The Rainbow Times' October 2017 Issue

2 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com • 10th Year Anniversary

October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

10th Year Anniversary • TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 3

4 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com • 10th Year Anniversary

October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

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October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

Openly gay candidate takes on incumbent & LGBTQ champ in Salem’s Mayoral Race By: Chris Gilmore/TRT Reporter

IN THE LIMELIGHT

SALEM, Mass.—On November 7, Salem residents will decide the fate of City Hall’s highest office as they cast their vote for incumbent and touted LGBTQ champ Mayor Kim Driscoll or former City Councilor and openly gay resident Paul Prevey.

“Salem is a welcoming community and I'm proud that we have accomplished so much to demonstrate as much over the last decade,” said Driscoll. “Whether it was our landmark non-discrimination ordinance, which we've actually enforced, the positive advocacy of our No Place for Hate Committee, or the establishment of the North Shore Pride Parade and Festival, we've worked hard to make sure Salem is a city that welcomes everyone and excludes none. I'm proud that we have consistently earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index for our city's LGBTQ-inclusive polices and practices.”

Like Driscoll, Prevey said he recognizes the importance of addressing issues affecting disenfranchised communities.

“I will ensure that city hall works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies to vigorously pursue any violence, threats of violence or hateful acts against individuals, groups or classes of people,” Prevey said.

“Everyone in Salem will know that they

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll during the Equality Reception for the Driscoll campaign in May 2017.

PHOTO: TRT ARCHIVES

will be protected and their civil and personal rights upheld. City hall will take steps to make sure that everyone, regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation, live without fear, intimidation or discrimination.”

Salem’s No Place for Hate Committee Under the Driscoll administration, Salem created its own No Place For Hate Committee (NPFH) “dedicated to promoting acceptance of diversity and combating

discrimination,” according to its mission statement found on the city’s website. “We are dedicated to mobilizing citizens to challenge bigotry and to promote a prejudicefree community in which all people are respected, understood, and appreciated for their differences. …We seek to protect the promise of equal justice and civil rights for all members of our community.”

No Place For Hate has tackled issues such as racism, LGBTQ discrimination, sexism, ageism, Islamophobia, and anti-

Semitism amongst other marginalized struggles as they arise in the community, said committee officials.

Praising in his comments regarding No Place for Hate, Prevey also said he would like to see all residents feel a part of it.

“The Salem No Place For Hate Committee has done a great job of raising awareness regarding issues of discrimination, bigotry and exclusion,” he said. “If elected, I would like to see the Committee expand its focus … When change happens and communities start to change in various demographic ways, it’s important to take an inclusive approach with all residents so Salem is a united community. It’s important to recognize that, as part of that conversation, we are going to have divergent and differing viewpoints on how we reach that goal. Those opinions and conversations should be encouraged in a respectful manner.”

NPFH Chair, Jeff Cohen believes the committee is inclusive of all Salem residents and represents everyone equally.

“Our mission is universal in who we serve—and we believe that talking about all prejudice and discrimination brings us closer together,” said Cohen who is also a candidate for City Councilor-at-Large. “We serve all residents, particularly those who need it most.”

The Rainbow Times reached out to the Prevey campaign for clarification on which communities are allegedly being excluded

See Mayor’s Race on Page 14

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October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

Trump fails again: A despicable response to Puerto Rico; how the US cripples the island By: Nicole Lashomb*/TRT Editor-in-Chief

W

hen Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, making landfall as a category 5 storm, we were horrified for what that would mean for the U.S. island and our family residing on it.

However, due to the fairly expedient response to U.S. mainland based hurricanes Irma and Harvey by our federal government, we had hoped that relief would also come expediently to Puerto Rico, an official commonwealth of the United States with a population of nearly 3.5 million Americans. Realistically, with a prejudiced person in the White House, we knew our hopes were likely in vain. We were right.

But, of course it’s not all Trump. The United States government has been crippling Puerto Rico’s economy for years.

One of those instances has directly to do with the Jones Act, a century old law that requires all “goods ferried between U.S. ports to be carried on ships built, owned and operated by Americans,” CNN reported. “And those ships are far more expensive to buy and operate than ships flying foreign flags. As a result, it makes just about everything in Puerto Rico more expensive.”

In 2012, a New York Federal Reserve study found that shipping a container on the East Coast to Puerto Rico costs double of what it would cost to ship the exact container on a foreign ship to nearby islands like the Dominican Republic. The comparative figures were $3,063 to $1504—for the same container. And in 2010, it was found that Puerto Rico loses approximately $537 million per year as a result of the Jones Act, according to a University of Puerto Rico study.

“Though many critics of the Jones Act, including Republican Senator John McCain, have argued for years that it should be permanently repealed since the higher shipping costs are a drag on Puerto Rico's already struggling economy,” CNN re-

... WHEN SAN JUAN MAYOR CARMEN YULÍN CRUZ CALLED OUT TRUMP ON HIS DEFICIENCIES AND BEGGED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM ANYONE LISTENING. ported.

The Jones Act is what limited supplies getting to the island initially when Trump did not sign a waiver to the encumbering Act in order to speed up relief efforts. It was not until days later and after a political firestorm that he signed a temporary waiver for 10 days. Yet, with Hurricane Harvey and Irma, the Jones act was waived almost immediately for Texas and Florida.

However, serious logistical issues presented problems too. There were 9,500 cargo shipments docked at the ports waiting on the island or at the mainland. Basically put, the Trump administration’s efforts were so convoluted that the relief supplies that were on the island could not be distributed to the American citizens needing it the most due to botch logistics.

Things really started heating up when San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz called out Trump on his deficiencies and begged for assistance from anyone listening. As you can imagine, Trump’s twitter tirade began shortly thereafter where he assaulted her leadership as she waded through chest high flood waters trying to save Puerto Rican lives all while he was golfing in New Jersey.

In comparison to relief efforts spearheaded by the federal government in Texas and Florida after hurricanes Harvey and Irma ripped through the states, Puerto Rico was assigned only 10,000 troops. Texas received 30,000 and 40,000 went to Florida for their relief efforts.

“Obviously, what we asked for and what they sent was not enough for a storm that

Examining LGB attitudes toward trans people By: Paul P. Jesep*/TRT Columnist

I

FAITH

n Albany, NY controversy erupted (https://goo.gl/2TfFpv) over accusations of disrespect by the leadership of the Pride Center of the Capital Region (https://goo.gl/ThwhZb) toward transgender people, particularly trans women. In September, things reached a breaking point with calls for a new CEO and board of directors.

Independent of the hostility cisgender, heterosexual society has shown it raises a number of issues regarding the social, political, and spiritual attitudes LGB persons have toward the trans community.

“All of us must self-examine to find the hidden obstacles to our own spiritual growth,” said Rev. Jim Mulcahy, a Metropolitan Community Church (www.mccchurch.org; MCC) pastor and Orthodox priest who is trans.

Obstacles to spiritual growth stem from personal and spiritual insecurities about people or communities that seem different.

“It has often been said that the T in LGBT doesn't neatly fit,” said Mulcahy,

who tirelessly shares MCC’s vision of global social justice. “LGBT ministers pastoring congregations [sometimes] struggle to fully integrate transgender people. Many LGB parishioners don't feel comfortable because of [a] lack of understanding. In the struggle to understand, growth and acceptance happens.”

According to Mulcahy, LGB men and women need to be more aware what marginalizing binary and trans “people does to our own community,” especially when LGB individuals, “complain [about] what wider society does to us.” Let not the persecuted become the persecutor.

Travis Gardner, a trans man who took the time to help educate me, asked three other trans people regarding some of the questions I posed to him.

“As a trans man living in Spokane,” said one of the respondents to Travis’s questions, “the only pushback I legitimately got was from gay men, not a bunch … but enough.”

This trans man added, “I had a lot of ...

See LGB Attitudes on Page 23

impacted every town in Puerto Rico from north to south and east to west,” Ramón Rosario, Gov. Ricardo Roselló’s secretary of public affairs and public policy, said to the LA Times.

Trump administration officials noted that it would take up to five days for ships to arrive to the island to assist in relief efforts and 4 days to prepare for departure. You know, being an “island that is surrounded by water,” Trump said.

The Pentagon finally appointed a 3-star general to the island to survey and oversee the imminent circumstances in Puerto Rico. He called the devastation the “worst destruction he has ever seen.”

Social media has been flooded for days following the natural disaster condemning the failed response by Trump to adequately respond. When he finally did, he blamed the island for its own problems, citing debt and poor infrastructure as some sort of justification for his inept response—as if they even relate.

When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Trump never cited its debt, despite its whopping $338 billion deficit in recent years—quite a move considering Trump also stuck Puerto Rico with a $33 million tab when his golf course went bankrupt there. Over and over again, the island was to blame in one way or another. In all actu-

Letters to the Editor [Re: Creep of the Week: Western Massachusetts’ Anti-LGBTQ Hater Scott Lively] Dear Editor, Scott Lively was second in command of the Oregon Citizen’s Alliance, a group that tried to get several anti-gay ballot measures passed in 1988 & 1989.

I think he was the “brains” of the OCA. Among other repulsive things he linked being gay to necrophilia and bestiality.

It may give some insight into this guy’s psyche to say that one of the OCA’s claims was that gay men liked to roll around in bathtubs full of feces.

Interestingly, he was among American religious working in Uganda. In one of the documentaries about that interference there was an interview with a Ugandan woman who repeated the tub of feces line. The man is sick.

—Patty Malone, Online [Re: Democrat for Governor CandidatePlans to Expand Economic Opportunity for Women] Dear Editor, Wow I would like him as our Governor!

—Rozita Harun, Online

ality, it was his deficiency and blatant disregard for anyone other than his shade of white or for those representing his personal business interests. Trump will always put profit over lives and he proves it time and time again.

“Boricuas” serve the United States with honor, die for it to defend our freedom and yet, as second class U.S. citizens, islanders cannot vote in the presidential election.

They have no real representation in Congress, and the U.S. government holds the authority to veto any law established by the local government of Puerto Rico.

As reported by the Committee for Puerto Rican Decolonization, “Since its invasion of Puerto Rico in 1898, the United States has maintained virtually complete control over the island's development. Until 1952, the Governor of Puerto Rico was appointed by the President of the United States, and had veto power over a local House of Representatives. Civil services, armed forces, police, mail, citizenship, trade agreements, schools, media, and economic programs were under U.S. supervision.”

Now, who is really to blame here?

The Rainbow Times The Freshest LGBT 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

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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.

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Beyond the chatter: Polyamorists talk about their experiences, fears and philosophies By: Al Gentile/TRT Reporter

Polyamory, or the act of being romantically involved with more than one person, has not been the subject of much academic research. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, “Prevalence of Experiences with Consensual Nonmonogamous Relationships” (https://goo.gl/CFwBng), states that one in five Americans have engaged in “consensual nonmonogamy” at some point in their lives.

The Rainbow Times reached out to several people in polyamorous relationships to explore the reality, stigma, and characteristics surrounding consensually nonmonogamous couplings.

Spencer Belén Icasiano said they often struggled with feelings of wanting more than what one romantic partner was capable of providing.

“I would obsess a lot about my own feelings,” said Icasiano, who identifies as genderqueer. “I felt like something was wrong with me. I felt a lot of guilt wanting something more than monogamy. I thought I would never be able to have a deep, lasting connection with someone.”

Polyamory is a dynamic term under which many different distinctions exist. For example, Icasiano is in what they describe as a “pseudo-hierarchical relationship,” one where they have a “primary” partner with the option of “secondary” and “tertiary” partners.

There are many terms used to describe nonmonogamous relationships, and often the language used to describe those experiences are based on several factors, including the presence of consent, the emotional and sexual nature of a relationship, and more.

Now being in a committed relationship and with the freedom of exploring others as well, Icasiano said they were able to learn much more about themselves and others.

For Katie Martini, a non-binary queer person, discovering that polyamory was a viable option came at a crossroads.

“I found out I had feelings for my current girlfriend and this other person. That’s when I started to consider it,” Martini said.

“Growing up, I didn’t know it was a thing that you could love other people. I started

to realize there were healthy ways to be in a relationship with more than one person.”

derqueer. Silverman said one reason they considered polyamory was because jealousy was never present in their first

A not-so-different definition of love One question many polyamorous people often field is how they could have the capacity to love more than one person. For Chrys Lee*, a woman who is in a straight polyamorous relationship with her husband and boyfriend, it comes down to what’s brought to the table.

“My husband is more nurturing, and my boyfriend is more goal-oriented,” Lee said.

“I haven’t found someone better than my husband; I’ve just found someone else. I have two whole relationships.”

Lee said that, as opposed to splitting her emotional capacity between two people, l o n g she brings everything a monogamous per- term relationship—a monogamous one—even son brings to their relationship to hers.

Lee said assessing one’s own capacity though their partner was flirtawith honesty is integral to maintaining full- tious with other people.

Silverman said they fielded a lot of fledged relationships with her two partners.

Yet, people still have their doubts, she said. concerned questions from friends.

“I’ve never been a jealous person. A lot “If they saw how much effort we put into each other, I don’t think they would [have of people would question me on that,” they doubts],” Lee said. “I can handle it because said. “I don’t see exclusivity as a compoI have very few friends who take up my nent of love.”

For Icasiano, being polyamorous is in time.” part pushing past what Icasiano said that they see as commonly one of the central tenants of ICASIANO SAID THAT ONE OF detrimental in monogamous relationships. polyamory is that if THE CENTRAL TENANTS OF “Within my relationa person wants to ships, I try to chalsatisfy all of their various needs, one POLYAMORY IS THAT IF A lenge the ideas of ‘toxic monogamy,’” needs to look beyond the limits of a PERSON WANTS TO SATISFY Icasiano said. “Nonmonogamy is taking a single person.

ALL OF THEIR VARIOUS step back from that.”

“I think that’s a lot of pressure to put on NEEDS, ONE NEEDS TO LOOK Communication is one person,” Icasiano said. “Being BEYOND THE LIMITS OF A key Generally, being a polyamorous allows part of a polyamorous me to find the pieces SINGLE PERSON. relationship requires that fit and lets me consent, or at the very work with that.”

Icasiano said likening polyamory to hav- least recognition from all partners involved, ing multiple friendships is helpful in under- for various issues.

Silverman said consent is an integral part standing the motivation to want different things from different people. They said it’s of many facets of a polyamorous relationlike how someone can have friends they’re ship.

“The key is consent. Everybody has to close with for different reasons.

Yet, it goes deeper, according to Alexan- know what’s going on,” they said. “If I’m der Blake Silverman, who identifies as gen- going to have sex with somebody, I need consent from not only my partners, but from the partners they have.”

Martini said communication is one of the worthwhile difficulties of being in a polyamorous relationship. Based on their experience, making plans and being committed to expressing desires is the fuel that keeps their relationships going.

“For a lot of people, it’s difficult to communicate well with just one person.

You have to be sure that there’s really clear communi-

c a t i o n ,” Martini said.

Icasiano said the amount of dedication needed for open and honest discussion has changed them, for the better.

“Being polyamorous requires so much communication. It takes a lot of empathy and caring about other people’s feelings,” Icasiano said. “I’m way more intuned with my own needs and those of my partner.”

Consideration is also key Although polyamory can be fundamentally different that monogamy, the principles and the values you bring to the relationships are similar, according to Silverman.

“You take all the good and all the bad, and multiply it. But, you also spread it further,” they said.

Lee pointed out that polyamory is not a solution for the problems of a monogamous relationship.

“If you’re going to open up the relationship to fix it, it will only make things worse,” Lee said. “The big thing is you know exactly why you’re trying.”

Lee also cautioned that polyamorous people are sometimes used by couples for unhealthy reasons. For instance, “unicorn hunting” is when a straight couple seeks a bisexual person to simply fulfill their sexual desires.

“Many of the inquiries I was getting were from couples who wanted me as their ‘birthday present’,” Lee said. “There are absolutely predatory people in the polyamorous community who prey on newcomers.”

People enter into polyamorous relations for many reasons as well. Silverman said it doesn’t have to be only about sex.

“I’m not in a polyamorous relationship for sex, but for emotional support,” they said.

Communication and trust become even more important when issues such as sexually transmitted infections are involved. Silverman said people considering polyamory have to keep this kind of difficulty in mind.

“It can be hard enough to ...

See Polyamory on Page 23

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By: Jenna Spinelle/TRT Reporter

BOSTON—As the fate of President Trump’s proposed ban on transgender service members hangs in the balance, the uncertainty is causing the community to hold its breath until a final decision is announced in February.

“Uncertainty is a terrible thing for people, in part because it causes chronic and ongoing stress along with an expectation of rejection and fear of the unknown,” said Jeremy Goldbach, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Southern California (https://goo.gl/MLciZS).

In the meantime, trans veterans are also speaking out against the ban and seeking support from each other as they prepare for what might lie ahead.

“We’re all pissed off about it,” said Rebecca Jeen Mcdonald, a trans vet living in Boston. “What’s going to stop them from doing it to other groups? They are going to open up a major can of worms, not just for the transgender community but for any other minority who might want want to serve.”

The ban first gained national attention over the summer when President Trump tweeted that the U.S. would no longer allow trans people to serve in the military, reversing a policy the Obama administration put into place in 2016 (https://goo.gl/m2iP4i).

That order was not enforced and the fate of trans service members rests in the hands

of a panel appointed by Defense Secretary James Mattis, who has six months to make recommendations to the President about how to proceed.

Mcdonald, a U.S. Air Force veteran, cofacilitates the Vet2Vet Trans Peer Support Group (http://vet2vet.lgbt). The group offers peer counseling for trans veterans and their families or those who feel conflict regarding gender issues. The group meets biweekly at the Jamaica Plain and Brockton VA hospitals.

Although the proposed military ban will not affect the group directly, Mcdonald said they are concerned about what might happen to trans people currently serving in the military. If Trump’s proposal is implemented, veterans could be dishonorably discharged and lose healthcare and other benefits upon returning home.

A 2016 study (https://goo.gl/WgQ7MK) by the RAND Corporation estimates that there are between 1,320 and 6,630 active duty trans military personnel out of a total 1.3 million service members. The Williams Institute (https://goo.gl/6gLunf) at the University of California in Los Angeles estimates that number could go as high as 15,000 when reserve and National Guard troops are included. The organization also reported (https://goo.gl/G2WytS) that there were 130,000 trans veterans as of 2014.

On a broader scale, the Transgender American Veterans Association (http://transveteran.org) is engaging in talks with its connections at the Pentagon

PHOTO: JEREMY GOLDBACH

As proposed military ban looms, trans community experiences uncertainty, frustration

Jeremy Goldbach, assistant professor of social work at the University of Southern California.

to ensure that the ban is not put into effect.

Denny Meyer, the group’s media director and veterans affairs officer, said the group has no choice but to take matters into its own hands.

“Congress has no spine and can’t take any action because they are in perpetual shock every single day awaiting the next outrageous thing the President will do,” Meyer said.

Meyer said that removing active duty trans service members will have consequences that the military might not readily consider and constitute a waste of taxpayer dollars. About 20 percent of the trans pop-

recruiting because trans people will no longer be allowed to enlist and other marginalized groups may be deterred from doing so as well.

Goldbach, who studies issues related to social stigma and mental health in the LGBTQ community, said he’s heard firsthand about the impact the uncertainty is having on trans service members.

“Of the trans service members I have spoken to, this uncertainty is taking a major toll on their feelings of stability and mental health,” he said.

The proposed ban flies in the face of reality for young service members, who have grown up with a diverse set of peers their whole lives, according to Meyer. He said that introducing artificial divisions could introduce conflict that would not have existed before.

“Young people today serving the military grew up with gay people coming out in junior high school … there’s total acceptance,” Meyer said. “The same is true of transgender people serving in all of our countries without a glass ceiling of security or anything else. The president’s actions are fanning the flames of you shouldn’t trust each other and creating prejudice where it did not exist before.”

On the subject of trust, Goldbach said he’s heard from trans service members who are receiving support from their peers on the ground regardless of what’s happening in Washington.

“Teamwork and cohesion are critical to the mission of the military,” Goldbach said.

“Several service members have indicated to me that their comrades are quite supportive of them and are doing their best to show their support both on and off base.”

MEYER SAID THAT REMOVING ACTIVE DUTY TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES THAT THE MILITARY MIGHT NOT READILY CONSIDER AND CONSTITUTE A WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. ulation in the U.S. has served or is currently serving in the military, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality (https://goo.gl/S8B73r; NCTE).

Meyer said trans people are twice as likely as any other group to enlist.

“The military spends something like $100,000 training them and making them experts in areas like electronics and cybersecurity, and now you want to replace them with the snap of your fingers,” Meyer said.

“It would take 10-15 years to achieve the same level of skill and expertise and reduce the effectiveness of the military.”

Beyond the time it will take to recruit and train new service members, Meyer said the military will need to spend more money on

As the uncertainty continues to play out over the next few months, Mcdonald and her peers at Vet2Vet will continue supporting each other and lobbying legislators to speak out against the ban’s implementation. She said the group always welcomes new members; anyone interested in joining can contact her at rebeccajeen@vet2vet.lgbt.

“We do nothing wrong other than being ourselves,” Mcdonald said. “No one has the right to tell us how we’re supposed to be.”

Mattis has until February 21, 2018 to submit a plan for implementing the policy, including whether or not it will affect trans people who are currently serving in the military.

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The campus of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, was greatly damaged by hurricane María.

Humanitarian relief to save American lives in Puerto Rico underway By: Chris Gilmore/TRT Reporter

Almost two weeks after hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the most powerful to hit the U.S. territory in almost 100 years, residents are still trying to fulfill their basic needs of food, water, electricity, and gas.

For 16 people, according to local government officials, the help did not arrive early enough. That number could reach well into the hundreds once the full range of devastation is known, reports from a local media indicated.

Yet, instead of focusing on the grave humanitarian crisis that the people of the island are facing, President Donald J. Trump decided that the best course of action was to attack Carmen Yulín Cruz, San Juan’s Mayor, via Twitter. Trump also lambasted Puerto Ricans by tweeting that “they want everything to be done for them.” As a result, many took to social media to condemn Trump's unwarranted written assaults.

One of them, Lin Manuel Miranda, "Hamilton" creator, replied to Trump via Twitter, when he read Trump’s tweets to Yulín Cruz.

“You're going straight to hell, @realDonaldTrump,” he typed. “No long lines for you. Someone will say, ‘Right this way, sir.’ They'll clear a path.”

A CNN story does the best job at explaining the divisiveness that this president, unlike any other prior to him, has created in America and abroad, especially the diatribe aimed at the 3.4 million Americans living in Puerto Rico who are in crisis.

“His lone goal is winning at all costs. If that means attacking the mayor of San Juan even as Puerto Rico faces a historic recovery challenge, so be it. If it means blaming Puerto Rico's debt and infrastructure issues even as people are desperately searching for their loved ones, well, that's just how it goes. If it means trying to build the media up as a scapegoat to cover up a slowerthan-ideal response to Maria's aftermath?

Consider it done!” read the CNN story (https://goo.gl/gsBndP).

In an act of solidarity, Senator Elizabeth

Warren (D-Mass.), spoke to Yulín Cruz to offer her support to the Mayor.

"I just got off the phone with Mayor @CarmenYulinCruz," read a Tweet from the Senator. "I told her to keep up her heroic work & leadership on behalf of Puerto Rico."

And, Puerto Ricans are hurting in more ways—the psychological distress seems to be taking its toll too.

"It's like if I were living in another country, not governed by the United States, not the PR I knew. The only time when I can turn it all off is when I sleep at nights," said Patricia M. Ocasio, an Arecibo resident, to The Rainbow Times. "Then, when you wake up in the morning, you realize that the nightmare is actually the reality we live in now.

“There are those who are desperate and trying to harm or steal goods and even generators from others. We stay indoors hoping that we can use whatever we have left without running out of food. It’s depressing. I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just don't. I never thought I'd experience anything like this. I am at a loss for words."

Those who live near the few gas stations open part-time to help people replenish their gas tanks express that people are making continued failed trips without acquiring the valued commodity.

“I am 81 years old and I went out with [husband's name] at 3 a.m. to get in line to see if we could get our gas tank filled,” said Aida de León, a resident of Carolina in San Juan. “We were able to be in line because it was early on. The weather is so hot here that we can’t be out after 9 a.m. because it is really unbearable after that.”

Many other residents around the island, and even in the capital region, have had to wash clothes by hand at any body of water available to them.

"I waited almost 7 hours to be able to wash some clothes at a laundromat because

See Puerto Rico on page 21

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Mayor’s Race from Page 5 from NPFH, but a reply was not received prior to publication.

LGBTQ Impact As an openly gay man, Prevey said he “knows” and has “personally experienced discrimination.”

“I know first- hand the damaging effects that discrimination can have on an individual, the person’s family and the community as a whole,” Prevey said. “LGBTQ residents should know that they can feel safe and supported within Salem. All city departments will work collaboratively with local partners to ensure that residents are protected, defended and their rights safeguarded. In instances where there is abuse, harassment and discrimination, the City and its resources will be made available to address it immediately.”

Under Driscoll’s leadership, the city has taken several steps to protect the LGBTQ community locally.

“I'm proud to have designated the first LGBTQ Liaisons in City Hall and the Police Department back in 2013, positions that are still filled today, and who provide resources and support for the LGBTQ community when there are incidents of hate or discrimination,” she said. “As important as resources, however, is our action to stand symbolically and literally with those who are attacked because of who they are, who they love, how or if they worship, or how they identify. Following the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016 and the vandalism of The Rainbow

October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

Times newspaper box that August, I was proud that Salem rallied so powerfully and so vocally, in unity, with the entire LGBTQ community. Salem is a compassionate city and when we see strife, injustice, or inhumanity—locally or elsewhere—I am proud that we are a community that feels compelled to act.”

Sanctuary for Peace Ordinance & Question 1 Arguably, one of the most obvious social divides between the Driscoll and Prevey campaign lies in support of the Sanctuary for Peace Ordinance, which codifies city policies and practices into municipal law, with a focus on the immigrant community and public safety.

“I support the Sanctuary for Peace Ordinance and believe it is consistent with our community's values and will make Salem safer, because it codifies into law our existing policy of providing city services to all residents regardless of one's country of origin,” explained Driscoll who also helped to spearhead the ordinance effort. “Now, more than ever, hardworking, law abiding members of our immigrant community have expressed fear about reaching out to local officials, as a result of more active deportation efforts. It's important that all individuals feel secure in calling the Salem Police or Fire to report a crime, fire, or medical emergency. This ordinance helps to ensure that all people know they can rely on local services without fear of deportation, regardless of their immigration status.”

Prevey, a vocal opponent of the Sanctuary for Peace Ordinance, expresses a dif-

Mayoral candidate Paul Prevey PHOTO: PAUL PREVEY FB PAGE

ferent view.

“Prior to the enactment of the ordinance, there was no issue with city officials (police, fire, schools) denying services or questioning people regarding their eligibility of services based upon their status,” Prevey said. “As such, the ordinance was unnecessary and viewed by many as being

ficials from sharing information with other law enforcement agencies. That’s why our current Police Chief Mary Butler and former Police Chief and current State Representative Paul Tucker are both strong supporters of the Ordinance.”

Opponents of the Ordinance have publicly argued that supporting the approved measure welcomes criminal activity. Facts, however, indicate otherwise. A quick analysis by the Salem Police Department (SPD), according to Butler, shows that “White/non-Hispanic persons account for approximately 70-75 percent of the arrests in the City.”

“In reality, it is in the best interest for public safety that all persons who are being victimized or threatened within our community feel safe enough to come forward to report the criminal violators so that appropriate action is taken to ensure for the safety our entire community,” she explained. “Without their reports we would be without the benefit of knowing who could be placing our community at risk.”

Continuity of the Sanctuary for Peace Ordinance will be on the ballot this November where the voters will decide its fate. A “Yes” vote on Question 1 upholds the Ordinance that was passed by the City Council and approved by the mayor to codify city policy and practices into local laws.

OPPONENTS OF THE ORDINANCE HAVE PUBLICLY ARGUED THAT SUPPORTING THE APPROVED MEASURE WELCOMES CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. A QUICK ANALYSIS BY THE SALEM POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOWS THAT “WHITE/NON-HISPANIC PERSONS ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 70-75 PERCENT OF THE ARRESTS IN THE CITY.” unnecessary. Having it on the ballot allows each voter to weigh in …”

Police Chief Mary Butler said the ordinance does not restrict the police department in any way and adds to the overall safety of Salem residents.

“Any person who is violating the Massachusetts Criminal Laws or ordinances of our City could be placing the community at risk,” Chief Butler said. “These individuals will be arrested and appropriate action taken to ensure they do not risk the safety of anyone. The ordinance does not restrict the ability of the Police Department to take appropriate action when necessary, nor does it provide benefits or rights to immigrants that are not already provided by law.”

Driscoll pointed out that the ordinance does not “violate federal law, jeopardize federal funding or prevent public safety of-

“Yes on Question 1 presents us with a moral reckoning,” said Ana Nuncio, President of Salem’s Latino Leadership Coalition (LLC) and School Committee Candidate. “It challenges us to see ourselves in the newcomer among us. It asks us to use our free will and our right to vote yes on a measure that will strengthen our social fabric against the hateful impulses stirring in our society.”

Taxes & Fiscal Responsibility Prevey adds that he is opposed to large increases in taxes and the expansion of the city budget.

“I differ with the Mayor on large increases in taxes, the growth of the city budget,management and corrective action within the school department, delivery of

See Mayor’s Race on page 19

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Dealing with a lack of support can be difficult when you’re transgender By: Deja Nicole Greenlaw*/TRT Columnist

W

TRANS OPINION

hen I first entered the trans community I was told that I would lose people in my life if I transitioned to female. It wasn’t just one person who told me, it was many people. As a matter of fact, every single trans person I knew told me. It’s like it was part of the deal, you transition and you will lose some of the people in your life. Unfortunately, there’s a price to pay when you begin living as your true self.

Things will not be the same and some friends and relatives will drop you off their friends list like a hot potato. What’s the deal with their non-acceptance and why do they turn their backs on you? Once again, I can’t say for sure, but I can only guess what’s going on in their heads.

It’s a fact that most people do not take well to change. Change may upset their world and, in some cases, rock it a little too much. It may be too much for some to handle, so a trans person will probably encounter some resistance from others when they transition to their true gender. Their opposition may be rooted in

the belief that there are only two genders, male and female, a man is a man and a woman is a woman, and never the two shall meet.

Others may be misogynistic and believe

my trans friends warned me. I did feel the awful pain of isolation. People who were previously in my life were now not accepting me. Some of these folks still haven’t accepted me as female. Some others, who

I DID FEEL THE AWFUL PAIN OF ISOLATION. PEOPLE WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY IN MY LIFE WERE NOW NOT ACCEPTING ME. SOME OF THESE FOLKS STILL HAVEN’T ACCEPTED ME AS FEMALE. that it is degrading for someone who they consider male to transition to female. Significant others may object that they married a man (or woman) and they do not want a woman (or man) to be their spouse. Children may have problems accepting their parents’ transitioning. There may be more reasons, but basically it is because to some friends or relatives, your transitioning is too much for them to handle.

When I first transitioned to female, I did lose a lot of friends and family members as

accepted me at first, now seem to want nothing to do with me. I thought that some folks were okay with me, but evidently they aren’t.

So, what can one do? You can go through the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, and depression and hopefully you will get to the last stage, acceptance of your losses.

It’s tough getting through those first four stages, but it’s something most of us trans people may need to do. We may need to accept that we lost some folks and the only

thing we can really do is go on with our lives without them. At the same time, we can always also wait and hope that one day they will come back to us.

Looking back on my early years in the trans community one trans woman gave me some of the best advice I ever received when she told me, “Deja, you got to learn to deal!” She was right. I needed to learn to deal with the changes in my life and especially with the losses in my life. Not everyone is going to accept me as a female and I must learn to deal with that fact. I’ve seen how other trans women deal with that fact. Some cry, some get very angry and confrontational, some try to turn the situation to a peaceful teaching opportunity, and some ignore the situations. I usually choose the teaching or the ignore route depending on the safety or danger of the situation, my time schedule, and my energies at that moment. Whatever way you choose to deal with those situations is up to you.

Losing people in your life and not being accepted by others as your true self are two of the biggest hurdles most trans people need to deal with today. For many of us it is a never-ending scenario. I hope that in the future it gets better for trans people, but for now we need to deal. How do you deal? *Deja Nicole Greenlaw is retired from 3M and has three children and two grandchildren.

Self care for social justice advocates: What to consider when picking your battles By: Lorelei Erisis*/TRT Columnist

I

PHOTO: DAVID MEEHAN

ASK A TRANS WOMAN

f you’ve met me, or seen the work I do out in the world, you’ll know that I am very much a political animal. As a caring human being, a public figure, and an activist, I want to stand up and fight all the injustice I see, everywhere I go. I want to help everyone I can. But for one single individual, even one as motivated and somehow energetic as I am, that is just not possible.

I have come to realize that to be most effective I have to learn to pick my battles. It’s certainly one of the hardest lessons to learn as an activist, or for anyone who genuinely cares about the world and wants to do what they can to help. But, it’s absolutely vital.

I have seen so many people flare and burn out. Good comrades. Strong fighters.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. Before last November, it feels like much of the activist burnout I saw was usually a result of over ambition; of folks try-

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

ing to fight too many injustices because they care so much.

After last November, especially once Trump began his reign of terror, this activist burnout seems to be happening everywhere I look. People I never saw at a protest or an organizers meeting before are suddenly overwhelmed by all the battles they are trying to fight and injustices they are seeing.

It can feel like the Alt-Right, the GOP, and the MAGAs (Trump supporters) are trying to wear us all down through a strategy of inducing “outrage fatigue.” There are so many horrible things happening so quickly—all piling up faster than any normal human can comprehend—much less fight; that it’s quite simply exhausting.

In order to stay sane, healthy, and effective, I’ve had to learn to do a sort of activism triage. There are several questions I will ask myself when I’m trying to decide if I should get involved with an individual, an issue, a movement, a march or a protest.

Here are a few of them.

First, do you have free time and energy to spare?

This may seem incredibly obvious, but I have seen so many people skip this step, myself included. They commit themselves to a fight that is important to them. But without the time to devote to the cause, or the energy available to fight the good fight, this often winds up not only exhausting a person, but making them radically less effective in the fight they have committed themselves to.

The fighter ends up a husk and often the original problem remains unsolved.

Next, you have to ask yourself about the

DON’T BE THE PERSON WHO JOINS IN JUST TO PUMP UP YOUR OWN EGO, OR SIMPLY TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE PROBLEM THAT PROMPTED YOU TO JOIN IN THE FIRST PLACE. fight itself and the people already fighting it. What do they have already? In terms of resources, people, access, or any other relevant factors; would one person showing up make a difference? You may want to help. But, will your help be useful to the actual cause?

What do you have to contribute? Is there a special skill you posses? Are you a good artist? A talented writer? Can you organize? Speak to crowds? Are you a leader with a talent for inspiring people or a dedicated worker who can get things done?

Maybe you have connections the cause needs. Or, you have money to help finance the movement. Whatever it is you have that you can contribute—even if you don’t know the answer to this going in—the sooner you can answer this question, the more helpful your participation will be.

Also ask whether this is the best way you can help. What are your strengths in relation to the needs of those already fighting?

For instance, good leadership skills are great and sometimes all too rare. But a movement with too many leaders will never get anything done, even if you can

avoid the conflicts created by too many captains trying to steer the ship. The ship isn’t actually going anywhere unless you’ve got a crew to do the grunt work of casting off the lines, untangling the rigging, raising the sails, and mending them when they rip.

Another excellent question to consider is this: What kind of ripple effect could come from your participation? Are there others who will follow you into the fight? Are there some already involved who might resent your presence? What else might come of your participation?

This is certainly a question I have to ask myself. I know I come into any fight with a certain amount of baggage. I can bring a larger spotlight to a cause, through my media skills and high degree of visibility.

But, I also have done some things with my life that can be used as a weapon against me and those I associate with. I’ve been a sex worker and a comic. I have seen both of those things actively used to attack me, and by proxy, the cause I am fighting Read the rest of this story at: http://wp.me/p22M41-4Xq

16 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com • 10th Year Anniversary

October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

King’s landmark tennis win for women and LGBT rights, three icons’ thoughts By: Chris Azzopardi/Special to TRT

Lesbian sports pioneer Billie Jean King would, in due course, take her victory beyond the tennis court, to the front lines of equality for women and LGBT people alike. But first, there was her legendary face-off with her much older, goonish opponent, Bobby Riggs.

Famously coined “Battle of the Sexes,” the game transcended the court, marking a milestone in the fight for equality as it blazed an important trail for minorities in sports, after King crushed her sexist rival during the nationally televised match in 1973 at the Houston Astrodome.

If it sounds like the stuff of big-screen moviemaking magic, well, now it is. After 2001’s Goldie Hawn-produced TV movie starring Holly Hunter as King, named When Billie Beat Bobby, Oscar winner Emma Stone steps into the tennis champ’s sneakers to remind chauvinist pigs like Riggs to kindly take a seat. Battle of the Sexes, starring a perfectly-cast Steve Carell as Riggs, is as much a time capsule as it is a timely gender-equity statement, a sentiment not lost on Stone.

“Billie Jean is a social activist and she was always wired for social change, and she knew that from a young age,” Stone, seated next to King, recently told a group of journalists at the W Hotel in Westwood, California. “She was also great at tennis, and this was gonna be an amazing platform, if she could be the best, to change the world.”

King did, of course. But for Stone, it

started with realizing the “super empowering” effects of weightlifting, wherein “physical strength equals strength out in our country or in the conversation or to further equality.” It wasn’t just muscle the actress had to gain, however—Stone had to gain an understanding of King’s history, both professionally and personally (and the latter’s effect on her game). There was also, you know, the actual tennis.

“This story is about her personal journey and personal struggle, but had this been the Billie Jean tennis movie, I never would’ve gotten it,” Stone says, chuckling. “For a novice tennis player to become No. 1 in the world in three months, it was like, ‘How?’” To get Stone primed for her role, King joined the La La Land actress on the court, where King tossed her some balls. Additionally, Stone pored over historical footage and ample news coverage on the landmark match. Intimate conversations with King were important too, because Stone needed to engender the spirit of King at a radically different time in her life—and in the world.

Now, Stone says, “(King) is fully informed and is able to talk about all of this with closure and hindsight and she can just see it more clearly than she might have been able to at age 29.”

Then, before King entered into a relationship with fellow tennis pro Ilana Kloss, her partner for the past 30 years, the tennis legend came to know herself thanks to an affair with her secretary, the more sexually evolved Marilyn Barnett, which began in

Battle of the Sexes was out everywhere on Sept. 29.

the early ’70s. Barnett had been King’s hairstylist for several months before they became romantic and “embodies the free spirit and hope and liberation of the early ’70s,” says British actress Andrea Riseborough later that afternoon, during our exclusive interview. Known for gracefully inhabiting a bevy of real-life personas, including Wallis Simpson (in the 2011 Madonna-directed film W.E.) and Margaret Thatcher, Riseborough didn’t have access to Barnett—in fact, she didn’t consult King either, perhaps because King’s relationship with Barnett was far more toxic than Battle of the Sexes wants to admit.

In 1981, Barnett sued King, alleging their seven-year relationship entitled her to half of King's earnings, but King’s counsel fought the case (and won), noting that “palimony law” did not protect gay and lesbian couples.

“Billie has gone on to have a much greater love story with Ilana,” says Riseborough. “But it was an important time in her life. A stressful time, and a wonderful time.”

She continues: “I really have just treated her as a human being in that, if she offers something up to me, that’s wonderful. But this whole process has been difficult for her, as you can imagine, watching her own life at the most pivotal point of your life.”

Much to Riseborough’s surprise, King praised Riseborough’s Barnett as realistic despite her ex-lover’s mostly-undocumented life. Instead, select videos and a few photographs featuring a backgroundpositioned Barnett informed Riseborough’s acting. And of course there was the script, written by husband-wife team and Little Miss Sunshine filmmakers Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton.

“It was a collective effort of us all knowing how instrumental she was in the film as the catalyst of change,” Riseborough says, “from Billie feeling her body is a machine to her feeling like a sensual, beautiful thing to be explored in a healthy way.”

King’s husband at the time, attorney Larry King, would discover his wife’s secret, but insisted she focus on shattering the glass ceiling, as “Larry and I always talked about changing the tennis world” to be more inclusive.

“We were very much in it together,” she

PHOTO: FOX SEARCHLIGHT

remembers, though the pair would ultimately divorce in 1987.

Repressed sexual feelings, paired with the pressure of her newfound role as a feminist torchbearer, put King in a precarious place, as she struggled to be openly gay during a time when it was especially taboo to be out as a public sports figure.

“The LGBTQ community suffers a lot, especially our young kids, so that’s why it’s so important to embrace everyone,” she says now, reflecting on her own self-discovery. “You want people to be their unique self, their authentic self. It’s so important that we all encourage (that).”

Dayton and Faris’ film examines King’s own internal torment in a moving scene where Stone breaks down sobbing in the locker room after her Riggs defeat, uncertain about her future as a gay athlete. “She was on four hours of sleep every night, (and there was) all this going on with Marilyn and Larry,” Stone says. “I was thinking about that moment in all other scenes of the film because I think she had such strength, and because she holds it together, but it’s all just right under the surface for most of the film, that sort of breaking point.”

The scene portrayed “exactly how I felt,” says King, now 73. “It was so touching when I saw it, and so authentic (to) what was in my heart at the time.”

After organizing and launching the Women's Tennis Association in 1973, King continued to level the playing field a year later, founding the Women’s Sports Foundation. Seventy-nine cents from each ticket sold during the film’s opening weekend will be donated to the foundation via 21st Century Fox, which King finds “so meaningful.”

Certainly, King’s accomplishments are immense, both on and off the court. In 2009, she became the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which President Barack Obama awarded her in 2009 for her work with women’s advocacy and LGBTQ initiatives.

“When you’re around Billie for a certain period of life, you go back into your life being reinvigorated,” Riseborough says.

“You’re sort of ready to fight for justice.”

On September 9, Stone attended the U.S. Read the rest of this story at: http://wp.me/p22M41-4Xs

10th Year Anniversary • TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 17

October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

7 things to live for (literally) this fall

THE FRIVOLIST

By: Mikey Rox*/Special to TRT

F

rom a hilariously new gay doll Instagram to the blitz of award-worthy films slated for release, there’s plenty to love about the pumpkin-spiciest season of all. Here’s what to pay attention to this fall.

1. The L.A. Basics Since the The L.A. Basics Instagram account arrived on Aug. 25 with its first tongue-in-cheek post parodying SoCal scene queens while backhandedly reading them for filth (it applies to homos everywhere though; that’s the real beauty of it), it’s garnered nearly 40,000 followers at press time and climbing. While you’ll get a kick out of the creator’s irreverent observations regarding our community’s holy commitment to Sunday Fundays and passion for “frose”—among dozens of other gay clichés—there’s one over-arching question I ask myself every time I peep a new post: Why does this remind me of Colton Haynes? Judge for yourself @the_la_basics on IG.

2. National Suicide Prevention Month September is National Suicide Prevention Month, the annual campaign for which will be wrapping up by the time you read this.

Mental health issues, depression, and our own dedication to providing support and resources to those in our lives who may need it, however, should not be confined to a month of promoted awareness. If someone in your life is exhibiting signs that may require professional help or medical intervention, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. If you’re personally having trouble coping, dealing with your emotions or any other of life’s problems, rest assured that you are not alone, someone is available to listen, and someone will help you. You belong here.

3. The return of Will & Grace Season nine of seminal LGBT sitcom Will & Grace returns to the NBC Thursday night lineup at 9/8c Sept. 28, and we’re eagerly awaiting to see what the codependent pals are up to 11 years after they left us.

The series will be retconned to eliminate the eponymous characters’ children who were introduced in the 2006 finale, which is really neither here nor there because

we’re only coming back for Jack and Karen anyway.

4. Hallo-queen If you’re a fan of gay Christmas a.k.a. Halloween, you’ve probably had this year’s getup locked down for months. If you still need inspiration for a look that’s both bagof-dicks queer with a touch of topicality— like “Closet-Case Trump Bro” or “Viral Hula-Hooper”—keep an eye out for my annual Gayest Halloween Costumes roundup coming soon to an LGBT publication near you.

5. Cool-weather weekends with your boo Picnic lunches at local farms. Bonfires in the backyard. Naked cuddles and binge sessions of Stranger Things season two (available on Netflix Oct. 27). These are just some of the fall activities I’m looking forward to with my boo.

6. National Coming Out Day Whether you’ve been out and proud for years—or you’ve just recently worked up the courage to reveal your truth—we all stand together in solidarity and support on National Coming Out Day, Oct. 11. No pressure though. Only you know when the time is right, and there’s nothing wrong with concealing your sexual orientation if that’s what’s best for you. Your journey is yours and yours alone. No judgment.

7. Academy Award-worthy cinema Film studios hoping for Oscar gold save their most promising films for end-of-year release, and this year’s buzzed-about contenders include several LGBT-sensible flicks, including Battle of the Sexes, about out tennis pro Billie Jean King’s wild-ride tennis match against loud-mouthed hustler Bobby Riggs; Call Me By Your Name (Nov. 24), starring Armie Hammer as a 24-yearold Jewish-American scholar who falls for a 17-year-old boy in 1980s Italy (a movie that skeeze ball James Woods will not be seeing, by the way); and God’s Own Country, a British film that has drawn comparison to Brokeback Mountain, but hasn’t yet received distribution in the United States. *Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He splits his time between homes in New York City and the Jersey Shore with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

18 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com • 10th Year Anniversary

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10th Year Anniversary • TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 19

October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

Mayor’s Race from page 14 city services, and the engagement of neighborhood groups in the decision-making process,” the mayoral hopeful said.

However, Driscoll states that Prevey is “disingenuous” for misleading the public on his voting record as a former city councilor.

“Ultimately, the City's budget and tax rate are set by both branches of government—the Mayor and the City Council,” she said. “While Paul Prevey was on the City Council, close to $1 billion in city budgets came before him and he only proposed cutting $26,000 in all, and he voted in favor of the tax rate for five years in a row. It's disingenuous for him to suggest he's going to cut the budget—now that he’s running for Mayor—while he failed to do so on the City Council and has failed to offer any specific places where he would actually make cuts.”

Prevey acknowledges that city government consists of checks and balances with the Mayor and City Council sharing responsibility for running the City. He reminds voters he is running for Mayor because he believes that Salem needs “rep-

ing government finance watch-dog organization, has consistently delivered on those obligations in a fiscally responsible manner.”

Development, Housing & Livability With an influx of residents moving into the city from places like Boston, largely due to gentrification and rising costs, keeping Salem affordable has been a focus of the candidates.

“Salem is a very diverse community and has become more so over the last few years,” said Prevey. “Many people are drawn to Salem for its history, walkability as a city, attractions, downtown environment, and by comparison to other communities, it’s potential to be affordable.”

Over the past years in the current administration, Salem’s vitality has increased as a result of modernization and state-of-theart commodities. But, Driscoll said there is always a to-do list in local government and revitalization is an ongoing effort that will benefit all city residents.

“We hope to continue promoting the City as a great place to live, work and visit and leverage our strong hospitality industry to

SHE SAID: “IT'S DISINGENUOUS FOR HIM TO SUGGEST HE'S GOING TO CUT THE BUDGET—NOW THAT HE’S RUNNING FOR MAYOR—WHILE HE FAILED TO DO SO ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND HAS FAILED TO OFFER ANY SPECIFIC PLACES WHERE HE WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE CUTS.” —SALEM MAYOR KIM DRISCOLL resentative government returned to City Hall.”

“Many people throughout the city do not feel that their voices are being heard and taken into account when important decisions are made” he said. “After 12 years, many residents believe that a change is needed to restore residents’ confidence and trust in city government.”

During the Driscoll administration, Salem has seen the second lowest increase in the average single-family tax bill on the North Shore, well under the state average.

“While no one likes paying taxes, we have managed to secure over $150 million in state and federal grants and leveraged our record high bond rating—as well as our record tax base growth—to offset the tax burden on homeowners as much as possible,” Driscoll added. “The increases in Salem's budget over the last twelve years have largely been increased investments in schools and teachers, police, fire, and our parks and streets.

“The City's budget, which has routinely won awards for transparency from the lead-

QPuzzle: Remembering Edie & Thea’s eternal love

enhance offerings in our central business district downtown,” she explained. “We believe improving transit options—both internally and externally—will boost the quality of life for residents and enhance new job growth in Salem. I am very proud of our work revitalizing our waterfront with both ferry and water shuttle services. The rebirth of our waterfront, in particular the 45 acres of space abutting the power plant, presents a transformational opportunity for our city to develop a destination port for cruise ships and visiting vessels, enhance public access to the waterfront and create new mixed use opportunities consistent with the character of the abutting historic neighborhood. We still have work to do in our public schools, though we have seen some remarkable gains over the last few years and feel poised for continued success. Our new, state-of-the-art Community Life Center is under construction and will afford all Salem seniors an improved space for an array of programs—from social services to wellness—aimed at ensuring

See Mayor’s Race on Page 20

Across 1 Family docs 4 ISP invested in PlanetOut Partners 7 Story about a man scattering his seed, e.g.

14 Virginia Woolf novel 16 "My own private" state resident?

17 Go to the bottom 18 With 19-Across, act overturned in the Supreme Court

by Edie & Thea's suit 19 See 18-Across 21 Ariz. clock setting 22 Coin in Nureyev's pocket 23 Robert De ___ 25 Crude material 27 Poet who inspired Cats, initially 28 "You just gotta have ___ or you're out of luck" (Funny Girl) 31 Moan, like Albert to Armand 33 Crowd at the gay rodeo?

35 Bert, to Ernie 36 Takei of Star Trek 37 With 59-Across, _Edie & Thea: ___ _ (2017 film) 40 Homo's tail?

43 Former Pakistan president 44 Vast area in Asia 48 Popular variety of nuts 49 Jewelle Gomez's ___ Stories 51 ___ Tin Tin 52 Very hairy swinger 53 One side of Ed Wood

55 Areas between hills 57 Charlotte of Facts of Life 59 See 37-Across 62 Thea Spyer's wife Edie 64 Relevant to Greer?

65 Cockamamie 66 Willa Cather character 67 Naked David 68 Lawyer's thing 69 Like McCullers' cafe

Down 1 Come out, perhaps 2 Like Liberace's sequins 3 Enjoy the bedroom 4 Mitchell of NBC News 5 River of Ulrichs' country 6 Petty of Orange Is the New Black 7 Like an irregular tongue 8 "Do" in The Sound of Music 9 WWII fighter pilots of Eng. 10 Deep throat sound 11 Yves' evening utterance 12 Avoiding premature ejaculation 13 Uey from WSW 15 Like a thermometer that tastes funny 20 Process for Niles or Frasier 24 Wilson of Zoolander 26 Writer Harper 29 Kind of sheet 30 Elton John's "Act of ___" 32 Boss of The Dukes of Hazzard

34 What a computer may spit out 36 Stick it in the slow ones 38 Rhames of Holiday Heart 39 Like Abner, before Viagra?

40 Emissions-watching org.

41 Return to a theme, to Bernstein 42 Swimmer where sailors cruise 45 What Joan of Arc was maid of 46 Years that go both ways?

47 Word of preference 49 Gay mag and others?

50 Heads off 54 TÈa of Spanglish 56 BB's, e.g.

58 Barry Humphries' Dame 60 Tutti-frutti ingredient 61 Trait carrier 62 "Till There ___ You" 63 Title for Ian McKellen

SOLUTION

20 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com • 10th Year Anniversary

October 5, 2017 - November 1, 2017

Mayor’s Race Page 19 that we are an age-friendly community where our seniors are supported and engaged.”

Prevey stresses the importance of meeting resident and business needs when developing the surrounding area.

“Development is crucial to our growth and future,” he said. “We have such a unique history, which permeates every aspect of living in Salem. Our development must address our current needs of our residential and business community, while simultaneously, ensuring that development fits within the character of the neighborhoods and the City overall. Development should also enhance existing architectural landscapes and neighborhoods while avoiding any negative impacts such as undue traffic, parking problems and strain on city infrastructure.”

According to Driscoll, redevelopment expands the tax base and thereby reduces tax burden.

“We are excited about the new activity taking place in our community,” the Mayor

is the lowest it’s been since 2002, she said.

“We can not simply stand still as a community,” Driscoll said. “As the costs to provide essential city services increase and the costs that families and workers confront every day continue to rise, we need to keep expanding our tax and economic base in order to meet future challenges. That doesn't mean, however, that we say ‘yes’ to everything that comes through our way.”

Prevey alleges that the people of Salem have been unrepresented by City Hall and stresses the importance of “giving Salem back to the residents and small businesses, and to “put an end to deaf leadership and over development,” as noted on the campaign’s website.

Driscoll added that such processes are already in place.

“We have active neighborhood groups and city boards and commissions comprised of exceptionally bright and dedicated individuals,” Driscoll said. “When a private developer proposes a new project, they are required to proceed through a rigorous public process that almost always results in a better project, reflective of

HE SAID: “I DIFFER WITH THE MAYOR ON LARGE INCREASES IN TAXES, THE GROWTH OF THE CITY BUDGET, MANAGEMENT AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WITHIN THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, DELIVERY OF CITY SERVICES, AND THE ENGAGEMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.” —MAYORAL CANDIDATE PAUL PREVEY said. “Most of the development in our city is actually redevelopment of old, vacant, contaminated former factory sites that are not currently contributing positively to our community. Reinvestment in these properties expands our tax base, which reduces the tax burden on homeowners. It also creates housing that can help reduce costs and rents by increasing supply and meeting that demand.”

The mayor specifically addresses affordable housing and the city’s socio-economic impact.

“Part of being a welcoming and inclusive community means having housing that is affordable for all income levels and all abilities,” Driscoll said. “While some of our housing challenges can be addressed by improving supply, thereby reducing prices and rents, we can be even more thoughtful and intentional in making sure the available housing in our city truly reflects the diversity of our community and the desire of others to move here and call Salem their home.”

Since Driscoll took office, 700 new local jobs have been created and unemployment

neighbors' concerns and the input of the professionals on our boards. Balanced, thoughtful, and sensible growth is possible and, indeed, essential to our city.”

Prevey zoned in on enhanced community participation.

“The Mayor has a lot of executive authority and is responsible for the daily operation and management of the City,” Prevey explained. “The Mayor plays a very important and unique role in setting the tone and pace for how the city operates and functions. Residents and businesses who feel empowered by the City, and can point to tangible examples of how their government is working for them are more engaged and involved in the City.”

A Glimpse of the Past “When I first took office as Mayor, Salem was facing a $3.5 million budget deficit and a local economy in decline,” Driscoll recalls. “Many of our downtown storefronts were vacant, while dormant lots and deserted buildings riddled our neighborhoods. We were forced to borrow money just to pay our daily bills, our bond

See Mayor’s Race on Page 23

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Puerto Rico from Page 11 I can't use my washer at home," said Madelene Sánchez, a Gurabo resident. "To get gasoline, if you can get it at all, you must wait in line for 7-8 hours. It's a total crisis and a vicious circle. We all continue to wonder about Trump's help because we’re hurting and we’re desperate. Many people who had jobs prior are without them now since the island is without power."

The commonwealth, according to media reports, remains littered with electrical wires, fallen trees, impassable roads, flooded streets and flattened vegetation, as well homes that have been destroyed. Desperate family members in the U.S. continue trying to contact their loved ones on the island using the phone application Zello, to communicate with one another and to help from a distance.

“My nephew in the U.S. has more information for me [living here in Puerto Rico] than what I can get from my brother in Arecibo,” said de León. “I rely on him for that and to read me the news about what's happening on the island. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what is being reported about it. That is how bad this is. We need help, we really do!”

In Salem Massachusetts, Mayor Kim Driscoll released a statement in late September about the crisis and the moral obligation people have to help the island.

“Close to 1,600 Salem residents are Puerto Rican,” said Mayor Driscoll. “They are our neighbors and fellow citizens, and today they need our support. While relief efforts and agencies are working on establishing better ways to deliver goods and

supplies to the island, we have been told the quickest way to send aid is by making a donation. A financial donation to a local relief effort on the island will not only provide immediate help, it will contribute to rebuilding of the Puerto Rican economy.”

United for Puerto Rico: unidosporpuertorico.com/en/ One America Appeal: www.oneamericaappeal.org/ On October 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be a relief drive held at the Im-

“HIS LONE GOAL IS WINNING AT ALL COSTS. IF THAT MEANS ATTACKING THE MAYOR OF SAN JUAN EVEN AS PUERTO RICO FACES A HISTORIC RECOVERY CHALLENGE, SO BE IT. IF IT MEANS BLAMING PUERTO RICO'S DEBT AND INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES EVEN AS PEOPLE ARE

DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR THEIR LOVED ONES, WELL, THAT'S JUST HOW IT GOES.” Donations can be made through the United for Puerto Rico campaign organized by Puerto Rico’s First Lady Beatriz Rosselló or through the One America Appeal organized by all five former U.S. Presidents.

maculate Conception Parish (basement) located at 15 Hawthorne Boulevard in Salem, as part of “Salem Stands With Puerto Rico” efforts. Suggested items to donate are: water, non-perishable food, diapers, wipes, baby formula & bottles, baby food, blan-

kets, towels, gently-used clothes, new underwear for all ages, mosquito repellent, first-aid items, flashlights, candles, batteries, toilet paper and paper towels. Monetary donations are also welcome. “Salem Stands With Puerto Rico” is seeking volunteers to assist in this collection effort. For more information contact: lucycorchado@yahoo.com or lassade@salem.com.

“We are witnessing an impending humanitarian crisis to our neighbors and fellow Americans in Puerto Rico,” said Lucy Corchado, president of the Point Neighborhood Association and a Puerto Rican herself. “We need to show who we are as human beings, regardless of any title or beliefs, and help those who are in desperate need. It is not an exaggeration to say this situation is life-threatening. We not only have the ability but the moral obligation to do what we can to alleviate the distress our neighbors are feeling. Let's show a united Salem helping Puerto Rico!”

In addition, The Boston Foundation (TBF) has created a Fund called “Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico.”

“The money gathered will be distributed for relief and reconstruction of the island of Puerto Rico and to respond to the substantial migration of Puerto Ricans who will arrive in Boston and throughout the commonwealth in the months ahead,” reports TBFs website (www.tbf.org). “Up to one third will be immediately distributed for relief efforts and 2/3 will be deployed over the next 2 years for reconstruction and economic recovery projects in Puerto Rico and to support resettlement efforts in the commonwealth.”

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Ayuda a Puerto Rico, México y Las Vegas; votando en noviembre y los LGBTTs latinos Por: Graysen M. Ocasio/Publicador de TRT

H

LATINX VOICES

ace un poco más de dos semanas que mi vida cambió drásticamente. No fue porque salí del clóset, pues esa noticia fue la mejor que he tomado en toda mi vida. A la noticia a la que me refiero es la del paso devastador del huracán María a través de la colonia americana que muchos latinoamericanos conocemos como Puerto Rico.

Allí fue donde nací y donde la mayor parte de los recuerdos de mi adolescencia se quedaron. Ya dichos recuerdos se los llevó María repentina mente y sin piedad. No tuvo misericordia con la isla, que ya de antemano debido a la terrible situación financiera en la que se encuentra, estaba de malas en peores. No tan sólo eso me quitó el sueño, sino los días que estuvimos Nicole y yo pegados a las noticias, las redes sociales, marcando teléfonos frenéticamente para tratar de comunicarnos con nuestra familia en la isla. Fue agonizante no saber de ellos. Les agradezco a aquellos quienes dijeron presente durante este momento tan difícil para nosotros y para los miles de boricuas que no teníamos comunicación alguna con nuestros seres queridos.

Cuando finalmente escuchamos de ellos, pensamos que íbamos a sentirnos bien súbitamente. Sin embargo, la situación se tornó más difícil pues ahora la preocupación venía del hecho de que no tenían disponibles las necesidades básicas que cualquier país con algún tipo de in-

fraestructura (antaña misma forma que o no) disfruta hoy Scot y Fara han día. La forma en la tratado de ayudarnos ECUERDE TIENE QUE que los puertorfísica y emocionalriqueños vivían y exmente, también con Í PARA QUE istían no existe nada la hospitalidad que le más. Todo lo que ofrecen a nuestra faconocían, las referen- AQUELLOS milia en su propio AS cias visuales de edifihogar, de esa misma cios, luces de forma queremos semáforo, los autos y INMIGRANTES PUEDAN CONTAR obrar con nuestra falas viviendas que milia. Eso no ha camllamaban suyas CON biado ni cambiará COMO UNA JU nunca. fueron perdidos ante No hay mutal azote de nuestra chos seres humanos madre naturaleza. tan genuinos como RISDICCIÓN Poco quedó, si algo, esta pareja judía que del Puerto Rico del nos ha dejado perplePARA ELLOS ayer. Y ahora los jos ante su amor genboricuas están uino por nosotros. tratando de sobrevivir ¡Gracias Scot y Fara! dicha calamidad—nuestra familia incluida.

A otro tema, pues no quiero que se me olNi tan siquiera podemos enviarle paque- vide hablar de las elecciones. Por favor tes con suministros y comida, pues los vote el 7 de noviembre. Si usted conoce a correos postales en la mayor parte de la isla alguien, tiene familiares o es una persona no están abiertos o han cerrado definitiva- que cree en la igualdad para todos, enmente, dependiendo de cuán fuerte les tonces trate de informarse para que vote pegó María. Lo que pienso es que sigo por los candidatos que viven dichos ideales guardando y comprando cosas que nece- que usted mantiene como parte de su comsiten para cuando uno de los correos cer- pás moral y de compasión. Voy a apoyar a canos a ellos abra. Si eso no sucede, los candidatos que apoyen la Pregunta 1 determinaremos si ir a la isla por un día o (votaré Sí) para mantener a Salem una ciudos es lo que debemos hacer. Eso, sin em- dad Santuario. Recuerde, tiene que votar bargo, presenta más dificultades pues sig- “Sí” para que aquellos hermanos y hernifica llevar más bocas y cuerpos a un área manas inmigrantes puedan encontrar que que no tiene suficientes recursos para los Salem es una jurisdicción santuario para que, en algún momento, las ayudas fed- ellos. De lo contrario, ICE se los podrá llerales indemnicen. Pero, no vamos a dejar evar en prácticamente cualquier área en la que nuestra familia sufra tampoco. De la ciudad. Y, recuerde de votar por los can-

R , VOTAR “S ” HERMANOS/ SALEM

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SANTUARIO .

didatos que exhiban igualdad hacia otros grupos marginados, tales como los que luchan por los derechos de la mujer, de los niños, del resto de los hispanos, de la comunidad LGBTT, de las personas morenas, las discapacitadas, los encarcelados, las personas de la tercera edad, etc. He dicho esto muchas veces y lo comparto otra vez.

No vamos a cambiar leyes ni el estatus quo si no nos unimos y peleamos por nuestros derechos civiles, todos por todos. Si dejamos a otros grupos marginados fuera de nuestra protección y radar, entonces somos igualmente prejuiciados y usamos racismo, sexismo, homofobia, transfobia y etc. para marginar a otros que se merecen nuestro apoyo, pues nos apoyan como latinos. No podemos discriminar si no queremos que se nos discrimine. ¿En qué cabeza cabe eso?

Y, recuerde también que los derechos transgénero estarán en la papeleta de votación en noviembre del 2018, así como los derechos hacia los inmigrantes (la Pregunta 1 – Santuario de Paz) estará en la papeleta de votación de Salem el próximo mes. Infórmese sobre esto también, pues esos derechos los necesito y necesitamos muchos en esta otra interseccionalidad a la que pertenecemos muchos hispanos también al ser parte de la comunidad transgénero o la “T” en las siglas LGBT. También recuerde que es el mes de octubre es mes de Historia LGBT, el día 11 es el día Internacional Para Salir del Clóset, y (por supuesto) Halloween.

Y, finalmente disfrute del resto del Mes Lea el resto de esta columna en: http://wp.me/p22M41-4Xv

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Mayor’s Race from Page 19 rating was on a downward track, and our rainy day funds were nonexistent. Our infrastructure was failing and our schools, police, and fire saw deepening cuts in funding. There was no refurbished MBTA station and garage, no power plant redevelopment, no new courthouse, no Blaney Wharf or ferry to Boston. At that time, I made a commitment to be a strong mayor for positive change—and today I'm so proud of the progress we've made.

Working together, Salem has become the hip, historic hub of the North Shore and a model community in Massachusetts and beyond.”

Driscoll explains how the city has gotten to its current state.

“We've replaced the petty political games of the past with a local government based on professionalism and transparency,” she said. “Our economy is thriving, our downtown is booming, our schools are excelling, and our quality of life is on the rise. Our bond rating is the highest it's been in the city's history, our rainy day funds have been rebuilt, and our finances exceed national standards. Our investments in police and fire, streets and sidewalks, and parks and playgrounds have made our community safer and stronger than ever before.

Polyamory from Page 8 come out about that with one person,” Silverman said. “Imagine having to do it with five.”

For some, polyamory teaches someone more about themselves.

“Working on polyamory expands my definition of love,” Icasiano said. “Honestly, I feel like I’ve become a better, more emotionally intuitive person.”

LGB Attitudes from Page 6 negative experiences. One time a guy flat out said, ‘Aren't you that trans person that does those meetings?’ I could tell his tone was disgusted, but I kept it friendly, I replied yes, and he laughed and [he] rolled his eyes, then … turned his back on me.”

In another response to Travis, the individual observed the biggest misconception, “is that all LGBTQ people have [the] same or similar stories. Realistically, we all dealt with our identities differently, and no two stories are alike, no matter how much we try to group ourselves together.”

A third person responded to Travis by noting, “I feel like we shouldn’t be lumped into the LGB group. Sexuality is totally different and I tend to feel uncomfortable at anything labeled for LGBT people. Trans is just so different from being gay. Even though there are gay trans people I feel like lumping the minority groups together doesn’t work. I’m sure you have all heard plenty about the transphobic gay rights organizations.”

Travis noted, “I believe every person, be they trans [or] cis, every sexualit,y should stop for a bit and try to see life from someone else's place. This is no different than any other type of discrimination. We preach to accept, yet we lack that very same self-monitoring tool. Learn to evaluate your own privilege and acknowledge it.

Our seniors will soon enjoy the well-deserved and long-awaited state-of-the-art senior center, now under construction on Bridge Street. Today, Salem is greener, cleaner, and more sustainable, saving taxpayers money and reducing our impact on

before has there been more promise and more optimism in these eight square miles.

We’ve accomplished so much in Salem over the last 12 years, but I believe that we're just getting started.”

“FOLLOWING THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING IN ORLANDO IN 2016 AND THE VANDALISM OF THE RAINBOW TIMES NEWSPAPER BOX THAT AUGUST, I WAS PROUD THAT SALEM RALLIED SO POWERFULLY AND SO VOCALLY, IN UNITY, WITH THE ENTIRE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.” global climate change. Today, we are a city that welcomes everyone, and excludes no one. There are still plenty of challenges we face and improvements to make, but never Silverman made clear that honesty and openness with other people— and oneself—is paramount.

“Like any kind of relationship, being polyamorous is not inherently good or bad, but it’s good for me,” Silverman said. “Different strokes for different folks, you know?” *Note: Chrys Lee is a pseudonym used to protect the interviewee’s identity.

As a trans man I now experience male privilege. It's my responsibility to see that and act appropriate[ly] with that knowledge.”

“I am human just like everyone [in the LGB community],” Travis reflected. “I hurt like you hurt, I bleed like you bleed. We all desire acceptance and to be loved. So, let's learn to embrace each other. My gender and sexuality doesn't affect you unless we're bed partners. Try to remember that we (trans people) were at Stonewall and share that same place in history.”

Travis added, “People box each other into corners unless they see something similar that provides a level of comfort. What would happen if people just saw [one another as] human? No more and no less.

Maybe the world wouldn't be in the mess we're in today. Hate seems to feed hate.”

According to Travis, “Each person makes up a piece of the puzzle in the world. Be that person trans or not. No better, no worse. My wish is for the world to learn to love and accept itself, to learn to love and accept each other as we are. With our differences.”

Mulcahy observed, “To be part of God is to understand the vast complexity of creation … ” that we are all respected and loved equally by the same Creator. *Paul is a corporate chaplain, seminary trained priest, and lawyer in greater Albany, NY. He’s also author of “Lost Sense of Self & the Ethics Crisis.”

Full Steam Ahead Both candidates have plans for the city.

Driscoll’s strategy seeks to advance the city through 2026.

“As we plan and prepare for the City's 400th anniversary in 2026, we will need to continue the important work of advancing our public schools, addressing our aging infrastructure and tending to important housing and transportation needs,” the Mayor explained. “We are on a positive trajectory, but more will be required to position Salem for continued success for generations to come.

“In particular, our opportunities to transform our waterfront hearken back to Salem's Great Age of Sail era. The development of Salem Wharf and the rebirth of the power plant site will open up large expanses of waterfront land. It is critical that we get this next phase of activity right by thoughtfully planning for the reuse of the 45 acres along the waterfront, which sits adjacent to both the new power plant and within a historic neighborhood. In addition to the completion of our new senior center in the year ahead, we'll implement our age-

friendly plan, ‘Salem For All Ages’, aimed at providing assistance to our growing population of age 60+ residents. Finally, our efforts to professionalize city government and improve operational efficiencies must continue.”

Prevey, likewise, shared his thoughts on what could become of Salem under his administration.

“My vision for Salem is that it grows as a community with a lot of civic engagement, both on a city-wide and neighborhood level,” he said. “Our history, historical structures, parks, neighborhoods, educational and legal institutions depend on our continued positive growth. Salem’s history, past and recent, should be a road map to where we should be moving as we continue to maintain a progressive approach to some of the various challenges we face. Salem’s greatest strength lies in the untapped potential of all residents who are willing to make the City one where we are the envy of the nation. Affordability, sustainability and growth are all key aspects we must continue to focus on in order to make Salem realize its full potential.”

Driscoll seeks another term to continue her legacy moving forward.

“I am running for re-election because I care deeply about the city and making a positive difference in the daily lives of the people I am so honored to represent,” Driscoll said. “Salem is my adopted hometown and I have tremendous pride in our community. As a public school parent of three teenagers, I want to continue working on improvements in our schools, in the way we deliver city services, and on projects that will bring Salem continued progress and success. I am passionate about Salem’s future, excited to keep working as Mayor, and hope the residents of this city will give me the privilege of working with, for, and alongside them for another term.”

Salem’s municipal election takes place on November 7. For more information about Mayor Kim Driscoll or Paul Prevey, visit their websites at http://votekimdriscoll.com and www.preveyforsalemmayor.com, respectively. To learn more about the Sanctuary for Peace Ordinance, visit www.salem.com/sanctuary.

24 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com • 10th Year Anniversary

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