June 9, 2017 | Volume XV, Issue 3
Baltimore’s LGBT Pioneer Paulette Young
By Frankie Kujawa Harvey Milk once said, “All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.” The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Central Maryland (GLCCB), celebrating its 40th anniversary, has acted as this haven for many of Baltimore’s residents. GLCCB co-founder and the Center’s first president, Paulette Young, recently sat down with Baltimore OUTloud to chat about her role as a Baltimore LGBT pioneer and what Pride means to her. “I am always shocked,” Young laughed upon being referred to as a Baltimore LGBT pioneer. “But, I’ve grown to understand why people say that I am. I’m proud
of being a pioneer.” A native Baltimorean, Young became involved in many different political movements in her youth. “Much of my work came out of working with the Civil Rights, anti-war, and women’s movement. But then I looked around and realized that no one was talking about us … our community.” Young went on to explain that though her work in these movements was important, she wanted to be part of something that reflected her voice. “Even though many of us were part of these other movements, we as a community never stood out. We were always working for someone else’s movement but not for ourselves. We were still being arrested and our bars were being raided. No one was standing up for us. The gay movement in Baltimore then started clicking and Erich Bergen
Paulette Young – activist with many portfolios
people said, ‘Let’s band together and let’s be recognized.’ We realized that we’ve been helping others for so long that now it’s time to
do something for ourselves.” After joining the Baltimore Gay Alliance in 1975, of which she would later be president, Young was instrumental in helping to organize the very first Pride rally in Baltimore. “Back then, up and down the East Coast, gay organizations were communicating much better. We were in contact and they began to talk about their rallies in their cities. We thought, ‘Why can’t we have one?’ and we began to follow what other cities were doing. We began to go to conferences and meet up with other people at Columbia University and Rutgers.” “I really do miss those days,” Young sighs. “Even though we have the web today, there was so much more face-to-face —continued on page 51
The Gatekeeper
by Gregg Shapiro As Blake Moran, the newly out bisexual assistant to Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) in the CBS drama “Madam S e c r e t a r y, ” Erich Bergen is the picture of perfection. Handsome, fit, conservatively-attired and well-groomed with very important hair,
An interview with ‘Madam Secretary’s Erich Bergen
Blake has it (almost) all together. Sure, there are loose ends – a difficult mother and a recently resurfaced male ex – but he is nothing if not good at tying everything up so they don’t come undone again. I had the pleasure of speaking with Bergen, whom many will recognize from his portrayal of Bob Gaudio in both the film and touring stage productions of Jersey Boys, about Blake and much more. Gregg Shapiro: Erich, a recent episode of ‘Madam Secretary’ opened with your character Blake Moran waking up to the opening number from Stephen Sondheim’s Company. You played Bob Gaudio in the movie version of Jersey Boys, and also appeared in the stage production. What has been the most rewarding aspect
of theatre in your life? Erich Bergen: I started in the theatre. That’s the entire background of my career. I’m also not a religious person, but the little I know about religion is that it often involves a group of people getting together in a room, sitting in seats, watching someone stand before them and present a new way to tell a story that they’ve already heard before in hopes of it affecting and changing their lives. It’s something that cannot be replicated ever again. It’s something people feel in that moment in that room. The connection between church and theatre is obvious and strong to me. It’s something that I understand. It’s the part of organized religion that I do understand. Theatre has —continued on page 33