The Rainbow Times' June, 2019 (Pride) Issue

2 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

Stonewall 50: Remember. Celebrate. Act. Sen. Lovely: Pride is not enough

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his year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the penultimate moment of truth when the LGBTQ community rose up to counter the police brutality and harassment it faced on the streets of San Francisco.

Those brave humans didn’t just rise up to counter beatings, harassment and gross injustice that night; they rioted to say no more in the strongest of terms possible.

Fast forward to 2019.

Prides all around the world this year have largely focused their marches, parades, and celebrations around the Stonewall Rebellion theme, honoring the legacy of those that sacrificed so much, so that the LGBTQ community could have liberation, equal rights and protections, and be valued as human beings, instead of as second class citizens. They fought for an inclusive society, where all queer folks were full members of society with the same rights and privileges that its counter parts took for granted.

We’ve come a long way since that June 28, 1969 night when our very own took to the streets and risked their lives so that we could enjoy the level of acceptance that we have today and that should be celebrated, undoubtedly. There are more Americans in support of the LGBTQ community than ever before and the LGBTQ Equality Act (https://is.gd/9WrJIe) passed the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since 1974. Those victories should be celebrated. This year also marks the 15th anniversary of marriage equality in Massachusetts and that, too, should be celebrated. But, how far have we actually come? And, how far do we have left to carry that torch once the music dies down, the parades and marches are over, and when the excitement of the season dwin-

dles?

As you will read in the pages of this year’s New England Pride Guide produced

by The Rainbow Times, the Stonewall Riots may have served as the catalyst for change, yet, the very people responsible for sparking our LGBTQ movement today are still

“ ... TRANS WOMEN OF COLOR ARE MURDERED, HARASSED AND BEATEN AT DISPROPORTIONATELY

ALARMING RATES ...” under vehement attack by society, by the institution through systemic oppression, by our government, by police, and even members within our own community. Those very people whose names we hear far too little—two trans women of color, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, and a black lesbian who also performed as a drag king, Stormé DeLarverie, were the initiating movers, shakers and heroes that sparked the uprising action that summer night and because of them, the LGBTQ community stands where it does today.

The irony is ubiquitous.

According to a report (https://is.gd/uJnOWm) by the Harvard ...

See Stonewall 50 on Page 20

Allah’s Muslim LGBTQ children are all equal By: Paul P. Jesep*/TRT Columnist

P

FAITH

erhaps it goes without saying, if you can think of a faith, religion, or denominations within a religion, there are LGBTQ folks who were raised in it. Many still try to reconcile their spiritual upbringing with their understanding of a loving, inclusive Creator, especially if their childhood involved guilt, shame, and homophobia.

Many religions, or at least denominations within them, are wrestling with how to address LGBTQ civil rights. Although the Judeo-Christian heritage is given much attention, too often overlooked are LGBTQ Muslims.

Islam, like other world religions, is not monolithic. Christianity, for example, has several open and affirming denominations and even ordains LGBTQ clergy. The ElTawhid Juma Circle (https://is.gd/psN1y7) demonstrates an openly LGBTQ person can be in a loving relationship while an observant Muslim. Just ask El-Farouk Khaki

and his husband, Troy Jackson, cofounders of the Unity Mosque (https://is.gd/RQP1uc).

According to its website, the Toronto based Mosque supports the “inherent dignity of every human being regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, linguistic group, dis/ability, religion or class.” “Allah (https://is.gd/dRCZ6z),” the site underscores, “is closer to each one of us than our own jugular vein, without distinction.”

According to El-Farouk Khaki, as reported by BuzzFeed News (https://is.gd/RQP1uc), women sit with men and anyone can call or lead prayer.

Anyone can participate in the Friday service in person or by Skype.

As a student of world religions, I own three copies of the Qur’an. It’s a beautiful book with many wonderful teachings consisting of love, kindness, empathy, compassion, and fraternity. It even speaks Read the rest of this story at: TheRainbowTimesMass.com

By: State Senator Joan B. Lovely* Special to The Rainbow Times

A

nniversaries offer appropriate opportunities for reflections about accomplishments and recommitments to progress. We think that we live in tumultuous times today, but the Stonewall Riots (June 28) and the first lunar landing (July 20) took place less than one month apart during the meaningful summer of 1969. The latter event marked a technological marvel; the former represented a civilrights milestone by demonstrating a growing group of people would no longer passively accept discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Dr. Martin Luther King and President Obama popularized this powerful saying, which should not suggest that justice advances in a constant fashion. While civil rights in our Commonwealth and the United States have clearly progressed over the last fifty years, we have also seen a countervailing and deeply troubling increase in hate mongering.

Elected officials at all levels of government must condemn discrimination in all forms and seek to pass laws that would equalize opportunities for all members of our society.

Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage fifteen years ago. Today, LGBTQ residents of the Commonwealth enjoy more protections than they have ever had before.

But important inequalities remain. The Legislature has righted some civil-rights wrongs but has many more waiting for redress.

In March 2019, the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives and finally passed a bill outlawing conversion therapy, an odious practice predicated on the noxious notion that people attracted to others of the same gender have some fundamental flaw that a licensed professional could fix.

I am proud of the leadership roles that Senate President Karen Spilka, Senator Mark Montigny, and Senator Julian Cyr played in banning conversion therapy.

As the Senate Chair of the Rules Committee, I had an opportunity to shape the language of the final bill that came before the Senate and to speak for the bill when my colleagues and I debated it. The omnipresence and wise counsel of critical allies like the Massachusetts Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus helped drive this bill over the finish line.

Many of us rightly celebrated the result, but we should not forget the obstacles and pitfalls we evaded and overcame on the road to victory. The bill took too long to pass. Too many residents of the Commonwealth used the spotlight on the bill as an excuse to spout hateful homophobic rhetoric when contacting the offices of their elected officials. The bill did not get the splashy public signing ceremony that it deserved, although thanks to Representative Kay Khan, a celebratory symbolic event took place at the State House during which

OP-ED

By: Nicole Lashomb*/TRT Editor-in-Chief

“WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE STONEWALL, BUT WE HAVE MANY MORE WALLS WE NEED TO BREAK DOWN TO MAKE OUR SOCIETY MORE JUST.” backers of the new law could publicly proclaim their support.

In April, the Senate passed legislation allowing for a non-binary option for gender on drivers’ licenses and birth certificates.

Under this bill, the Registry of Motor ...

See Sen. Lovely on page 22

Multiple Award Winning

The Rainbow Times The Largest LGBTQ Newspaper in New England—Boston Based TheRainbowTimesMass.com editor@therainbowtimesmass.com sales@therainbowtimesmass.com Phone: 617.444.9618 Fax: 928.437.9618 Publisher Graysen M. Ocasio Editor-In-Chief Nicole Lashomb Assistant Editor Mike Givens National/Local Sales Rivendell Media Liz Johnson Lead Photographers Steve Jewett Christine M. Hurley Reporters Mike Givens Jenna Spinelle

Chris Gilmore Nicole Collins (Intern) Audrey Cole Ad & Layout Design Prizm PR Webmaster Jarred Johnson Columnists/Guest Lorelei Erisis Deja N. Greenlaw Paul P. Jesep Mike Givens Affiliations QSyndicate

The Rainbow Times is published monthly by The Rainbow Times, LLC. TRT is affiliated with the, 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.

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June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

“Last Call”: Dyke Night® wraps up Pride at Night events, closes doors IN THE LIMELIGHT

BOSTON—After a 21-year-run, Dyke Night®’s Pride at Night events will come to a close, according to its founder, who is stepping down from the organization.

“My decision that 2019 will be our last Pride night events is truly celebratory,” said Dr. E. Kristen Porter, Founder of Dyke Night® Productions, Kristen Porter Presents, Drag Boston and Owner of The List: Boston’s Queer Agenda.

“Twenty-one years is remarkable.”

The organization was founded in 1998 as a “community spirited events production company with a mission to partner entertainment with philanthropy,” its website read.

“My background is in nonprofit executive leadership, and I embrace the notion that organizations and communities benefit when long time leaders thoughtfully step down in order to provide space for emerging leaders to step up,” Porter explained. “As a teacher and mentor, nothing could be more fulfilling than passing the torch.”

Porter, a gerontologist and passionate philanthropist, threw herself into HIV activism in the late 80s and early 90s after many loved ones became infected with HIV and ultimately succumbed to the

PHOTO: HURLEY EVENT PHOTOGRAPPHY

By: Audrey Cole & Chris Gilmore TRT Reporters

Dyke Night® ends with a bang, lots of memories and nostalgia, as its founder, Kristen Porter, steps down. Here, 2018’s LUSH Pride Party at ICON Nightclub.

virus, she said.

And, Dyke Night® was born.

“We started throwing Dyke Night® Thursdays at the Midway Café so we could

afford to buy supplies for our street outreach to homeless and injection drug using LGBT women via our grassroots activism [organization], Lesbian AIDS Project of

MA (LAPM),” said Porter of its early years.

See Dyke Night® On Page 10

4 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com PHOTO: ALEX MANCINI

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

Subject poses for photographer Alex Mancini

Strike a pose: Photographers break down barriers one snap at a time Through their lens, they capture authentic & queer identity By: Audrey Cole/TRT Reporter

Representing authenticity is a chief principal of what two New England photographers accomplish as they shoot from behind their lens, making the queer community not only visible but also empowered in their genuine identities, an art form not often captured by most.

“There is no dearth of straight, cis photographers out there doing beautiful work,” said Cate Barry of New Haven Conn.based Cate Barry Photography. “The limitation I see among them, however, is that they are more often than not queer and trans illiterate. As a baseline question, queer, trans, and GNC [gender non-conforming] people often find ourselves asking photographers whether they are 'friendly' toward us. At best, we often find ourselves explaining our relationships, sexual orientation, or gender identities and pronouns.

At worst, we can be misgendered, misunderstood, and even outright refused service.”

Alex Mancini, a Boston-based photographer also expressed the significance of gender diversity in the field. Mancini highlights those most often overlooked, utilizing storytelling through her work. She accomplishes this in part through her project, Beyond the Binary.

“Gender diversity is painfully absent from not only the mainstream media, but from our societal conscience,” Mancini said. “The goal of this project is to highlight those in the community who are rarely given a platform to share their stories, while simultaneously serving as a resource for those looking to educate themselves, or looking for those they can relate to. I believe that education and visibility are at the root of solutions to many of the problems facing different communities today.”

Mancini left her day job in 2018 to pursue her creative work full-time. Beyond the Binary combines in-person interviews with photo shoots on-location.

“For the first two years of its life, the

THE EASIEST WAY TO ERASE AN ENTIRE GROUP OF PEOPLE IS TO RENDER THEM

INVISIBLE. AND WHEN YOU ERASE THEM, IT BECOMES MUCH EASIER TO OPPRESS THEM, TO COMMIT

VIOLENCE & CRUELTY AGAINST THEM, BECAUSE

NO ONE IS LOOKING OR CARING. project was primarily based in the Boston area since I had a full-time job that did not allow me much time to be able to travel,” Mancini explained. Since then, she has expanded the project across the country.

See Queer Identity on Page 21

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

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From L-to-R: Alejandra St. Guillen’s wife, Josiane Martinez, the couples’ son, and Boston City Councilor At-Large candidate Alejandra St. Guillen PHOTOS: CAMPAIGN TO ELECT ALEJANDRA ST. GUILLEN

Openly gay and first Latinx woman runs for City Council At-Large seat Alejandra St. Guillen could make history in Boston BOSTON—If there is something that the mid-term elections have taught Americans is that the political arena is shifting because voters are more interested in people who bring them results, not just promises, who share similar backgrounds and intersectionalities. Those elections resulted in the highest number of LGBT people ever holding public office, including women and people of color—from various races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

In Boston, Alejandra St. Guillen, isn’t just another candidate. If elected, she will make history as the first Latinx woman to take a seat on the Boston City Council.

Not only is she a Latina, but she meets at the intersections of many marginalized struggles and identities, which places her in a position to understand and reach more people than the average person.

“I believe the intersectionality of all my identities as a gay woman, a Latina, the daughter of an immigrant, a homicide survivor, a new mom, etc. have had a tremendous impact on my life and my passions,” said St. Guillen, Boston City Councilor AtLarge candidate, to The Rainbow Times.

“My passion is driven by my deeply held belief that all people have the right and should have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Everyone deserves to live with dignity and respect and that is played out across various spectrums—in our schools, in the community, in our local government.”

Born to a Venezuelan immigrant father and her mother from New Hampshire, St. Guillen had to face major heartbreak before

understanding that her calling for service to others went beyond the civic work that she’d learned from her father—a man who offered assistance to youth afflicted with “drug addiction and abuse.” For her family, she told The Wesleyan Argus (TWA) in January 2019, “helping others was always important.”

But helping others became more of a call for St. Guillen after she faced one of the most devastating events in her life.

Tragic loss The brutal murder of her only sister, Imette St. Guillen, left the openly-gay candidate feeling as if she had failed her eldest child duties because she couldn’t protect her younger sibling, she explained to the Boston Globe (https://bit.ly/2YuQZlh) in March of this year. Weeks before obtaining her Masters’ degree in 2006, Imette was brutally murdered in NYC by a club bouncer, according to the Globe’s story.

Losing her, in a sense, cemented St. Guillen’s determination and calling to serve others. “ … And the fact that I wasn’t there to do that [protect her] left me with an incredible amount of guilt and an incredible amount of obligation to see that the life that she didn’t get to lead would be lived out by others,” she said to the Boston publication.

Her sister was someone that St. Guillen was close to and whom she confided in, so much so that her first “coming out” was to Imette and not her parents.

See St. Guillen On Page 16

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

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Part II*: “Hairpin drop heard around the world” — Fifty years since Stonewall and the birth of Gay liberation (*continued from the New England Pride Guide 2019) By: Keegan O’Brien/Special to TRT

The Stonewall Rebellion The Stonewall Inn was one of New York City’s most popular gay bars in the 1960s.

Sitting at the crossroads of Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue in Greenwich Village, a neighborhood known for its bohemian lifestyle, and just steps away from the the Village Voice office, the Stonewall was dark and had two bars, a jukebox, and the only floor for dancing in the whole city.

The Stonewall Inn became an epicenter for the gay world of New York, especially its most marginal members, and regularly drew an electric crowd of cruising gay men, drag queens, street kids, and some lesbians.

Due to the illegality of running a gay establishment, the mafia owned gay bars in New York—including the Stonewall. The mob was certainly no friend to the community—who they viewed with contempt and disgust—but they paid off the police at the local Sixth Precinct to stave off raids on the Stonewall. When the police did go after the bar, they did it early in the night to cause minimal disruption.

For gay people in the 1960s, the contradiction was that at the same time freedom, openness, and a demand for change were

increasing throughout society. New York was simultaneously increasing its enforcement of anti-homosexual laws to such an extent that it was a near police state for gays and lesbians.

While bars provided a place for gay people to meet one another and socialize in a repressive society, it also made them a target for police. Late on a Friday night in June 1969, police busted into the Stonewall Inn, demanding that all patrons line up and show their IDs and planning to arrest bar employees, cross-dressers, and those without proper identification.

That night the police were more aggressive than normal. They tore apart the bar, smashed the furniture, and were physically aggressive with patrons who talked back and mouthed off. Unlike previous raids that came early in the night, police shut the Stonewall during peak hours. Whereas normally patrons would disperse after being kicked out, knowing they could return later, this time they began to gather outside the bar. The crowd of a few dozen eventually swelled to hundreds. Thousands of gay residents poured into the streets.

The uprising was multiracial, diverse, and reflected a broad spectrum of the LGBTQ community. Many eyewitnesses commented specifically on the important

role played that night by the most marginalized sections of the community— street kids, t r a n s women, and queer youth of color.

The Village Voice published an article the following day describKeegan O’Brien i n g (https://is.gd/Mk5ouA) the riots: “As the patrons trapped inside were released one by one, a crowd started to gather on the street … initially a festive gathering, composed mostly of Stonewall boys who were waiting around for friends still inside or to see what was going to happen … Cheers would go up as favorites would emerge from the door, strike a pose, and swish by the detective with a ‘Hello there, fella.’”

But when the paddy wagons arrived, the mood changed. Angry onlookers began throwing coins at police, and then moved on to bottles, cobblestones, and trashcans.

A full-fledged riot soon broke out.

Later that night the riot squad arrived, and a nightlong chase between gay protesters and police ensued. Expecting to easily disperse the crowd of people society had

labeled “sissies” and “faggots” and stereotypically viewed as weak, the police were completely caught off guard when the protesters fought back. Pioneering transgender activist Sylvia Rivera (https://is.gd/AvUCLL) was a part of Friday night’s uprising, which she would later describe as a turning point in her life.

What Came After Stonewall Stonewall marked a sharp break from the past and a qualitative turning point in the gay movement—not only because of the continuous rioting in the streets against police, but because activists were able to seize the moment and give an organized expression to the spontaneous uprising that encapsulated the militancy of the era. While the homophile movement made steady, if limited, progress throughout the 1950s and ’60s and laid the basis for the gay liberation movement, Stonewall broke the dam of political and social isolation and catapulted the gay movement out from the margins and into the open.

Activists didn’t waste a minute. Before the riots even finished, homophile militants Charles Pitts and Bill Katzenberg created a flyer and distributed it to thousands of Village residents. It read, “Do you think homosexuals are revolting? You bet your sweet ass we are!” and described the Stonewall Rebellion as the “The hairpin drop heard around the world.”

Michael Brown, a gay socialist involved in the New Left who was at Stonewall and helped Pitts and Katzenberg pass out their flyers, reached out to the Mattachine Society after the first night of rioting in the hopes of calling for an organizing meeting to tap into the new momentum.

Everyone in Mattachine didn’t view Brown’s proposal warmly. Older activists were critical of the riots and didn’t

See Stonewall on page 23

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

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Dyke Night® from page 3 “After LAPM disbanded, I continued that mission. During that time, I was the director of a nonprofit Boston HIV/AIDS clinic and so fundraising was a big part of my role.”

Though Dyke Night® will draw the curtain in 2019 as the community knows it, Porter explained that the closure has been a gradual process.

“Pride weekend closes out our Pride at night events, the largest of our annual events, and marks the end of traditional nightclub events,” she said. “We started the process of passing the torch when I ended our 10 year Second Saturday event and Pride weekend will wrap up that transition.”

The void that Dyke Night® filled in the community and the way it and Porter herself have impacted countless patrons, supporters and partners is palpable.

“In the beginning 11 years ago, I was not active in the lesbian community, but being involved in Dyke Night® and Kristen Porter Presents changed all that,” said Perri Mertens, Marlborough, Mass. “Kristen has been a mentor throughout all those years, and [I] can't even begin to express how much I have learned about our community.”

Although Dyke Night® will be missed due to its iconic events and philanthropic efforts, Mertens also expressed support of the decision and said that Porter’s “expertise, wisdom and huge heart is needed for other important causes.”

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

“I am really looking forward to seeing everyone at LUSH at ICON for ‘Last Call,’” said Mertens about the final Pride at Night 2019 event. “It will be a bit of a reunion given how many people’s lives have been touched, all the friendships and partnerships [forged], and even marriages as a result.”

Business partner Maryalice Kalaghan expressed her gratitude.

“Kristen brought me into the Dyke Night® family as a DJ and business partner after the death of the super talented DJ Kris Kono,” said Kalaghan, also a longtime resident DJ at the Boatslip Resort in Provincetown. “It was a fantastic experience working with someone so dedicated to creating quality nightlife events for the LGBTQ community.”

With the ever-changing nightlife scene, Kalaghan, a Dorchester resident with her wife of 20 years, recalled the earlier days.

“As someone who has spent 40 years in the industry, it always saddens me when a gay/lesbian club or promoter decides to throw in the towel,” she said. “It is a hard business. Things change. I get it. However, it feels like yesterday that there were more LGBTQ spaces than I could count. Now, not so much.”

A mover and a shaker, when Porter sees a need, she sets a plan into action to fill a void.

“Last year we embarked upon a new initiative, Drag Boston, aiming to address the disparities experienced by drag kings,” she

See Dyke Night® on page 13

Queer Puzzle: It’s a sad day in Hollywood this time

Across 1 Streisand's Prince of ___ 6 Ventimiglia of This Is Us 10 Smurf patriarch 14 South Beach setting 15 Top Norse deity 16 Figure skater Rippon 17 Calamity Jane song that became an LGBT anthem 19 Jam holders 20 Web site concerned with HIV 21 Butler's "___ for Strings" 23 F, in the orchestra pit 24 Bowling units 25 Caesar's body 29 ___ mia!

30 What S&M people are as smart as?

31 Setting for The Lion King 35 Boat bottom 36 Run over the edge 37 Regressive diva?

38 Sound of Music song 40 Word from Bruce Weber, perhaps 41 Get on the soapbox 42 Took it all off 43 Erections of small-handed Trump 45 Fooling around 46 "___ touch!"

47 Tape-recorder adjunct 52 Culture Club's "___ Miracle" 53 Frequent costar with Doris Day 55 Work your fingers to the bone 56 Helm location

57 Hersey's A Bell For ___ 58 Star journey for George Takei 59 You might wear them on your knees 60 Pluck 'em Down 1 Pleasure oneself, with "off" 2 Thespian rapper 3 South Beach building style 4 He shot off at O.K. Corral 5 Come from behind 6 Like old bread, perhaps 7 They come before kissing 8 Tyler of Lord of the Rings 9 Like a Las Vegas bandit 10 1957 Doris Day film, with The 11 "Lesbians ignite!" e.g.

12 City Porter loved in song 13 Schoolyard retort 18 Neckwear 22 Rhett Butler's final word 24 Amounts left on nightstands 25 Suffix with beef or fruit 26 Got a little behind 27 South Korea's first president 28 1959 Doris Day film with 53-Across 29 Edwin of Reagan's Cabinet 31 Narrow openings 32 Like McKellen's Magneto 33 Q to a Scrabble player 34 Fingered 36 Seduction of a hairy gay guy?

39 Singer with wings 40 Homoerotic, e.g.

42 Word on a door 43 Aristotle, to Alexander the Great 44 Clark of fashion 45 Pretends to have an orgasm 46 Fly catcher 47 Reproduced nonheterosexually?

48 Swirl around three men in a tub 49 Russian ruler of yore 50 The sound of music 51 Mireille of The Killing 54 Plug extension

Have a Happy pride

2019!

SOLUTION

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

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The end of an era, as Dyke Night® closes for good

Dyke Night® from page 10 said. “As drag has increased in popularity, opportunities have flourished for drag ...queens; kings have not seen the same boost. We created a drag king workshop (we have three more in 2019) that by the end of the year will have over 40 new King graduates. In 2020, Drag Boston will provide regular shows so that our graduates, along with other local kings, have additional performance opportunities. Once that gets established, I will pass that torch as well.”

Srill, many feel terribly saddened that it’s the end of an era in Boston’s womxn scene, a word used by Porter as an intersectional alternative spelling to be inclusive of trans-

PHOTO: HURLEY EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

gender women and nonbinary people.

“Seeing Dyke Night® end makes me deeply emotional,” said Jo Trigilio, LGBTQ member and Boston Dyke March leadership team member. “I think of all the events of the past two decades, all the friends I made, the relationships I have formed ... it was an avenue to community.”

And, Dyke Night®’s fundraising and distribution of funds was instrumental to recipient organizations carrying out programs and events that they may not have, otherwise, afforded.

“Fundraisers hosted by Dyke Night such as the Dyke March After Party, Valentine's Love Machine, and countless speed dating

See Dyke Night® on page 22

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Reasons for LGBTQIA+ folks to attend their local prides By: Deja Nicole Greenlaw*/TRT Columnist

I

TRANS OPINION

t's June and June is Pride month! Many prides are held in June and, in many areas, you can attend a different pride in June every weekend. I think that is wonderful.

I love prides for many reasons. I realize that some folks don't care for them, but to me this is what prides offer as I’ve outlined it as follows.

The march: Many prides have a march. Marches can feel great for the marcher to walk through the city streets with a sense of pride of being who they are! I especially love to watch first-time marchers and see their expressions as the crowd cheers them on as they walk by. As a note, I would like to report that every time I've marched I’ve noticed that the crowd support has gotten bigger and better—every year for transgender folks. In the Northampton Pride march this past May, there were so many people cheering and sending love to my Springfield, Mass. transgender support group, UniTy, that it was wonderfully overwhelming!

Seeing old friends every year: Sometimes time passes and you don’t see your friends that often, but if they (and you) go to a

local pride and/or take part in a pride march, you can see them at least once a year. This is important especially as we grow older. Time flies, things change, health issues change and it’s nice to keep abreast of your friends and what’s happening in their lives. Sometimes, you may find out that someone passed on, which is always sad news. However, sometimes the news is good. You find that they got married, now have a child, moved, have a new job, etc.

Enjoying the new, rising talent in the area: Pride celebrations have entertainers, many of who are budding musicians and performers. It's great to see/hear them. You can watch their shows and dance along with their music. You may also see LGBTQIA+ friendly politicians on stage.

About ten years ago, I volunteered for Northampton Pride and was helping to work the green room where the upcoming acts would wait for their time slot. I met Senator Elizabeth Warren in the green room. Just a couple of years ago, I met Senator Warren again as she was marching in the Boston Pride march. There usually are many other local politicians who will be visible at the local prides.

Having LGBTQIA+ people together in one place: To me, prides are like big family events. No, these folks may not be your blood family but they are your queer family. We may be gay, lesbian, trans, bisexual, etc. but we all share the queerness element.

“WE MAY BE GAY, LESBIAN, TRANS, BISEXUAL, ETC. BUT WE ALL SHARE THE QUEERNESS ELEMENT.” We have all faced opposition from friends and family and sometimes houses of worship, places of work, and groups like bowling leagues, baseball teams, and other sports. So, we all know what rejection feels like. It's wonderful to find acceptance and to feel the love at prides.

Checking up on the bills in the state legislatures: Yes, you can find the bills on the Internet, but if you visit the various activist group booths at the local prides, they can tell you exactly what bills are on the floor, which are stalled, or whatever the bills current positions are. They can tell you when to show up at the legislative buildings to support current pro-LGBTQIA+ bills or to fight the current anti-LGBTQIA+ bills.

This is very important as the Trump administration is chipping away at LGBTQIA+ rights. We need to stand up to this hateful administration and stop them in their hateful tracks. There are other groups too, who are made out of social activists, for instance. You may also find out about groups that support LGBTQIA+ people who are currently imprisoned and many more activist groups too. The way the Trump ad-

ministration is working against our community means that there are going to be lots of groups who want to stop various hateful bills.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Stonewall: Honor, celebrate and support the historical activism of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson and others who would not take any more oppression from the NYC police and any more oppression from anyone in general. I will always remember Stonewall, and I will always honor and thank those folks who took the hits and paved the way for us.

So, those are my reasons for attending the local prides. Be proud, be strong, be with your community, enjoy your community, never forget the uprising at Stonewall, and help fight this Trump administration and their hateful ways towards LGBTQIA+ American rights! Yes, I will be at the prides! *Deja Nicole Greenlaw is retired from 3M and has 3 children and two grandchildren.

She can be contacted at dejavudeja@sbcglobal.net.

Ask a Trans Woman: We are under attack and this is how we win By: Lorelei Erisis*/TRT Columnist

S

PHOTO: DAVID MEEHAN

isters and siblings, brothers and others, we are under attack.

Yes, we have made incredible gains over the past few years and this is worth celebrating.

And yet, we must not forget, this progress has come at great cost.

It took decades, centuries of struggle and many, many lives battered bloody against the rocky shores of oppression. We are here today because of the sacrifice and struggle of those who came before us, to whom we owe a debt we can barely begin to repay.

But, there is so much more work to do.

We just recently, after a decade-long battle, finally secured full, and protected, civil rights for trans people here in Massachusetts. We won this long after same-sex marriage became law in this state, and even in this country.

And, in most of the rest of the country, trans people still have few protections or even none at all.

Marriage is a wonderful thing; don’t get me wrong. I tried it once myself. Of course, I also tried L$D. Personally, I think I preferred the L$D. But I digress …

Marriage is nice, but marriage alone doesn’t put food on the table, roofs over our heads, and doesn’t protect us from ca-

sual violence and outright assault.

Still, we are under attack. Our gains, what they are, can be all too easily erased, stripped away—all the harder to win back.

Even our bodily autonomy is under at-

We owe it to each other to do the work to examine our own biases, language, and understanding. Acknowledge that we are all flawed and will all make mistakes. Be patient and kind with each other, because the

AMONG US, AND IN VARYING DEGREES, MANY OF US HAVE WHITE PRIVILEGE, MALE PRIVILEGE, CIS PRIVILEGE, CLASS PRIVILEGE, PASSING PRIVILEGE. tack. If you aren’t white, cis, and male, your right to decide what you do with your own body is actively being legislated away.

While our allies are distracted, fighting to preserve laws we assumed established and safe just a few short years ago, trans people, gender nonconforming people, queer people, and people of color are still being murdered and attacked in staggering numbers.

Especially trans women.

Especially trans women of color.

While this continues, we fight among ourselves. And, in doing so, by turning our anger inward, we do the oppressor’s work for them.

world is neither patient nor kind to any of us.

We must do this so that we can stop fighting each other and fight our hegemonic, heteronormative, cis, white, patriarchal oppressors instead.

This begins by understanding that though we are all marginalized; some of us have more privilege than others. Among us, and in varying degrees, many of us have white privilege, male privilege, cis privilege, class privilege, and passing privilege. I, myself, though when I transitioned I took a high leap off the privilege ladder, still have white privilege and even tall privilege.

And yes, privilege can be complex. Take that last bit for instance. “Tall privilege.”

Tall privilege means that people tend to take me more seriously simply because I’m tall. They often assume I’m the one in charge, or that I must know what I’m doing, even when I most certainly don’t!

But tall privilege is a double-edged sword. It makes people more likely to misgender me because they associate height with masculinity. And, it makes insecure men afraid of me, which can be useful but makes them even more likely to attack, if I act even slightly threateningly.

For all that though, I believe those of us who do have privilege are morally obligated to use our privilege to fight for those who have less than we do. At the same time, we are also obligated to work to dismantle that privilege entirely.

I’m not just talking about trans and queer people. I believe we must fight for people of color generally, for all immigrants to these shores, and for migrants wherever they may be, who are fleeing even worse oppression than we ourselves will ever know.

We must stand up for the poor, the hungry, and the oppressed.

We must fight for sex workers who lately have suffered from the effects of one of the most damaging pieces of legislation I have Read the rest of this story at TheRainbowTimesMass.com

16 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

St. Guillen from page 6 “When I told my sister, she was not shocked at all. She was super excited and insisted we tell my mother right away,” she said.

St. Guillen attended esteemed public schools in Boston and then went to college and graduated with a double major in economics and African American Studies from Wesleyan University, which continued to prepare the young woman for a deeper understanding of how socioeconomics and race could affect services and opportunities for non-majority children, youth and adults.

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Different lenses “My varied life experiences mean I see the world through a lens of empathy and hope and a belief that we all have the ability to do more and give more every day,” she explained.

Life milestones like graduating from college, purchasing a new house, marrying her wife and the birth of her child, are no ordinary feats for St. Guillen, who’s also had to face obstacles inherent to the intersectionalities of her various identities since her humble upbringing.

“I have suffered great loss and heartache in my life and have also dealt with depression since a very early age,” she said.

“Therefore, these personal accomplishments may seem quite ordinary to other people, but they are extraordinary for me, as they demonstrate my tenacity and resiliency in the face of remarkable odds.”

In her most recent capacity—after having worked in special education at McKinley Schools, non-profit work with immigrant children and communities via ¿Oíste?, as Director of Constituent Services for Senator Dianne Wilkerson’s office, and later under Mayor Marty J. Walsh’s Office for Immigrant Advancement—St. Guillen is uniquely prepared to handle the work that may await her, if elected, right from the start.

“As someone who has worked both inside and outside of government advocating for the communities struggling to create a home and a community in Boston, I am uniquely positioned to hit the ground running on day one,” said the candidate.

LGBTQ community, Yes On 3 Aware that being a gay woman comes with its own set of tribulations, St. Guillen decidedly pointed out that she will be working to ensure that LGBTQ youth are less bullied by peers and that more LGBTQ appropriate education is available to all students.

“I am extremely passionate about issues impacting LGBTQ youth. In particular, I am very concerned about bullying,” she said. “Even in a state and city as progressive as ours when it comes to LGBTQ rights, LGBTQ youth are still at an increased risk of being bullied by their peers.

I am also passionate about making sure our sex education in schools is culturally competent and LGBTQ appropriate. We know that 25 percent of all new HIV infections are among young people ages 13-24. We need to do a better job at educating our young people and providing them the tools

to make safe choices.

A 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey by the Department of Public Health reported that there are 5,474,136 adults in Mass., and approximately 394,000 are LGBT (an underestimation of the true size of our LGBT population). Those statistics, along with a sense of duty, are behind St. Guillen’s team who is strategically working on the release of her policy for this segment of her wouldbe constituents.

“The LGBTQ population is a key priority for me,” she stated. “We are planning the release of our LGBTQ focused policy platform on June 1 to coincide with Pride month. … Therefore, if elected I would work with BPS to implement programs that emphasize safe spaces and inclusivity in schools to reduce absenteeism, depression, and harassment. There, we will cover policy proposals on everything from bullying to comprehensive sexual education to housing for our LGBTQ elders.”

Estimates from the Department of Health in 2015 state that 2 percent of Mass. High School students identified as transgender.

St. Guillen said she supported Massachusetts Yes On 3, a measure to uphold protections in public accommodations for the transgender community in the commonwealth. Likewise, she opposes the trans military ban since “both issues are about doing what is right and in the best interest of humanity.”

“I proudly voted Yes on 3 and was very proud that my fellow residents did the same,” she said. “The rights of transgender people are basic human rights. The trans military ban has nothing to do with cost or national security and everything to do with bigotry and playing to a political base.”

And, she won’t stand for anything less when it comes to the LGBTQ community, she explained.

“As a gay woman [married for 8 years], I am personally connected to the issues impacting the LGBTQ community,” she said.

“I know that those experiences are shaped not only by one’s sexual [orientation] or gender identity but the myriad of one’s experiences, whether it be as a person of color, a young person experiencing homelessness or an elder who no longer feels comfortable being ‘out.’”

Just as she’s done throughout her life, St. Guillen is determined to continue to be “out and proud,” especially during this stage in her life as she now runs for Boston City Council.

“As a very public official who has been out for her entire career, I believe I have been able to be a role model for young activists to bring their full selves to the struggle,” she explained.

Her message for this community is that, if elected, “you will always have an advocate on the Council, someone there to make sure your needs and concerns are being heard and someone who will also stand up for equity and justice.”

Immigrants & teenage pregnancies But, her determination, as her intersectionalities, include more than just members of the LGBTQ community. According to

See St. Guillen on page 22

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 17

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019 PHOTO: JAN VAŠEK / PIXABAY

9 seemingly cheaper travel ‘hacks’ that could be robbing you blind

THE FRIVOLIST

By: Mikey Rox*/Special to TRT

Cutting costs on travel can be a boon for your vacay budget, but there’s a dark side to some of those “discounts.”

1. Flying budget airlines Travel discounts apps and sites may populate your air travel search with lower-cost, no-frills lines like Spirit or Norwegian, but what you’re saving on the front end could cost you even more on the back end.

Unlike slightly higher-priced traditional airlines, “budget” carriers charge for everything, from carry-on bags (and the fee is WAY more than traditional airlines) to food and water (yes, you have to buy your own water on Spirit), so if you don’t plan accordingly, you can end up spending a fortune to get there in a seat that’s been consciously designed to be less comfortable.

And that’s assuming you get there …

I booked a flight to Paris from Dublin on Ryanair many years ago and the airline canceled the flight, ruined our New Year’s Eve, stranded us in the airport—we slept on the floor—only to send us to London a day later without so much as a sorry or a flight voucher.

2. Being flexible with your flight time and duration to save money You can save a lot of money by choosing to fly at an inconvenient time or booking a flight with a long layover. But at what cost to your vacation?

“Oftentimes, it pays to spend more on a flight if it means you’ll get to your destination faster or at a better time,” says Calvin Iverson, travel expert at TravelPirates (https://is.gd/fp2p7e). “If you’re spending 10 hours doing nothing at an airport during a layover or arriving in your destination at three in the morning, are you really having a good vacation?”

Or you can do what I do—book the longest layover possible in a place you’ve never been. I took a 16-hour layover in Ice-

land from London about 15 years ago—because when was I ever going to go to Iceland—and I loved it so much, I’ve returned twice. It was the best part of my vacation by far.

3. Clearing your “cookies” to game the system One misconception is that when you're searching online for flights that you need to clear your search browser history before evaluating flights as the airlines have algorithms that will automatically increase flight prices if you continue searching for flights to the same destination. This may be counterintuitive, as some airlines will reduce a flight price in the hope of securing your booking. Very often airlines will offer reduce rates to frequent flyers so browsing for flights in incognito mode could actually cost you money.

4. Prebooking a vacation package deal before you leave It's important to understand when booking a vacay package that you're not booking direct with the providers themselves and you will pay an inflated price to the booking agent as they need to make a margin too.

“The other inherent problem with ‘vacation package deals’ is that you will often end up with inconvenient travel times, poor rooms, and less than ideal rental cars,” adds Patricia Russell, a certified financial planner (CFP) and founder of the personal finance blog FinanceMarvel (https://is.gd/MnIqqW). “You will end up overpaying for each service and then receive a subpar service from each provider.

You're much better to book directly with each provider as they will generally match the rate from the ‘vacation package’ broker anyway.”

5. Booking a hotel outside of the city It’s true that hotels farther from the city center or the airport are often less expensive than hotels closer to the action. “But Read the rest of this story at: TheRainbowTimesMass.com

18 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

Drew Schiff releases inspirational, benefit summer single “Ride the Wave” is the young singer’s third single about battling life’s ‘ups and downs’ By: Skip Sheffield/Special to TRT

“I’ve encountered lots of storms over the past few years but if I had to pick the one that has been most impactful on my life, it would be when I was forced to leave home due to my being different than what my parents dreamt me up to be,” says Drew Schiff. He makes his triumphant return to pop radio with “Ride the Wave,” a song he wrote, about the importance of leaning on loved ones in times of need.

Growing up in Hungary, Drew enjoyed a nice childhood surrounded by his sister and cousins, who were like siblings to him.

Everything changed, however, in his teen years with the divorce of his parents and his mother openly objecting to Drew’s sexual fluidity which resulted in some very bad fights.

“There have been times I have felt I wasn’t strong enough to deal with a problem,” he continues. “I’m a strong guy, so yeah, I probably had most of what it took to rise above the crisis but sometimes, when things get really dark, everyone needs that tiny ray of light, that little whisper of ‘I believe in you,’ to help overcome what appears to be insurmountable.”

We spoke with the young singer/songwriter from his home in New York.

Q: What pronoun do you prefer and describe your "fluidity" sexual identity?

Drew Schiff: He. To be honest with you, in my book, everyone is ‘fluid’. It’s a spectrum and it can change with time. It’s a journey. I believe that as we grow, we evolve physically, mentally and sexually.

Many people tell me I’m on a journey to becoming gay, and that’s alright. In that case, I’ll be happy that way. I am just trying to accept myself as I am.

Q: Father’s Day is coming up. Were you close with your dad?

A: My father was a typical ‘macho man,’ against most things that were different than he was. He used to call me names.

Q: Were you closer with your mother?

A: I was a mommy’s boy until I started to reach puberty and first had feelings for a boy. That was the point when my relationship with my mother turned upside down.

She didn’t accept it at all. We had big and ugly fights, which led to me having to leave (home). Growing up without my biological family, I’ve had times when I felt incredibly lonely. I tried to find family in people I’ve met, connect with them.

Q: Is that what inspired your new single, ‘Ride the Wave’?

A: The song was inspired by the hardships I’ve experienced in my life and how, at times, you can feel that you’re different, or not good enough because the environment that you’re in doesn’t understand you. But no matter what kind of $hitstorm there is around you, as long as you’ve got at least one person who cares for you, that can really give you the armor to face everything,

Drew Schiff

you’ll be ok.

Q: You’re donating all proceeds to the single to the Stonewall foundation.

Why? A: In this special, commemorative year (50 years of Stonewall), it makes you stop,

PHOTO: DREW SCHIFF

think and appreciate what the generations before have done for the liberties we all enjoy today. We are able to be ourselves and be not just be accepted and tolerated but respected and celebrated—at least in some places, not everywhere yet but we’re working to change that! The donation is

just a tiny contribution from me to the cause to show my appreciation.

“Ride the Wave” is available on iTunes (https://is.gd/MHIU2k), Spotify and all digital platforms. All proceeds are being donated to the Stonewall Community Foundation.

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 19

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

Pulse Orlando survivor honors hate crime survivors & victims By: Audrey Cole/TRT Reporter

ARKANSAS—Pulse Orlando survivor Christophen (Chancen) Hansen, has recently launched a national campaign to organize “Reflections of Resilience,” an annual day to honor hate-crime survivors and victims, according to the visionary.

“Reflections of Resilience Day is a day to honor victims of hate crimes, those who have had acts of hate committed against

them and survived, and those who have committed suicide due the lack of acceptance, feeling alone, and [isolated] …”

Hansen said to The Rainbow Times.

Motivated by his experiences as a Pulse Orlando shooting survivor and inspired by a dream where the community came together to “express, acceptance, awareness, and understanding, at an event of some sort” Hansen began to work on developing Reflections of Resilience Day, he said.

JCF announces 2020 grant cycle is open Covering gender-affirming surgeries for trans patients NEW YORK – The Jim Collins Foundation (JCF), a national nonprofit organization with a mission to fund gender-affirming surgeries, has announced the start of their 2020 grant cycle. JCF is now accepting applications from transgender individuals who are actively seeking a gender-affirming surgery but do not have the financial resources to move forward.

Applicants have two grant options. The Founders’ Fund Grant covers 100 percent of the surgical fees associated with genderaffirming surgery. The Krysallis Anne Hembrough Legacy Fund covers 50% of the surgical fees associated with gender-affirming surgery; the recipient provides the other 50 percent using their own financial resources.

Since 2011, JCF has awarded 25 surgical grants, with many of these covering 100 percent of the surgical fees.

“JCF strives to continue to be a leader in nonprofits providing financial assistance to transgender individuals who would otherwise not be able to access these life-changing surgeries,” said Jody Randall, JCF president. “We can do this by continued support through individual donations, legacy planning, and planned contributions.”

The 2020 grant cycle will continue accepting applications through August 1, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EST. For more information on The Jim Collins Foundation, grantees and ways to support this work, visit jimcollinsfoundation.org.

Christopher Hansen poses with Jarrett Hanley when he was North Shore Pride’s 2017 Grand Marshal PHOTO: FACEBOOK

Currently residing in Arkansas, the Reflections of Resilience Day was established fairly quickly after receiving his first proclamation from Joe Smith, Mayor of North Little Rock and has already issued a proclamation to declare June 11 as the Reflections of Resilience Day, the Advocate reported (https://bit.ly/2YZOZBQ).

Thus began Hansen’s quest to lobby other municipalities to also issue similar proclamations. It is all about “connection, awareness and love” he said.

“I am and have always been love,” said Chancen. “I come from a rather close and caring family, which shared acceptance [and]… most of all, love for yourself and those around you.”

As for Massachusetts, Hansen said he has

received a proclamation from the city of Salem declaring Reflections of Resilience Day and has hopes to receive one from Boston as well.

“I plan to get another proclamation created in Boston due to the love the city has brought together since the awareness facilitated from #BostonStrong,” he said.

According to Hansen, the establishment of Reflections of Resilience is as much related to his own healing process, as much as it is others.

“I have reached out and connected to a variety of cities throughout the country,” said the survivor who was a Grand Marshal for North Shore Pride’s 2017 Parade. “Reflections of Resilience also has sort of a back story connecting to my own personal healing journey as well, including communities I have lived in throughout my life.”

And, his plans don’t end with the U.S. “In the years to come, I plan to have reached out to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and other countries throughout the world to bring about a stronger bond and magnification of love,” Hansen added.

Cities that have signed on in support of observing the National Reflections of Resilience Day include North Little Rock, Arkansas; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Salem, Massachusetts; Little Rock, Arkansas; Jacksonville, Arkansas; West Hollywood, Read the rest of this story at: TheRainbowTimesMass.com

20 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

Stonewall 50 from Page 2 T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Public Radio, discrimination in the LGBTQ community is still pervasive, especially for LGBTQ people of color.

“LGBTQ people of color are at least twice as likely as white LGBTQ people [to] say they have been personally discriminated against because they are LGBTQ when applying for jobs and when interacting with police, and six times more likely to say they have avoided calling the police (30 percent) due to concern for antiLGBTQ discrimination, compared to white LGBTQ people (5 percent),” the report (https://is.gd/uJnOWm) read.

Today, trans women of color are murdered, harassed and beaten at disproportionately alarming rates (https://is.gd/Dzz7uy), women’s reproductive rights are under attack and Roe v. Wade has a real possibility of being overturned, which affects roughly half of the LGBTQ population. Virtually no civil rights are safe at this point with the Supreme Court being the most conservative we’ve seen in modern history.

The report also indicated that a substantial percentage of the overall LGBTQ community still confronts institutional and individual discrimination in virtually every realm.

“At least one in five of those surveyed said they have been discriminated against in the process of applying for a job (20 percent), being paid equally or considered for a promotion (22 percent) or buying or renting a home (22 percent),” the survey read.

Institutions of higher learning are also not

immune to discriminatory practices. Of those LGBTQ community members who “applied for or attended college, 20 percent said they had experienced discrimination because of their gender identity or sexual orientation while applying or while at college.” These percentages worsen dramatically when race, ethnicity, gender and other intersectional identities are taken into consideration.

And, of course, we cannot forget about the hundreds of bills put forward in Congress that harm the LGBTQ community over the past two years, including the misusage of the Religious Freedom Reformation Act, which has been mischaracterized and used as a license to discriminate against the LGBTQ community and others.

It is still happening and there is still so much work to do.

As we celebrate the battles won, we must remember our past and the wars waged to get here and prepare for those yet to come.

We owe it to our foremothers and Stonewall survivors to act to protect our present, future, their legacy and the LGBTQ community still under siege, especially at the intersection of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity.

As Stormé DeLarverie shouted to the on looking crowd as she was brutally beaten by police simply for her outwardly presentation, “Aren’t you guys going to do something?” *Nicole Lashomb is the Editor-in-Chief of The Rainbow Times and Co-Founder of Project Out. She holds an MBA from Marylhurst University and a BM from the esteemed Crane School of Music/SUNY Potsdam. Nicole can be reached directly at editor@therainbowtimesmass.com.

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 21

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

Queer Identity From Page 4 “So far I have done almost 60 interviews,” she said.

Both photographers use their lens to fight back against systemic oppression against the trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming and queer identities, especially under the current presidential administration, where countless efforts have been made to curb equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.

“If you're in front of my lens, we are actively defying all of that ignorant, painful BS through radical self-love and a wholehearted embrace of your inner and outer hotness,” Barry said. “You will leave our session feeling on top of the world, the president be damned. That is the measure of my success as an artist.”

Fighting back against the machine takes on many forms for Mancini, including using her artistic endeavors to create widespread impact, in the hope of garnering acceptance, which is a part of what keeps her motivated, she explained.

“I use my art in any way I can to fight back because I’ve learned that if I try to fight back in traditional ways, I get burnt out very quickly,” Mancini said. “I very firmly believe that creative, artistic, and otherwise non-traditional approaches to battling oppression can be just as impactful, if not more so. Using my art means no one can stop me from doing what I’m doing, and I can do it in any way that I want to. That’s very empowering. It fuels me to keep going.

Education also plays a critical role to creating an understanding of the community, she said.

“I believe that visibility and education are fundamental to changing hearts and minds on any issue,” said the Boston photographer.. “Rather than throwing myself at a brick wall trying to bust through (this current administration), I can build my own path around it. Not only does this help me stay motivated, but more importantly, it

A subject poses for Barry’s lens at one of her LGBTQ pop-up events.

PHOTO: CATE BARRY

brings connection and empowerment to others in these communities who don’t get to see themselves or don’t get a chance to speak. My main goals for this project have always been to provide a platform for others to share their stories, and to hopefully help move that needle in my own small way toward more public acknowledgment, understanding, and acceptance.”

Visibility is also essential to the progress of the most vulnerable among us, Mancini added.

“Representation matters, and storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to impart information and to change hearts and minds,” she said. “The easiest way to erase an entire group of people is to render them invisible. And when you erase them, it becomes much easier to oppress them, to commit violence and cruelty against them, because no one is looking or caring. This is exactly why so many people think that

this is a ‘new’ and ‘modern’ phenomenon that somehow is only happening now. Nonbinary and gender nonconforming people have always existed, just like queer and trans people have always existed, and those with any number of those combined identities.”

At the same time, Barry’s goal is to break through the traditional barriers established by the photography industry, while empowering the LGBTQ+ community to claim its place in the world.

“The aesthetics and logic of this industry is led by and geared towards (white), cis straight people,” she said. “Wedding photography in particular is a sea of (white) straight couples, almost exclusively young, thin, and adhering to normative gendered appearance. Queer, trans, and GNC folks rarely see themselves, their beauty, their relationships and families, reflected back at them. At the same time, straight, cis folks often see only idealized reflections of their own experience, which stymies their worldview and shores up heteronormativity. I like to use the language of portrait and wedding photography, with its time-honored grammar of drama, romance, and emotion, to showcase queer and non-normative experiences and empower LGBTQ folks as righteous creators of culture and identity.”

Married to a trans man and together for 12 years, Barry has experienced first hand the intricacies associated with capturing authenticity and recognizes that photography is an “extremely vulnerable art form” which requires “deep trust and collaboration” between the subject(s) and photographer.

“My experience alongside him [her husband] has given me a deep understanding of how trans and GNC [gender non-conforming] folks navigate the world—the complicated and often painful negotiations with the law, work, community, family, and friends—along with the superpower of seeing the world from multiple gendered angles,” she said.

See Queer Identity on P. 23

22 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

events made the Dyke March possible,” said Triglio, who lives in Somerville.

“Dyke Night® was consistently our most generous donor.”

Echoing Triglio’s feelings, a male cross dresser in their 40's and someone who regularly attended the events/parties expressed that a safe space and and people they cared for were now not available to them—a sense of loss for the Norton, Mass. resident.

“Kristen and her patrons have always been welcoming to me and other members of the trans community,” said Steve Thomas, Norton, Mass.. “The Dyke Night Events provided me with a place to get out in public and feel comfortable and safe. I have many life long friends that I have met through the Dyke Night® Events over the years. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity that Dyke Night® Events have provided to make my hidden self feel ‘Normal.’ I will forever miss the Dyke Night® Events. This is a sad day for the community.”

Thomas’ favorite memory happened in Jamaica Plain at the Midway Café, where “Kristen used to hold Thursday night dance events.

“On a whim, looking for something to do, [my ‘cross-dressing friend’ and I] showed up to the women's event,” Thomas recalled. “Kristen was working at the door and we sheepishly walked in and asked if we were ‘allowed’ to attend. In typical Kristen fashion she literally opened her arms and gave us a big hug and showered us with compliments welcoming us into her events.”

And yet, for Porter the beauty of it all came from those who showed up, who became more than patrons to her, those she looks forward to seeing again this last time around.

“The magic of our events has always been because of our patrons, many who have been supporters for the 21 years,” Porter said. “Our ‘Last Call’ weekend of pride events with the Official Dyke March After Party and then Saturday’s LUSH Party will be special because they make the party. I look forward to celebrating this ending and all we've done with them.”

As of now, Porter bids Dyke Night® adieu in a personal video message online (https://bit.ly/30Vm8jW).

To stay up-to-date or get involved with Porter’s additional ventures, check out her websites at queeragenda.org, kristenporterpresents.com, and dragboston.com.

on helping some of the most vulnerable members of our society. This session, some Vehicles must allow an applicant to desig- of my priority bills include those that nate an ‘X,’ rather than ‘M’ or ‘F’ on a dri- would prevent the sexual abuse of children and youth; amend the statute of limitations ver’s license or other forms of state ID. The bill will also allow those over the age regarding criminal prosecutions for the of 18 or the parents of a minor to request a crimes of sexual assault and rape of a child; expand access to adoption change on a birth certifiby allowing a brother, sister, cate to include “female,” uncle or aunt to adopt a “male” or “X” to reflect minor relative; and create the gender identity of the higher education opportuniperson. In addition, the ties for students with intelbill would also authorize lectual disabilities, autism, a study to identify other and other developmental state documents or forms disabilities. that should also reflect a Pride participants should non-binary gender openjoy the wonderful parades tion. and the chance to celebrate I take pride in the more so many successes. We have enlightened views and come a long way since practices of MassachuStonewall, but we have setts that these two bills many more walls we need to reflect, but pride is not break down to make our soenough. We should acState Senator Joan B. Lovely cept not making the per- PHOTO: OFFICE OF JOAN LOVELY ciety more just. I look forward to working for and fect the enemy of the good, but we should continue to strive to- with the LGBTQ community to effect the ward perfection. Not one of us should rest changes that we all need and deserve. on our laurels so long as anyone in the Commonwealth—both inside and outside * Senator Joan Lovely is in her fourth term the LGBTQ community—suffers from dis- as State Senator for the Second Essex District, comprised of Beverly, Danvers, crimination.

Two of my newer colleagues have begun Peabody, Salem and Topsfield. Senator pursuing other ideas that could improve our Lovely has been serving in the Massachulaws. I commend Senator Joanne Comer- setts Senate since January 2013. She serves ford for filing a bill that instructs courts not as Assistant Majority Leader, Chair of the to consider sexual orientation when deter- Senate Committee on Rules, and Vice Chair mining offsetting circumstances for a of the Joint Committee on Education. Outhomicide. Likewise, Senator Adam Hinds side of her committee work, Senator Lovely has legislation requiring the Massachusetts is the Senate Chair of the Ellen Story ComCommission Against Discrimination to in- mission on Postpartum Depression, and is a member of the Special Senate Committee clude LGBTQ representatives.

I have had the privilege of serving in the on Opioid Addiction Prevention, Treatment State Senate since 2013 and have focused and Recovery Options.

Sen. Lovely from Page 2

St. Guillen From Page 16 St. Guillen, the “Trump administration’s xenophobic rhetoric and policies” continue to make it harder for all women and families “to access basic sexual and reproductive health care.”

“Even in a state like Massachusetts, people with undocumented or indeterminate status, are increasingly reluctant to access health care and other crucial services for fear of being detained or deported and separated from their families,” she stated.

“This is why I would work in collaboration with organizations like Planned Parenthood to identify culturally competent sexual health initiatives.”

And, for years, the Latinx community has faced an epidemic of teen pregnancies that has hurt not only the young moms, but also their families, who often lack the resources to care for another child. Education is key to lowering these rates, mentioned St. Guillen, who argued that sex education would help other communities too.

“Latinx communities are twice as likely to be affected by STI outbreaks, and Latinas have the highest teen pregnancy rate of any group,” the outspoken candidate explained. “As the first Latina elected to the Boston City Council, I would be a fierce advocate in addressing those disparities.

Additionally, I would work to ensure that our LGBT and gender-nonconforming students have access to sexual health resources that work for their identity.”

IF ELECTED I WILL ALSO STAND UP FOR

EQUITY & JUSTICE. Women’s Rights & Abortion The candidate compromises nothing as it pertains to abortion rights. Her stance on Alabama’s near-total abortion ban law, passed nearly 3 weeks ago, was a devastating blow to women’s reproductive rights.

“I am completely heartbroken by the Alabama abortion law,” she said. “It is unconscionable to me that anyone, regardless of where they stand on abortion rights, would be able to vote on a law as archaic and inhumane as the Alabama abortion law.”

With what’s at stake for women’s rights, St. Guillen’s support of the Massachusetts Bill S. 1209, H. 330—an Act to remove obstacles and expand abortion access, sponsored by Harriette L. Chandler (First-Worcester), Reps. Patricia A. Haddad (5th-Bristol) and Jay D. Livingstone (8thSuffolk), also known as the Roe Act—is unquestionable.

“We need to expand abortion access in

PHOTO: ALEJANDRAFORBOSTON.COM

Dyke Night® From Page 13

June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

Massachusetts and remove any restrictions, including parental consent, judicial bypass requirements, and late-term abortion restrictions, in order to ensure that we are truly a pro-choice state and we respect women to have autonomy over their own bodies and the decisions they make in how to live their lives,” she said.

As this year marks the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall and Massachusetts’ 15-year Anniversary of the passage of marriage equality in the Commonwealth, St. Guillen remembers how “incredibly meaningful the decision was” for so many in the state.

“At Pride that year, there was a couple in their 80s who were riding in a car with a sign that read ‘together for 50 years, married for 5 months’ (or some iteration of this quote) and I think about that couple all the time—what they had faced, how hard they had to fight just to be together—and I am grateful to them and grateful to Massachusetts for making their story possible and paving the way for marriage equality across the nation,” she shared with pride in what her state has accomplished for samesex couples.

Full Circle Yet, even now, years after Imette’s passing, St. Guillen pays homage—through this candidacy—to her late sister.

The words she chose to describe herself through the interview, “persistent, caring and authentic” cannot be taken lightly as the mom, wife and service-dedicated candidate ultimately explained why she is running for office.

“It was one of the greatest honors of my life to be her sister and it is in her honor and memory, and that of my father as well, that I have launched this campaign,” she said.

Boston City Council elections will be held on November 5, 2019. For more information about St. Guillen’s LGBTQ Policy visit her website here (https://is.gd/stguillen19).

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June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019

Queer Identity From Page 21 “My relationship has given me a profound empathy and deep respect for trans and GNC folks, and that takes root as a powerful, affirming love through my lens. I am so all about celebrating the infinite ways people feel, use, and embody gender.”

A self-identified queer, cis, femme woman, Barry said she is “endlessly excited and inspired by the multitude of ways queerness is embodied through different people's relationships and orientations,” which has become the focus of her work.

“There is something to be said about feeling at home in your work, and centering queer experiences ensures I am always at home,” she added.

Through Beyond the Binary, Mancini has received invaluable lessons as she continues to travel across the country to tell these stories about the community and about herself.

“I’ve learned that this community is incredibly strong, and so connected,” she said. “So many of the stories I hear have common threads from coast to coast. We are all dealing with the same issues, the same oppression, and we all want many of the same things, from better representation to better health care to the dismantling of the myriad inequitable systems that work to keep us all oppressed. More personally, this project continues to push me and teach me things about myself and my own identity, which I have realized is a large part of why it has been so important to me to pursue. As the project evolves, so do I.” To capture the portrayal of diverse identities righteously, it takes a deeper understanding of queer culture and how to appropriately address it from behind the lens.

“Many straight, cis photographers walk into a situation/wedding/session with deeply ingrained expectations of what love looks like, what gender identities look like, and how that all translates into photographic images,” said Barry. “It looks like common 'straight' poses being awkwardly and inappropriately applied to queer couples. It looks like confusion, awkwardness, and ignorance around pronouns and GNC identities. It looks like gendered posing and framing for portraiture that doesn't align with the subject's identity. It looks like asking LGBTQ couples to engage in PDA without having any of the deeply held knowledge of our history, or the risk we often take by being publicly affectionate.

In short, it looks like ignorance that often puts the burden of education upon the paying subject instead of on the photographer.”

Recognizing the need in the community to be portrayed accurately, comfortably, and professionally, Barry’s traveling LGBTQ+ photo pop-ups were born.

“I started doing LGBTQ+ photo pop-ups in 2016 as a way to bring high-end portraiture into the queer community in a fun, informal event,” said the Conn. photographer. “They began and remain as LGBTQ+ gathering places where folks can spend some one-on-one time with me and walk away with at least one high-quality portrait or headshot. They're held in various places, pop-up style, and operate with the help of LGBTQ+ volunteers.”

Although Mancini recognizes the serious

“IF YOU'RE IN FRONT OF MY LENS, WE ARE ACTIVELY DEFYING ALL OF THAT IGNORANT, PAINFUL BS THROUGH RADICAL SELF-LOVE ....” challenges and “terrible things happening in the country” since the 2016 presidential election relating directly to the LGBTQ+ community, she is encouraged that on individual levels, strides are being made for the better. “… We are seeing a bit more media representation, and at the day-to-day level, I think the general discourse and dialogue around these issues is becoming more prevalent and is starting to be treated as something to be respected, or at least something to learn more about, rather than feared or criticized,” Mancini said. “Does that mean it’s all going great? Definitely not. But I know for me personally, since 2016, I have been able to have conversations with strangers and with people in much older generations who are either already at least a little familiar with the concepts, or who have genuine curiosity and want to learn. And when I have gotten pushback, I’ve been able to have a dialogue with folks rather than an argument, which I think is a huge step forward.”

A photographer, artist, jewelry and home décor designer, Mancini’s creative energy, along with the collaboration of her wife, benefits those in and out of the LGBTQ community, falling anywhere on the gender spectrum.

“My new project is still in the works, but will explore the concept of what makes up a person—the external and internal worlds, the layers, that exist inside each of us to form who we are as a whole,” Mancini said. “It will not focus on any one community, but rather anyone who feels they are made up of many parts that are equally important and crucial to their identity, which can be anything. It is intentionally broad, and the hope is that its final form will move viewers to consider the ways in which we are all dynamic, multifaceted, and do not fit inside of one definition.”

As for Barry, her work centers particularly on the LGBTQ community.

“I focus my attention on LGBTQ folks because a. we're beautiful and our love is epic; and b. our stories deserve to be told with the care, respect, and empathic understanding often not afforded us in our culture.”

To learn more about Cate Barry and to book your photo shoot or event, visit catebarryphotography.com. To stay up-to-date with upcoming LGBTQ+ pop-ups in your area, sign up for Barry’s e-mail newsletter on her website. All pop-ups are on a sliding scale, ranging from $0-$25.

Stay in the loop with Mancini online and learn more about her new project at alexmancini.net. To participate in the Beyond the Binary project, fill out the sign up form online at alexmancini.net/projects.

Stonewall from Page 8 want to disrupt the group’s relationship with the political establishment. After talking with the mayor’s office, some members of Mattachine went so far as to put up a sign at Stonewall that read: WE HOMOSEXUALS PLEAD WITH OUR PEOPLE TO PLEASE HELP MAINTAIN PEACFUL AND QUIET CONDUCT ON THE STREETS OF THE VILLAGE — MATTACHINE

But younger militants like Jack O’Brien, an antiwar activist and former Socialist Worker Party member, were ecstatic. After some debate Mattachine finally agreed to form an Action Committee and called for an open organizing meeting.

Brown put together a flyer with the heading “GAY POWER” that called for a “Homosexual Liberation Meeting” and concluded by saying “No one is free until everyone is free!” The first meeting was held two weeks after the riots and drew forty people. It was here that activists first chose the name the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), modeled on Vietnam’s National Liberation Front, the guerrilla communist movement fighting against the United States.

Eventually the group split from Mattachine, and militants established the GLF as an independent organization. Looking back years later, one prominent militant, Jim Fourrat, summarized the tensions this way: “We wanted to end the homophile movement. We wanted them to join us in making the gay revolution. We were a nightmare to them. They were committed to being nice, acceptable status quo Americans, and we were not: we had no interest at all in being acceptable.”

In a statement for a radical newspaper called The Rat, GLF defined their mission this way: “We are a revolutionary homosexual group of men and women formed with the realization that complete sexual liberation for all people cannot come about unless existing social institutions are abol-

ished. We reject society’s attempt to impose sexual roles and definitions of our nature … Babylon has forced us to commit ourselves to one thing … revolution.”

The GLF got to work. One of the first protests the GLF organized was at the offices of the Village Voice, demanding that the paper stop using the terms “dyke” and “faggot” and start referring to homosexuals as “gays” and “lesbians.” They won.

GLF chapters quickly spread across the country, organizing dances to raise money and create spaces for gay people to meet one another outside of mafia-controlled bars. In the fall of 1969, the GLF created its own newspaper, Come Out!, which became a key way to disseminate ideas and movement information. Gay Power and Gay also premiered that year and each sold over 25,000 copies per issue.

The GLF organized protests and direct actions to pressure politicians to support gay rights and established community service programs to provide food and social services to LGBTQ street youth. GLF members took their political education seriously and sought to develop a Marxist analysis of gay oppression. Arthur Evens, a student activist who threw himself into the gay liberation movement, formed the Radical Study Group within GLF. From the beginning GLF members debated whether the group should focus exclusively on gay issues or connect itself with other struggles on the Left. This led to a split, with some activists leaving to establish a single-issue organization called the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), which defined itself as a group “exclusively devoted to the liberation of homosexuals and avoids involvement in any program of action not obviously relevant to homosexuals.”

The GAA began to organize public protests, referred to as “zaps.” It disrupted meetings with the mayor and city council representatives in an attempt to pressure them to end job discrimination and police harassment against gays and lesbians.

The GLF and GAA collaborated on many projects, including the first annual march Read the rest of this story at: TheRainbowTimesMass.com

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June 6, 2019 - July 3, 2019