The Rainbow Times' January 2016 Issue

2 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

Out of the way: A perspective on MLK Complacency: Disaster for LGBTQ rights in 2016, beyond By: Nicole Lashomb*/TRT Editor-in-Chief

O

OPINIONS

n Jan. 18, we honor Martin Luther King Jr. by celebrating his life and achievements as an iconic American civil rights leader. Most well known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on the way to peacefully paving the way to racial equality, I can’t help but wonder how far we’ve really come.

“As I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,’” King said in his famous speech at the nation’s capital.

Despite the gains we’ve made as a country, we have many miles to trek ahead before it is recognized and respected that all of us are indeed created equal.

As a white woman, I will never know what it is to be judged by the color of my skin. I will never know what it is to not be afforded an equal opportunity because the system is rigged against me. I will never know what the penetrating stare of hate or suspicion feels like when cold eyes are upon me. I will never know what it is to be targeted as a suspect by certain law enforcement just because I am being profiled. I will never know what it is to live without my white privilege.

However, what I do know is that I have an obligation to stand up for truth and justice even in the face of adversity. I know that if I don’t stand up and raise my voice in opposition to racism, I am just as guilty as the one who blatantly commits the heinous acts of discrimination. I know I have a responsibility to recognize my white privilege and to listen to the experiences of others that differ from mine. I know it is not up to me to take

the lead in the struggle for freedom but rather stand in solidarity and action in the fight for equal treatment and rights under the law.

From my privilege and white experience, I also know that many white folks are oblivious to issues of race, often stating that they are “colorblind” or don’t see differences between us. However, those very sentiments, despite possible “good intentions” behind them negate the black experience by not even acknowledging it exists. I learned that lesson along the way.

On social media, I notice how other white people don’t care to speak up or even “like” stories that have to do with black experiences or #BlackLivesMatter. But, if the shared post is about movies, sports, or anything trivial for that matter, tons of likes and comments ensue. Why is that? Why can’t other counterparts learn, ask questions and show that they’ve done so? What is holding you back? Lack of participation, a lack of empathy or care for each other is part of the problem.

Information is power. Knowledge leads to change and demands that we do better today than yesterday. White people like me have a responsibility to educate themselves/ourselves—through reading, listening, and participating. We can’t just call ourselves “allies” and leave it at that.

King’s dream is still a work in progress.

To help escape the shackles of this country’s tragic past—and present—we have to own our contribution to it and move over to get out of the way. It’s long overdue. *Nicole Lashomb is the Editor and cofounder of The Rainbow Times. She holds an MBA from Marylhurst University & a BM from the Crane School of Music. Reach her at: editor@therainbowtimesmass.com.

Reflections of a Scholar, Activist, & Theologian, Part IV By: Paul P. Jesep*/TRT Columnist

J

FAITH

ustin Tanis (http://goo.gl/Jbka hs), Managing Director at the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry (http://goo.gl/IBWXqy), established at the Pacific School of Religion (http://goo.gl/TnUYXz) for gender, religion, and sexuality, answered twelve questions submitted by The Rainbow Times after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality (http://goo.gl/XBEVLN). The answers deal with marriage equality and religious liberty from a professional standpoint, in this last part series TRT feature story.

Q: If you were to address the Southern Baptist Convention or students at Liberty University what would you share?

A: 1 John 4:16 (https://goo.gl/fZ3nuE)—New Revised Standard Version (NRSV): “So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.”

Love is incredibly powerful. LGBTQ people are getting married because they want to form loving partnerships. People of faith are so busy making laundry lists of sex acts that are not allowed, of saying who can and can-

By: Mike Givens*/TRT Assistant Editor

J

une 26, 2015 was a historic day for LGBTQ people. That warm Friday was one that I will never forget. I distinctly remember standing outside of the Massachusetts State House in Boston listening to excited speeches from elected officials and LGBTQ advocates and allies about the groundbreaking United States Supreme Court decision.

Drivers honked their horns as they drove by. There was a palpable excitement electrifying the crowd of onlookers as ralliers held up signs, hugged one another and breathed a collective sigh of relief that same-sex couples will have equitable marriage rights across the nation.

And then the rally was over. The media pundits, both liberal and conservative, discussed the ramifications of the decision.

Christian fundamentalists angrily declared their intent to ignore the law while LGBTQ people attended parties and ceremoniously updated their Facebook profile photos with the ubiquitous rainbow tint that six months later is still quite prevalent.

But there was an ominous question in the air: What’s next?

You’ve no doubt read the litany of articles, columns and blog posts about the issues that must be tackled in the wake of the gamechanging national marriage equality decision. Transgender people need our help now more than ever; there’s still a lot of ignorance and discrimination facing those living with HIV/AIDS; several states still have regressive discriminatory laws on the books that allow for the firing of an LGBTQ person. And the list goes on and on.

It’s January 2016 and the LGBTQ community across the United States should be nervous. Why? Because lethargy breeds defeat. The moment we think the fight is over is the moment when regressive, backwards and ignorant people will swoop in and attack our rights.

Six Republican candidates for president vowed to fully back a dangerous “religious liberty” law that would allow businesses and individuals the right to openly deny services to LGBTQ people based on religious grounds (http://goo.gl/wtokIk).

This will accommodate a narrow branch of conservative Christians, but it imposes a Letters to the Editor [Re: Ask a Trans Woman: On Personal harsh burden on others. Milestones and the “Right” Way to Transition]

not have sex with each other, and teaching kids that sex is to be avoided at all costs. Yet, we are failing to even discuss the quality of that sexuality and the way it contributes to or detracts from the wholeness that God wants for us. What if God created many ways of loving and encouraged us to express love by treating our neighbors as we want to be treated?

I would encourage them not to be afraid and recognize they are truly not being harmed in any way by others living out what is right for them. When a transgender person lives an authentic life, expressing the gender that is true and right for them, that doesn’t hinder others from living their lives according to a different path. When two people connect—

See Religion & LGBTQs on page 15

Dear Editor, [This column] was excellently written, and lived, much as WE all have in various parts. I hid for 71 years and then 4 years ago started living as the real me also without the money for changing the outward appearance. At 75, I am seen approvingly as myself. Thanks for your writings.

—Chloe Alexa Landry, Online Dear Editor, Hi sis, I like this post. A lot.

—Shelley Adrienne Mimi Belsky, Online

It’s January 2016 and the LGBTQ community across the United States should be nervous. Why? Because lethargy breeds defeat.

Most LGBTQ people and progressives are either “feeling the Bern” or have started planning victory celebrations for when Hillary Clinton becomes the first female president. There’s no way a Republican could be sworn into office as the next president a year from now, right?

See LGBTQ Disaster on Page 15

The Rainbow Times The Freshest LGBT Newspaper in New England—Boston Based TheRainbowTimesMass.com editor@therainbowtimesmass.com sales@therainbowtimesmass.com Phone: 617.444.9618 / 413.282.8881 Fax: 928.437.9618 Publisher Gricel M. Ocasio Editor-In-Chief Nicole Lashomb Assistant Editor Mike Givens National/Local Sales Rivendell Media Liz Johnson Lead Photographers Alex Mancini Steve Jewett Reporters Al Gentile Christine Nicco Sara Brown Chris Gilmore Chuck Colbert Keen News Service

Ad & Layout Design Prizm PR Webmaster Jarred Johnson Columnists/Guest* Lorelei Erisis Deja N. Greenlaw Paul P. Jesep Natalia Muñoz* Francisco “Jimagua” Cartagena Mendez Keegan O’Brien* Mike Givens Affiliations National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association NGLCC, QSyndicate *Guest Freelancer

The Rainbow Times is published monthly by The Rainbow Times, LLC. TRT is affiliated with the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, NLGJA, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, NGLCC, and QSyndicate. The articles written by the writers, columnists, and correspondents solely express their opinion, and do not represent the endorsement or opinion of The Rainbow Times, LLC or its owners.

Send letters to the editor with your name, address and phone number to: The Rainbow Times (address shown above), or e-mail any comment/s to the editor-in-chief at: editor@therainbowtimesmass.com. All submissions will be edited according to space constraints. The Rainbow Times, LLC reserves the right not to print any or all content or advertisements for any reason at all. TRT is not responsible for advertising content. To receive The Rainbow Times at your home via regular mail, or through electronic delivery, please visit its website. The whole content and graphics (photos, etc.) are the sole property of The Rainbow Times, LLC and they cannot be reproduced at all without TRT’s written consent.

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 3

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

Planned Parenthood funding ruffles feathers, continues services

PHOTO:

IN THE LIMELIGHT

BOSTON, Mass—In late December, Congress voted to support a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill that included funding for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), a move that roiled Republicans and completed another chapter in the ongoing controversy surrounding the nonprofit.

“These investigations have been sparked by false attacks that are clearly politically motivated,” said Jennifer Childs-Roshak, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. “The smear campaign against Planned Parenthood is a fraud, and the real agenda of these attacks has become totally clear: to ban abortion and limit women’s access to reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood.”

Planned Parenthood became the subject of heated national discourse in July when a right-wing, pro-life group released a video (https://goo.gl/bt681Z) reportedly featuring a senior PPFA director discussing the harvesting and sale of fetal tissue. In the wake of its release, the video sparked conservative ire and vocal calls for defunding Planned Parenthood. On November 27, Robert Dear reportedly killed three people and injured nine more at a Colorado Springs, Colorado Planned Parenthood, a shooting that brought the nonprofit back into the public spotlight.

TILE AL GEN

By: Al Gentile & Mike Givens/TRT Reporter & Assistant Editor, respectively

Planned Parenthood, Davis Square, Somerville, MA

“It is part of a larger backlash from the religious right. It’s a tactic to target communities and people with whom they don’t agree,” said Janson Wu, executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).

Other members of the LGBTQ community also recognize that some members of the Republican Party have mounted an aggressive platform against marginalized groups.

“It’s interesting because Planned Parenthood, gay marriage, and pro-choice all fall into this bracket of societal issues the GOP uses to organize their conservative base,” said Michael Flowers, a gay man from

HIV tests, and reproductive healthcare.

Though funding for PPFA was included in the national budget, the organization has only narrowly dodged a bullet and will still face heavy criticism. However, it provides more than abortions.

“Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts provides high-quality sexual and reproductive health care to over 30,000 men, women, and young people every year,” Childs-Roshak of PPLM said in a statement.

“PPLM provides a wide range of preventative health care services including lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing and treatment as well as abortion services.

On a larger scale, said Wu, LGBTQ youth are vulnerable in a society which does not provide for them.

“When so many schools are failing LGBTQ youth in sex education, the need for Planned Parenthood and what it does is even greater,” Wu stressed, noting that, when necessary, GLAD refers people to Planned Parenthood for both legal and non-legal services through their answering service.

Kelsey Barowich, a resident of Lowell, Massachusetts who worked with PPLM while a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said the education which Planned Parenthood offers is valuable to all youth, regardless of sexual orientation.

“In my experience, the only real celebration and conversation of sexuality that I had growing up was the Gay-Straight Alliance at Lowell High [School],” Barowich said. “In

Boston, of Republican efforts to defund the PPFA. In Massachusetts, House Representative James Lyons, R-Andover, wrote a letter to Attorney General Maura Healey’s office calling for a probe of Planned Parenthood in Massachusetts, citing the video. The investigation conducted by the AGO found no evidence of wrongdoing and concluded that, though legal in the state of Massachusetts, PPLM did not sponsor a tissue donation program (http://goo.gl/wCtrHq).

“Planned Parenthood offers critical services to so many in the LGBTQ community,” said Wu. He noted that the nonprofit provides vital services such as mammograms, See Planned Parenthood on Page 15

4 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

My views on hate spewing from within the transgender community By: Deja Nicole Greenlaw*/TRT Columnist

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TRANS NEWS

constantly see hate spewing from many members of the trans community on social media and it saddens me to see this hatred. I fully realize that it is not easy being trans and that the deck is stacked against us in so many ways, but I wish that folks wouldn't post and comment with hate. Hate just escalates negative emotions and drives people further apart.

The most hatred I see these days from the trans community seems to be directed at Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama, and Caitlyn Jenner, as well as Christians, the police, and rich people. If you don't like or agree with these folks that's fine but is it really necessary to express hate towards them? It would suffice to just strongly disagree and be ready to discuss the matter without expressing hate. Life is too short to hate and hating someone or something can make you feel emotionally and physically ill.

I see a huge amount of hate from the trans

community directed at Caitlyn Jenner.

Someone posts an article about Caitlyn and the hateful comments immediately start. The comments get darker and darker and filled with hate and I have a hard time reading them after a while. I don't see any thought put into those comments, I just see hate with a lot of meanness. We all know that Caitlyn is a newbie and she sometimes says things

interested in politics. There are many disagreements in the political world and people do have strong opinions on the issues. Yes, we do need the dialogue on what the points of the issues are, but we don't need to do it with adding hate to the mix. Not surprisingly, religion is also a hotbed of disagreements in the trans community. Again, we need to rightfully state our positions on the

I see a huge amount of hate from the trans community directed at Caitlyn Jenner. ... Yes, she may need to be challenged at times but she does not need to be hated. that lead to disagreements within the trans community. Yes, she may need to be challenged at times but she does not need to be hated. Although she has never, to my knowledge, claimed to be a spokesperson for the trans community she has unfortunately been put in that position by the media and the media will continue to follow her and report on her like she is a spokesperson. If she makes a mistake then we need to address the issue. We don't need to spew hate at her.

Many people in the trans community are

issues but again, it is not necessary to add hate to the mix.

I don't really know exactly why some folks in the trans community show so much hate. I don't know their backgrounds and their experiences and why they hate so much. I do know that with being trans we all have had stressful lives filled with shame, guilt, rejection, isolation, and ridicule but we need to rise above those awful things and become free to be who we are. It's not easy. It's a lot of work but as Friedrich Nietzche said,

“That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” When we reach that point we may be able to respond to disagreements with a more balanced viewpoint and without hate.

Then we may be able to respond with facts and reasoning without the ugliness of hate.

At the very least we can agree to disagree with other viewpoints and we can do that without hate.

It's a big world and we all do not think the same and I think that actually is a good thing. It's good to hear others' perspectives, especially the ones in disagreement. There you have the beginnings to try to understand people who think differently from you.

There lies the beginnings to possibly understand each other a little better. Yes, I promote trying to understand each other. Maybe I'm a dreamer, but I promote trying to understand others and keeping an open dialogue going without the hate.

This is now a brand new year and I have a suggestion for a possible new year's resolution. I would like to ask everyone to please state and argue their points from now on without spewing hate. Please. *Deja Nicole Greenlaw is a trans woman who has 3 grown children and is retired from 3M. She can be contacted at dejavudeja@sbcglobal.net.

Ask a Trans Woman: Washington and a semi-review of “The Danish Girl” By: Lorelei Erisis*/TRT Columnist

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PHOTO: DAVID MEEHAN

hat I’m going to talk to you all about this month is the film, “The Danish Girl.” Let’s be right up front about a few things. This isn’t a movie review, at least not a proper one. For one thing, by the time you read this, the movie will have been out for at least a month. In today’s fast-moving media cycles, that’s an eternity. But part of the reason I like writing a monthly column is that I believe some things need time to be thought about. To run around in my head and come out as something more than just a gut response. I’m a little too close to this film to give a proper or even nearly unbiased review. I was lucky enough to see it just before it opened, as part of a special screening following a White House event called, “LGBT Artists Champions For Change.” I was honored to be invited as a trans activist, writer and artist.

The screening took place at the Burke Theater in the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. During the course of the day and evening, I had the opportunity to talk to and take selfies with a number of the people involved in the making of “The Danish Girl,” including Rebecca Root and Jake Graf, the two trans actors cast as cisgender supporting characters in the film. They’re both highly talented

THE RAINBOW TIMES DIVERSE............just like our team is OBJECTIVE..........someone has to be INCLUSIVE........no one is left behind .....That is HOW media should be.....

in their own right and I found them to be charming. I would particularly recommend checking out the 2015 BBC TV Series “Boy Meets Girl” in which Rebecca Root stars as a trans woman in an age gapped relationship for a great example of trans people telling our own stories. (Note: Not the 2014 American film of the same name, starring a young trans actress named Michelle Hendley.

Which is amazing in itself and if you haven’t seen it, you should do so immediately!)

At the screening, I was right in the center of the front row, with my friend next to me.

It seemed to make an interesting statement to be right there; a visible trans woman, with her genderfluid trans partner; visible to the entire rest of the audience watching the film.

Jill Soloway, the showrunner and creator of the Amazon show “TransParent” was on the panel along with Tom Hooper and a mix of other folks from “TransParent” and “The Danish Girl.” I should note here that I was one of only two audience members at the White House event earlier who had been able to ask a direct question of one of the panels. The "Inclusive Storytelling in Mainstream Media" panel specifically.

But back to the movie. I have extremely complex feelings about “The Danish Girl.”

I’ve since sorted through a lot of those feelings, poked at them, discussed and organized them. But they remain quite complex and rather conflicted.

First of all, I thought it was a very good movie. Full disclosure, I dig Merchant-Ivory flicks, costume dramas and all sorts of Art House films. I’m also a sucker for history.

And if you’re like me in those respects, you will almost certainly enjoy, “The Danish Girl.” It’s simply lovely. The cinematography is beautiful. The acting is top notch. The characters are intriguing and interesting.

And the costumes are so lovingly recreated you can almost feel the soft fabrics.. It

I think that an actual trans actor in that role would have picked up on a number of the finer nuances of actually being trans that felt just, well, lost. certainly gives the film a fetishtic feeling in a number of respects that I felt confused the narrative in some slightly regrettable ways.

I have done my best to avoid reviews or chatter about the movie online. I wanted to have my own opinion. But one criticism I read, which resonated, was that it was a “forced feminization story”. Which, I can tell you pretty confidently it was not. (And no I was not either.) But I can easily see how one might get that idea. A lot of the story of Lili Elbe, the trans woman at the center of the story, is hard to parse. The filmmaker plays with the audience’s viewpoint in a number of interesting ways, revealing Lili’s backstory only in bits and snippets. Dramatically, this makes for good tension and keeps the viewer interested. I think it is deliberately misleading in ways that are meant to be positive and to help drive the narrative.

But I believe this also served to reinforce

some unhelpful trans stereotypes.

Which brings me to my main problem with the film, and if you’ve read anything I’ve written previously, you can probably see it coming from a mile away. Although Eddie Redmayne does really quite a good and respectful acting job, and honestly, I thought he was really super-cute and nicely femme-y, I think that an actual trans actor in that role would have picked up on a number of the finer nuances of actually being trans that felt just, well, lost. There are little details that as a trans woman jarred me right out of the film. Fine points relating to the sometimes odd experience of actually coming out as trans and being trans in the world that just didn’t quite work for me.

I also do not accept the argument that there simply weren’t any trans actors to draw from to cast this or other roles. I am a trans actor.

And although, in all fairness, I would not have been appropriate for the role myself, as an actor with professional connections, I have no doubt there are other trans actors out there who would have been perfect. To further counter the usual argument, while it’s true many of them do not have the “superstar name recognition” of a Redmayne or a Nicole Kidman; if we keep using this argument, if nobody takes a chance, how is any trans actor supposed to ever get that name recognition?

Staying completely honest, I told the director, and I’ll tell you, there were some things in that movie that made me wince.

Some uncomfortably fetishistic attachments to female clothing. An extreme separation of personas between Lili the woman and Lili’s previous male persona of Einar.

These were details I had to admit, upon reflection, held quite true for many trans Read the rest of this story at: http://wp.me/p22M41-3Zj

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 5

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

Where do the top 2016 Pres. candidates stand on important LGBTQ issues?

GAY POLITICS

By: Sara Brown/TRT Reporter

In 2016, the nation will elect a new president and some voters are wondering where the major candidates stand on LGBTQ issues.

Here is a breakdown of their voting histories and their public stances on issues affecting LGBTQ people.

Democrats Hillary Clinton The former U.S. senator and U.S. Secretary of State said she is dedicated to ensuring all LGBTQ residents have equal rights.

PHOTO: HRC FB PAGE According to her official website, she fought for the rights of LGBTQ people abroad and enforced stronger anti-discrimination regulations while leading the U.S. State Department (https://goo.gl/pM4YRi). The Yale Law school graduate also “led the effort to pass the first-ever U.N. Resolution on LGBT Human Rights, launched the Global Equality Fund, ended State Department regulations that denied same-sex couples and their families equal rights, helped implement LGBT-friendly workplace policies, and updated the State Department’s policy so that transgender individuals’ passports reflect their true gender,” according to her website.

Clinton says she supports the Equality Act, which would guarantee full equality for LGBTQ Americans on a federal level. The bill would outlaw discrimination in a range of settings, including the federal job market and colleges and universities.

Clinton recently "unveiled a landmark policy paper (http://goo.gl/qcKIe8) addressing issues that affect the LGBT community."

Bernie Sanders Bernie Sanders was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 after serving 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Sanders has been an LGBTQ ally for decades.

While serving as a U.S. PHOTO: SANDERS’ SITE rep., he voted down the Defense of Marriage Act, which declared marriage strictly between a man and woman in 1996 and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. (https://goo.gl/MxBKix). Currently, he is a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which he has vowed to sign into law if elected president.

Sanders has also committed to fully supporting the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, and any other bill that prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ people.

Sanders has stated he wants to make sure LGBTQ Americans have access to fair and equal health care. He would require police departments across the nation to develop

policies to ensure transgender people are treated fairly and safely, especially women of color.

He also promised to veto any “religious liberty” bill aiming to strip away rights from LGBTQ people.

Republicans Donald Trump Donald Trump is a wealthy real estate developer and a television personality.

His campaign slogan is “Make America Great Again.”

Trump’s official website doesn’t provide a platform PHOTO: GAGE SKIDMORE on LGBTQ issues.

In a 2013 interview with MSNBC Trump said, "I think I’m evolving, and I think I’m a very fair person, but I have been for traditional marriage. I am for traditional marriage; I am for a marriage between a man and a woman.” (http://goo.gl/3OTh8x) When the landmark national marriage equality decision—Obergefell v. Hodges (http://goo.gl/kF9Xs5)—was handed down by the United States Supreme Court, Trump tweeted: “Once again the Bush appointed Supreme Court Justice John Roberts has let us down. Jeb pushed him hard! Remember!" (https://goo.gl/mxWXuw) In 2011, he told The Des Moines Register that he believed same-sex couples should not receive the same federal benefits as straight couples (http://goo.gl/8YHW94).

Ted Cruz Ted Cruz was elected to the U.S Senate in 2013. He said he was inspired to live a life of public service after watching his working-class parents go after the American Dream.

In 2014, Cruz PHOTO: GAGE SKIDMORE sponsored the State Marriage Defense Act, which would forbid the federal government from recognizing a same-sex marriage from a state that does not recognize same-sex marriage (https://goo.gl/hlKwFe).

He also sponsored the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act in 2014 (https://goo.gl/ovXKhn). The Act proposed to prohibit the “federal government from taking an adverse action against a person on the basis that such person acts in accordance with a religious belief that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.”

In 2015, Cruz opposed transgender youth from using bathrooms they felt comfortable with. “Look, these guys are so nutty that the federal government is going after school districts, trying to force them to let boys shower with little girls. Now listen: I’m the father of

See Political Candidates on Page 12

6 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

SAD: What is it and what can be done LGBTQ HEALTH

It’s no secret that LGBTQ people suffer heavily from depression given the societal pressures for gender and sexual conformity and ill treatment by conservative and regressive family members, friends, and co-workers.

But this time of year the days are shorter and the nights come sooner and people are finding themselves experiencing the “winter blues,” otherwise known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). LGBTQ people may experience this form of depression markedly as holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, New Years and other celebrations can trigger unpleasant memories of familial rejection, the coming out process, or reinforce traditional family values that have long oppressed our community.

“It’s a form of depression that occurs during fall and winter when the days get shorter,” said Christopher Bellonci, a child and adolescent psychologist at Tufts Medical Center. “It’s mainly a problem of people farther away from the equator, in colder regions which experience a snowy winter.”

Also known as the “winter blues” or “winter depression,” SAD mainly affects people who show symptoms of depression overall.

Yet, some people who do not have depression can exhibit symptoms. Caused either by a disruption in the circadian rhythm, or sleep cycle, many studies show a direct connection between a lack of sunlight, which prevents vitamin D from being created in the body, to increased depressive symptoms.

Bellonci said finding a cure for SAD is difficult as even research on depression is incomplete.

“It’s still a tough question what exactly causes depression,” Bellonci said. “In many cases a chemical imbalance between the neurotransmitter which affects mood with depression is in play when talking about Seasonal Affective [Disorder].”

The light connection The body creates vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. In many cases, Bellonci said, people who suffer from SAD have Vitamin D deficiencies. Bellonci noted sunlight exposure is directly related to the production of several other chemicals in the brain which affect mood.

“The sun affects the endocrine physiological system,” Bellonci said. “It also appears our serotonin and melatonin levels can be affected by sunlight.”

Contrary to Bellonci’s findings, a study conducted by Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, found little connection to vitamin D levels and depression (http://goo.gl/27vxbQ).

“At this time, it is premature to conclude that vitamin D status is related to the occurrence of depression,” the study said. “Additional prospective studies of this relationship are essential.”

While the research on root causes is far from definitive, there is a solid amount of data on who SAD effects and how.

At risk populations According to Bellonci, SAD can be genetically inherited, as can depression and many other mental illnesses.

Teenagers and the elderly, he said, were especially vulnerable.

Dr. Christopher Bellonci “It does have a genetic component,” Bellonci said. “The closer the genetic tie the higher likelihood of showing symptoms. You can have seasonal affective depression run in families, or a personal or family history of depression that would put you at risk of seasonal affective depression.”

Younger people, especially those of secondary school and college age, have shown more prevalent symptoms of SAD according to Bellonci.

“Young adults at large have a fairly high incidence of depression,” Bellonci said, noting that gender may also play a role in one’s chances of developing SAD. “Being female increases risk, but when men get it they have more severe symptoms.”

PHOTO: TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER

By: Al Gentile/TRT Reporter

Treatments According to Bellonci, three treatments currently are being used to treat SAD. An artificial lightbox, which radiates a light-emitting diode (LED) can help generate vitamin D in people who typically stay inside.

“That can mimic the sun’s natural sunlight,” Bellonci stated.

Antidepressants, especially when symptoms can reach severe levels, have also been used. Bellonci noted some of his patients only use this treatment during the winter months.

“I have some patients where I literally treat them from roughly November to about April,” he added.

As with regular depression, Bellonci mentioned that psychotherapy can be used, but this method can at times be less effective.

“Since this is so physiologically based, it is unclear how effective psychotherapy can be,” he cautioned.

The American Psychological Association (APA) claims that psychotherapy can be effective and in many cases have longer-term effects than light therapy (http://goo.gl/ioPFst).

The APA also cited staying active, experiencing as much daylight as possible, and doing activities which “lift your spirits [to help] avoid social isolation” are also effective behavioral changes one can make to ease the symptoms of SAD. Familial rejection, intolerance, and ignorance are painful experiences everyone runs into, but LGBTQ people experience it in extreme amounts. There has been an increase in teen suicides due to bullying and rejection, and it’s not uncommon for LGBTQ elders to hurt themselves or take their own

See SAD on page 15

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 7

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

Judith Light talks longtime LGBT advocacy, Transparent & its impact on others

J

udith Light didn’t know courage until she met the gay community. As one of a few prominent celebrities in the ’80s to pledge her unwavering support to “the leaders,” as she calls them, the Who’s The Boss? actress was instrumental in changing the lives of LGBT people at the height of the AIDS epidemic three decades ago. But, she says, it was her own life that needed changing.

In a candid conversation with Light, 66, the actress reflects on her staunch advocacy and the need for the compassion her hit show Transparent is rooted in.

Chris Azzopardi: Judith, I watched the first episode and was really moved. The world is a scary place right now, so to see you and co-star Jeffrey Tambor share such a tender moment at the end of the first episode was especially moving. The kindness and love and empathy and compassion between the two of you in that scene was really profound.

Judith Light: Awww—I love that you started off that way. You know, people have not talked about that enough, I think. They have in other ways, but you noticing that—that really means a lot to me, so thank you.

Q: I think this is the kind of show that people need right now.

A: I do too. And I think when you only think about this show as a transgender show, you don’t get the real truth of it, which is that it’s about transgender people but that it’s also

value of it far outweighs those people who have problems.

PHOTO: AMAZON

By: Chris Azzopardi/Special to TRT

Q: What is the negativity you’re referring to?

A: There are those voices out there on social media that say, “This is so weird”—they aren’t talking about the show; they’re talking about the transgender community. I say that this is an issue in our world, and what you started off talking about—the love and the caring and the compassion and the concern —I think that’s what we all need to be giving each other. Life is difficult enough without us being denigrating to anyone in the world. Let people live their truth. Let them be. It’s a message this show supports.

Actress Judith Light (left), who stars in Amazon’s Transparent, along with Jeffrey Tambor (right).

about humanity and people—and people living their truth and being honest and authentic and courageous.

Q: What does it mean to you to know you’re changing people’s hearts and minds with that message?

A: It’s huge. All of us feel a tremendous responsibility to get it right. Jeffrey always

says, “Lives are at stake,” and so we all do try to make that the top note. That’s really important to all of us. How it makes me feel as a longtime LGBTQ advocate—it thrills me. I feel as though my life and my service and my work have all come together in one place, so it makes me feel fantastic. Even though I hear from people who say, “Why would you do this?” or, “This is weird,” the

Q: Did you think the show would be given the warm welcome it’s been given before it aired?

A: No. We literally had no idea. We hoped that it would be something that people would support, that people would love. This is (show creator) Jill Soloway’s parent. It’s her story. So we all hoped, but we didn’t know. We weren’t sure. We just knew that all of us—Jill, the writers and the whole entire team; I’m talking about Amazon and everyone else—hoped that it would be something that would educate and elevate the culture, but we didn’t know. We didn’t have any idea. Then when the success happened, we were all so grateful for it that we To read the rest of this story visit: http://goo.gl/ig2vF5

8 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

PAYING IT FORWARD

By: Christine Nicco/TRT Reporter

SALEM, Mass.—A coalition of community leaders and local organizations gathered at Lifebridge Campus and Homeless Shelter recently to prepare for the debut of a new free LGBT lunch program aimed at those in need.

“We see a large population of young LGBT youth out there,” said Ann Richardson, Lifebridge Thrift Shop manager. “I know there are a lot of homeless LGBT people [in the area] that don’t necessarily come in to the shelter, but need a meal.”

And so the idea was born.

Five years ago, Gigi Gill, long-time community LGBT activist and volunteer of Over the Rainbow Supper Club, spearheaded a local Salembased program to host dinner gatherings for LGBT Seniors and allies residing on the north shore. Affectionately known as the “Official Queen of Salem: Duchess Gigi,” Gill has spent countless hours advocating on behalf of those often left without a voice.

“It is time to expand Over the Rainbow to also include an LGBT lunch program for those in need. Simply put, the need is there,” she said.

Over the Rainbow Supper Club, has teamed up with St. Peter - San Pedro Episcopal Church to launch the lunch program.

Working closely with Lifebridge, to assist them in eradicating homelessness, the duo

is expected to launch the new LGBT lunch program in February at St. Peter - San Pedro’s parish. “[Currently] we serve lunch to anyone who wants to come in,” said Debbie Barber, Senior Warden, St. Peter - San Pedro Episcopal Church. “We serve lunch at noontime on Wednesday and there’s no charge. After lunch, we do a prayer service. If you want you stay, you stay, but there’s no attachment to it. We’ve been doing that for about two months now and it’s started to really take off now.”

However, Gill and Barber agree that there is a unique need to specifically serve the LGBT and allied community. The program will rely on community support to make it equally successful.

“The weekly Wednesday lunches we are doing now are supported through donations,” Barber said. “People donate their time, they donate their food, and they take turns putting the lunch on.”

It really does take a village, Gill explained.

“What’s good is that there is a group of ladies that run the kitchen there [St. Peter – San Pedro’s Church], they all volunteer and they love to cook,” Gill said. “So, you get 68 ladies who will bring in one party platter of food, with up to eight different dinners to serve. It works out really well.”

However, support of the city’s homeless does not end with meal programs. Last month on behalf of Over the Rainbow, Gill, Barber of St. Peter - San Pedro and The Rainbow Times (TRT), presented a large donation of hundreds of socks to Lifebridge to

PHOTO: THE RAINBOW TIMES

Gay community gives back to Salem: LGBT lunch program to kick-off in ’16

L-R: Official Queen of Salem: Duchess Gigi Gill; Ann Richardson, Lifebridge Thrift Shop Manager; Valerie Sweeney, Lifebridge Clinical Manager; Nicole Lashomb, TRT Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief; and Debbie Barber, St. Peter - San Pedro Episcopal Church Senior Warden, attend the Holiday donation just in time for the winter season 2015-16.

help the city’s homeless population survive the New England winter.

“When I talked to Ann about needs, she always told me the hardest thing for the homeless is to keep their feet warm, dry and healthy,” Gill said.

Giving back is TRT “pays it forward,” according to Nicole Lashomb, Editor & CoFounder of TRT. “When we learned about Lifebridge’s critical need for socks, we knew we had a re-

sponsibility to help the most vulnerable among us,” said Lashomb. “A large part of the work that we do is focused on providing assistance, whether in-kind or monetary, to advance human interest causes. We believe that we have an obligation to assist and care for those who need it most.”

According to Richardson, Life Bridge’s

See Lifebridge on page 12

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 9

Gay review: LGBT top headlines in 2015 By: Mikey Rox/Special to TRT

T

his year the LGBT community laughed, cried, and celebrated together as news broke on issues important to us all. To refresh your memory on the year that almost was, here are our picks for the top headlines that had us talking in 2015.

Pizza parlor says it won’t cater same-sex weddings, raises nearly $1 million after backlash The power of the Internet—and idiocy— ran amuck early in the year when the Christian owners of Walkerton, Indiana’s Memories Pizza told a local news station it wouldn’t cater a hypothetical same-sex wedding, in response to a religious objections law Indiana had recently passed. Backlash ensued—the parlor received so much criticism it shut its doors for eight days – but in the meantime, donations to the tune of nearly $1 million flooded in from dummies around the world that pledged their financial support to uphold discrimination.

Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage in the United States June 26, 2015, forever will be recognized as the day the United States granted gay and lesbian couples the fundamental right to marry after a years-long battle for equality.

Before the landmark decision was handed down by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling in the case Obergefell v. Hodges, 36 states, Washington D.C., and Guam already were issuing marriage licenses to same-sex cou-

ples—but the about-face that required all states to immediately issue licenses and recognize marriages validly performed in other jurisdictions wasn’t met with open arms by all. Conservative activists, in particular, spoke out against the ruling, some of whom, like Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, flat-out refused to obey the new law—a defiance that landed her a short stint in jail.

Even as late as mid-December—presidential hopeful Marco Rubio—who ranked third among candidates at the time, behind Donald Trump and Ted Cruz—promised to reverse the decision if elected.

It’s highly unlikely, however, that either of those things will ever happen.

Kentucky clerk Kim Davis becomes famous overnight for being a bigot What motivated anti-gay movement-martyr Kim Davis to take on the Supreme Court by refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples is still up for interpretation—was she sticking to her religious conRead the rest online at: http://goo.gl/t06HCj

10 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com PHOTO: GAGE SKIDMORE

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

U.S. Senators Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Frank Luntz, Carly Fiorina, former Governor Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum speaking at the 2015 Presidential Family Family Forum hosted by the Family Leader at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa. (https://goo.gl/H5THA1)

Obergefell win rushed the GOP’s creation of the First Amendment Defense Act bill By: D'Anne Witkowski*/ Special to TRT

M

aking sure that gays and lesbians were never afforded legally recognized marriages was the focus for the anti-gay right for so long. So many resources were poured into stopping John and Bill from saying, "I do" that ever since the Supreme Court said yes to marriage equality, anti-gay groups have desperately been trying to regain lost ground.

You may remember that once upon a time there was the Defense of Marriage Act. If passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush it would have written discrimination against same-sex couples into the U.S. Constitution. But it never got that far.

Now that marriage is legal, the anti-gay

right's strategy has changed some. Instead of trying to prevent legal marriage from happening, they're trying to make sure it remains legal for haters to hate under the guise of "religious freedom."

So shortly after the Supreme Court ruled, a bill was introduced in Congress called the "First Amendment Defense Act," (FADA) which would essentially shield anyone who wants to discriminate against LGBT people.

Because discrimination is a religious right and the First Amendment protects "the free exercise of religion."

Needless to say, the anti-gay right would love to get this bill signed into law. But they know it will never go anywhere without a president's support. And so they have asked the GOP dunce troupe of candidates to sign

a pledge in blood.

Okay, I made up the blood part (or did I?), but the pledge reads, "If elected, I pledge to push for the passage of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) and sign it into law during the first 100 days of my term as President."

Ben Carson, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz totally signed it.

Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee also signed on to support this ridiculous bull$hit, but they are trailing so much in the polls that, well, nobody cares what they think.

According to the American Principles Project, front-runner Donald Trump has expressed support for FADA but didn't sign the pledge. Since barely a word of what comes

out of Trump's mouth is true, this doesn't really mean much. Though it would be a mistake to think that Trump is for, or even neutral on, LGBT rights.

According to the Family Research Council, a group that has made its name in hating on the gays, "FADA would prohibit the federal government from penalizing people for their personal, moral or religious beliefs on natural marriage in federal employment, grants, contracts, tax treatment and other programs. It also protects individuals or entities that believe, teach or establish in codes of conduct that sexual intimacy is reserved for natural marriage."

That covers an awful lot of ground on which someone can say, "God told me to hate gays so you can't touch me." The intended consequences would be terrible for LGBT people, and no doubt there would be plenty of odious unintended consequences, too. Not to mention the fact that support for marriage equality is only growing in the United States.

"Natural marriage," as you can see, is the new "traditional marriage." That's because positioning same-sex marriage as "unnatural" sounds worse than merely "untraditional."

But Carson, Rubio and Cruz don't care.

They signed the pledge because they just want those sweet, sweet "values voters" to sit on their laps so they can tell them what they want to hear for Christmas. And don't you dare say "happy holidays," because the only religion these guys are trying to protect is Christianity, specifically the gay hating kind.

According to American Principles Project's Maggie Gallagher, "Real, concrete protections for gay marriage dissenters appear to be just one election victory away."

That is, of course, if Americans are dumb enough to elect one of these extremists. *D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world she reviews rock and roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan.

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 11

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

2015 in Queer Entertainment: It’s a Trans, Trans, Trans, Trans World HOLLYWOOD

1. I Am Cait Is there anyone you know who doesn’t have an opinion about Ms. Jenner, no matter how ignorant, ill-informed or warped by loathing of Kardashian, Inc.? Probably not. And Cait’s learn-in-public approach has been fraught with problems and missteps. But we’d rather live in a world where she gets to speak and be heard than not, so we’re going to trust that she’s moving in the right direction. Meanwhile, here’s hoping season 2 of her reality show keeps glorious Jenny Boylan on board for wisdom’s sake.

prancers feel when they move the crowd.

And they really move the crowd.

5. The Fosters In the mainstream media, “trans” almost always means male-to-female transitions. Degrassi helped move the game, with a cis female actor playing a trans male teenager.

But now The Fosters has taken the leap forward, featuring Cole, young trans male character played by trans male actor Tom Phelan. Small steps in a big revolution.

6. Tangerine Gritty, funny, dark, moving, with a story that was molded into shape by its stars Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Tangerine is the best queer film of the year. The dynamic duo played a pair of Los Angeles sex workers on a fractured Christmas Eve, pushing their way through the city and testing the bonds of friendship. It’s a portrait of street life that’s as tender as it is tough.

7. Sense8 The Wachowskis made the leap to the small screen with one of the most innovative shows ever created. It features characters from around the globe, all of whom are connected by shared visions, a cluster of psychic communication webs. The cast is multiracial, multigender, and the crisscrossing storylines are a masterclass in queer visibility.

Also? Pansexual orgies.

PHOTO: MAGNOLIA PICTURES

T

here was a time in L G B T media stories when the G dominated the conversation. We love gay men, of course, and their stories are in no danger of extinction.

But we also longed for more movies and TV shows about the L, the B, and the T, for narratives we weren’t getting, for people of color to have a stronger voice, for older lesbians, for everybody else to sing their song. In 2014, Time magazine put Laverne Cox on the cover and called that moment “The Transgender Tipping Point.” And in 2015, here’s what we got…

PHOTO: FOCUS FEATURES

By: Romeo San Vicente*/Special to TRT

8. The Danish Girl Nearly a century ago, 2. I Am Jazz a Dutch landscape There is no more cudartist underwent gendly show on the air der reassignment right now than the Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl surgery. Now it’s an sweetly sincere I Am awards-season film Jazz, featuring trans starring Eddie Redteen Jazz Jennings and her fiercely loyal family. If you hate reality mayne. It’s come under a cloud of criticism TV because of its trumped-up exploitation for its casting, its treatment of trans identity, and fake drama, the daily life of Jazz, her and its trans-education-for-your-parents apthoughtful parents, protective twin brothers proach to storytelling. But it’s here, and it’s and adorable grandparents is the antidote. still queer, so if your conservative Dad walks away from it learning a little more than he This kid is going to be all right. knew before, that’s still a mark in the plus column, right?

3. Transparent There’s no such thing as a cultural product that satisfies everyone, and when the subject 9. Stephen Universe matter is as rare as that of a person transi- You guys, it’s a cartoon series for kids and tioning late in life, the burden of represen- it features queer and gender-nonconforming tation weighs heavily. But this series, characters, including one that is actually two entering its second season, succeeds by lesbian space rocks who are fused together being specific and well-made rather than for eternity. Repeat that sentence out loud to yourself and marvel at the beauty of the trying to be all things to all people. world in which we live. If it still doesn’t make sense, then you’re not 7 years old.

4. The Prancing Elites The reality series about a black, queer, gen- Work on that. der-nonconforming dance troupe in the Deep South wisely refused to overplay the 10. American Horror Story: Hotel overt, awful discrimination they face. It was Look, they can’t all be winners. Keep avoidon display, to be sure, but what comes ing it in 2016. through most is the joy of life these young

Kitana Kiki Rodriguez in Tangerine

*Romeo San Vicente is Father Christmas.

Or Daddy Christmas, if that’s your thing. He

can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

12 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

By: Dan Woog*/Special to TRT

G

rowing up in Merrimack, New Hampshire, Chris Burns’ life revolved around basketball. He’d played it since age 6, and loved the team camaraderie, individuality, creativity and freedom of the sport. But then he was cut from his middle school team.

Just 4-feet-11-inches in ninth grade, he scrapped his way onto the freshman squad.

Then he grew—“like a foot”—over the summer. “Everything came together for me,” he recalls.

He made the Providence College team, then transferred to and played at nearby Bryant University. After graduation Burns played for Albany of the Continental Basketball Association, then semi-pro around the Northeast.

When his playing days were over, he wanted to stay in the game. In 2009 he joined the Rhode Island College staff as an assistant coach. Today he’s in his fourth year as an assistant at Bryant, his alma mater.

So far, a fairly typical story. But Burns is a bit different from any other Division I men’s basketball coach: He is the only one who is openly gay.

His first realization that he might be gay came as a sophomore or junior in high school. Like many athletes, he had a tough time reconciling his feelings with his selfimage.

“I had never been physical with a guy. I dated a cheerleader. But when I was by myself, I knew who I was attracted to,” Burns recalls.

“I thought I needed to keep up my image with females. But that was never what I wanted.”

At the end of high school, Burns met Anthony Nicodemo, a high school basketball coach in New York. Though living nearly 200 miles apart, they found ways to spend time together.

Their relationship was strong and deep—and closeted. For several years, no one knew their secret.

The two men did not use the “g”-word, even with themselves. “We talked about being the best man at each other’s wedding,” Burns says.

Had he not been playing

basketball, he notes, his coming-out process might have been quicker and easier. In the locker room, he was surrounded by fear. “I didn’t want anyone to know,” he says. “I was going through my own slow personal journey. I wasChris Burns n’t ready to tackle emotions. It was more comfortable for me to suppress my feelings.”

Eventually, Burns began venturing out. He and Nicodemo went to gay bars in New York. They made gay friends. Both became more comfortable in their own skins.

“I was living the way I wanted,” Burns says. At 30 years old, “it felt ridiculous that I had been afraid to go out, that I constantly looked over my shoulder and monitored my social media.”

His first steps out of the closet were risky.

At first, he simply stopped worrying about what he said. Then he realized he had to do more. He told family members and non-basketball friends.

Two years later he told Bryant’s associate athletic director he was gay. It was a spontaneous coming-out gesture, and his reaction was “great.”

Burns told others, and then his head coach.

His reaction was “who cares?” But he did warn Burns about “not risking my profession.”

So—even though the comment had been made from a position of caring—Burns’ coming-out process stalled. For a year and a half, he stayed in a self-imposed basketball closet.

“I agonized,” Burns says. “I wanted to get on with my life, but I didn’t know what that meant. If I came out, would I hurt the other coaches, my players, or me?”

Two months ago, Burns decided to take the leap. He told the other Bryant coaches, then the Bulldogs’ three captains.

Those players were the hardest. “I was all emotional,” he says with a slight laugh.

“After talking to my parents, friends and staff, I was scared of these 20-year-olds.”

He told them he might have to quit. “No! We need you here!” they said.

And that was that. Burns told the rest of the team shortly thereafter. There were hugs To read the rest of this story go to: http://wp.me/p22M41-3Zs

Lifebridge from page 8

“The whole connection here is that the LGBT community is giving back to the [Lifebridge] mission ...” —Gigi Gill Thrift shop offers a vouchers to the clients they serve. With that voucher, they can get a coat, socks, and whatever else they need.

“We also have people that live outside and they also come into the thrift shop and socks are like gold because their feet breakdown,” Richardson furthered. “Tomorrow, I will see an influx of those that live outside that come into the shop because it is going to rain tonight. They’re going to get wet and need to change. So, we go through a lot of socks.”

Valerie Sweeney, Clinical Manager for the shelter explained how the outcome of serious health issues could be impacted by as something as simple as clean socks.

“There are a lot of diabetics on the streets and they are non-compliant because they have no other choice for meal options, just the ones available to them [through programs],” Sweeney said. “[The menu] it is really carb heavy and not diabetic friendly, so I see a lot of sores and a lot of complications from the disease. Clean socks are a valued necessity. People can literally loose their feet.”

Lifebridge is an inclusive shelter and mission that serves some of the areas’ homeless LGBT population, including the transgender community.

“The acceptance here is astounding,” said Sweeney. “There is no judgment and they [the LGBT clients] thrive.”

It all comes full circle, Gill explained.

“The whole connection here is that the LGBT community is giving back to the [Lifebridge] mission in a way that it brings [LGBT] awareness while also serving the community through a lunch program and inviting others to participate too,” Gill said.

To learn more about Lifebridge or to find out how you can get involved, please visit www.lifebridgesalem.org. To participate in Over the Rainbow Coalition’s LGBT Senior Dinner gatherings, check out their Facebook page at /overtherainbowcoalition (https://goo.gl/wf0RgM). To learn more about St. Peter – San Pedro Episcopal Church and the LGBT lunch program, visit www.stpeterssalem.org.

Editor’s Note: Lifebridge is currently seeking donations to help the city’s homeless population survive the winter. Items such as coats, gloves, hats, and socks are appreciated.

Lifebridge is located at 56 Margin St., Salem Mass.

TOP 10 BEST SELLER VIDEOS 1. The Girl King 2. All About E 3. Portrait of a Serial Monogamist 4. Liz in September 5. Freeheld 6. Jenny's Wedding 7. Grandma 8. Happy End 9. Life Partners 10. Tru Love

GAY TOP 10

Marco Rubio Marco Rubio was elected to the Florida U.S. Senate in 2011.

Following the Obergefell v.

Hodges ruling by the USSC in June 2015, Rubio said “...the question of same-sex marriage PHOTO: GAGE SKIDMORE is a question of the definition of an institution, not the dignity of a human being. While I disagree with this decision, we live in a republic and must abide by the law. As we look ahead, it must be a priority of the next president to nominate judges and justices committed to applying the Constitution as written and originally understood." (http://goo.gl/MR3dcR) In late November, Rubio gave an interview with David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network and compared the Obergefell case to Roe v. Wade and vowed to “fix” the marriage equality decision and stated his contention that “if we are ordered to perform a same-sex marriage as someone presiding over it, we are called to ignore that. We cannot abide by that cause government is compelling us to sin.” (http://goo.gl/m6mkmh) In December, Rubio told Brody that he would reverse any executive orders issued by President Barack Obama that provide federal protections for transgender people and would also strengthen measures allowing for discrimination based on religious beliefs (http://goo.gl/PlxyqA).

Outfield: Chris Burns blazes a new path

Courtesy: WolfeVideo.com

two daughters, and the idea that the federal government is coming in saying that boys, with all the God-given equipment of boys, can be in the shower room with junior high girls—this is lunacy,” he said (http://goo.gl/osgvlG).

LESBIAN TOP 10

Political Candidates from page 5

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

1. Naz & Maalik 2. How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) 3. In the Grayscale 4. STONEWALL 5. You're Killing Me 6. Eastsiders: Season 2 7. Big Eden 8. Looking Season 2 9. Tangerine 10. Edge of Seventeen

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 13

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

¿Qué es Heteroflexibilidad Masculina? What now? Moving forward in 2016

LATIN VISION

FLORENCE, Mass.—Recently, The Rainbow Times caught up with Life, Career and Relationship Coaching expert Shana Hirandandani about how LGBTQ individuals can take control of their lives today to lead to a more fulfilling tomorrow.

An open lesbian, Hirandandani explains how coaching can transform lives, with a personal understanding of the trials and tribulations often found in the gay community.

“Coaching does not focus on ‘why,’ but on ‘what now,’” she said. “Together we look forward instead of analyzing the past.”

TRT. How does life coaching differ from therapy?

SH: Coaching and therapy are both professions that support people in improving lives.

Within both professions, emotions, past experiences and fears may be present.

With that said, some of the main differences are that most traditional therapy is focused on the past and asking “why?”

Coaching focuses on creating a vision for the future and asking “how?” Therapy is based in a medical/clinical model. Coaching is based in a developmental model, creating goals and possibility. Both are vital professions and many of my clients choose to also work with a therapist.

Q: What makes you want to go to work every day?

A: I have been witness to amazing and rapid change in my clients and am grateful and inspired by each person I work with. I consider every client that comes to me as a gift.

Q: The LGBTQ community often deals with trials and tribulations based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Do you notice a difference when working with the LGBTQ community in terms of the type of coaching often needed?

A: As a lesbian who struggled to come out beginning at age 14, I personally have experienced what it can feel like to move through this world as a member of the LGBTQ community. So many of my experiences have been from an informed perspective because I always knew I loved women. I also was painfully aware of the discrimination and fear that existed, and still very much does.

Each human has a journey to walk through no matter how you identify. There are par-

ticular experiences, laws, cultures and histories that are unique to the LGBTQ community. I can offer a personal understanding of that uniqueness.

Q: What type of results can your clients expect?

A: A client can expect to gain clarity of what it is they want or need in life. Motivation and confidence are built on in order to reach aspirations. We explore what it is they most value and how to diminish what drains them of energy. We work together to create steps to nourish oneself without guilt. Fears are viewed as a tool to propel you forward, not something to run from. Of course, each client is unique and sessions are tailored to each individual’s needs and preferences.

Q: What is your hope for Coaching with Compassion in 2016?

A: Taking the step to reach out for help can be extremely difficult; especially if one is concerned they will not be accepted and understood. In 2016, I wish to offer a safe, validating and energizing coaching environment for a wider spectrum of people within LGBTQ community.

To learn more about Coaching with Compassion and Shana’s services, visit www.coaching-with-compassion.com or call 413-341-3158 to schedule your free initial consultation. http://bit.do/hrcspan

http://bit.do/hrcspan

del desarrollo humano en la cual se comienza a experimentar la sexualidad.

Muchos adolescentes tendrán alguna experiencia homosexual, la cual podría incluir contacto físico, la masturbación, hasta el orgasmo. Los/las adolescentes pueden tener un periodo de 3 años de homosexualidad (Kinsey, 1948), hasta que en su juventud definen su sexualidad como heterosexual, bisexual u homosexual.

Más allá de las teorías y los estudios empíricos, las personas gays somos quienes podemos demostrar la diversidad sexual que existe en nuestras sociedades. Durante nuestro crecimiento, muchos de nosotros hemos tenido experiencias sexuales con otros chicos los cuales muchos terminan viviendo una vida completamente heterosexual.

Por tanto, la heteroflexibilidad no es una simple moda del presente siglo, ya que es una realidad de esa diversidad sexual que antes mencionaba. La libertad sexual supone la erradicación de las etiquetas sociales que se imponen para dominar a ciertos grupos o para el control de las tendencias económicas, conductuales y religiosas en diferentes países o culturas.

En efecto, las diferentes culturas interfieren en la sexualidad y en la forma que tanto hombres como mujeres enfrentan o definen su orientación sexual. Por ejemplo: una cultura machista tiene como consecuencia social la homofobia de forma más arraigada que una cultura más liberal. Esto sugiere, que los adolescentes que viven en una cultura machista están más propensos a reprimir sus deseos y su identidad sexual.

La sexualidad, más allá de la reproducción o el coito, es una expresión sexual y biológica en los seres humanos, muy ligada a los sentimientos, las actitudes y los pensamientos. Siendo seres sexuales, la libertad sexual del hombre y de la mujer debe ser completa.

Los países democráticos deben asegurar a cada ser humano una oportunidad para ser, amar, desear, experimentar y vivir experiencias sexuales y emocionales con quien así lo desee, dentro de los parámetros legales que supone la responsabilidad del acto sexual.

Para comentarios al autor envíe un e-mail a: eljimagua@live.com o a través de Twitter a: https://twitter.com/eljimagua @eljimagua. *Escritor y activista de derechos humanos de P.R. Editado por Gricel M. Ocasio.

Life Coach Expert Shana Hirandandani explains strategy

http://bit.do/hrcspan

La sexualidad humana es muy diversa, pero estando sujeta a interpretaciones y condenas ha sido marcada por etiquetas desde siempre.

Cuando hablamos de etiquetas, nos referimos a los conceptos que las sociedades y grupos moralistas han impuesto como orientaciones sexuales, (heterosexuales, gays, bisexuales, entre otras).

La heterosexualidad ha sido la orientación sexual privilegiada por épocas, teniendo como efecto social el que otras orientaciones sexuales o identidades de género sean continuamente señaladas o perseguidas. Sin embargo, es interesante que actualmente haya resurgido el tema de la teoría de la heteroflexibilidad masculina.

Muchos expertos de la sexualidad afirman que el que un hombre tenga sexo con otro hombre no lo hace necesariamente gay.

Una persona gay tiene sentimientos y deseos de forma permanente por personas de su mismo sexo. El heteroflexible es entonces quien da paso a un acto sexual con alguien de su mismo sexo de forma temporal. Disfruta de la experiencia y la experimenta, y lo hace regularmente sin un compromiso emocional.

La heteroflexibilidad debe diferenciarse de la bisexualidad y de la homoheterosexualidad (gays que conviven o se casan con personas del sexo opuesto reprimiendo su homosexualidad innata). El hombre bisexual disfruta y desea tanto a hombres como a mujeres, y puede tener una relación amorosa con ambos sexos.

Tras un análisis de varios estudios, Cueto (2013) del Centro Psicológico de Terapia de Conducta concluyó que los heteroflexibles, tienen o intentan tener un estilo de vida con un apego sexual y emocional hacia alguien del sexo opuesto. Sin embargo, están abiertos a encuentros sexuales e incluso relaciones afectivas con alguien del mismo sexo dependiendo de circunstancias y situaciones personales.

La heteroflexibilidad no es un tema nuevo, ya que ha sido descrito en la década de los cuarentas, mediante una escala de rangos característicos en torno a la sexualidad. La escala Kinsey (1948) de la Variación de la Respuesta Bisexual, establece 6 rangos para determinar la heteroflexibilidad. El rango 0 supone que la persona es heterosexual, el rango 1 indica una heteroflexibilidad en segundo grado, en la que incidentalmente habrá un encuentro homosexual.

El rango 2 refiere al heteroflexible en primer grado, siendo predominantemente heterosexual, pero tiene una mayor atracción sexual por personas de su mismo sexo.

Así mismo el Rango 3 de la escala Kinsey se refiere a la bisexualidad, hombres y mujeres que desean y mantienen relaciones sexuales con ambos sexos por igual. Por tanto, el rango 6 refiere a personas exclusivamente homosexuales o gay (Cueto, 2013).

Por otro lado, la adolescencia es la etapa

Por ejemplo: una cultura machista tiene como consecuencia social la homofobia de forma más arraigada que una cultura más liberal.

BIZ CORNER

Por: Francisco “El Jimagua” Cartagena Méndez*/Especial para TRT

The Rainbow Times - Mass.

DIVERSO.........como nuestro equipo OBJECTIVO...alguien tiene que serlo INCLUSIVO....sin dejar a nadie fuera Así es como la prensa DEBE ser

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14 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

QPuzzle: It’s Gender Fluidity

Across 1 Manger for Mary's boy 5 One of two ways 8 Ed Wood role 12 Cole Porter's Indiana hometown 13 Slice of wry 15 Go off, on Broadway 16 Judy Garland, to many 17 Words before "music," to Britten 18 In the pink 19 Beginning of why Stella considers herself to be a woman, on OITNB 22 Peter and more 23 Pretty in Pink setting 24 Shoe part 27 Straight men fear to drop them in the shower 31 Put down 34 Event requiring metal balls 36 Thumbs-down votes 37 Come slowly closer 39 "The thing with feathers" in a Dickinson poem 40 Giant outfielder Mel 41 More of Stella's reason 43 Cruising area 44 Ready to hit the sack 46 More of Stella's reason 47 Emulated Miriam Margolyes 49 Grout may separate them 51 Ejaculate, e.g.

52 With 57-Across, actress who plays Stella 53 Military doctor

57 See 52-Across 59 Univ. e-mail ending 60 End of Stella's reason 62 Third degree, often 63 Reno action 64 Some money from Melissa to Tammy Lynn 65 Warts prefix for Harry Potter?

66 Wall St. group 67 Thaw with Nureyev's land 68 Frat hazing prop Down 1 Inflation meas.

2 Perform a decorator's task 3 Do some pressing work 4 Places where you never get to second base 5 Releases from bondage 6 Campus mil. org.

7 Coming soon 8 Huge thing 9 Digital-rectal, for example 10 Tomlin of Grandma 11 Didn't fast 13 ID for Sandra Scoppettone 14 Cole Porter's "Brush Up ___ Shakespeare" 20 Prison part 21 Matching notes for Bernstein?

24 "Lead ___ into temptation" 25 Shakespeare's "To thine own self be true" and such 26 Render unto Caesar, e.g.

28 Smee's version of "epiphany" in Hook 29 Hand job at times?

30 Home extension 32 Gaydar, for example 33 ___ Mae Brown 34 Kind of gin 35 Rooster in drag, seemingly 38 Hollywood VIP 41 Inspired writing 42 Type of sucker 45 In the Steps of Mr. Proust author Stanley 48 Scar, in The Lion King, for example 50 Word from Tom Bianchi, perhaps 51 Hound's trail 52 "Queen of Country" McEntire 54 Put out 55 Bas relief of Eleanor's husband 56 Lay ___ the line 58 Beat, but barely 60 "When I was a ___..."

61 Easter egg application

SOLUTION

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 15

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016

LGBTQ Disaster from Page 2 Democrats and progressives don’t have the presidential election locked down just yet. There’s still a dizzying amount of fear, ignorance and hatred in this world and the hysteria conservatives are able to stir will drive voters to the polls.

The tragic mass shooting in San Bernadino, California on December 2 by two reported radical Islamic extremists brought out a wave of Islamophobia and calls by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to close the borders and impose harsh surveillance and deportation practices on Muslim people in the country.

Robert Lewis Dear, the deranged murderer who gunned down three people and injured nine more at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, Colorado on November 27, sparked a national conversation about gun control and reproductive rights. The dialogue featured arguments for gun control and a woman’s right to choose, but equally ignited contentious conversations amongst conservatives around the need for more people to own guns and protect themselves. A Christian protester who regularly stands outside of the Planned Parenthood even had the gall to blame the victims for their deaths or injuries saying, “No one deserves to go through what they have gone through, even though they put themselves in harm’s way,” in an interview with The Guardian (http://goo.gl/A3AYNE).

Though not directly tied to issues of LGBTQ equality, what we can clearly see from the events in California and Colorado is that ignorance and hatred never take a holiday. And if we become complacent, if we delude ourselves into thinking that the likes of Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, or Donald Trump are too outlandish to be the next president, we need only remember that in the most heated of moments, people show their true colors.

The reason why the likes of Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are doing so well in the polls is due to a very simple reason: their misinformed, regressive opinions represent what a significant swath of the American public thinks about minorities, immigrants, gun control, reproductive and LGBTQ rights.

Marriage equality was a titanic win, but it by no means signals the sunsetting of LGBTQ rights across the country. We still have a long fight ahead, from supporting LGBTQ youth to advocating for comprehensive sex education in our schools. Even if relatively progressive candidates like

SAD from page 6 lives after having experienced isolation and mistreatment. As the New Year takes off, it is a good time to make new resolutions, and re-dedicate yourself to selfcare, make sure you’re armed with all the

Planned Parenthood from page 3 a classroom setting, those conversations weren’t happening.

“I can see why people politicize it. But it’s so much more than abortion.”

Flowers said Planned Parenthood’s value as an educational resource cannot be understated.

“Planned Parenthood has proven them-

The reason why the likes of Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are doing so well in their polls is due to a very simple reason: their misinformed, regressive opinions represent what a significant swath of the American public thinks about minorities, immigrants, gun control, reproductive and LGBTQ rights.

Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders win the presidency, we as a community will still need to hold them accountable and ensure that the right laws get passed in this country.

Politicians often pander to their constituencies to clinch (and keep) their seats.

The rubber will hit the road when the dust has settled and it’s time to get the work done. That means holding them accountable to their campaign promises. Otherwise we’ll find ourselves languishing in our own misinformed sense of accomplishment. *A graduate of the Boston University College of Communication, Mike Givens has been a social justice advocate for more than seven years. During that time he’s worked on a range of initiatives aimed at lifting up marginalized populations. An experienced media strategist and public relations professional, Michael currently devotes his spare time to a number of vital issues including racial justice and socioeconomic equity. knowledge needed to take care of yourself and, if necessary, get help. For more information on SAD, visit Mental Health America’s website at www.mentalhealthamerica.net and search for Seasonal Affective Disorder. selves [as] leaders in providing education around PrEP, (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) as well as providing affordable access to the medication (http://goo.gl/dhiWkG),” Flowers said of the nonprofit’s role in supporting HIV/AIDS prevention.

“I think one of the main overarching similarities [between] gay rights and women's rights is that both [groups] are seeking autonomy for our bodies and our actions.”

Religion & LGBTQs from page 2 regardless of their genders—and that connection makes their lives stronger, then we should recognize that.

Q: If you could to talk to all Americans for 15 minutes what would you say?

A: There are many different faiths and ways of seeing the world. When we are all able to worship freely, to engage in the practices of our tradition, and to believe as we wish to believe, we are all stronger. When individuals try to impose their own beliefs on others, it weakens all of us and our system of government which does not favor religion over nonreligion or one religion over the others.

Freedom means everyone must be free. We deeply benefit from the incredible diversity of belief.

There are people using a claim that their religious freedom is being damaged while they seek to impose personal beliefs on others.

They are using the term “religious liberty” but what they are seeking is a world in which some people—particularly same sex couples—are limited in their choices of shops, their access to government services, and so on. They are essentially saying that in order to be free to practice their religion, our government must allow a world in which LGBTQ people have fewer freedoms. This will accommodate a narrow branch of conservative Christians, but it imposes a harsh

burden on others. That is not acceptable nor an honest or accurate definition of religious freedom. We are not free to impose our faith, only to practice it.

The New Testament also has some wonderful stories that set aside the idea that coming in contact with something you think is unclean will rub off on you. Jesus is accused of not following the hand washing practices of his faith (Luke 11:37-39 https://goo.gl/Xnrqp7, Mark 7:1-3 https://goo.gl/ijUaQ7, Matthew 15:2 https://goo.gl/hLXPj6), Peter wrestled with the image of impure animals (Acts 10:111:18), and so on. Providing a marriage license for someone, baking them a cake, or other actions do not impart “uncleanness” on the other person in Christian tradition. This is not something the Bible says you will be judged for. Claiming Christian faith requires discrimination against LGBTQ people is not a claim supported by the New Testament.

The Bible is full of examples emphasizing hospitality and the need to treat others, even strangers, with care and compassion. Jesus is clear that we are not to judge and we are to treat others as our neighbors. Those of us who follow Christ would be well-advised to focus on those priorities. *Paul is a corporate chaplain, seminary trained priest, and attorney in greater Albany, NY. Reach him through www.CorporateChaplaincy.biz.

Happy New Year 2016!

16 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

Jan. 7, 2016 - Feb. 3, 2016