OGN March 28 - April 3, 2014 by The Philadelphia Gay News

Honorees set for 15th annual BlackTie GayBINGO!

Family Portrait: Mary Pitek, leading the takeover

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These queens of comedy are three of a kind PAGE 37

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Downingtown is PA’s 34th municipality to ban LGBT discrimination at the local level.

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March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Vol. 38 No. 13

PA treasurer enters marriage fray Treasurer Rob McCord filed an amicus curiae brief this week, thought to be the first of its kind in the country, supporting two women looking to have their out-of-state marriage recognized in Pennsylvania. By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com In what is believed to be a national first, Pennsylvania’s state treasurer this week submitted a friend-of-the-court filing in support of a same-sex couple seeking to overturn the state’s ban on marriage equality, arguing that the law has a detrimental financial effect on same-sex couples. Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord submitted the amicus curiae brief March 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern

District of Pennsylvania in Palladino v. Corbett. The case was filed last summer by Philadelphia residents Cara Palladino and Isabelle Barker, who are seeking to have their legal Massachusetts marriage recognized in the Keystone State. McCord’s 25-page brief outlines the myriad effects the state’s discriminatory law has on his department, which is tasked with managing a number of programs and benefits extending to married couples. The brief urges the court to grant the plaintiffs’ request for summary judgment and find that

the ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. “There can be no doubt that Pennsylvania’s marriage law acts to disadvantage, as a separate class, same-sex couples by purposefully refusing them state recognition of their relationship and thus the derivative rights, presumptions and protections normally associated with the legal status of marriage,” McCord stated in the brief. McCord is the first elected state official in Pennsylvania to formally challenge the

discriminatory law in court. This is also believed to be the first time that a state treasurer has filed an amicus curiae in support of plaintiffs challenging a state’s ban on same-sex marriage. While McCord is not seeking to be a party in the case, the friend-of-the-court brief offers a uniquely informed position on PAGE 27 the issues at play for the

Two deaths in LGBT bathhouses

Suspected Venture Inn stabber in custody

By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Just a few hours after naming a suspect in last Thursday’s stabbing outside Venture Inn, police arrested the alleged attacker in the Gayborhood. Apprehended was William Johnson, 39, about 4:30 p.m. Friday. The suspect had been sleeping in bushes in the 1100 block of Pine Street. Johnson, of the 400 block of Morris Street, was transported to Hahnemann University Hospital for rib pain before being processed. Johnson is suspected of stabbing an off-duty police officer and a Venture Inn bartender. The bartender, Thomas Miguel Martinez, suffered a laceration to the chin and was treated with eight stitches PAGE 24

CAMPUS KEYNOTE: Laverne Cox took part in a press conference at University of Pennsylvania’s LGBT Center March 25 before delivering the keynote speech of QPenn Week to a sold-out crowd. Cox, pictured with QPenn Week co-organizer Michael Lewis, plays an inmate on Netflix hit “Orange is the New Black” and off-screen is a producer and transgender advocate. During the conference, Cox encouraged LGBT people to press their local prison systems to ensure they’re complying with new Prison Rape Elimination Act standards to improve conditions for transgender and gendernonconforming inmates. Cox is collaborating on the documentary “Free CeCe” about imprisoned trans woman CeCe McDonald. QPenn Week runs through Sunday. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Two separate deaths occurred at a pair of LGBT bathhouses in the city last week. Foul play is not suspected in either case. Police responded to a 911 call at Club Philadelphia, 1220 Chancellor St., for a report of a deceased patron around 2:20 a.m. March 15, according to Philadelphia Public Affairs Officer Leeloni Palmiero. The 61-year-old man was found in Room 205 in the club. The white male was lying naked and face-up on a bed. “They attempted to revive him but were unable to,” Palmiero said. “They believe he was dead for a while. There were no signs of trauma.” Club Philadelphia’s owner did not respond to calls from PGN by presstime. At 4:30 p.m. March 23, an officer responded to a call at Sansom

Street Gym, 2020 Sansom St. There, Palmiero said, police found a 41-year-old Hispanic male kneeling in a room, not breathing. Sansom Street Gym manager Aaron Moore told PGN the customer was a regular and usually checked out on time. “When a customer comes in, they have a certain amount of time to be in the bathhouse,” he said. “He was a good regular and for him to be overdue wasn’t like him. He was a pleasant guy. We don’t think he did drugs. There were no drugs found on him.” Moore said this is the first time such an incident occurred at Sansom Street Gym. Palmiero said both cases are under investigation and the Homicide Department was notified as a matter of procedure. Department of Health spokesperson Jeff Moran said autopsies were performed on both men, and results could take up to 10 weeks. ■

“Day in the Life Of” is a monthly feature that tells the unique, day-to-day stories of local LGBT community members. Meet this month’s subject: Ed Staudenmayer PAGE 14

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Contact Don at don@epgn.com or 215-625-8501 ext. 200 to arrange for delivery of complimentary copies. All of these locations are now visible on a zoomable Google Map at

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News Briefing Rapist appeals conviction Jeffrey J. Marsalis, a sex offender whose rape of a lesbian contributed to his lengthy prison term, is appealing his conviction. Eleven local women pressed charges against Marsalis, contending he raped them between 2003-05 in Philadelphia and Northampton counties. In 2007, Marsalis was convicted of two felonies and a misdemeanor stemming from the women’s allegations. There was no mandatory minimum for the convictions, and Marsalis could have been sentenced to probation. But in 2005, Marsalis raped a lesbian in Colorado — a crime that law-enforcement officials say helped persuade Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Steven R. Geroff to impose a lengthy sentence on Marsalis. In October 2007, Geroff sentenced Marsalis to 10-and-a-half to 21 years in state prison for his local crimes. In January, Geroff upheld Marsalis’ conviction and, last month, Marsalis filed a notice of appeal in state Superior Court. Marsalis, 40, remains incarcerated at a state prison in Marienville.

No oral arguments in Haverford case Antigay activist James Schneller continues to seek the nullification of Haverford Township’s LGBT-inclusive antibias ordinance. He’s filed suit in Commonwealth Court to accomplish that goal. The court recently announced it won’t hear oral arguments in the case but will decide the case solely on written briefs. Haverford enacted the ordinance in 2011. It bans discrimination in employment, housing, commercial property and public accommodations and establishes a humanrelations panel to investigate complaints. Violators face penalties of up to $5,000 per discriminatory act. Antigay activist Fred W. Teal filed the first legal challenge to Haverford’s ordinance in March 2011. But Teal died in September 2012, while his challenge was pending. In December 2013, Haverford officials filed a legal brief with the court, defending the ordinance. The court’s decision is expected in the next few months.

Law project opens doors The public is invited to attend an open house sponsored by the AIDS Law Project

of Pennsylvania from 5-7 p.m. April 8 at 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 600. “We’ve recently finished a fabulous office makeover, and we’re having an open house to show it off,” said agency director Ronda B. Goldfein. There will be light food and drinks from Tim Bellew Food. “Think of it as happy hour with a purpose,” she added. Goldfein expressed thanks to agency board member Michael Ippoliti for his “keen sense of interior design,” and to Knoll Inc. for donating new furniture. To a t t e n d , e m a i l J u a n B a e z a t jbaez@aidslawpa.org. — Timothy Cwiek

DA forum on safety District Attorney Seth Williams is hosting a forum on safety in the LGBT community. The event will take place from 5-7 p.m. April 1 at the D.A.’s Office, 3 S. Penn Square. The D.A.’s Office will be joined by members of the Philadelphia Police Department to discuss crime prevention and safety.

Come out for Collins Join LGBTs and allies to welcome the first-ever openly LGBT professional athlete to Philadelphia next week. New Brooklyn Nets member Jason Collins will be in town for the Nets-76ers game 7:30 p.m. April 5 at Wells Fargo Center. Although blocked seats are not available, a contingent of LGBTs and allies will be sitting in Section 217. To purchase tickets, visit www.nba.com/sixers/promo, enter promo code LGBT, select the April 5 game and select seats in 217 or 216A. For more information, visit www.phillygaydays.com. — Jen Colletta

Get Lucid hosts monthly party Activist and artist collective Get Lucid! will host its Activist Dance Party next week, this time celebrating and raising funds for an organization that fights street harassment. The party, from 8 p.m.-3 a.m. April 5 at Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., will focus on beneficiary Hollaback Philly, which advocates for safer streets. There will be a host of live entertainment, including musicians, artists, spoken-word performers and comedians. Admission is $5 in advance or $8 at the door. To buy tickets, visit undergroundarts. org. For more information, visit getlucid. org. ■ — Angela Thomas

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

14 Day in the life of ...

Weekly features

News&Opinion 2 — News Briefing 10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Mark My Words Op-Ed Street Talk 13 — Crime Watch 33 — Media Trail

AC &

41 43 46 47 48 50

— — — — — —

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

21 — On Being Well: STDs

C — Mombian: o 22 “Choosing Children” l on DVD u 26 — Work It Out: m Coping with n disappointment s 42 — Barcrawlr: Spring flings

Classifieds 53 — Real Estate 54 — Personals 55 — Bulletin Board

Next week Get Out and Play Out Law

Next month Summer Concert Issue: Apr. 25

Ed Staudenmayer drives crosscountry accompanied by his 6-yearold Shetland Mac while on tour with “Phantom.”

17 SPIRITED STORIES: Jesse Krikorian talked about the intersection of spirituality and sexuality at a March 20 event at William Way LGBT Community Center. “Coming Out Together: Stories of LGBTQ Acceptance” brought together six storytellers to explore how faith communities can foster inclusion and affirmation for LGBT people. The event was hosted by R. Eric Thomas of First Person Arts and featured storytellers from a number of area congregations who talked about their own personal comingout stories and how they found strength in their faith communities. About 100 people turned out for the event, which was also supported by The YES! Coalition, Human Rights Campaign, Identity Kit Project and William Way’s Out and Faithful Program. Photo: Scott A. Drake

This week in PGN

“An Act of Love,” directed, produced and edited by Scott Sheppard (left), tells the story of Frank Schaefer, the former pastor of Zion Iona Church in Lebanon.

6 — Morris probe encouraged by Eighth Ward 13 — GPFFL flip cup tourney set as fundraiser 16 — R Squared Design opens in Rehoboth

37 — Arts & Culture cover story: These three cards keep the laughter going 40 — New aeriel show hits new heights Tracy Young guest DJs next Bi at Sundown

“Gift of Life is dedicated to reaching the community and educating them about how to register to be an organ and tissue donor. We are on a mission to save lives.” ~ Keith Burns, on the program that helped him receive a heart transplant, page 34 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 Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Angela Thomas (ext. 215) angela@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) timothy@epgn.com

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Dining Out: A variety of spherical servings includes beef, pork, chicken and veggie meatballs at Marabella Meatball Co.

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Scott A. Drake (ext. 210) scott@epgn.com

Philadelphia Gay News is a member of: The Associated Press Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Suburban Newspapers of America

Graphic Artist Sean Dorn (ext. 211) sean@epgn.com

The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned “Editorial” col umn. 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.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

STAGE PRESENTS: Chloe Felesina and Ian Hussey performed “Let Me Live” as part of “Shut Up & Dance” March 22 at Forrest Theatre. The annual Pennsylvania Ballet production raises funds for the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance, which provides nutritional meals for those battling life-threatening illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. Hussey, who is openly gay, returned for his third stint as producing director and was joined by more than three-dozen performers. More than 1,400 people attended, and the agency met its fundraising goals. “‘Shut Up & Dance’ is always wonderful but this year it was especially spectacular,” said MANNA executive director Sue Daugherty. “The numbers had such diversity — a dazzling combination of ballet and modern dance — and the live music added so much energy. I looked out at the audience during one of the numbers and could see they were completely enthralled. It was a great evening!” Photo: Scott A. Drake

Downingtown becomes 34th in PA to ban LGBT discrimination By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com With efforts to ban LGBT discrimination still stalled in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania last week welcomed its 34th municipality to do so at the local level. The Downingtown Borough Council approved an ordinance March 19 that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in housing, employment and public accommodations. Council adopted the legislation in a 3-2 vote, with members Ann Feldman and Nick Winkler in opposition. Two citizens spoke during public comment and both were in favor of the bill. Downingtown Mayor Josh Maxwell signed the legislation the following day. Council vice president Alex Rakoff introduced the measure. He said this year, with a new member on Council, the bill stood its greatest chance of passing. “It was just something I had been trying to do since I got on Council but didn’t have the landscape in favor of it for the first two years,” he said. Maxwell said the lack of statewide protections prompted the measure. “This is a need in Pennsylvania and we wanted to join municipalities across the commonwealth in pursuit of equality while the state remains silent,” he said. Equality Pennsylvania executive director Ted Martin applauded Maxwell and

Downingtown Council. “Josh has been a champion for LGBT rights and was endorsed by Equality PA,” he said. “Every ordinance that passes — from Bristol to Pittsburgh to Philadelphia — shows our lawmakers in Harrisburg that Pennsylvanians are in favor of protecting all people from discrimination.” Maxwell said although there have been no official reports of discrimination based on LGBT identity in Downingtown, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. “This will further make sure landlords, employers and event hosts know it is against the law to discriminate based on someone’s LGBT identity,” he said. “Hopefully it won’t be an issue moving forward.” Rakoff said Downingtown and the 33 other municipalities are signaling to state lawmakers that Pennsylvanians are ready for this legislation at the state level. “I think it sends a message that change starts to form from the ground-up and we want Harrisburg to do the right thing,” he said. “It is saying, ‘This is what we want and what we believe in.’ We are not sure they will make the move unless we get the ball moving on the local level.” “There is widespread support for the legislation and hopefully leadership in Harrisburg acts accordingly,” Maxwell added. “It is something they shouldn’t be hesitant to pass and hopefully they will respond to the will of the voting public. Pennsylvania is an inclusive place.” ■

PREVIEW PARTY THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014, 5:30 - 9 p.m. Arrangements on view Friday, April 4 through Sunday, April 6 Floral design and art making workshops and demonstrations Purchase Tickets and Register at:

PAFA .OR G/PAFAINBLOOM

118 North Broad Street, Philadelphia PA 19102

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

NOTICE

SPECIAL ELECTION

PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE PURSUANT TO THE PHILADELPHIA HOME RULE CHARTER SECTION 2-101, A WRIT OF ELECTION WAS SERVED ON THE PHILADELPHIA COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS ON MARCH 24, 2014, BY THE PRESIDENT OF CITY COUNCIL, DARRELL L. CLARKE. THE WRIT OF ELECTION DIRECTS THE PHILADELPHIA COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS, IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF PHILADELPHIA, TO HOLD A SPECIAL ELECTION ON TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 FOR THE ELECTION OF A COUNCILMEMBER-AT-LARGE TO FILL SAID VACANCY AFORESAID, TO GIVE LAWFUL NOTICE OF THE CAUSE AND CONDUCT OF SAID SPECIAL ELECTION, AND TO MAKE A RETURN THEREOF IN THE MANNER AND FORM DIRECTED AND REQUIRED BY LAW. PHILADELPHIA COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS Anthony Clark Chair, City Commissioners

Al Schmidt Vice Chair City Commissioners

Stephanie Singer City Commissioner

Tim Dowling Acting Supervisor of Elections

AVISO

ELECCIÓN ESPECIAL CONSEJO DE LA CIUDAD DE FILADELFIA EN GRANDE

EN CONFORMIDAD CON LA CARTA DE AUTONOMIA DE FILADELPHIA SECCIÓN 2-101 UN RECURSO DE ELECCIÓN FUE SERVIDA A LA JUNTA ELECTORAL DEL CONDADO DE FILADELFIA EL 24 DE MARZO DE 2014, POR EL PRESIDENTE DEL CONSEJO DE LA CIUDAD, DARRELL L. CLARKE. EL RECURSO DE ELECCIÓN DIRIGE LA JUNTA DE ELECCIONES DEL CONDADO DE FILADELFIA PARA CELEBRAR UNA ELECCIÓN ESPECIAL EL MARTES 20 MAYO DE 2014 PARA LA ELECCIÓN DE UN CONCEJAL EN GENERAL PARA CUBRIR DICHA VACANTE, DICHO PARA DAR AVISO LEGAL DE LA CAUSA Y LA CONDUCTA EN DE DICHA ELECCIÓN ESPECIAL, Y PARA REALIZAR UNA DEVOLUCIÓN, EN EL MODO Y LA FORMA DIRIGIDA Y REQUERIDOS POR LA LEY. JUNTA DE ELECCIONES DEL CONDADO DE PHILADELPHIA Anthony Clark Presidente, Comisionados Municipales

Al Schmidt Vicepresidente, Commisionados Municipales

Stephanie Singer Comisionada Municipal

Tim Dowling Supervisor de Elecciones Interino

LOCAL PGN

Eighth Ward supports Morris probe By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com The Eighth Ward Democratic Committee voted unanimously last week to urge Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane to investigate the Nizah Morris case. Morris was a transgender woman who became a homicide victim in 2002, shortly after entering a police vehicle for a “courtesy ride.” The crime remains unsolved. Community efforts to elicit what happened to Morris have been stymied by missing 911 transmissions, a redacted police report, a lost homicide file and an incomplete time-response log. The Eighth Ward is a political subdivision — largely in Center City west of Broad — that serves as a conduit to party leadership. It’s also a source of information during campaigns and elections. About 30 committee members attended the March 19 meeting, which was held at a Center City law firm. In 2012, the Eighth Ward Democratic Committee endorsed Kane, a Democrat, in her bid to become Pennsylvania’s attorney general. Babette Josephs, an Eighth Ward committeeperson and former state representative, said local authorities appear to be obfuscating facts in the Morris case. “We’re concerned about unprofessional behavior on the part of both the police and district attorney,” Josephs said. “We’re trying to find out what happened on that socalled courtesy ride that left a 47-year-old woman braindead on a street in the Eighth Ward.” Josephs noted the Eighth Ward’s prior support for Kane. “We delivered a lot of votes to her,” she said. “The Eighth Ward is going to send a letter to her, and we’re hoping she’ll pay attention to it — along with the letters of other organizations that are calling for a state probe.” Josephs voiced optimism that Kane will respond favorably. “When she gets the letter written by the

Eighth Ward, she will understand that this homicide is very important to neighborhood and community leaders across the Eighth Ward — which is a very big ward. I would think we have an enormous influence in statewide or citywide elections.” Uda Bartholomew, another Eighth Ward committeeperson, also expressed support for Kane’s involvement. “Everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,” Bartholomew said. “I’ve got transgender folks in my family. I’ve been stereotyped as transgender, though I’m not. I don’t like when anyone is bullied or harassed or hurt with malice or ill will. I’ve been a Christian pacifist since the age of 3. I know people deserve justice and mercy. My hope is for a full and truthful investigation in the Morris case, so that even the people who are perpetrators have a chance to cleanse their hearts.” Committee members who will draft the letter to Kane include Josephs, Tryna Jacobs, Charles Goodwin and Stephen Springer. Also at the meeting, state Rep. Brian Sims (D-182nd Dist.) was endorsed for reelection. Josephs is challenging Sims in the May 20 primary. The vote was 16-10. “I am honored to have received the important endorsement of the Eighth Ward,” Sims said in a statement to PGN. Although I fully expected that the committee people of Rittenhouse Square, Logan Square, Fitler Square and Spring Garden would join me in my campaign for re-election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, I am proud that they have reaffirmed their belief in progress not just in Philadelphia, but across the Commonwealth. I look forward to continuing to work with those committee members to improve the lives of our fellow citizens.” In other news, Abbe Fletman, an openly LGBT attorney, made a brief presentation at the meeting, explaining that she plans to run for a judgeship on Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. She didn’t officially declare her candidacy at the meeting “I’m just here to see and be seen,” Fletman told PGN after her presentation. ■

AC ul t ure rts

Because Life Is More Than Just Gay News

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Intelligencer awards out attorneys By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com Three LGBT lawyers have been named as recipients of The Legal Intelligencer’s 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award. Romulo L. Diaz Jr. of PECO Energy Company, Abbe F. Fletman of Flaster/ Greenberg and Cletus P. Lyman of Lyman & Ash will receive the prestigious award for their work in helping shape the legal field in Pennsylvania. The trio will be joined by 19 other legal professionals presented with the honor. Diaz received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He serves on PECO’s Political Action Committee and on the boards of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation and the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority. Fletman, who ran for an open seat on the Court of Common Pleas last year, has worked as a commercial litigator for Flaster/ Greenberg since 2006. She earned her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and served as the first female co-chair of Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia. Fletman has also served as co-chair

of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Legal Rights of Lesbians and Gay Men Committee and helped launch the LGBT Litigator Committee of the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section. Fletman said her early career as a newspaper reporter influenced her to pursue a

DIAZ (LEFT), FLETMAN AND LYMAN

career in law. “I wanted to be able to be a participant instead of just being an observer,” she said. “In law, you have the ability to help individual clients but also to affect policy and the system.” She also said the career move challenged her intellectually and exposed her to a wealth of new industries and people. Fletman said The Legal Intelligencer award was an honor, as was being considered among her fellow awardees. “They are these lawyers who are among

certainly the best lawyers in Philadelphia and people who have really contributed to not only the legal profession, but to our city and beyond,” she said. Lyman founded Lyman & Ash in 1972 with Richard Ash. He served as one of the founding members of GALLOP with Fletman. He has been a member of the National Lesbian and Gay Bar Association for 22 years and a member of the Independence Business Alliance since 2006. He is currently representing Nicole and Tamara Cucinotta, who are trying to get their Montgomery County marriage license recognized by the state. Lyman, who received his degree from the University of Pennsylvania, said he was motivated to do good in any career path he chose. “I saw law as a career opportunity where one could perhaps do good and reasonably well,” he said. “I met a lawyer named Richard Ash at around the time I was in law school. He opened my eyes to the possibility of making a difference by using my legal knowledge.” The Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented May 29 and all recipients will be honored in The Legal Intelligencer this spring. ■

Sexuality educator among honorees at 15th annual black-tie bingo By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com

Reichard said although AIDS Fund tries to bring new features to the mix each year, GayBINGO! is a widely popular event as is. “We have a formula that works,” he said. AIDS Fund will host its 15th annual BlackTie GayBINGO! next month, and will honor “You never know what the Bingo Verifying a number of local HIV/AIDS activists and Divas are going to bring to the evening, both in costuming and their performances. They advocates. always make the evening.” The event will start at The award ceremony is also a consistent 6:30 p.m. April 5 at the facet of GayBINGO! Crystal Team Room in the The Founder’s Award, Reichard said, Wanamaker Building, 100 is given to someone who has exhibited a Penn Square East. In addideep and enduring commitment to the HIV/ tion to the games, this AIDS community, a description fitting of year’s program will honor human-sexuality educator VERNACCHIO Vernacchio. “Al has been involved in the fight against and former ActionAIDS employee Al Vernacchio with the Founders’ HIV/AIDS for decades and in reaching youth Award. Vernacchio will be joined by award- has had a particularly strong impact in his ees Ronda Goldfein, executive director of role as a teacher and nationally recognized AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, who sex educator,” he said. Vernacchio, who is openly gay, worked will be presented with the Favorite Straight Person of the Year Award, and Kevin and as a volunteer coordinator and trainer at Keisha Diggs, who will be given the Ferrara ActionAIDS from 1994-98 while he was pursuing his degree in human sexuality at Family Volunteer Award. The event will feature drag performances the University of Pennsylvania. He currently from the Bingo Verifying Divas. There will works at Friends’ Central School as a sexualbe a total of six bingo games, as well as din- ity educator. Vernacchio said the sense of community at ner, dancing and a silent auction. AIDS Fund executive director Robb ActionAIDS was unparalleled. “I was a part of a community that was so Reichard said the organization expects a turnout of more than 250 people and is aiming to clearly dedicated to caring for people and to raise more than $35,000, which will be dis- helping people live the best lives despite the tributed to various HIV/AIDS organizations limitations that HIV was placing on them at that time,” he said. “We were doing what a and agencies.

lot of people in society should be doing but weren’t. It felt good to be on the side of compassion and openness and caring for people.” After leaving ActionAIDS, Vernacchio stayed on as a volunteer. He said his experience at the agency has helped him become a better educator. “I saw the work at ActionAIDS as a form of social justice and when I teach human sexuality, I see it through the lens of social justice as well,” he said. Vernacchio, who serves as the faculty advisor for his school’s gay-straight alliance, said Friends students take part in community service and that, for five full days, instead of going to classes, the students volunteer for different organizations. “We go to different organizations and agencies and I always take students to ActionAIDS and to AIDS Fund as a way to help them connect and see the work they are doing,” he said. Vernacchio said he’s humbled to receive the Founders’ Award. “When I look at what I have done, it feels like little things but it is such an affirmation that many little things taken together can produce great results, and all we have to do to make a significant difference in the world is to take a step,” he said. “What you do makes a difference.” For more information or tickets, call 215731-9255 or visit www.aidsfundphilly.org. ■

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LOCAL PGN

REMEMBERING, LOOKING FORWARD: The LGBT and ally community came together last weekend to remember two lives lost. On March 21 (left), more than 200 people turned out to honor Jaci Adams, a longtime transgender and HIV/AIDS advocate and activist who passed away last month after a battle with cancer. The memorial, at the Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany, included tributes from several local pastors, representatives of Philadelphia FIGHT and AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania and Gloria Casarez, director of the city’s Office of LGBT Affairs. Dozens of comments from community members were also read aloud, and there were a number of live performances, as well as a slideshow highlighting Adams’ life and many contributions. On Sunday, hundreds also came together at ICandy to celebrate the life of former ICandy bartender Jes Metzger, who was killed earlier this month in a car accident in Kansas. Metzger died trying to save others, and organizers (pictured) wore shirts emblazoned with a superhero logo in her honor that were sold at the gathering. The event served as a fundraiser to help Metzger’s family with final costs and to generate funding for causes she supported. Area businesses and organizations donated more than 50 raffle prizes, and there was also a silent auction. Metzger was laid to rest the following day. Photos: Scott A. Drake ��

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Franklin Graham

Editorial

Fighting back against crime There have been a number of headlines in the past few weeks that have suggested an uptick in violent crimes in the Gayborhood. While it remains to be seen yet if crime is statistically on the rise in the Sixth District, or if increased community connectivity via social media has made information-gathering and sharing simply more possible, with the coming (hopefully) warmer weather and expected increased foot traffic in the ’Hood, safety should remain a top concern for residents, business owners and visitors. In the past few weeks, three businesses were robbed at gunpoint a total of four times, seemingly by the same man. While thankfully no one was hurt, the culprit made off with cash, damaged property and placed undue stress on the victims. Elsewhere, at least two community members were victims of knifepoint robberies; that perpetrator stole cash and belongings from the victims while holding a knife to their throats. And last weekend, a Venture Inn bartender and a friend — an off-duty police officer — were stabbed by a man peddling for cigarettes and cash outside the bar. Both victims recovered and the alleged stabber was taken into custody. While the stolen cash and items are certainly a loss, the power and peace of mind that the perpetrators stole from the victims may be even more valuable. Crimes such as this can’t be predicted, which makes them all the more frightening. However, there are steps that can be taken to at least be prepared. Police are scouring for surveillance that may have captured the armed robber who hit Spruce Street Video, Scorpio and Danny’s. The man was wearing a mask during the holds-ups, but could be captured on film removing the mask. The more surveillance cameras scattered throughout the neighborhood, on businesses and residences, the more readily investigators will be able to catch perps when an incident occurs; and the more criminals who are off the streets, the safer the community will be. There are also numerous ways to get actively involved in community safety. The Police Liaison Committee is the conduit between the community and the police department. If an issue arises, bring it directly to their attention. And when they have public forums and meetings, attend and bring your questions, concerns and comments. Similarly, the Washington West Civic Association brings together people across the neighborhood to become more actively engaged in the community. Become a member and attend meetings. The Sixth District also often holds community meetings, and residents and business owners are encouraged to bring their experiences to the table. Additionally, next week, the District Attorney will host a forum on LGBT community safety. While not specifically focused on the Gayborhood, the event is an opportunity to address public safety and crime prevention among community leaders and advocates. Crime will continue to happen in the Gayborhood, and across Philadelphia — that’s just a fact. But, an active and engaged community is one of the most valuable approaches to reducing incidents of crime. So stay smart about your own personal safety and take an active role to promote public safety to keep the Gayborhood a vibrant and productive community hub. ■

There are a lot of things about the rightwing universe that don’t make a lot of sense to me. The fanatical obsession with the unborn paired with the callous disregard of poor children and their families, for example. The insistence that the Bible is literal and must be adhered to, and yet the careful cherry-picking of what passages they actually want to follow. And, of course, there’s the condemnation of gays and lesbians. But the strangest thing, and one that seems to be a relatively recent phenomenon, is the right wing’s infatuation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Keep in mind that if Mitt Romney were president (shudder), the right wing would revile Putin, and rightly so. Putin is not a man who worships their Christian God. Nor does he give a shit about democracy. But Barack Obama is our president, and that makes conservatives in America go fucking insane. Insane enough to compare our democratically elected leader to the hamfisted tyrant in charge of Russia, whether the people there like it or not, and declare Putin the winner. If you ask Rudolph Giuliani, it’s because Putin doesn’t think before he acts and can force people to do whatever he wants. If you ask Sarah Palin (R-Moron), Putin wins because Obama wears “mom jeans” and Putin “wrestles bears.” And if you ask Franklin Graham, son of the famous evangelist Billy Graham, it’s because Putin is much better on the gay stuff. In the March 2014 issue of Decision magazine, the official magazine of the Graham family fan club, Franklin himself penned an article titled, “Does Russia’s Putin have it Right?” To which any thinking person would reply, “Fuck, no.” Graham, on the other hand, replies, “Heavens, yes.” A big focus of his essay is — surprise! — the gays and how Obama just loves them and how gross that is. “Our president and his attorney general have turned their backs on God and His standards, and many in the Congress

are following the administration’s lead,” Franklin writes. “This is shameful.” Putin, on the other hand ... “In my opinion, Putin is right on these issues,” Graham fawns. “Obviously, he may be wrong about many things, but he has taken a stand to protect his nation’s children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda.” That’s right. Big, strong, shirtless Putin is protecting kids from the evil gays. Swoon. Somebody get Graham’s fainting chair. In Graham’s eyes, Putin might not be perfect, but he sure is close. “Isn’t it sad, though, that America’s own morality has fallen so far that on this issue — protecting children from any homosexual agenda or propaganda — Russia’s standard is higher than our own?” Graham laments. Yes, actually, it is sad. But not for the reason Graham thinks. It’s sad that a leader who oppresses his own people and has cracked down on a powerless minority under the guise of “protecting” children is being praised in our own country simply because those people have completely distorted views of President Obama and of LGBT people. Obama isn’t coming after your guns and your Bibles. And LGBT people aren’t coming after your kids. There is nothing moral about what is happening in Russia to LGBT people, and to say otherwise is to completely ignore reality, not to mention the teachings of Jesus. “Today [in America], we’ve abdicated our moral leadership,” Graham writes. And sadly he isn’t talking about himself or the hate his church preaches for LGBT people or Muslims or women who use birth control. He thinks he’s got that part right. It’s America that has it all wrong for not hating enough. ■

“In my opinion, Putin is right on these issues,” Graham fawns. “Obviously, he may be wrong about many things, but he has taken a stand to protect his nation’s children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda.”

D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world, she reviews rock ’n’ roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister.

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

OP-ED PGN

Pitch for Philly Let’s chat about the 2016 Democratic Philadelphians sometimes do not appreNational Convention. I know I had made a ciate how great a city we actually are. promise to myself not to get involved with You already know that Human Rights Campaign rates us as the best city for anything too soon after completion of the LGBT people to live, and that Philly was John C. Anderson LGBT-friendly senior the leader in LGBT rights dating back to affordable apartments but, hey, when the late 1960s and through the Philadelphia calls, I answer. Philly is bidding for the honor mid-1970s. to host that convention, and I’ve It’s been 14 years since we’ve had a national political conbeen asked and agreed to serve vention in Philadelphia. But on the committee working on the bid. that year we went after both Democratic and Republican So last Friday, about 60 of conventions. Our proposals and us gathered and each stood site visits were so powerful that up and gave our information. both parties wanted their conFirst was someone from the chamber of commerce, another vention in Philly. But 2000 was from PECO, various unions, the year that the Republicans got banks, state and city political to pick their city first, and no leaders. Then it was my turn: city hosts both conventions. The “Mark Segal, publisher of the Republicans picked Philly in Philadelphia Gay News. I was a 2000, and now for 2016 we are member of the committee that just for the Democratic Mark Segal bidding brought the Republican convenconvention. tion to town and once again I’ll Why do we want this convention? We want it for the same reasons we be doing our LGBT outreach.” want any convention in Philadelphia. It That little intro made a powerful statement — that the LGBT commubrings millions of dollars in revenue and nity is important to this city and to the jobs, and in the case of a political convention, great publicity for our hospitality Democratic National Committee. Make no industry. And for us as an LGBT commumistake, this is a serious bid by the city. nity, it’s the chance to show the nation why And as we go along, I’ll be asking many our community earned and deserves that of you to help or join in this effort. But number-one HRC rating. ■ our first job is to raise the funds to create a professional proposal. We’re about nine months behind other cities bidding on the Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the convention but we have an incredible team nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. He can be reached at in place, and major support from many on the Democratic National Committee. mark@epgn.com.

Mark My Words

Op-Ed

What’s your favorite outdoor activity in the spring? “Fishing. I go down to Delaware with my mother, to a secluded pond. We spend quality time together fishing. It Beatrice Arreola gives us a civil engineer chance to Andorra talk about things, away from the stress of the city. We eat the fish that we catch, too.”

“Going to an outdoor concert, where I can dance freely and get into the flow of the music. I love Nike Munz music. I’m student part of my Bensalem high school’s marching band and color guard.”

“Skateboarding or just going for long walks. If the weather is warm enough, I can walk for five hours at a stretch. I Lindsey Piccone hate the cold student [weather]. I Bensalem can’t wait to go out and walk anywhere just to commune with nature.”

“Paintball shooting. It’s really a lot of fun. It’s a mixture of playing Army and playing catch. You shoot pellets Joseph Sorrels with your tea distributor paintball Roxborough gun at the opposing team. It has an edge of danger to it but it’s still safe to do. Everyone wears protective gear.”

Michael Kevin Hernández

Violence in Center City is not on the rise

How the gay blood ban affects cancer patients

On March 20, a stabbing involving a bartender and an off-duty police officer occurred outside the Venture Inn, a downtown watering hole that I happen to frequent. A flurry of Facebook posts appeared on my feed after the incident, most lamenting an alleged rise in crime in the Gayborhood, how things are out of control and how the neighborhood is going downhill. Although these reactions are understandable given the severity of the incident, crime is not increasing in Center City. To the contrary, violent crime has continued to decline this year, as it did last year. The Sixth Police District, which covers the Gayborhood, saw sharp declines in violence last year: Homicides declined by 29 percent, robberies with a gun were down 46 percent and aggravated assaults where a gun was used dropped by 49 percent, compared to 2012. Less serious categories of robbery and aggravated assault

Cancer is defined as any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division. Currently, there are about 200 different types of cancer, which can affect 60 different organs in our body. Cancer does affect organs that take part in producing red blood cells, and thus may decrease the production of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. In certain cases, chemotherapy is used to treat or control the cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that people with cancer who undergo chemotherapy often require blood transfusions. This is because the medications that are used in chemotherapy can decrease the blood count as well, thus creating a need for blood transfusions in order to counteract such effects. However, it is the same FDA that blocks many healthy, willing blood donors from donating blood, which is needed to help combat the negative side effects of chemotherapy.

that did not involve a gun also declined, by 16 percent and 9 percent, respectively. This trend has continued in 2014. Relative to this time last year, the Sixth District has recorded 30-percent fewer robberies with a gun and 64-percent fewer aggravated assaults with a gun. Less serious categories of these offenses are unchanged this year relative to 2013, and the same goes for homicides. I personally know both victims involved in the incident, and what they experienced was a serious violent crime that should be taken seriously. At the same time, we have to be cognizant of the fact that incidents such as these, which garner a great deal of attention, are not the norm, and are on the decline. ■ Evan Sorg is a doctoral student in the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University and a former New York City police officer.

Street Talk

Op-Ed

Evan Sorg

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Since 1983, the FDA has had in place a blood-donor ban on men who have slept with men, even once since 1977, based on the antiquated fear that HIV is predominately a “gay disease.” But, 30 years latter, this ban is no longer justified. As every day passes, the medicine to treat HIV is improving and we are getting ever so much closer to achieving a vaccine. It is no longer considered a death sentence as it once used to be. Our instruments and technology have advanced in the past 30 years so that we can detect the virus within less than three months of the infection. Finally, heterosexuals, not just gay or bisexual males, can contract HIV as well at similar rates if they don’t practice safe sex in each sexual encounter, yet they don’t have such a ban. This ban has got to end. Especially since there are even riskier activities, such as sharing intravenous drugs and prostitution, which have a one-year PAGE 34

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in Midtown Village and Washington Square West were reported to the Sixth Police District between March 10-16. Information is courtesy of 6th 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 tips, visit www.phillypolice.com or call 215686-TIPS (8477). Follow the 6th District on Twitter @PPDBrianKorn. INCIDENTS

— At 12:30 a.m. March 14, Sixth District Officer McGrath investigated an auto crash in the 1000 block of Spruce Street. The 22-year-old North Philadelphia driver was arrested and charged with DUI.

— At 12:10 p.m. March 12, two females stole an employee’s handbag from behind the counter of the grocery store at 101 S. 13th St. Both culprits were described as black, and one was wearing a head wrap and sunglasses.

— At 12:50 a.m. March 14, Sixth District Officers Butler and Burrell arrested a male outside 251 S. 13th St. who was wanted on a warrant for probation violations. The 23-year-old suspect with a Germantown address was charged with escape.

— At 4:30 p.m. March 13, a woman had her wallet snatched from her hand at 13th and Market streets. The suspect was described as a black male, 20-25, wearing a royal-blue hoodie and black jeans.

SUMMARY ARRESTS

NON-SUMMARY ARRESTS

— At 10:55 p.m. March 14, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 237 S. Broad St. ■

— At 11 p.m. March 11, members of the Citywide Vice Unit made an arrest for

— At 12:50 p.m. March 12, Center City District officers issued citations for summary offenses outside 100 S. 13th St.

Flip cup tourney to fundraise By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

prostitution outside 200 S. 13th St. — At 11:45 p.m. March 11, Sixth District Officers Macchione and Cifelli arrested a male outside 261 S. 13th St. who was wanted on a warrant for probation violations. The 27-year-old suspect with a Frankford address was charged with escape.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Revisit your college years next month to raise money for two deserving causes. Gaybowl 2014 will present a flip-cup tournament April 11 at Field House. Proceeds from the event will benefit Gaybowl — a national LGBT flag-football tournament coming to the City of Brotherly Love later this year, hosted by the Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League — and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The double-elimination tournament will pit teams of five against one another. Entry is $30 per person, and the winning team gets a $500 cash prize. The popular drinking game requires participants to finish a drink and successfully flip their cup onto its head, in relay style, with the quickest team winning. Tim Adams, events manager for both Field House and Gaybowl, said experience isn’t necessary to play. “It’s not a drinkfest or anything, it’s just a sip,” he joked. “It’s a fun game for people to come together and put their talents to the test. Not many fundraisers allow you to have this fun of a time with your friends.” Alcohol will be provided for gameplay, thanks to GPFFL sponsor Origilio Beverage, and there will also be snacks. Adams said he expects the teams to be

diverse. “There are going to be a lot of different groups and organizations, a culmination of people coming together from throughout the community,” he said. “This is one of those games you play with your friends at 2 in the morning but we’re bringing together a great mix of people from nonprofit and corporate communities, to play for a cause.” Adams is aiming for the event to raise $5,000, which will be split between the two beneficiaries. In addition to fundraising, the tournament will also help get the word out about both causes. “The MS Society has been really great to work with and they have a lot of initiatives that they’re working on that they’ll be able to share with people that night,” he said. “And we also want to bring more awareness that Gaybowl is coming up on OutFest weekend. There will be 2,500-3,000 people here, from more than 20 cities, and we really want the local community to be a part of this event. They can go to the nightlife events but we want them to come out to Fairmount Park to check out the games too and really be a part of the whole weekend. We’re getting closer to Gaybowl and this is a fun fundraiser to gear up for it.” There are spots for 20 more teams in the tournament. To register, email tadams@publichouseusa.com. ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Day in the Life Of ... By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Ed Staudenmayer knows his dog parks. “There’s a wonderful park in Little Rock, Ark. And a really good one in Columbus, Ohio. I do feel like I should write a book about dog parks.” Staudenmayer is not a dogwalker, nor an author, but rather an actor — an actor who, instead of flying from city to city on national tours, drives cross-country, accompanied by his 6-yearold Shetland, Mac. Watching Staudenmayer adeptly wend his way to Seger Dog Park at 11th and Lombard streets, you’d think he was from the area, but the California native does his travel homework — researching the dog

parks and dog-friendly spots in each of the cities he visits as he plans his trips. Staudenmayer is a member of the cast of “Phantom of the Opera,” dazzling audiences at the Academy of Music through next month. He’s been on the road for four months as Monsieur André — one of the two new owners of the opera house that serves as the classic tale’s main setting — visiting such cities as Providence, R.I., Chicago and Columbus. During his time in Philly, he made a stopoff to his lakehouse in suburban New York, which he shares with his partner of 17 years, Tom Hewitt. Before that, he hadn’t been home since before Thanksgiving — and won’t spend more than a few days home until his contract is up in November. “It’s tough,” he said. “[Hewitt] really misses us. He comes out as much as he can; he just drove me to Columbus and was there for a week. We try to not go too long without seeing each other, six

PERSONALITIES PGN

an actor: Ed Staudenmayer

weeks is usually the max.” Having Mac with him on the road, which he’s also done for tours on such productions as “Anything Goes,” helps ease that separation. “The hard part is really being away from home and your loved ones and your normal life. But one of the reasons I love having the dog with me is I have something to go to that’s home,” he said. “Most people on tour don’t. Everyone takes some of their job home with them, but on tour, you’re with your coworkers all the time, and I think you take a lot more of your job home with you. So it’s been good to have him here. I’ll always have a piece of home with me.” Before arriving on each leg of the tour, Staudenmayer makes sure to identify pet-friendly housing — whether it’s a hotel, group rental, a stay at friend Sally Struthers’ house or, in the case of Philly, a visit with his cousin — and plot out the local parks. The day after opening night at the Academy, Staudenmayer and Mac took advantage of the finally seasonal temps to check out Seger; Mac, a skilled squirrel-chaser at home, spent nearly a half-hour chasing the reflected light from a mirror Staudenmayer carries in his pocket for the dog’s amusement. After dropping the dog back at his cousin’s and grabbing a bite, Staudenmayer headed to the Academy, where he and Julia Udine, who plays Christine, fielded questions from reporters about the retooled production and their roles in a press junket in the Academy’s lobby. By 1:15 p.m., as crowds amassed on the Academy steps for the 2 p.m. matinee, Staudenmayer was off to vocal warm-up and then back to his dressing room, whose mirror is adorned with a photo of Hewitt (and several of Mac), for makeup and costuming. Getting prepped for the stage is old-hat for the theater veteran. Staudenmayer, 43, was bit by the acting bug as a freshman in high school, when he was cast in “The Music Man,” still one of his favorite musicals. “I was cast as Tommy, one of

the supporting characters, the young dancer boy. I knew everybody’s line in that entire play.” He went on to balance his extracurriculars with shows in the spring and football in the fall. By senior year, however, much to the dismay of his coach and his father, he opted for the fall production over the sport. “It was a real dilemma at school and at home; my parents hated my drama teacher for it,” Staudenmayer said. “But she was a really great mentor, an ex-actress. I learned so much from her. And we actually ended up getting to bring that play to L.A. That led to

a big competition in which we got first runner-up; I got a big scholarship from it. That was something that really helped me develop as a person and know where I wanted to go.” That was to UCLA, where Staudenmayer studied acting. He came out during college, to mixed reactions. “It was eventful,” he said. “Mom said she always knew but she was upset about how people were going to treat me. She’s definitely a momma bear; my parents divorced when I was 5 so it was always me and her. She was a single mom and I was her latchkey

kid. She wanted to do everything she could to protect me.” The news was a bit harder to traverse with his dad, a “6-foot-4, 244-pound ex-cop” with whom he said he had a rocky past. “He was the Hulk for Halloween and just painted himself green. He had these muscles. I didn’t really get all his genes; I got some of my mother and my uncle Larry — I know I have his ass,” he joked. “I play my father a lot. I was Gaston in ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ I knew how to play the chauvinist really well. But he changed a lot and really grew in his last few years and we became best buddies.” After college, one of Staudenmayer’s first big breaks came with being cast in “Cats” in Hamburg, Germany. He spent a year-and-a-half in the show, which was cast with an amalgamation of non-German-speaking folk. “It was a real melting pot. Germany was real big then on British musicals like ‘Cats’ and ‘Phantom,’” he said. “We spent two months rehearsing, which was in large part learning the language. They taught it to us phonetically. I learned to speak it well, but couldn’t really converse. I spoke German like a child; I called it Kinder-Deutsch.” His time in Hamburg got Staudenmayer accustomed to bigcity living and, upon his return, he made the jump to New York City. While he occasionally does television commercials, live theater has always been his primary passion, he said. “It was what I was good at. I always liked doing musicals and loved to sing. I’m a good queer, I love my showtunes,” he said. “But with commercials, they’re great and it’s good money, but they barely talk to you; you’re thrown out there and it’s not about creating a character and rehearsing. That medium is not an actor’s

CRAIG BENNETT (LEFT) AND STAUDENMAYER IN “PHANTOM” Photo: Alastair Muir JULIA UDINE, WHO PLAYS CHRISTINE, AND STAUDENMAYER AT A RECENT PRESS JUNKET

PERSONALITIES PGN

medium, it’s a director’s medium. I love being a live artist. I’m in charge of my performance. When I get on stage, I’m there and alive with the audience.” The “live” part of live theater comes with its own ups and downs. Like all stage actors, Staudenmayer said he’s had to improvise for falling sets, grappled with technical problems and flubbed lyrics and lines. “I lived the actor’s nightmare. I was an understudy in an offBroadway show and was only a couple days into it and the other actor didn’t set his clock forward for Daylight Savings Time and didn’t show up, so they threw me on and I was still not ready to go,” he said. “I started laughing because I just didn’t know what I was doing and then I started to cry. But after it was over, it was the biggest high of my life; I lived the actor’s nightmare and I survived. It’s live theater and anything can happen. That’s the thrill of it.” Staudenmayer’s Broadway credits include such roles as the White Rabbit in “Wonderland” and a spot opposite Martin Short in “Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me,” and he’s also taken on roles in national tours of such shows as “Joseph and the Amazing

Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” After landing the “Phantom” role, Staudenmayer and the rest of the cast spent about a month in rehearsal in New York City, followed by two weeks of rehearsals in the space where they opened in Providence. “The whole process was about two months. We’d do previews and then learn what we could from the audience and make changes. We’re still in rehearsals; I have rehearsal tomorrow. I keep wondering, Didn’t we open this play? It’s like it never stops.” Despite the hectic schedule, Staudenmayer said it’s been rewarding to be part of such a well-loved show, the first-ever production he saw on Broadway as a teen. “I don’t get to do operas and I love classic opera pieces. Our number in particular is very intricate. It’s an octet and reminds me of Rossini operas with all the people singing. What Andrew Lloyd Webber did is brilliant; he took pieces that sound similar to old operas but aren’t the actual pieces and incorporated that sound into ‘Phantom.’ The music is fantastic and gorgeous and evokes that feeling of opera but it’s all in English so people can understand what

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

we’re singing about. You get the joy of opera but you get to understand it. It’s thrilling to sing.” When the Philly run ends April 12, Staudenmayer and Mac will pile into his car for the next engagements in Rochester, N.Y., and then it’s off to Ohio, followed by South Carolina. While the tour has given Staudenmayer a firsthand look at the USA, he said traveling with a production like “Phantom” has also illustrated to him the impact theater can have on audiences. “Traveling around this gorgeous country really makes you appreciate what we have and makes me proud to be an American. I get sentimental driving through some places, especially places that you don’t think are going to be great, like Kansas. Kansas is freakin’ gorgeous. When the sun hits the right way, it’s beautiful,” he said. “Bringing this big show that people love so much in this new version is really exciting. You see people at the stage door and they’re so excited, and that really makes you feel good, like you’re doing something important.” ■ Catch Staudenmayer in “Phantom of the Opera” through April 12. For more information or tickets, visit www.kimmelcenter.org.

Photos: Scott A. Drake

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Former Philly residents open design business in Rehoboth By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com Rex Rogosch opened his interiordesign business in 2008, working out of his home to build the business. Six years later, Rogosch and partner Wayne Knaub now have more space in which to celebrate their success. Rogosch is the founder of R Squared Design, a full-service design studio that constructs creative solutions while keeping a client’s design esthetic. Rogosch, 40, and Knaub, 37, opened up a storefront in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on March 1. Since its founding, R Squared Design has helped clients from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore to Philadelphia design their homes. Rogosch has 20 years of interior-

design experience under his belt and said he launched the company so he could more fully embrace his creativity, a move motivated by his client work. “I was working for another company that I was using my design skills for but not fully, so I was having those clients ask me to help them with other items in their house that was out of scope of the jobs I was working on,” he said. Rogosch said his clientele varies and includes both commercial and residential projects. He recently worked on Fire & Ice Restaurant, 312 Market St. “It was a great project and fun to take an existing space and completely convert it into something that is a little more modern,” he said. Rogosch and Knaub, who have

been together for four years, will host a grand-opening celebration March 28 in their new 3,000square-foot space, which they are renting from Camp Rehoboth. Knaub said the space was in good shape but in need of some renovations, as well as fresh paint and new carpeting. Knaub said the new space is a way for clients to visualize the services they would be getting from the company. “Rex mostly works out of home and by word of mouth,” he said. “I thought, Let’s create a showroom and flip what major Realtors are doing the other way. When you walk into a West Elm-type of store, they offer design services but they are mostly there to shop for their furniture. This is a design showroom that offers home furniture,

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WAYNE KNAUB (FROM LEFT), REX ROGOSCH AND OPERATIONS MANAGER AKEEM PERRY Photo: Murray Archibald and Tony Burns

accessories and accents.” Rogosch said the storefront fuses both his and Knaub’s backgrounds. “This was a way for us to take all of his strong points from a retail background and my background in

Outward Bound

design and brands I have been working on into one space,” he said. “It was something we had been talking about and the space became available rather quickly.” Rogosch said R Squared Design and its ongoing growth allows him to pursue his primary passion and talent. “It is what I do every day. It is what I eat and breath,” he said. “Design for me is just something that I love and I do and don’t see it as work. The best part is the clients. I am a people person and I love dealing with the public and when I get a phone call from a client saying, ‘I love coming home’ or ‘I love my space,’ that is the best part for what I do.” For more information on R Squared Design, visit www. rsquareddesign.net. ■

Jeff Guaracino

Hola to Madrid! Madrid is elegant. Big, vibrant and sexy, Madrid is a visually stunning and walkable European city with a royal palace, impressive architecture and inspiring art collections. The charming gay neighborhood is Chueca in the heart of downtown Madrid, located just off the Gran Via, Madrid’s grand street with government buildings and major European retailers. Stop at Mama Ines, the popular gay café, located on the main street of Chueca at Calle de Hortaleza 22. Restaurant Vivares on Calle de Hortaleza is a tasty and affordable option popular with the local LGBT community. Don’t miss the trendy indoor food market Mercado San Anton and the rooftop restaurant and bar La Cocina San Anton. For nightlife, Black and White (Calle de la Libertad 34) is the oldest gay bar in Madrid with drag shows and hustlers. The LL Bar is popular, with live entertainment from drag queens to strippers. For lesbians, visit Truco adjacent to the Metro stop at Calle de Gravina 10. The up-and-coming gay hot spot in Madrid is

downtown in the area called “La Latina.” You can take the Metro or an inexpensive cab ride. All of the gay bars are cozy and filled with locals, making the experience very authentic Madrid. There are three bars clustered together. Start at Sixta (Calle de Calatrava 15) then cross the street to El Perla (Calle de Calatrava 14) and La Feucha. The Oscar Hotel (Calle de las Infantas) is a gayowned property in the heart of Chueca. It is stylish, and the hotel’s rooftop pool and terrace is a favorite among locals in the warmer months. The hotel asks, Do you want to sleep with me? And I say yes! (www.oscar. room-matehotels.com) For old-world elegance, an overnight at the Ritz Madrid is a must. Built in 1910 according to the wishes of King Alfonso XIII, you’ll feel like royalty when you check into this “power” spot in Madrid. Located within walking distance of the Madrid Atocha train station and Chueca and next to the cultural wonder the Prado museum, the Ritz is grand. From the staircase to the vintage

hotel-room keys (yes, an actual silver key to your room) and staff that cater to the elite, this hotel is a notto-be-missed destination. The hotel will host a fundraiser for the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association Foundation in May. Like any world city, there is a variety of LGBT events for every interest. Sleazy Madrid (www. sleazymadrid.com) is the main Spanish gathering of international fetish men and takes place during Spain’s annual MayDay weekend (April 30-May 4). Soon after Sleazy Madrid, the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (www.iglta.org) holds the annual convention of travel professionals (May 8-10). Madrid Pride is the largest in Europe and draws more than 2-million people to the city to see more than 300 artists over five days of fun, beginning July 2. Madrid Pride should be on your events bucket list. (www.madridorgullo.com) And, in 2017, Madrid will host World Pride. Make your reservations now! ■

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New doc highlights defrocked pastor’s story

DIRECTOR SCOTT SHEPPARD (LEFT) AND FRANK SCHAEFER

By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com Months after Frank Schaefer made headlines when he was fired from his job as a Methodist minister for officiating his gay son’s wedding, a filmmaker is hoping to use his story to foster dialogue about marriage equality and LGBT inclusion in faith settings. “An Act of Love,” directed, produced and edited by Scott Sheppard, tells the story of Schaefer, the former pastor of Zion Iona Church in Lebanon. Last year, a congregant filed a complaint against Schaefer for officiating his gay son’s wedding in 2007. The minister was given a choice by church higher-ups: Pledge to never again officiate a same-sex marriage or risk losing his credentials. Schaefer chose the latter and was put on trial before the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church, which found him guilty of officiating a same-sex wedding and disobedience to the order and discipline of the church. He was given a 30-day suspension and ultimately defrocked. Three of Schaefer’s four children identify as LGBT and Schaefer has told news outlets that his actions were simply an “act of love.” Sheppard, who is based in Los Angeles, is also the son of a pastor. “I was just fascinated by his story because I grew up in the Methodist Church as a preacher’s kid but never heard of the judicial process, so the whole thing fascinated me,” he said. “The story of Frank and his kids and what he did for them just moved me.” Sheppard, who has a bachelor’s degree in film and video production, has a wealth of experience with editing and producing documentaries, and “An Act of Love” marks his second time directing a documentary. Filming on “An Act of Love” is expected to wrap by the end of the year.

To help support costs, the crew launched an online donation campaign and raised more than $75,000 in pledges for the effort. Sheppard said the trailer was shot through out-of-pocket funds and supporters can still donate to keep filming going at http:// www.anactoflovefilm.com. Sheppard also plans to apply for documentary film grants throughout the year. Sheppard said Schaefer, who makes a personal appearance in the trailer, has been cooperative and excited for the documentary. “Frank has been great. He has been supportive of this project and sees the potential for it,” Sheppard said. “He is really hoping to bring this story to light more so than the media has and do an in-depth investigation from all sides of the story. He wants to create change with this film and educate and inspire and continue dialogue about samesex marriage and LGBT inclusion in the United Methodist Church.” Sheppard said he hopes to have the film done by early next year. He said the documentary has the ability to open up and continue dialogue within both the religious and LGBT communities on issues that directly impact them both. “Religion and issues of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage are not clear-cut, not black and white. There are different viewpoints and shades of gray and it was important for me to explore all viewpoints. This is not an issue of right and wrong, good and bad. People are bringing a lot of their own personal views and histories to their beliefs on these issues,” he said. “It is important for people to keep talking about their points of views. It is the best way to move forward. These personal stories can have a big impact on that. To a lot of people, gay rights is a vague issue, and the documentary is powerful because it put faces on these stories.” For more information, visit www.anactoflovefilm.com. ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Staying healthy: STD Awareness Month Let’s face it: Sexually transmitted diseases are not something most people are comfortable talking about. But as a wellness counselor at Mazzoni Center, I genuinely enjoy engaging with folks about their health and wellbeing. Every day I have the opportunity to meet all kinds of people, listen without judgment to their questions and concerns and work with them to establish concrete goals toward achieving better health. Well-being encompasses many things — from diet and nutrition to behavioral factors, sexual activity and more. For LGBT folks, and particularly for men who have sex with men, knowing your STD risks and keeping up to date on screenings is a critical piece of the puzzle. Richie April is STD Awareness Month, and here in Philadelphia we have the unfortunate distinction of ranking fourth in the nation when it comes to rate of STD infections. That’s according to the most recent figures compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which dates to 2011. While the incidence of STDs in our city goes well beyond the queer community, it’s important to understand the particular ways LGBT individuals may be at risk — and what we can all do to stay healthy, avoid infection and ensure we’re not infecting others. There are individual behaviors (such as higher numbers of lifetime sex partners or unprotected sex) that contribute to disparities in the sexual health of MSM, as well as social and cultural factors such as access to health care, fear of discrimination or stigma that sometimes play a role. Thankfully, here in Philadelphia, we have many LGBT-friendly providers, as well as STD testing centers — so there’s no need to avoid testing or treatment, regardless of your orientation or gender identity. If you are sexually active, being aware of your risks and getting regular screenings is a must. So let’s start with the basics. There are bacterial STDs, which can be cured. These include chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. Viral STDs — which can’t be cured, but can be treated and managed through medical supervision — include HIV, hepatitis, herpes and HPV/genital warts. We’re going to look at bacterial STDs here, as they’re the most common and can easily be screened for on a walkin basis, by visiting the Washington West Project (1201 Locust St.) or one of the City Health Centers (1400 Lombard St. or 1920 N. 20th St.). Syphilis is spread from person to person, male or female, by physical contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex. CDC data show that MSM make up 75 percent of all primary and secondary syphilis cases nationwide. Syphilis infection can

also place a person at increased risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV infection. According to CDC data, approximately four in 10 MSM with syphilis are also infected with HIV. The first sign of a syphilis infection is a skin sore called a chancre (pronounced shank-er), which usually shows up from two to 12 weeks after exposure. You can have one or more of these, but you might not spot them at all, as they typically appear on or around the area that was first infected, which might be inside your anus or vagina. Chancres generally don’t hurt, and they’ll disappear after several weeks (without any treatment) — but this doesn’t the infection has gone Rotonta mean away. Secondary signs and symptoms of syphilis (which appear four to 12 weeks after infection) include a rash on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet; warts and white mucous patches in the mouth or the anus; as well as flu-like symptoms such as swollen glands, fever, fatigue, patchy hair loss, weight loss and headaches. If you notice any of these things, it’s important to get tested right away. Syphilis can be treated and cured at any stage of infection with penicillin shots. But, if untreated, it can lead to serious health problems. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that can be spread from person to person during vaginal or anal sex. It can be spread from skin-to-skin contact alone, and in some cases it can be transmitted to the throat during oral sex. That’s why it’s important to use a condom from the very beginning to the end of sexual contact, to be completely safe. Symptoms of chlamydia can appear between one and three weeks after infection. For men, typical symptoms would be discharge or pain or itching at the head of the penis. Women may experience pain and itching in or around their vagina or discharge. As with syphilis, these symptoms sometimes go away on their own. And approximately half of people infected with chlamydia won’t have any symptoms at all! But it can still cause health problems and can be spread to others, so it’s important to get tested and treated. Last (but not least), gonorrhea. This infection can be spread from person to person, male or female, during vaginal, anal and oral sex. Infections may occur in the throat, vagina, urethra (inside the penis) or anus. CDC data shows that youth (ages 15-24) are at the highest risk for getting gonorrhea, as well as chlamydia, which is why most experts recommend that any sexually active person under 25 get screened. Both chlamydia and gonorrhea can be cured with antibiotics, and the sooner you start the sooner

On Being Well

you’re clear. Now, a few words about STD screening: It’s a simple process, and your test results are completely private and confidential. So there is no reason for any sexually active person not to get tested! Since I work at Washington West, I’ll walk you through how it goes there. Just by walking through our doors, you’ve taken the first and most important step! You will be asked to sign a consent form, then asked to give your full name, date of birth, address and phone number. (Again, this is kept confidential). You’ll meet with a counselor who will ask some questions as part of a brief health assessment. This helps them determine what tests should be run, and what other information you may need to help keep you STD-free in the future. If you’re having any symptoms, you should let the counselor know. Next comes the test. For syphilis, you’ll have blood drawn from your arm. For gonorrhea and chlamydia, depending on the type of sex you had, you may need to pee in a cup, give yourself a throat swab or give yourself an anal swab. (The swabs are very small and you will do the swabbing of your throat and/or anus yourself). The person conducting the test will give you a card with a phone number you can call for your results, which will take about two weeks to be processed.

If your test is positive, you will contacted by the Health Department. If you do get a call from them, it’s important to respond quickly. They will provide treatment as well as support around telling your sex partners. The takeaway: If you are having sex, the best way to stay STD-free is to use condoms correctly every time. Get STD check-ups every three to six months (that means at least twice a year, up to four times a year) so that any infections are caught early and treated fast. If you have sex in conjunction with illicit drug use (especially meth), or if your partners engage in these activities, you should be screened more frequently. If you have questions or concerns, or just want to learn more about your risks and how to better manage them, our Wellness Counseling Program is a great place to start. We offer individual and couples counseling and can refer you to all kinds of resources. Email me (rrotonta@mazzonicenter.org) or give me a call at 215-563-0652, ext. 277. For more information on STDs, check out www.cdc.gov or www.takecontrolphilly.org. ■ Richie Rotonta is a wellness counselor at Mazzoni Center. For more information, visit www.mazzonicenter.org or call 215563-0652.

Keeping Connected Seniors & Technology A free workshop to help LGBT older adults usecomputer technologies to age more successfully

Saturday, April 12, 2014

10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Are you tech-savvy, a tech virgin or somewhere in between? This workshop for LGBT older adults will help you navigate the cyber-world to become better connected with friends, family, resources, and services. You will also learn how to keep your private information safe and secure. Free and open to the public at the United Way, 1709 Ben Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia. A. light breakfast will be served Register now at 267-546-3448 or at info@lgbtei.org.

PARENTING PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Classic film about lesbian mothers now on DVD “The Fosters,” ABC Family’s drama about two moms raising their five children, ended its very successful first season this week. But “The Fosters” — and many real-life two-mom families — owe a debt of gratitude to a film that premiered 30 years ago and is now newly remastered and available on DVD: “Choosing Children,” the first documentary to look at lesbians who became parents after coming out. The film, by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Debra Chasnoff and her thenpartner Kim Klausner, offers a snapshot of lesbian life in the early 1980s, complete with ’80s hairstyles and a background song, “Having Another Baby,” commissioned from the era’s iconic feminist singer/songwriter Holly Near. More importantly, though, it capDana tures a crucial turning point in LGBT family history. The six lesbian families profiled in the film had their children through known donors, unknown donors and

adoption. There are three couples, a single mother, one woman co-parenting with a gay man and a group of five women co-parenting together. The women are white, black and Hispanic, and include two interracial couples. Attorney Donna Hitchens, one of the founders of the Lesbian Rights Project (now the National Center for Lesbian Rights), provides legal commentary. In a new interview with the filmmakers on the DVD, Chasnoff explains that, at the time, if you came out, it was assumed you would not have children. Lesbian mothers were those who had had children in a previous relationship with a man. Still, stories were starting to circulate in the lesbian community about women who were having children together. Chasnoff and Klausner were Rudolph intrigued. “It was a film that Kim and I both personally needed to see,” Chasnoff said. “We needed to hear the stories of other lesbians.”

Mombian

Before the Internet, however, finding such stories was hard. The filmmakers sent announcements by postal mail to lesbian, gay and feminist newspapers, and then drove around the country to meet the dozens of lesbian mothers who replied. Many of the women who appear in the film discuss issues that, while not gone entirely, were more widespread 30 years ago — the denial of assisted reproduction to lesbians or single women; the lack of legal recognition for non-biological parents; creating thenuntested contracts between a known donor and a female couple; a mother being denied entrance to the hospital where her partner has just given birth to their severely premature child. We see them, however, being proudly visible and gradually shifting others’ attitudes — for example, in motivating a birthing class instructor to start saying “partners” and not just “fathers.” At the same time, many of the topics they and their children grappled with are ones that still concern us today: whether to use a known or unknown donor, the relative importance of male role models, how a nonbio-

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logical mother can build a bond with her child and how welcome their children will be in school. Watching the everyday interactions of these moms and their children, it is easy to forget that these families were pioneers. When the film premiered in Boston in 1984, Chasnoff recalls in the DVD interview, “it was one of those moments where you felt like something major just shifted in the world.” She would see couples in the audience suddenly look at each other and say, “Honey, do you want to have a baby?” “Something started that night that I think had a very powerful ripple effect,” she added. They took the film to cities across the country, tapping into a network of lesbian mom support groups and other feminist organizations. “People were just so hungry for this kind of film,” Klausner said. To promote the film, they would book themselves on local talk-radio shows, many of which had conservative hosts and audiences opposed to lesbians having chil-

PARENTING PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

dren. Nevertheless, Chasnoff said, “the experience of engaging in the mainstream media about our film like that was one of the first times that the topic ever surfaced in the mainstream media.” The film was officially released in 1985, the same year the first second-parent adoption in the country was granted, allowing nonbiological mothers to become legal parents of their partners’ children — another indication of the pivotal period that their work captures. Chasnoff and Klausner had a first child of their own in 1988, and a second two years later. Hitchens helped them get second-parent adoptions each time. Although the two later broke up, they remain co-parenting partners. The DVD bonus feature also brings us up to date on the families in the film. Some of the couples are still together, while others are not. All of their children are grown. Klausner reflected, “The film was really the crest of the wave of the lesbian-parenting movement. It opened

up the option for many, many people, and helped them realize that this was a possibility in their lives.” That is the greatest gift of the film for us today — to see that other parents and children have been there long before us, facing many of the same issues, and have nevertheless found answers and overcome challenges to raise their children to adulthood. Both as a piece of history and as a still-timely inspiration, “Choosing Children” belongs in every LGBT parent’s collection (and would make a great baby shower gift). “Choosing Children” was preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, a project funded by the Outfest Legacy Project for LGBT Film Preservation. It is available through Chasnoff’s film company, Groundspark (groundspark.org), and comes with English and Spanish subtitles. ■

Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (mombian.com), an award-winning blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

PGN NEWS

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STABBING from page 1

at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and released. The 49year-old officer, Fran Rafferty, a 19-year veteran of the force and son of former City Councilman Francis Rafferty, was stabbed three times in the torso and once in the leg. He was treated and released from the hospital. On Friday, Johnson was charged with a g g r a va t e d and simple assault and recklessly endangering another perJOHNSON son. He is being held on $250,000 bail at Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility. Johnson faces a preliminary hearing at 8 a.m. April 8 in Room 903 of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. The incident took place March 20 around 11:30 p.m. in the 200 block of South Camac Street. Police say the officer and Martinez, who are friends, were walking to a bar when Johnson approached and asked for money and cigarettes. The officer identified himself as a member of the force and told Johnson to leave, to which the suspect replied, “Fuck you” and “I don’t give a fuck what you are.” Police say Johnson then charged at the officer and stabbed him, and Martinez attempted to intervene and was also slashed. Police say that, following the altercation, Martinez noticed the officer doubled over in pain and they went into Venture Inn to examine the wounds. The stabbing follows reports of at least two knifepoint robberies last month in the vicinity. In both, the attacker struck from behind with his left arm and held a knife to the victims’ throats and demanded their belongings. Police do not believe Johnson is connected to those crimes. Also last week, Scorpio Adult Boutique, 205 S. Juniper St., was robbed at gunpoint for a second time in as many weeks. Police spokesperson Officer Tanya Little told PGN this week that police believe the same man struck Scorpio twice, as well as Spruce Street Video. She noted the man was wearing a mask during the robberies and investigators are looking at area surveillance to get a better description of the culprit. On Tuesday, Danny’s, another adult shop, was also robbed. ■

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

FASHION, CIRCUS, SPECTACLE: PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT HEISER MARCH 8 – JUNE 1, 2014 Scott Heiser’s (1949–1993) evocative photographs feature fashion runways, circuses, dance competitions, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, and famous faces of the 1970s and ’80s. This is the first retrospective for Heiser, a Wilmington native.

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Organized by the Delaware Art Museum. This exhibition is generously supported by the Johannes R. and Betty P. Krahmer American Art Exhibition Fund. Additional support is provided by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Michael Vollbracht, New York, 1980. Scott Heiser (1949–1993). Gelatin silver print, 5 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches. Estate of the Artist.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

FITNESS PGN

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Recently I found myself thinkthing wrong with them” becomes ing about disappointment and “there’s something wrong with how we go about handling it after me.” This has the benefit of learning of two separate mentalmaintaining an important lie we health professionals who specialtell ourselves: If I do everything ize in working with the queer and right, everything will turn out trans* communities having been right. The cost, though, of develimplicated in unethical, violating oping a negative self-story can behavior toward their be far too high for this clients. Throughout small gain. our lives, we come to So, what do we do with our disappointexpect a certain level of disappointment ment? I am convinced of the importance of about the world at sharing these experilarge: When an appalling bill is proposed ences, of not keeping the silence that in some state’s legislature, when a public perpetuates the idea figure uses slurs with that we ourselves are the greatest of ease, somehow responsible when people seem for harboring a disapto remain willfully pointing entity in our ignorant or uncaring. community. As with Ideally, we learn to so many truths, these cope with what I am Jessie Timmons are best handled by thinking of as “outspeaking out and not side” disappointments relatively being ashamed. For me, a first well. Sometimes we rage, somestep was writing this article — it turned out to be harder than I times we become active in the name of a cause and sometimes thought. Further, we must be we decide we just have to ignore careful to check ourselves for the outside world for some indenegative feelings that will only terminate amount of time. lead to self-harm and limit our But what about when we ability to move forward to preare disappointed by the people vent other disappointments from we have come to trust, by the happening in the future. Yes, our people we consider to be on the community is wonderful and “inside”? When a community special and filled with wonderful leader is exposed as having acted capacities, just like us. And yes, unethically, when people we trust it is also capable of being blind, of missing the boat, of failing us are shown to have violated those we care about or when the institu- when we need it most. If we are tions on which we rely for supcareful in these moments to stay port and care show themselves to strong, I believe that we will be be all too human and therefore able to bounce back from these fallible? When I have seen people disappointments and arrive on the other side stronger and better for (including myself) experience these “inside” disappointments, a it. ■ dangerous process has potential to get to work if we are not mind- Jessie Timmons is a licensed clinical social worker practicing psyful. The trick about the “inside” disappointments is that they make chotherapy at the Camac Center at 12th Street Gym. Jessie specializes us think: What is wrong with me in substance abuse, LGBTQ-related that I could have trusted this perconcerns including gender transition, son? How could I not have seen anxiety and depression and living it? All too quickly, outrage at the with HIV/AIDS. For more information person/entity/institution’s wrongabout Jessie, visit jessietimmons.com doing becomes self-directed negative feelings. “There’s some- or 12streetgym.com.

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PGN NEWS MCCORD from page 1

court to consider. Oral arguments are scheduled on the plaintiffs’ request for summary judgment May 28. In the document, McCord argues that he has a special interest in the issue — a prerequisite for a court accepting an amicus curiae — as he is “able to identify, with specificity, instances in the administration of state-sponsored benefits and programs that” discriminate against same-sex couples who are legally married outside of Pennsylvania, yet who are denied the rights and benefits provided for heterosexual couples. McCord’s argument centers on two issues: the state ban creates two distinct classes of marriage — opposite-sex marriage, in which couples are afforded all legal rights, and same-sex marriage in which couples are denied both marriage licenses in Pennsylvania and the rights afforded to couples married outside of Pennsylvania — and that the law compels unequal treatment of same-sex couples in accessing statesponsored programs and benefits administered by the treasurer. “We were asking ourselves the question, How does the lack of marriage equality affect what we do?” McCord told PGN in a sit-down interview this week. “Fairly quickly we said that, in several areas of our expertise, we are operating in a way that is failing people in terms of their civil rights because of this law.” For instance, a person seeking unclaimed

or abandoned property from a late samesex partner is treated as a stranger, with no rights or presumptions that are automatically given to married heterosexuals. Same-sex partners are also on unequal footing in the Tuition Account Program, which offers opportunities for saving for a beneficiary’s education. If the owner dies, and the beneficiary is still a minor, the heterosexual spouse inherits the investment — not the case with same-sex couples. A similar issue arises for retirement-benefits programs for public employees: Death benefits automatically are given to a surviving heterosexual spouse if no beneficiary is designated, while same-sex spouses are not given the s a m e c o n s i d e ration. McCord’s argument also extends to tax issues. The state treasurer sits as chairman of the Board of Finance and Revenue, which considers appeals to tax decisions made by the Department of Revenue — which, because of the marriage ban, treats same-sex married couples differently from heterosexual couples when it comes to such issues as the real-estate

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transfer tax, vehicle-registration transfer tax and inheritance tax. McCord also noted in the brief that he is prevented from issuing the same benefits and protections to same-sex spouses of any of his 376 Treasury Department employees as would be given to opposite-sex spouses, such as wages, salary or other benefits, in the event of an employee’s death. Additionally, as a participant in the Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund, the Treasury Department offers domestic-partner health-care benefits for both same- and opposite-sex partners of employees, yet those benefits are taxable — creating an added burden and expense on both employer and employee. Tr e a t i n g a l l employees, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, as equal in both policy and practice fosters better recruitment and retention and enhances workplace morale, McCord wrote. Raising the practical implications of marriage inequality, McCord said, can refocus the public discourse on why state recognition of same-sex marriage is truly needed. “I think a lot of what happens when there’s progress in civil rights is when there’s an increase in empathy. When people stop dehumanizing those they’re discriminating against, it’s easier to have empathy,” he said. “They realize, ‘They’re trying to do something I’m trying to do.’ We’re talking about a spouse inheriting a house they live in. We’re talking about a spouse inheriting an account they contribute to. That feels like something familiar for most people, something people can empathize with, something less tribal and less ‘them and us.’” While McCord’s brief focuses on reasoned legal arguments, it does acknowledge his personal connection to the issue. McCord and his wife, Leigh, are an interracial couple, and don’t forget the not-sodistant past laws banning their marriage. “When I was born, the marriage in which I am engaged was illegal in a broad variety of states across our country. I’m leading a life that reminds me how wrong it is to not have marriage equality,” he said. Leigh added that a member of McCord’s staff is a distant relative to the plaintiff in Loving v. Virginia — the case that overturned prohibitions on interracial marriage. “She has talked about her association with that case and it’s very moving. It’s a reminder that not too long ago we weren’t allowed to be married. Really not too long ago,” Leigh said, adding that she sees the modern marriage-equality fight in a similar light. “If two people love each other, let them love each other and have it be sanctioned by the state. It’s just right.” McCord added that his wife’s grandfa-

“We’re talking about a spouse inheriting a house they live in. We’re talking about a spouse inheriting an account they contribute to. That feels like something familiar for most people, something people can empathize with, something less tribal and less ‘them and us.’”

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

ther died after being denied entry into a whites-only hospital, and his stepmother, an American of Japanese ancestry, was incarcerated in an interment camp at age 11. “There are some families where the reminders of the importance of fighting for civil rights are constantly around you,” he said. The fight for marriage equality in the Keystone State may not be an easy one. Although Pennsylvania was the first state in the nation to legalize interracial marriage, the state is lagging far behind its neighbors on LGBT equality. “It’s sort of sad now that we’re the only state in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast — from D.C. to Maine — that isn’t recognizing same-sex marriages,” McCord said. The Palladino case is one of several seeking to change that. Each suit looks at a different aspect of the marriage-equality law, with this arguing the unconstitutionality of denying recognition to legal out-of-state marriages. While McCord said he hopes the entire law is ultimately overturned, recognizing legal marriages from other jurisdictions would be a first step. “At the very least, we have to have marriages from other states recognized here. We recognize all other contracts in other states, why in the world are we not recognizing marriage contracts?” he posed. “Over time, I hope we can embrace a marriage-equality law.” Marriage-equality legislation has gained little traction in the current Republicancontrolled state government. McCord, a gubernatorial candidate, said his office has challenged Gov. Tom Corbett on issues such as liquor privatization and adultBasic health care — and marriage equality is now shaping up to be the next issue. “Other than obviously and overtly disagreeing with Tom Corbett — he calls himself a pro-life Republican and I call myself a pro-choice Democrat and he says he’s absolutely against ‘gay marriage’ and I say I’m absolutely in favor of marriage equality — we haven’t run into each other on this matter yet in state government,” he said. “So yet again I’m sort of entering the arena and calling them out.” McCord said he expects some will question if there is political motivation behind his amicus curaie motion, but he emphasized it is wholly disconnected from his gubernatorial campaign. “It’s predictable as sunrise that your opponents will put whatever they can into a negative light. But I think there’s two ultimate acid tests on issues like this from my point of view,” he said. “First, you have to be certain that what you do at all times is in the public interest. If you’re doing something that isn’t in the public interest, just don’t do it. So I’m certain this is the right thing to do. And second, would I be bothering to do this if I weren’t running for office? You would have to ask yourself, Well, it’s in the public interest but is it kind of trivial? Well this is far from trivial. And absolutely I would be doing this even if I wasn’t running for governor.” ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

PGN

NEWS PGN

Media Trail Few gay-rights complaints in Omaha According to the Omaha World-Herald, two years after Omaha adopted an ordinance aimed at protecting the workplace rights of gay and transgender employees, only a handful of complaints have been filed with the city’s Human Rights and Relationship Department. City officials have not received many calls from business owners looking for help or clarification about the law, and they’re not aware of any lawsuits tied to the ordinance. The Omaha City Council narrowly approved the ordinance in March 2012 that bans employers, job-training programs, labor groups and other organizations from discriminating based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It also makes it illegal to refuse to offer services or to accommodate a person because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. The measure includes exemptions for reli-

gious organizations. Some opponents of the ordinance had cautioned that the city could be in for a flood of complaints, but so far, the city has received just five. Two of those have been dismissed for no cause, and three are pending, city officials said. All of the complaints were related to employment — one from someone who was fired and another who complained of harassment. In a third case, an employee said he or she was unfairly disciplined, and another pointed to unfair terms and conditions of employment. The fifth case was classified as “constructive discharge.” That involves a claim of workplace conditions so unpleasant that the employee quit.

Gay marriages in Michigan halted ABC News reports an appeals court has reinstituted Michigan’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, but not before several-hundred same-sex couples rushed to county clerk’s offices to get hitched. The order on March 22 by a federal appeals court in Cincinnati to at least temporarily restore the ban that Michigan voters approved in 2004 came after a federal judge last week overturned the ban. Glenna DeJong, 53, and Marsha Caspar, 51, of Lansing, were the first to arrive Saturday

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

at the Ingham County Courthouse in Mason. DeJong and Caspar, who have been together for 27 years, received their license and were married by Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum. Similar nuptials followed, at times en masse, in at least four of Michigan’s 83 counties. Oakland, Muskegon, Ingham and Washtenaw counties issued more than 300 marriage licenses to same-sex couples before the practice was halted later that day.

Gay student says Baptist school denied readmission The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports an honors-caliber college student who recently disclosed publicly that he’s gay said he was denied readmission to a northern Missouri Baptist school because of that declaration. Chase Martinson, 20, of Jefferson County in suburban St. Louis, spent his first two years at Hannibal-LaGrange University, which has about 1,200 students. He temporarily withdrew in October due to illness but hoped to return this fall. School documents show that in January he was initially accepted to return and then offered a spot in the private college’s honors program in early March before recently receiving another letter saying his application was inactive. That letter alludes to a school morals clause that forbids homo-

sexuality as a “misuse of God’s gift.” The student conduct code also forbids incest, adultery and fornication. Martinson said he was told by the school’s admissions director that “it was brought to his attention that I was outside the moral guidelines of the school.” Martinson, a nursing major and member of the dean’s list who was recruited to the Hannibal campus as a men’s volleyball player, came out on Facebook in December. “I know one student who became pregnant on campus and all they had to do was recommit their life to the Lord and they were able to continue their education,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. If they’re so firm upon their Christian views as biblically founded, they should be more accepting of everyone.” Martinson, who grew up in a Baptist household but doesn’t identify with the denomination, said he now plans to attend the University of Missouri-St. Louis in the fall semester rather than pursue the two options presented by his former school: appeal the decision directly to its president or write a statement renouncing his homosexuality. Hannibal-LaGrange officials did not respond to several telephone and email messages seeking comment. A university lawyer said federal education privacy laws forbid a public response. ■ — compiled by Larry Nichols

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

NEWS PGN

Local transplant recipient tells story By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com

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April is Organ Donor Awareness Month, an opportunity where people learn about the value of becoming a donor — and transplant recipients can celebrate their second chance at life. Keith Burns considers Sept. 23, 2010, his second chance. Burns, 64, received a heart transplant that day, following his 1989 diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, or heart-muscle weakening. After his diagnosis, he was told by doctors at Emory University that he may need a heart transplant within six months to live. But he took medication and managed the disease, moving to Philadelphia 14 years ago to enroll in a graduate study program at La Salle University. But, in 2001, he ended up at Temple University Hospital for four months. He later received a mechanical heart, which he lived with for several years before the transplant. Burns was placed on a transplant waiting list at the Gift of Life Donor Program, the region’s organ and tissue donation network. When he received the call that his transplant was delivered, he said it was a bittersweet moment. “I was called at 2 o’clock to come down to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital because they received my heart,” he said. “They received it from a juvenile. He was a young man of 17 years old.” There are currently 6,400 people on the Gift of Life Donor Program’s organ and tissue transplant waiting list. Patients are evaluated by physicians who specialize in transplants to determine how detrimental their status is. The waiting list varies by organs, with medical urgency, blood, tissue and size determining the time on the waiting list. Burns, who was on the list for 18 months, said he couldn’t have made it through his transplant process without his partner of

BLOOD BAN from page 11

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deferral in order to donate blood and not a lifetime ban. Thus, a lifetime ban is no longer appropriate; a one-year deferral, though not perfect, is still a much more reasonable compromise. A one-year deferral by some estimates can introduce more than 120,000 new and willing donors to the blood pool. That is no insignificant number, given that we currently have suboptimal blood supplies. Also, we shouldn’t be in the practice of issuing blanketed bans on blood donors, since according to one medical study, more than 12-million cases of 23 different types of invasive cancer have been recorded in the United States between 1975-2009.

nine years, Tony. “He supported me with unconditional love,” he said. “He went through a training process at the hospital. He is a contributor for my survival. He was very dedicated every day — learned how to do the IV and medications and still manages that. You have to have another person to go through this, you can’t do it alone.” Having the support of Gift of Life has also been invaluable, he said. “I appreciate my time more and don’t waste my time and don’t waste anyone else’s time,” he said. “I have a strong faith and have stayed really positive and it can be an emotional thing to go through but being strong and having a good support system is most important.” Gift of Life hosts an annual party called THE Party, founded in 2001 by a group called Organs Donors Are Heroes, to celebrate donors and recipients. Gift of Life director of community relations John Green said the event usually brings in more than 600 people. This year, the organization hopes to raise more than $150,000, with proceeds going to Gift of Life’s educational programs. “Gift of Life is dedicated to reaching the community and educating them about how to register to be an organ and tissue donor,” Green said. “We are on a mission to save lives.” To become an organ donor, a person just has to give legal consent on his or her stateissued photo ID card or driver’s license. Organ and tissue donation does not cost money to either the donor or the family of the donor. THE party will take place at 8 p.m. April 4 at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, 1 Logan Square. For more information or tickets, visit http://donorsareheroestheparty. com. For more information on Gift of Life and organ and tissue donor services, visit www. donors1.org. ■

During the same time period, more than 360,000 cases were seen in children under age 19. With such high incidences of cancer, we could use all the healthy blood we could get, even from gay and bisexual men. Currently, there are efforts from many people that have begun a movement that is building momentum to topple this outdated policy. Thus, we call you to act: Sign the online petition at http://chn.ge/Kyplf0 and share it with your friends and family, because together we can achieve greatness and in the process save countless lives. ■ Michael Kevin Hernández obtained a meteorology degree from Penn State University and is currently at the University of Oklahoma working on his MBA.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

PGN

AC ul t ure rts

PGN FEATURE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

PAGE 40

Barcrawlr Dining Out Family Portrait Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly Worth Watching

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Queens&Jesters

QUEER QUEENS OF COMEDY: Jessica Kirson, Poppy Champlin and Mimi Gonzalez

Out comedians bring queer laughs to New Hope By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Comedy royalty will hold court in New Hope when the Queens of Comedy make a regal visit to the Rrazz Room March 30. Queer Queens of Comedy is a touring revue created by out comedian and actor Poppy Champlin and featuring different lesbian comedians at shows all over the country. Champlin said she originally put

together the Queer Queens to get herself into venues that her out comedy peers were headlining on their own. “It started in 2006 at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va.,” she said. “I wanted to play the Birchmere because Kate [Clinton] played the Birchmere and Suzanne [Westenhoefer] played the Birchmere, and I felt I’m just as funny as those two. But I didn’t have a name. I haven’t done ‘Letterman.’ I’ve done other things — I’ve

been on HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central and Logo. So I said, How about if I bring three lesbian comedians who are all fantastic and all as funny as the aforementioned comics? So we called ourselves the Queer Queens of Comedy and we started getting exposure for ourselves.” Champlin said performing under that banner opens doors to venues and draws audiences who might not usually come to see the individual performers on their own.

“You’ve got to call it something,” she said. “You can’t just call it the three names on the marquis. It still seems to have to be under an umbrella. You can say ‘Gay Comedy Night’ but that’s not fun in the newspapers. But it is starting to be a brand. I returned to the Birchmere a number of times and we were getting big crowds.” For the show in New Hope, Champlin is performing with Jessica Kirson and Mimi Gonzalez. Other comedians PAGE 38

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

PGN FEATURE COMEDY from page 37

that have appeared with the Queer Queens of Comedy include Carol Leifer, Julie Goldman, Michele Balan, Fortune Feimster and Wrin Foley, among many others. Champlin said there are a few out comedians she hasn’t had on her show that she would like to work with in the future. “I kind of made up my mind that I wasn’t going to use Kate and Suzanne because they are the reason I did this, but it would be nice to have them once in a while,” she said. “I did have Fortune Feimster once and I would love to get her back. I would like to get Jen Kober on. I haven’t gotten her. We did a Showtime special together. I tried to get Elvira Kurt on but timing is a hard thing to work out.” Comedian and TV personality Kirson said she has performed with Champlin numerous times as part of the Queer Queens and on other shows. “Poppy and I do a bunch of shows together,” she said. “I do her Queens of Comedy shows sometimes and we also do cruise ships together. We’ve been friends for years.” Both Champlin and Kirson perform all over the country for all kinds of audiences — LGBT, straight and everything in between. But both said their LGBT audiences offer a certain level of comfort for them as performers. “I’m very mainstream also, so I do clubs and shows all over the country that aren’t gay shows,” Kirson said. “I guess from doing TV and stuff it’s not as hard. I look at it like it’s the same thing. I love performing for mostly gay audiences because there is a lot of stuff that I say, inside jokes, that they would get. I’m also Jewish. I like performing for non-religious Jews. A show with gay people can be a harder crowd than a club in the middle of Ohio. It really depends but I do love performing for gay men and lesbians because they are very open and have similar political views as I do, so it’s fun for me.” “There is the occasional hell-gig but I guess that’s in the straight world,” Champlin said. “But it’s only hell if I let fear come into my brain and fear still comes in. I want to be able to do the straight crowds and be gay and be open but I feel like you have to mix it pretty well. That’s my fear. Let me mix gay and straight material together so that they don’t choke on too much gay. It’s being aware of what my audience is and not trying to shove anything down their throats and trying to get as many laughs per minute. I have to tailor that to them and make sure I’m having a good time too.” Champlin added that performing in towns like New Hope tends to be more fun than high-profile shows in big-city clubs and theaters. “Little towns, they just have more joy in their hearts,” she said. “I feel like New York sucks the joy out of your heart sometime and makes your heart a little bit harder. The smaller towns, the people are more joyous and free and I appreciate working with people who are more in touch with their joy.” When you have a show with multiple

popular comedians, there is some jockeying and egos flaring behind the scenes about who goes on when, as each performer wants the prestige of closing That won’t be the case at this show, as Champlin said Kirson is the obvious choice. “Sometimes I have to remove my hat as a performer and put on a producer hat,” Champlin said. “On this show, Jessica has been on ‘The Tonight Show’ twice and I give Jessica her props. Audiences love her and she’s going to be closing the show. In other cases when it isn’t such a fine line with credits and it’s up to me, I think I should close the shows. That’s how I want it to go this year but I’m scared to do it. I open it and bring it to a boil then bring out the first comic. Then I come out and bring it to a boil again. Then the next comic comes out and does her thing and then I come out and close it with a boil. It works that way. I have to be my own manager and my manager would say, ‘Yeah, you’re the star. Go up there and kill it. You do it.’ But I want it to run the way it’s always been running. It runs great when I open it, middle it and close it. So I don’t know what to do. But with this one, I’d be terrified to follow Jessica.” Kirson and Champlin have had their fair share of exposure on television but both said that, these days, they are exploring alternatives to traditional mainstream TV and cable programs for their creative efforts outside of live comedy. “I don’t think there are a ton of opportunities for comics, period, anymore,” Kirson said. “I know that Logo used to do a lot of standup shows and specials. I don’t have time to watch TV a lot but it seems that they don’t do as many shows with standup comedians. But there aren’t as many opportunities for comedians. It’s mostly reality shows and you kind of have to create your own buzz. A lot of it is on the Internet now. I have a YouTube channel called the ‘Jessie K Show.’ I have a ton of stuff online. So I’ve been doing that for years now and it helps. You can’t depend on TV.” “I approached Logo and Here and Bravo with the Queer Queens of Comedy as a series that we could put on four times a year but they said it was too gay,” Champlin said. “It was too gay for Logo, which was ridiculous. So now it really is fine to be gay on network TV but I think they definitely should have more standup shows on their networks. It would be awesome but they don’t. I guess I should hit them up again with it. I’m creating a comedy-news show and I’m putting it on Equality News Network out of San Diego. I’m still trying to find little cubbyholes of gay TV that are starting to carry these things on the Internet. I think the Internet is going to be the outlet for gay content a little bit more than television.” ■ The Queer Queens of Comedy perform 4-7 p.m. March 30 at the Rrazz Room at The Ramada, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope. For more information or tickets, call 215-862-5221 or visit poppychamplin.com/ queer-queens-of-qomedy/.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

M A R 19 - A PR 12� �� AC A DE MY OF MUSIC TICK ETS NOW ON SA LE Broadway Philadelphia is presented collaboratively by the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and The Shubert Organization.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

PGN ARTS

Aerial performance group explores time travel in new show By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

SUNDAY AT THE SALON: Quince Productions producing artistic director Rich Rubin (from left) welcomed guests to “SundayFest!” March 23 at Charlie’s Salon. Rubin was joined by Jessica Snow, Mark Sherlock and Robert Ian Cutler, performers in “3 Days of Rain,” opening April 9 at Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5. The event served as a fundraiser for Quince season and featured a host of raffle prizes and a silent auction. “We raised almost $1,000 for ‘GayFest!” and our upcoming ‘3 Days of Rain’ and just as importantly introduced a lot of new people to Quince Productions and showed them we know how to have a good time,” Rubin said. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Out DJ to get Philly dancing for spring By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Out superstar DJ Tracy Young will heat things up for Spring Awakening March 30 at bi at Sundown, the new biweekly dance party produced by Bruce Yelk and George Lopez at Lit Ultrabar. Young admits she hasn’t been to the City of Brotherly Love in many a moon but said she’s excited to return. “I haven’t been to Philly in a while. I honestly can’t remember the last time,” she said. “I’m a New York DJ and I have a residency at Viva so being there, it’s so close to Philly. But the business has changed so much. But I’m excited to be back in Philly.” Young, a longtime vet of DJ booths and dance floors all over the world who has done remixes for pop royalty like Madonna, Britney Spears and Cher, said she’s noticed the dance clubs aren’t the nerve center for LGBT socializing that they used to be. “I find it a gay-acceptance thing,” she explained. “In the 1990s and early 2000s it was where gay people came together to be amongst ‘our kind,’ so to speak. Now that gays can get married and we’ve made so much headway with the political side of things, the younger generation doesn’t know what we’ve been through. It was where we all came to socialize. But now gay people

can go and hold hands and they date each other in high school. We’ve made such great social movement that it had kind of changed the gay business for the more mature. That’s how I fit in the gay clubs as I knew it. It’s kind of changed and gotten a lot smaller. Younger kids can go anywhere. They can go the straight clubs and festivals and that is great, but it has changed our social setting.” But Young will fire things up for Philly’s club scene where she takes over the DJ booth at 7:18 p.m. (when the sun goes down) March 30 at Lit Ultrabar, 420 N. Second St. For more information, visit www.djtracyyoung.com or www.biatsundown.com. ■

The nine-woman queer feminist circustheater company known as Tangle is taking a trip through time with its newest show April 3-5 at Christ Church Neighborhood House. In “Timelines,” company founder Lauren Rile Smith said the aerial-dance theater company meditates on female bodies in time. “The highlight of our show is a queer time-travel fantasy about a 1950s secretary who daydreams of the distant future,” Smith said. “She ends up escaping to the future where people connect in radically different ways. He perceptions about gender and relationships all get questioned as she approached this future inspired by science fiction. In Tangle, we are always really focused on showcasing the diversity of women’s bodies and relationships. So ‘Timelines’ also includes dynamic aerial partnering that explores the relationships. That is always a theme for us. The show also takes a scientific view of time, including an act that depicts the evolution of life on the planet as it rises out of the ocean and a really fast-paced piece inspired by Einstein’s theory of relativity. It’s also personal, with a look at bodies showing aging as time passes in our lives.” Smith added that the show delves into a number of stories and issues in ways that are sometimes subtle and other times obvious. “We are always interested in the full range of women’s relationships and that range is in play in ‘Timelines. We have guest trapeze artists in our show and they have a dynamic trapeze duo they performed at the Topsy Turvy festival in San Francisco. That is more of an explicit love story. I think there is a strong queer subtext in our science-fiction piece but that is up for interpretation. Another piece that I love is about people meeting for the very first time and deciding what their relationship is going to be like. So there is a real range of interpretations, from the explicit to the more sexual.” With a number of stories intertwining in the show and all the aerial choreography, trapeze work and body contortion that goes with it, it’s no surprise that a show of this nature takes a while to pull together. “The most time-consuming elements are our ensemble numbers,” Smith said. “In our science-fiction piece, everyone in Tangle has a role and it’s about the way that people connect and we are demonstrating that with a range of characters, from the 1950s secretary versus the people of the future. They are all interconnecting. We have all these ambitious ensemble numbers that take a lot of coordination both with the aerial choreography and to put the story together link to link.”

While Tangle incorporates their queer and feminist views in their performances, Smith said the group draws a wide range of people, some of whom are just dazzled by the artistry and physicality of their shows. “Tangle attracts a really diverse audience, from people who are interested in fringe performance or sport to people who are drawn to our specific feminist message and maybe people who are excited to see someone upside-down,” she said. “So we’re seeing the radical potential to question our assumptions of what bodies can do or look like or what it is to be a female performer. We have this feminist backbone in every performance. We’re putting a diversity of gender presentations, relationships, sizes and shapes on stage in a way that is sometimes unusual for dance or theater.” ■ Tangle presents “Timelines” April 3-5 at Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American St., as part of the 2014 Philly Queer Media Activism Series. For more information, visit www.tangle-arts.com.

PGN PROFILE

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Suzi Nash

Mary Pitek: From Buffalo to Brown, now taking over Philly There are a number of mysteries in life: Who built the pyramids? What happens when we die? Why are there five syllables in the word monosyllabic? Why is lemon juice mostly artificial ingredients but dishwashing liquid contains real lemons? Whose cruel idea was it for the word “lisp” to have an “s” in it? And, most recently, who is behind The Welcoming Committee and when and where is the next Guerrilla Queer Bar takeover? If you’re not hip to it, once a month GQB picks a certain venue to turn pink. The location is kept a secret until just beforehand and you have to be on their member list to find out where and when it’s going to happen. This week, we chatted with Mary Pitek, one half of the duo that runs the Philadelphia branch of TWC, the parent group that organizes the monthly events and much more. PGN: In doing my research on you, it seems like you get around! I read about you in Rhode Island, Buffalo, Alabama, Boston and Philadelphia. MP: Yeah, I seem to travel a lot. I’m just coming from three weeks of traveling and I’m glad to be back at home in Philly for a couple of weeks. PGN: How long have you lived in our fair city? MP: I moved here last August with my girlfriend. She’s in grad school at Penn. Although it’s only been a little while, we really feel at home here. PGN: Where are you originally from? MP: I’m from Buffalo, N.Y. When you meet people from Buffalo they either admit it sadly or with a lot of pride. I’m the latter type. PGN: So did you laugh at us overreacting to our recent snowstorms? MP: [Laughs.] Yes, it’s a little pitiful. Though part of the reaction is valid because Philadelphia and cities across this corridor just don’t know how to deal with snow. They just push it to the side and let it linger. Parking is horrible and no one can get anywhere. Whereas in Buffalo, we have plows attached to our school buses! PGN: What’s the worst weather you’ve experienced? MP: When I was in grammar school I remember one storm when we got 34 feet of snow. They used to wait until 1 a.m. to make a school-closing call. Because this one didn’t start until about 3 a.m. they didn’t bother to call school off so we all went and got stranded, similar to the kids in Alabama this winter. But I think it was a little more warranted with 3-4 feet of snow!

PGN: I would think so. It’s crazy, they predict 3 inches of snow here and we close everything down. I think the school districts are all afraid of lawsuits. MP: Probably so. PGN: Tell me a little bit about your family. MP: I’m the youngest of five. We’re all very close-knit though unfortunately not close geographically. My father was a bit of an entrepreneur. Right now he’s working as an executive coach and my mother is a high-school art teacher. Both of them have a theater and arts background; they met while getting their MFAs in Wisconsin. PGN: It sounds like you’re an even combination of both of them, having your father’s entrepreneurial side and your mother’s artistic side? MP: Yeah, it’s funny to realize that you’re cut from the same cloth as your parents. I’ll do something and say, “That was totally you, Dad.” They are both very active in my life. They always want to hear what I’m doing and what’s going on. I actually just got off the phone with my mother. It’s cool that even though neither of them have ever been involved in finance or the LGBT community, they’ve opened their arms to both. And they always give me a new perspective on things. PGN: They must have gotten it right, since they raised an Ivy League student. What was Brown University like? MP: Brown was interesting. It’s the only university where undergraduates can design their own course of study. It gives you the freedom to try new things. PGN: What were some of the extracurricular things you did on campus? MP: I was involved with the crew team for all four years. Mostly as a coxswain, but also as a rower. That took up a lot of time, about 30 hours a week. PGN: A cockswain is the one who yells, correct? MP: [Laughs.] That’s the general perception but I like to think we do a little more than that. We motivate the team and figure out the rhythm of the crew. PGN: What do you do to motivate people in a boat? MP: It’s interesting because there are eight people in that boat — eight personalities, eight attitudes, eight levels of strength — and as cockswain you have to pull them all together into one rhythm. There is a surprising amount of psychology behind it. When you’re doing a seven-minute race, everyone is going to hit the wall at a different time, so I had to know my teammates well enough to know when those points were going to happen and be ready to keep

them fired up. So I needed to take time on and off the water to get to know them. I’d do the workouts with the team and eat with them, give shoutouts on race day to get people psyched up. Also, being a former rower myself helped. When you’re yelling at people to go their hardest for seven minutes, it helps to have their friendship and respect. PGN: That’s cool. Anything else? MP: On top of that, I had several jobs while in school. I did everything I could to help contribute financially towards my college education. I worked in sports marketing, I was a ball girl for men’s lacrosse, I watered fields, I acted as a DJ for the men’s basketball and — I wasn’t allowed to reveal this while I was in school — I was the Brown Bear mascot for the school. PGN: [Laughs.] You’ve just been shrouded in mystery throughout your life. What do you do now? MP: I’m the vice president of operations for Advisor Perspectives, which is a finan-

the Guerrilla Queer Bar events started by Dan Heller in Boston and went to some of them. He later formed The Welcoming Committee around the GQB parties and I became a member, went to a bunch of the events and got more involved. When Dan heard I was moving, he asked me if I’d be interested in expanding TWC to Philadelphia. We were both so excited about the idea we started doing cartwheels into each other! That was in July. I moved to Philadelphia in August and our first event was in September, so we moved pretty fast. PGN: What’s the most fun about TWC? MP: Hmmm, I’m trying to decide between two things. We get a lot of great feedback and it really keeps me going from month to month. People in Philly are amazing. They are so interested and engaged. I love when people show up to our event and they seek out me or Kevin Haines, who coproduces with me, and demand information. They’ll start out by saying, “I don’t know why I’m here. I came alone, tell me more about what you’re doing.” As I explain, their eyes light up and they ask a million questions. I’ll find them later in the evening surrounded by four or five people that they met there, looking really happy and they don’t even have time to talk to me anymore. I love when we can make people feel confident enough and curious enough to just come on their own and know that they’ll meet people here. The second thing is more personal. I’ve been able to meet so many amazing and interesting people through TWC that selfishly I’ve been able to build my own group of friends both in Boston and here in Philly

PGN: What’s your crowd usually like? A lot of bar events seem to be malecentric. MP: We don’t track who Photo: Suzi Nash cial newsletter. I’m in charge of managwalks in the door, but it’s pretty even. Our mailing list ing the production of the newsletter and our advertising accounts. It’s fun! And it has about 47 percent identifying as female, allowed me to move here from Boston and 48 percent identifying as male and 5 percent work remotely. identifying as other. One of the things we want to accomplish is making sure it’s incluPGN: How did you get involved with The sive for everyone. There are a lot of silos Welcoming Committee? in our community. We want to make sure MP: After I graduated, I moved to Boston. that everyone feels comfortable, that cliques I had a weird social time trying to find my are mixing and people are talking to people rhythm and meet my people. I think a lot of they might not normally meet. We are really people go through that. I found out about proud of that. PAGE 46

PGN NIGHTLIFE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Market St. Loews Hotel

Prince Music Theater

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1. 12th Street Gym 204 S. 12th St. 215.985.4092 12thstreetgym.com 2. Adonis Cinema 2026 Sansom St. 215.557.9319 3. Alexander Inn 301 S. 12th St. 215.923.3535 alexanderinn.com 4. Attic Youth Center 255 S. 16th St. 215.545.4331 atticyouthcenter.org 5. The Bike Stop 206 S. Quince St. 215.627.1662 thebikestop.com 6. Club Philly 1220 Chancellor St. 215.735.7671 7. Danny’s Adam & Eve 133 S. 13th St. 215.925.5041

8. Giovanni’s Room 1145 Pine St. 215.923.2960 giovannisroom.com Oldest LGBT bookstore in the country 9. ICandy 254 S. 12th St. 267.324.3500 clubicandy.com

oom i’s R n n va . Gio Pine St. 4 •8

14. Sansom Street Cinema 120 S. 13th St. 215.545.9254 15. Sansom Street Gym 2020 Sansom St. 267.330.0151

16. Scorpio Books 205 S. Juniper St. 10. Independent Hotel 215.525.2181 1234 Locust St. 17. Spruce Street 215.923.3535 Video theindependenthotel. 252 S. 12th St. com 215.546.6843 11. Knock 18. Stir Lounge 225 S. 12th St. 1705 Chancellor St. 215.925.1166 215.732.2700 knockphilly.com stirphilly.com 12. Optimal Sport 1315 Walnut St. (entr. on Juniper St.) 215.735.1114 optimalsporthealthclubs.com 13. Pleasure Chest 2039 Walnut St. 215.561.7480

19. Tabu 200 S. 12th St. 215.964.9675 tabuphilly.com 20. Tavern on Camac 243 S. Camac St. 215.545.0900 tavernoncamac.com

21. U Bar 1220 Locust St. 215.546.6660 22. Unite Fitness 105 S. 12th St. 215.733.0633 uniteﬁtnessstudios. com 23. Venture Inn 255 S. Camac St. 215.545.8731 24. Voyeur 1221 St. James St. 215.735.5772 voyeurnightclub. com 25. Westbury 261 S. 13th St. 215.546.5170 thewestburybar.net 26. William Way LGBT CC 1315 Spruce St. 215.732.2220 waygay.org 27. Woody’s 202 S. 13th St. 215.545.1893 woodysbar.com

That chill you feel in the air? It’s the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It’s also the pent-up excitement we all have to get out and get on with the business of life. So shake off those winter blues and let’s kick March to the curb, because this is one winter that I won’t mind seeing relegated to the history books. Weird Beard Revue Get your fix of fur and fun at 7 p.m. March 29 at Letage Club, 624 S. Sixth St. Josh Schonewolf presents the city’s premier all-male cabaret and burlesque with your host Mistor Farenheit and a wild mix of singers, dancers, ukulele players, sexy pups and more. Show starts promptly at 8 p.m.

DJ Tracy Young Light up the night when the sun goes down at 7:18 p.m. March 30 at Lit Ultrabar, 460 N. Second St. The new biweekly dance party featuring international DJs, “bi at Sundown,” is bringing the one and only Tracy Young to town. Doors open promptly at sundown (which explains the weird start time) and the first hour is an open bar. Cover charge is only $10 in advance or $20 at the door. See www.nightlifegay.com for tickets and more information.

An Evening with “Cam & Mitch” If you spend your Wednesday nights with the Pritchett family, then you don’t want to miss your chance to meet two of them from 8-10 p.m. April 3 at Keswick Theatre, 291 Bev’s Birthday Bitchfest Keswick Ave., Glenside. Be Jim Kiley- there for a fun interactive Join the party at 9 p.m. March 29 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th show with Jesse Tyler Zufelt talk St., as Bev and her friends Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet, who play Mitch and Cam on throw a birthday bash to ABC’s “Modern Family.” They’ll share remember. The program for the evebehind-the-scenes stories and backstage ning will include drag, camp, music, boys, burlesque, bitchery and, if you’re gossip, discuss how the show has helped break social boundaries and conduct an lucky, cake! Come help Bev blow out extensive Q&A with the audience. For her candles; just don’t ask her how old she is. tickets and more information, see www. keswicktheater.com. HEROES 2014 DVLF’s eighth annual celebration of Black Tie GayBINGO! the region’s LGBT community takes GayBINGO! goes formal from 5-9 p.m. place from 12:30-3:30 p.m. March 30 April 5 at the Crystal Tea Room in the at the Hotel Monaco, 433 Chestnut St. Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square. The event benefits the Delaware Valley Find out what happens when you take Legacy Fund, which provides grants, bingo and the world-famous BVDs and scholarships and technical assistance add dinner, dancing and a silent auction. to groups and individuals that advance It’s the fanciest bingo of them all, so be the interests of the LGBT commusure you dress to impress. Tickets are $150 nity. HEROES is their chance to honor and, as always, the proceeds will benefit bold, courageous and selfless individu- AIDS Fund. als who share those goals. Tickets are OurNightOut Philly $125 and are best purchased online in Join the ONO gang from 6-8 p.m. April advance at www.dvlf.org. 8 at Bar Ly, 101 N. 11th St. in Chinatown. Help them welcome this month’s host, The DIVAS on Main Spruce Foundation, with great drink speYou’re in for a hot time at 7 p.m. cials and more than 60 craft beers on tap. March 30 at Mojo Main, 270 E. Main St., Newark, Del. Close out your week- Betcha can’t drink just one! As always, there’s no cover but there’s lots of great end with a hot Cajun dinner and even men and women to network and socialize hotter drag queens in nearby Newark, with. ■ down Delaware way. The Miss Heart of Delaware Revue will have you on your feet and cheering for more. Cover Questions, comments, suggescharge is only $5 for this all-ages show tions or requests? Contact Jim at (21-plus to drink, of course). barcrawlr@gmail.com.

Barcrawlr

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PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

PGN

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Directory

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Having a ball in Center City By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Every time we visit the stretch of Walnut Street that crosses through the Gayborhood, we seethe with jealousy at the range and quality of places the people who live and work in that area have at their fingertips. Our neck of the woods is near South Street and, honestly, we are so over cheesesteaks, pizza and Chinese food. So, added to our list of places we would like to be closer to for our lunchtime hunger pangs is Marabella Meatball Co., 1211 Walnut St. Owner Gabe Marabella and his staff are up early each day making the fresh meatballs that are the center of their menu. The restaurant is efficiently Spartan in form and function, creating the ideal space

it on all fronts, especially and surprisingly so with the veggie meatballs. Topped with pesto sauce over rigatoni ($8.95/$6.75), the balls offer a nice range of flavor and have a tender heartiness that holds up against their meaty cousins. Here’s another place we’d be happy to take vegetarians on the go. The chicken meatballs with spinach and ricotta ($8.95/$6.75) were satisfying as well. The garlic crostini definitely must be ordered with the pasta, as they are maddeningly good and crispy.

your own, as he keeps a refrigerator case stocked with quarts and pints of sauces and packages of meatballs ready to go in case you want to enjoy them in the candlelit confines of your abode ... or, in our case, at the computer-screen-lit desk where we watch Netflix.

CHICKEN MEATBALLS ON PENNE WITH PESTO Photos: Scott A. Drake for a quick lunch or dinner whether you are sitting down or taking out. The menu reinforces the idea of doing a handful of things very well. There are four kinds of meatballs to choose from (beef, veggie, chicken and beef/pork/veal), as well as three sauces (marinara, tomato and mushroom) and a number of toppings, ranging from pesto and ricotta cheese to broccoli rabe and spinach. You can have the meatballs in sauce, with or without or in a sandwich or sub. Salads and garlic bread round out the menu. The meatballs definitely bring

The traditional beef meatball sandwich ($8.95) definitely turned us back on to meatball sandwiches. It isn’t that we don’t like meatball sandwiches; it’s just that Marabella made us realize that too many other places make them sloppily and with inferior meatballs. But Marabella’s sandwiches include the perfectly textured meatballs in excellently toasted long rolls. The cook also knows when to say when with the sauce and is generous with the cheese. And Marabella doesn’t mind if you want to pass of his work as

People along Walnut Street have all the luck. We either need to move or get some interns with rickshaws to fetch us better lunches. ■

If you go Marabella

1904 Chestnut St. 215-557-7510 www.kokopelli- philly.com Open daily for dinner.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

FUN PGN & GAMES

Q Puzzle For gay guys it’s 9 Across

1. Home, to Dave Pallone 5. They gave Pinocchio an 8incher 9. Word before “my shorts” 13. Nose activator 14. Scat queen Fitzgerald 15. To some extent 16. School of Marcel Duchamp 17. Pale gray 18. Lesbos, for one 19. Heterosexual males 22. To the rear, when cruising 25. Pink shades 26. Diffident 27. The Stars and Stripes 30. Like Jeremy Irons in “The Borgias” 32. Legendary big bird 33. Victim of Jacob’s tricks

37. How often 19Across think about sex, in contrast with the puzzle title 40. In order 41. Supporter of Patty Sheehan 42. Broadway whisper 43. Take a bad turn 45. Part of RPM 46. Patron of Wilde’s homeland, briefly 49. Compact disk readers 51. TV program in which Michael Novotny makes this puzzle’s comparison 54. Greek vases 55. Biweekly tide 56. Showing a tiny opening 60. Errol Flynn’s “The Sun ___ Rises” 61. “Shall We Dance” star 62. Word after fish? 63. Changes colors 64. Tributes in verse 65. Ogled a hottie in a bar, e.g.

PORTRAIT from page 41

PGN: I like the fact that The Welcoming Committee events get people out of the bars and into other venues and activities. MP: Oh yes, just this year we took four busloads of folks on a ski trip, we took 70 people to the Philadelphia Opera and we joined with the Boston TWC to take over the 76ers game against the Utah Jazz. PGN: What are some of the things coming up in the near future? MP: Well we have a Guerrilla Queer Bar coming up on April 4 but we haven’t announced yet where it’s going to be and, on April 12, we’re doing a derby takeover. We’re taking the crowd to see the Philadelphia Roller Girls. We always have at least six things on our docket that we’re trying to plan for the future. Something exciting coming up in May is the launch of a new city. I can’t tell you where it’s going to be yet but we’re going to have the first triple-city baseball takeover. In Boston, we’re going to go to the Red Sox game, of course here we’re going to see the Phillies and the third city will go see their home team play. And we’ll have some other things on the agenda that are outdoorsy and/or low-priced over the summer. The nice thing about expanding nationwide is that we have several travel trips coming up so it’s a chance to meet people from other cities as well. I urge people to go to the travel takeover page on the main website and see what’s coming up. There’s a rafting takeover in June and a cruise takeover in September, a casino takeover in November and a ski trip again next January.

Down

1. Muscle Mary’s pride 2. Toothpaste box letters 3. “Get out!” to Orton, with “off” 4. Remove a slip? 5. Masters 6. Ingrid’s role in “Casablanca” 7. K through 12 8. Pray like Will before dinner? 9. Tries to get a rise out of 10. “C’est Moi,” to Lancelot 11. Maupin stories 12. James Dean’s “East of ___” 20. In all honesty 21. Porker 22. Navratilova’s winter home 23. Close one, for a drag queen 24. Aggressive sort 28. Cargoáship (the 8 stands for a fiveletter sequence) 29. Goes down in defeat 31. Gallery objects

33. Shooter in Bruce Weber’s field 34. Criticize petulantly 35. One that’s calculating to get sum 36. Sadists, to masochists, in a way 38. What it takes for a dance, or some relationships 39. Place for a gondola 43. Kids’ card game 44. Flees to a samesex marriage state 46. Like a sourpuss 47. In need of a backrub 48. Kahlo’s cash 50. Imitate Brian Orser 51. Leg muscle, for short 52. It gets spilled at wild parties 53. Money left on the nightstand 57. Leno, once of late night humor 58. It may top a queen 59. Poet McKuen PAGE 49

PGN: Fun! So let’s get to some random questions. Do you have any pets? MP: I do! A little 3-year-old pitbull named Haven. Her full name is CK Dexter Haven. She was named after Cary Grant’s character in the movie “The Philadelphia Story.” [Laughs.] She was named that before I moved here. PGN: I assume you’re a film buff. MP: I actually am not a film buff. It’s kind of a joke among my friends how little I know about pop culture. You do not want me on your trivia team in the pop-culture category. My friends tolerate it, but they find it annoying how little I can relate to things everyone else seems to know. PGN: What category would you take the lead on? MP: Architecture and history and what I call “Dad facts” — those dumb little facts that no one should know. PGN: Like what the little piece at the end of your shoelaces is called? MP: Yes! And I actually know that, they’re called aglets. PGN: What is your pet peeve? MP: If flakiness is considered a pet peeve then that would probably be it. PGN: What is your most treasured possession, something you wouldn’t sell even if offered great sums of money? MP: I have a collection of Buffalo Bills football memorabilia. I’ve actually been offered quite high sums of money for it but I won’t sell it.

PGN: When was the last time you blew bubbles? MP: Actually it was this past summer! Some friends of mine and I bought some sidewalk chalk and bubbles and relived our childhood. PGN: Any tattoos? MP: Yes, I have one. It’s an aerial view of the neighborhood I grew up in in Buffalo, surrounded by 13 ginkgo leaves. PGN: What’s a song you’re embarrassed to admit you like? MP: Right now it would probably be “Timber” by Pitbull and Ke$ha. PGN: What’s your current state of mind? MP: Excited. Things are pretty good right now. PGN: When was the last time you did something you said you wouldn’t? MP: Oh man, probably today. I sat around the house when I said I was going to go out and exercise. PGN: Do you have a motto? MP: Honestly, I don’t think I do. My girlfriend Rada has taught me the idea of using mantras in your life. I don’t have one in particular that I use. Depending on the situation and my mood that day, I’ll bounce around from mantra to mantra and use the one that suits me for that moment. PGN: Do you have one for today? MP: Just making sure I’m extremely present. [Chuckles.] I think it’s going pretty well.

PGN: What’s your favorite pie? MP: I love my mother’s homemade pecan pie. Did you celebrate Pi Day? PGN: No, I didn’t know there was a Pi Day. I’m missing out. MP: It’s celebrated on March 14 and even though it’s about the numerical equation, we still celebrate it in my family by eating pie. PGN: Now I’m hungry. What traits do you deplore in others? MP: Selfishness. I think it manifests in a lot of different deplorable ways. PGN: Wrapping up, part of the fun of Guerrilla Queer Bar is the mystery that surrounds it. How do you keep it a secret and who knows where you’ll go next? MP: We have a small inner circle comprised of the people in Boston who are fulltime and do a lot of the coordinating with the larger venues for us. On the local level, Kevin and I keep it pretty close to the vest. I don’t even tell my girlfriend until just before the event. Fortunately, she’s been able to make most of them. And hopefully we’ll see you at the next one! PGN: For sure! I can keep a secret ... ■ For more information, visit www.thewelcomingcommittee.com/philly/. To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol. com.

TELEVISION PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Worth Watching THE FINAL FRONTIER: Host Neil deGrasse Tyson makes us wish we had better science teachers when he explores how light, time and gravity affect our perception of the universe in a new episode of “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” 9 p.m. March 30 on Fox.

I’VE GOT YOUR BACK: Stewie helps Chris battle bullies at school in an all-new episode of “Family Guy,” 8:30 p.m. March 30 on Fox. Photo: Fox

WE MEET FOR THE LAST TIME: Bid a fond farewell to the womanizing Barney (played by out actor Neil Patrick Harris) and his group of pals on the special onehour series finale of “How I Met Your Mother,” 8 p.m. March 31 on CBS.

SOMETHIN’ TO SING ABOUT: Elliott (Adam Lambert, right) meets up with Kurt (Chris Colfer) in a new episode of “Glee,” 8 p.m. April 1 on Fox. Photo: Fox/ Eddy Chen

Photo: Ron P. Jaffe

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 03/28 Loft23 presents The Game Loft The William Way LGBT Community Center hosts a game space geared towards gamers ages 21-29 and is an opportunity to meet new people, play games and socialize outside of the bar/club scene, 6-8 p.m., 1315 Spruce St.; 215732-2220. Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz The out singersongwriter and her backing band perform 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400.

Kelly Rabke The Broadway star and cabaret singer performs 8 p.m. at the Rrazz Room, in The Ramada New Hope, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 888-5961027.

Phoenixville; 610917-0223. Sarah SawyersLovett The out author hosts a reading and book-signing 4-6 p.m. at A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave.; 215- 8216877.

Sat. 03/29

Her HRC 2014 A nationwide event celebrating women in cities across the country featuring DJ Jovi Baby spinning all night, plus special performances by Brooklyn Ford, Satine Harlow and Bev, 9-10 p.m. at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 Saint James St.; 215-735-5772.

Little Man Tate The drama about a child genius starring and directed by Jodi Foster is screened 2 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St.,

Start Making Sense: Talking Heads Tribute The rock band performs 9 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

Marc Silver Band The out singersongwriter performs with his band 8:30 p.m. March 28 at Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St.; 215928-0978.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS PGN

Sun. 03/30 Queer Queens of Comedy Out comedians Poppy Champlin, Jessica Kirson and Mimi Gonzales perform 4-7 p.m. at the Rrazz Room, in The Ramada New Hope, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 888-5961027. Pentatonix The vocal group with out members performs 8 p.m. at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800745-3000.

Mon. 03/31 Free Quizzo & Board Game Night Roll the dice, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400.

THEIR WAY OR THE HIGHWAY: The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the wildly imaginative Los Angeles-based dance company BODYTRAFFIC, April 3-5 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St. For more information or tickets, call 215-898-3900. Photo: Christopher Duggan

Philly Rising Showcase Local artists perform 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. The Wolf of Wall Street The Oscar-nominated film is screened 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888. Lipstick Mondays A weekly drag show featuring a changing roster of queens takes the stage 9 p.m. at The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope; 215862-2081.

Thu. 04/03 Jessie Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet The actors from “Modern Family” host a Q&A event 8 p.m. at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave.; 215572-7650. Mike Birbiglia The comedian performs 8 p.m. at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-893-1999.

The Burlesque Show The event kicks off 9 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Bob and Barbara’s Drag Show The outrageousness begins 11 p.m. at Bob and Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215-545-4511.

Fri. 04/04 Back to the ’80s with Jessie’s Girl The ’80s tribute band performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Scott Stapp The Creed frontman performs 8:30 p.m. at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-9221011.

Tue. 04/01 Vicci Martinez The singer-songwriter performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215222-1400.

Wed. 04/02 4W5 Blues Jam Local musicians get down, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400.

FAMILY GUYS: “Modern Family” actors Jessie Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet (who play gay married couple Mitch and Cameron on the show) host a live Q&A event 8 p.m. April 3 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave. For more information or tickets, call 215-572-7650.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Opening Beethoven’s Seventh The Philadelphia Orchestra performs April 3-5 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847. BODYTRAFFIC The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the Los Angeles-based dance company April 3-5 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215-898-3900. The Magical Music of John Williams The Philly POPS perform April 4-6 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847. Timelines: Queer Circus-Theater by Tangle Movement Arts The performance-arts troupe featuring aerial acrobats performs April 3-5 at Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American St.; www.tangle-arts.com.

In a Relationship: Art, Science & Medicine The James A. Michener Art Museum hosts an exhibition of works by Richard E. Goldberg, M.D., joined by works from renowned sports photographer Howard Schatz and stained-glass artist Kenneth Leap, through April 13, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215-340-9800. Marc Newson: At Home Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of furnishings by the influential designer through April 20, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Michael Snow: Photo-Centric Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works from the experimental filmmaker through April 27, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

Continuing

Paul Evans: Crossing Boundaries and Crafting Modernism The James A. Michener Art Museum hosts an exhibition of works from the designer and craftsman through June 1, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215-340-9800.

Arsenic and Old Lace Walnut Street Theatre presents the classic dark comedy through April 27, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550.

The Phantom of the Opera The thrilling classic horror story runs through April 13 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.

BACK TO THE PENT-HOUSE: A-cappella pop-vocal group Pentatonix returns to the area to the delight of its rabid fans 8 p.m. March 30 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St. For more information or tickets, call 800-745-3000.

That’s So Gay: Outing Early America The Library Company of Philadelphia presents the exhibition exploring gay culture through Oct. 17, 1314 Locust St.; 215546-3181.

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

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Treasures from Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty, 1392-1910 Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition devoted to art of the celebrated Joseon dynasty through May 26, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Playwright Christopher Durang’s awardwinning comedic work centering on Chekhov themes, with a gay element, March 27-April 10 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; 215-9850420. Where Children Sleep The James A. Michener Art Museum hosts an exhibition of photographs by James Mollison through June 29, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215-340-9800.

Closing Mozart’s Linz The Philadelphia Orchestra performs through March 29 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847. Why Do Fools Fall in Love? Media Theatre presents a bachelorette party where four ladies reveal the details of their love lives through March 30, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. ■

BREAK OUT THE GOOD SILVER: Out singer-songwriter Marc Silver performs with his eponymous band 8:30 p.m. March 28 at Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St. For more information or tickets, call 215-9280978.

The Bazemore Gallery is excited to share our space and love of art with the community. Our gallery design is based on our intuitive perception of the ﬁve elements of feng shui. The art on our walls is food for the soul. We aim to sell our paintings to new and seasoned collectors, interior designers purchasing for their clientele and buyers for corporate collections. The Bazemeore Gallery is a boutique art gallery. We are proud to be located in the historic section of Manayunk, Philadelphia.

4339 Main Street • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19127 215.482.1119 • www.thebazemoregallery.com

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Classifieds Real Estate Sale

Real Estate Sale

TRAVIS_RODGERS_AD_5x2.75v3:Layout 1 2/23/14 3:26 PM Page 1

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Dutch Colonial Revival home brings back memories of a by-gone era Just a short walk to the R3 Septa train station and everything else this ‘Classic Town’ has to offer: seasonal outdoor Farmer’s Market, Lansdowne Symphony, Folk Club, Art Festivals, historic Lansdowne Theatre (slated for restoration), Regency Cafe, Avenue Deli, Sycamore BYOB & more. Easy access to Center City Philadelphia. Become part of this terriﬁc community today!

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Travel & Resorts OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com ________________________________________38-13

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Legal Notices

Help Wanted

Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, March Term, 2014, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 19 March, 2014, the petition of Samantha Jane Smoot was filed, praying for a decree to change his name to Sampson Oliver Smoot. The Court has fixed 7 April, 2014 at 12 PM in Room No. 691, in Philadelphia City Hall for hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause if they have, why the prayer of the said petitioner should not be granted. ________________________________________38-13 Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, March Term, 2014, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on March 19, 2014, the petition of Lauren Marie Bernardo was filed, praying for a decree to change his name to Lucas Loren Bernardo. The Court has fixed 7 April, 2014 at 12 PM in Room No. 691, in Philadelphia City Hall for hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause if they have, why the prayer of the said petitioner should not be granted. ________________________________________38-13

NOW ACCEPTING RESUMES AIL Torchmark, a Forbes Platinum 400 Company traded on the NYSE, is looking to fill many positions with motivated people due to massive expansion. For consideration, send resume to jlipton.ail@gmail.com ________________________________________38-13 Can You Dig It? Bulldozers, Backhoes, and Excavators. 3 Weeks Hands On Training Provided. Become Nationally Certified. Lifetime Job Placement Assistance. GI Bill Eligible! 1-866-362-6497. ________________________________________38-13 Heating And Air Conditioning Technician Training! Fast Track, Hands On, National Certification Program. Lifetime Job Placement. VA Benefits Eligible! 1-877-994-9904. ________________________________________38-13 PICKUP TRUCKS NEEDED NOW! Move RV trailers from Indiana and deliver all over the USA and CANADA. Many trips headed EAST! Go to: horizontransport.com ________________________________________38-13 Daily Express needs Contractors for regional and OTR Stepdeck and Lowboy hauls! Daily Expedited, Heavy Haul and Specialized Divisions available. FREE Trailers! www. dailyrecruiting.com or 1-800-669-6414. ________________________________________38-13 Exp. Reefer Drivers: GREAT PAY /Freight lanes from Presque Isle, ME, Boston-Lehigh, PA. 800-277-0212 or driveforprime.com ________________________________________38-13 CDL-A Truck Drivers: Swift Transportation is Hiring! Dedicated Refrigerated Run with great home time & pay. 100% No Touch freight. Sign on Bonus. Call: 866-459-0721. ________________________________________38-13

CDL-A SOLO & TEAM DRIVERS NEEDED Top Pay for Hazmat. OTR & Regional Runs. CDL Grads Welcome. 700+ Trucks & Growing! 888-928-6011 www. Drive4Total.com ________________________________________38-13 NEED CLASS A CDL TRAINING? Start a CAREER in trucking today! Swift Academies offer PTDI certified courses and offer “Best-In-Class” training. *New Academy Classes Weekly *No Money Down or Credit Check *Certified Mentors Ready and Available *Paid (While Training With Mentor) *Regional and Dedicated Opportunities *Great Career Path * Excellent Benefits Package. Please Call: (866) 271-7613. _____________________________________________38-13 EARN $500.A-DAY Insurance Agents Needed; Leads, No Cold Calls; Commissions Paid Daily; Lifetime Renewals; Complete Training; Health & Dental Insurance; Life License Required. Call: 1-888-713-6020. ________________________________________38-13 Hiring OTR Professionals who want Consistent Milesaverage 2,700+; consistent pay- average $51,400 per year; 2011 or newer trucks; Call Fischer Trucking today at 1-800-486-8660. ________________________________________38-13

Notices Pursuant to §128.85 of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Title 7 regulations, GROWMARK FS, LLC. hereby gives notice of ground application of “Restricted Use Pesticides” for the protection of agricultural crops in municipalities in Pennsylvania during the next 45 days. Residents of contiguous property to our application sites should contact your local GROWMARK FS, LLC. facility for additional information. Concerned Citizens should contact: Michael Layton, MGR. Safety & Environment, mlayton@growmarkfs.com GROWMARK FS, LLC. 308 N.E. Front Street, Milford, DE 19963. Call 302-422-3002. ________________________________________38-13

Job Wanted GM needs employment as ﬁle clerk or receptionsit Monday thru Saturday 11 AM to 6 PM. Hour rate of $30.00 per hour. Extra Sundays 12 Noon to 6 PM. Leave msg. on viicemail, 215-763-3391. ________________________________________38-13

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.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 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. ________________________________________38-16 BM with 8.5 tool wants bottom for pleasure. Must be uncut and Arabian or from India or Latino with big tool also. Must squirt more times than the law allows! Call me 12 Noon to 4 PM daily. 215-763-3391. No games, just sex. ________________________________________38-14 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. ________________________________________38-14 YOUNGER ASIAN Wanted to be a companion to an older Caucasian man. 215-677-5610. ________________________________________38-16 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. ________________________________________38-14

Massage David, 64, 6’, 200 lbs., attentive. 215-569-4949. (24/7) ________________________________________38-28

��

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

FOOLING AROUND

Saturday, April 12th 15th • Time: 11pm-3:30am WHAT TO EXPECT: • DJ David Dutch • Complimentary Food & Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & So Much More

SPRING FLING

BUSY TIMES FOR US:

These our are most popular days when people come-

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

SUNDAY RELIEF

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

MONDAY thru FRIDAY:

Sunday, April 26th • Time: 11pm-3:30am

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

WHAT TO EXPECT: • DJ David Dutch • Complimentary Food & Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & So Much More

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

ROOMS: Members: $25.00 & Non-Members: $35.00 LOCKERS: Members: $18.00 & Non-Members: $28.00 - ROOMS GO QUICKLY SO CHECK IN EARLY -

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY NIGHT CRUISE

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

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

PGN

Activism/Politics

ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) meets 6-9 p.m. Mondays at St. Luke and The Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; 215-386-1981, www.actupphilly.org. Delaware Valley Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church and State seeks activists and supporters of church-state separation. Holds monthly meetings and events; www.dvau.org. Equality Pennsylvania holds a volunteer night 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month, 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605; 215-731-1447, www.equalitypa.org. Green Party of Philadelphia holds general meetings 7 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month, except August and December; 215-243-7103, www.gpop.org. Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club meets seasonally; www.libertycity.org.

Arts

Library Book Club meets to discuss a new book 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at William Way. Men On Tap, an LGBT group that performs with choirs, organizations and at the Fringe Festival, rehearses 8 p.m. Mondays at The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St.; dale@magicalfantasies.com. Philadelphia Freedom Band, an audition-free LGBT band that does concerts and parades, rehearses 7-9:30 p.m. Mondays; philadelphiafreedomband.com. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus rehearses 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays; 215-731-9230, auditions@pgmc.org. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Opera Club meets to share and listen to recordings 6:30 p.m. the last Saturday of the month; 215-732-7898. Philadelphia Voices of Pride, Philadelphia’s first mixed LGBT chorus, rehearses 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at William Way; www.pvop.org. Queer Writer’s Collective workshop and discussion group meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Saturday of the month at William Way. Reading Queerly, open to all women and genderqueer/ trans people, meets 6:45 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.

Recreation

Gay Bridge Club non-beginners group meets Monday 2-5 p.m. at William Way; reservations required. Call 215-732-2220. Gay-friendly Scrabble Club meets 5:30-10:30 p.m. at Abner’s Steaks, 38th and Chester streets; 215-382-0789. Humboldt Society: Lesbian and Gay Naturalists meets 7:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at William Way; 215-985-1456, www.humboldtsociety.org. Independence Squares LGBT square-dance club, modern Western square dancing hosts an open house and Tuesday classes in the fall at Lutheran Church, 2111 Sansom St.; philadances@gmail.com, www.independencesquares.org. Male Oenophile Group forming to discuss, appreciate and taste various wines. Will meet once a month to investigate the nuances and glories of the fermented grape; 267-230-6750. Mornings OUT LGBT Senior Social activities for senior gay men are held 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays at William Way. PhilaVentures, Philadelphia’s LGBT outdoor group, meets for hikes in Wissahickon Valley and Valley Forge Park; philaventures.org.

Sports

Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for practice at p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Greenfield Park, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area with games on Sundays, beginning in April, at the Dairy and Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch at Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www.philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club, open to LGBT and allies, practices 8-10 p.m. Mondays and 2-4 p.m. Saturdays; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, open to male and female swimmers, meets 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Friends Select School and 10:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays; www.philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League meets 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays September-April at Brunswick Zone, 1328 Delsea Drive, Deptford, N.J.; 856-889-1434, www.philagaybowling.com.

Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League plays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at FDR Park; www.phillyflagfootball.com Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club, open to players of all skill levels, meets 7:45 p.m. Thursdays at Columbus Square Park, 1200 Wharton St.; 215-913-7531, philadelphiagryphons.org, becomeagryphon@gmail.com. Philadelphia Liberty Belles women’s semi-pro fulltackle football league holds fall tryouts; phillybelles. com. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association plays yearround, all skill levels welcome; philadelphialibertytennis. com. Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team seeks players; www.philadelphiafirebirds.com. Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League seeks players, all skill levels and ages. Practice is 7 p.m. Thursdays at Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 17th and Fitzwater streets, with games at 2:30 p.m. Sundays; 215-991-5995 (day), 301-919-1194 (evening), phillywomensbaseball. com. Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; 917-656-1936, phury@gayhockey.org. Philly QCycle LGBT bicycling club promotes organized recreational riding for all levels in the Greater Philadelphia region; contact the organization via Facebook. Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley motorcycle club meets regularly; 215-836-0440, www.groups.yahoo. com/group/rainbowridersdv/. Rainbow Rollers gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Boulevard Lanes in Northeast Philadelphia; rainbowrollers.com. Spartan Wrestling Club gay wrestling team meets 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-732-4545, www.phillyspartans.com.

Etc.

AIDS Law Project provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing at 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 600; 215-587-9377, www.aidslawpa.org. BiUnity, Philadelphia-area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends; http:// biunity.org. Delaware Valley Pink Pistols, for LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for self-defense, meets 2 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at Classic Indoor Range, 1310 Industrial Blvd., Southampton; 610-879-2364; www.pinkpistols.org. Delaware Pride holds planning meetings 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at the United Church of Christ, 300 Main St., Newark; 302-265-3020, delawarepride.org. Haverford College’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance holds open meetings 10-11 p.m. Mondays during the school year in the lounge in Jones Basement at Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave.; 610-896-4938. Men and Women for Human Excellence support group meets from noon-2 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month at 26th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue; 267-273-3513, cmoore8300@yahoo.com. Long Yang Club Philadelphia, social organization for gay Asians and their friends, holds monthly socials; www.longyangclub.org/philadelphia. Our Night Out, a casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, friends and colleagues, meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, email OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; more information on Facebook. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice offered 5-8 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month; 215-238-6333. Philadelphia Prime Timers club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; primeti mersofphiladelphia@yahoo.com. Philadelphians MC Club, for leather men and women, meets 7:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; philadelphiansmc.org. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL-affiliated, weekly HF nets, quarterly newsletter; www.rara.org. Silver Foxes, a social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older, meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Sunday of the month at William Way; 215-732-2220. SNJ Queers meets monthly for queer/queer-friendly folks in South Jersey to mix and mingle; 856-375-3708, wmf69@comast.net.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

■ The Attic Youth Center 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331, atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 4-8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday. ■ 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. MondayThursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

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

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

■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220, www.waygay.org. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday-Friday Library: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Volunteers: New Orientation, first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Key numbers

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

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

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

■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378

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

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

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

Health

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

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia Board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; free referral service at 215-6279090, www.galloplaw.org. ■ 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; 215557-0190, www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com.

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

Professional groups ■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgja. org/philly; philly@nlgja.org. ■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus Regional organization dedicated to promoting LGBT tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region, meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January,

March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; 215-8402039, www.philadelphiagaytourism.com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 28 - April 3, 2014

PRESENTED BY ACTIONAIDS

PGN ART MUSEUM/FAIRMOUNT Alla Spina Jack’s Firehouse London Grill* Rembrandt’s Rose Tattoo Cafe* Route 6

(215) 600-0017 (215) 232-9000 (215) 978-4545 (215) 763-2228 (215) 569-8939 (215) 391-4600

CENTER CITY EAST

Dine at a participating restaurant or food truck on April 24, and 33% of your food bill will benefit local services in the fight against AIDS. EVENT BENEFITS HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS AT ActionAIDS • AIDS Delaware Family & Community Service of Delaware County Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania Camden Area Health Education Center

New restaurants added everyday please check the website. * Make an additional donation of $25 or more on April 24 and you will receive a 20% Off Tuesdays card with your thank you letter. This card entitles you to 20% off of your table’s food bill on Tuesday evenings** throughout the year at participating 20% Off Tuesdays Restaurants. Listings with an asterisk* are 20% off Tuesdays participants. **Excluding holidays. Not to be combined with other offers.

b e n e fi t s g r o u p

Amis (215) 732-2647 Barbuzzo (215) 546-9300 Caribou Cafe* (215) 625-9535 El Vez (215) 928-9800 Garces Trading (215) 574-1099 Company Giorgio on the Pine* (215) 545-6265 IndeBlue (215) 545-4633 Jamonera (215) 922-6061 Jones (215) 223-5663 Kanella (215) 922-1773 Knock (215) 925-1166 Little Nonna’s (215) 546-2100 Lolita (215) 546-7100 Mercato (215) 985-2962 More Than Just (215) 574-0586 Ice Cream (215) 413-9070 Morimoto New Harmony (215) 627-4520 Vegetarian Restaurant (215) 644-9287 Nomad Pizza Company Opa (215) 545-0170 Pennsylvania 6 (267) 639-5606 Perch Pub* (215) 546-4090 Rosa Blanca (215) 925-5555 (215) 732-3501 Sampan (610) 269-6000 Stella Rosa Tabu (215) 964-9675 (215) 592-6555 Talula’s Daily (215) 592-7787 Talula’s Garden Tashan (267) 687-2170 The Tavern* (215) 545-1102 Time (215) 985-4800 (215) 629-9200 Tria Wash West (215) 790-9494 Valanni* (215) 546-6800 Varalli* Varga Bar (215) 627-5200 Vedge (215) 320-7500 Venture Inn* (215) 545-8731 (215) 922-3095 Vintage Wine Bar & Bistro (215) 546-5170 Westbury Bar Zinc Bistro a Vins* (215) 351-9901

CENTER CITY WEST 10 Arts Bistro and Lounge Alma de Cuba Audrey Claire Barclay Prime Bellini Grill Butcher and Singer Continental Midtown The Dandelion Day by Day El Rey Friday, Saturday, Sunday* Good Dog Il Pittore Matyson Metropolitan Cafe My Thai* Oyster House Parc The Prime Rib Seafood Unlimited Square 1682 Tinto Tria Rittenhouse Twenty Manning Village Whiskey XIX Restaurant

(215) 523-8273 (215) 988-1799 (215) 731-1222 (215 )732-7560 (215) 545-1191 (215) 732-4444 (215) 567-1800 (215) 558-2500 (215) 564-5540 (215) 563-3330 (215) 546-4232 (215) 985-9600 (215) 391-4900 (215) 564-2925 (215) 545-6655 (215) 985-1878 (215) 567-7683 (215) 545-2262 (215) 772-1701 (215) 732-3663 (215) 563-5008 (215) 665-9150 (215) 972-8742 (215) 731-0900 (215) 665-1088 (215) 790-1919

CHESTNUT HILL/MOUNT AIRY Bacio* Geechee Girl Rice Cafe

(215) 248-2740 (215) 843-8113

MANAYUNK Adobe Cafe Manayunk*

(215) 483-3947

(215) 391-4888 (215) 634-3338 (215) 739-9684 (215) 413-3666 (215) 592-8838

OLD CITY Amada (215) 625-2450 (215) 574-9440 Buddakan Continental Restaurant(215) 923-6069 DiNardo’s Famous (215) 925-5115 Seafood (215) 625-9425 Fork (215) 625-9425 High Street Cafe Positano Coast (215) 238-0499 by Aldo Lamberti Race Street Cafe (215) 627-6181 (215) 923-2267 Red Owl Tavern Spasso (215) 592-7661 Zahav (215) 625-8800

SOCIETY HILL/SOUTH PHILADELPHIA Adobe Cafe* (215) 551-2246 August (215) 468-5926 Beau Monde (215) 592-0656 (215) 925-8880 Bistro Romano* (215) 925-8000 Bistrot La Minette Cafe Nola (215) 574-1687 Cochon* (215) 923-7675 Copabanana (215) 923-6180 Izumi (215) 271-1222 Le Virtu (215) 271-5626 Nomad Pizza (215) 238-0900 Company* (267) 909-9704 Noord Paloma Mexican (215) 928-9500 Haute Cuisine (215) 271-2066 Paradiso Percy Street Barbecue (215) 625-8510 Pizzeria Stella (215) 320-8000 Redwood (215) 238-1512 Redwood Restaurant (215) 238-1512 Serpico (215) 925-3001 Southwark (215) 238-1888 The Industry (215) 271-9500 Ulivo (215) 351-1550 (215) 592-1295 Villa Di Roma

UNIVERSITY CITY/WEST PHILADELPHIA Distrito (215) 222-1657 The Gold Standard (215) 727-8247 Cafe* (215) 222-2363 JG Domestic Lemon Grass Thai (215) 222-8042 Pod (215) 387-1803 The Restaurant School (215) 222-4200 @ Walnut Hill College x3005/3024

BUCKS COUNTY Poco’s Restaurant Rick’s Restaurant* The Raven

(215) 348-3424 (609) 397-0051 (215) 862-2081

CHESTER COUNTY Avalon Restaurant (610) 436-4100 Market Street Grille (610) 429-5328 Side Bar & Restaurant (610) 429-8297

PhillyGayCalendar.com

(610) 918-1272 (610) 296-9006 (610) 429-4046 (610) 696-7435

DELAWARE COUNTY

NORTHERN LIBERTIES/ FISHTOWN Fette Sau Frankford Hall Johnny Brenda’s North 3rd Restaurant* Silk City Diner*

Three Little Pigs Cedar Hollow Inn Restaurant and Bar Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House* High Street Caffe/ Vudu Lounge

2312 Garrett Bar (610) 626-9900 (610) 293-7500 Asiana Garden* Diego’s Cantina and (484) 442-8741 Tequila Bar (610) 566-6808 La Belle Epoque Wine Bistro Lotus Farm to Table (610) 565-5554 Nais Cuisine (610) 789-5983 (610) 891-9600 Picasso Restaurant & Bar Pinocchio’s Restaurant (610) 566-4870 (610) 565-7803 Spasso Italian Grill Susanna Foo (610) 688-8808 Gourmet Kitchen (610) 623-9537 The Original Clam Tavern (610) 688-7646 The Silverspoon Restaurant Verdad Restaurant & (610) 520-9100 Tequila Bar

MONTGOMERY COUNTY Roberto’s Trattoria Spring Mill Cafe Trax Restaurant and Cafe Viggiano’s BYOB* White Elephant Restaurant*

(215) 233-9955 (610) 828-2550 (215) 591-9777 (484) 344-5561 (215) 663-1495

DELAWARE Greenville (302) 655-3785 BBC Tavern & Grill Cromwell’s American (302) 571-0561 Tavern and Taqueria (302) 888-4200 Krazy Kat’s Hockessin (302) 239-2314 The Back Burner Middletown (302) 376-7956 1861 Restaurant New Castle Traders Cove Coffee (302) 322-6334 Shop at Penn’s Place* Newark Soffritto Italian Grill (302) 455-1101 Timothy’s of Newark (302) 738-9915 Wilmington Blue Parrot Bar and (302) 655-8990 Grille Melting Pot Restaurant(302) 652-6358 Santa Fe Wilmington (302) 425-5200 (302) 762-9094 Tutto Fresco Union City Grille (302) 654-9780

SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY Barnsboro Inn (856) 468-3557 (856) 858-1700 Bistro di Marino* Casa Bella Trattoria (856) 429-2885 (856) 854-4633 Indeblue Keg & Kitchen (856) 833-9800 Marlene Mangia Bene*(856) 848-8488 Nunzio Ristorante (856) 858-9840 Rustico (856) 869-0111 The Pop Shop The Tortilla Press (856) 869-3345 Tortilla Press Cantina (856) 356-2020 Tre Famiglia (856) 429-1447 Ristorante* (856) 858-2999 Villa Barone (856) 854-7220 Westmont Diner*