QNotes, October 30, 2020

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

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Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

inside this issue

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020 Vol 35 No 14

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Mykah Buff, Jack Kirven, Christiana Lilly, Lainey Millen, Zachary Porfiris, Chris Rudisill, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregg Shapiro, Trinity

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charlotteobserver.com/1166/ a local news partner of The Charlotte Observer

June Millington

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The iconic singer-songwriter June Millington is one of those artists whose craft is timeless. She was one of the mothers of women’s music and has spent her career bringing her musicality to stages and other venues.

Campus Pride Releases Best of List Pope Francis Extends Olive Branch Civil Commitments Top 6K News Briefs

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Mission:

The focus of QNotes is to serve the LGBTQ and straight ally communities of the Charlotte region, North Carolina and beyond, by featuring arts, entertainment, news and views content in print and online that directly enlightens, informs and engages the readers about LGBTQ life and social justice issues.

In Memoriam: 2020

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Busting Out All Over Out in Print: ‘Found in Transition’ Out in Print: ‘Wendy Carlos’ Tell Trinity

life 6 There’s Still Hope 7 TDOR 2020 Observances 8 Hormone Therapy Now at Your Fingertips 13 A Century of Gay Rumors Surround Iconic Estate 17 Health & Wellness: Building Your Ideal Male Physique 19 Our People:

Dr. Laura Levin

views 18 Legal Eagles: SCOTUS & LGBTQ Rights Update

events Our print calendar will return once live events restart.

Vizcaya: Miami’s Gay Estate

The opulent mansion of James Deering, Vizcaya, has played host to a plethora of events and tours over the years. It has also played a prominent role in local LGBT society as the setting for the White Party from 1985 to 2010 and then again in 2018.

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Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

qnotes

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news Best of List Released by Campus Pride

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Campus Pride, in commemoration of LGBTQ History Month and National Coming Out Day in October, released its 2020 Best of the Best LGBTQ-Friendly listing of colleges and universities. This year’s announcement features 40 campuses from six regions of the country who are committed to LGBTQ students and who rate the highest for LGBTQ-inclusion in policy, program and practice.

“On behalf of Campus Pride, I want to commend all the campuses featured among the 2020 ‘BEST OF THE BEST’ LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities for their exemplary commitment and work to make their campuses safer and more welcoming,” said Tom Elliott, Campus Pride board chair. “In times like these, we need to commit to creating safe and welcoming spaces for all students.”

For nearly two decades, Campus Pride has advocated and supported college and university campuses to improve LGBTQ campus life and change institutional policies, programs and practices. The Campus Pride Index (campusprideIndex.org) provides a benchmarking tool to assess LGBTQ-inclusion efforts from academics, to student life, to housing, to recruitment and retention activities. There are nearly 400 colleges who have “come out” on the index and hundreds of thousands who utilize the public search to find LGBTQfriendly colleges and universities annually, the organization shared.

“Today college campuses must ‘come out’ and be visible as LGBTQ-friendly. Students expect inclusive, equitable learning environments at colleges in all regions of the country.

And as a basic standard, they demand campuses have LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs and services,” said Shane Windmeyer, Campus Pride’s executive director. “These 40 campuses, across six diverse regions, are leading the charge.”

This year Campus Pride chose to put a spotlight on the regional diversity of the list by highlighting colleges and universities by region. Campus Pride’s work with over 1,400 colleges and universities annually seeks to improve the quality of campus life for LGBTQ individuals and to create safer, more inclusive campus communities. Sixty percent of their work is dedicated to working with colleges in the South, Midwest and campuses within more rural communities.

The “Best of” listing is based on the data provided annually through the CPI related to policies, programs and practice. The research is analyzed by the Campus Pride research team using the proven CPI LGBTQ-Friendly factors and knowledge of the LGBTQ higher education landscape, the leadership remarked.

“Every student deserves to go to a college that is inclusive and a safe space — to learn, live and grow,” said Windmeyer. “Let us commit ourselves to LGBTQ inclusion, coming out and supporting LGBTQ youth in living full, authentic lives.”

The full list can be found online at campuspride.org/2020bestofthebest. info: campuspride.org.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

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Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

BRIEFS

Pope Francis Extends Long-Awaited Olive Branch to LGBTQ Community

VATICAN CITY, Italy — In what is being considered a first, Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, recently announced that he has called for the inclusion of civil union law for same-sex couples.

This is a major shift from the Vatican’s former stance, the National Catholic Register reported. The Pope’s statement came from dialogue from a documentary, “Francesco,” that premiered on Oct. 21 as part of the Rome Film Festival, the Register added.

“What we have to create is a civil union law,” the Pope said of same-sex couples. “That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.”

Among the images and scripting in the film by filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky are interviews with Vatican figures who look at Pope Francis’ advocacy efforts and the “disposition of Catholics and others toward those who identify as LGBT.” The “pastoral outreach” portrayed the Pope as someone who encouraged a same-sex Italian couple to raise their children in their parish church. One of the parents remarked that was beneficial for the children.

According to America Magazine, Fordham University theologian Rev. Bryan Massingale “described the pope’s comments as ‘huge for a global church where homosexuality is still outlawed in over 70 countries and punishable by death in five.’”

The Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said, “Pope Francis took a significant step for inclusion and acceptance in the Catholic Church by embracing unions for same-sex couples and affirming that LGBTQ Catholics are a part of their religious family. By shifting Catholic theology in a more inclusive direction and making clear that LGBTQ people have a right to their own families, Pope Francis is letting LGBTQ Catholics know that being a person of faith and being LGBTQ are not mutually exclusive. While we at the Human Rights Campaign acknowledge this moment, we continue to push the Catholic Church, and all religious leaders, to fully embrace LGBTQ people and endorse marriage equality for same-sex couples, our right to have families, and to be full members of our faith communities.

“Many members of the LGBTQ community have had difficulty engaging with places of worship because they have not been accepting of LGBTQ people. We are hopeful that this is another in a line of many actions toward full inclusion and acceptance for LGBTQ people in Catholicism, and in all faiths,” David added.

In addition to his stance on same-sex marriage, he has also named Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. as a cardinal.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, shared that Gregory has had a “strong record of positive statements on LGBTQ issues. In addition to Gregory, Pope Francis also named Archbishop Mario Grech from Malta as a cardinal. He also had a good LGBTQ record, DeBernardo added. info: newwaysministry.org. hrc.org.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

TOY launches hybrid reopen

Time Out Youth Center has launched an initiative that allows it to open for identity-based workshops twice a month, as well as hosting outdoor special events.

To augment their skillset, staff and volunteers are being trained on COVID-19 precautionary protocols.

info: timeoutyouth.org.

Hollingshead gets award

Justine Hollingshead, assistant vice chancellor at North Carolina State University, was awarded with the 2020 Women in Business Award by the Triangle Business Journal.

info: bit.ly/2HDYWRK.

Penguins co-opt eggs

A gay penguin couple in a Netherland’s zoo has nabbed an entire nest of eggs from a female same-sex couple in the attempt to become dads, Queerty reported. Unfortunately, the eggs may not be fertilized, thus not producing chicks.

info: bit.ly/31ErRfM.

Clementi announced new blog

The Tyler Clementi Foundation has announced the launch of a new monthly blog, “Mindfully Yours,” focused on mental health and well being. The new offering is being headed by James Clementi, MHC-LP.

info: tylerclementi.org.

MCC launches new visitor site

Metropolitan Community Churches has unveiled a new website, “We’re Seeking You,” designed to answer and address questions from visitors who may want to know more about the church.

info: visitmccchurch.com.

True enhances tech diversity

Civil Commitments Top 6K

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law reported that there are more than 6,300 sex offenders detained in state and federal civil commitment programs in the U.S.. Results from states for which data were obtained show disparities in how the laws are applied. Black sex offenders were twice as likely as white sex offenders to be civilly committed., and men with male victims were two to three times more likely to be civilly committed than men with only female victims.

Twenty states, the federal government and the District of Columbia have laws that allow for the indefinite detention of sex offenders designated as a “Sexually Violent Person” or “Sexually Violent Predator” (SVP) beyond the term of their incarceration. To confine a person under an SVP law, the defendant must have been charged with a sexual offense, have a “mental disorder” or “abnormality,” and be likely to commit sexually violent acts in the future.

“Inherent biases lead to disparities in civil commitments between sexual minority and heterosexual men. Overly broad terms like “mental disorder” and “abnormality” have no medical meaning, and they could be used to characterize sexual minority people as mentally ill when they engage in a sexual practice perceived to be deviant,” said study author Ilan H. Meyer, Distinguished Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute. “In addition, men with a same-sex victim are judged as more violent on the standard assessment tool used to determine SVP.” Key findings included: • Thousands of people are in civil commitment in the United States even after serving their jail or prison terms. There are over 6,300 people detained in the 20 state, federal, and D.C. civil commitment programs.

• In most states, Black men were vastly overrepresented among the population of civilly committed persons. Based on data from • 13 states with reliable data, Black men faced a rate of SVP detention more than twice that of White men: 7.72 per 100,000 Black residents as compared with 3.11 per 100,000 White residents aged sixteen or older.

• Sexual minority men are disproportionately detained in sex offense civil commitment facilities. In the two states with reliable data about the sex of the victim, New York and Texas, men who had male victims were 2 to 3 times as likely to be civilly committed than men with only female victims. This trend was consistent among Black, White, and Hispanic men.

“These findings reveal that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men face much higher rates of civil commitment than their heterosexual counterparts. This suggests that state authorities deem queer men to be more violent more dangerous or mentally ill, and more deserving of commitment under these laws,” said lead author Trevor Hoppe, assistant professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. “It is also vital that state programs consider biases that may contribute to higher rates of commitment that we observed among Black and sexual minority men.” info: williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

True Search, an executive search firm, announced the launch of its new sister company AboveBoard, an inclusive executive hiring platform.

info: trueplatform.com

Aviation welcomes international partnership The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association announced that Wheels Up has become its first global partner in the private aviation sector. Wheels Up has committed to joining IGLTA on its mission to support LGBTQ travel across the globe.

info: wheelsup.com. iglta.org.

Porter explores movement orIgins The Associated Press reported that Billy Porter has begun narrating “EQUAL,” a new four-part documentary series on HBO Max that traces the history of the LGBTQ movement through the Stonewall uprising in 1969.

info: bit.ly/3kAKRDA.

GLMA seats new board members

During its recent Annual Conference on LGBTQ Health, GLMA introduced two new board members who were listed among the top 100 Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists in America. They were Dr. Estevan Garcia and Dr. Richardo Correa.

info: glma.org.

Literary diversion championed

Little Free Library, in partnership with Colle McVoy, launched Read in Color, an initiative that brings diverse books to Little Free’s book-sharing boxes around the world.

info: littlefreelibrary.org.

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

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There’s Still Hope

Local Organization Helps Charlotte’s Homeless Population During Pandemic

By Chris Rudisill | Qnotes contributor

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working full-time in a warehouse job in fter a Charlotte, N.C. hotel shut down Charlotte and has a little over a month left in in May, some members of the LGBTQ the program. community were left with limited opMany people that call Hopkins for help tions. The hotel has been in a legal battle do not have any formal education or training with residents over the evictions since April.

— with many of them dropping out of high Deshon Medley, who identifies as gay, school. She helps to offer skills-training so was one of those people facing homelessthey can get stable employment. Some of ness. He had been living at the hotel since these partners have helped Medley get back February. Prior to that, he was at a local on needed medication since he got in the Budget Inn. When faced with eviction, he got program, and he is learning how to manage in touch with Rev. Debra Hopkins at There’s his finances.

Still Hope through a friend at the hotel.

There’s Still Hope is an outreach program of Essentials for Life Ministries. It is designed to provide safe, emergency and temporary alternatives to shelters. While the organizaThe decision, or necessity, to live at a tion focuses on assisting adult transgender hotel is confusing to some who question the women, the pandemic has increased the need cost and its lack of stability. While rents have for others like the 23-year-old Medley in the declined since the onset of COVID-19, the LGBTQ community. median rent for a one-bedroom apartment They are currently housing three individustands at $1,068 according to Apartment List. als through the end of the year. All three are Most apartments require income history, currently employed, despite the difficulties in application and administration fees and some securing jobs during the pandemic. Originally, form of deposit. Affordable options in the city There’s Still Hope supported people for one are limited, leaving hotels as often the only Rev. Debra Hopkins has brought her compassion and caring to the Essentials for Life Ministries’ to seven days, but COVID-19 forced them to choice beyond the street or shelters, which There’s Still Hope program for the homeless. (Photo Credit: Chris Rudisill) reevaluate and the current program offers also struggle with capacity. According to the six months of transitional housing, support City of Charlotte, “the city needs an additional services and weekly groceries. “By the end of 24,000 units of affordable housing to meet where many see limited options. “We can help you, but the six months, they should be able to be in the current need, which means more than you have a responsibility as well,” Hopkins explains to new stable housing someplace,” says Hopkins. Because of the 55,000 Charlotteans don’t currently have an affordable clients during their initial conversation. safety of transgender residents, some of whom have been place to live.” The city compares that to three-quarters of The Steps to Stability Program purposively relocates the victims of domestic abuse, Hopkins asked to keep the the Panthers stadium. individuals out of areas that are prone to sex work and location of the extended-stay hotels private.

Other barriers exist as well. Many renters require apcrime. “You have a place to live. You can go out and catch Residents in the program must adhere to certain plicants to show proof that they make two to three times the bus and walk up to the grocery store — you can do requirements, including those assigned by the housing the monthly rent and many are turned away if they have all these things in the locations that I place them,” says location. That includes having a state-issued photo ID and had any previous evictions. Due to the lack of affordHopkins referring to the clients of There’s Still Hope. With something that Hopkins is adamant about — stopping preable units, cheap apartments do not stay on the market funding limited, it is important for vious behaviors like for long. According to Inlivian, the tenant-based Housing clients to adhere to the rules. “We sex work or substance Choice Voucher, otherwise known as Section 8, the waiting do 50 questions to find out where abuse. They pay up to list is currently closed to new applicants. According to its they are — mentally, physically $25 a week in grocerwebsite, there are currently more than 6,000 households and emotionally,” states Hopkins. ies and provide bus on the list.

“We try to plug them into those passes for job search Hopkins has a dream of creating a transitional housing programs, whether it be subactivities or support facility in Charlotte for the transgender community. The stance abuse or mental health issues.” services during the first three months. Residents are excurrent housing that There’s Still Hope provides consists Medley grew up in the Wilmore neighborhood of pected to have stable employment by the second phase. of studio-style apartments with full kitchens, something Charlotte, an area that experienced massive gentrificaTransgender women are often forced into sex work. she would like to make permanent. For years, Hopkins has tion in the 2000s. He has not been forced to work in the The National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS) sought investors to help purchase a small, abandoned hotel sex trade, but he has been on his own since he was 18 found that many transgender people participate in the that can be converted into up to 40 studio units with on-site years old. He has lived on the street and bounced around sex trade to earn income or as an alternative to relying management. The amenities are designed to help someone from place to place over the past year. “I’m grateful for the on homeless shelters and food banks. Hopkins, who is opportunity that I have now,” says Medley. He is currently transgender, understands that reality, but offers a chance see next page u

Limited Options

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Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

experiencing homelessness. “They get a full refrigerator with freezer, so we can stock them with food for up to a month if necessary,” she says. “If you can make your own meals and have your own private space — that’s freedom for a lot of people.”

Support Grows

throughout the city like the growing number of homeless individuals living in tent encampments near Roof Above’s Day Center. Medley is anxious to help her.

Hopkins is always upbeat and determined to help when people want change in their lives, something Medley is quickly picking up.

“Being denied shelter is an unacceptable act in a wealthy and free society like ours,” Hopkins states. “Therefore, our tiny little organization must continue to try and make a difference for as long as we can.”

For transgender adults needing housing support, an online application is available at tshcharlotte3.org and people can call 704-369-4785 between the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. : :

In a mid-year report on There’s Still Hope’s website, Hopkins says she never imagined the challenges of doing this work. “There are too many homeless trans people, in particular trans women of color, still living on our city streets that desperately need our help, love and support.”

She lives on a fixed income herself and experienced homelessness in Charlotte for nearly two-and-a-half years before receiving help from Monarch, a statewide mental health and human services provider. “This is the door I can walk through,” says Hopkins, remembering that time.

“They noticed I was determined to help myself.” There’s Still Hope qnotes is started from that experience and she part of six tells clients about her success story. major media She knows that people in society see companies and other local what they want to see, but she is institutions producing I Can’t Deshon Medley’s life has been transformed for the better determined to change those percepAfford to Live Here, a colthrough participation in the There’s Still Hope program, bringtions. “Let me give you a scenario laborative reporting project ing him the long sought for stabilithy he needed to survive. of my experience, and you tell me focused on solutions to the (Photo Credit: Chris Rudisill) how you would navigate through this affordable housing crisis in storm that many individuals face.”

Charlotte. It is a project of the In total, There’s Still Hope pays Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local over $1,000 per month to house an individual in the program. In Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism August, they were awarded a #YouAreEssential Grant for $2,000 Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen from Ashlee Marie Preston and Revolve Impact. They have also and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at received grants from Equality North Carolina, Freedom Center charlottejournalism.org. for Social Justice, Borealis Philanthropy and recently received $5,000 from the Starbucks Foundation Neighborhood Grants program.

Since starting the program, 24 clients have received housing and five prior to those in the program now have gone on to gain both sustainable housing and permanent employment.

Medley hopes to save up enough money to move into an apartment of his own. “I don’t want to be in a motel forever,” he says. He also hopes to volunteer for There’s Still Hope after he graduates from the program.

Hopkins relies on her faith to help her power through this work and often prays for “the spirit of discernment” Once a place of which to reside for the transgender homeless, the Days Inn on Woodlawn Rd. to guide her. In addition to running shut down last May and was at the center of legal battles with its residents over evictions.

There’s Still Hope, she also delivers (Photo Credit: Chris Rudisill) groceries regularly to those in need

TDOR 2020

Transgender Day of Remembrance Observances & Events The Transgender Day of Remembrance was started in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, to memorialize the murder of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman, in Allston, Mass. The transgender community worldwide has gathered to honor the names of those who were lost to violence since its inception, a tradition that continues to today.

Victims’ names are read, candlelight vigils take place, as well as church services, film screenings, marches and more.

This year, however, has been presented with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to social distancing, quarantine measures and other roadblocks to gathering in person, a large number of regular observances have been curtailed this year.

Some have stepped out to hold a few memorials and are included in the list below.

The list of names for 2020 has already surpassed the totals of any other year previously recorded. Especially noted is the overwhelming number of Black transgender women who have been killed during this time. One of the names, Carolinian Monica Diamond, brings loss closer to home.

For more information on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, visit tdor.translivesmatter.info.

Asheville, N.C., Nov. 20, 6 p.m.

Host: Tranzmission; Venue: Online The local nonbinary and transgender community observance includes reading of names, peer support and counseling resources and online vigil. Zoom meeting code and password will be made available om social media and through email by request (info@tranzmission.org, subject line “TDoR 2020 RSVP”) on the day of the event.

Visit bit.ly/31JHyCA to learn more.

Jacksonville, N.C., Nov. 20, 6 p.m.

Host: Onslow County LGBTQ+ Community Center; Venue: 895 Bridge St. Join community members to mourn the senseless loss of the lives taken too soon. To learn more, visit onslowcountylgbtq.com.

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

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life

Hormone Therapy Now at Your Fingertips Two Tech Companies Partner to Bring Gender-Affirming Care to Mobile App

BY Mykah Buff | QNotes Staff WRiter

you happen to be transgender, your hardships are multiplied.”

Launched on Dec. 31, 2019, Solace is a hub of resources and information to help transgender individuals reach different milestones as they navigate their way through the journey of transitioning. One big way the app helps those who are transgender is by providing a wealth of comprehensive information on a plethora of transgender-related topics from laws affecting transgender people to the requirements and processes of changing a gender marker to reflect an individual’s gender identity on different documents and identification cards.

Having experienced her struggles while transitioning, RKA said that she and Solace co-founder Patrick McHugh’s objective in developing the app was to help make the journey of transitioning as simple and as seamless as it could be. “We wanted to come up with something that would make life better,” said RKA. The way the partnership is helping to Users of the Solace app can gain access to gender-affirming hormone therapy. provide GAHT to those in need is by integrat(Photo Credit: Plume) ing a direct link into the Solace mobile app to Plume’s website. Upon downloading the app, a user is prompted to enter some basic lume, the first of its kind, is a transgender-focused information and from there they begin mapping out their health technology company, and Solace, a free transindividual goals related to their transition. Individuals gender mobile application available on Android and seeking GAHT will be directed to a link on Plume in the iOS, have partnered to make gender-affirming hormone medical section of their goals under the GAHT/HRT tab. therapy (GAHT) more accessible to the transgender Plume offers several comprehensive transgender community. Historically, many obstacles have prevented healthcare services remotely. This allows users to have transgender individuals from accessing GAHT. Now in the access to GAHT directly from their phone or wake of COVID-19, more obstacles have developed, makdevice. Once users arrive at Plume, they begin ing it even more difficult for transgender patients to get the process of receiving GAHT by clicking on a the necessary care they need. tab located at the top of the page labeled “get Earlier this year, INSIDER Health reported that COVID-19 started.” From there, users will be prompted had left many transgender and non-binary individuals to provide a few details about themselves, desperately seeking GAHT. “Transgender and non-binary followed by instructions to download Plume’s people are turning to friends, community Facebook pages, secure communication app, Spruce. This app and ‘grey market’ pharmacies to find hormones during the provides an outlet for communication with coronavirus pandemic,” added INSIDER Health. That said, Plume’s clinic and is available 24/7. the advent of a mobile app offering GAHT could not have Plume co-founder Dr. Jerrica Kirkley said an come sooner. individual can begin the process of receiving Solace Executive Director and Co-founder Robbi GAHT fairly quickly, which is only one of the Katherine Anthony (who prefers the acronym RKA) said services included in Plume’s monthly membertransgender individuals have been disproportionately ship. affected by COVID-19 and that she and the Solace team “Within 20-30 minutes of landing on our (the majority of whom are transgender) are glad they can website you can get an appointment with a help during this time of need. “We’re thankful that we can provider,” said Kirkley. “In most cases, you can meet the moment and be here as a resource,” said RKA. be seen within a few days to a week and it can “Everyone is dealing with hardships during COVID, and if

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Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

usually be a pretty quick turnaround,” she added.

The cost for a monthly membership is $99 (plus the cost for prescriptions). The membership includes an initial evaluation upon signing up, labs, letters of support, supplies, progress monitoring and virtual access to care.

Kirkley said that prescriptions are typically sent to the pharmacy to be picked up, but added that a new option for receiving medications is currently in the works. “We’re also rolling out a mail-order service from Plume so we can deliver medications directly to your house if that’s what a patient is wanting,” Kirkley said. “So within a week of someone landing on the website you could have a prescription for GAHT ready to be picked up at the pharmacy,” she added.

When Plume made its way to North Carolina earlier this year, Plume co-founders Kirkley and Dr. Matthew Wetschler, and Plume’s Head of Growth Soltan Bryce, said that being able to bring Plume to North Carolina (home to over 45,000 transgender individuals) was very meaningful to them because all three are from North Carolina and are alumni of the University of North Carolina. Plume is currently available in California, New York, Florida, Colorado, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Oregon, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Maine and Pennsylvania.

Bryce shared some feedback from a beneficiary of the Solace/Plume partnership expressing their appreciation and response to the collaborative efforts made on behalf of these two tech companies. “Thanks for the support and encouragement as always and congratulations on the partnership with Solace,” the beneficiary wrote in an email. “I am confident it will benefit your brand and our community.”

To find out if Plume is available in a local community, download the Solace app at solace.lgbt or for more information, visit getplume.com. : :

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

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life

In Memoriam: 2020

Year Sees Record-Breaking Deaths in Transgender Community

BY Lainey Millen | QNotes Staff Writer

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n what has been described as the most-deadly on record, over 40 transgender and gender non-conforming individuals lost their lives to acts of violence thus far in 2020. The climate being espoused from the White House, Conservative groups and individuals that is present today is one that is rife with hatred, malice and more. This is especially noticeable toward those who identify as transgender or gender non-conforming.

The 2020 year is not yet over, and qnotes knows, unfortunately, that the numbers will continue to rise.

On Nov. 20, the world observes the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The annual memorial “seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence,” remarked Gwendolyn Ann Smith, founder of Transgender Day of Remembrance. “I am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost. With so many seeking to erase transgender people — sometimes in the most brutal ways possible — it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.”

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), who has compiled the growing list of those lost since 2013, shared, “These victims were killed by acquaintances, partners or strang-

ers, some of whom have been arrested and charged, while others have yet to be identified. Some of these cases involve clear anti-transgender bias. In others, the victim’s transgender status may have put them at risk in other ways, such as forcing them into unemployment, poverty, homelessness and/or survival sex work.

“While the details of these cases differ, it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color — particularly Black transgender women — and that the intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and unchecked access to guns conspire to deprive them of employment, housing, healthcare and other necessities.”

PFLAG National and the Transgender Day of Remembrance “Trans Lives Matter” site also provided additional listing of transgender deaths for 2020. PFLAG shared, “As PFLAGers — as human beings — it is imperative that we boldly, loudly, and publicly honor those we have lost to antitrans violence and hate, and speak out against violence anywhere we see it. … Simultaneously, as we honor those we have lost, we must use this as an opportunity to strongly recommit to trans inclusion at all levels of our work, providing support to people who are trans and gender expansive and to their

families and friends; providing education to those who still lack the understanding necessary to be good allies; and advocating for protections at all levels of government … There has been so much harm done, and we have an opportunity to help end that harm. We advocate for getting out the vote in the upcoming election, and keeping in mind voting for legislators who will work to protect and support our trans loved ones.”

In addition to the horrors of death, some of the victims are misgendered in police statements and through other outlets, adding to the pain of loss. Also, some of the victims’ deaths were not reported and classified as uncategorised and could have been considered suspicious.

“This crisis demands change to improve policing and hold the police departments accountable for their failure to protect transgender people. But reforms must go further to disrupt the systemic racism and transphobia that push so many transgender people of color into vulnerable situations, shut out of stable housing, secure jobs and loving homes. No one should be forced to live in fear,” said National Center for Transgender Equality Deputy Executive Director Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen.

It is with deep sorrow that the following individuals are honored.

Dustin Parker Dustin Parker, 25, was fatally shot in McAlester, Okla. early on New Year’s Day. His employers released a statement remembering Parker saying, “He loved fiercely, worked tirelessly and took on life with so much hope and enthusiasm that his presence brightened all of our lives.”

Ashley Moore Ashley Moore, 26, was found dead on April 1 with unexplained and serious injuries outside a Newark, N.J. YMCA. Her body was cremated without an autopsy.

Four months later, police finally started to investigate her death.

was deeply loved by her family, friends and community, according to her Facebook page.

Neulisa Luciano Ruiz Neulisa Luciano Ruiz was fatally shot in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico on Feb. 24. According to Metro Puerto Rico, members of her community knew her as “humble” and “noble.”

John Scott Devore/Scottlyn Kelly Devore John Scott Devore/Scottlyn Kelly Devore, 51, was reportedly genderfluid. They went missing on March 12 in Augusta, Ga. A suspect was charged with murder on March 20.

A body was found on March 30, but was not identified nor confirmed.

Yampi Méndez Arocho Yampi Méndez Arocho, 19, was killed in Moca, Puerto Rico, on March 5. A transgender man, Arocho shared his love for basketball and the NBA, wearing Miami Heat apparel on social media. The biography line on his Facebook reads simply, “Humility Prevails.”

Monica Diamond Monica Diamond, 34, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Charlotte, N.C. on March 18. Diamond was active in the Charlotte LGBTQ and nightlife communities and was the co-owner of an event promotion company. She also was the co-CEO of the International Mother of the Year Pageantry System — a pageant that honors LGBTQ mothers.

Lexi “Ebony” Sutton Lexi “Ebony” Sutton, 33, a transgender woman, was fatally stabbed in Harlem River Park in Harlem, N.Y. on March 28. “I really looked up to her because of her tolerance and respect,” said Lavonia Brooks, a friend of Lexi. “Lexi had a beautiful heart, she was very gifted.”

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Johanna Metzger Johanna Metzger, a transgender woman, was killed in Baltimore, Md. on April 11.

According to reports, she was visiting a Baltimore recovery center from Pennsylvania at the time.

Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos, 32, was killed in Puerto Rico on April 21. Ramos was killed alongside Layla Pelaez Sánchez, 21. According to reports, Ramos was visiting the island on vacation, and was set to return to her home in Queens, N.Y., at the end of the month. On May 1, two men were charged under federal hate crimes law for Ramos’ death.

Layla Pelaez Sánchez Layla Pelaez Sánchez, 21, was killed in Puerto Rico on April 21. Sánchez was killed alongside Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos. According to reports, Sánchez had recently moved to the island, and was living in the Tejas neighborhood in Las Piedras. On May 1, two Puerto Rican men were charged under federal hate crimes law for Sánchez’s death.

Penélope Díaz Ramírez Penélope Díaz Ramírez, a transgender woman, was killed in Puerto Rico on April 13. “Penélope did not deserve to die.

Transgender people do not deserve to die.

Every single advocate, ally, elected official and community member must stand up in light of this horrific news and say ‘No more.’ What we are doing is not enough,” said Tori Cooper, HRC director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative.

Nina Pop Nina Pop, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Sikeston, Mo. on May 3. She

Helle Jae O’Regan Helle Jae O’Regan, 20, a transgender woman, was killed in San Antonio, Texas, on May 6. O’Regan often spoke out on Twitter against injustice, including LGBTQ inequality, the prison industrial complex and the need to decriminalize sex work. Damion Terrell Campbell, 42, was charged with O’Regan’s murder.

Jayne Thompson Jayne Thompson, 33, a white transgender woman, was shot and killed by a police officer on May 9 in Orchard Mesa, Colo. during what appeared to have been a mental health crisis. and was misgendered in initial news reports. No charges were filed against the officer concerned.

Tony McDade Tony McDade, 38, a Black transgender man, was killed in Tallahassee, Fla. on May 27. His friends and family shared how he was an energetic, giving person with a big heart.

Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, 27, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Philadelphia, Pa. on June 9. One personal friend posted online, “Dom was a unique and beautiful soul who I am lucky to have known personally … We need to fight!! We need to do more!!!! We will get justice.”

Riah Milton Riah Milton, 25, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Liberty Township, Ohio on June 9. In March, she posted the status “Never been scared to struggle. Imma get it eventually” — a comment highlighting her resilience and optimism as a person facing a transphobic, misogynist and racist society.

Photo Credits and Resources: Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Transgender Day of Remembrance, PFLAG National, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, them.us, pcion.conepop.com.br and others see next page u

Selena Reyes-Hernandez Selena Reyes-Hernandez, 37, a transgender woman, was killed in Chicago, Ill. on May 31. “We have lost a beloved member of our trans family because of hate — hate that has corrupted our country’s soul and that shatters lives and futures every day,” said HRC’s Cooper.

Name Unknown On June 6 the decomposed body of a young Black transgender person was found in an abandoned building in Chicago, Ill. Their gender presentation suggests that they identified as a transgender woman.

The age was established as between 16-20.

The case was unreported and uncategorized.

Brian “Egypt” Powers Brian Powers, 43, a Black transgender person, was killed in Akron, Ohio, on June 13. Powers worked at a local catering company and is remembered for wearing long, colorful braids — “unicorn braids,” as Powers called them.

Brayla Stone Brayla Stone, 17, a Black transgender girl, was found killed in Little Rock/ Sherwood, Ark. on June 25. “Brayla Stone was a child. A child, just beginning to live her life. A child of trans experience. A Black girl.

A person who had hopes and dreams, plans and community,” said HRC’s Cooper. On Sept. 4, a man was arrested on a murder charge in connection to her death.

Merci Mack Merci Mack, 22, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Dallas, Texas, on June 30. On her social media, she had recently posted that she enjoyed baking and that she was looking forward to returning to work. On July 8, a man was arrested on a murder charge in connection to her death.

Draya McCarty Draya McCarty, 28, was found dead on June 30 in Baton Rouge, La. She, along with five other Black transgender women were killed between June 25 and July 3 in what was considered an epidemic of violence against Black transgender women. The circumstances of her death are not yet known.

Tatiana Hall Tatiana Hall, 22, was reported to have been murdered in Philadelphia, Pa. on or around June 30. Very little is known about what happened to her — possibly due to deadnaming by police and media.

Shaki Peters Shaki Peters, 32, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Amite CIty, La. on July 1. “In just four days, we have seen the deaths of at least three transgender and gender non-conforming people, including Shaki Peters. This horrific spike in violence against our community must be an urgent call to action for every single person in this nation,” said HRC’s Cooper.

Bree Black Bree Black, 27, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Pompano Beach, Fla. on July 3. “These killings are being fueled by the deadly combination of racism and transphobia, and they must cease. We must come together as a community and demand justice for those who were taken from us,” said HRC’s Cooper.

Summer Taylor Summer Taylor, 24, a white non-binary

person, was run over by an automobile in Seattle, Wash. on July 4. Taylor was participating in the Black Femme March in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and against police brutality. Taylor worked full time at Urban Animal veterinary hospital.

Marilyn Monroe Cazares Marilyn Monroe Cazares, 22, a transgender Latina, was killed in Brawley, Calif. on June 13. Mindy Garcia, an aunt of Cazares, said she “loved to sing and dance” and “never bothered anyone.”

Dior H Ova Dior H Ova, 32, who some reports identify as Tiffany Harris, a Black transgender woman, was killed in the Bronx, N.Y. on July 26. On Aug. 13, a man was arrested on a murder charge in connection to her death.

Queasha D Hardy Queasha D Hardy, 22, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Baton Rouge, La. on July 27. Hardy, a hairstylist, was described as being loyal, loving, “always smiling,” “the life of all parties” and “truly one of a kind.”

Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears, 32, who sometimes used the name Rocky Rhone, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Portland, Ore. on July 28. According to Facebook, she studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and was the owner and founder of International Barbie, a Portland-based clothing brand.

Kee Sam Kee Sam, 24, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Lafayette, La., on Aug. 12. “We must all speak up in support of trans and gender non-conforming people and affirm that Black Trans Lives Matter,” said HRC’s Cooper.

Elie Che Elie Che, 23, was found unresponsive on Orchard Beach in he Bronx, N.Y. on Aug. 31.

She was repeatedly deadnamed by police and local media. The cause of death was ruled as drowning but was uncategorized.

Isabella Mia Lofton Isabella Mia Lofton, 21, was found partly unclothed and wrapped in a plastic tarp on the sidewalk in Brooklyn, N.Y on Sept.

7. Authorities claimed she was intoxicated and had fallen from a building.The cause of death was uncategorized.

by your side.”

non-conforming people, especially trans women,” said HRC’s Cooper.

Felycya Harris Felycya Harris, 33, a transgender woman, was killed in Augusta, Ga. in October. Harris was an interior decorator who ran her own company, where she enjoyed lending her eye to improve the surroundings of others.

Brooklyn Deshuna Brooklyn Deshuna, 20, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Shreveport, La. on Oct. 7. Deshuna attended Bossier Parish Community College and studied cosmetology.

Sara Blackwood Sara Blackwood, a transgender woman, was killed in Indianapolis, Ind. on Oct. 11, recognized as National Coming Out Day. She enjoyed playing video games and was a fan of the show “My Little Pony.”

Earlier in October, HRC released a video that has become part of an intended series highlighting the Trump administration’s failure to keep LGBTQ individuals safe.

The first installment focused on the disproportionate violence transgender people, and especially transgender women of color face.

HRC’s Cooper said, “This year, there have been more reported cases of violence against trans women, and particularly Black trans women. Trump’s administration — they are killing us with policy.”

“Dehumanizing rhetoric, especially by political leaders like President Trump, has a real-life consequence for the community, particularly transgender women of color and especially Black transgender women. As the presidential campaign has hit its crescendo, so too have the attacks coming from Trump, his administration and his allies. They have spent millions on ads spewing hate and lies about the transgender and gender non-conforming community, and have attacked their right to health care, right to serve and right to live openly — dehumanizing and denying them the dignity they deserve at every opportunity,” HRC’s president Alphonso David added. : :

Additional 2019 Memorials

Aerrion Burnett Aerrion Burnett, 37, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Independence, Mo. on Sept. 19. Her friends and family shared “if you wanted to have a good day, you need to smile, Aerrion was the person you wanted

Mia Green Mia Green, 29, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Philadelphia, Pa. on Sept. 28. Her friends and family shared how “her smile was so perfect and so contagious.

She made me laugh.”

Michelle Michellyn Ramos Vargas Michelle Michellyn Ramos Vargas, a transgender woman from Puerto Rico in her mid-30s, was killed in San Germán, Puerto Rico on Sept. 30. “This level of violence — any level of violence — is unacceptable. We are not doing enough to protect transgender and gender

Since qnotes published their 2019 list of transgender violent crimes deaths, the following names were made available from PFLAG and other resources that allows for the completion for that calendar year. They are: Corbin Ray Bach, 23, Paducah, Ky., Oct. 6, 2019 Christine Zephier, 23, Mankato, Minn., Oct. 10, 2019 Daphne Dorman, 44, San Francisco, Calif., Oct. 11, 2019 Nikki Kuhnhausen, 17, Ldarch Mountain, Ore., Dec.7, 2019 Angel Rose Garcia, 21, Hyattsville, Md., Dec. 10, 2019 Alice “Baby Alice” Carter, 35, Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2019 Yahira Nesby, 33, Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 19, 2019 Mia Penny, 26, Washington, D.C., Dec. 29, 2019

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

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A Century of Gay Rumors Surround Miami’s Iconic Vizcaya Estate LGBTQ History Month Retrospectives from the LGBT History Project

BY Christiana Lilly | Guest Contributor

A

n opulent mansion in Miami, James Deering’s Vizcaya has played host to many a wedding, elaborate engagement shoot and field trips of schoolchildren learning about Miami’s past. But it also played a prominent role in local LGBT society as the setting for the White Party from 1985 to 2010 and then again in 2018.

But does its gay history go back further?

In short, the answer is “perhaps,” but Julio Capó, an associate professor of history at Florida International University and the author of “Welcome to Fairyland,” has been the foremost expert on the region’s LGBT history.

“I was really interested in learning more about how differently LGBTQ history would look like if we hadn’t censored the voices of mostly Black and brown people who had otherwise often been left out of the general narrative of LGBTQ history,” Capó said.

His research took him to Vizcaya when he was studying the Black Bahamian laborers who built the estate. Deering, an agricultural tycoon, began work on the sprawling property in 1912. He moved in four years later, but even at his death in 1925, the home was not complete.

According to Capó’s writings in “LGBTQ America” for the National Park Service, as Vizcaya is a National Historic Landmark, people have long wondered about Deering’s sexuality and if his luxurious home was party central for gay men.

“Vizcaya has been the site of a lot of interest in terms of LGBTQ history,” Capó said. “But a lot of it is unsubstantiated. There’s been all these kinds of rumors of James Deering and his potential sexual appetite.”

The historian pored through records and memorabilia from Vizcaya, but he was not able to find any concrete evidence that Deering was actually gay. However, there were insinuations that seem to keep the rumors going. He was referred to as a “bachelor,” and Capó also found a 1961 newspaper story that went as far as to describe him as a “prissy bachelor who preferred bourbon to women.” It also states that he “staged wild parties” at the home.

In his research, Capó has since reframed the question from, “Is James Deering gay?” to “Why are we asking this question in the first place?”

“Some people commented about his sexual behaviors and preferences during his lifetime and after, and some

BUILD THROUGH

US

things are just unanswerable,” he said.

“A lot of people just didn’t fit the mold, of the expectations of masculinity, especially for white masculinity for this period, and words like ‘eccentric’ and ‘bachelor,’ these are often coded words.”

However, there is evidence that those in Deering’s circle were gay, including Paul Chalfin, who served as the interior decorater and an architect for the home.

According to Capó, he lived openly with his partner, Louis Koons, into early 1920 — far from the norm at that time. In fact, the late Florida journalist, naturalist and feminist Marjory Stoneman Douglas has written about seeing the two attending a party as a couple.

Capó notes an important fact about Chalfin and others in Deering’s circle: being white and wealthy, they had the privilege to live more openly than perhaps the Black Bahamian men who built the mansion on their backs.

“He was such an important part of Vizcaya’s image and as far as the record shows, lived fairly openly. Almost as an open secret,” he said. “It was kind of understood many ways, and in other ways, celebrated or tolerated in some circles.”

For decades, the queerness of Vizcaya simply lived in the rumors Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya’s artistic director.. (Photo Credit: LGBT History Project resources) and memories of those who believed Deering to be a forever bachelor because he was gay. affinities, and again I could find no clear evidence of it at Then, in 1985, the home returned to the LGBT spotlight all, nor was I looking for it.” : : when it served as the location for the inaugural White Party, the signature fundraiser for HIV/AIDS healthcare organizaChristiana Lilly’s foray into journalism began at 11, when she tion Care Resource, then known as the Health Crisis Network. put together a one-page gazette for classmates recounting It was hosted there until 2010, and then again in 2018. field trips, announcing the lunch menu and other important “People suddenly kind of reimagined or created new news. Today, she’s a freelance journalist who covers a plethora memories of Vizcaya with very little evidence for it,” Capó of topics, including contributing regularly to South Florida said, a sort of mirage of raucous Saturnalia parties at the Gay News. There, she covers health, religion, law and activlevel of Jay Gatsby with throngs of gay men in attendance. ism impacting the LGBTQ community. Her reporting has been Capó does remind us that being gay in the early 20th recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists Florida century would not have been the same as it is today. chapter, Florida Magazine Association and Florida Press Club, Queer culture in Miami was limited and “very few people including stories on human trafficking, teen suicide, conversion understood themselves primarily through their sexual therapy and youth homelessness. Lilly grew up in Asia as the identity in the way that we think of today.” daughter of a foreign service officer, and now calls Pompano “Who knows if James Deering did have same-sex loving Beach home with her husband and rescue dog.

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Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

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a&e

Busting Out All Over An Interview with June Millington of Fanny

BY Gregg Shapiro | Guest Contributor Honey, and thought, “How cool, there’s a woman’s name in there!” That felt really good to me. So, I suggested that as an angle, it was added to a really long list, and everyone liked it: the producer, new manager, and record company, to be exact. They were the people, and powers-thatbe, who mattered.

June Millington continues to share her music with audiences and celebrates a 50-plus-year career in the music industry. (Photo Credit: June Millington)

J

une Millington is the very definition of a living music legend. A founding member of celebrated all-female rock band Fanny in the early 1970s (one that was signed to a major label!), Millington and her bandmates, including sister Jean, paved the way for everyone from the Runaways to the Go-Go’s and the Bangles to Team Dresch and Sleater-Kinney to Ex Hex and Chastity Belt.

Millington, an out lesbian, also knocked down barriers for queer musicians via her association with Cris Williamson and others in the early days of the women’s music scene. At 72, she shows no signs of slowing down with multiple projects currently in the works. Millington was kind enough to answer a few questions in mid-October, shortly before heading out to celebrate her 36th anniversary with her partner Ann. Gregg Shapiro: 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Fanny’s eponymous album. What does such an occasion mean to you?

June Millington: It means, number one, that I (we) survived!

That simply cannot be overstated. The industry, bands who came after us, I just don’t know how many people or entities, tried to “disappear” us. Fortunately, I met Cris Williamson in 1975 and discovered one of the principal reasons I had to leave the band in 1973. Leaving was tough, but growth was a must. And I’m totally happy that the world is discovering, and enjoying, us all over again.

GS: For those not in the know, how did the band arrive at the name Fanny?

JM: I heard of a band called Daisy Chain when we were trying to rename the band in LA, which was signed in ‘69 as Wild

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GS: There is a distinctive timelessness to Fanny’s music. When you listen to it now, what are you proudest of about the songs?

JM: I think, two things: that we improved relentlessly through hard work, and we got better, in not a very long time, than a lot of guy bands!

And, our material and styles never stood still. But, we had quite a few of the top-tier players and bands on our side: Lowell George, in Little Feat; Jeff Skunk Baxter, Steely Dan/Doobie Brothers, even the Beatles, although they never mentioned it. But they were okay with our adding a verse to “Hey Bulldog” (which we recorded at Apple Studio), so that says quite a bit. Folks can also catch up on a lot of details on the FannyRocks podcasts, which we started just a few months ago and which you can find on the fannyrocks.com website.

GS: In addition to original songs, Fanny’s albums included cover tunes which were written by men. Was this intentional or was there simply a dearth of songs by female songwriters?

JM: We never divided it into gender, although when we developed as a band from ‘65 on, with a varying cast of players, and my sister Jean and I always the principals, we had to do mostly dance covers for about four years and always messed around with gender. People didn’t care, they just wanted to dance!

GS: In what ways do you think Fanny’s legacy and influence manifested itself in terms of all-female bands, both queer and straight?

JM: Just the fact that we did it, against all odds, were pretty great, and are worth discovering all over again!

GS: In 1971, Fanny had a hit single with “Charity Ball.”

How did you feel about such an accomplishment?

JM: Well, we were moving pretty fast by then; recording the second album while releasing the first, playing both Fillmore East and Fillmore West, backing Barbra Streisand live on two songs in the studio, and appearing on “The Tonight Show,” “Sonny and Cher” and the “Kenny Rogers Show” [in Canada] before even hitting London and Apple in Dec ‘71! We were working so hard and were pleased, but in the music biz you can never rest, so we were working on new material, recording, and performing constantly. Fanny was always working on our trajectory!

Plus [we had to deal with] so many terrible comments always — being all young women. You have to balance that in, always.

GS: Speaking of “Charity Ball,” can you please say a few words about your activism on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community?

JM: I have always spoken Truth to Power, whenever I could, and as best I could. In Fanny, people think I hid my sexuality — I did not. I just couldn’t speak to it so much then, and besides misogyny was at the tip of our spear, always. You just had to push through, get better — bigger, badder, louder all the time! And I mean that sincerely, that was a damn tough job. In fact, it was relentless, and I believe the “opposing forces” succeeded, until recently.

So, being alive now, and being able to speak out now more than before, is a sweet success. Being introduced to Cris in mid-’75, and therefore a direct line into women’s music, didn’t hurt either!

GS: Among your numerous honors, you received the 2005 OutMusic Heritage Award. What did such recognition from your LGBTQ+ peers mean to you?

JM: It meant a lot. Being heard and seen is so important, and I wish it for all of us. For me, as a Filipina-American, who moved here with our family when I was 13 [in 1961], it’s super-important! You know, I was a nice, shy, young Filipina when we got here. I didn’t speak much, I watched.

Then, music became [my sister] Jean’s and my voice; and, we just kept getting louder with the band, in fact were growling, a deep growl! So, the recognition, and keeping up with creativity through music and my book “Land of a Thousand Bridges: Island Girl in a Rock & Roll World,” I feel like I’m catching up with my own life! I’m pretty big on Asian-American pride. People don’t realize, for the most part, how big a deal that is — and Filipinos are so musically talented!

GS: On Oct. 18, 2020, you are doing a virtual event for the Charlotte LGBTQ Elders. What can virtual attendees expect to hear from you?

JM: They can expect the truth from my 60 years in the biz, and having seen so many changes! In the beginning it was Vietnam, the Voting Rights Act, our leaders getting shot right in front of us, the ERA, a whole range of important issues — and slowly, women’s rights came to the forefront for us, and gay marriage, the transgender movement, Black Lives Matter, Me Too. Now it’s like the wheel has turned again, and in many ways we’re right back fighting for the same rights, with many of the same issues! Except, it’s different. It depends on what light, what veil you’re trying to see through to make sense of so much. But my songs, [which] I’ve been writing for over 50 years, from when I first picked up a guitar in ‘61, actually, reflect so many styles, sounds and types of content. So, that’s what folks can expect, and I hope you show up, because it’s going to be fun, and a sort of mini-explosion! I’m the only woman who was there at the beginning of women in rock, and women’s music. Literally. So, while I’m still able to do it, come and get it [laughs]!

GS: Are there any current projects on which you are working that you would care to mention?

JM: Yes, IMA, the Institute for the Musical Arts (ima.org), is always ongoing. It’s the materializing of the dream so many women spoke about, teaching, passing on our knowledge and skills in a safe space. There’s my podcast, “Music in Our Veins: Conversations with June Millington,” which I started to release this summer and features interviews with, essentially, women whom I know, and who can share so much, like Cris, and Jami Sieber, Barbara Higbie, et al. Even a few men, like “Skunk” Baxter; and upcoming are Adrienne Torf and Earl Slick. All can be accessed through anchorfm.com-junemillington, which will, in turn, give you all the outlets. I’m turning “Land of a Thousand Bridges,” which is available through IMA exclusively, into an audiobook here in our studios, and writing the sequel — which begins in 1975. And finally, Jean had a stroke in 2018 and needs a lot of help in her recovery — we need her to play again! Folks can help out, and pass the word, at gofundme.com/jean-millington-go. : :

‘Found in Transition: A Mother’s Evolution During Her Child’s Gender Change’ Out in Print

BY terri schlichenmeyer | CONTRIBUTING WRITER “Found in Transition: A Mother’s Evolution During Her Child’s Gender Change”

by Paria Hassouri, MD ©2020, New World Library $25.95 215 pages

I

n your mother’s book, you were known before you were born.

She noted every kick, every head-bump, every stretch you made as she carried you. She felt your burps and when you rolled over. And though she’d never met you, she recognized you the minute you arrived because your mother knew you before you were born. But as in the new book “Found in Transition” by Paria Hassouri, MD, a mother can’t know everything.

She always wanted to be a mom.

Born in the U.S. and raised in Iran, Paria Hassouri was a teen when she returned to the U.S., where her mother

insisted that Hassouri and her sisters get an education. But schooling was secondary in Hassouri’s eyes. She’d wanted children since she was a child herself, and was particularly eager to have daughters, though she was not terribly disappointed that her first two babies were sons.

For much of her life, the second-born, Ava, had been a handful.

There were many conversations with teachers through the years, Hassouri recalls: teachers worried that Ava was depressed, had behavioral issues or was suicidal. Ava was a smart kid with great creativity, and she loved to try new things, but she didn’t tend to stick with them for more than a few months. Because of that, when, at the edge of adolescence, Ava finally told her parents that she was a girl, Hassouri thought it was another “phase.”

To her own later guilt, she refused to believe her child.

Though Hassouri was a pediatrician, her first identity was as the mother of three children, two boys and a girl, and now what? She was confused, wounded and greatly saddened. She and her husband had carefully named

their offspring according to family tradition, and now one of them wanted a new name and new pronouns that sounded wrong to Hassouri’s ears. She mourned that her second-born would never become the man she’d envisioned. She cried and grieved. And yet, she writes, there really were just two options.

“I choose figuring it out,” she said. “I choose my child.”

Reading “Found in Transition” is tough — not for what it is but for what author Hassouri says. It’s almost like sandpaper on a sunburn.

Foremost, there are a lot of hard truths inside this memoir, for which Hassouri states “I have to own them and be honest about them,” and that took courage — although confessions seem to be necessary here, for her and for readers. This book, in fact, would’ve been much different absent those harsh, sometimes incomprehensible feelings and thoughts; readers may have even sensed that it wasn’t quite complete. No, it would have been the lesser without its brutal truths from this maternal point of view, because here’s the thing: though Ava is a constant presence in a memoir that truly wouldn’t exist without her, this is really not her story. It might make you angry, it might make you cry, but this tale belongs to her mother; indeed, “Found in Transition” is 100 percent a mother’s book. : :

‘Wendy Carlos: A Biography’ Out in Print

BY terri schlichenmeyer | CONTRIBUTING WRITER “Wendy Carlos: A Biography”

by Amanda Sewell ©2020, Oxford University Press $34.95 264 pages

I

t ain’t none of your beeswax.

None of your business, so just keep your nose out of things. You’re on a need-to-know basis, and you don’t need to know. It’s being taken care of, never you mind, it isn’t your concern. In “Wendy Carlos: A Biography” by Amanda Sewell, some things just aren’t discussed.

No one who knew Wendy Carlos as a child should’ve been surprised that she became the musician she did: Carlos’ mother’s family loved to sing and dance, and Carlos’ parents wanted to make sure she continued the tradition. They gave her piano lessons, but they couldn’t afford a piano, so Carlos’ father drew piano keys on a piece of paper so she could practice.

Though she was “assigned the male sex at birth,” Carlos knew early in her life that she was a girl, and was baffled that others couldn’t see that. It grew to greatly affect her: somewhat of a prodigy in music and early computing, Carlos won awards and accolades for her studies, but her gender identity left her feeling awkward and alone, Sewell says. This was a time when transgender people were largely held up as “freaks.”

So Carlos kept her gender identity private, only revealing her truth to one friend with similar passions for music experimentation. Enjoying a spirited mutual challenge, she and Rachel Elkind played with new sounds until the day Elkind became intrigued by Carlos’ rendition of a Bach composition reproduced with a Moog synthesizer. As it hap-

pened, Carlos needed money to continue her work and with Elkind’s help, that composition became an entire album they called “Switched-On Bach.”

It did the trick: Carlos indeed made money from the million-selling album.

But it also made her famous, which led to requests for interviews and intrusions about her gender identity, a subject that she felt unnecessarily superseded her musical career.

And that was something she absolutely did not want...

Over the past 40 years, Wendy Carlos has denied most requests to be interviewed, including an offer extended by author Amanda Sewell for this book. No problem; Sewell used an abundance of other sources to craft this biography, indicating that Carlos’ refusals were likely due to her ire at reporters who’ve continued to focus on her gender, rather than on her work. The irony is that a good portion of “Wendy Carlos: A Biography” deals with Carlos’ gender identity and her transitioning.

And yet — how could it not? Sewell shows how Carlos’ giftedness and her pioneering use of then-new technology changed music, as a whole; in a way, her respectful reporting on Carlos’ transition, relative to 1960s social perceptions and to LGBTQ history, both occurring at roughly the same time, also shows another aspect to Carlos’ personality and her dogged reach for what was then rather new.

Still, one can sympathize with Carlos’ wishes, which makes reading “Wendy Carlos: A Biography” feel sometimes voyeuristic. Introducing new fans

to her wax is important, but check it out: does the rest of the story need to be waxed? : :

Author Amanda Sewell. (Photo Credit: Daniel Wanschura)

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

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I Forgive You. Now Go Away.

Tell Trinity

BY Trinity | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Hey Fine… I Am, You mean she wants you to step out of your comfort zone, experience life differently, even have the world be your oyster rather than being a mussel trapped in a clam. Darling, we all need to embrace change, diversity, even danger.

Some people spend their life being great at things they’re already great at but only a few can chase things they’re unfamiliar with. These people are called leaders, heroes and adventure seekers. Now, take a deep breath, grab your girlfriend’s hand… and jump! (Be daring and adventurous in

Hello Trinity, My best friend did something horrible to me two years and we have never talked since.

Now we work together, so I’m forced to talk to him. Help!

Thanks, Forgive Him/Forgive Him Not, Flushing, NY Hello Forgive Him/Not, Once, after a huge argument with my father, I stormed out yelling, “I forgive you and now I’m gonna go and figure out how!”

Eventually, I knew I’d forgive him, but I didn’t want to waste time. Forgiveness isn’t about giving your money to a man who stole from you, it’s about saying or feeling, “I release you. Now go away!” Once you do this, whether it feels true for you in the moment or not, you suddenly begin to release your connection to them, allowing yourself to live freer from anger, resentment or fear. It’s all about you. So, honey, forgive… but don’t forget!

Kisses, Trinity

connections

qnotes

Dear Not Too Drunk, It takes much more than one drunken night to claim any prestigious gay title.

Let time pass and see if you crave these feelings again. Unless you know deep down inside whether you’re gay or not, then you’ll have to wait or keep searching for the answer. Also, sweetie, fear only fear itself because as Helen Keller wrote, “Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing.”

XOXO Trinity

Dearest House Guest Troubles Don’t you just hate those letters! Why didn’t they just tell you what was wrong then? Pumpkin, I guess they’re only human. So here’s,

space starting at $22: call qnotes for details 704.531.9988

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Dear Trinity, A year ago I got really drunk and slept with my college roommate. Does that mean I’m g... g.... gay!

Not Too Drunk To Remember, Gainesville, FL

Dearest Trinity, I love traveling and visiting friends, but recently I got a nasty letter from a friend telling me that I was a lousy guest and that I better learn some houseguest manners. Any advice?

Yours, House Guest Troubles, San Francisco, CA

Hey Trinity, My girlfriend is always pushing me into trying new things, going to new places, even eating different foods. How do I get her to love me for who I am, not for who she wants me to be?

Fine The Way I Am, Baltimore, MD

Q-mmunity

life, because if you don’t, then you might miss out on some amazing opportunities to truly live and meeting really super people in the process. See my cartoon for a little insight.)

Hugs, Trinity

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

Trinity’s Successful Tips For Being The Perfect Houseguest

1. Always ARRIVE with a gift. Don’t wait till you leave ‘cause it may be too late.

2. Clean up after yourself and them. It’s nice to be pampered by the pampered.

3. Ask questions about the house rules.

Don’t wait for them to yell... I mean tell you.

4. Don’t spend your entire time in their house and/or in their lives. Too much company is company that’s “too much!”

5. Don’t tell them how to live or decorate better, but rather buy something you think would fit nicely in their home.

6. If you use the phone or answer the door, take unbelievably great messages.

7. I f you’re there for a few days, make them, bring them or take them out to dinner.

8. Spend time with them if possible.

Never crash, get smashed, trash and dash! (Ref. back to #7) 9. Before you leave clean up the space(s) that you used, i.e., bathroom, bedroom and kitchen.

10. L astly, a THANK YOU card or call is a MUST. This is a Trinity top 10 tip you can trust. : : With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity hosted “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly radio drama performed globally, and is now minister of sponsor, WIG: Wild Inspirational Gatherings, wigministries.org, Gay Spirituality for the Next Generation! Learn more at telltrinity.com.

Send emails to: trinity@telltrinity.com.

life

Building Your Ideal Male Physique Health & Wellness: How to Maximize Your Masculine Silhouette

BY Jack Kirven | qnotes contributor

A

s we focus on and celebrate our trans friends and family, let’s also take a moment to celebrate their bodies. Many cisgendered people already have some degree of dysmorphic perspective about themselves, especially if they work out.

But try to imagine what this might be like for a transgender person. Many are in the process of literally sculpting the body they want to call home, something that requires titanic will and bravery. I want to offer some observations and suggestions specifically to trans men, should they choose to hit the gym and build a classically masculine frame.

First — and this applies to any man — most guys focus far too much on chest and biceps. Yes, those are glamorous muscles, and having them is desirable. However, without the rest of the body being developed, there will be no appearance of proportion. With that in mind, I highly recommend training for balance, which itself will create the visual effect we call “sexy.”

The “ideal” physique is often called hourglass for women and v-taper or triangle for men. This means that people find male physiques most attractive when the shoulders and back are broad and the waist is small. To achieve this affect, you must do much more than chest and biceps.

You will want to immediately shift your focus to your shoulders and back. If you imagine your torso as a triangle, your shoulders are the two upper points, with the lines from them leading down to the single point that is your waist. For the visual impact to occur, you will want to aim for what is called The Golden Mean, also called The Golden Ratio.

The Golden Ratio has been important to human perception of beauty for thousands of years. This ratio is 1:1.618 (generally shortened to 1.6). This ratio occurs in plants, the arc of planetary trajectories, sea shells, and it goes on forever. People perceive it to be most attractive when the circumference of a man’s shoulders are 1.6 times the circumference of his waist. General hugeness is not what most people like. Better to be proportional in the way you can achieve naturally with as little help from steroids as possible. Understandably, I would normally advise people to avoid using hormones to magnify their results; however, for trans men, you should continue working closely with your doctors to ensure that your testosterone levels are where they need to be.

Understand that as you build your amazing upper body, you cannot neglect your core (or lower body — don’t skip leg day, bro). Having a thick waist with shoulders 1.6 times bigger will not achieve the Adonis effect. You will need to get your waist to its “proper” circumference. From there you aim to build the upper body.

What is the “ideal” waist circumference? For that you will want to consider the height-to-waist ratio. Whatever your height, your waist should be about 45 percent of that measurement. Getting as close to 1:1.447 as possible, you’ll be able to calculate your waist size.

Let’s do the math for a man who is exactly six feet tall: Height = 72 in (183 cm) Ideal waist = 45 percent of 72 in (183 cm) =

32.5 in (82.5 cm) Golden Mean for Shoulders = 1.6 x Ideal Waist = 1.618 x 32.5 (82.5 cm) = 52.5 in (134 cm) So then, if you are six feet tall and want to achieve a classically ideal male physique, be sure to do shoulder, back, chest, biceps, triceps and cardiovascular training in such a way that you approach a ~32 inch waist and ~52 inch shoulder circumference.

Measure your waist circumference at the level of your navel, and measure your shoulders at their widest point (usually around halfway between the tops of your shoulders and your nipple line). You will need someone to do these measurements for you. It is difficult to do your own waist

properly, but nigh on impossible to properly wrap the measuring tape around the shoulders (let alone chest and back). This should be done on the skin, so do the measurements with someone in a place where you feel comfortable being shirtless.

A typical three-day body split will look something like this (often called The Bro Split, because it is the one most commonly used, especially amongst “gym bros”): Monday = Chest, Quads, and Triceps (aka Push), Wednesday = Back, Hamstrings, and Biceps (aka Pull), and Friday = Shoulders, Calves, and miscellaneous catch up for lagging parts that need to get zapped again. For example, if your upper chest isn’t keeping up despite your best

effort on Monday, hit upper chest specifically on this miscellaneous day after you do shoulders. You can do core on each of these strength days, but doing core seven days per week is overkill. I suggest doing core and conditioning together on separate days from strength, so that you can give your all to each type of training. : : Jack Kirven completed the MFA in Dance at UCLA, and earned certification as a personal trainer through NASM. His wellness philosophy is founded upon integrated lifestyles as opposed to isolated workouts. Visit him at jackkirven.com and INTEGRE8Twellness.com.

Photo Credit: blackday via Adobe Stock

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2020

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SCOTUS & LGBTQ Rights Update Legal Eagles

BY Zachary Porfiris, attorney | guest WRITER

O

n Nov. 4, 2020, the Supreme Court will hear the case of Fulton v. Philadelphia to decide whether private agencies that receive taxpayer funding to provide government services, such as foster care agencies, food banks, homeless shelters and more, could be given a constitutional right to discriminate against and deny services to LGBTQ people based on the agency’s religious beliefs. This decision will undoubtedly consider past cases of organizations and individuals declining services to the LGBTQ community based on religious beliefs; including the highprofile case of Kim Davis.

On Oct. 5, 2020, The Supreme Court declined to hear a case appealed by Kim Davis, a former County Clerk in Kentucky, who refused to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples in defiance of the Supreme Court’s prior ruling in the landmark case, Obergefell v. Hodges, which expanded the constitutional right to marry to LGBTQ people.

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While Davis claimed that her religious convictions prevented her from honoring same-sex marriages, her claim for qualified immunity was rejected by the United States Court of Appeals since the right to marry held by same-sex couples was clearly established at the time of her discriminatory actions. Davis was even sentenced to jail time as a result of her noncompliance with Obergefell. Prevailing in district court and affirmed by the Court of Appeals, the same-sex couples raising the issue were eventually able to obtain marriage licenses and were awarded attorney’s fees.

While Davis’ case rapidly gained national attention, the Supreme Court ultimately refused to allow further review. However, two Supreme Court Justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, took advantage of this opportunity — the revisiting of the Davis case in the public eye — to reiterate some of their dissenting opinions from Obergefell.

These Justices dissented in Obergefell to point out that the right to same-sex marriage is found nowhere in the text of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and that the Court’s decision to “read a right to same-sex marriage into the Fourteenth Amendment” … “would threaten the religious liberty of the many Americans who believe that marriage is a sacred institution between one man and one woman.” They seem to be concerned that the Supreme Court bypassed the democratic process in Obergefell as states were not allowed to resolve this question through the legislative process, which Justices Thomas and Alito believe could have considered accommodations for religious beliefs. The two Justices contended that the Supreme Court’s opinion in Obergefell suggested that sincerely held religious objections to same-sex marriage support a bigoted worldview and are demeaning to gay and lesbian people because they teach that gay and lesbian people are unequal.

In their statement, Justices Thomas and Alito repeated their prediction in the Obergefell dissent that “[t]hese … assaults on the character of fair-minded people will have an effect, in society and in court” allowing “governments, employers, and

schools” to “vilify” those with these religious beliefs as “bigots.” Justices Thomas and Alito even went on to say that their “predictions did not take long to become reality.”

Justices Thomas and Alito stated that Davis “may have been one of the first victims of this Court’s cavalier treatment of religion in its Obergefell decision, but she will not be the last.” These Justices raised concerns that those with sincerely held religious beliefs regarding marriage will find it increasingly difficult to participate in society without running afoul of Obergefell and its effect on antidiscrimination laws, but they failed to comment on same-sex couples’ difficulties participating in society when their ability to marry has historically, and it seems continuously, been held under scrutiny.

Justices Alito and Thomas allege that Kim Davis’ petition provides a reminder of the consequences of Obergefell, “by choosing to privilege a novel constitutional right over the religious liberty interests explicitly protected in the First Amendment, and by doing so undemocratically, the Court has created a problem that only it can fix.”

Some believe that Alito and Thomas’ harsh statement rekindled criticisms over how the Court’s decision in Obergefell should be respected and upheld. Given the timing of the upcoming election and nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, whose positions on Obergefell and samesex marriage have been seen as oppositional in the past, many LGBTQ activists are concerned about what happens next in the ongoing fight for anti-discrimination and equality for LGBTQ people and samesex couples.

Now is a critical time for LGBTQ people to engage in government action, vote in the upcoming election, and stand for equality. Please contact a local attorney if you have any questions about upholding and defending your civil rights or about getting involved to protect the freedoms of the LGBTQ community. : : Zachary Porfiris is a family law attorney with Sodoma Law, based in Charlotte, N.C. He is a member of the Bar in both North Carolina and South Carolina.

life

Our People: Dr. Laura Levin Atrium Health Pediatrician

BY Mykah Buff | QNotes Staff Writer

D

r. Laura Levin is originally from Baltimore, Md. and completed her medical degree at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa. in the early 1990s.

Levin is board-certified in Pediatrics and Addiction and has worked as a pediatrician at Atrium Health in Concord, N.C. (formerly Piedmont Pediatrics) for over 20 years. She became a local LGBTQ public figure after coming out as transgender publically a little over five years ago and has used her platform to promote transgender awareness and advocacy.

Why did you want to become a doctor?

When I was a child, my pediatrician recognized an aptitude for sciences and math. That confidence he expressed in me eventually inspired me to pursue a career in medicine. When I studied physics as an undergraduate, the available jobs in that branch of science were ones that didn’t interest me. I wanted to be in a helping profession, so I switched to medicine.

Why did you choose pediatrics as your field of specialty?

Simply put, all the nicest mentors were in the pediatric field during medical school.

Are there other areas of medicine that interest you?

Gender care is my current passion. I am thrilled to work for Levine Children’s Center for Gender Health as a transgender medicine specialist. I do lots of work in the field of behavioral health (ADHD, anxiety, depression). About six years ago, I started working in the addiction field as a favor to a friend. It was supposed to be a threemonth gig. I ended up loving it and am now board certified in Addiction Medicine too.

How would you describe the perfect vacation?

My favorite vacation was Iguazu Falls. I am now working on section hikes of the Appalachian Trail with friends. Now, how to figure out how to combine the two!

Your announcement to Atrium Health to pursue your gender transition in 2015 was inadvertently made public by

the media. What was your reaction to this and did it present any challenges professionally or personally?

Initially, I was very fearful. Believe it or not, I do not like change! I thought community backlash would be strong and that we would lose 12-15 percent of our patient population. Instead, we lost less than 1 percent. My current challenge is the fear I feel when going into a room to meet a family new to me. I worry they will get up and walk out, which has happened, but not in a few years. I now know that this is a reflection on them and not me. It still can be painful though.

Overall, what has your life been like since deciding to transition?

I am so much more fulfilled. I connect with people on a much deeper level. I don’t live in shame (of who I am) and fear (of being discovered). I am out, open and proud! I also consider myself an accidental activist.

When one is professional and transitions in the public view, they almost always get called to be leaders of the community. I have been on the board of directors of Equality North Carolina and now am on the board at Time Out Youth. Pretty tough stuff for someone who considers themselves an introverted introvert.

four years of medical school.

What advice can you give today’s generation of transgender professionals?

Show up, do your job! Do it well.

Like it or not, we represent an entire community, and if we mess up, it can have serious implications. Not to mention that there are those out there who would like to see us fail. I would also say try to make yourself available to others who are in transition. They frequently can benefit from your experience, strength, and hope.

How do you like to spend your time away from work?

I hang out with friends and have deep conversations and coffee six feet apart. I have developed a love of the outdoors and lately have been backpacking, camping, kayaking, tubing, paddle boarding, climbing and hiking. Mostly with friends — but sometimes solo.

What do you like to do to relax and unwind?

Meditating, reading, listening to podcasts and music (I’ve got electronic meditation music on in the background as I write this), playing a game called Go………

What is your favorite food?

I love the Maryland blue crab. But, as I move toward vegan, I am appreciative of dark chocolate! : :

What is your favorite color?

Purple! Yay purple!

Can you describe how being a doctor has brought meaning to you?

I am rewarded by the satisfaction that I do several jobs that almost no one else does. I’ve always been what I consider a grunt, go to work, do your job, go home.

My life is very different now though! I have lectured to future nurses, N.C. Chaplains, addiction medicine specialists in North Carolina and Virginia, and spoken to several groups and at several conferences (Carolina Conference on Queer Youth, PFLAG groups, etc.).

What did you do professionally before pursuing a medical degree?

I was a professional student. I completed a five-year program in undergraduate education, two years in graduate school, then

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