoever is tickling the ivories that night.

At first glance, besides the name, very little has changed at the restaurant. But a few small details make Cibo fall just the smallest bit short of the magic that the Supper Club accomplished.

The Walnut Street Supper Club didn’t reinvent the wheel with its menu of classic dishes that harkened back to fine dining of the Rat Pack era. But they nailed without fail all the classics perfectly, from the loo to the flavors to the presentations.

Cibo does the same often enough to be quite pleasing, especially during the first courses. The Antipasto Della Casa ($15) was a bountiful array of meats, cheeses and olives that was tasty and large enough to feed a small army. The Insalata Della Casa ($10.50) was classic, a perfectly dressed chopped salad mixed with crabmeat and shrimp.

The only minute flaws came to the surface with the main courses. To Cibo’s credit, they make some damn fine pasta and skillfully cook steak and seafood. Some of the sauces, though, were lackluster. The Filletto Al Brandy ($36), filet mignon in a mushroom brandy sauce, was spot-on. In fact, all of the meat or tomato-based sauces lived up to expectations. The cream sauces, on the other hand, were almost bland and lacked any excitement — not bad but bordering on painfully boring (think senior-cruise buffet Alfredo sauce), which is a shame because the gnocchi gorgonzola ($20) was a perfectly fluffy and light gnocchi that deserved a better sauce. The Filletto Ripeno ($36), filet mignon and crabmeat with brandy cream sauce, should have been a slam-dunk but was hamstrung by a rather dull cream-based sauce.

Any disappointment faded quickly when the dessert cart, piled high with a mouth-watering selection of cakes and tiramisu, came rolling by.

Cibo tells pretty much the same story as the Walnut Street Supper Club: a great, classy place to complete the classic one-two punch of dinner and a show. Its first and third acts are quite satisfying, and if you avoid anything touched by their cream sauce, you’ll thoroughly enjoy their second acts as well. n

If you go Cibo Ristorante Italiano 1227 Walnut St.

215-923-8203 www.cibophiladelphia.com Lunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Dinner: Sun.-Thurs.: 5-10 p.m.

Fri.-Sat.: 5-11 p.m.

PGN SPORTS

Get Out and Play

Scott A. Drake

PLAY IT FORWARD: Wade Davis (center) gets ready to run the row, celebrating good sportsmanship and some good games of dodgeball with staff and youth from the Youth-Health Empowerment Project, Dec. 4 at Boathouse Row. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Short stops • The Philadelphia 76ers

host Pride Night Dec. 13 at Wells Fargo Center. Use the code PRIDE when ordering tickets and you can get upper-level seats for $15 or $40 for the lower level. Half of the 50-50 raffle monies collected that night will go to the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. For more information, go to phillygaydays.com.

• The Philadelphia Falcons soccer club won the second-annual Albany Blizzard

Cup championship with a tournament run of 6-0. Congrats to you all!

• The Philadelphia Gryphons RFC held their final 2014 team social Dec. 6 at Tavern on Camac. Rugby fans (and rugby player fans) are welcome to join them at their First Saturday party of 2015, 9-11 p.m. Jan. 3 at U Bar. n Having a holiday party or fundraiser for your team or league? Email scott@epgn. com for coverage.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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PGN FUN & GAMES

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

Q Puzzle Actor with Dexter-ity Across

1. Deer, or without a dear 5. Verdon, who played Lola 9. “Hollywood Squares” choice 14. ___ Alto, California 15. Estimate ending 16. Intense desires 17. Doug Mattis leap 18. Male escort 19. Hamlet’s father, e.g.

20. TV series with “dexter-ity”?

23. Branch of math, briefly 24. Cher’s portrayer in “Clueless” 28. Comic-strip Viking 31. With 39- and 46-Across, Broadway show with “dexter-ity”?

34. US citizen 35. Dramatist Williams, for short?

36. P on fraternity row 37. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s

“Kinky ___” 39. See 31-Across 40. Part of a daisy chain?

42. NATO turf 43. River in an Alec Baldwin film 45. Oliver Twist request 46. See 31-Across 49. Nathan and family 50. High-spirited horses 51. Oral votes 53. “Dexter” star 59. “In Russia, Party will always find you” comic Smirnoff 62. Bone by the humerus 63. Georgetown athlete 64. Use a gifted tongue 65. Chose not to swallow 66. Roadside stops 67. One who works his shaft 68. Part of a vacuum that sucks 69. Student’s book

PORTRAIT from page 35

PGN: I just watched “Peter Pan” live on TV and while I appreciated the attempt to keep musicals alive, the production was just awful. You played Peter Pan; what was it like?

AY: It was one of my most-treasured moments on stage. Doing the flying stunts was so much fun, one of the best times I’ve had, it was like being on a ride. I watched the NBC performance and I have to say, we did a better job with the flying than they did, and for a much smaller budget!

PGN: What was a favorite moment on stage?

AY: Of course the big roles are fun because they’re milestones for my career, but some of my favorite roles were when I got to do more acting, when I was able to tell a story. Both Peter Pan and Puck from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are fun because the characters are mischievous and impish and you get to make people laugh, which is just the best.

PGN: What does it mean, being a member of the ballet company?

AY: It means I’m very lucky. It’s rare, especially in today’s climate, to get a full corps de ballet contract. Unlike most people, dancers have to earn a living right out of high school. You have to rely on family or take a second job until you get established. Being a member of a company takes so much worry out of things; we have health insurance and a salary.

We’re not millionaires, but we live in an affordable city and can live comfortably here. You definitely have to be frugal, but we’re not in this for the money, we’re in it for the love of what we do. There are little perks here and there too.

Down

1. Sites for three men in a tub 2. Jodie Foster’s “___ Driver” 3. Glenn, in “Fatal Attraction” 4. Vehicle for Patty Sheehan’s sport 5. Old TV comedian George 6. Pitiable person 7. Hairy twin 8. Verb, for example 9. She played tomb raider Lara 10. Lou of Glenn Burke’s sport 11. Vintage wheels 12. Wood and more 13. Hrs. in Rehoboth Beach 21. Stud site 22. First light 25. It’s got milk 26. Words from a closet, perhaps 27. Is nuts over 28. Writ of ___ corpus 29. Check information

30. Takei of “Star Trek” 32. Moral code 33. “Look at Me, I’m Sandra ___” 38. One who’s hobby is just plane risky?

39. Spank 41. “Les Miz,” for example 44. Cheesehead’s st.

47. Couch potato’s tool 48. “The Lion King” voice roles for Whoopi and others 49. Lake, to fifty million Frenchmen 52. Make heady 54. Kind of money 55. Food on the floor, maybe 56. Tops 57. Mountain cat 58. Bringing up the rear 59. ___ Kippur 60. Paul Newman role in “Exodus” 61. Toto’s home state

PGN: Such as?

AY: When I did [“Nutracker” character] Mother Ginger in Miami I got hazard pay, which is extra money. When you travel you get per diems, always nice. That sort of thing.

PGN: So, are you single?

AY: No, I just got married to a wonderful man named Ohad. It’ll be one month tomorrow. My mom is happy because he’s Israeli. He lives there still so we’re in the process of merging our lives together.

Hopefully he’ll be here by the beginning of next season. I love looking down at my ring. It brings a smile to my face each time.

It’s a match made in heaven.

PGN: What does Ohad do?

AY: He works in television production. We met a few summers ago in Israel. At first I told him we could just hang out but that I was going back to Philly so not to expect anything. But I guess sometimes love happens in the most cliché ways and we started a long-distance relationship that’s now a happy marriage. We were just going to go to the Justice of the Peace but both of our parents wanted to be there, so we decided to have a small ceremony in Central Park and then do a big celebration later back in Israel. It’ll be the first gay wedding on the kibbutz. The war in Israel really made us realize that we wanted to do it sooner rather than later.

PGN: How close does the war hit home?

AY: My younger sister was in the army and fighting in Gaza. She was on the front lines as an army paramedic. I went home twice this summer and when I was staying in Tel Aviv with Ohad, there were missiles flying overhead at any given moment and air-raid sirens going off. We’d go out into the hall-

way and follow safety procedures, but it’s scary. I haven’t had to do that since I was a kid on the kibbutz during the Gulf War. The iron dome protects you but it’s really surreal seeing it shooting into the sky.

PGN: I feel like we’re cavalier about war in this country since it’s not something we deal with up close other than that one day on 9/11.

AY: Yes, that’s probably another one of the big cultural differences. Israel has a mandatory army so you always know someone who’s on the front lines. If, God forbid, something happens to a soldier, it’s frontpage news and we read about who they were and how they died, whereas here, they refuse to talk about the tremendous amount of people who’ve died. I remember someone got in trouble for showing pictures of the coffins coming home. There’s a disconnect. It’s like, out of sight, out of mind.

PGN: Now that I’ve brought us down, let’s lighten the mood with some random questions. Favorite fabric?

AY: I love wool as long as it’s not itchy. I love cashmere sweaters, but as a dancer, I don’t have many of those. But my favorite is probably a soft cotton T-shirt.

PGN: People often mistake me for …

AY: My brother. He’s eight years younger than me and people have asked if we were twins. I take it as a compliment!

PGN: Three shows on your DVR right now?

AY: “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” “Modern Family” and “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” Oh, and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” I tape that every night.

PGN: Me too! Favorite curse word?

AY: Can I say the f word in the paper? I love it, it just goes with everything. Not that I’m a huge foul mouth, but with the occasional toe stub, I might let loose.

But I have to be cautious during “The Nutcracker” with all the kids around!

PGN: What toy would you not want to get?

AY: G.I. Joe. When I was a kid, I went on this children’s TV show. Me and this girl — she was my girlfriend at the time, but no longer — were competing for toys and won the consolation prizes. They thought they’d be funny and give me the Barbie doll and her the G.I. Joe. She begged me to switch after but I refused. The Barbie had this outfit that changed colors in the sun, there was no way I was giving that up. It was the best gift ever. n “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” runs through Dec. 29 at the Academy of Music. For more information, visit paballet. org.

To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol.com.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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

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PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

Classifieds Real Estate Sale VENTNOR, NJ House for sale in Ventnor NJ. 2 story 5 bedroom house, needs some repairs. Priced right. Call 215 468 9166. ________________________________________38-52 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. ________________________________________38-50 DEER RIVER/NY STATE LAND 5 acres – Deer River - $19,995. Borders stateland. Excellent grouse and deer area. Borders ATV/snowmobile trail.

Financing available. $157/month – Contact us by phone to receive FREE closing costs! 1-800-229-7843. Or visit www.LandandCamps.com ________________________________________38-50

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. _____________________________________________38-50 MARSTON AT DICKINSON & 28TH ST. 3 BR, 1 BA, 10 mins. to University City. $795. _____________________________________________38-50 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. _____________________________________________38-5

PGN

Real Estate Sale

Adorable Cottage Just Minutes from New Hope!

Beautiful perennial gardens, shed, and a 16 x 20 studio/cabin with porch are nestled into the hillside setting of this charming home. Brick walkway to the front door opens to a foyer with handpainted faux marble flooring. Living Room is reminiscent of antique mountain homes with wood burning fireplace, dining area, original wood flooring and architectural detailing including a bank tellers cage repurposed as a room divider. Kitchen features crushed slate counters, and a custom wine rack.

From the kitchen, there is access to the covered porch - perfect for outside entertaining.

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.

901 Taylorsville Rd., Washington Crossing

$314,000.

Diane Krause

Call Mary Dinneen 215-504-2882

610-547-1239

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

diane.krause@foxroach.com

677 S. State Street, Newtown, PA 18940 215-860-9300 • mdinneenrealtor@aol.com

call or text

Exquisite Bucks County Farmhouse

Open House 12/14, 2-4 p.m.

1423 Melrose Ave., Elkins Park, PA 19027 Create a Lifestyle!

Recently listed mini-mansion located in Melrose Park and reminiscent of Downton Abbey era awaits you! This historic Horace Trumbauer home (6 bedrooms, 5 baths; 3 full--2 half) features many architectural details and exquisite old world craftsmanship includes large rooms; oak hardwood floors throughout; 22” thick stone walls; outside dental molding, pillars and trim; leaded glass windows; paneled library, sunroom and entrance foyer; updated bathrooms; fireplaces; and newly installed thermal windows. Walking distance to all public transportation and 25 minute drive from downtown Philadelphia.

$439,000

Mary Ann Bowler BHHS Fox & Roach Real Estate Agents & Associates (215)517-6184 • (215)803-6556

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.

This home is a fine example of gracious living. Down a 1500' driveway to a gated entrance, this historic home is sited amidst professionally landscaped gardens, exquisite outbuildings, including a pool house with full kitchen, bath, and sauna. In addition the property features a pond, pool and stunning bluestone patio. As you enter the front door you are ushered into a spacious front hallway with marble floors and custom woodwork. Formal dining room offers views of the front gardens, while the living room beckons with a large walk in fireplace.

Beyond the living room, the den features a woodburning stove, beamed ceilings, built in bookcases and entry to the rear gardens. The upper level of this 1780s farmhouse has a main bedroom with fireplace and beamed ceiling - reminiscent of country inns.

Close to Doylestown, and New Hope.

170 King Road, New Britain Township, Bucks County $1,199,000.

Call Mary Dinneen 215-504-2882 Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

677 S. State Street, Newtown, PA 18940 • 215-860-9300 • mdinneenrealtor@aol.com

PGN

Services

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epgn.com

Check Us Out Online

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 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. ________________________________________38-52 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. ________________________________________38-52 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. ________________________________________38-52 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

Religion/Spirituality Arch Street United Methodist Church Services 8:30 and 11 a.m. at 55 N. Broad St.; youth/adult Sunday school at 9:30 a.m.; 5:30 p.m. prayer service; 215-568-6250.

Bethlehem-Judah Ministries Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 5091 N. Dupont Hwy., Suite D, Dover, Del.; 302-750-4045.

Metropolitan Community Church of Christ the Liberator Holds services 10:45 a.m. Sundays at the Pride Center of New Jersey; 732-823-2193, mccctl.com.

Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia Services 1 p.m. Sundays at the University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, 3637 Chestnut St.; 215-294-2020, www. mccphiladelphia.com.

BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Church Services 10:15 a.m. at 2040 Street Road, Warrington; 215-343-0406.

Old First Reformed Church Open and affirming United Church worships at 11 a.m., summer services at 10 a.m, at 151 N. Fourth St.; 215-922-4566, www. oldfirstucc.org.

Calvary United Methodist Church Reconciling, welcoming and affirming church holds services 11 a.m.

Sundays at 801 S. 48th St.; 215-724-1702.

Penns Park United Methodist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-598-7601.

Central Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:45 a.m.

Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m, at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610-688-0664.

Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral Progressive and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m.

Sundays with Holy Eucharist at 3723 Chestnut St.; 215-386-0234, www.philadelphiacathedral.org.

Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church Services 11 a.m. and Spirit at Play, an arts-based Sunday school for children, 9:30 a.m. at 8812 Germantown Ave.; 215-242-9321.

Rainbow Buddhist Meditation Group Meets 5 p.m. Sundays at William Way.

Church of the Crucifixion Inclusive Episcopal community holds services 10 a.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Fridays at 620 S. Eighth St.; 215-922-1128.

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting worships 11 a.m., summer services 10 a.m, Sundays at 1515 Cherry St.; 215-241-7000, cpmm@ afsc.org.

Church of the Holy Trinity Inclusive church holds services 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 1904 Walnut St.; 215-567-1267.

Resurrection Lutheran Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays at 620 Welsh Road, Horsham; 215-6462597.

Congregation Rodeph Shalom Shabbat services every Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 10:45 a.m. at 615 N. Broad St. ; 215-627-6747.

Silverside Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays followed by a group discussion at 2800 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Del.; 302-478-5921, silversidechurch. org.

Dignity Jersey Shore An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets the first Saturday of the month in Asbury Park; 732-502-0305.

Dignity Metro NJ An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets 4 p.m. the first and third Sundays of the month at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood; 973-509-0118.

Dignity Philadelphia Holds Mass 7 p.m. Sundays at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-546-2093, dignityphila@aol.com.

Drexel Hill Baptist Church Nonjudgmental Christian congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the USA holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 4400 State Road, Drexel Hill; 610-259-2356, www.dhbaptist.com.

Emanuel Lutheran Church Reconciling in Christ congregation meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m., New and Kirkpatrick streets, New Brunswick, N.J.; 732-545-2673; www.emmanuelnb.org.

St. Asaph’s Church Inclusive and progressive Episcopal church holds services 8 and 10 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd; 610-664-0966, www.saintasaphs.org.

St. Paul Episcopal Church Welcoming and inclusive church holds services 9:30 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 89 Pinewood Drive, Levittown; 215-6881796, www.stpaullevittown.org.

First Baptist Church of Moorestown Welcoming and affirming congregation holds Bible study and discussion at 9 a.m. Sundays and worship services at 10 a.m.

Sundays at 19 W. Main St., Moorestown, N.J.; 856-235-1180; www. fbcmoorestown.org; info@fbcmoorestown.org.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Welcoming and diverse congregation with numerous outreach and fellowship groups holds services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday at Third and Pine streets; 215-925-5968; www.stpetersphila.org.

Grace Epiphany Church A welcoming and diverse Episcopal congregation in Mt. Airy with services 9:30 a.m. Sundays at 224 E. Gowen Ave.; 215-248-2950, www.grace-epi.org.

Holy Communion Lutheran Church ELCA Reconciling in Christ congregation worships 9 a.m. Sundays at 2111 Sansom St. and 11 a.m. at 2110 Chestnut St. in the main sanctuary; 215-567-3668, www.lc-hc.org.

Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church Sexual-minority congregation worships at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 1223 Middletown Road (Route 352), Glen Mills; 610-358-1716, www.ImagoDeiMCC.org.

Living Water United Church of Christ An open and affirming congregation that meets for worship 11 a.m. on Sundays at 6250 Loretto Ave.; 267-388-6081, www.lwucc.org.

Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist synagogue committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community meets at Calvary Center, 801 S. 48th St.; 215764-6364, www.kol-tzedek.org.

Mainline Unitarian Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon; 610-688-8332, www.mluc.org.

Maple Shade Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ Affirming congregation open to all sexual orientations and gender identities holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 45 N. Forklanding Road, Maple Shade, N.J.; 856-779-7739, mapleshadeucc.org.

■ 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

■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080

First Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds prayer services 10:30 a.m.

Sundays and community worship 11:30 a.m. at 123 S. 17th St.; 215-563-3853.

The First United Methodist Church of Germantown A sexual-minority-affirming congregation holds services at 10 a.m., summer services 11 a.m., Sundays, with lunch to follow, at 6001 Germantown Ave.; 215-438-3077, www.fumcog.org.

■ 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.

St. Luke and The Epiphany Church Open and welcoming church holds fall liturgy 9 and 11 a.m.

Sundays, summer sevices 10 a.m., at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-732-1918, stlukeandtheepiphany.org.

Evangelicals Concerned Lesbian and gay Christian counseling; 215-860-7445.

First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia A liberal, welcoming and diverse congregation that affirms the dignity of all. Sunday services at 10 a.m., 2125 Chestnut St.; 215563-3980, www.firstuu-philly.org.

Community centers

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

■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513

St. Mary of Grace Parish Inclusive church in the Catholic tradition celebrates Mass 6 p.m. Sundays in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media; 610-566-1393, www. inclusivecatholics.org.

Tabernacle United Church Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 3700 Chestnut St.; 215-386-4100, tabunited.org.

Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church Sunday worship with nursery care, 10:30 a.m. and fourth Thursday of the month contemporary worship with Communion at 7 p.m. at 2212 Spruce St.; 215-732-2515, trinityphiladelphia.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County Welcoming congregation holds services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 10:30 a.m., at 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media.

Interweave, a group for LGBT parishioners and allies, meets noon the first Sunday of the month; 610-566-4853. www.uucdc.org.

Unitarian Society of Germantown Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 6511 Lincoln Drive; 215-844-1157, www.usguu.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill Services 10:15 a.m. Interweave, a group of LGBT Unitarians and their allies, meets at 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; 856667-3618, uucch.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration Welcoming congregation holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 6900 Stenton Ave.; 215-247-2561, www.uurestoration.us.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation, South Jersey Shore Services 10 a.m. Sundays in Galloway Township; 609-965-9400, www.uucsjs.org.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown Services 10:30 a.m. at 1565 S. Keim St.; 610-327-2662, www. uupottstown.org.

United Christian Church Open, affirming and welcoming congregation holds services 10:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown; 215-946-6800.

Unity Fellowship Church of Philadelphia Diverse, affirming LGBT congregation holds services 2 p.m. Sundays at 55 N. Broad St.; 215-240-6106.

University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 3637 Chestnut St. preceded by “Adult Forum: Sundays” at 9:30 a.m.; 215-387-2885, www.uniphila.org.

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Community Bulletin Board

St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; 215-646-2451, www.stjohnsambler.org.

St. Mary’s Church Diverse and inclusive Episcopal church celebrates the Eucharist 11 a.m. Sundays at 3916 Locust Walk; 215-386-3916; www. stmarysatpenn.org.

First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne Welcoming church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 140 N. Lansdowne Ave.; 610-622-0800; www.lansdownepresbyterianchurch.com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

■ 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, 215-686-

■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Youth Center 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065 rainbowroom@ppbucks.org.

■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220; www.waygay.org.

Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays. Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m.

Monday through Friday Library hours: noon-9 p.m.

Monday-Thursday; noon-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Key numbers 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)

Health

Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 216 W. Somerset St.; 215763-8870.

ActionAIDS Provides a range of programs for people affected by HIV/AIDS, including case management, prevention, testing and education services at 1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088; www.actionaids.org.

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 appoint-

■ 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.

■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, selfemployed 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

ment) at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1821.

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.; 610-586-9077.

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 chronicdisease 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.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 12-18, 2014

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