The Rainbow Times' May, 2016 Issue

2 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

My Woman Card: “Deal me in” too Prince’s life: A clear lesson on the difference By: Nicole Lashomb*/TRT Editor-in-Chief

OPINIONS

more for personal hygiene products than “Frankly, if Hillary Clinton were men, earn less pay for equal work, and our a man, I don’t think she’d get 5 per- bodies and reproductive rights are legiscent of the vote,” said Republican lated against by a mostly male Congress.

Presidential candidate Donald J. Comparably, on average, women are freTrump in a speech on April 26 after quently overlooked for job promotions, winning 5 Republican primaries that even when it is deserved, leading to only 5 night. “The only thing she’s got percent of women at the helm of major corgoing is the woman’s card.” porations. In hetero-normative homes, I suppose that is the only way the women still shoulder most of the burden Republican when it comes to frontrunner can childrearing and justify in his household responsiOST VICTIMS OF misogynistic bilities, even when mind that she has they work the same earned millions more number of hours HUMAN TRAFFICKING votes than him, has out outside the home as performed him inteltheir male partner. lectually and politically RAPE MOLESTATION FE Most victims of and certainly has the human trafficking, public in her favor rape, molestation, when going head-to- MALE GENITAL MUTILA female genital mutihead with Trump in a lation, domestic viogeneral election. lence, brainwashing TION DOMESTIC There’s no doubt that and sexual harassTrump is terrified of ment are women. losing, albeit his VIOLENCE BRAINWASH Likewise, more façade. He should be. women live in However, stunts and poverty than men grossly ignorant com- ING AND SEXUAL HARASS and retired women ments like the “woman are twice as likely to card” one, won’t earn live in poverty when him points with the compared to retired MENT ARE WOMEN general public, a genmen. Even pertaineral public where at ing to televised, least in numbers, women are the majority. print and online media, men represent the The bottom line is that Trump is scared of majority of anchors, reporters, editors and being trumped, and much more so by a publishers. Whose story are we telling anywoman. way?

As a proud woman card carrier, I have It is far more likely that if Donald Trump undoubtedly been awarded a myriad of were a woman, he wouldn’t even get “5 privileges when compared to my male percent of the vote,” nor would he be in the counterparts—at least according to privileged place he finds himself today.

Trump’s assertions. How asinine.

To read the rest of this story visit: Women have had the “fortune” to pay http://wp.me/p22M41-4iu

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Stopping religious freedom bills’ strategy By: Paul P. Jesep*/TRT Columnist

R

FAITH

ecently, Georgia’s governor vetoed a socalled religious liberty bill (http://goo.gl/FnfiJG). In contrast, governors in Alabama (http://goo.gl/gw0Ij0), M i s s i s s i p p i (http://goo.gl/PO1JuQ), and North Carolina (http://goo.gl/NNxSi1) signed bills that target the LGBTQ community for discrimination, including housing and employment.

There’s a great deal of work to do in educating people that religious freedoms are being threatened (http://goo.gl/bz4KP4).

Although irrational, fear is taking hold.

The victory in Georgia stemmed from potential economic impacts. It did nothing to address ongoing concerns that religious rights are being marginalized. If Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz is the Republican nominee for president and defeats likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, a widely distrusted candidate, there will be greater efforts to roll back LGBTQ rights.

Cruz is now debating Donald Trump over transgender rights. In late April, Trump said North Carolina made a mistake by passing a religious liberty law (http://goo.gl/dUlBH9). According to

IN 2015, MORE THAN 100 RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

between sexual orientation and gender identity

By: Mike Givens*/TRT Assistant Editor

T

here’s a rare interview between comedian Chris Rock and Prince that I saw in the wake of Prince’s untimely death late last month.

In the video, Rock nervously asks Prince about an alleged rivalry between himself and Michael Jackson. Chris Rock brings up an infamous incident that fueled speculation of discord between the two pop icons in which Prince reportedly turned down a duet with Jackson on the megahit, “Bad” (https://goo.gl/2jlfAJ).

“Now you run that video in your mind,” Prince playfully tells Rock. “The first line in that song is, ‘Your butt is mine.’”

“Now, who is going to sing that to whom,” he continued, being a bit more serious. “Cause you sure ain’t singing it to me. And I sure ain’t singing it to you.”

The reported tension between the two pop stars over the famous first declaration of one of Jackson’s greatest hits can be viewed through two lenses. First, on a somewhat insubstantial level, Prince’s balking at the lyrics is about ego; he doesn’t like the idea of him being “owned”

by Michael Jackson, nor does he like the idea of “owning” Jackson himself. But, as I said, it’s inconsequential.

The bigger, more obvious, implication of the disagreement over the lyrics is the homoerotic imagery that it conjures up.

Prince, a perennially mysterious, and downright odd person, was often seen as someone who had a very ambivalent relationship with LGBTQ people.

“God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough,’” he reportedly said in a 2008 interview with The New Yorker.

Comments like that raised eyebrows for many, as Prince had been famously known to wear high-heel shoes and makeup during performances, authored the song “If I Was Your Girlfriend” a tome about gender-

BILLS WERE INTRODUCED

Letters to the Editor

IN STATE LEGISLATURES.

[Re: Boston Pride Withdraws Marshalship After Controversial FB Comments Surface] Dear Editor, I support the withdrawal of Anthony Imperioso as a Marshall for Boston Pride given his comments. That is appropriate.

I have marched in Black Lives Matter protests. However, I am disappointed that the petition rejected the appropriateness of any police officer as a Marshall. That controversial comment is also inappropriate —Jim Brinning, Online

Trump, he wouldn’t care if a transgender woman used a lady’s room at one of his properties.

According to Cruz, who could still beat Trump in an open convention for the GOP presidential nomination, transgender males are, “Grown adult men—strangers … [who] should not be alone in a bathroom with little girls.”

Several religious liberty laws Cruz supports also allow, among other things, a hotel or restaurant owner to deny service to same-gender couples or a person perceived or known to be LGBTQ. Although there has been a backlash from businesses and celebrities, it shouldn’t be forgotten the discriminatory bills were passed by legislators and signed into law by governors elected in To read the rest of this story visit: http://wp.me/p22M41-4iw

Read the rest at: http://goo.gl/k7KDLa Send your letters to the editor with your full name, town, and phone number or post them online via TRT’s website.

... THE DISAGREEMENT OVER THE LYRICS IS THE HOMOEROTIC IMAGERY THAT IT CONJURES UP. swapping, and famously declared in another song, “I’m not a woman / I’m not a man / I am something that you’ll never understand.”

I never have, and probably never will, give a lot of thought to how Prince felt about LGBTQ people. I think he was an incredibly talented artist who chose to live life on his own terms. Entire books could be devoted to his life and what exactly went on inside of his head.

To read the rest of this story visit: http://wp.me/p22M41-4hZ

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 John Paul Stapleton Christine Nicco Sara Brown Luke Sherman 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

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

Trans flag raised at City Hall, Momentum builds Op-Ed: The urgency of now – Why we continue to invest in LGBT organizations of color

By: Mike Givens/TRT Assistant Editor

IN THE LIMELIGHT

BOSTON, Mass.—Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has subtly indicated that he will not veto a pending bill in the Legislature that would provide explicit legal protections for transgender people in public spaces such as retail stores, restaurants and parks. Prior to Baker’s recent statement, the governor cut short his speech at an LGBT networking event last month after a public demonstration where he was confronted by members of the transgender community and their allies.

The Boston Globe recently reported that an interview with Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on WGBH’s Boston Public Radio paired with a statement from the Governor’s office given to the Globe hinted that Baker may not veto the bill.

“Governor Baker believes people should use the restroom facility they feel comfortable using,” a spokesperson for the Governor’s office reportedly told the The Boston Globe (http://goo.gl/hPQ6K1).

The comment was an addendum to Baker’s standard rhetoric on the bill in which he states that the “devil is in the details” and that he won’t make a decision until a draft of the legislation makes it to his desk.

On May 2, for the first time ever in the history of the Commonwealth, the city of

By: Eli Vivas & Kendra Graves*/Special to TRT

I

Boston raised the transgender pride flag outside of City Hall. Freedom Massachusetts, which is advocating for the passage of the bill, sent out a statement signed by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Boston City Council President Michelle Wu following the flag raising.

The ceremony, read the email, is part of an “effort to continue to send a message to Massachusetts lawmakers that it is time to pass HB 1577/SB 735 and fully affirm the dignity of transgender Bay Staters.”

On April 29, Freedom Massachusetts’ website listed Salem as the third in a “growing list of municipalities supporting SB 735/HB 1577 … known collectively as #TransBillMA.” The Salem City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution in support of the two bills. Salem, which has had a local public accommodations ordinance in place since 2014, was the fourth municipality—after Somerville, Easthampton and Boston—to pass a resolution supporting the statewide bill.

“Our City Council unanimously adopted

See Trans Rights on Page 6

n 2009, Quincey J. Roberts and Corey Yarbrough decided to be the change they wished to see in LGBT communities of color in Boston by creating the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition (HBGC).

Since its founding, HBGC has worked to inspire and empower Hispanic, Latina/o, and Black LGBT individuals to improve their livelihood through activism, education, outreach, and counseling. Seven years later, HBGC represents what is possible when an underserved community organizes to create resources within our community to meet the needs of our community.

In addition to leading monthly discussion groups where LGBT people of color talk about issues affecting our lives, we also collaborate with local agencies to offer services to survivors of intimate partner abuse; connect LGBT youth to adult mentors; host an online resource center with listings of LGBT People of Color-friendly businesses, organizations and services; help local high schools develop and coordinate gay-straight alliances, and much more.

Though LGBT people of color have come to rely on our resiliency to navigate within families, communities and neighborhoods that often devalue our unique identities, we also recognize the many ways the web of oppressions we encounter in these spaces and society at large con-

tinue to make us feel invisible and disenfranchised.

With the presence of HBGC—an LGBT organization led by and for Black and Latina/o people—comes limitless potential to empower new generations to resist and rise above, racism, homophobia, transphobia and the many other social injustices and inequities that rob us of our health and wellness, education and economic opportunities, dignity and self-esteem, and our lives.

HBGC's influence and impact on our communities over the last seven years exemplifies the importance of investing in organizations serving individuals at the margins of society, including those ostracized because of our race, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Donor contributions give HBGC the ability to run our programs, groups, events, and perhaps most importantly, to ensure that our amazing staff of LGBT people of color can use their knowledge, skills and experience to lead our programs and groups.

While grants provide a great deal of the financial support we need to operate our programs and services, funding to increase staff capacity is often very limited.

Give OUT Day is a unique opportunity to sustain and strengthen the power of organizations like HBGC that serve individuals To read the rest of this story visit: http://wp.me/p22M41-4i8

4 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

Connected Boston summit looks forward to tackling issues facing GBTQ men of color By: Mike Givens/TRT Assistant Editor

BOSTON, MASS.—Connected Boston, a program of the Multicultural AIDS Coalition (MAC) that provides health navigation services for Black and Latino gay, bisexual, transgender and queer men in Boston, held its Forward 2016 summit in late April.

“The theme today was how does art influence and contribute to our work and how it can help us do a better job of reaching people, getting people to do a better job of taking care of themselves,” said Gary Daffin, executive director of MAC, of the day’s theme, “At the Intersection of Arts, Culture and Public Health.”

The keynote series featured four Black and Latino artists and activists who spoke about how their art connects to larger issues of public health. The presentation was followed by in-depth discussions amongst attendees about how art can be used to improve the health of our communities.

Connected Boston was conceptualized in the spring of 2014 and connects Black and Latino GBTQ men with health and social services. The program provides HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, resources and information on health insurance and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), drop-in spaces for homeless youth, group counseling sessions and a free computer lab.

The day-long summit, the second to be hosted by Connected Boston, also featured a panel on intimacy, vulnerability, and risk where several men discussed the intersection of identity, sexual relationships and the

Attendees of the Connected Boston Forward 2016 Summit.

HIV epidemic.

Panelists discussed the fact that Black and Latino men are more likely to contract HIV despite the fact that they have fewer partners, do not in engage in more high risk sex, or use drugs at a higher rate than other groups of men who have sex with men (MSM). A controversial concept that’s been shared publicly is that black and Latino MSM experience higher rates of HIV because they choose to limit their sexual partners to men of their own race or ethnicity.

PHOTO: CONNECTED BOSTON

“You can have sex with anybody you want and not get infected with HIV,” said Gary Daffin during the discussion. “Having sex with a black man, or a Latino man, or a white man, you can have complete control over your risk of HIV … It’s actually not that difficult to protect yourself from HIV. So having sex with a black man doesn’t put you at any more a risk than having sex with a white man. What puts you at risk is not using a condom, or not taking PReP, or not taking care of yourself, which I relate to not loving yourself as much … HIV

is a disease driven by intimacy. People want to touch. People want to have sex …

We need to understand that we are the most important person in the world and take care of ourselves.”

Though a time for discussion and learning, the summit was also an opportunity to gather feedback from the community about what Connected Boston can be doing to better support GBTQ men of color in the Greater Boston area.

Attendees participated in breakout sessions in one of three areas: substance abuse and recovery, LGBTQ youth homelessness, and racial justice. Facilitators of the discussion took notes and Connected Boston staff will use the information to plan out the work for the program in the next year.

“We got clear, actionable steps out of the summit that we as a community look forward to working on,” said Amir Dixon, program manager for Connected Boston.

According to Dixon, within the last six months nearly 600 people have dropped into the Connected Boston space seeking help.

“We want to do more work around youth homelessness and trying to think through what is a community response to addressing the need for more housing, more beds, access to education, life skills programs, stabilization programming,” he continued.

Twiggy Pucci Garcon, a senior program officer with the True Colors Fund in New Read the rest of this story at: http://wp.me/p22M41-4i1

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

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May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

FDA approves Descovy, a safer medication to treat HIV By: Christinne Nicco/TRT Reporter

Recently, the FDA approved Descovy, a new “prodrug” used to treat those living with HIV. The antiretroviral medication is considered a safer and more efficient option when compared to other HIV drugs, according to Gilead Sciences, the biopharmaceutical company that manufactured the treatment.

Overall, Descovy, a tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) drug, “is an improvement over the existing formulation of the drug, tenofovir disoproxil,” said Dr. Philip Chan, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brown University and Director of the STD Clinic at The Miriam Hospital Immunology Center in Providence, R.I. “The approval of this drug is absolutely a step forward in the treatment of HIV. It appears to have an improved safety profile, which is especially important given that people have to take these drugs for life. The major benefits are less renal and bone effects.”

According to a release issued by Gilead Sciences, Descovy's, “unique combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide lessens the impact of antiretroviral therapy … ” As a prodrug, the medication is inert until consumed by the patient.

The Aids Foundation of Western Massachusetts (AFWM) community pharmacists weighed in on the impact of the medication on long-term health as the population ages.

“Regardless of an individual’s HIV status, kidney dysfunction and bone density decline are issues associated with aging,”

explained Moleca Mich, Hanan Cherqaoui, Diala Nicolas, and Romina Ya, Walgreen’s community pharmacists for the AFWM. “Kidney function is important for not only the health of a person, but also for the use of medications. With a low renal function, certain medications cannot be used to treat diseases. As for bone density, a longer life expectancy means more physical movement. Since Descovy lessens the impact on bone density, elderly patients might benefit from this as well.”

The dosage of Descovy is significantly less than some HIV medications on the market, amplifying the safety of the drug.

TAF “is effective at a much lower dose.

Since a lower dose of TAF is used, the sideeffects are less and it is safer,” Chan said.

Adding to the safety profile, Walgreen’s community pharmacists explained that Descovy is generally well tolerated and there are no contraindications.

“It does not have any contraindications nor is it associated with any major drug interactions,” said Mich, Cherqaoui, Nicolas, and Ya in a group interview with The Rainbow Times. “Many other HIV medications interact with other drugs by interfering with drug metabolism and thus effective-

ness. This is not a concern with Descovy. Patients have no drug restrictions when it comes to treating other diseases.”

The pharmacy team also said that they have begun to see prescribers integrate Descovy into patients’ HIV regiments and believe that there will be a bigger transition as providers become more informed about the Dr. Philip Chan benefits of the prodrug.

“Although pharmacists do not have prescribing rights, we have the opportunity to have a conversation with both prescribers and patients to identify those who are at risk and make any necessary interventions that aim to help patients get the most benefit from the switch in therapy,” said Mich, Cherqaoui, Nicolas, and Ya. “With education, we hope to improve patients’ lives and avoid preventable side effects with this new treatment. However, due to the fact that this is a recently approved medication, it has not yet been incorporated into treatment guidelines and some insurance formularies. As a result, it may not be covered by the patient’s insurance plan at this time.

Although Chan is starting to use TAF in patients, there is likely to be a greater shift Read the rest of this Op-Ed at: http://wp.me/p22M41-4ib

Trans Rights from page 3 a resolution [on April 29] in support of extending protections for our transgender neighbors, friends and family members throughout Massachusetts,” said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll via Facebook. “We have a fully LGBT inclusive non-discrimination local ordinance and we hope the Commonwealth will act to pass the #TransBillMA and ensure full protections for transgender people throughout Massachusetts!”

State Representative Paul Tucker (DMA), had been working with advocates and colleagues to “fully protect our transgender community,” he said to TRT via e-mail.

“I have been proud to play a role in getting this bill to a vote and become law, which I am hopeful will happen soon,” said Tucker. “I have spoken at State House rallies, met with advocates and colleagues and will do anything I can to fully protect our transgender community.”

It is expected that the Senate will vote on the bill in mid-May. The April 21 Globe story came a little over a week after members of the trans community and their allies held an informational action at an LGBT networking event sponsored by Boston Spirit Magazine that quickly escalated into a heated exchange with the Governor.

“Let me say one other thing ... I didn’t run for governor to work on the opioid issue.

The opioid issue came to me from conversations I had with people as I was camTo read the rest of this story visit: http://goo.gl/l3F9CQ

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Look for the glossy pocket-sized version at your pride.

New England Pride Map! • New England Pride Map!

Look for the glossy pocket-sized version at your pride.

New England Pride Map! • New England Pride Map!

Look for the glossy pocket-sized version at your pride.

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Look for the glossy pocket-sized version at your pride.

10 • The Rainbow Times’ New England Pride Event Map

www.therainbowtimesmass.com

• The Rainbow Times’ New England Pride Event Map • 9

Look for the glossy pocket-sized version at your pride.

New England Pride Map! • New England Pride Map!

Look for the glossy pocket-sized version at your pride.

New England Pride Map! • New England Pride Map!

Look for the glossy pocket-sized version at your pride.

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Look for the glossy pocket-sized version at your pride.

8 • The Rainbow Times’ New England Pride Event Map

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 11

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

In good company: Alan Cumming on sappy songs, bisexuality, fairness and his proudest moments Por: Chris Azzopardi*/Special to TRT

that I think my sexuality and most people’s sexuality is gray. And yeah, I like c@ck. I love c@ck. But I also feel that I have an attraction to women. I’ve never lost it, actually. I’ve always been attracted to both sexes, and whether I act on it or not is not anyone’s business, really. I’m not going to close myself off to the possibility of experience just because society says we must stick within these rigid boundaries. I find it really self-hating that the gay community, which has been so bullied, are especially the ones who might be chiding people about their bisexuality. I think, let everyone be who they are.

The point I’m making is that it seems more ironic for a gay person to chide someone about their sexuality—they’re chiding all of us at heart. It seems particularly galling that that would be coming from a fellow LGBT person. I really do believe

Q: You’re pretty naked on that album cover. Are you wearing anything?

A: I’m not wearing anything! I was performing at the Carlyle and (photographer Jordan Matter and I) ended up texting

PHOTO: STEVE VACCARIELLO

A

s a child, Alan Cumming cried as his older brother sang “Danny Boy” to him from across the bedroom they shared.

“He would do it to make me cry,” Cumming says, recalling his reaction to the Irish staple. “It’s just the emotion of the song.

I’m Scottish, so the ‘pipes’ are kind of a direct route to my tear ducts.”

“Danny Boy” was the first song to break the singer-actor into pieces—but it wouldn’t be the last. There’d be Annie Lennox’s “Why” and Adele’s “Someone Like You” and Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes,” all of which are among the tear-inducing tunes on the performer’s latest release, Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs: Live at the Café Carlyle.

And when Cumming cries, it’s no act.

Those are real tears. After all, this is not Broadway, where the actor has appeared in a mélange of shows including Macbeth and Cabaret, for which he won a Tony. Nor is this The Good Wife (he plays Eli Gold on the CBS show, which wraps in May). It’s also not Spy Kids or Smurfs or his U.S. film debut, 1997's Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. On that Carlyle stage, Cumming is only one person: himself.

dancers at 2 in the morning to see if they wanted to come over to the Carlyle and get naked. Two did, and we did that photo. Just took our clothes off at 2:30 in the morning.

Q : Your résumé is expansive. When a gay guy stops you on the street, which career endeavor of yours are they most likely to compliment you on?

A: It’s very difficult to tell nowadays—it really is. You know, some mention the Romy and Michele thing. But now it’s really hard to tell. It may be my book (Not My Father's Son: A Memoir); it’s a variety

of things. With lesbians, I know it’s always gonna be The L Word.

Q: As a bisexual person yourself, you’re known for being outspoken on bisexuality and gender fluidity.

How do you explain bisexuality to people who still don’t get it?

A: I’m not here to change people’s minds about whether they believe in bisexuality. All I’m saying is

Read the rest of this interview at: http://wp.me/p22M41-4is

12 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 13

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

La parada Gay no es un carnaval: Pero …

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

L

LATIN VISION

as paradas gay se han convertido en una tradición a nivel mundial.

Cada año se marcha por el orgullo LGBTT, en un evento mediante el cual nos visibilizamos y se realizan reclamos por los derechos de nuestra comunidad. Sin embargo, lo que comenzó como un reclamo luego de Stonewall en junio de 1969, se ha convertido en todo un carnaval.

Luego de los disturbios de Stonewall el 28 de junio de 1969, la comunidad gay en Estados Unidos comenzó a visibilizarse y a enfrentar un sistema que perseguía a los gays. Este suceso es conocido como el movimiento moderno pro-derechos LGBTT en Estados Unidos y en todo el mundo.

Cada año en diferentes países del mundo se realizan paradas de orgullo gay “Gay Pride”. En Puerto Rico se celebran dos paradas en el mes de junio (primer domingo de junio en San Juan y en el municipio de Cabo Rojo el segundo domingo de junio). El principal objetivo de estas actividades lo es la visibilidad de las comunidades lésbicas, gays, bisexuales, transgéneros y transexuales (LGBTT).

Aunque soy de los que tengo ciertas

reservas sobre la manera mediante la cual muchas personas gays demuestran su orgullo en las paradas gay (en ropa interior, por ejemplo), de la misma manera creo en la libertad de expresión del ser humano.

Muchas personas gays no están de acuerdo con algunas actitudes, comportamientos o con la vestimenta que utilizan miembros de la comunidad en las paradas gay, expresando que por dicha razón no asisten a las mismas. Tus acciones propias son las que deben importarte, así como reconocer la importancia que posee visibilizarte sobre cualquier creencia social o cultural sobre lo que está correcto o incorrecto en determinado evento o momento.

Es importante resaltar que la comunidad LGBTT ha soportado cientos de años de opresión, invisibilidad, homofobia, persecuciones y rechazo. Por tanto, en un día de celebración de orgullo gay, habrá una gran diversidad de formas mediante la cual diferentes gays expresen su orgullo y contrarresten el tiempo perdido por causa de la homofobia. Tampoco es coherente generalizar a toda una comunidad por el comportamiento de algunos de sus miembros.

El principal propósito de la parada gay lo es visibilizar nuestras orientaciones sexuales, lo que permite elevar nuestro orgullo y dignidad humana. El pronunciamiento de reclamos sobre la equiparación de nuestros

Lea el resto de esta columna aquí: http://wp.me/p22M41-4iq

14 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com PHOTO: EVAN GREER

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

Trans activist Evan Greer

Stop misgendering us: Trans activist demands media use correct pronouns for trans people By: Mike Givens/TRT Assistant Editor

Evan Greer has had enough. The Jamaica Plain resident, fed up with the media’s consistent misgendering of transgender people, is taking and publicly demanding that news outlets become more culturally competent around pronoun usage.

“I know who I am and someone calling me ‘sir’ doesn't change that,” said Greer.

“But the broader impact that misgendering has on my community upsets and concerns me. It contributes to the systemic oppression that trans and gender nonconforming people experience, and it needs to stop.”

Greer has started a petition asking that media outlets implement policies requiring news staff to confirm the correct pronouns of interviewees and story subjects (https://goo.gl/iS8bGE).

The idea for the petition came from Greer’s real-life experience of being misgendered hundreds of times by mainstream media outlets in her role as a nonprofit spokesperson and musician. Greer says because she has a typically masculine name and a more masculine voice, she is often misgendered.

“The reality is this isn't a ‘press specific’ problem—it's a broader problem in our society that the media could play an important role in helping fix, by taking the simple step of confirming sources' gender pronouns before covering them in print or on

the air,” she said.

“When we accidentally call a cisgender person by the wrong honorific, we get embarrassed and profusely apologize even though the cis person knows that you know their gender identity, because most people think that calling someone the wrong gender is insulting,” said Itai Gal, who signed on to the petition. “But for trans people, we are basically told that we should expect for people to treat us in a way that they might otherwise consider insulting; we are too strange, basic decency practices do not apply.”

Greer says that she reached her breakingpoint when she was misgendered in an international news publication while being interviewed for a story as a spokesperson for the nonprofit she works for. The story was syndicated to several major news outlets, and several LGBTQ ones also.

“Depending on the situation, being misgendered can range from causing a quick pang of icky feelings to ruining your whole day, making you feel afraid for your physical safety, or causing serious feelings of self-doubt and depression,” Greer said. “At this point, honestly, I'm used to it.”

But Greer couldn’t sit aside while major media outlets continued the insensitive mistake of misgendering trans people.

Read the rest of this story at: http://wp.me/p22M41-4in

GAY TOP 10

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TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 15

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016

Mat Staver spreads anti-LGBT hatred By: Deja Nicole Greenlaw*/TRT Columnist

W

TRANS NEWS

e've a l l heard of the latest rash of anti-LGBT bills that are currently popping up in several states.

Included in those bills are “Bathroom Bills,” which specifically target transgender people using public accommodations.

These bills aim to mandate that everyone has to use the bathroom of their gender at birth. These particular bills are awful and unconstitutional because they infringe on the rights of transgender people.

Who is behind these bills? Who is responsible for this “evil virus,” as actor and musician Steven Van Zandt calls it?

CBS presented a report illustrating that these bills were concocted by the Liberty Counsel, a Virginia-based law firm which specializes in evangelical Christian legislation (http://www.lc.org/) and a group that the Southern Poverty Law Center, SPLC, deems as a hate group because it advocates “for anti-LGBT discrimination under the guise of religious liberty” (https://goo.gl/8Uo3mr). The nonprofit

STAVER IS THE DEVIL TRYING TO SPREAD

“EVIL VIRUS” OF ANTI-LGBT BILLS.

THE

was founded and owned by Mathew Staver, a former Seventh Day Adventist pastor.

Liberty Counsel's tagline is, "Restoring the culture by advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the family." Yes, Mat Staver is the devil trying to spread the evil virus of anti-LGBT bills across America.

You might recall Staver as being the lawyer for Kim Davis in 2015. Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. Staver has been, and continues to be, involved in legal cases attempting to shut down LGBT rights. He tends to focus on transgender people and the denial of our rights as Americans, especially when it concerns our right to access public spaces. He claims that he is not trying to discriminate against transgender To read the rest of this story visit: http://wp.me/p22M41-4i5

Ask a Trans Woman: “Barstool activism” and the importance of trans visibility By: Lorelei Erisis*/TRT Columnist

I

PHOTO: DAVID MEEHAN

t’s been a pretty intense few weeks for me. Most recently, I was asked to appear on the WGBH TV show, “Greater Boston” to “debate” public accommodations protections for transgender people. Actually, I got the message asking me the night before the program, while I was in the midst of writing the first draft of this very column.

Shortly before that, in a compact span of less than 48 hours, I participated (as a pri-

the public accommodations bill (http://goo.gl/xPW45g). It was completely unsurprising to me when they also asked me about Governor Baker’s speech the night before. I’d have been shocked if they did not.

Later that same day, I was also asked, by another fairly random bit of strange timing, to be one of the scheduled speakers at a fundraiser for the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. My task was to be the one who actually asked the crowd to give their money over to the good cause of supporting trans rights. Also, hopefully, to tell a few jokes.

All of those were very public appear-

I WAS FLANKED ON BOTH SIDES BY TWO OF THE MOST AMAZING AND INSPIRATIONAL TRANS ACTIVISTS I KNOW, NANCY NANGERONI AND GRACE STERLING STOWELL. vate citizen, unaffiliated with this paper) in an action to protest Governor Baker’s glaring lack of commitment to any sort of a stance on the public accommodations bill stuck in the Massachusetts legislature. You may have heard about it. News of the event made it into national and even international media outlets.

The very next afternoon, by sheer coincidence, I had been asked to appear as a guest on Boston Public Radio to talk about

QPuzzle: Legendary Lesbian in Action ...

ances, in which I was dramatically visible.

At Governor Baker’s speech, I stood proudly, front and center in a bright green dress, in the midst of a large crowd of proud trans people and our allies also wearing green. I was flanked on both sides by two of the most amazing and inspirational trans activists I know, Nancy Nangeroni and Grace Sterling Stowell. We were paTo read the rest of this story visit: http://wp.me/p22M41-4hV

Across 1 Instrument with several Gstrings 5 Toon Le Pew 9 Long, hard one of construction workers 14 Israeli author Oz 15 Star quality 16 Fosse field 17 Able to bend over 18 The Unicorn author Murdoch 19 Standing up straight 20 Legendary lesbian name once of Lansing 23 Start of an online view 24 Part of UTEP 25 Locale of valuable stones 29 Playful mammal 31 Bottom's cry 33 QAF network 36 Wear at the edges 37 Become like a bear 38 Legendary lesbian name once of Fort Lauderdale 40 Legendary lesbian name once of Philadelphia 41 About Cherry director Stephen 42 Trial run 43 NYPD rank 44 Succeeds a la Log Cabin 45 Needed some BenGay 47 Kind of IRA 48 "Etta ___" (old comic strip) 50 What an athletic supporter might do?

53 Legendary lesbian name once of Portland 57 One of Ours novelist Cather 60 Drag queen Gene 61 Fey of 30 Rock 62 Poet Dickinson 63 Charged particles 64 Out partner 65 Events at Barneys 66 Petrol station choice 67 They wave their sticks in Cincinnati Down 1 Shakespeare's own?

2 Greek theater opening 3 Composer Ned 4 Anthony Perkins flick of 1960 5 Two of a kind 6 Pole, for one 7 Early contest for Hillary 8 Lets up 9 Head output 10 Big yellow fruit 11 WSW opposite 12 Jock org. for UNC 13 Trysted 21 Come quickly, with "it" 22 Catch in the North Atlantic 26 Quit, with "out" 27 Brand for cutting leaves of grass 28 Adolf's intimate Rohm 30 Russian friend of Kahlo 32 Indiana Fever's conference 33 Look from Snidely Whiplash 34 Greeting for Dolly

35 One of the little hooters 39 Williams of Brokeback Mountain 40 Citrus fruit parts 42 Skin decorations 46 Arizona, on Grey's Anatomy, e.g.

49 Beatles manager Brian's nickname 51 Kind of drab 52 Adjusted guitar strings 54 G of PFLAG 55 Errol Flynn's The Sun ___ Rises 56 Four of the answers in this puzzle 57 Bentley of American Beauty 58 "_ ___ Yankee Doodle Dandy" 59 Like a one-incher, in Dogpatch

SOLUTION

16 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

May 5, 2016 - June 1, 2016