The Rainbow Times' Sept. 2016 Issue

2 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

#OneSalem unites after explosion By: Nicole Lashomb*/TRT Editor-in-Chief

OPINIONS

ally and professionally as I have in the city n the morning of August 23 of Salem. I saw a city that said, "We stand at approximately 1:20 a.m., with you." As tears streamed down my face, explosives detonated The I realized just how fortunate we are not only Rainbow Times’ newspaper box in as an LGBTQ publication, but also as an downtown Salem, Mass. After vari- LGBTQA community here in Salem and ous incidents of documented vandal- throughout New England. ism toward our street boxes leading Although nAGLY generously purchased up to this explosion, the Salem Po- these pride flags and did not require a dolice Department has deemed this a nation to provide them to locals, we highly targeted hate crime and it is being in- urge our readers and community members vestigated as to make a donation such. No other to them.

Our local newspaper LGBTQ youth are WE ROSE UP AND our future and boxes—free or otherwise—have been nAGLY is absolutely touched.

STOOD UNITED IN THE indispensable.

In the days following, This month is also as we drove through the National Suicide FACE OF ADVERSITY very intersection where Prevention Month. the explosion occurred, Although there is a we were we were in- SENDING A great deal of work to credibly humbled and be done on behalf of overcome by emotion the LGBTQ commuby the endless outpour- TO THE PERPETRATORS nity and other maring of support from ginalized groups Salem residents and still, this experience THE WORLD THAT WE TOO visitors. has reinforced the A heartfelt and endconcept that as a less thanks to Mayor community, we are ARE Kim Driscoll, city offinot alone and neither cials and the North are you.

Shore Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Youth, As a symbol of our solidarity and unwanAGLY, who worked together to string a se- vering commitment to our community, we ries of rainbow flags from one side of the gathered on August 28 with Salem Mayor street to the other while also providing them Kim Driscoll, City Councilors Josh Turiel, to residents and business to display at their David Eppley, Beth Gerard and Elaine locations and homes as a symbol of support Milo, State Rep. Paul Tucker, Salem No ... for our LGBTQ community. I have never See #OneSalem on Page 4 felt as validated and as appreciated person-

O

...

, MESSAGE &

#ONESALEM.

The re-education of Michael Givens: Deconstructing a lifelong pattern By: Mike Givens*/TRT Assistant Editor

W

hen I was 4 years old, my mother divorced my father. He was an abusive man who cared little for others and mostly for himself. It was the best decision she could have made for herself, my sister, and I. My childhood was fraught with anxiety. I knew I was gay at an early age and, like many young gay boys, I repressed it. I was raised in a Southern Baptist family in southeast Virginia in a small town with small minds. I was a quiet young black boy whose imagination was his best asset, but who struggled deeply with the absence of his father.

I did well in school as I got older, played football for a small period of time in middle school and high school, and was generally liked by classmates, though the occasional “faggot” or “he’s weird” was lobbed my way. I was always soft-spoken and I remember constantly trying to make my voice lower, to not “sound gay.” Like many high schoolers, I did my best to fit in, but my quiet nature, preference for reading over sports, and my incredible social awkwardness (which persists to this day) always got the best of me.

And then college came, and so did the patterns. I’d find myself with intense crushes on straight classmates, men who had no interest in me other than friendship or casual acquaintanceship. It always felt like a piercing rejection to me, one that was intensely personal.

This behavior persisted throughout my 20s, through four years of undergraduate work, and continued when I moved to

Letters to the Editor Comfort and strength from others’ courage [RE: Salem Stands in Solidarity with By: Paul P. Jesep*/TRT Columnist

I

FAITH

t has been a roller coaster of emotions for a few months. House shopping, romance gone wrong, office drama with a toxic twist, and a family member in an abusive marital relationship have diminished the clear-headedness I need to help an elderly parent in declining years.

Of course there’s the 2016 presidential election. I want to vote thirdparty. Die-hard Berniac here. Never Hillary, unless there is a remote chance she can lose New York. As of the writing of this column, she’s up by 30 points in the Empire State (http://goo.gl/7fYRjt). Phew. So far, I can vote Johnson-Weld without fear my vote may tip the state to the Republican presidential nominee, whose name shall not be written or spoken.

The last national poll I saw, however, showed Hillary ahead by less than five points nationally. Newsflash. Don’t be complacent. The GOP nominee can still win in November. Reluctantly, I may have to rethink my third party vote, though I’m still hoping New York is still safe for Hillary.

Hence, it has been a spring and summer of “Stop the planet! I want to get off!”

Although a man of faith, it is challenging

... IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE SUN STILL RISES AFTER THE DARKEST OF NIGHTS. to get grounded sometimes. I have enormous spiritual conflict and as of late a lot of emotional upheavals. Fortunately, I’ve avoided a local bakery for comfort food.

Soothing the soul requires stillness. It is important to find it, especially when the world around you seems to be spinning out of control at the same time you’re trying to manage personal challenges on a daily basis.

Stillness and mindfulness remind us life has much joy and beauty, which can be found no matter how bad the day, week, month, or year has been. Sometimes each day must be taken as it comes without thinking about the next. Otherwise, life can be overwhelming.

On September 5, I will solemnize another same-gender union. God is good. The gentlemen asked me to read two scriptural passages.

One is from the Book of Ruth 1:16-17: “Do not ask me to leave you, or turn back from following you for wherever you go, I To read the rest of this story visit: http://wp.me/p22M41-4tI

LGBTQ Newspaper] Dear Editor, I am so very saddened about the hate crime that very recently occurred in my home city of Salem. I am a single 48 or old lesbian who just came out in the past few years. I moved to Salem from a very small town in central ma. I moved here because it embraces the LGBT community with open arms. Shoulder to Shoulder, Heart to Heart and hand in hand, let us all stand proud, stand tall and never ever let those who don’t love themselves separate us from being who we are free to be LGBT. —Mary O’Laughlin, Online [RE: God Loves You as You Are, Even if Your Parents Don’t: Supporting a Declining Parent] Dear Editor, Well, chaplain Paul, I after reading your article I must say I like your style and your compassion – however. And it’s a big however. Disliking or disowning a son or daughter because they are gay is a pretty large “wart”. Myself, when I hear people say they are Christian and I find out they are anti-gay, I make it a point of telling them they can’t be both.

—Tim B., Online

See Letters on Page 10

Boston for graduate school. Gay or straight, it was the men who were unattainable that were the most intoxicating, who seemed like the ones who I needed to be with.

Every attempt at intimacy, at truly loving them, was met by rejection. I came on too strong. I professed feelings after only a few dates. I once told a man I’d been on two dates with that I loved him. I was the horror story you read about on Facebook or overhear at casual dinner parties with friends.

Yes, I was “that guy,” the one you warned others about; the one who was too eager for a relationship.

Writing these words makes me cringe.

Putting myself out there in such a deeply personal way makes me feel exposed, on display. But there’s power in naming something, in being able to see unhealthy behaviors, acknowledge them for what they are.

Quite frankly, in each of these failed pursuits I was replaying a very early rejection I experienced as a child: the abandonment of my father. I’ve heard the pseudo-psychological theories that gay men “choose” to be gay because of some deficit in their ...

See Givens on Page 12

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 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* Keegan O’Brien* Mike Givens Affiliations National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association NGLCC, QSyndicate Summer Intern Miguel A. Cuellar *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

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

Orlando shooting highlights disparities, oppression in Latinx community

HISPANIC HERITAGE

Sixty-five days after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, doctors at Orlando Regional Medical Center upgraded the status of the last surviving victim of the Pulse nightclub shooting from “critical condition” to “guarded condition” (http://goo.gl/klcnQ7). Dr. Michael Cheatham, who treated victims of the shooting, referred to the survival and recovery of the six critically wounded as a “miracle.”

On the evening of June 12, 49 people were killed and more than 50 were wounded in an attack on a gay nightclub that made international headlines. In the days and weeks after the shooting, emotional discussions ignited publicly around gun reform, immigration, mental health, and LGBTQ rights. In Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey stridently took action to maintain the Commonwealth’s ban on assault weapons and specifically ensure that “copycat” assault weapons were not sold or trafficked in the state (http://goo.gl/y7X7F8).

The incredibly high death toll combined with the harrowing stories of survivors and the heated national discourse over gun rights overshadowed an injustice that many public conversations overlooked: the devaluing of the lives of Latinx people (note: the word “Latinx” is an umbrella term that encompasses binary, non-binary, queer,

GRAPHIC: G.DREW

By: Mike Givens/TRT Assistant Editor

agender, and genderfluid identities as well as the many ethnicities that compose Spanish-speaking communities worldwide. The term is the gender-neutral alternative to “Latino,” “Latina,” and even “Latin@.”

Used by scholars, activists, and an increasing number of journalists, Latinx is quickly gaining popularity among the general public (http://goo.gl/9j9V8Z).

“As a gay Latino, I was deeply saddened

by the massacre that took place in a Latino LGBT space in Orlando … ” said Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, the executive director of

See LATINX on Page 14

4 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

Lovers or Fetishists? Talking men who love trans women fully By: Deja Nicole Greenlaw*/TRT Columnist

R

TRANS NEWS

ecently I read an opinion piece about men who desire trans women. The column went on to say that some of these men are fetishists who fetishize the bodies of trans women. The piece further goes on and states that the only reason these men want to be with a trans woman is because they don't truly see the trans woman as a person but rather as an object of their fetishistic desires. I have seen various columns and articles over the years about this subject. Now I can't speak for every trans woman nor can I speak for any man who does love trans women, but I have been dating men for eight years now as a trans woman and I have a much different perspective on this matter of labeling these men as fetishists.

I am a trans woman who rejected the idea of genital surgery. Yes, I still have my original genitals and I have no thoughts of having the surgery. I know that many, if not most, trans women place a huge value on genital surgery and they refer to it as GCS,

gender confirmation surgery, and that they deem it as necessary to live their lives. I agree with their avenues of thought, that is, if you require GCS then you should have it.

As for myself, I don't require GCS so I never had it. Besides, I am very wary of any kinds of surgeries, so I decided to live full

In my relations with the men, I’ve dated I have never felt like I was a fetish object.

They have always treated me like a lady and have respected me as a lady. Yes, of course I have picked up on their urge to make love to me but I have found it no different than any man wanting to make love to any

IN MY RELATIONS WITH THE MEN, I’VE DATED I HAVE NEVER FELT LIKE I WAS A FETISH OBJECT. THEY HAVE ALWAYS TREATED ME LIKE A LADY AND HAVE RESPECTED ME AS A LADY. time as female while retaining my original genitals.

I like men and I have dated many men.

Yes, these men like my penis but they also like my breasts, my derriere, and my legs.

I'm not so certain that if they like my penis then it is considered a fetish. I know that many men constantly sexualize women's breasts, derriere, legs, etc. Why not just add the penis? To me it's just another one of my body parts that some men sexualize.

woman. Maybe I attract a certain kind of man but they have always been very gentlemanly with me. Oh there's been some great kissing and wonderful upper body experiences but only a few have actually gone “all the way” with me and believe it or not, some of these love experiences did not involve my penis at all. To me it felt like two people, a man and a woman, making love and these weren't one night stands. Yes, there were more dates, but there always

Ask a Trans Woman: Trans-bashing & allies on “safe” places By: Lorelei Erisis*/TRT Columnist

I

PHOTO: DAVID MEEHAN

f you consider yourself an ally to trans people, then please read this column.

Don’t get me wrong, trans people themselves should probably read this too. But they will get something entirely different from what I have to say. Truly, most of what I’m about to tell you are things that our allies need to hear—at least they (you!) do, if they (you!) want to be better allies.

Last week I was trans-bashed and though it was awful in the moment, the repercussions of the event have been almost worse.

It had been an exceptionally trying night at work.

When I’m not out marching and speaking or writing and telling stories, for the past several months, I’ve been a waitress at a restaurant in Central Square in Cambridge.

It’s a great place to work and an incredibly accepting and “safe” environment. But for all that, sometimes being a waitress is just hard, for totally mundane reasons. This was one of those nights.

After we closed, I was nearly the last person out, only the dishwasher was left when I walked out the door. To vent some of the night’s frustration, I went next door to the

neighborhood punk bar to have a beer and check my e-mail. It might help you to picture that what I wear to work is usually some variation on a short skirt, black top, and Doc Marten boots. It’s a pretty tough and punk rock version of your friendly neighborhood pageant queen Lorelei.

This punk bar has been there for years. I mention it mainly because it’s a single source of continuity between what Central Square used to be and what it has become now. Years ago, Central Square in Cambridge might have been thought of as

“dangerous” time of the week; I went across the street to go to my car, which was parked on the other side of a brightly-lit public lot, right off of Massachusetts Avenue. For all you non-Bostonians, just know it’s a pretty busy street and even at midnight on a Wednesday, there’s a lot of people around.

I park there nearly every day and have never had even a hint of trouble. In fact, I have so little reason to suspect trouble there, that I was actively looking at my phone, texting my girlboyfriend to say I was on my way home. I was also, as per the description of how I dress for work, cute, but not unintimidating looking.

As I was doing this, I heard a group of guys I was walking by start catcalling me. Any woman, trans or cis, can attest to how unsettling this can be in itself. To be perfectly honest, though, as a trans woman, I find it obnoxious, and detestable, but also strangely affirming of my gender. Usually, I simply tune it out and ignore it, which is what I did this time.

As I walked by I was pretty determinedly not paying them any attention or showing any reaction. I’ve lived in cities for most of my adult life, mostly in far more “dangerous” neighborhoods than Central Square in “The People’s Republic of Cambridge,” as it’s sometimes derisively/affectionately referred to. And I’m a lot more street-smart

OUR ALLIES NEED TO KNOW THIS. THE PLACES YOU THINK OF AS “SAFE” ARE NOT NECESSARILY SAFE FOR US. THE PRIVILEGE THAT PROTECTS YOU, TENDS TO FAIL US WHEN WE MOST NEED IT. “sketchy” by some. I used to spend a lot of time there myself in the early ‘90s hanging out at the legendary Goth club ManRay. Now, after years of gentrification, most people I meet think of it as quite a “safe” neighborhood. A “safe” city in fact. And, in most respects, they might be right.

However, for trans people, my own experience has been that it’s often a topsy-turvy, upside-down world. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Anyway, when I left the bar, it was a Wednesday, maybe nearing midnight, not a

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

seemed to be a problem.

The problem was that most of my dates were reluctant to be seen with me in public with their straight friends or in their hometowns. Only one man did introduce me to a couple of his straight friends and we did go shopping together in his local grocery store.

You see, there is still a social stigma in the straight world placed on a man who likes trans women. It's sad, but it's true. Add to that stigma the fact that some folks label these men as fetishists doesn't help either.

The real problem, in my opinion, is the social stigma that is placed on men who like trans women and it becomes worse when these men are labeled as sick fetishists. This drives them even further into their closets, and being in their closets prevents these men from coming out as our lovers. Maybe I'm missing something about this fetishization, but I do date men regularly. I do see the prejudices and the stigmas against these men. To me, if a man likes my penis that is fine with me. What is not fine with me is that he is made to feel less-than by people who call him a fetishist. *Deja Nicole Greenlaw is a trans woman who has three grown children and is retired from 3M. She can be contacted via e-mail at dejavudeja@sbcglobal.net.

#OneSalem from Page 2 Place for Hate Chair Jeff Cohen, nAGLY’s Steve Harrington, and a multitude of community leaders and members that I wish I could fit into this column—to resurrect & unveil another newspaper box at the very site of the explosion. Well over 100 people stood by our side that night as we all “reclaimed” a city we love.

Sincere thanks to each and every one of you that stood with us then and still do today. A special thanks to “Tom” the Tour Guide of the Salem Witches who personally handed me a candle that read “true justice” and shielded our new box with the candlelight of “protection.” Aurora Vietnamese Cuisine also generously offered a $100 gift certificate to the person that helps find the criminals that committed the act. We are ever so grateful.

This attack on the The Rainbow Times’ newspaper box is not about The Rainbow Times. It is about what The Rainbow Times represents—inclusion not only of our LGBTQ and allied community but the countless intersections of our varied identities—in Salem and throughout New England, nationally and internationally.

This month we honor Hispanic Heritage as we continue to fight for immigration reform, better access to services and fair representation in government and institutions.

We continue to forge ahead with our mission and vision of inclusion. Until we have an equal voice and equal representation, and no intersection of our identities are oppressed, we will be here.

Regardless of the cowardly actions of 7 individuals that gathered in the veil of the darkness with hatred in their hearts, collectively, we rose up and stood united in the face of adversity, sending a message to the

See #OneSalem on Page 12

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 5

6 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

PHOTO: PLANNED PARENTHOOD LEAGUE OF MA

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts President and CEO Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak

Planned Parenthood League of Mass. prepares to provide PrEP at all facilities By: John Paul Stapleton/TRT Reporter

Many people refer to Truvada as a miracle drug given its effectiveness in preventing HIV/AIDS. Taken once a day, Truvada, also known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), may significantly reduce one’s chances of contracting HIV. However, many people who engage in high-risk sex have yet to talk to their primary care physician about taking the medication.

“I think going to a provider that specializes in sexual health, rather than your primary care doctor, makes you more comfortable talking about it,” said Jamieson Edson, a gay Boston-based artist not yet taking PrEP. For many LGBTQ people, the stigma attached to high-risk sex often keeps them from from having discussions about taking PrEP. For those who face Edson’s dilemma, this obstacle will become easier to navigate after Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) announced that all six of its facilities will offer the medication to their clients.

Truvada is composed of two prescription medicines that, when taken regularly, prevent an HIV infection from occurring. New infections in Massachusetts have dropped 41 percent between 2000 and 2014, according to a representative for PPLM, and the organization is looking to see the rate of new infections drop even further.

“We think that PReP is crucial in fighting against HIV and empowering people in taking control of their health, so we’re excited to be offering this to our clientele,” said Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak, president and chief executive officer of PPLM. Clients can make an appointment online, over the phone, or in person to see a clinician who will talk to them about their sexual history and the benefits and side effects of the medication. After being tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, the client will get their prescription and may come back every three months to get re-tested for another prescription.

PPLM is incorporating PrEP into its culture of sexual health and safety and attempting to make it as accessible as birth control.

Dr. Childs-Roshak said that they’ve also

done outreach work to more than 800 groups including shelters, addiction counselors, sex shops, LGBTQ organizations, churches, and facilities serving sex trafficking victims.

“Our hope is that people will hear about PrEP, think about PrEP, and then talk to either us or their other trusted health care provider about getting on it,” Dr. ChildsRoshak said.

Previously, the most direct way to access PrEP would have been through a primary care physician, which may have been problematic for many due to personal discomfort discussing sexual health or a doctor’s lack of knowledge about PrEP. Also, a significant number of people may not have access to primary care services due to indigency or lack of healthcare.

Fenway Community Health reportedly connects more than 100 men to PrEP a month through their LGBTQ-competent staff and clinicians who provide education on and access to the medication.

Gary Daffin, executive director of the Multicultural Aids Coalition, said that more than half of the people the staff talk to about PrEP end up taking the medication. He said that PPLM’s mainstream reputation will help normalize the treatment and connect marginalized communities to it.

“Planned Parenthood helps people who are more economically disadvantaged in areas that have less access to health care,” Daffin said. “This helps because what we see is that people of color and poor people have less knowledge and less access to PrEP.” Richie DeFilippo, 2015’s Mr. Gay Rhode Island, leads a campaign to get everyone in the Rhode Island gay community on PrEP and he echoed Daffin’s thoughts about Planned Parenthood being great for educating more communities. His campaign sends members of the community to the Miriam Hospital Immunology Clinic in Providence.

The hospital’s PrEP program, headed by Dr. Philip Chan, is one of the first clinical centers in the country to offer PrEP services to high-risk patients. DeFilippo’s goal was to

See PP on PrEP on page 10

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 7

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

PHOTO: GLBTQ ADVOCATES AND DEFENDERS

Members of the Treat Lipodystrophy Coalition stand for a photo at the State House in March 2014

Mass. Gov. Baker signs historic insurance mandate to cover lipodystrophy By: Luke Sherman/TRT Reporter

HIV NEWS

BOSTON, Mass.—After two decades of legal battles, nearly all insured Massachusetts residents will soon be able to receive coverage for medical care for a disfiguring sideeffect associated with medications used to treat HIV. On August 10, Republican Governor Charlie Baker, signed An Act Relative to HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome Treatment (http://goo.gl/4iunMl) into law. The law will take effect on November 9.

Some HIV-positive individuals who took antiviral medications that entered the market in the 90s developed lipodystrophy, a side effect characterized by facial wasting and changes in the distribution of fat on the body. The condition, according to Bostonbased legal rights group GLBTQ Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), can cause spinal malformation, headaches, restricted mobility, mood disorders, and suicidality (http://goo.gl/OD1epM). Furthermore, advocates of the legislation contend that the changes in body shape, such as the development of fat growths on the back of the neck, stigmatize sufferers of the condition by revealing that they have HIV. “The issues around stigma, and in particular with long-term survivors that we see … lipodystrophy is something that not many people talk about or know about, but for the people it impacts, it's a really serious issue,” said AIDS Action Committee (AAC) Executive Director Carl Sciortino.

Treatment for lipodystrophy typically entails liposuction, which removes the fat growths, and facial fillers, which lessen the effects of facial wasting. Arguing that these procedures are strictly cosmetic, insurance companies have repeatedly refused to cover them. Upon its effective date, the law will require that private insurers, MassHealth, and the Group Insurance Commission, which provides medical coverage to state employees, cover medical treatments for lipodystrophy. The legislation stipulates that coverage extend to reconstructive surgery, dermal injections, and all other “medical or

drug treatments to correct or repair disturbances of body composition” caused by the disease.

As a state representative, Sciortino introduced legislation similar to the recently signed bill in 2013. Shortly thereafter, GLAD convened a number of advocacy groups, calling themselves the Treat Lipodystrophy Coalition (TLC), to push for the bill's passage. In addition to GLAD, organizations that regularly participated in TLC's meetings included AAC, Boston Living Center, MassEquality (MEQ), and Massachusetts Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus.

The passage of this bill—the first of its kind in the nation—is “huge for people with lipodystrophy. It's also a good win in general for those who want access to healthcare and healthcare benefits, especially people living with HIV and AIDS,” said Deborah Shields, executive director of MEQ. Through the leadership of legislative sponsors State Representative Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown) and State Senator Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), the TLC successfully persuaded legislators and Gov. Baker that passage of this bill would greatly improve the lives of those suffering from lipodystrophy.

Representative Peake underscored the consequential nature of the new law.

“The survivors of the early days of the AIDS epidemic deserve to be able to live their lives with dignity and free of the physical and psychological pain inflicted by the side effects of the early antiviral therapies,” she said. “This bill requiring insurance [companies] to cover treatment will ensure that can happen.”

Educating lawmakers about the debilitating impacts of lipodystrophy proved vital to securing the bill’s passage. An independent review of the projected cost of the legislation also buttressed advocates’ efforts, according to GLAD’s AIDS Law Project Director Ben Klein.

In 2014, the Center for Health Information Analysis (CHIA) released a report (http://goo.gl/zWDkZA) detailing that the To read the rest of this story visit: http://wp.me/p22M41-4tC

8 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

Fall Book Box: Great LGBTQ reads & giveaways for Sept. Alan Cumming Opens By:Jimmy Newsum/Special to TRT

B

y September, many of us have had our fill of dips in the ocean and in pools. Perhaps its time to dip into some reading?

The fall season offers some sizzling new books for every appetite. Whether you have a taste for intrigue, romance, fierceness or drama—or if you’d like to learn how to make yourself a better person in time for the holidays—there’s something out there for you.

We've pulled together a list of titles that definitely deserve a spot in your weekend tote.

Fiercely You, Be Fabulous and Confident by Thinking Like a Drag Queen

By Jackie Huba, with Shelly Stewart Kronbergs (Berrett-Koehler Publishing Original) Jackie Huba teaches readers how to apply the lessons of drag queens into their everyday lives. The truth is, too many of us are controlled by our bosses, significant others, friends and parents. We succumb to perceptions that we aren’t smart enough or capable enough and we fail to live up to our true potential. Huba unlocks the Keys to Fierce, showing readers how they, too, can become supremely self-assured and utterly fearless by simple acts drag queens do such as dressing for power, striking a commanding pose, ignoring

naysayers and taking risks. She weaves together critical research, compelling examples, lively storytelling and draws on interviews with the world’s top drag performers, many of whom have competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Huba even illustrates her point by becoming a drag queen herself!

It’s a compelling read that may lead you to your own transformation. No wigs or stilettos required.

Shorts, Stories From Beneath the Rainbow

By Hans Hirschi This latest collection from Hans M Hirschi is a tapestry of the LGBT experience, featuring stories that span the wide spectrum of personalities that together, make up the fabric of the LGBTQ community. Each story carries a unique message. From “The Kiss”, which recounts a Somali refugee who experiences his first same-sex kiss to “The Loner”, a reflection of how the gay community looks at middle aged men (not a pretty picture); every story manages to look at queer life from a different angle and perspective. Alex, a story about a trans doctor who rescues the life of an adolescent, aims to encourage readers to remove gender labels. “The Slasher”, involving a gay club with multiple murders and the mention of ISIS, bears an eerie similarity to the Orlando shooting. There are stories of a dried up spinster, a Navajo dyke, a completely unfiltered twink, and more; all

meant to show the humanity of the LGBTQ community and how queer people struggle with self-esteem, fall in love, help others and fight to survive—just like everyone else.

Mommie Smearest, See Joan Crawford In Bitch Selfie Ain’t Make You No Movie Star

By L. LeSueur When Joan Crawford is stopped at the gate to Hollywood Heaven and ordered to Hell “for reasons well known to her,” she must return to Earth to both explain her Mommie Dearest sins and perform good works, most notably: rescue true celebrity back from today’s reality starlets and civilian selfies. In this riveting posthumous fake autobiography, Joan, writing as L. LeSueur, reinvents herself as the rap artist mo.m.m.i.e.D. and from a secret base at a Florida trailer park, launches raucous battles against the likes of Kim Kardashian and Martha Stewart. In between her squabbles, Joan offers hilarious flashbacks from her own rich Hollywood life, including a neverrevealed audition for TV’s The Brady Bunch. In the end, multiple story lines converge into an affirming crescendo of activity that includes criminal indictments, a high-profile gay society wedding, and the final verdict on Joan’s entry into Hollywood To read more & check out the giveaways go to: http://wp.me/p22M41-4tG

FAC Season at UMass Eat. Art. Love. That’s the theme of the UMass Fine Arts Center’s 2016-17 season: Experience the nourishing power of the arts.

Its inspiration comes from Les 7 Doigts de le Main’s Cuisine & Confessions, one of many exciting events in its line-up this season. As the actors/acrobats dance, bounce, flip, and soar their way through this dazzling show, they also manage to cook banana bread, omelets, and pasta onstage. The message is that life happens in the kitchen and onstage — and that art is food and drink for the soul.

Opening the season, actor, singer, author, and activist Alan Cumming brings his smash-hit stage show, Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, to UMass on Saturday, September 24, at 8 p.m. Backed by a trio of musicians, he’ll perform his favorite covers, along with some pretty amazing stories.

Ticket-holders are invited to the season opening party in the lobby at 6:30 p.m. with desserts and cash bar.

Cumming premiered Sappy Songs in 2015 at the legendary Café Carlyle in New York, then took it on an extensive tour to venues in the United States, Canada, and Australia, and Scotland. This past spring, the show returned to New York, where Cumming made his sold-out, solo debut at Carnegie Hall and released a live album of the same name.

An iconic performer of stage and screen, Cumming played Eli Gold on CBS’s The

See Cumming on page 9 & 14

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

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10 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

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Letters from Page 2 [RE: Food for Thought as you Vote in the Upcoming Elections in November] Dear Editor (for Deja), While I understand that you are a firm advocate of everyone voting as they wish, it’s important to really inform people of what voting in the Presidential election might rally mean this year. While the Supreme Court nominations are at stake and the most obvious reason to vote for Hillary, there are a few other items you missed. The Republican platform is the most anti-LGBTQ platform in American history according to Gavin Newsom, the LGBTQ activist who is California’s Lt. Governor. Donald Trump may or may not pay attention to it, but you can bet your britches that his VP candidate, Mike Pence along with Republican Congressmen will clutch that platform in one

hand while clutching their Bibles in the other as they legislate us back to the stone age. Pence, the LGBTQ conversion posterboy not only signed one of the worst bills in history into Indiana law, he currently has imprisoned a woman for 20 years there for an attempted abortion.

—Dale Orlando, Online [RE: The Heroism of Mariah Carey] Dear Editor, One of the best interview with MC in years … finally a conversation with depth, insight & humor & a real understanding that Mariah is truly one of america’s best songwriters. Congratulations!

Send your letters to the editor with your full name, town, and phone number to verify your identity, even if you leave the feedback online. Send all “Letters to The Rainbow Times’ Editor-in-Chief at: editor@therainbowtimesmass.com.

National Suicide Prevention Month PP 2, 13 & 14

PP on PrEP from page 6 reduce new HIV infections to zero.

“I send people there because then they get to speak to medical professionals who can prescribe them the medication instead of just an advocate that convinces them to start it,” DeFilippo said.

“LATINX” is an umbrella term that encompasses binary, non-binary, queer, agender, and genderfluid identities as well as the many ethnicities that compose Spanish-speaking communities worldwide.

The term is the gender-neutral alternative to “Latino,” “Latina,” and even “Latin@.” Used by scholars, activists, and an increasing number of journalists, Latinx is quickly gaining popularity among the general public (http://goo.gl/9j9V8Z).

PPLM clients interested in PrEP will receive a rapid HIV test as part of an initial screening for the virus. The results of the test are usually available within 30 minutes or less, but the test does not detect very recent HIV infections. If the results of the rapid test are negative, a more thorough laboratory test will be conducted and the patient will receive a prescription after receiving a negative test result.

Dr. Childs-Roshak is taking PrEP very seriously as not only fundamental to sexual health, but also as public safety concern.

She mentioned the work that has been done to lower new infections across all communities, but pointed out the disproportionate factors that have hindered that same speed of progress in communities such AfricanAmerican gay and bisexual men and transwomen. According to her, these communities are common clients of Planned Parenthood.

The goal is to get Planned Parenthoods across the country to start incorporating PrEP into their services. PPLM is following in the footsteps of other chapters in California, Idaho, Washington state, and New York City.

For more information about PPLM’s announcement, visit http://goo.gl/dxmR7m.

For information about Truvada, visit http://goo.gl/PSo7P1.

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 11

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

‘Hairspray Live+!,’ Rowan Blanchard, Colton Haynes, Ingrid Jungermann By: Romeo San Vicente*/Special to TRT

PHOTO: KATHCLICK

HOLLYWOOD

Hairspray Live! adds Rosie O’Donnell and Sean Hayes to cast Sean Hayes will play the role of Hefty Hideaway Dress Shop proprietor Mr. Pinky and Rosie O’Donnell will play the gym teacher in NBC’s holiday season production of Hairspray Live!. The 1960s-set musical – based on the John Waters film —about a young Baltimore girl named Tracy Turnblad (newcomer Maddie Baillio) who dreams of appearing on, and then desegregating, a local TV teenage dance show, already features an enticing cast of queer audience favorites.

Hayes and O’Donnell join Kristin Chenoweth, Dove Cameron, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson and Harvey Fierstein (who’ll reprise his Broadway role as Edna Turnblad). In the wake of the ambitious and wildly successful Grease Live, the live-musical-on-TV genre was put on creative notice, so expect a lot of extravagant, inventive staging for this one. And while we’re on the subject of Broadway we can flop on the couch for, we would like to request Grey Gardens, Fun Home, Hamilton, and possibly Carrie. Not necessarily in that order, mind you, but at least before and/or instead of Les Miz and Phantom. Please.

Rowan Blanchard taking a trip to A World Away What kind of teen actor comes out in the middle of her tenure on a popular sitcom?

The kind who grows up in an accepting environment that lets her know it’s fine to be exactly who she is. And that’s exactly the situation 14-year-old actor Rowan Blanchard is in. She stars on Girl Meets World as, you know, The Girl, and this year she made the decision to talk about her queerness as naturally and easily as a human being should be allowed to discuss the subject. There’s already some fan discussion on whether or not her character on the show should also be allowed to come out (though if she continues to play a heterosexual teen, to paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, there’ll be nothing wrong with that). But in the meantime, the kid has a movie career to kickstart. She’s starring in the upcoming adventure film, A World Away. The plot revolves around six kids who take a trip to the Grand Canyon, but who them find themselves in what is being referred to as “a whole other world.” So… Land of the Lost?

With some dinosaurs? Talking cavemanesque friends? Wherever she winds up on screen, this young woman is clearly on her way.

The Triumph of Colton Haynes You knew Colton Haynes from Teen Wolf.

Then you knew Colton Haynes from Arrow.

Then you knew him because he came out.

Then you knew him from that wild, unscripted moment when Noah Galvin from The Real O’Neals attacked him in an inter-

Sean Hayes

view for not coming out the right way (and, come on, this is a far preferable set of circumstances than trying to figure out who to fake-hetero-marry to keep your career intact). So now Colton Haynes is working on making himself known to movie audiences in the upcoming teen drama Triumph. Yes, that title is the essence of corniness, especially when you learn that the plot involves RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad), an actor with cerebral palsy, as a teenager who must overcome adversity, join the wrestling team, and win over the girl of his dreams. But we’re going to give all of it the benefit of the doubt, if for no other reason than it’s long overdue that Hollywood stopped being so horribly ableist all the time and gave some leading roles to guys like Mitte. Haynes, it can be assumed, will play a friend or foe of the hero, possibly a fellow wrestler, maybe someone’s parent (he is nearly 30, after all, and this is Hollywood). Whatever happens, we’ll be watching.

Ingrid Jungermann takes F to 7th to Showtime You don’t know Ingrid Jungermann yet.

That’s fine. You will. Her first feature, Women Who Kill, is bringing her film festival acclaim from Outfest to Tribeca, and her popular web series, F to 7th, is headed for Showtime. The half-hour comedy follows a young woman in her 30s navigating New York’s queer terrain, a cultural space where the old ways of being a lesbian have given way to newer understandings of gender and sexuality. The web series starred Jungermann—who has not signed on to appear on —and featured people like Amy Sedaris, Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer), Gaby Hoffman, Olympia Dukakis and Janeane Garofalo. Jungermann will produce the adaptation alongside Showalter and lesbian filmmaker Jamie Babbit (But I’m A Cheerleader). It’s been way too long since Showtime gave us any women-who-love-women content to fill the dark, nonsense-shaped void left by The L Word, so really it’s about time. Hurry up and bring this to series, Entertainment Power Lesbians. We’re waiting. *Romeo San Vicente’s wet hot American summer is simply too wet and too hot for cable TV.

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#OneSalem from page 4 perpetrators and the world that we too are #OneSalem.

While law enforcement continues to conduct its investigation, the Fire Marshall’s office will be providing a $5,000 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest in connection with The Rainbow Times’ box explosion. If you have any information

Givens from page 2 relationships with their fathers. My own mother told me that when I first came out to her when I was 23. I don’t buy into that argument at all. I think it’s an unfounded, desperate attempt to “explain” homosexuality in a way that is palatable to those who are unenlightened or need a definitive answer to explain away their prejudices.

However, what I will say is that our relationships with our parents play a very pivotal role in who we are. None of us escapes from childhood unscathed. Regardless of the quality of parenting we receive, we all have certain traumas we experience with our families, particular feelings; we carry with us into adulthood. And anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves.

My father’s absence hurt me quite profoundly. It shook me to the core and never truly let go. I internalized my father’s rejection and generalized his abandonment. I let his absence, his rejection, make me feel inferior, unlovable.

And in adulthood I attempted to “fix” that in my romantic relationships. If I could find someone to validate me, make me feel special, loved, then it would somehow blot out the pain I felt. Hindsight being 20/20, those men I “fell” for, those relationships I pursued that ultimately failed, were part of a larger pattern, a cycle of trying to “get it right.” I had a childlike need for approval and affirmation that I projected onto romantic partners; a delusional belief that if some-

linked to this crime, please contact Salem Police Detective Kevin St. Pierre at 978744-0171, ext. 179.

In the meantime, we carry on. We will not be silenced. We will never cower to the actions of vandals that target any marginalized group under any circumstance. We will not be censored. We will not be defeated. We. Will. Stand. Tall.

one could love me, see all of my flaws, then I’d have proof that I was worthy of loving myself.

But that’s not how life works. I could meet Prince Charming tomorrow, he could be everything I want in a partner, and it would not make up for my childhood. Likewise, I could reconcile with my father tomorrow and that also would not make up for his abandonment in my formative years.

Loving someone doesn’t obliterate the scars of one’s past. Loving yourself, however, is like a balm, a soothing ointment that will not erase the scar, but will heal it. And at the end of the day we all need scars; they remind us of the past and encourage us to do better, to push forward and continue to love ourselves.

And thus my re-education begins. I let go.

I accept the past for what it was. I acknowledge the fact that no human being can truly validate who I am and I dedicate each day to loving myself, valuing what I have to offer. Most importantly, I name the pattern, I own it, and I deconstruct it so that it no longer dictates how I live my life. *A graduate of the Boston University College of Communication, Mike Givens has been a social justice advocate for more than eight years. During that time he’s worked on a range of initiatives aimed at uplifting marginalized populations. An experienced media strategist and public relations professional, Mike currently devotes his spare time to a number of vital issues including racial justice and socioeconomic equity.

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September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

QPuzzle: The art of gratitude, "Aww thank you" 5 things to do if someone you love is depressed By: Mikey Rox*/Special to TRT

THE FRIVOLIST

September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

As someone who has experienced the devastation of suicide in mourning the loss of friends who have taken their own lives, it’s important to me to recognize this annual awareness campaign. In addition, like many of you, I’ve battled with my own demons and depression over the years, which has included suicidal thoughts. While no one can or should tell another how to think or feel, it’s critical to remember, however—especially in down times—that suicide is preventable. Someone loves and misses you this very moment, and help is available—whether you believe that or not. Furthermore, if you know someone who is deeply depressed because you’ve recognized the warning signs, it’s your humanitarian responsibility to reach out and offer an ear that will listen, a shoulder to cry on, or a hand to hold. Here are a few other ways to help.

52 Britten's Billy Budd and others 56 Soup scoop 59 Pasolini's sweet 62 Eighth mo. for Caesar 63 On the other hand 64 Disney series with 10Down 66 He comes once a year 67 Land of Sinead O'Connor 68 Chance beginning 69 Deuce toppers 70 Like a generation, to Stein 71 Singer Fure Down 1 Father in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 2 Former NFL player Tuaolo 3 Tool for cutting carrots 4 Expert ending 5 Pansies and similar groups 6 Chloe's role in Boys Don't Cry 7 Plumb, and others 8 O'Keeffe's stand 9 Cher's portrayer in Clueless 10 Actress who just came out and tweeted "Aww thank you..." to supportive fans 11 Aida solo 12 Fly like an eagle 13 London park name 18 Herman of Hello Dolly fame 24 Orientation of 10-Down 26 Screws up 28 World War II carbine

29 Do an Oscar winner's job 31 Start of a selection process 32 Style of many South Beach buildings 33 Narrow valley 34 Way to address a dominatrix 35 Scat queen 36 In view 38 Part of San Francisco's BART 41 Highsmith's The Price of ___ 45 Erection on the Great Plains, once 47 Spartacus venues 49 Type of man in an Elton John song 51 Ford flub 53 Turner that goes either way 54 Penetrating 55 Ire. patron 56 Bringing up the rear 57 Mold medium 58 Hamlet, for one 60 John Goodman's Normal, 61 Gay Cosmos author Eighner 65 IRA increaser

SOLUTION

Across 1 Knight in the saga of Moff Mors 5 Put your rear in gear 9 Bring shame to 14 Early AIDS play 15 Hot stuff that gets shot off 16 The Wizard of Oz producer Mervyn 17 Character played by 10Down 19 Story about busting some Trojans 20 Dig it 21 Remove a slip, perhaps 22 Danes of Romeo + Juliet 23 "People" person 25 Future queen of Star Wars 27 Start of a legal conclusion 30 Like Beauty and the Beast 34 Like Oscar of The Odd Couple 37 Direction for seamen 39 Achilles' weak spot 40 Sheltered on the sea 41 Growing Up Gay in the South author James 42 ___ Upon a Mattress 43 Glenn's Fatal Attraction character 44 Hathaway of Brokeback Mountain 45 Check out, in a fitting room 46 Book about autoeroticism?

48 Megan's Will & Grace character 50 Comedian Johnson

1. Educate Yourself on Depression While you may be able to spot signs of depression in a loved one, are you confident that you’re well informed on the matter?

Depression is a tricky and sensitive disorder, and it will benefit both you and the person suffering from depression if you educate yourself on the potential causes and effects. For instance, onset of depression may be triggered by a specific event or a series of events, like a string of bad luck, and it also may be linked to a brain-chemistry imbalance not connected to an event, according to Psychology Today. Thus, knowing what you’re dealing with before entering the trenches is recommended.

2. Show You Care By Asking Questions When we’re depressed, we experience feelings of loneliness or perhaps that no one cares about our predicament. But that’s not the case. In fact, friends and family are often eager to help those who are depressed, and one of the first steps to showing your support in your loved one’s time of need is to ask questions.

“Your friend may be so desperate that she’s had a suicide plan in action for weeks, or she could just be under a lot of stress at work,” writes Therese Borchard at EverydayHealth.com. “She could be having a severe episode of major depression, or just need a little more vitamin D. You won’t know until you start asking some questions.”

Some questions to ask may include: • When did you first start to feel bad?

• Can you think of anything that may have triggered it?

• Do you have suicidal thoughts?

• Is there anything that makes you feel better?

• What makes you feel worse?

• Do you think you could be deficient in vitamin D? • Have you made any changes lately to your diet?

• Are you under more pressure at work?

• Have you had your thyroid levels checked?

3. Provide Support Without Judgment The last thing someone who’s already at their lowest needs is to be judged for how they’re feeling or acting. Dealing with a depressed person is not always easy, granted—they’re irritable and sometimes lash out—but it’s in those moments that you should try to put yourself in their shoes. You don’t know what’s going through their head, what stresses they’re facing that brought them to this breaking point, or the To read the rest of this story visit: http://wp.me/p22M41-4tE

14 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

Reflexiones: Comportamiento, voto, la explosión, y el suicidio YA DE ANTEMANO SABEMOS QUE EXISTE EL RACISMO, EL ODIO, EL PREJUICIO. NO DEJE DE SER QUIEN ES, PERO NO ACTÚE COMO SI NO EXISTIERAN LOS MODALES TAMPOCO.

Por: Gricel M. Ocasio*/Publicadora de TRT

E

jeron presente durante el día que “reclamamos a Salem” y eso es importante, no tan sólo para la comunidad LGBTQ hispana, sino para todas las comunidades marginadas. A Laura Assade, quién estuvo pendiente de nosotras (sólo hago mención de los hispanos en esta columna, pues la columna de la editora menciona al resto de los líderes comunitarios). Unidos podemos confrontar las vicisitudes y abogar por los derechos de cada uno. La igualdad nos la merecemos todos. También hay que votar en Salem y continuar trabajando para que la ciudad contrate a oficiales bilingües en los centro de votación en los que existen hispanos que todavía tienen problemas con el inglés para que entiendan por quien están votando y que alguien que hable su idioma lo pueda ayudar. Recuerde, usted tiene derechos—su derecho al voto es sólo uno de ellos.

Observé en varias ocasiones cuando estuve en la playa en el verano que hubo ciertos adolescentes hispanos que gritaban obscenidades ya fuera mientras corrían bicicleta en la carretera, o en la misma playa.

Sus lenguajes corporales eran, inclusive, un tanto amenazadores. Esto no está correcto.

Otros eran niños de menos de 12 años de edad quienes también usaban unas palabras indeseables. ¿Por qué hablo de esto? Porque desafortunadamente las personas juzgan a otros por su comportamiento. En una ocasión le dije a un niño que usó un lenguaje obsceno tantas veces y en un tono de voz altísimo, ¡“que vocabulario tan extenso es ese que tienes”! Con un gesto de desdén y sin respeto me contestó ¡“Gracias”! El padre lo escuchó y le hizo una pregunta retórica refiriéndose a la contestación que me dio, ¿“qué contestación es esa”? y lo llamó a su lado. Nunca me pidió disculpas; ninguno de los dos lo hicieron.

Este tipo de actuaciones son irrespetuosas y continúan marginando a muchos hispanos. Ya de antemano sabemos que existe el racismo, el odio, el prejuicio. No deje de ser quien es, pero no actúe como que no existen los modales tampoco. En un lugar como lo son Salem y Boston, en el que estamos rodeados de tantas culturas y razas, hay que recordarse de que lo que se dice y

Cumming from Page 2

and the Ali Forney Center, to name but a few.

Tickets for Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs are $75, $70, $30; Five College student and youth (17-and-under) tickets, $30, $25, $20; and are available for a subscription discount. For tickets, call the box office at 545-2511 or toll-free at 800-999-UMAS, or purchase them online at fineartscenter.com. This event is sponsored

by The Rainbow Times, UMass Catering, and WGBY TV 57.

For a complete season listing, call the box office for a brochure or visit its website, where you can find videos, links to artists’ web and social sites, and visitor info.

Subscriptions and single tickets, on sale now, can be purchased by phone, 413- 5452511 or 800-999-UMAS, or via its secure website, www.fineartscenter.com. For smart phone users, the FAC has a mobile site.

A glaring omission Twenty-three of the 49 people killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting were of Latin descent. Specifically, they were all identified as Puerto Rican (http://goo.gl/D8MiRw). As mainstream media outlets covered the tragedy, delved into the life of the shooter, Omar Mateen, reported on the experiences of the survivors, and attempted to piece together the hours-long shoot-out, there was a noticeable silence when it came to the ethnicity of many of the victims.

Oversimplifications became commonplace and the shooting was largely viewed as an LGBTQ issue; there was rampant speculation about Mateen’s sexual orientation and alleged ties to terrorist groups.

Many used the deaths of the clubgoers to expound upon larger issues affecting the LGBTQ community or to even denounce the LGBTQ community altogether.

In Columbia, MO, a college student at a vigil for the victims attempted to discuss racial equity in the context of the shooting and was abruptly heckled by two gay white men (http://goo.gl/2UQMhV). A Sacremento, CA pastor, Roger Jimenez, gave a sermon denouncing the victims of the attack as “perverts” and praised Mateen’s behavior as an act that made Orlando “ … a little safer … ” (http://goo.gl/AV8Ocx).

The focus of national conversations on the sexual orientation of the victims left many in the Latinx community feeling that the cultural identities of those killed and the survivors were discarded.

“Pulse was a massacre on queer people of color,” said Mike Yepes, a social justice advocate. “It was not targeted at white people, it was not targeted at the overall LGBTQ umbrella, it was targeted at queer people of color. If you disagree then simply look at the name of the night in which the shooting occurred and the names of those who were killed to see why I have firmly made that declaration.”

Yepes, who prefers the pronouns they/them/their, is referring to the June 12 “Latin Night” theme at Pulse.

“A good example is the way many white gay men, locally and nationally, responded to Pulse by posting photos of themselves ...

See LATINX on page 15

1. Parched 2. Margarita With A Straw 3. The Royal Road 4. Orange is the New Black Season 3 5. Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson 6. Portrait of a Serial Monogamist 7. All About E 8. Carol 9. The Girl King 10. Liz in September

GAY TOP 10

TOP 10 BEST SELLER VIDEOS Courtesy: WolfeVideo.com

Good Wife stole the show as the Tony Award–winning Emcee in Cabaret, and currently hosts PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery. He is the author of two books; Tommy’s Tale and his memoir, a New York Times best-seller, Not My Father’s Son. A tireless champion for LGBT civil rights and HIV/AIDS charities, Cumming serves on the board of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and works closely with amfAR, The Trevor Project,

Lea el resto de esta historia en: http://wp.me/p22M41-4tK

LESBIAN TOP 10

LATIN VISION

n este mes se celebra la Herencia Hispana del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre.

Creo que es importante hablar de nosotros los hispanos y la importancia de estar envueltos en eventos cívicos. El 8 de septiembre son las primarias en Massachusetts. Si desea que haya cambios en su vecindario, que sus derechos se hagan valer, que se le respete su ciudadanía y persona aún y cuando esté aprendiendo inglés, y más. Entonces vote el jueves 8 de septiembre. Si no lo hace, no se debe quejar de las cosas que pasan, pues su voto cuenta para que otras personas entiendan porque ciertas reglas y asuntos locales son importantes para usted. Si es mujer, recuerde que muchas mujeres pelearon y murieron tratando de ganar acceso al voto. Si no desea votar por otra razón, recuerde que unas valerosas hermanas dieron sus vidas para que nosotras podamos votar hoy. Y luego, vote en noviembre pues estas elecciones presidenciales son las más importantes para los hispanos en más de cien años. ¡Nunca la libertad y el respeto de una etnia han importado tanto como ahora!

Actualmente, hay que votar en Salem y continuar trabajando para que haya oficiales bilingües en los centro de votación en los que existen hispanos que todavía tienen problemas con el inglés. Recuerde, usted tiene derechos. No permita nada menos que lo que le pertenece por ley.

Con relación a lo acontecido con la explosión de nuestra caja del periódico en Salem, quiero que sepan que estamos muy agradecidas de haber podido contar con su apoyo. Les ofrezco mi gratitud a todos los hispanos que nos apoyaron, en especial a Lucy Corchado, y a Ana Nuncio, pues di-

LATINX from Page 3 Civil Rights and Economic Justice. “The bottom line is that we can't talk about Orlando as an LGBT incident without acknowledging that the violence predominantly affected Latinos and people of color.”

1. Hurricane Bianca 2. Women He's Undressed 3. Those People 4. Coming Out 5. Fire Song 6. Henry Gamble's Birthday Party 7. Beautiful Something 8. Holding the Man 9. Hockney 10. You're Killing Me

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 15

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016

LATINX from Page 14 kissing their white partners and proclaiming ‘love is love,’” they continued. “By presenting their resistance in a way that eliminates the narrative of race and paints them as equal victims of the violence ... they have effectively ‘whitewashed’ the narrative and excused themselves [from] any dialogue on

“These daily experiences definitely influenced why I was not able to embrace my sexuality until my mid-20s, after I already married and had children.”

“I think it's important to remember that some Latinx [people] identify as black, Afro-Latinos in particular, and others don't,” said Isabelle Delgado, also an active mem-

resented. We need to reject the black/white paradigm, and replace it with a more nuanced and complex lens that takes into account the experiences of all people of color, immigrants, undocumented people, low-income folks, people with disabilities, LGBTQ folks and those living with HIV.” Though Mulaney said they feel similarly

Trump met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and discussed plans to build the wall (http://goo.gl/UYeesj). “ … this country was built by [forced and willing] immigrants and … the lack of transparency by those in power who benefit from undocumented immigration reinforces for me that the real issue is what systematic

“THE LATINX LGBTQ COMMUNITY SITS INVISIBLE IN DISCUSSIONS, CELEBRATIONS, OR ADVOCACY IN THE DOMINANT LGBTQ COMMUNITY.” —M S , HBGC M ARICEL

their own roles in racism, sexism, xenopho- ber of HBGC, of colorism within the Latinx community. “As a queer Puerto Rican with bia, transphobia, [and other issues].”

Aida Manduley, a therapist and sex edu- African lineage and a brown father, I still cator also preferring they/them/their pro- recognize that my light skin—and in some nouns, said that the issue of race was cases white-passing privilege—has afforded me so much more opportunity discussed minimally in the than those with darker skin.” media because it’s easier for Even within the Latinx the public to downplay it. community, according to “There's just a lot of silence, Manduley, the “white vs. especially when people want to black” dynamic plays a harmsee themselves mirrored in a ful role in relationships. tragedy … in the attempt to “ … it's really important to build a bridge or connection, recognize the ways in which they erase a lot of important there are still racial hierarnuance,” they said. “ … [The] chies based on skin color and media whitewashes tragedies how someone's ‘balance’ of and reserves its racialization lineage affects their life,” they for discussing perpetrators. said. “White Latinxs overall The speed with which the have better health and ecoshooter's race and religion Aida Manduley nomic outcomes than Latcame into question, the speed with which Islamophobia began to get inxs who have greater—and often more spewed, came as no surprise. These patterns visible—connections to native and/or also emerge outside of the media, in big part African heritage.”

Within the larger LGBTQ community, due to how fraught conversations of race can be, and how people can divert attention Latinx people are often on the fringes, acto discussing things like gun control and cording to Yepes . “ … Latinx communities are often in lowmental health because those can more easily

HEETS

EMBER

about the demographic shift, an increase in numbers will not solve all problems.

“We must … not confuse numeric growth with political power and material power,” they said. “Just because we are a growing demographic doesn't mean that suddenly white supremacy is going to topple over at our feet … we can harness the power of our people for change, but it has to be active, strategic, and intentional; it's not just a numbers game.”

The presidential election Race has become a hot-button issue in the presidential election with such topics as the Black Lives Matter movement and immigration causing intense debates and polarizing discussions amongst Democrats and Republicans.

“Truthfully, I don’t think immigrant communities really win 100 [percent] with either candidate,” said Yepes. “If we end up with Trump we’re left at the mercy of blatant racism for at least another four more years and if we end up with [Clinton] we suffer at the hands of ‘behind the curtain’ policies that result in the deportation and deaths of many in our communities.”

“ … 1 IN 5 BOSTONIANS IS NOW LATINO. BUT LATINOS MAKE-UP LESS THAN 9% OF THE BOSTON PD. WE ARE PROFOUNDLY UNDERREPRESENTED. —ESPINOZA-MADRIGAL be removed from the realm of confronting the tough realities of how certain communities are oppressed.”

“The Latinx LGBTQ community sits invisible in discussions, celebrations, or advocacy in the dominant LGBTQ community,” said Maricel Sheets, an active member of Boston’s Hispanic Black Gay Coalition (HBGC). “The media focused on the assailant's motivation for the Pulse nightclub shooting being about sexuality and failed to mention the majority of the victims being Latinx because of media outlets' inability to skillfully discuss the vulnerability of being of a [particular] race/ethnic group in this country.”

Latinx voices speak The nuances of Latinx identities and the oppression the community faces can be lost on many people. According to Sheets, many Latinx people face racism, colorism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and myriad other forms of oppression.

“As a young child, hearing the negative comments from family about my African features; society’s limitations of my physical and intellectual ability based on my gender; and living in a majority minority community witnessing first-hand the negative impacts of being segregated from quality schooling are a few ways I've experienced being oppressed,” she said.

income [and] low-funded neighborhoods as a product of capitalism fueled gentrification, which results in poor academic performance, low high school graduation and college retention rates, and minimal presence at the top-tier level of many industries, which leads to continuous repetitions of the cycle of marginalization,” they said.

Espinoza-Madrigal of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice said that racism and bias against people of color contributes to a larger societal decay.

“Flawed stop-and-frisk policies, police confiscation of condoms as evidence of prostitution, and incidents of police brutality that result in countless deaths are all powerful reminders that over-criminalization and mass incarceration are daily realities for far too many people based on their race, class, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, and health status,” he said.

He also noted that with the demographic shift over the last several years, Latinx people are increasing in numbers across the country, but are underrepresented in positions of authority. “ … one in five Bostonians is now Latino.

But Latinos make-up less than 9% of the Boston Police Department,” he said by way of example. “We are profoundly underrep-

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made several controversial statements about Latinx people, the most infamous of which is a comment to “build a wall” between the United States and Mexico to stave off undocumented immigrants from entering the country. Most recently,

approach will maintain economic and socio-political power in this country for white people,” said Sheets, who said she feels that Latinx people have an obligation to exercise their right to vote as one of the largest-growing demographics in the nation.

Manduley said that the current discourse on race in this country, particularly in the presidential campaign, has turned into “danger and vicious” rhetoric that has trickled down into the day-to-day conversations of many. “ … many of us are assaulted daily by these comments—whether in passing jokes at work from well-intentioned liberals, at cafés whose screens are tuned into the news, or by simply turning on the radio,” they said. “This has a negative mental health impact right now. This is not just a problem of ‘who will be president,’ but how we even talk about the presidential race and how this almost inescapable toxic discourse infiltrates our day-to-day [lives].”

At its core, Yepes said that racism against Latinx people contributes to a fixation on “otherness,” a preoccupation that they’ve consistently seen play out in relationships with white people.

“I cannot count the number of times that white individuals ask ‘where are you from?’ and ... when I reply ‘Boston’ they say, “No, but where are you from?!’” they said. “What does it matter? Why do you need to know or confirm for yourself that I am from another country? For one, it is none of your business. Two, it is not a perfectly innocent question because the same types of responses are not expected from white individuals and that is a nuance that needs to be explored heavily. And lastly, why is it so hard to digest the idea that I may in fact be a U.S. born or naturalized citizen?”

16 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

September 8, 2016 - October 5, 2016