PGN Spring 2014 Youth Supplement

PGN LGBTQ Youth Supplement by our youth, for our youth, for our future

New Temple class explores LGBTs in media

By James Lamar Stankunas, 21 Temple University is known for its diverse population of students.

This spring, the Media Studies and Production Department introduced a new course, “LGBT Representation in Media.”

This course is taught by Dr. Adrienne Shaw, an assistant professor at Temple and the co-chair of the International Communication Association’s GLBT Studies Special Interest Group.

Throughout the course, students learned the history of LGBT representation in different forms of media. Each week, Shaw designated a form of media to discuss.

Eric Brizuela, one of the students enrolled in the course, said, “I learned about a lot of different media representations regarding LGBT, many of which I had never even considered, like comics and video games.”

The students were assigned readings each class to go along with the class discussions and were assigned various films to watch each week.

Shaw incorporated social media with her teaching by using Twitter and the hashtag #MSP4425.

Students were required to submit discussion questions based on the readings by posting them to

Pride to honor youth leaders from The Attic

By Sean Morris, 16

DR. ADRIENNE SHAW, ASSSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MEDIA STUDIES AND PRODUCTION AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, LOOKS OVER A PRINTED VERSION OF A DIGITAL TIMELINE OF LGBT HISTORY CREATED BY HER STUDENTS. Photo: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University.

Twitter with the course hashtag.

Shaw would then post the questions into her lecture and get the students involved with the discussion. This created a sense of community in the class.

“Overall, [it was] just a fun and laid-back class, a better learning environment in my opinion,” Brizuela said.

In order to give students a sense of history, Shaw assigned a collaborative timeline where they listed five events crucial to LGBT history. All of the events were put together into one timeline for the

class to see and refer to throughout the semester.

The students were also required to do group presentations. They were tasked with finding a media text with LGBT representation and relating it to the readings and course discussions. The groups presented television shows such as HBO’s “True Blood” and “Looking,” as well as Showtime’s “Weeds” and Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black.”

Throughout the semester, students could attend any cultural PAGE 4 event in the

In today’s times, the LGBTequality movement has never been stronger. Now that we live in an Internet age where communication and new ideas travel at the speed of light, the movement has been able to grow exponentially from what could be considered a humble origin, with the writings of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs and the infamous Stonewall Riots.

Two individuals who exemplify the strong nature of today’s equality movement are Avery McNair and Da’Shawn “Dalyla” Baker. Both of The Attic Youth Center members are capable and intelligent young adults who will serve as Youth Grand Marshals of this year’s Pride parade — and who have shown courage, endurance and, perhaps above all else, leadership.

McNair, 17, has already shown herself to be a capable, confident and exceptional individual who is a proven leader not only to her peers but also the entire community. McNair, a junior at Charter High School for Architecture + Design, has been a leader in The Attic’s drag group and Work and

Pageantry as a tool of support and encouragement

By William E. Shelton II, 26 Pageants are known for their glamorous costumes, bright lights, dazzling performances and brutal judging. But this year’s Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot pageant plans to transcend and redefine what it means to “walk the runway.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot isn’t a beauty pageant or a talent show.

It is about being ambassadors and being a spokesperson for the community. That can take you anywhere in life,” said Dan Mangini, an LGBTQ community activist and strong proponent of the Q Spot.

Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot is a free event created by young adults of the Q Spot to give LGBTQ youth the opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities among their peers. The Q Spot is a late-night

safe space and resource program for individuals ages 18-29 in the LGBTQ community.

Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot will take place June 28 at William Way LGBT Community Center. There will be four categories in which contestants can participate: presentation (runway), formal attire, a question-and-answer session by the judges and a talent performance, where contestants can showcase any talent, from poetry to lip-synching.

“I’m for anything to better and to bring this community together.

Our own community is divided.

I would love to see us be one in our community,” said Stevetta Vinowski, founder and CEO of an anti-bullying group called The Freedom Organization.

Vinowski will be performing for the opportunity to call herself

Mrs. Q Spot.

Like many of the other contestants, Vinowski sees the pageant as an opportunity to change her community by leaving a positive impact. The winners will receive a stunning tiara, sashes and a special giveaway package. Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot will become ambassadors of the young-adult LGBTQ community and compete in other LGBTQA pageants in the region, including Black Gay Pride.

“We are stepping it up this year with leaders, pioneers, entrepreneurs and artists coming from a wide range of backgrounds. I think anyone that attends [Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot] will see that our contestants are inspiring,” said Quincy Greene, the founder of the Q Spot, while talking to the contestants in his office at William Way. One of the goals of the Q Spot

is to develop leaders in the community who have shown perseverance and allow them to use their story to inspire others, creating a new movement of love, support and encouragement among young LGBTQ adults. The organizers of Mr. and Ms. Q Spot want contestants to use their uniqueness as a source of strength and motivation to go beyond their limitations.

“It’s being different in this community that is going to make you stand out,” Mangini said. “What was looked at as negative growing up in a heterosexual world can make ‘Johnny,’ who is voguing down the street — which would have gotten him beaten up in high school — that can make him fabulous in our community.”

The Q Spot values the diversity among all members of the community. Each PAGE 4

YOUTH PRIDE MARSHALS AVERY MCNAIR (TOP) AND DA’SHAWN “DALYLA” BAKER

W.E.R.Q. (Work and Education Readiness for Queer Youth).

When asked what inspired her to be such a leader in her community, she graciously responded by saying, “I PAGE 4

What’s inside — A voice to end the blood ban: page 2 — A rallying call for help with the youth home: page 3 — Photos: page 4 — Re-reading the alphabet soup of sexuality: page 5 — Attic chat on Philly Pride: page 6 — OK to be gay; Visual arts to end violence: page 7 — Playhouse has “Open House” and poem “Love is Free”: page 8

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Banning the blood ban

By Sydney Chin, 16 In February, my school had its annual blood drive for the American Red Cross. Openly gay teachers were not able to donate due to the Food and Drug Administration’s policy on men who have sex with men (MSM).

This issue is in the dark both within my school community and the larger community of Philadelphia. I believe the FDA’s current policy will be detrimental to the American blood bank in the future if the FDA does not reform its current policy.

Changes will need to be made or else the current blood shortage will persist.

The ban was instituted in 1977 during the height of the HIV/ AIDS crisis. Its current policy was instituted in 1992. The peak of the HIV/AIDS crisis has been gone for quite a while, and the playing field is different now with new technologies and indepth research. According to the FDA, MSM have a higher risk for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A and HIV. The FDA states on its site that the “MSM policy minimizes even the smallest risk of getting infectious diseases such as HIV or hepatitis through a blood transfusion.”

The FDA policy’s wording attaches and adds to the stigma that all gay men have HIV/AIDS,

when that is not always the case.

It also implies that heterosexual men cannot have HIV. But, that is medically incorrect. This policy validates a heterosexual man’s risky sexual behaviors with multiple partners, whereas a gay man’s monogamous safe sexual relationship is completely nullified. Despite that, heterosexual men are not given a lifetime ban unlike their gay peers.

Heterosexual men who decide to participate in risky sexual behavior are only given a year deferral from donating. The current FDA policy invalidates basic human rights and is outright homophobic.

Additionally, our constitution is supposed to protect all citizens. The current FDA policy is unconstitutional as it infringes upon the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, which states that “no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens ... nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty ... nor deny any person within its jurisdictions the equal protection of the law.” Therefore, this policy doesn’t protect gay men’s rights at all. Instead, the current MSM policy leaves them unprotected as citizens.

Testing for diseases like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A and HIV within blood is a common prac-

tice for all blood donors. This ban made sense back in the ’80s during the height of the AIDS crisis; however, scientists now have a vast amount of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Now, scientists understand how HIV works and its major stages. They know that there is a window period where one’s ELISA test can show up as a false negative, meaning one might actually have the early stages of HIV. But the ELISA test, combined with the Western Blot, has highly accurate results to know if one is HIV-positive.

Since 2002, nucleic acid testing (NAT) has routinely detected the HIV virus as well. These tests are very accessible and done routinely for all blood. If high-risk blood is continually tested using a combination of the three aforementioned tests and proven to be HIV-free, then gay men should be allowed to donate their blood.

Banning a single group of citizens simply doesn’t make sense if all organizations test all blood.

Currently, there are blood shortages especially in our region of the Northeast. By banning gay men, the blood bank loses potential donors who could save more lives. If the FDA didn’t regulate this outrageous MSM policy, the American Red Cross would allow gay men to donate in a heartbeat. Even the highly accredited American Medical

Association finds this ban outdated. In 2010, the United States Department of Health and Human Services created a board to review this policy; however, they were not convinced by the evidence provided by the Red Cross, America’s Blood Centers and AABB (a non-profit organization) that the policy needed to be changed. In 2012, this committee called for a study on positive outcomes of changing the current policy.

Brazil, Australia, Czech Republic, Finland, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, South Africa, Sweden, Argentina and Canada have lifted lifetime bans on gay men donating their blood. All these different nations from different continents share one thing in common: a one-year deferral policy for gay men. Thus, this allows for a bigger blood supply to be available to those who need it in emergencies. The American Red Cross has openly suggested to the FDA that we follow in the same steps as our North American neighbor Canada with a similar deferral period.

If we follow in Canada’s footsteps with a similar deferral time, the blood bank will only become larger and more inclusive for all. ✮ Sydney Chin is a junior at Friends Select School.

Philadelphia HIV testing sites Center City ActionAIDS 1026 Arch St. 267-940-5515 Mon. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Tues. 10 a.m.-noon Wed. 1-4 p.m.

Thur. noon-2 p.m.

ActionAIDS North Office 2641 N. Sixth St. 215-291-9700 Third Tuesdays 1-4 p.m.

The Attic Youth Center 55 S. 16th St. 215-545-4331 GALAEI 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor 215-851-1822 Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mazzoni Center and GALAEI’s Washington West Project 1201 Locust St. Mon.-Thur. 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sat. 1-5 p.m.

215-985-9206 Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Office 1211 Chestnut St. Suite 405 215-496-9696 Mon.-Wed. 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Thur. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Fri. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Planned Parenthood Locust Office 1144 Locust St. 215-351-5560 Mon. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Tues. and Thurs. 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Wed. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

William Way LGBT Community Center 1315 Spruce St. 215-732-2220 Mon. 4-7 p.m.

Youth Health Empowerment Project 1417 Locust St., third floor 215-564-6388

North Philadelphia Congreso 216 W. Somerset St. 215-763-8870 Walk-in hours Wednesdays and Thursdays Covenant House Health

Services 251 E. Bringhurst St. 215-844-1020 Maria de los Santos Health Center 425 W. Allegheny Ave. 215-291-2500 PHMC Health Connection 1035 W. Berks St. 215-765-6690 Planned Parenthood Far Northeast 2751 Comly Road 215-464-2225 Mon. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Tues. and Thur. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Wed. and Fri. noon-3 p.m.

Sat. noon-2 p.m.

St. Christopher’s

Hospital for Children 3601 A St. 215-427-5000

South/West Philadelphia CHOP 3550 Market St., fourth floor 215-590-3537 Health Center #3 555 S. 43rd St. 215-685-7504 Health Center #4 4400 Haverford Ave. 215-685-7601/7654 Urban Solutions 1408 S. Broad St., first floor 215-755-0700

College GSAs Bucks County Community College — Gay/Straight Alliance: Provides a safe haven for LGBTQA campus community members and works to combat stigma on campus; fratrikc@bucks.edu or altemose@bucks.edu.

Cabrini College — Sanctuary: Offers affinity groups, peer support and educational activities to promote a greater understanding of the LGBT community.

Chestnut Hill College

— H.E.R.O.: Promotes awareness of and appreciation for the LGBTQQIA community and works to instill a sense of unity between the community and allies; kociszewskim@chc.edu.

Community College of Philadelphia — Gay/Straight

Alliance: Advocates for LGBT inclusion and acceptance on campus with programming and events, and offers resources for LGBT and ally campus communities; scooks1@ccp.edu.

Drexel University

— LGBTQA Student Center: Supports the development, growth and education of Drexel students with a safe and inclusive campus location for the community and allies on campus; Creese Student Center Room 48-C.

Holy Family University

— The Alliance for Student Equality: Works to recognize the respect and dignity of the whole person in support of promoting the development of personal identity and social equality on campus; drafter@holyfamily.edu or mmbobholz@holyfamily.edu.

La Salle University — The

Alliance: Pledges to provide a safe place and support for the LGBT members of the community; http://studentaffairs.lasalle. edu/umas/service-opportunities/ advocacy-groups/the-alliance/; alliance.lasalle@gmail.com.

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Philadelphia University

— Gay/Straight Alliance: Connects LGBT campus community with resources throughout the university and region; caulford4949@mail.philau.edu or horowitzh@philau.edu.

Saint Joseph’s University

— The Alliance: Fosters open and honest discussion about diversity and LGBT issues and works to affect an environment where homophobia and hatred are replaced by mutual understanding and respect; www. sju.edu/int/resources/alliance/ about.html; gsa@sju.edu.

Temple University — Queer Student Union: Strives to provide a safe social space to LGBTQIA students while exploring issues relevant to the larger community; https://twitter.com/TempleQSU; nurodney. prad@temple.edu.

University of the Arts — OUT@UArts: Through discussion, cultural events and outreach through art, seeks to make a difference for LGBTQ individuals at UArts and beyond; www. uarts.edu/students/outuarts; cfreeman@uarts.edu.

University of Pennsylvania — LGBT Center: More than 20 undergraduate and graduate LGBT student groups abound at Penn, with meetings and community events held at the Center, 3907 Spruce St.; www.vpul.upenn. edu/lgbtc/; center@dolphin. upenn.edu; 215-898-5044.

University of the Sciences — Alliance: Increases awareness of LGBT issues on campus and provides support for LGBT students, faculty, administration and staff; http://orgs.usciences. edu/alliance/; alliance@mail. usciences.edu.

West Chester University — LGBTQQA Services: Provides information, resources, support and programming for the campus community and is home to the LGBTQA Student Organization; LGBTQA@wcupa.edu; www. wcupa.edu/_services/stu.lgb/. ✮

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New LGBT youth home needs our support

By Angel Hardy, 26 On Feb. 12, a new hope for LGBT young adults was conceived by two fresh-minded, generous Midwestern uproots inside the palpitating soul of a vacant North Philadelphia rowhouse.

Rusty Doll and Lisa Sipes, two neighbors-turned-collaborators, would also happen to arise as civic advocates against homelessness.

The epidemic of people without consistent or sustainable dwelling is often a marginalized cause that has left its persisting mark on the City of Brotherly Love for quite some time, and in recent decades has hit our city’s most susceptible and misinterpreted population: LGBT youth.

Doll, 32, an Iowa native, didn’t necessarily imagine that the North Philly property he purchased a couple years back as a generic fixer-upper would now undergo a complete renovation as a safe house for their nonprofit venture, aptly titled Change Philly Today.

An eager launch date of June was once planned; however, due to most of the financial backing resting on Doll’s own shoulders, the duo has postponed the date and focused on gathering further outside support.

“People were really excited about our project when we first launched,” said Sipes, a quilter who has lent her popularity to drum up fundraising efforts. She admitted, “We have

now hit a plateau. We need a lot of help from our communities and we aren’t getting it. We’ve lost a bit of steam because no one seems to be giving anymore. It’s really hard to keep things going.”

Doll conceded that this past winter’s heavy snow was too much for the shelter to bear, leaving behind excess water damage and uninvited setbacks. Most of the renovations made to the house have now been put on a tentative suspension until funds can be prepared to restore the roof’s damage.

In spite of the shelter’s premature delays, Sipes and Doll remain confident in their initial goals for Change Philly Today as they anticipate a summer turnaround in their favor.

“Given the past history of hopeful LGBT youth shelters in Philadelphia, we know we have an uphill battle,” said Doll. “Lisa and I have gotten some great insight from long-term members of Philadelphia’s LGBT community who have been partially involved in previous efforts; we know where they went wrong and hopefully we will be able to avoid mistakes.”

Such insight and support has come from the renowned Carrie Jacobs, founder of The Attic Youth Center.

“We were welcomed into their facility very graciously,” exclaimed Doll. “Carrie’s acumen into the LGBT youth community has been helpful and we look forward to having the opportunity to work with her in the future.”

Ever the new kids on the block, Doll sees the positivity in such ranking.

“Being the new kids has its advantages; we are fresh and full of ambition,” he said.

After Change Philly Today commences, Sipes and Doll hope to expand their efforts into other areas across the nation, offering safe housing to more LGBT young adults who deteriorate at the hands of oppression, familial separation and poverty.

“Rusty and I just want to grow and build more housing for more people in need,” said Sipes. “The two of us are always active and participating in change, but we want to house and help as many youth as possible.”

Doll conceded that this past winter’s heavy snow was too much for the shelter to bear, leaving behind excess water damage and uninvited setbacks.

Doll and Sipes believe that a call to arms to Philadelphia’s LGBT young adults who aren’t touched by homelessness is obligatory. In doing so, they hope to assemble a youth board that will aid in everything from advising to volunteering at study groups at the shelter.

Doll hopes by adding this function into Change Philly Today, it’ll help groom and cultivate some of the community’s next bright leaders.

“We are clearly outside of the age demographic we are aiming to help. A group of young likeminded youth to help keep us in touch with the population we’re fighting for is extremely important to the success of this program,” said Doll.

“I hope that these young folks can recognize that these people we are helping are their peers; they could be helping the kid next to them in their science or math class.”

Sipes and Doll said a summer fundraiser is in the works. ✮ To donate, visit www.gofundm e. c o m / C h a n g e P h i l l y To d a y.

For more information, search ChangePhillyToday on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or visit www. phillychangetoday.com. To inquire about the youth board, email lisa. sipes@changephillytoday.com or dollrusty@gmail.com.

Angel Hardy is a junior at Southern New Hampshire University.

Growing up religious and LGBT

By Bethany Burgess, 18 During a writing workshop with Denice Frohman, I wrote a poem about Christianity.

As I wrote that poem, I recognized a feeling within myself that I have been longing for since I was in middle school. I realized that the religious beliefs I was taught growing up no longer had an effect on how I felt about my sexual orientation. The fear and confusion of growing up LGBT and religious were gone and replaced with the feelings of life and exuberance. Although that self-identifying journey is not an easy one, I believe LGBT youth who have grown up religious will take it.

Oftentimes, religions can feel like small societies where the pastors or speakers of worship are in charge and the Bible or books of worship are the Constitution. And in that Constitution are the rules and rights regarding how the people of that religion should live. However, it is not until we are teenagers that we are able to fully understand the book of worship and are able to depart from the ideas of our pastor and parents. Until then, we are taught how to dress, how to conduct ourselves and what type of company to keep. We are drilled on what is

considered sin, the worst being homosexuality.

We are taught that the punishment used to be death but we will still suffer eternally in hell.

So the question becomes, How do LGBT youth come out in situations like this? How do they grow to accept and love themselves?

The process is different for everyone and it is a feeling that no one else can understand. The process I endured was a long and hard one but it is something I reflect on every day. If I was at the same point today that I was a few years ago, I wouldn’t love myself as much as I do today.

As of right now, I have not attended my home church in about two years. I left when I was about 16 because I felt unloved and unsupported in a place where I used to go to seek refuge. I was not being preached at, because hardly anyone knew of my sexual orientation, but I think it was my church family not knowing that caused that surge of emotions. I would walk around the church with a phony smile and doing the Lord’s work while committing one of the worst kinds of sin. Disappointment and failure are two of my biggest fears, and I believed that I was disappointing them by accepting my sexuality yet failing myself by letting my fear of disappointment run my life.

So I walked away from that society, but not from my faith. Instead of going to Sunday sermons, I read the Bible alone in my room, in an environment that would help me to understand the entirety of my religion, or rather the religion that was given to me at birth. In the Bible, there were things that horrified me, things that were irrelevant during this time period and things that I genuinely agreed with. And it wasn’t until I completely finished all 66 books of the Bible that I realized that coming out to my mom when I was 14 years old was not the right time. I suffered for the two years after because of my fear of a religion and hell that I did not understand.

I’m 18 years old now and I am still pondering whether or not I want to be a part of the religion I was given at birth. Do I turn my back on my church family or do I endure being taught things that I do not believe are true or morally right? I’m not sure if I’ll ever get an answer to that question but, for right now, I will continue to be grateful that I am alive and able to love whom I please. ✮ Bethany Burgess is a senior at Academy at Palumbo.

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Q SPOT from page 1

MARSHALS from page 1

individual brings something different to the Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot pageant. This philosophy was used as a guideline to select the judge’s panel and their duties.

Currently, the panel includes Miss Black Gay Pride Philadelphia 2008 Andrea Lamour and 2009 Finesse Ross.

Unlike other pageants, the judges will not only be deciding the winner but will be grooming and prepping the contestants for the pageant. For some of the participants, it will be their first pageant.

The staff at the Q Spot wants everyone to be at their best and to have a just opportunity to win.

“I want to go out of my way to reach out to [young LGBTQ adults],” said Joel Dunn, a contestant hoping to become Mr. Q Spot. “I have to show them that I am there emotionally for them because there are people out there that have been in the same shoes I’ve been in before.”

didn’t seek this out” and detailed how she first came to The Attic at age 14.

“I absolutely love this place.

This is a big part of my life and it has changed me,” she said, noting that she’s always been active in issues important to her.

“If I think something is right to fight for it, then I will fight for it.”

Another capable and brave young adult is Baker, better known as Dalyla. She has been an essential part of the The Attic’s drag group, so much so that she won the top title of “Queen of The Attic” in its first year.

The 18-year-old senior at Mastery Charter School recently made the brave decision to begin presenting full-time as a female at school. When asked about the process, she said she “was on the brink of transition and basically used it to come out to my school” as Dalyla. She said she “thought it would be really cool for my senior year to do something, since this is my last year. I am very passionate about drag and I love doing it that I just wanted to go that way with it.”

Amongst her close friends she found acceptance and appreciated the efforts of those who perhaps were still adjusting to it; however, she does report that she faced some negative responses.

Some reactions were by people who “bash all over it, they called me faggot, tranny, other derogatory things.” But she says that “at the end of the day ... I brush it off” — showing a type of courage in the face of oppression and hatred that is seldom found, but that can be looked to as inspiration.

So what should people take away from these two leaders?

The best thing for anyone who reads this is to ask themselves what they can do to contribute.

People like McNair and Baker can have a remarkably positive influence on others, so hopefully by spreading their stories it might inspire someone else to take a stance, or even just simply to find confidence. People should be able to live within their own skins comfortably, and that is a trait that McNair and Baker both show and can serve as an excellent example of having the freedom to be yourself. ✮

MORE THAN 50 YOUTH TURNED OUT FOR THE MAY 17 Q SPOT PREMIERE AT WILLIAM WAY

Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot pageant and its winners will represent a positive example of youth leadership and civic engagement. The LGBTQ community will have two young adults who are passionate and willing to step outside of their comfort zones to create a prosperous but meaningful impact

for all individuals. ✮ The Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot pageant has a rolling admissions process with no cost to participate. To register, contact Quincy Greene at 215-225-3360. Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot will take place at 8 p.m. June 28 at the William Way

LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. Food will be provided, and there will also be confidential STD/HIV testing and counseling services available.

William E. Shelton II earned a master of arts in writing studies from St. Joseph’s University.

TEMPLE from page 1

LGBT community. Towards the end of the semester, they were required to write a report on their experience at that event — whether it was a drag show, musical performance or an activist event.

Student Elaica Zayas said, “The cultural event was a great way to get out into the community and to relate our course discussions to what’s actually going on in LGBT culture.”

Finally, students chose a media text to write a research paper on and analyze.

They also had to recreate the text in a media project. Some students decided to draw comics, film videos or write scripts. In the media project, the students were asked to fix any representational issues that the text may have had. If there weren’t any pressing issues, then they were asked to make the situation more ideal or explicitly “queer” if it wasn’t already.

In the course description, it states, “By the end of the course, students will be expected to have demonstrated, through course assignments, an understanding of the course material and the links between theoretical critiques of representation, historical representations and analysis of LGBT media representation in contemporary media.”

With all of these assignments, it’s no mystery that these students are wellprepared to take on the mainstream and alternative-media industry and create better representation for future LGBT characters. Kudos to Temple University for putting this course into the curriculum. It’s necessary for anyone who wishes to create media. ✮ James Lamar Stankunas is a senior at Temple University.

Sean Morris is a sophomore at Science Leadership Academy.

PERFORMERS FROM THE ATTIC YOUTH CENTER AT THE 2013 PHILLY PRIDE PARADE AND FESTIVAL (SEE PAGE 6 FOR MORE ON THIS YEAR’S PERFORMANCE) Photos: Scott A. Drake

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Out & About this summer

Philadelphia Pride Parade and Festival: Parade kicks off in the Gayborhood at noon. Festival, at Penn’s Landing, is $15 (or $10 if ticket bought in advance); phillypride. org.

AIDS Education Month Hip-Hop for Philly: Grammy nominee Wale headlines a hip-hop concert 7-11 p.m. June 27 at Trocadero Theater, 1003 Arch St. Free tickets can only be obtained by young people (1324) who receive a free HIV test at a participating organization or event.

Ticketholders will be entered to win free tickets to see Beyoncé and Jay Z in July; aidseducationmonth.org.

Trans-Health Conference: An array of programming geared toward the transgender community, including several youth-focused sessions. Program runs June 12-14 at Pennsylvania Convention Center; trans-health.org.

OUT WITH COMCAST: Dozens of Comcast employees volunteered at The Attic Youth Center April 26 with the international Comcast Cares Day. The event allows company employees to spend the day working on service projects in their local communities. The OUT@Comcast LGBT employee resource group organized two volunteer efforts, at the John C. Anderson Apartments and The Attic. At the latter, volunteers cleaned, painted and made repairs to the building. Comcast Cares Day began in 2001 and this year garnered more than 80,000 volunteers throughout the world. This was the first time The Attic was a beneficiary of Comcast Cares Day.

THE NEXT YOUTH SUPPLEMENT WILL BE IN THE AUG. 29 ISSUE OF PGN

Youth-Health Empowerment Project 1417 Locust St., third floor 215-564-6388 www.y-hep.org A vibrant, multifaceted, communitybased health and leadership development program for Philadelphia youth, serving more than 8,000 highrisk, hard-to-reach teens and young adults annually through a range of activities. Programs include: Queer Women’s Support group, 6-7 p.m. Mondays Late-night LGBTQ Drop-in (ages 1329), 7-11 p.m. Mondays I A.M. Run Club, 7 p.m. Wednesdays Late-night HIV testing, 8 p.m.

Wednesdays

255 S. 16th St. 215-545-4331 www.atticyouthcenter.org A multifaceted LGBT-youth service agency offering programming, activities and skills-building lessons.

Programs include: Drop-in, 3-4 p.m. Monday-Friday Yoga, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Mondays Life Skills Lab, 5:30-6:45 p.m.

Tuesdays Girl Talk II, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Tuesdays Community Meeting, 5:30-6:45 p.m.

Wednesdays Boys Room, 7:15.-8:30 p.m.

Wednesdays Relationship Group, 7:15.-8:30 p.m.

Wednesdays Young, Trans and Unified, 7:15-8:30 p.m. Thursdays William Way LGBT Community Center 1315 Spruce St. 215-732-2220 www.waygay.org A community hub offering an array of social activities, counseling and resources. Programs include: Book Club, 7 p.m. third Wednesdays Chess Club, 2-4 p.m. Sundays Loft 23 (young-adult gamers), 6-8 p.m. second and fourth Fridays TransWay, 7-9 p.m. Thursdays Rainbow Buddhist Meditation, 3-4 p.m. Sundays LGBT Peer Counseling Services, 6-9 p.m. Monday-Friday Library and Reading Room, noon-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-5 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday. ✮ — compiled by Jen Gregory

The Attic Youth Center

Re-reading the alphabet soup of sexuality

By Jada Gosset, 18 Across the country, the initialism “LGBT” is plastered in blog posts, news reports and school gay-straight alliances.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people make up a percentage of this sexuality-based community, but the term “LGBT” neglects to address the newer sexualities uncovered in the last decade.

In truth, this initialism that arose in the 1990s is outdated and needs a change to include those newer sexualities and gender identities. “LGBT,” as it stands, leaves out an array of sexual identities, but also creates resentment among those underrepresented or misrepresented in the public eye.

The lesbian and gay communities receive more recognition than those who identify with any other sexuality. From YouTube videos to legislation, this group has the largest following lobbying for equality. Attention dedicated to “LGBT” usually means same-sex marriage, but

a bill pertaining to gender-neutral bathrooms is a “trans* issue,” which highlights the tendency to separate equality movements based on who they serve.

Even the larger-known social-activist groups like Human Rights Campaign lists in its mission statement that it works to achieve “equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.” It’s a very easy mistake to make, leaving out the genderqueers, asexuals and non-binaries of the nation, who are not as adequately represented. Though their numbers run smaller in comparison to the main “LGBT,” it is not their fault for being underrepresented. It seems like there’s an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality when it comes to sexuality, pertaining to the initialism. Because “LGBT” isn’t normally “LGBTQQIAPP,” people tend not to believe that they exist.

Since some members of the other sexualities/identities not listed in the primary initialism decide not to stand up and take more of a leadership role, these identities

are shafted and go unknown and unnoticed by people both apart and separate of the LGBT community. Bisexuality has a large stigma, as well as the other lesserknown identities, such as asexuality and pansexuality. Many of those who hold a negative attitude towards these sexualities use the argument that people adopt them to “appear cool” and in actuality don’t want to commit to an actual sexuality. This mentality also stems from the tendency to use bisexuality as a “stepping stone” when coming to terms with one’s sexuality. Regardless of how many times one changes his or her sexual identity, the validity should be all the same.

What do we do with what we have?

Well, there’s the option of separating the sexualities and gender identities, but because they are so closely connected it’s difficult to do that without alienating any group. There’s also the option of creating an umbrella term, similar to the way that trans* is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expres-

sion differ from their biological sex. This umbrella term would allow for any and all sexualities that emerge as the world evolves. The only existing all-encompassing terms at the moment are “queer” and “gay.” Queer is a valid option; however, because of its malicious origins in the 1960s, some people in the community are still hesitant to use it, despite the community reclamation of the term in the past decade. Nevertheless, creating this kind of term would include every sexuality and create unity within the community, something that does not currently exist as widespread as we’d like it to be. Today it almost seems like it’s “every man for himself,” with every “letter” of the sexuality “alphabet soup” going against each other.

By creating an umbrella term, every sexuality will be included in the community and the disconnect within the community may begin to repair itself. ✮ Jada Gossett is a senior at Academy at Palumbo.

PGN LGBTQ YOUTH SUPPLEMENT

PAGE 6

SPRING 2014

Pride from the eyes of The Attic

By Micah Rodri, 19 Each year, a talented group of performers from The Attic Youth Center marches in the Pride Parade, stopping in front of the Market Street reviewing stand to show off their dance routine, complete with music, sets and costumes all centered around a theme.

How does The Attic’s Pride theme get decided?

Well, like everything in life, there is a process. I asked a few youth at The Attic and they all stated the same thing: by brainstorming ideas, movies, personal stories and books, and then by making a list of potential themes and voting. To learn more about this process, I interviewed The Attic Youth Center’s Xander, Vincent (Vindetta), Da’Shawn (Mz. Dalyla Mizani) and staff, including founder and executive director Carrie Jacobs.

————— Xander is 21 and describes himself as a wholesomely gay-identified young man who worked his way into leadership at The Attic Youth Center. He started as a youth performer himself for Pride in the summer of 2010 and has marched with The Attic since, working his up to become the performance coordinator.

MR: What is this year’s Attic Youth Center Pride theme?

Xander: It is based on Greek mythology and The Attic is portrayed to be a “temple” with many twists on mythology. The Attic Youth Center is constructing a creative and unique way to view mythology. We are creating our own mythology of gay culture.

The youth are designing costumes, creating props, painting backdrops and all working together to bring together a performance.

MR: What does marching in Pride mean to you?

X: Everything! I like being in the spotlight. Dancing and performing is what I do. I love to show up and show out. My favorite part of

■ The Attic Youth Center 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331; atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-7 p.m.

Monday-Tuesday and 4-8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday. See the Youth section for more events.

Pride is the costumes.

Mz. Mizani: Huge! I took the lead as Alice last year when The Attic’s theme was “Alice in Wonderland.” I would say it amazed me to find myself performing on stage. It was amazing!

A huge deal!

MR: Any favorite costumes?

X: One year, one of my costumes was a superhero/supervillian. I wore cargo pants, a purple T-shirt provided by Attic Graffix [The Attic’s youth-led print shop] and a glitter cap. Attic staff and volunteers always help youth design and create most of the costumes and props.

MR: How else would you describe your role in The Attic’s Pride process?

X: Pride is one big enjoyable workout and a great artistic environment. However, there are some artistic challenges we [as Attic youth] face. The egos and solo artistic vision can blindfold many people, but I am there to remind the other youth that a team has no solo spotlight. We all work together.

MR: Could you tell me more about the role of leadership at The Attic?

X: I never really saw myself as a leader, but I feel that I am someone people look up to and who keeps motivating people.

MR: Has your role at The Attic grown over the years that you have been coming to the center?

X: Yes, currently I am part of the HIV testing prevention and peer support team.

————— Vincent (Vindetta), 19, whose gender pronoun preference is she and identity is gay, is planning to attend a performing-arts school.

MR: What is your role in Philly Pride 2014?

Vindetta: I am working as a volunteer co-facilitator for The Attic Pride props group, and as choreog-

rapher for The Attic’s Pride performance. These roles are something different and are new experiences for me compared to last year, when I was only a group participant. I feel like I have changed a lot over this year. The Attic helped me do that — to become a leader.

I am excited and happy at the same time, knowing that The Attic is helping me change for the better.

MR: How have you been involved with Pride in the past?

V:I only marched before I came to The Attic, but when I discovered The Attic, I marched with The Attic. When I did that, I felt empowered even though I was nervous and fearful of what others might say about me and what I wore. That did not happen, meaning I was totally accepted and it made me feel safe for once.

MR: Tell me about The Attic’s Pride theme.

V: It is very much outside the box and a unique theme using mythology: gods and goddesses concepts and taking it to another level.

These gods and goddesses are a representation of what happens in the gay scene, from coming out to friends and family to STDs to community. It is about all of our struggles and how The Attic, which is portrayed as the “Attic Temple,” helps us overcome and fight for who we are.

MR: Tell me about your costume.

V: I designed my own costume and I will be the non-gender-specific God and Goddess of Beauty, with the name Vine. I chose her because being this god/goddess motivates me and strengthens me and reminds me that I can overcome insecurities and so can everyone else, whether they are in the LGBTQ community or straight community. The costume will be dark green and lime, with a beautiful touch of a flower to stand out from the crowd. I chose this earthy design because it’s natural and that’s what beauty is — natural.

MR: What does marching in Pride

Community centers

■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St., 215-8985044; center@dolphin. upenn.edu. Regular hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m.

Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

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

mean to you?

V: I have been marching at Philadelphia Pride since the summer of 2012. The only reason I am still marching continuously for these years is because it made me feel like I was not alone.

Especially when I found The Attic, and began to march with The Attic it helped me build myself up and feel proud of who I am.

MR: How much does your appearance play a part in your everyday life and your identity?

V: One word: environment. I just cannot wear what I want to wear simply because it’s just too unsafe around my neighborhood and, for gay men like me, wearing the clothes I would like to wear would get me gay-bashed. That is why, when I go to The Attic, I come prepared with a change of clothes so I can safely wear what I like to wear and dress to express myself — so I can be comfortable in my own skin.

————— Da’Shawn, an 18-year-old high-school senior, identifies as a gorgeous drag queen (Dalyla Mizani) and describes herself to be gay and gender-queer. Dalyla says, “Gender-queer means you can address me with female and male pronouns.” Dalyla is also currently an intern at The Attic Youth Center’s WERQ High School Internship Group and is working on helping to create Pride props and choreography for this year’s parade. Dalyla has also been chosen as one of this year’s youth grand marshals for the parade.

MR: How have you been involved in Philly Pride in past years?

Dalyla: Last year was my first year at Pride and I was chosen to be Alice from “Alice in Wonderland.” I was really happy to find myself on stage performing. It was amazing!

MR: Tell me about your costume this year.

D: My character is the Goddess of Fun and Activism. Her name

■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220; www.waygay.org. Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday Library hours: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m.

Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

is Tra’ma because her name is so contradicting. It expresses the way stereotypes come to play in the LGBTQ community. Tra’ma is someone who speaks up for herself and others, but still has time to party and have fun. She will wear something with neon colors: a dress, a cheery dress with a cape or a long train.

MR: What has marching in Pride meant to you?

D: It is very empowering. I am standing up for something and for myself. I love it. It’s great.

MR: How much does your appearance play a part in your everyday life and your identity?

D: I can say that drag has helped me be who I want to be and it has taught me that I can always change it up at any time no matter what.

————— MR: From brainstorming to decision-making to the final performance and production in Pride, what does it feel like to see the youth from The Attic perform at Pride each year?

“It’s absolutely amazing. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride.

At every turn, I feel incredibly grateful for the privilege and opportunity to have come to know so many brave, bold and outstanding LGBTQ youth over the past 21 years at The Attic.” — Carrie Jacobs, founder and executive director of The Attic Youth Center “This year has been a great firstyear experience seeing the youth use the power of their voice to advocate and speak for what they believe in.” — Crystal Sparrow, program specialist “What I love about Pride is seeing youth feel a sense of community: We are out and proud together, and this is such an empowering feeling.” — Tara Rubinstein, program coordinator Note: Micah Rodri conducted and wrote this interview with the help of adult Attic volunteer Katherine Allen. Rodri has been coming to The Attic Youth Center for four years and marching with The Attic during Pride since the summer of 2012. She also was awarded with the Youth Grand Marshal Award in the summer of 2013.

SPRING 2014

PGN LGBTQ YOUTH SUPPLEMENT

PAGE 7

It’s OK to be gay (as long as you don’t say anything)

By Jen Gregory, 23 Being the editor of my college newspaper really had its perks; everyone trusted me to edit their papers for them!

There is nothing more that an overworked and sleep-deprived college student wants than more work piled on top of them. I had a really hard time saying “no” to people, so I usually had a nice little collection of papers to attack with a red pen before I went to sleep (which is a euphemism for hitting the pillow with my face for a few solid hours).

Upon first glance, it looked like just another student club proposal, complete with a constitution and general outline of rules and regulations. Bleary-eyed, I almost tossed it back on the pile to deal with in the morning until three little letters caught my eye: “GSA.” Convinced that I had finally been deprived of sleep to the point of hallucination, I read the document, realizing that this was an early draft of a proposal for a Gay-Straight Alliance.

A GSA at Holy Family University? I internally laughed at the prospect. Sure, our non-

discrimination policy clearly states that the university cannot discriminate based on sexual orientation, but surely that’s just a load of crap tossed into our legal documents so we don’t get in trouble with the law. Holy Family was still an ultra-conservative Catholic university, with ultra-conservative administration, complete with an archaic organizational and political structure. Did I mention ultra-conservative?

I edited the paper (practically rewrote it because it needed a ton of work) and had a lot of trouble falling asleep that night.

The word “impossible” resonated in my head and slowly eliminated its prefix, turning into “possible.”

Needless to say, I tracked down the guy who penned the preliminary constitution and met an amazing group of people that I had always seen around campus but had never taken the time to speak with.

The next few weeks and months were filled with meetings, committees, emails and all other types of political and bureaucratic hoops lined up for us to jump through. Surprisingly,

we were not faced with too much resistance with the actual formation of the group, but rather the identity of our group.

We felt it was important that

We so very desperately wanted those three signifying letters somewhere in the name (GSA) but we were faced with an ultimatum: Pick a name without “gay” in it and you have the green light to move forward; if you don’t, then you can forget about all of this. we represent the school’s LGBT community and serve as a safe place for LGBT students, as well as straight allies. We needed to have a name that branded us as

the LGBT source, but the school wanted us to become a branch of our Multicultural Club. We fought, we argued and we won the ability to stand as our own independent student organization.

But even that was a bittersweet victory because we were the only club that was assigned a “Spiritual Advisor,” a Catholic priest who would attend our meetings and ensure that our club activities were not “immoral.”

Thankfully, our spiritual advisor was decidedly one of the most liberal priests employed by the university, but it still felt like we were sanctioned.

The final part of the battle was the most bittersweet: naming the club.

We so very desperately wanted those three signifying letters somewhere in the name (GSA) but we were faced with an ultimatum: Pick a name without “gay” in it and you have the green light to move forward; if you don’t, then you can forget about all of this.

Thus, the Alliance for Student Equality was born.

I wish I could say that the club went on to do amazing things for the Holy Family LGBT com-

munity but, to my knowledge, it seems to have fallen by the wayside. One of our most vocal founding members graduated at the end of that semester, I took on more responsibilities by becoming a resident advisor at school, and our club description in our Student Handbook the following year could not even contain “GSA” or “LGBT.” When I graduated, the Alliance for Student Equality was nothing more than a finalized constitution and a quiet Facebook group. To my knowledge, no student has stepped up to lead the club and our spiritual advisor passed away just a few short months ago. With no spiritual advisor and no solid description of what the club is meant to be for the school community, nor the presence of a single interested person, I fear that the only record of the Holy Family LGBT community will be three pieces of paper stapled together, a Facebook group that will be deleted after extended inactivity and this article. ✮ Jen Gregory is pursuing a master’s degree in technical and professional communication from the University of Wisconsin.

Hozier’s ‘Take Me To Church’: The role of visual arts to quell the violence In Russia

By Justin Dowdall At the moment of death and violence, we are left the most exposed. What we have risked, the people we love and what we lived and died for are the only things that save us from the pointlessness of existence. If this sounds grim, I would remind the reader that I am writing this article as an exploration of the act of love in the face of violence. For countless gay men and women in Russia, the reality of their love is a terror that few can fully appreciate.

With the eyes of the world on this nation, I would suggest that as a community we have failed to address the problems in Russia with the immediacy they deserve.

By this, I mean that we have missed an opportunity to shed light on a hateful régime that is doing little or nothing to stop the rampant attacks that have plagued the queer community.

Each year, a growing number of the Russian LGBTQI community have been attacked in their homes simply for being who they

are. However, not all is lost, and small glimmers of hope have emerged. They have emerged in the act of causing political unrest and from the creation of art, from both allies and the community alike.

One example of such art is a video by Irish artist Hozier, directed by Brendan Canty and Conal Thomson of Feel Good Lost productions. This video was released earlier this year as an extension of Hoizer’s single “Take Me To Church.”

The song is powerful and stands alone as an emerging hit. In conjunction with the images of the video, Hoizer has created something truly significant that takes on multiple layers of meaning.

This brilliant video has allowed Hoizer to crash into the American art scene in a way that is both poetic and politi-

cally significant. In the video, Hoizer pulls us into the question of what it means to be exposed to a horrible act of violence, yet draws in the viewer with his hypnotic melodies and empathetic prose. From this, we are made witnesses to a brutal crime that represents a real and hateful spectacle.

This reality is a truth that Russia must face. Through the director’s use of powerful imagery, the video sets us into a scat-

tered prism of light and darkness.

It brings the viewer into conversation with both the problem and a solution; as a mesmerizing visual dialectic, the video exposes the use of the body to project the violence through a media spectacle.

At the conclusion of the video, we see a group of young men acting as a mob — a mob of “young men,” to be more accurate — raise their own video camera to share this hate with the world. Mimetically, the director critiques this use of spectacle by making the object of analysis their hate. He therefore reduces the power of their attempts at media “use” by turning the camera back on the young assailants, exposing the injustice against the two gay lovers.

From this video, we are left raw, aware A SCENE FROM IRISH MUSICIAN HOZIER’S now that there is no “TAKE ME TO CHURCH” MUSIC VIDEO static world. I say

this as we stand on the edge of a great wave and we hold the earth within our hands as it forms around us.

Although as a community we have seen a great may victories here in the United States, we cannot forget that the struggle is not just for those in the U.S., but rather for justice around the world.

We see clearly that this video is not the new guard calling for an ideological shift against the old, but rather youth itself calling for our generation to pick sides within our own ranks. As young people, we should answer the call. In a more philosophical language, we are forced to address the plight of the Other, as this video sheds light on issues that impact the loss of our collective humanity in the face of religious dogma and hate. In this way, Hoizer taps into the universal right to be human (qua human), to love whom we choose and to hold accountable those who stand in the way of this love. ✮ Justin Dowdall is a senior at Temple University.

PGN LGBTQ YOUTH SUPPLEMENT

PAGE 8

Love is free

By Timothy Wayne Moore, 26

Love is free Not dependant on creed Race, gender or religion We are now living in a new age Where to love oneself you must be brave, To make a declaration That no one else’s doctrine can enslave another’s soul So bold because love is shared by the same gender Beautiful children please remember To love what makes you different Not fitting into extreme norms Break form to love yourself You are equal in worth Even when words hurt, When others seek to destroy the inner you Hold onto your truth For so many colorful youth You don’t have much to grab onto Though young you fill adult shoes Surviving life because you choose To live how you want to, The streets are mean When homeless in your teens But take the journey to discovering you Even if you cry yourself to sleep For legitimate reasons to weep Just keep repeating Love is on the way Even if you’re sad today It gets better If you remember You are so wonderfully unique Loving you is the key Hold onto love Against the arrows that follow Ignorant minds try to constrain Try to contain another’s story Maintain the glory of being beautifully you In such a black and white world You are the seeds of majestic flowers Blooming by breaking form You are brave, you are strong You are vulnerable and exposed Yet the flower that blooms From a crack in concrete Is a miracle for all to see.

Timothy Wayne Moore is a graduate student at Rosemont College pursuing a master’s degree in leadership.

SPRING 2014

‘Full House’ to draw packed houses at Society Hill Playhouse

By Jen Gregory, 23 Folks young and old will be able to experience Quince Productions’ “Full House: A Series of Cabarets” when the production kicks off June 12. The all-ages event will be a jampacked three-day, seven-show musical menagerie.

“Many of the shows sell out and it’s a good idea to get tickets in advance,” said producing artistic director Rich Rubin. Since each cabaret features a different performer, the seats are usually filled with the performer’s following.

Quince Productions began the cabaret series in 2009, a time when there were not many highprofile showcases for cabarets, Rubin said. Staying true to its mission of providing the masses with a wide variety of performing arts, Quince Productions moved forward with the first of what would become the company’s biggest moneymaker show of the year.

“We’ve been able to draw on

ALEXANDER KACALA, A PERFORMER IN THE UPCOMING “FULL HOUSE” CABARET SERIES AT SOCIETY HILL PLAYHOUSE

a wider talent pool as the series becomes better known,” said Rubin. “[The] major growth has been in the diversity and wide range of performers. It’s no longer just, ‘So who the hell do I know that can sing?’”

Quince is stretching the boundaries and limits of what is considered “cabaret” by offering an eclectic mix of performers and musical styles.

The formula is mostly traditional, but with “more than a few surprises,” Rubin said.

With show names such as: “Dude Looks Like a Lady #notliterally #agenderbendingcabaret,” featuring Elizabeth Holmes and Geoff Bruen and “b*+che$ B Cr@zy: an artfully self-indulgent but still charming cabaret,” featuring Samantha Morrone, the audiences are sure to be in for an exciting night.

Additionally, philanthropists will receive an added level of enjoyment from out performer

Alexander Kacala’s, show since he will be donating a portion of the proceeds to the William Way LGBT Community Center.

With a show that generates so much attention, one would think “popular” equates to “stressful.”

This is definitely not so with “Full House.”

“It’s actually the least-stressful show of the whole season,” Rubin said. “There’s a casual, easygoing atmosphere in the series and the performers love having the chance to be the creative force behind their own evening.”

The shows will be held at the Society Hill Playhouse (Red Room) from June 12-15.

Tickets can be purchased individually or in two-, three- and all-show package deals online at quinceproductions.tix.com. ✮ Jen Gregory is pursuing a master’s in technical and professional communication from the University of Wisconsin.

Are you a young person? Do you like to write?

Have an opinion?

Or an interest in LGBT news or arts?

If all of these apply to you, consider writing for PGN’s third LGBTQ Youth Supplement, hitting stands Aug. 29.

Deadline is Aug. 15.

Email editor@epgn.com for more info.