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Races to Watch LGBT midterm election candidates

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Queens with a Mission Hot male dance troupe

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publisher@bostonspiritmagazine.com

From The Publisher As you might have seen over the past few years (if you are inclined to read my words of wisdom in each issue), I typically write about some of the great articles that you will see in the magazine or some of the amazing events that are taking place in the area. While it is true that there are some great articles in this edition of Boston Spirit, I am going to veer a little off course for this letter and focus on another topic...the upcoming November elections and ballot questions. I could make this a very short column. In fact, I could write one word and then move on: Vote. Or two words: Please Vote. We’ve got contests with local implications, contests with national implications and a series of ballot questions one of which could have massive implications for our transgender neighbors. On November 6, Massachusetts residents will be asked to vote on ballot Question 3. Question 3 seeks to roll back protections that were voted into place several years ago to protect member of the transgender community from discrimination in places of public accommodation. According to polls, the outcome is still very much in doubt (which is equally amazing and incredibly sad). If those who are looking to overturn the current law are successful, it would be catastrophic to the LGBT community, not only locally but across the country as it would energize anti-LGBT forces from coast to coast and give them the “blueprint” for legalizing bigotry. We cannot allow this to happen. Get out and vote, make sure your friends and family get out and vote. And remember to vote YES ON QUESTION 3. If you have any additional questions on the ballot question visit www.freedommassachusetts.org.

David Zimmerman Publisher

2 | BOSTON SPIRIT

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As We Go To Press … Vote. I could use the full 500 words of this opening letter writing that same word over and over: Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote. You get the point. We really shouldn’t have to be reminded to vote. We live in a representative democracy. Which means that we elect people who represent us in policy and legislative decision-making. The thing is, our elected officials are supposed to represent every citizen. But they don’t. They only represent voting citizens. If everyone in this country voted we would have a truly representative democracy. And there’s a preponderance of research that shows that if everyone who was eligible to vote did, then our country’s policies and laws would be far more progressive. That would include on LGBT issues. I sometimes hear things like: “It doesn’t really matter who I vote for. Voting really doesn’t make a difference.” Um, no. Look no further than the 2016 election to demonstrate the falsehood of that statement. If voting didn’t matter, then we wouldn’t be concerned that Supreme

Contribute your opinion: editor@bostonspiritmagazine.com

4 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and likely new Justice Kavanaugh might be turning back basic rights for LGBT people. We could be watching Justices Merrick Garland and Elizabeth Warren upholding equality on the nation’s preeminent court. And don’t think that the smaller elections don’t matter. It was sleeper seats on school boards over the years that either prevented LGBT history from getting into the curriculum or scrubbed it out, if it was there. Those elections—little by little—erased the ability for vast numbers of Americans to acquire a proper education and it led to the proliferation of the acceptance of falsehoods as truths. And elected officials in smaller municipalities can have significant jurisdiction over gerrymandering and voter turnout. And just because we live in Massachusetts—where we generally have a strong likelihood of having at the minimum decent politicians, voting makes a difference. Particularly this year, when we need to maintain basic protections for transgender people. There is no excuse. We must vote yes on 3! It’s also vitally important to vote in every race, even if it might not make a difference

in who or what wins. I mean, how powerful is it, say, that, despite winning the presidency, Trump lost the popular vote by a wide margin of millions? There’s not a single state in New England that doesn’t need every LGBT voter to cast their ballots. A strong showing for LGBT-related issues in New England sends strong signals everywhere. We must continue to lead the way. I jokingly call Massachusetts the greatest country in the world—universal health care, equal marriage, strong institutions, medical organizations, universities, sciences, politics and more. If you don’t live in Massachusetts, it’s even more important to make your voices heard. Maine needs to see every single LGBT voter at the polls on election day. Rhode Island. Vermont. Connecticut. New Hampshire. In this issue, you’ll find helpful stories to guide your votes in every corner of our great region of New England. So there you have it: Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote.

James Lopata Editor

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Senior Spirit

Contents SEP|OCT 2018 | VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 5

Spotlight

Hit List Proud Poses Passion for Performance Meet Brad Peacock Body and Soul Practicing the Golden Rule Game On! Senior Spirit Reaching OUT in Merrimack Valley From the Blogs Newsmakers | Vermont Newsmakers | Connecticut Newsmakers | New Hampshire Newsmakers | Maine Newsmakers | Rhode Island

Feature

Keeping Her Word

Bay State Attorney General Maura Healey is seeking a second successful term

Fall Arts Preview

8 10 12 14 18 20 22 24 24 26 30 32 34 36 40

Races to Watch

Wishful and Wistful

Preserving Eden

Calendar

New England LGBT candidates we’re keeping our eye on Nov. 6 Naturist’s nature retreat saved through generous sale by longtime owner and formation of Rock River Preservation

New England Events

Seasonal

Activism & Escape

Our annual fall arts and entertainment preview for a politically charged season

Culture All that Jazz

Ensembles will serenade strollers along the Charles River September 23

A ‘Kiss’ Still Haunting, Still Relevant 72 Iconic gay character anchors landmark musical

Outsider Art

Thirst for Life

Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton” comes to Boston Tori Scott brings brings shameless musical journey to Oberon

Tori Scott

From Snagglepuss to Amanda Plummer, the stars align at this year’s Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival

Scene

CRI Summer Party 84 Cambridge LGBTQ Networking Night 85 Boston Spirit Summer Sunset Cruise 86 GLAD Summer Party 90 Drive for Victory 91 Rhode Island PrideFest 92 BGMC South Afria Tour 94 North Shore Pride 95

Coda

Candy-Coated Bops of Love Trans songstress Kim Petras brings a sweet flair of life to her music

Kim Petras

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FAST FUNDING

SPOTLIGHT Trending STORY Scott Kearnan

Hit List NEWS, NOTES AND TO-DOS FOR EVERY GAY AGENDA like Tres Gatos. Rocket ships and retro décor adorn the spot, which emphasizes breakfast and brunch fare like the “Apollo Acai “Gill-Man” swimwear Bowl” and “Galactic collection from Burger” topped with Pretty Snake “Area 51 sauce.” Beer and wine are offered, and dinner service is expected to arrive soon. More: littledipperjp.com

SALUTE A REAL-LIFE SUPERHERO

BUILD YOUR BRAND with

the guidance Boston-based gay marketing guru Douglas Spencer doles out in his new book, “Do They Care?” The title refers to the one question all brands should ask themselves continually, says Spencer, founder of consulting firm Spencer Brenneman and former VP, global head of brand management for Thomson Reuters. From leveraging social media tools to coalescing camaraderie, Spencer covers wide territory to illustrate how to build emotional connections that benefit personal and business brands. More: spencerbrenneman.com

SOAK UP THE FINAL WEEKS OF SUMMER , stand out by the

ocean, and support an awesome fashion designer in New England’s LGBTQ community by grabbing the new “GillMan” swimwear collection

from Pretty Snake, a brand by Providence, Rhode Islandbased “Project Runway” alum Joseph Aaron Segal. Segal teamed with illustrator Harrison Bucy to create swim trunks (complete with campy side fins), briefs and a beach towel bearing colorful pop artlike renditions of the infamous movie monster. It’s a playful collection that’ll leave you looking like one sexy beachside beast. More: prettysnake.com

about to make history for transgender people on television. Nicole Maines, the Portland, Maine native who won a discrimination lawsuit against her school when she was barred from using the girls’ bathroom, will join the cast of the CW network’s “Supergirl” as Dreamer, the first transgender superhero on a TV show. Dreamer will debut

ROCKET OVER TO LITTLE DIPPER , a new space-

themed diner in Jamaica Plain, Boston. Little Dipper, which replaced the long-running Centre Street Café in July, is co-owned by lesbian chef Robyn McGrath and her wife Lelia Asher, plus some of the same team behind other popular JP restaurants

in the show’s upcoming fourth season, and Maines described her character’s motivation during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con: “She has this ferocious drive to protect people and to fight against discrimination and hatred.” More: cwtv.com/shows/supergirl

ENJOY A SLICE OF “CAKES,”

the new single from Worcester, Massachusetts native Cazwell Cazwell, a rapper whose frequently raunchy, gay-themed tunes have earned him a queer cult following. “Cakes,” Cazwell’s tongue-in-cheek (no pun intended) ode to butts, is filled with the saucy double entendre fans expect and accompanied by a booty-shaking music video starring the rapper surrounded by muscled hunks in barely-there mankinis and wrestling masks. More: cazwell. com

EXPERIMENT WITH OENOPHILES Litle Dipper

at the Wine Lab, a new interactive wine bar opened in August at North Andover, Massachusetts’ historic and sprawling Machine Shop Village complex. The Wine Lab, a rustic-chic space boasting an outdoor patio, local art exhibits and regular live music,

PUBLISHER David Zimmerman EDITOR IN CHIEF James Lopata MANAGING EDITOR Robert Phelps [rob@bostonspiritmagazine.com] ART DIRECTOR Dean Burchell CONTRIBUTING LIFESTYLE EDITOR Scott Kearnan [lifestyle@bostonspiritmagazine.com] CONTRIBUTING ARTS EDITOR Loren King CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alyssa Gillin, Tom Joyce, Natalie Nonken, Kim Harris Stowell CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Joel Benjamin COVER PHOTO Courtesy Melwood Global ON THE WEB [bostonspiritmagazine.com] TALK TO US [feedback@bostonspiritmagazine.com] EDITORIAL CONTACT [editor@bostonspiritmagazine.com] PUBLISHING AND SALES CONTACT [publisher@bostonspiritmagazine.com or 781-223-8538] THE FINE PRINT Boston Spirit magazine. A Division of Jake Publishing, LLC Published by Jake Publishing, LLC. Copyright 2004 by Jake Publishing, LLC. All

SEP|OCT 2018 | VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 5

rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the written permission of Boston Spirit magazine. Neither the publishers nor the advertisers will be held responsible for any errors found in the magazine. The publishers accept no liability for the accuracy of statements made by advertisers. Publication of the name or photograph of any person, organization or business in this magazine does not reflect upon one’s sexual orientation in any way. Boston Spirit Magazine, 398 Columbus Ave. #395, Boston, MA 02116

8 | BOSTON SPIRIT

encourages guests to taste unique varietals—like the “Smooth Criminal” California Malbec—individually or as combinative “blending flights.” Owned by husbands Ryan and Tim O’Connor-Crowe, the spot also offers a selection of salads, small plates and

build-your-own cheese and charcuterie boards. More: thewinelabna.com

SHOP HANDCRAFTED DESIGNS at Peston, a queer couple-owned boutique that just popped up at Bow Market, a new Somerville, Massachusetts destination for hip indie retail shops and eateries. Designers and co-owners Ellyx and Cassandra stock their storefront and online shop with cool fashion accessories, décor items and trinkets: from colorful neckties to vegan leather drink coasters and cherry wood magnets with laser-cut etchings of AfricanAmerican icons like Maya Angelou and James Baldwin. More: pestonshop.com [x]

Peston

SPOTLIGHT Fitness STORY Scott Kearnan

are still participating in the spirit of being nude; consider the difference in how most people would typically react in public to a topless cisgender man (nonplussed) versus a topless woman (with gawking). Merveille says she has occasionally been criticized for making these accommodations, but this is one area in which the yogi won’t bend. “There are different people in the world with different experiences in their body, and nudism has traditionally been skewed toward cisgender men,” says Merveille. “The goal [of Naked in Motion] is not full equal nudity across the board, it’s for human beings to have a positive experience in a space with others.”

Proud Poses QUEER-INCLUSIVE NAKED YOGA PROVIDES INNER LIBERATION THROUGH SHEDDING OUTER LAYERS Most yogis begin their practice by setting an intention. And for Willow Merveille, it’s always the same: to help her students feel stronger in their own skin. Merveille is the founder of Naked in Motion, a nude yoga studio with operations in NYC and Boston. Though nude yoga isn’t new, LGBTQ people—especially genderqueer and trans folks—may feel intimidated about stripping down for downward dog in a mixed group setting. So Merveille cultivates a radically inclusive, body-positive environment, and provides certain accommodating policies, that ensure a supportive and affirming experience for everyone. “One thing that queer people experience, across the board, is the message that your experience isn’t valid and you’re not welcome,” explains Merveille, who identifies as queer herself. “That’s something that I’m trying to counteract. The body is a very political thing.” Getting naked in front of strangers, or even just confronting your own nude body in potentially unflattering forms, can certainly be a daunting experience for anyone. But Naked in Motion offers a “Women’s & Trans Yoga” class specifically to provide a safe space for students who may feel particularly vulnerable. These classes, in keeping with Merveille’s intersectional feminism philosophies, are open to all those “who know, have known or will know what it’s like to walk the earth as a woman.”

10 | BOSTON SPIRIT

That said, trans and non-binary folks are definitely not siloed. They are fully welcomed at Naked in Motion’s all-gender classes, which are guided by a comprehensive set of community rules that instructors go over at the start of each session. Most of the rules are simply concerned with making a nude space feel safe and comfortable for all participants: there’s a strictly interpreted no-cruising policy (that means unsolicited compliments are unacceptable), and any form of physical touch, including touch that might be considered acceptable while clothed, is not allowed without first obtaining consent. But Merveille has also thoughtfully crafted certain policies that account for the unique experiences of students who aren’t cisgender men. At Naked in Motion, students are requested to ask for people’s preferred pronouns, and women and trans yogis are allowed to wear bottoms and any article used to affirm gender identity (like binders and chest pieces) if they choose. Merveille says that option doesn’t compromise the studio’s mandatory nudity. Rather, she says, it simply provides flexibility in interpreting the definition of nudity. Merveille acknowledges that people who (at any point in life) have been recognized as women by society, and thus subject to systemic forms of sexual harassment and objectification, may have greater fears and anxieties about being nude in an all-gender class. So even by disrobing to bottoms, they

Merveille understands firsthand what it feels like to find inner liberation by shedding outer layers. She was raised by a conservative family in a small, Confederate flag-waving town in Appalachia. She also had “an intense Christian upbringing,” which resulted in “a lot of traumatizing memories, in terms of the dogma and body-shaming and sex-shaming that was instilled.” Merveille eventually moved to NYC to pursue theatre and dance. There she discovered that teaching nude yoga was an excellent way to reclaim a sense of ownership over one’s body, heal past wounds, and learn, especially as a woman, how to feel comfortable taking up space and asserting authority without concern for whether or not others find her nude body enjoyable (as long as they respect boundaries). She launched Naked in Motion in NYC in 2016, and started offering classes at studios in Boston, where her partner lives, last year. Merveille is protective of her brand and its ethos, and doesn’t have plans to expand to other cities. Rather, she simply wants to concentrate on developing the most enriching nude yoga practice she can for all students, including non-binary and trans folk for whom nudism can bring out unique fears and anxieties. Naked in Motion may just help them move through it. “We tend to run away from the things we fear,” says Merveille. “We hide. We’re ashamed. I’ve spent a lot of time running and hiding for my own personal reasons. But I think the key to managing fear is never to get rid of the fear, or try to shove it away, but to be willing to hold space for it.” The mat sounds like an awfully good place to start. [x]

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SPOTLIGHT Dance STORY Scott Kearnan

Passion for Performance

QUEENS WITH A MISSION BREAKS BOUNDARIES WITH FIERCE GENDER-BENDING ARTISTRY Gabe Colon-Sciabarrasi has always been fast on his feet—whether he’s moving in cleats, or high heels. As a kid, Colon-Sciabarrasi loved playing soccer; while growing up between Puerto Rico and Massachusetts’ South Shore, he raced across playing fields for 11 years. But then he saw a concert by his high school show choir, and realized he belonged on stage. It was the beginning of a passion for performance that eventually saw him join a number of Boston-area dance groups— including Static Noyze, featured on the hit MTV show “America’s Best Dance Crew”— before cofounding his own: Queens With a Mission (QWAM), an all-male, mostly gay dance crew presenting fierce choreography, set to everything from house music to hip hop, that proudly celebrates both masculine and feminine forms of self-expression through movement. That’s where those heels come in. “Our real mission is to support not just folks in the dance and LGBT community, but anyone who wants to be themselves,” says Colon-Sciabarrasi, who is also a director of the group. “It’s about exploring masculinity and femininity and reality. We want to showcase ourselves in whatever form we want to take.” QWAM was born in 2016 at a pizza shop, when Colon-Sciabarrasi and four other gay dancers, all relatively fresh out of college and somewhat dissatisfied with the local crew scene, decided to form a group that

12 | BOSTON SPIRIT

would “represent a kind of community that isn’t normally represented in the dance community,” says Colon-Sciabarrasi. This was a chance for its performers to feel totally free and unrestricted about how they dress and dance on stage—whether that means pounding out rap beats in sneakers and baseball caps, voguing in lace and stilettos, or seamlessly doing both in the space of a single show. QWAM kicks up its feet to kick down boundaries. “And it’s not gimmicky,” says Colon-Sciabarrasi. “It’s not ‘let’s just pet some men in heels.’ We kill it.” These Boston-based Queens are quickly expanding their rule. QWAM currently has a dozen members, including bi and straight dancers, in their twenties and earlythirties. As of July, the crew had staged 19 performances in 2018 alone, says ColonSciabarrasi. Among the highlights was a half-hour set at June’s Boston Pride Festival before headliners Martha Wash and Big Freedia, and opening for the latest cast of

“ And it’s not gimmicky, It’s not ‘let’s just pet some men in heels.’ We kill it.” Colon-Sciabarrasi

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” on their “Dragathon” tour in Boston in July. But QWAM also gets itself in front of nonLGBTQ eyeballs, especially on the national competition circuit, allowing it to bring queer-inflected elements like guy-on-guy dancing to stages that might not otherwise see it. “We really do push the envelope of what people see,” says Colon-Sciabarrasi. The reception has been “incredible,” and the team even took home third place at last year’s Prelude East Coast, a major urban dance competition. Next up, QWAM will host an “all-encompassing premier showcase of queer and ally talent,” “Reignbow,” on Saturday, September 29 at (where else?) Royale nightclub in Boston. The sprawling space will feature multiple performers in five categories—choreographers, drag queens, group performers, fashion designers and vocalists—plus a DJ dance party. “Simply put, Reignbow allows all to express their royalty,” says Colon-Sciabarrasi. Looking to the future, QWAM plans to build its membership: the next auditions are Sunday, September 9, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Brookline Academy of Dance. And the group is also interested in finding more opportunities for local community involvement, including performances at area high schools. This phenomenally talented team is poised to share its gift for dance—and unconfined self-expression—with even bigger audiences. And that is music to our ears. [x]

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SPOTLIGHT Politics STORY Scott Kearnan

Meet Brad Peacock THE QUEER ORGANIC FARMER AND NATIVE VERMONTER WHO’S VYING FOR BERNIE SANDERS’ SEAT IN THE US SENATE If elected by Vermonters in November, Brad Peacock would be the first gay male US senator in history. And even as he faces stiff competition in incumbent Bernie Sanders, whose presidential campaign helped inspire Peacock’s political ambitions in the first place, the Shaftsbury farmer and Air Force veteran is growing his campaign the way he grows his fields: organically. “There’s more than enough money in politics,” says Peacock, who is running as an Independent. “Campaigns should be about pounding the pavement, shaking hands and building important connections with constituents—not Facebook ads and TV commercials.” Peacock is (not) putting his money where his mouth is: He has proposed a $250,000 spending cap for candidates seeking Vermont’s seats in the US Senate, a proposal

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he says that Sanders, who speaks fervently about getting big-money out of politics, should appreciate. It would also level the playing field for a 38-year old Green Mountain State native who knows he doesn’t have the traditional pedigree or privilege that offers a shortcut to political success. Peacock was raised in rural poverty. He remembers his family gathering around the fire when heating fuel ran out in wintertime, and his mother taking food stamps to grocery stores in surrounding towns because she was embarrassed neighbors might know she needed them. Peacock discovered a love for the land when he was a child, helping in his grandfather’s garden and training his green thumb through an elementary school farming program that helped him grow food for his family. Today he balances campaigning with a full-time job at the certified-organic Clear Brook Farm, an experience that has helped inform some of his most impassioned platforms around battling climate change and improving rural economies. He says he is a “huge proponent” of legalizing marijuana as one method of keeping struggling farms afloat while simultaneously reforming a criminal justice system that

overwhelmingly targets minority communities for minor drug offenses. Though he has never held elected office, Peacock’s foray into politics didn’t come out of the blue. In 1999, he was discharged from the Air Force under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” after confiding to a therapist on base that he was gay. The experience was devastating, and Peacock battled suicidal thoughts as he grappled with the knowledge that the country he served turned its back on him. He wound up testifying before lawmakers during the fight for same-sex marriage in Vermont, and LGBTQ rights are now an important part of Peacock’s platform. He says he would push to pass the Equality Act, which would expand the Civil Rights Act to include protections for gender identity and sexual orientation, and he also wants to see marriage equality enshrined in law, thereby protecting it from shake-ups in the Supreme Court. Peacock also credits Bernie Sanders for “planting the seed” of his political aspirations. He says the senator, whose seat he’ll fight for in the fall, has done “great things.” But Peacock, whose platform pushes for a strict two-term limit for US senators (and a five-term limit for representatives), points out that he is simply heeding Sanders’ own call for “the youth to step up.”

“I believe in learning from experience, but there also comes a time when you realize institutional experience isn’t really working for us anymore,” says Peacock. “We need innovation, creativity and change, and stifling that constantly through incumbency is not a great thing.” The election of Donald Trump finally ignited in Peacock the definitive decision to run for office. He says it was a wake-up call about the vulnerability of progressive platforms, including LGBTQ rights; he and his husband were married in October, conscious of the heightened precariousness of equal marriage under Trump. “It shook us to our core,” says Peacock of Trump’s arrival to the Oval Office. He hopes his making history could be a salve for similarly scared LGBTQ folks. “Like Harvey Milk said, you have to give them hope,” says Peacock. “To be the first gay man elected as senator, that sends a powerful message. It would be the ultimate in-your-face to be sworn in by Mike Pence. And it would give not just the LGBTQ community, but many other minority communities hope that things are changing.” [x]

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there is something here for everyone New Bedford, located less than 1 hour south of Boston, is internationally recognized as a destination for its vibrant arts and culture scene, rich history, incredible dining (including the freshest seafood and amazing international cuisine) and working waterfront. Matador Network named New Bedford as the #9 most artistic town in America. Get a taste for what makes this city dynamic—cultural diversity, worldrenowned feasts and festivals, beaches and boating, parks and playgrounds, great architecture, cobblestone streets and home to the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park. We are a passionate hard-working people who’ve settled here from all over the world.

The Blue Lane The newly installed HarborWalk and CoveWalk gives visitors a chance to walk across the city’s hurricane barrier as well as abundant recreational opportunities including outdoor trails, bike paths and beaches. Located nearby, Fort Taber—a 50-acre waterfront park, provides over a mile of ocean frontage located on scenic Clark’s Point which projects into Buzzards Bay.

New Bedford Whaling Museum

Explore whale ecology and marine mammal conservation, and discover the dramatic history of whaling and its impact at the Whaling Museum. Bordered by cobblestone streets overlooking the harbor, the Museum tells the global story of human interaction with whales through time, and explores the history of the “City that Lit the World.” Marvel at massive whale skeletons and America’s longest

painting: the Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World. Climb aboard the Lagoda: the world’s largest ship model, and see outstanding collections of fine and decorative art, artifacts and scrimshaw. Ask about holding your unforgettable wedding in one of the Museum’s unique spaces. whalingmuseum.org

Port of New Bedford

Grand Panorama

Port of New Bedford The Port of New Bedford is an exceptional harbor to visit by water and Pope’s Island Marina is the place to experience it from! Our 198 slip, floating dock marina offers outstanding customer service, essential amenities, easy access to historic downtown New Bedford, and a marina-based launch service. New Bedford’s long and unique history from the days of whaling to its current 16-year run as America’s #1 fishing port, makes it a destination offering a wide variety of things to see and do. The historic, cobblestoned streets of downtown offer a multitude of restaurants, shops, museums, galleries, concerts, and festivals. We have received accolades from transient boaters and cruise groups alike who have based their stay from Pope’s Island Marina. Come and experience the hospitality of Pope’s Island Marina and see why visitors again and again have said “…it was a new port for us and we will definitely be back again!” www.popesislandmarina.com.

Annual Events JAN Moby Dick Marathon FEB-DEC AHA! Art, History, and Architecture (2nd Thursday of the month) MAR New Bedford Half Marathon MAY Viva Portugal/Zeiterion Theatre JUN New Bedford Jazz Fest JUL Cape Verdean Recognition Week & Parade JUL New Bedford Folk Festival/Zeiterion Theatre JUL Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival JUL-AUG Summer Sound Series (concerts on Pier 3) AUG Feast of the Blessed Sacrament (Largest Portuguese Feast in the World) OCT WHALE International Wine Festival OCT New Bedford Chowder Festival OCT Oktoberfest DEC Holiday Happenings DEC City Celebrates! New Year’s Eve

destinationnewbedford.org

SPOTLIGHT Healthcare STORY Scott Kearnan

Judy Bradford and Nan Dumas 2001

2010 brunch attendees

Body and Soul

AUDRE LORDE DINNER CELEBRATES 20 YEARS HONORING WOMEN OF COLOR FIGHTING CANCER In its 20th year, the Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch continues to recognize the legacies of many brave women who came before—from its famed activist namesake to a local hero in whose honor a new grant will be awarded. This year, the event will be on October 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the NonProfit Center in Boston.

The brunch, hosted by the Women’s Health Program at Fenway Health, the country’s largest LGBTQ-focused health care center, describes itself as a “celebration of women of color and their supporters whose lives have been affected by cancer.” It was launched in 1999 by Denise Bentley, former associate director of health promotions at

2016 Hands in air Fenway, in honor of her late partner, who died of breast cancer. It is an opportunity for women to come together, share their stories and hear inspiring guest speakers. There are small traditions, like filling a vase with flowers representing loved ones lost. There is music and dance, like last year’s performance by global-music band Zili Misik and an interactive session with Uprising Dance

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Theater. Community activists and artists take the stage. There are health workshops and there is spoken word poetry. It’s a brunch that nourishes the body and soul. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness for health disparities impacting LGTBQ women and women of color, who continue to face disproportionate incidence of breast cancer even as overall rates in Boston drop. Fenway’s Women’s Health Program works to break down the barriers to education and care responsible for these disparities. And its consciousness-raising brunch continues to live up to the values represented by Audre Lorde, the iconic Black feminist writer and activist who battled cancer for 14 years. Lorde represents a “warrior” spirit that makes her the perfect namesake for the brunch, said Tanekwah Hinds, Fenway’s Women’s Health Program coordinator. This year another trailblazing woman’s name will be greatly noted: Dr. Judy Bradford, a national leader in LGBTQ-focused research and teaching, community advocate and founding co-chair of the Fenway Institute. Bradford died from ovarian cancer last year, and the brunch will be awarding a $2,500 grant in her name to an organization or individual working to “address health disparities for women of color and/

“It’s a lovely way to honor Judy’s life, which was dedicated to research and advocating for those on the margins,” said Nan Dumas, Judy Bradford’s wife and senior major gifts officer at Fenway Health. The new grant uses part of the money Dumas raised from her 60th birthday fundraiser. Its mission aligns perfectly with values that Bradford carried with her through life, said Dumas.

discovered the pageant in the course of her charitable work. Hard says the event opened her eyes to both the story of Lorde and the prevalence of health disparities in marginalized communities. She’s been an ardent supporter ever since, and even emceed one year. She says she is always especially touched by the brunch’s acknowledgments of those who have “transitioned” due to cancer, often through symbolic gestures like the burning of sage.

“Her dad was a surgeon, her mom a nurse, and they influenced not only her interest in the field of medicine but were role models for breaking down racial barriers and facilitating access to health care for people of color in their small town in Virginia,” said Dumas.

“I salute those individuals from the ‘60s, the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panther movement, women like Audre Lorde,” says Hardy. “In terms of addressing health disparities for women of color, they were the warriors on the front line.” And the battle isn’t over.

“The Judy Bradford Community Grant and Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch will continue the legacy of overcoming obstacles and finding new ways to empower and heal.”

“I feel this brunch is more important than ever because of what we have in the White House,” says Hardy, who worries how federal budget cuts and health care policies could exacerbate already-dire disparities.

or LGBTQ individuals and support cancer advocacy.”

The brunch also continues to grow. It now garners about 100 guests and there is typically a waiting list, says Hinds. Attendees are drawn to what is invariably a powerful, moving experience of connection, says longtime volunteer Sondra Hardy. Hardy is a “lifetime queen” in the Exquisite International Pageant system, and

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“I can only imagine what Audre Lorde would think,” says Hardy. “She’d want women of all cultures to come together to use their voice.” [x]

fenwayhealth.org/audre-lorde-brunch

SPOTLIGHT Spirit STORY Scott Kearnan Battaglia and Maria Dominguez Gray, executive director, Harvard’s Philips Brooks House Assoc.

Battaglia with Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern, dropping off blankets for the homeless shelter.

Jayms Battaglia with Forest

Practicing the Golden Rule JAYMS BATTAGLIA SPREADS PEACE AND FELLOWSHIP DOING FOR OTHERS Jayms Battaglia knows what it feels like to need a sanctuary. That’s why this nonbinary lesbian Christian takes a powerful stand to offer it to others. Battaglia is campus and community associate at Harvard Square’s University Lutheran Church. Among her responsibilities in that role, she advises a student-run network of over 350 volunteers who provide practical assistance, protection and companionship to an immigrant woman and her two children who have taken refuge in the church as protection from deportation under the Trump administration’s harsh recent crackdown. The woman, who lost an asylum case and was ordered to leave by December 20, says she was taken to the U.S. from Ecuador against her will. She is afraid to return to Ecuador because of death threats against her and her children. The woman has not stepped outside the University Lutheran Church in a year and a half, knowing she would be vulnerable beyond its walls. At least two volunteers, who come from a network of other local churches and faith-based organization, are on-site 24 hours a day. They also help bring her children to school and local playgrounds. Providing sanctuary to immigrants under threat of deportation is a contentious

20 | BOSTON SPIRIT

political issue. To Battaglia, though, it’s a no-brainer to love thy neighbor as thyself. “If we’re really going to live by our faith, this is what the Bible tells us we’re supposed to do,” says Battaglia. Battaglia could have used some sanctuary when she was growing up in Medford, Massachusetts. She came out at age 14, and though her family was supportive, her schoolmates were not. The bullying and violence become so intense that she quit high school shortly before graduation. She was at least able to find support in the community and camaraderie offered by the Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY), to which she later returned as an adult advisor for five years. It was important for Battaglia to pay forward the good fortune she found. “I felt so held by the community,” says Battaglia, who also worked with the Healthy Boston Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth, of which BAGLY was a founding member. “It was the right thing to do to give back.” Later, Battaglia worked with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Mass to develop training models for working with LGBTQ youth and related programs: like Learning Circles, a mentorship program that matched gay girls with older out women in the community.

Battaglia [CENTER] with former shelter directors [CLOCKWISE FROM JAYMES] Anna Rowe Dennis, David Greider, Sam Greenberg and Ben Laroque.

Although some LGTBQ people have negative experiences with religious communities who weaponized dogma against them, Battaglia has found another form of sanctuary in her faith—and now uses her role to make sure other LGBTQ people feel welcome and affirmed in her church. She’s worked at University Lutheran Church for the last 15 years, and Battaglia helps the church community walk the talk about inclusion—from hosting LGBTQ-related events to training folks to be thoughtful about asking for personal pronouns, to introducing non-gendered bathrooms (now there are two). But it’s not just LGBTQ people and immigrants she wants to ensure have sanctuary. Battaglia is also the church’s liaison to the Harvard Square Summer Shelter and the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, for which she is a board member; she is also a board member for the Y2Y Youth Shelter. Her work to improve opportunities for homeless individuals recently earned Battaglia an annual award from the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance. From homeless shelters to sanctuary churches, BAGLY to the Girl Scouts, Battaglia has been quietly but confidently working to build supportive spaces for the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups. It’s an example to follow in fractured times. “There’s a lot of cruelty in our society, and we see that day in and day out,” says Battaglia. “But there’s a whole lot of heart to see too.” [x]

Standing with you. Then. Now. Always. Standing together with the LGBTQ community. It’s a commitment we made 30 years ago. Since then, we’ve contributed over $50 million and countless team member volunteer hours to organizations that are making a difference. We’re proud to stand together with the LGBTQ community now, and we promise to be there always. Visit wellsfargo.com/standingtogether to watch our video series about inspiring organizations that are having a positive impact in the LGBTQ community, and learn how you can help.

SPOTLIGHT Sports STORY Scott Kearnan

Game On! LGBTQA FALL SPORTS ROUNDUP 2018

In the FLAG (friends, lesbians and gays) Flag Football league, locals have the opportunity to do just that.

During the fall in Boston, the leaves change colors and the temperature drops, but oftentimes, it can be the most comfortable time of the year to go out and move around as it is not too hot and (mostly) not too cold either.

The league is entering its 20th season and has expanded rapidly over the years. Last fall, it had 24 teams with 14 players apiece. They’re an accepting league who accepts people of all backgrounds, however, the league is certainly a competitive one.

Since it represents the last few months where the outdoors can truly be enjoyed, it is a great opportunity to take up a sport or support a local sports team in the community. The options in that department are plentiful and with that in mind, here are some of the fall LGBTQA fall sports groups in the city that may pique your interest.

GRIDIRON ACTION Everyone knows that the fall is football season, so how about participating in it?

The league—which competes at William G. Walsh Playground and Dorchester Park—typically plays on Saturdays and their season runs from September 20 to November 17.

flagflagfootball.com ON THE ICE There might be a lot of hockey leagues to play for in and around the Boston area, but not quite like Boston Pride Hockey.

Boston FLAG Flag Football team Silver Daddy Issues

22 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Anyone who wants to can drop by their Thursday night scrimmages at 9:00 p.m. (which start on August 30th) and compete. They welcome players of all backgrounds and skill levels as long as they are at least 18 years old and can find Simoni Skating Rink in Cambridge. It costs $20 per session to play, or one can pre-pay upfront online for half of a season (17 skates) and pay $10 per game. Last season, they even got to scrimmage at TD Garden, the home of the Boston Bruins.

bostonpridehockey.org. IN THE POCKET Want to develop a skill you’ll be able to use for a long time? Why not give billiards a shot then? Stonewall Sports in Boston offers the opportunity to do just that, competing on Monday nights from September to early November at Scholars on School Street in Boston. Their league features upwards of 16 teams and 5-10 players per team of various skill levels. Certainly, it offers a social opportunity during the week and some in the league even engage in

philanthropy/volunteer work on the side together.

stonewallsports.org. RUGBY TIME Yes, the Boston Ironsides offer an inclusive environment as a rugby team; they are the only New England Rugby Football Union team accredited by the International Gay Rugby Association and Board based in London, England. Their team features players with a wide array of athletic backgrounds and travels all over New England (and occasionally beyond) to compete. The Ironsides practice at Moakley Park and pride themselves on being a close-knit team who spends plenty of time together on and off the pitch whether it be in a social outing or giving back to the community.

bostonironsides.org. BACK TO THE PLAYGROUND For those who liked playing kickball in elementary school: why not give it another chance? The opportunity certainly exists in the city of Boston with both

the Varsity Gay League and another league simply known as GayKickball. Both leagues offer the opportunity to assemble teams with friends and strangers alike— regardless of their athletic experience—to compete in kickball on a weekly basis. In the VGL’s case, the games are held on Boston Common while GayKickball plays at Moakley Park. GayKickball’s season runs from late August to late October while the VGL’s season starts on September 29 and goes well into November.

varsitygayleague.com/boston gaykickball.com/boston.html RUN CLUB For those who are not as interested in a ball sport but want to stay active, Frontrunners Boston offers something a little different. It is the first gay and lesbian running club established in the city (1979) and meets up every Saturday morning at 209 Columbus Avenue for a weekly run. The skill level varies from person-to-person with some in the group running up to a

7.8-mile loop while others run shorter distances or even walk. It is free to join and the group typically goes out for brunch after they finish their running. More information for those interested in joining is available on their website: frontrunnersboston.org.

SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL Currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Beantown Softball League competes during the fall—and fosters an environment that is welcoming to all. While geared towards the LGBTQ community, it also states it is welcoming to allies; the age range in the league is also immense (19-73), indicating that all types of players are welcome in the league which plays at fields located throughout the city.

ALL OCTOBER-DECEMBER PERFORMANCES AND ALL 2018-19 DANCE

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This spring the participation rate in the league was immense. It had 21 teams competing in four different divisions. [x]

beantownsoftball.com

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SPOTLIGHT Community STORY Bob Linscott

Senior Spirit

Reaching OUT in Merrimack Valley RURAL PROGRAM BECOMES MORE THAN A MEAL AND GAINS NATIONAL ATTENTION There is no better state in the country for an LGBT person to age in than Massachusetts. The infrastructure for aging services, which has been increasingly LGBT friendly and competent for more than a decade, accounts for this widely known fact. Critical elements to this infrastructure include the state’s LGBT Aging Commission—the only one of its kind in the country—and the commitment by the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging (MCOA) to make every senior center and council on aging welcoming to LGBT older adults, the leadership from The LGBT Aging Project at Fenway Health and the consistent support from our legislators and The Executive Office of Elder Affairs. One signature program that started in Massachusetts and is spreading across the

country is the Community Meal Program for LGBT older adults, friends and allies. There are currently 21 LGBT friendly community meals in Massachusetts but fewer than a dozen across the rest of the country. LGBT seniors in the Boston area have redefined the gay-circuit party by traveling on different weeks to the various LGBT community meals in and around the city. This opportunity is not shared by LGBT older adults who live outside the city and do not have access to transportation. Thankfully more LGBT community meals are opening across the state in areas like Williamstown, Orleans, Fairhaven and Holyoke. In 2013 Ron Bourque, a gay man who works on the leadership team at Elder Services of Merrimack Valley, one of the state’s Aging Service Access Points (ASAP), realized that there was absolutely nothing in Merrimack

[ABOVE, FROM LEFT] Priscilla Dullea, Sandra F. DeVellis, Laura Dillingham-Mailman, Ronald C. Bourque, Joan Hatem-Roy and Richard H. Olson. PHOTO Lindsey Hebert [OPPOSITE] Bruce Malbon [LEFT] and Ronald C. Bourque facilitator. Photo by Lindsey Hebert

Valley for LGBT older adults. They would have to travel over 25 miles south to Boston for any social engagement or peer support. So Bourque reached out to Merrimac Council on Aging Director Laura Dillingham-Mailman, and the two organizations joined forces to start a group that would support the unique needs and experiences of their local LGBT seniors as they age. They named their group the LGBT Senior Social Gathering and it meets once a month on the third Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Merrimac Senior Center. The goal of this group is to be more than just a nutritious meal by creating a safe, welcoming

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more, this is exactly what I needed.” He never misses a meeting and has even joined another welcoming faith group with two of the lesbians from the Senior Social Group.

space for LGBTQ seniors to socialize and discuss important topics relating to their experiences. Bourque also wanted a space to provide information and resources relating to aging and home care services. Last June the group celebrated its fifth anniversary and Bourque’s vision to be “more than just a meal” has come true. The group has become a lifeline for LGBT older adults in their catchment area of 23 communities in Merrimack Valley. Many of these folks are aging alone without the support of a partner, children or neighbors. Part of this isolation stems from the fact that many LGBT adults in rural areas remain in the closet for safety reasons. Bruce Malbon is a 75-year-old gay man living in Haverhill who says the LGBT Senior Social Group saved his life. He grew up in a time when it was not safe to be out so

he made the decision to stay in the closet. After a lifetime of shame and guilt Malbon spiraled into a deep depression that left him bedridden for two years. He sought out counselling through Fenway Health and his therapist told him it was critical that he connect socially with other LGBT seniors. But the list of social groups for LGBT seniors were all in Boston and the transportation was too difficult. Then his therapist told him about another group called the LGBT Senior Social Gathering in Merrimac. Malbon decided to give this a try. The minute he walked into the room and met the other LGBT older adults he said he felt a sense of belonging he had never before felt in his life. Since that first time he has made some wonderful friends from this group and his depression lifted. “I was so thankful to Fenway, but I didn’t need therapy any

As the group enters its sixth year, it has grown to an average of about 25 LGBT seniors each month, ranging from 60 to 85 years of age. Bourque hopes to expand by adding a few social outings to get the group engaged with the larger community. Recently the group went to a local performance by The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, which was a big success. Bourque is also searching for a sponsor to help cover the food costs, which are roughly $150 a month, so that they can keep this critical program running. On July 28, 2018 The LGBT Senior Social Gathering program was honored in Chicago with an Aging Achievement Award by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). This award is given out annually to organizations that are developing innovative programming, especially for diverse older populations. [x]

For more information about LGBT Senior Social Connection, contact Ron Bourque at Elder Services of Merrimack Valley, at 978-946-1476 or RBourque@ESMV.org. To get a copy of the full LGBT Community Meals Calendar, please email Bob Linscott at BLinscott@Fenwayhealth.org.

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SPOTLIGHT News STORY Rob Phelps

From the Blogs NEWS HIGHLIGHTS FROM BOSTONSPIRITMAGAZINE.COM Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade have appointed Bryan Bishop, founding CEO of the LGBTQ U.S. veterans group Outvets, to oversee the planning of the parade. Bishop, an Air Force veteran, also currently serves as the commissioner of veterans services for the city of Somerville.

Bryan Bishop

OUTVETS LEADER APPOINTED LEADER OF SOUTH BOSTON’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE In a move that shows how times have changed in Southie, organizers of South

The turnaround couldn’t be more dramatic from the event that was “once so opposed to allowing gay marchers that they took their fight to the US Supreme Court,” as the Boston Globe put it in a July 12 report. The appointment represents significant progress after an older faction of the organizers tried to block Outvets from participating in the 2017 march only to meet outrage from the community in Southie, Greater Boston, the national press and the majority of the parade’s organizing group.

“This is a demonstration that we have moved forward,” Dave Falvey, commander of parade organizer South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, told the Globe. “It’s a different council. It’s a different parade.” “They see me as a veteran who has organized large events and someone who is passionate about veterans,” said Bishop. “We’ve come a long way. This is just one more step forward.”

BUSINESS LEADERS SUPPORT CAMPAIGN TO UPHOLD TRANS RIGHTS ON NOV. 6 BALLOT IN MA Business leaders of more than 50 major organizations gathered at a July 31 event in Boston to stand together against the ballot referendum that would repeal nondiscrimination protections for transgender people in Massachusetts in the upcoming Nov. 6 election. Eastern Bank hosted the part-mixer,

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Boston business leaders

US Congressman Joe Kennedy III [LEFT] and Senator Ed Markey

part strategy session at its headquarters in Boston’s financial district.

that other residents of our Commonwealth already enjoyed.”

The business leaders “had one message to send to the voters charged with preserving the law at ballot box in November: When communities are welcoming places for everyone to live, work and raise families, businesses succeed as well,” stated a Freedom for All Massachusetts press release.

However opponents of transgender equality gathered enough signatures to place a repeal of the law on the upcoming ballot in November.

“That’s why in 2016 a bi-partisan supermajority of lawmakers passed, and Governor Charlie Baker signed, a bill into law protecting transgender people from discrimination in public spaces like restaurants, retail shops and doctors’ offices—protections

“Repeal of the law risks Massachusetts going down the path of North Carolina, which lost thousands of new jobs and $630 million in economic investment when the state legislature passed an anti-transgender law. Inclusive policies like Massachusetts’ current law, on the other hand, bring a range of economic benefits.”

For more on the upcoming ballot initiative plus how you can help support efforts to defeat this attempt at repealing basic civil rights in Massachusetts, go to freedommassachusetts.org.

BAY STATE CONGRESSMEN INTRODUCE BILL TO BAN ‘GAY PANIC’ DEFENSE In July, US Senator Ed Markey and Congressman Joe Kennedy III introduced national legislation to ban “gay or trans panic” as a legal defense for committing a violent act.

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If passed, a defendant on trial for committing a violent act would not be able to claim as a defense the sexual orientation or gender of the victim. In other words, the crime could not be blamed on the victim just for being LGBT. “Sexual orientation or gender identity cannot ever excuse violence, and our courtrooms should not be used as chambers of hate,” Markey stated in a press release. “Gay and trans panic legal defenses reflect an irrational fear and bigotry toward the LGBTQ community and corrode the legitimacy of federal prosecutions. These defenses must be prohibited to ensure that all Americans are treated with dignity and humanity in our justice system.” “Murdering or assaulting anyone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity is not a defense, it is a hate crime,” said Kennedy, also in a press release. “Legal loopholes written into our laws that seek to justify violent attacks against our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender neighbors should never have existed in the first place.” On the state level, a similar bill overwhelmingly passed the Rhode Island house in May. The RI bill’s next move is with that state’s Senate, and RI Governor Gina Raimondo is

PHOTO courtesy Fenway Health expected to sign it into law if approved by both houses.

LGBT AWARENESS TRAINING FOR AGING SERVICES NEW LAW IN MA In late July, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law “An Act Relative to LGBT Awareness Training for Aging Services Providers.” The first-in-the-nation law requires all state-funded or licensed providers of services to older adults complete training in how to provide meaningful care to LGBT older adults and ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults can access services.

“It’s impossible to overstate what this is going to mean for LGBT older adults in Massachusetts,” said Lisa Krinsky, director of Fenway Health’s LGBT Aging Project. “LGBT people are significantly more likely to age alone without a spouse or partner or children to support them. They are in greater need of formal caregivers such as home health workers and visiting nurses or assisted living communities. They have valid fears about experiencing discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression and some even feel the need to go back into the closet,” she said. “The community of elder care advocates as well as the broader LGBT community is grateful to Massachusetts lawmakers for passing the bill and to Gov. Baker for signing it into law. [x]

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SPOTLIGHT News STORY Rob Phelps

Newsmakers | Vermont Green Mountain State Update HALLQUIST FIRST TRANS NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR IN US Christine Hallquist won the Democratic nomination for governor in Vermont’s primary on Aug. 14, becoming the first transgender person to become a gubernatorial nominee for any major political party. “Tonight, we made history,” Ms. Hallquist said to her supporters at an election night party in Burlington. “I am so proud to be the face of the Democrats tonight.” “Christine’s victory is a defining moment in the movement for trans equality and is especially remarkable given how few out trans elected officials there are at any level of government,” said Annise Parker, LGBTQ Victory Fund CEO in a statement. “Yet Vermont voters chose Christine not

because of her gender identity, but because she is an open and authentic candidate with a long history of service to the state, and who speaks to the issues most important to voters.” (See “Races to Watch” on page 44)

PEACOCK TO CHALLENGE SANDERS FOR SENATE SEAT

Brad Peacock

Out, proud native Vermonter Brad Peacock holds many of the same political positions as Senator Bernie Sanders; nonetheless, Peacock is challenging Sanders for his seat this November.

farmer told the VTDigger news blog in early August.

“The nuance of this is I agree with a lot of the things he’s doing and I do admire his positions on a lot of things. But I also believe that there’s a time for the next generation to pick up the torch and carry on,” the 38-year-old Shaftsbury organic vegetable

Unlike Sanders, whose practice is to run in the primaries as a Democrat then decline the nomination and run as an independent in November, Peacock is running right out of the gate as an independent. Thus Peacock faces no contestants in the primaries. (For more on Peacock, see “Meet Brad Peacock” on page 14.)

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press release. “He has been a consistent and grounding force for the center through some very tumultuous and uncertain times and his dedication to the LGBTQ+ community in Vermont is unwavering.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY DISPLAYS HISTORIC VERMONT SILHOUETTE

FOUNDING MEMBER OF PRIDE CENTER APPOINTED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Pride Center of Vermont welcomed one of its founding members to the helm on August 1 when Michael Bensel took over as the organization’s new executive director. With a few breaks to work at other nonprofits, Bensel has served with the organization since its inception, which began as a series of focus groups he and another student led at the University of Vermont in 1999. “Mike’s passion for this work has spanned decades,” said Erin Sue Carroll in a Center

The small portrait of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake is on loan from its home at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History in Middlebury. “In most [silhouettes], you see men, women and married couples—[but] mostly, of course, men,” the museum’s archivist, Eva Garcelon-Hart, told Seven Days independent media. “This is a very unusual piece because it’s two women,” she continued,

Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant, circa 1805–’15. PHOTO Courtesy of Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History

“and it’s also surrounded by human hair in the shape of a heart.” According to the article, Bryant and Drake’s relationship first came to the public eye through the research of University of Victoria historian Rachel Hope Cleves. “For several years, [Cleves] researched [our] collection and basically made this case that these women were a lesbian couple living together,” Garcelon-Hart said. [x]

John Andrews Photography

Mike Bensel

A handmade silhouette of a pair of nineteenth-century Weybridge residents— considered to be the earliest image of a same-sex couple—is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC as part of the exhibition “Black Out” Silhouettes Then and Now.” The show runs through March 10, 2019.

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SEP|OCT 2018 | 31

SPOTLIGHT News STORY Natalie Nonkin and Rob Phelps

Newsmakers | Connecticut Articles from The Constitution State Chick-fil-A, the notoriously anti-gay chicken franchise, whose CEO Dan Cathy has donated more than 5 million to antimarriage-equality groups, opened next door to the McDonald’s on July 26.

McDonald’s, Glastonbury. PHOTO courtesy WTVIT TV

MCDONALD’S ‘TROLLS’ CHICK-FIL-A A McDonald’s restaurant in Glastonbury “trolled” its new neighbor, a Chick-fil-A franchise, with a message on its sign under the golden arches that read “We Welcome Everybody.”

“The manager of the Glastonbury McDonald’s, who spoke off camera with [WTVIT TV], said she wanted to merely send a message of inclusivity, considering Chickfil-A’s hateful anti-LGBT history, but many residents took the sign as a direct rebuke to the fast-food chicken chain,” reported The Advocate. “It just means that everyone is welcome, young, old, everyone,” the McDonald’s manager told WVIT TV. Still, reported The Advocate, “one Connecticut resident who drove for hours out of her way to see the sign praised the McDonald’s manager for posting it. ‘For McDonald’s to step up and say we welcome everyone. I

feel that is a huge step for them. Then in the background, you have Chick-fil-A, who has historically not welcomed everyone,’ said Tina Manus. “The company has maintained a big fat zero on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, because despite boycotts and pushback over Chick-fil-A’s brazen anti-LGBT stance, it has continued to donate to anti-LGBT organizations.”

12TH ANNUAL VISIONARY GALA With this year’s theme of “Visions of Tomorrow,” the Triangle Pride Center is hosting its 12th annual Visionary Gala on September 29, from 5:30 p.m. to midnight, at The Loading Dock in Stamford. The festive extravaganza features an awards ceremony celebrating leadership and courage in the community, great food,

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PRIDE NEW HAVEN September 9–16. Great dates to keep as New Haven Pride Center once again hosts Pride New Haven. This year’s event celebrates 20 years of New Haven Pride. festivities and includes a Mr. and Miss Gay New Haven competition, music and theatre performances, a book signing with Sophie Labell, plus the famous Pride Block Party. Visionary Gala. PHOTO courtesy Triangle Pride Center entertainment, dancing and most of all an exciting vision for the future of the LGBTQ community. This event is also Triangle’s most important fundraiser in support of programs that help get young adults off the street, connect transgender individuals with heathcare, help people of all ages and walks navigate social services, bridge community divides and more. For tickets and more, go to ctpridecenter.org/ Based in Norwalk, the Triangle Community Center is Fairfield County’s leading provider of programming and resources to

Pride New Haven welcomes volunteers to work at the event, and entertainers of all kinds are invited to apply to perform as well. The week begins with a concert on Sunday afternoon at the Space Ballroom in Hamden, followed by an opening reception the following night, Monday, September 10, at the New Haven Pride Center at 84 Orange Street. Check out newhavenpridecenter.org for locations, ticket info and more.

MONTHLY BUSINESS NETWORKING BREAKFAST Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Chamber’s monthly Business Breakfast event happens on the first Thursday every month, the next up being September 6 at AARP, and again on

October 4 at the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective, both in Hartford. The group’s mission is “to create, identify and enhance business opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-allied organizations, thereby fostering a more inclusive and vibrant Connecticut economy.” For more, including, membership benefits and events, visit ctglc.org.

WEEKLY YOGA AND OILS EVENT Norwalk’s Triangle Community Center has now got a weekly Saturday morning yoga class. At “Yoga & Oils,” an hour-long Vinyasa-style class starting at 10 a.m., essential oil mists add to the relaxation aspect of the yoga experience. Attendees are also invited to apply their choice of oils at the beginning of the class. The event is free and open to all, no matter what one’s yoga level may be. A $5 donation is suggested donation not required. Participants bring their own yoga mats and anything else they may need to feel comfortable. For more, go to ctpridecenter.org. [x]

Plan to take care of each other. A wealth plan that is thoughtfully constructed can help you provide for those you love. True wealth is not only about money. It’s about the relationships, interests and goals that bring you joy ... and what should be at the heart of your wealth plan. As a Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor with significant experience working with same sex couples and the larger LGBT community, I know every client’s circumstances and resources are unique. By understanding your total life picture, we will work together to build a solid financial plan so you can be more at ease enjoying those things that matter most. Building confidence in your future is my goal.

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Call me and let’s arrange a meeting. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters. © 2018 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

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SPOTLIGHT News STORY Rob Phelps

Newsmakers | New Hampshire Headlines from the Granite State RAINBOW FLAGS BANNED OVER MILFORD SCHOOLS There will be no rainbow flags flying on Milford public schools this year. George Hoyt, organizer of the town’s first Pride rally held in July, appealed an earlier decision by former superintendent Robert Marquis to deny Pride flags to fly on school flagpoles. The appeal was made at a school board meeting in early August where the vote to uphold the ban came down 3–1.

Transgender Rally and Picnic. PHOTO Courtesy Rights and Democracy NH flag was “critical for our student to thrive and become their best selves.” When board member Robert Willette spoke of a “slippery slope” in which Boy Scouts or church groups could also ask to fly flags on the flag poles, Martin said there is no way to compare Scouts with the daily struggles of lesbian, gay and transgender young people.

According to the Nashua Telegraph, “The district’s flag policy only mentions American flags and the state flag, said board Chairman Ron Carvell who said he fully supports the gay community, but as a longtime veteran believes the flag poles should be only for United States and New Hampshire flags.” State Rep. Joelle Martin, who attended the meeting, told the board that flying the Pride

Public school in neighboring Mass. PHOTO Courtesy Danvers Public Schools

“Jenn Siegrist, the lone dissenter, suggested the issue be brought to the high school’s student council,” reported the Telegraph. “Selectmen had also denied a request from Hoyt to fly rainbow flags on the town flag poles, but did allow rainbow flags to

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will commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising in New York City, considered to be many to be the birth of the modern gay rights movement, but the focus will be local. In fact, it will basically be the third annual version of the popular “Seacoast LGBT History: More Impact and Influence” on display this summer at RiverStone Custom Framing and The Franklin Gallery.

decorate the bandstand during a June 30 rally.”

SECOND ANNUAL TRANSGENDER RALLY AND PICNIC Fresh off the heels of the Granite State’s historic passage of the bill to ban discrimination against transgender people in early June, hundreds came out with picnic baskets and good will overflowing for the second annual Transgender Rally and Picnic in Manchester. Held at Victory Park, the festivities included music, poetry, dancing, lawn games, hula hoops and special

Seacoast History Project exhibition guest speakers taking the stage and sharing stories from the Freedom New Hampshire campaign. The event is organized by the Manchesterbased advocacy group Rights and Democracy NH.

‘CHECK OUT YOUR CLOSETS!’ The Seacoast History Project is calling everyone to “check out your closets” for LGBT artifacts and ephemera for an upcoming exhibition in 2019 to be held at the Portsmouth Athenaeum. The show

At that show, items ranged from vintage guides, to posters, DVDs, brochures, pins, photographs, awards, newspaper clippings and other items that tell the story of the Seacoast LGBT community. The items were displayed in several categories, including Arts/Culture, Health, Politics/Activism, Commerce, Social Life and Spirituality. There was also a special section on transgender history. “Our purpose is to research, document and preserve the history of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people on the Seacoast of New Hampshire,” Tom Kaufhold, founder of the Seacoast LGBT History Project, said in an interview on Seacoast Online. For more information or to offer items to the exhibition, send an email to seacoastnhlgbthistory@gmail.com or visit the Seacoast NH LGBT Facebook page. [x]

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Newsmakers | Maine

News from the Pine Tree State SENATOR COLLINS FOCUS OF EFFORT TO BLOCK SCOTUS NOMINEE Human Rights Commision national field director Marty Rouse identified Senator Susan Collins as a major focus of HRC and other LGBT advocacy groups to stand against confirmation of Trump’s US Supreme Court nominee Bree Kavanaugh.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage

MAINE GOVERNOR VETOES CONVERSION THERAPY BAN Despite strong support in the state’s legislature, Governor Paul LePage in early July vetoed the bill that would have banned the harmful practice of conversion therapy on youth in the state of Maine, becoming the first governor—Republican or Democrat—to do so. LePage defended his veto by calling the bill “unnecessary for professionals who already have a defined scope of practice and said he has concerns that it could harm parental rights and the work of faith-based counselors,” reported New England Cable News. Dubbed “the craziest governor in America” by Politico, LePage used his veto message as an opportunity to criticize lawmakers for rejecting his bill banning female genital mutilation,” NECN reported. “[That] practice, which is common in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, is already banned under federal law, but not explicitly under state law.”

Rouse told the Washington Blade that the HRC will mobilize its 3 million members against Kavanagh, who he called “a threat to women’s reproductive rights, a threat to affordable health care and a threat to LGBT equality,” and their focus is on moderate Republican Senators Collins and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, along with a handful of key red-state Democratic senators. Though Kavanaugh’s record on LGBT issues is unclear, his stand against progressive views is well established. “The gravity of this nomination—both to LGBT people and our country as a whole— cannot be overstated,” Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, told the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing in Judge Kavanaugh’s record to suggest that he would understand the real world impact of these issues on the actual lives and well-being of LGBT people, or that he would be anything other than a consistent vote to deny basic freedoms to equality both to LGBT people and to other vulnerable groups,” Minter said.

Marty Rouse, the Human Rights Commission’s national field director, called on the Maine legislature to override LePage’s veto so the measure would become law regardless of the veto; however, the house voted to uphold the governor’s veto on July 10. Fifteen states—including New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut—have laws prohibiting the practice, including six with Republican governors. LePage is the only US governor to veto the legislation. Massachusetts moved a step closer to becoming the 16th state to ban the practice with a 137–14 late June vote in the state’s house of representatives.

36 | BOSTON SPIRIT

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Notes the Blade, “Kavanaugh is nominated to the Supreme Court as a number of cases on LGBT issues are percolating and could reach the high court in the near future. Among them is litigation challenging Trump’s transgender military ban, cases seeking coverage of LGBT people under federal civil rights law and a lawsuit in which businesses are seeking religious exemptions to engage in anti-LGBT discrimination.”

SAGE SUPPORTS OLDER LGBT MAINERS IN SHIFTING POLITICAL TIMES The Maine state chapter of SAGE hosted two intergenerational community “SAGE Table” dinners in Portland and Bangor. At the events, 85 people of all ages discussed the challenges of LGBT aging—notably isolation, discrimination and issues around affordable housing. “Isolation is a key issue despite many advances in inclusion witnessed in the last decade,” wrote John Hennessy in a June 14 Portland Press-Herald editorial. Hennessy is a member of the chapter’s of Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders board. “Many older individuals aren’t accustomed to the level of societal acceptance that younger LGBT people often enjoy. Many older LGBT adults did not feel that marriage or raising children were options for them. These perceptions, fostered in earlier decades, can now be tempered through cross-generational contact and discussion so that our whole community feels a sense of inclusion. We can all become less isolated,” Hennessy wrote. Events like SAGE Table are one viable way to engage the whole community. To find out more about the events and a host of other information like time, go to sagemaine.org, where, says Hennessy, “no question is too big or too small.” [x]

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Located in the center of the Canal District is the Crompton Place Building, a restored mill bustling with trendy shops and chic restaurants. Inside you will find Birch Tree Bread Co. - a bright and airy bakery and cafe that serves up coffee from local roasters, and offers a menu that revolves around fresh artisinal breads milled with organic grains from nearby farms and locally sourced meats.

You don’t need to leave the building to continue on your journey to Crompton Collective, a curated boutique marketplace with a mission to celebrate local independent gift makers and a love of old things. Next door, make a stop at the most Instagram-worthy eclectic shop in Worcester: Seed to Stem. This “Lifestyle and Plant Boutique” boasts unusual botanicals, natural wonders, terrariums, and many more unique goods.

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DAY TRIPPING IN WORCESTER, MA Although The Canal District’s once flowing watercanal is now underground, this district has resurfaced as one of the the fastest growing neighborhoods in the city.

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SPOTLIGHT News STORY Kim Harris Stowell

Newsmakers | Rhode Island This Just in from the Ocean State

Currently, the non-birth parent must file for a parentage judgment in Family Court or seek to adopt the child, a process that requires the couple to undergo home studies so the state Department of Children, Youth and Families can assess their fitness as parents, even though the child is already living in their house. Some judges also require couples to place advertisements notifying sperm donors about pending adoptions for children who were long planned, often at great expense. Adoption may well be the next frontier where change is needed. Also in the focus of the group is adding protections to ensure that the transgender community has equal access to health care.

Scene from “The Time Is Already”

INSTINCT HOTTIE OF THE WEEK

‘THE TIME IS ALREADY’ The senior thesis project of Selene Means, “The Time is Already,” is a short documentary film (32 minutes), shot in Rhode Island, about the efforts of a dedicated group of LGBTQ activists to pass a bill to ban conversion therapy in Rhode Island. It’s about people who were angry and hurt after the 2016 election, but were determined and eager to do the right thing and contribute. It is a story of what happens after you say, “What can I do to help?” Featured in the Rhode Island Film Festival in August, the film is making the rounds of film fests around the country. Find more information about this wonderful film on Facebook at The Time is Already Short Film.

PARENTING RIGHTS NEXT PRIORITY While many safeguards are in place, the LGBTQ community needs more protections, especially around areas of parentage as reproductive technology evolves.

Twenty-seven-year-old Providence resident Gil Pimentel caught the eye of instinctmagazine.com for its mid-July Hottie of the Week. Pimentel is the child of two immigrant parents from the Azores region of Portugal. He is a fixture in the Providence club scene as one of the premiere go-go dancers at the Dark Lady. GLAD Transgender Rights Director Jennifer Levi It is based on a model drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws in 2017 and is intended to provide states with a legal framework for establishing parent-child relationships. So far, it’s been passed in Washington and Vermont. The state Senate and House Judiciary Committees heard Uniform Parentage Act legislation this past session, but held both bills for further study. While the names of both people in a married same-sex couple appear on the birth certificate of a child born in Rhode Island, it is not solid legal proof of parentage.

GLAD Transgender Rights Director Jennifer L. Levi is helping to ensure that there are strong parentage protections for children that are born into and adopted by same-sex families. This includes a provision that would give same-sex couples who conceive through assisted reproduction the same access to voluntary acknowledgments of parentage as different-sex couples, including couples who are not married. Rhode Island is one of the few states without any statutory guidance on parentage by assisted reproduction. The provision would spell out specifically how parents who have children using donor insemination or surrogacy can establish parentage. Gil Pimental at Rhode Island Pride 40 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Writes Instinct’s Ryan Shea, “When I was doing my recap about the exhilarating weekend for thousands of New Englanders, I noticed a ton of photos that featured this studly creature gallivanting all throughout its capital city of Providence. I friend requested him on Facebook shortly after, where I discovered just how fascinating he really is.” Gil may be enjoying his 15 minutes of fame in the national media, but it’s clear, says Shea, “Based on the support he has from the community and the jubilation he exhibits in his photos,” he’s emerged as one of the biggest public figures in his community right at home. [x]

PEabody essex museum THROUGH FEBRUARY 10, 2019 Explore spectacular treasures from the Palace Museum that tell the little-known stories of empresses whose contributions had remained largely silent — until now.

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Empresses of China’s Forbidden City is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum; the Freer|Sackler, Smithsonian Institution; and the Palace Museum, Beijing. Exhibition support provided by: Liu Dan; Henry Luce Foundation; National Endowment for the Humanities; Bei Shan Tang Foundation; Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and the Lynch Foundation; Shirley Z. Johnson and Charles Rumph; The Richard C. von Hess Foundation; Anonymous; The AMG Foundation; The Coby Foundation, Ltd.; Eaton Vance; American Friends of the Shanghai Museum; Blakemore Foundation; Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo; Quan Zhou and Dr. Xiaohua Zhang; Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund; Skinner, Inc.; Ellen Bayard Weedon Foundation; Sandra Urie and Frank Herron; Robert N. Shapiro; and the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum.

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Drinking Tea from Yinzhen’s Twelve Ladies (detail). Court painters, Beijing, possibly including Zhang Zhen (active late 17th–early 18th century) or his son Zhang Weibang (about 1725–about 1775), Kangxi period, 1709–23, hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, Palace Museum, Gu6458-7/12. © The Palace Museum.

161 Essex Street | Salem, Mass. | pem.org

FEATURE Politics STORY Rob Phelps

Keeping Her Word Bay State Attorney General Maura Healey is seeking a second successful term Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey made good on her first-term campaign promises—one pretty great reason, she believes, why Bay State voters should re-elect her on Nov. 6. As Healey—the first openly gay AG in the United States—told Boston Spirit when we interviewed her on the eve of campaign season: [BOSTON SPIRIT] In the Boston Pride parade,

you inspired us with your energy—jogging along, giving everyone high fives. Did you actually jog the entire parade route on that hot summer afternoon?

[HEALEY] I like to run parades. And, yes, I ran the route again this year. I have a lot of fun connecting with people. I draw tremendous energy every year from the thousands of people who line the

42 | BOSTON SPIRIT

streets for Pride, cheering and smiling and showing support for the LGBT community. I get energized by the people around me, by the people I’m lucky as attorney general to work with and by the people of Massachusetts we serve. [SPIRIT] When did you first realize you wanted to dedicate your life to public service? [HEALEY] Growing up, both my parents were very involved in town affairs. I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire. My dad was a selectman, my mom was a school nurse and my stepdad was a public high school history teacher and

Massachusetts Attorney General receiving the Dr. Susan M. Love Award from Fenway Health in 2016. PHOTO Marilyn Humphries

coach—all really active in our community. We were encouraged to think about becoming involved in community. I decided I wanted to go to law school so I could become an advocate for people. Once I had a little bit of training and experience under my belt, I wanted to apply that toward public service and public interest work. That’s why I left the big, downtown law firm where I was working—which was a terrific experience—to work in the AG’s office in the civil rights division at a job where you get up every day and go to work applying the law in pursuit of the public interest. [SPIRIT] Which of your first-term accomplishments would you most like to share with our readers? [HEALEY] Protecting the rights of brave transgender Americans to serve in the military. Defending access to health care, which we know is important to the LGBTQ population. Fighting the Trump administration’s effort to

roll back guidance for schools to fight LGBTQ discrimination. Fighting the Trump administration’s efforts to stop collecting data on hate crimes. I’m proud of our leadership on the transgender equality bill. On gun violence, I visited the Pulse nightclub with families of victims, which helped inform my work in making sure we are enforcing the strong gun laws we have here on the books. I’m also proud that we’ve brought back record money returns to the state for taxpayers. Last year it was over $800 million. Being more accessible, reaching more people, bringing back record returns to taxpayers here in the state. Making sure that [our office is] a place where people will call whether they have an issue with their student loan, or their insurance, or unlawful debt collection, or a scam on a senior, or harassment or violence against LGBT individuals ... we’ve been there as an office that’s responsive. [SPIRIT] What would you hope to

accomplish in your second term? [HEALEY] Whatever the times require. My job is to protect people’s rights and enforce the law. I hope to continue to be there to make sure that those who are underrepresented or are without a voice have a voice and an advocate within the AG’s office, and that we [in the AG’s office] do our job enforcing the law and protecting people’s rights.

I do want to stress that, I think we’ve got more work to do when it comes to substance use disorder and mental health in this state. This is a top priority for me because I see it and I hear about it everywhere I go. It’s why I’ve spent so much time in the last four years making sure that we have all hands on deck and that we’re doing everything we can in law enforcement, working with the medical community, working with government agencies, working with schools to combat [the opiod] crisis. And it’s why I’ve taken some of the legal actions I’ve taken including suing Purdue Pharma who made Oxycontin as well as its executives because I believe

based on our investigation that the company and its executives laid much of the groundwork for this crisis. [SPIRIT] Since Trump took office, you’ve frequently been in the national media spotlight, standing up against his administration. How do you balance your attention between state and national issues? [HEALEY] I think of it as doing what’s necessary to protect the rights of people here in Massachusetts. That’s my job. To protect people’s rights and to make sure we’re enforcing laws that are on the books to protect our residences, our businesses, our communities. Sometimes that’s meant suing the president and his agencies to prevent them from doing things to harm our residents and businesses.

The president and his actions may consume a lot of media attention, and have certainly created work for our office, but I’m proud that we’ve been able to do that work alongside the work we’ve always done in the office, and a lot of that work will never ever make the front page, but it’s no less important. I also think that what the election brought into focus is the importance of having checks and balances in government. Congress has not been a check on this president. The only check on this president has really been through the actions of state AGs in the courts. Hopefully, that will change in 2018 this fall with the elections. But I think you’ve seen the importance of the ability of state AGs to get into court. Whether it was to fight the travel ban or efforts to end the DACA program, to stand up on access to health care or protect the environment. [SPIRIT] Your successful first run for office was driven by a strong grassroots campaign. What would you you say to first-time candidates and grassroots activists—especially those inspired to get involved after the 2016 election? [HEALEY] I know that at times it can seem daunting. The news day today can be discouraging. But if you could only see what I see as I travel around the state and meet people who are doing such positive things in their communities! I think now more than ever, for the health of our democracy and for us to have a more representative democracy, we need more people running and more people involved. [x]

First-term LGBT checklist During her first term as Massachusetts Attorney General, Maura Healey has enforced protections for everyone. Here’s just a few for the LGBTQ:

Adocated and testified with activists, business leaders and families for the transgender public accommodations law Launched the #EveryoneWelcome social media campaign, featuring celebrity allies and trans familes across the state to educate on transgender rights Established a hotline for LGBT indivuduals and other minorities who experience or witness bias-motivated threats, harassment or violence Led a coalition of 15 state AGs opposing the Trump administration’s plan to ban military service by transgender people Fought for LGBTQ rights when Trump made clear he believes discrimination is acceptable Hosted outreach events for the LGBT community across the state Organized trainings for health care personnel to improve access for LGBT patients, with a focus on transgender patients Adopted a policy to protect trans and gender nonconforming individuals working for or interacting with the AG’s office Investigated claims of sex and gender identity-based discrimination by a former EMC transgender employee, resulting in updated policies and training at EMC plus $110,000 to the employee and nonprofits TransCanWork and Girls Inc. Filed civil complaint and obtained a preliminary restraining order against a Truro man after a violent, homophobic incident in Provincetown Served as lead attorney on the first challenge brought by a state to the federal Defense of Marriage Act and won (prior to becoming AG) Successfully advocated for passage of state law updating anti-bullying legislation in schools (prior to becoming AG)

SEP|OCT 2018 | 43

FEATURE Politics STORY Rob Phelps

Races to Watch New England LGBT candidates we’re keeping our eye on Nov. 6 Progressives across the country looking for hope in 2018 found some good news in Vermont’s state primary. Christine Hallquist became the first transgender nominee for governor of any major party in the US. “It is a remarkable milestone, even for an election year already dominated by an influx of women and a record number of candidates who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender or queer,” proclaimed the New York Times. But Hallquist told Boston Spirit magazine earlier this year that she’s running on experience, not identity. She brings top management skills from 12 years running Vermont Electric Coop, where as CEO she turned the company’s finances from ailing red to successful black. Now Hallquist hopes to bring that expertise to issues like combating climate change, fighting rural poverty, speeding up Internet speed, especially where it lags in rural areas of the state, and protecting LGBT rights. With incumbent Republican Vermont Governor Phil Scott down 38 percent in the polls this year, Hallquist believes she’s got a good chance taking his seat in the Midterm Elections on Nov 6.

farmer and Air Force veteran Brad Peacock is challenging Bernie Sanders for his US Senate seat on Nov. 6. (See “Meet Brad Peacock” on page 14.) At 38, Peacock represents the face of the progressive up-andcomers in the Democratic party. If elected, he would be the first openly gay male US senator. Christine Hallquist

More from Vermont Also in the Green Mountain State, openly gay Shaftsbury

We’ve also got our eyes on LGBT activist and incumbent State Rep. Bill Lippert (Chittenden District 4-2), who the LGBTQ Victory Fund calls “a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ community.”

New Hampshire

could yet be overturned. The strategy is pretty simple: three out of the four challengers on the ballot—one Democrat and two Independents—have pledged to sign the same bill LePage vetoed. “Governor LePage should have signed this bill, but where he failed, I will not,” says Democratic candidate and the state’s attorney general Janet Mills.

Chris Pappas Another young up-and-comer is Chris Pappas, who, at 38, is running to become the first openly LGBT person elected to Congress from the Granite State. After college, the Harvard graduate returned to Manchester to help run his family’s restaurant but soon found himself running for and winning a seat in the state’s house of representatives, where he’s served since 2002.

Independent candidates Terry Hayes, the state’s treasurer, and businessman Alan Caron concurred: “I find the idea of conversion therapy both repulsive and medieval. I support a ban on this practice and will sign any bill that accomplishes this goal,” Caron told The Daily Beast. Said, Hayes, “When I am governor, I will sign the bill.” The fourth candidate vying for LePage’s seat, Republican Shawn Moody, has remained silent on the issue.

Plus there is Dan Innis, the only openly gay member of the state senate. Innis also serves on the national board of the Log Cabin Republicans. A major voice in the state’s LGBT community, the New Castle businessman and University of New Hampshire professor, was instrumental in establishing New Hampshire’s first LCR chapter last year. And there is young Garrett Muscatel, a Dartmouth College student running for state rep. Muscatel says he hopes to serve as a voice for young people and LGBT people in Concord. He cut his political teeth working on the Hillary for America campaign, which narrowly brought in the state vote, and for a congresswoman in a suburb west of Los Angeles.

Maine

Maine Governor Paul LePage’s veto of the conversion therapy bill, which had passed both houses of the state’s legislature,

Justin Chenette Other critical races in Maine include statehouse incumbents Justin Chenette, Ryan Fecteau, Andrew McLean and Matt Moonen. The youngest senator in Maine, Chenette became the youngest openly gay legislator elected in the nation. That was in 2012 when the rep from Saco was 21. He’s now the ranking member of the taxation committee and sits on the senate committee on conduct and ethics.

state rep. In 2016, he was narrowly defeated representing his hometown of Bethel in the Republican wave of 2016. Brennan is an active board member of Triangle Community Center in Norwalk. He also helped organized Bethel’s first LGBTQ pride parade.

McLean is an openly gay legislator who lives in Gorham with his husband Kyle. He serves as house chair of the joint standing committee on transportation. And Moonen is a longtime leader in progressive politics. The third-term rep from Portland is the executive director of Equality Maine, where he led the successful passage of the state’s marriage equality bill in 2009.

Connecticut

Kevin Lembo Up for reelection after his second term, Democratic State Comptroller Kevin Lembo is the first openly gay statewide elected official in Connecticut. Ever the watchdog, this social justice advocate made national news last year when he removed the American Family Association from the state’s Employee Charitable Campaign because of the group’s policy to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Over at the state house, rising star in the state’s Democratic party Raghib Allie Brenan is seeking his first term as

As for incumbents, MassEquality had endorsed state Senators Julian Cyr (Cape and Islands) and Jamie Eldridge (Middlesex/Worchester) along with state Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis (Middlesex).

to Transgender AntiDiscrimination,” would uphold state law that protects transgender people from discrimination in public places. This, of course, includes not just public bathrooms but restaurants, shops, doctor’s offices, hospitals... The country is watching this one closely and is likely to follow the results, either way, as precedent.

“Representative Lewis and Senator Cyr are particularly strong advocates in the legislature, and Senator Eldridge has a long record of standing with our community,” Shields says. We are also watching Attorney General Maura Healey’s bid for reelection (see story on page 42) and US Congressional candidates Rufus Gifford and Alexandra Chandler, both vying for the open Third District seat.

Raghib Allie Brenan

Rhode Island

US Congressman David Cicilline makes an extremely strong case for the effectiveness of experienced, established politicians teaming up with the up-and-comers. Currently serving a third term, Cicilline is a member of the House Democratic Leadership as co-chair of the Democratic policy and communications committee. He also serves as co-chair of the Congressional LGBT equality caucus and vice chair of the Congressional progressive caucus. Before that, he served two terms as mayor of Providence and four terms in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

Gretchen Van Ness supporters When this issue of Boston Spirit went to press, the Bay State had yet to hold its Sept. 4 primary. But by our press time, two firsttime candidates had caught the eye of the state’s political action nonprofit MassEquality: Gretchen Van Ness (Suffolk District) and Sabrina Heisey (Middlesex District). “Both of these candidates have been effective advocates and supporters of LGBTQ equality in their communities,” said MassEquality Executive Director Deborah Shields. “We are confident that they will also be outstanding champions of LGBTQ rights on Beacon Hill.”

At the time this issue of Boston Spirit went to press, the Ocean State had yet to hold its Sept. 12 primary.

Massachusetts

On Nov. 6, Massachusetts will become the first state in the country where voters uphold—or repeal—public accommodations for transgender people. A “yes” vote on the referendum question, “An Act Relative

Julian Cyr

PHOTO Elyssa Cohen

Fecteau, 25, is currently the youngest openly LGBT state legislator in the United States. The second-term legislator from Biddeford serves as house chair of the labor, commerce, research and economic development Committee. Earlier this year, he introduced the conversion therapy bill that passed in the house.

Gifford previously served as US ambassador to Denmark after serving as President Obama’s campaign finance director. Chandler, a former naval intelligence analyst, would be the state’s first openly transgender US Congressperson. “I’m running for Congress,” she said in a recent campaign video, “to be a voice for trans kids out there.”

Vote on Nov. 6 No way does this list cover all the New England candidates on the ballot supporting and advancing LGBT rights. Not with leaders like Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Seth Moulton and Joe Kennedy III on the Bay State ballot, just to name a few more. But we hope with this list to reinforce why it’s so important for everyone to participate by voting in the Midterm Elections on Nov. 6—and to vote for progressive candidates at every level of government. Our elected officials can only uphold and progress our hardfought freedoms if everyone shows up at the ballot boxes to support them. [x]

SEP|OCT 2018 | 45

FEATURE Preservation STORY Scott Kearnan Rock River

Preserving Eden Naturist’s nature retreat saved through generous sale by longtime owner and formation of Rock River Preservation The Swartz family cabin sits nestled in the forests of southern Vermont. By the cabin is a memorial site dedicated to the late Alex Swartz. Alex loved this land, says his sister, Jennifer Swartz. He especially enjoyed lazing by nearby Rock River, a place historically popular with generations of gay men who, through quiet word of mouth between kindred souls, somehow turned the discreet wooded spot into

46 | BOSTON SPIRIT

a locally fabled Shangri-La for friendly nude bathing, communing with nature and spiritual and sensuous discovery. For many years, visitors wondered whether Rock River’s rare and treasured gay beaches would remain accessible from season to season. After all, they were on private land. And though most people looked the other way, not all locals liked the site’s gay-Eden reputation. But it never

occurred to the Swartz family to interfere with the community’s use of Rock River, says Jennifer Swartz. And now something extraordinary has happened. In October, the Swartz family will complete a sale of 21 acres of land, including the areas that contain the gay beaches and surrounding trails, to Rock River Preservation, a nonprofit organization of community members stewarding the land and its gay heritage for the future. If they’d gone to a developer, the Swartz family could certainly have fetched far more than the $75,000 that Rock River Preservation quickly fundraised from devoted pilgrims. But it was important to pass the land along to men who already loved it as their own, says Jennifer Swartz. Alex would want to know this special place was safe. “It’s so peaceful, a place where you get swept away by beauty and can truly relax,” says Swartz. She knows that freedom means even more to those too rarely granted it. “For people within the LGBT community, it can be difficult to find a place that allows you to be yourself,” says Swartz. “I’m glad the land is there for people who may not have that, and I know my dad feels the same way.” In fact, says Swartz, the only regret is that financial constraints prohibit her family from outright donating the land. Rock River Preservation still seems pretty thrilled with the deal. “They were generous with their pricing,” says Moon Morgan, a board member who helped architect the sale. Morgan visits Rock River multiple times a week, even when he’s not doffing his duds for a swim, to check on the reliably litter-free land. “This is so exciting, so amazing.” Morgan first started visiting Rock River in 1996, clued in by his connections with the queer counterculture of the Radical Faeries, who have a camp nearby, and the Tantra-teaching Body Electric School. The bucolic region that surrounds Brattleboro, Vermont seems to attract a gay men’s culture that is green livingminded and celebrates higher consciousness-seeking in spiritual and sexual life. Besides Rock River and Faerie Camp Destiny, the region is home to Frog Meadow, a clothing-optional men’s bed and breakfast that welcomes travelers seeking “heart-centered touch” massage retreats,

O C C A B O T C I X O IS T

S I H T S I E LIF N O N C I X TO

meditation workshops and other mind-and body-healing events. The charming bed and breakfast, located on an apple orchard, receives many visitors seeking Rock River, just a few miles away, and Frog Meadow co-owner Dave King was on Rock River Preservation’s volunteer fundraising committee. Rock River initially emerged as a gay gathering spot in the early 1970s, explains Morgan. From a main road, visitors hike a lengthy but well-worn path upstream, first reaching a family beach. Beyond, past the clear “clothing-optional” signs, the shoreline crowds increasingly become nude and gay. The vibe is friendly, no-pretense, and communityminded. The wooded areas by the furthest beach are cruisy, and the riverbanks are dotted with rock cairns arranged by visitors.

“ For people within the LGBT community, it can be difficult to find a place that allows you to be yourself. I’m glad the land is there for people who may not have that, and I know my dad feels the same way.” Jennifer Swartz When Morgan started going, the gay nude beach was mostly a well-kept secret. He remembers regulars like Lawrence, who would serve fellow beachgoers from his tray of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and London, who organized volleyball games at the now-shuttered nearby gay bar, Rainbow Cattle Company. And of course, there was Alex Swartz. But Rock River’s low profile has been raised post-Internet, and visitor numbers are

growing. Now it’s not unusual to find 100 guys out there in the heat of summer, says Morgan. And although Vermont has a pretty well-earned reputation as a progressive, free-spirited state, Rock River’s heightened notoriety has led to a few flare-ups of protest in the rural community. “There’s been some ugliness,” says Swartz. It reached a crescendo about a decade ago, she says, when the family

cabin was broken into and vandalized. Solar power panels were smashed. The place was covered in spray paint. But Jennifer Swartz and her father Robert, who purchased over 50 acres of land there in the late ‘80s, are unabashed “liberals” who weren’t about to change their attitude about the river’s use by the gay community. “Our stance was to not engage those who had a problem with it,” says Swartz. “I’ve always been happy to answer questions, but we’ve never been called upon to do so. Just allowing what was going on to continue was our form of a response.” Kerfuffle seems to have quelled under the responsible stewardship of Rock River Preservation, which Morgan and others formed in 2005 to help protect the river from development and ensure

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continued public access. In 2007, the group purchased a 4.5-acre parcel along the public access trail from the Connecticut River Watershed Council, with conservation guarantees from the Vermont Land Trust. Rock River Preservation fundraised $16,000 for the purchase. The additional 21 acres is being purchased from the Swartz family for $75,000. Rock River Preservation was able to fundraise over $90,000, enough to cover closing costs and get a head start on future property taxes. The monies came from passionate supporters from at least 11 states and Canada after just 34 days of a public campaign. Morgan says $20,000 came from a single donor, Donald Bragg, but the median donation was $100. Following a separate land sale to another family, Jennifer Swartz says she and her father are left with about 10 acres, including the cabin location. When it’s time to let that go, Rock River Preservation will be the first to receive an offer, she says. No matter what happens, they “will never sell it to a developer,” she vouches. She simply can’t put a price tag on the value of protecting land that has meant so much to so many people. With the sale anticipated to close in October, Rock River Preservation now has enough acreage to apply for conservation land status, which would reduce property taxes and restrict the land from ever being developed. Though Rock River already has a storied legacy, that its gay-friendly future is becoming assured means a lot to younger folks too. “I’m happy to hear of preservation efforts for Rock River because there is something magical about the area that you can’t quite get from reading about it,” says Johnny

Chag, a 31-year old Vermont native who first learned about Rock River shortly after coming out. He didn’t make the trip until nine years later, after finally discovering a blog post that “detailed how to find the mysterious, hidden gay mecca in the woods of Southern Vermont.” What he discovered was truly special. “Everyone was very social, sharing drinks and laughing,” says Chag. “There was no cell service for Grindr, or any outside distractions. It was like I had stepped back in time to what gay culture looked like before the digital age, and I could feel the sense of seclusion that made this a safe, open space before we could be safe and open in the world. As we integrate into society and lose more and more of these archaic safe spaces, I think we lose a piece of our history that still lives with our older generations.” Moon Morgan agrees that Rock River is a place where visitors can still feel the energy of countless gay men who came before and blazed a trail, literally and figuratively, past the well-trod and familiar and toward the outsiderfriendly fringes, where the real enchantment lives. “There’s a lot of magic at Rock River,” says Morgan. “I had a sense early on in this project that there were a lot of dead people pushing this along.” He wistfully remembers finding three separate heart-shaped stones at Rock River, each coinciding with a different fundraising milestone: signs, he says. Rock River Preservation will also install its own sign on the beach on the Swartz property. It will recognize the site as “Alex Swartz Beach.” No single steward lives forever. But the spirit of this sacred place now will. [x]

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amazing clients By Lisa M. Cukier, Esq. Laura H. Hiller, Esq. Donald E. Vaughan, Esq.

Estate Planning for Your Art Collection In many respects, art connoisseurs are as varied as the pieces they collect. Some are guided by deeply personal aesthetic sensibilities. Some revel in the intellectual discovery and methodical exploration of a particular artist, period, or genre. Some seek to build a family or philanthropic artbased legacy, and some are driven by the thrill of the hunt for the objects or investment returns. While motivation and taste vary, collectors need to plan carefully for the disposition of their art after death. With forethought and the help of an experienced estate planner, collectors may gain both financial benefits and peace of mind. An art collection often takes many years to build. While its cultivation may not be primarily financially driven, it is useful to consider your collection as a distinct financial asset with its own unique set of issues and complications when preparing an estate plan. Failure to develop a specific plan for the future ownership of art often results in the collection being controlled by the collector's Personal Representative or Trustee, divided and distributed to family members who may not share the collector's appreciation of art, or sold so that beneficiaries receive liquid shares of the estate, often with inefficient tax consequences. Depending on the nature of the collection, and in instances where the estate being liquidated is that of the artist, a post-death sale can lead to a fire-sale effect in which the market

for the artist's work becomes flooded and potentially devalued. Here are some ways to minimize these consequences: Understand the Value of Your Collection Although the art market generally trends upward in a strong economy and downward when times are tight, the fluctuation in the value of individual pieces can change rapidly as particular artists and styles go in and out of vogue, making it difficult to treat beneficiaries equally by designating certain pieces for certain people in your estate plan. One way to mitigate unequal effects of earmarking specific pieces is to obtain up-to-date appraisals of your collection and to ensure that you are relying on the appropriate kind of appraisal in making distribution decisions, since the replacement value of a unique piece for insurance purposes may be twice its fair market value. If your aim is to ensure that several beneficiaries are treated equally or to prevent the breakup of your collection, it may make sense to leave your collection to a trust, limited liability company (LLC), or other corporate entity in which each beneficiary owns a fixed percentage of the entire collection, thereby eliminating the uncertainty of trying to predict a particular work's future value. Additionally, knowing the value of your collection will enable you to make more tax-efficient decisions if the value of your estate exceeds Massachusetts and/or Federal estate tax exemption thresholds.

Talk with Your Beneficiaries One of the most common situations that prevents art collectors and artists alike from finalizing a plan for the disposition of their art is persistent uncertainty about whom to leave it to. Before sitting down with an estate planner, it may be worthwhile to have a conversation with each person or organization to whom you plan to leave a piece of your collection in order to determine their interests. It may be painful to hear that your intended beneficiaries do not share your love of art or a particular artist of work, but learning during life that your son would sell your most beloved Picasso or that a particular museum might refuse the bequest of your ivory collection will give you the opportunity to make other, more appropriate arrangements for the disposition of your collection while you are alive and able to do so. Do Not Rely on Assumptions If the museum to which you wish to leave your collection were to tell you that they were unlikely to ever display the art, might that cause you to seek an alternative taker? If you intend for your daughters to share in the ownership of a family portrait after your death, does that mean that the survivor of the two of them will own the painting herself when her sister passes away, or that your grandchildren will become partial owners of their respective mother's share upon her death? Although you may have clear answers to these questions in mind, ambiguities like these can easily lead to litigation and family turmoil after your death. As you develop your estate plan, consider whether your instructions are sufficiently clear to avoid leaving room for multiple conflicting interpretations of your wishes in the future. Make Charitable Contributions Wisely Leaving art to a charitable organization may decrease or even eliminate your estate tax liability if done carefully. While a gift of art can generate a substantial tax deduction, calculating the value of that charitable deduction can be substantially more complicated than when gifting cash or other assets. First, the nature of the charitable recipient is important: Gifts of tangible property must be related to the recipient's central charitable

mission in order to qualify for a deduction. In other words, a gift of your Mondrian to the Museum of Fine Arts will be deductible, but giving it to a school may not be. Additionally, although the deduction for a gift of art by a collector is generally based on the fair market value of the piece, as of 2018 artists who donate their own work while living are only able to deduct the cost of their materials. Donors interested in contributing art during life or as part of their estate plan would be wise to consult a qualified tax accountant, reputable appraisers, and knowledgeable attorneys to assist in the transaction. Using a Charitable Trust or Foundation For individuals or families wishing to support the arts more broadly, donating liquid assets (which could be generated by the sale of an art collection) to a charitable trust or private foundation, allowing surviving family members the opportunity to participate in grant-making decisions to other charities as Trustees or board members, may have appeal. Holding a collection in such a charitable entity comes with many requirements under the tax laws, since the collection must be made available for public charitable purposes, no individual donors or estate beneficiaries may benefit from the art placed in the charitable entity, and in general a private foundation is subject to annual excise taxes on its holdings so if those holdings are comprised of a valuable art collection such annual taxes could be costly and problematic if there are no liquid assets in the entity. The charitable trust could make a long-term loan of the collection to a museum but retain ownership rights should the museum go out of existence or change its mission. Whatever your aim – whether keeping your art collection intact, passing it on to the next generation of your family, making taxadvantageous transfers, supporting artists and the arts, or all of the above – with forethought and careful planning, your legacy can be realized and protected for decades to come. If you have any estate planning questions, please reach out to Burns & Levinson today.

SEASONAL Arts/Entertainment STORY Scott Kearnan

ACTIVISM & ESCAPE

Our annual fall arts and entertainment preview for a politically charged season

“Art is our weapon. Culture is a form of resistance.”

52 | BOSTON SPIRIT

—SHIRIN NESHAT

when every day seems to bring new headache-inducing headlines, the importance of art is amplified. After all, art can be both an effective diversion and a meaningful form of activism; often, it is both at the same time. And looking at the passion-filled artistic output arriving around the Boston area this fall, it is clear that our local creative communities are finding ways—consciously or not—to respond to the scary storms wrought by America’s accelerating cultural climate change. Among the highlights, we see timely works of theatre that deal with issues like immigration, race relations, and oppression under authoritarianism. We see lighter confections — like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Hairspray” — that will allow us to fully escape, at least for a while, whatever is our nagging concern du jour. And from queer film festivals to shows starring iconic LGBTQ artists — Alan Cumming, anyone? — our community continues to create some of the most powerful and impactful art around. Whether you find solace and strength in music, theatre, film or the visual arts, we’ve selected a dozen standout shows for the next three months — plus even more advance picks for winter and beyond — that should prove a satisfying salve for the spirit. Add these to your gay agenda — and don’t forget to visit the individual websites to find each art organization’s full calendar of upcoming events.

SEPTEMBER “The Black Clown” American Repertory Theater

In times like these,

SEPTEMBER “Straight White Men” Her show’s name nods to its exploration of historically privileged groups in contemporary America, so it is particularly poignant that playwright Young Jean Lee made history with this provocative piece: She became the first Asian-American woman to have a play produced on Broadway when “Straight White Men” premiered this summer on the Great White Way, where it starred “Call Me Be Your Name” hunk Armie Hammer as one of the titular dudes. The satirical play, staged locally by New Repertory Theatre, follows three Midwestern brothers visiting their widowed father for Christmas, unpacking issues of identity along the way.

SEPT 7–30

Empresses of China’s Forbidden City Even in patriarchal societies, one finds countless examples of the ways in which women wield power behind the throne. But this exciting exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum, one of the nation’s finest institutions for Asian art, is the first of its kind to specifically explore the role that empresses played in shaping culture and politics in China’s Qing dynasty, which lasted from 1644 to 1912. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of U.S.-China diplomatic relations, the exhibition features nearly 200 works (from painting to jewelry) related chiefly to three of the era’s most prominent female figures. “Empresses” rules.

THROUGH FEB 10, 2019

Peabody Essex Museum | 161 Essex Street, Salem | pem.org

Moresian Center for the Arts | 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown | newrep.org

SEP|OCT 2018 | 53

“Kiss of the Spider Woman”

Historians may haggle over whether choreographer Jerome Robbins, the man behind hits like “West Side Story,” was bisexual or a semi-closeted gay man. Indisputable, though, is the impact that he had on the world of dance. Coinciding with the centennial of Robbins’ birth, Boston Ballet’s “Genius at Play” is a showcase of three legendary works by the art world icon, including “Fancy Free,” his debut choreographic piece and the first of several collaborations with Leonard Bernstein (with whom some suspect he had a brief affair) and “Glass Pieces,” a late-career creation inspired by the compositions of Philip Glass.

William Hurt earned an Academy Award for his performance as flamboyant queer window dresser Molina in the film version, but if you ask us, “Kiss of the Spider Woman” most effectively spins its seductive web on stage. In the Tony-winning musical, Molina and Valentin, a Marxist revolutionary, develop a unique dynamic as tortured prisoners in the same Argentinean jail. They are occasionally joined by Aurora, a film diva and femme fatale who inhabits Molina’s fantasies. It may culminate in a number titled “Only in the Movies,” but this “Kiss” is best shared through live theatre.

SEPT. 6–16

Lyric Stage Company | 140 Clarendon Street, Boston | lyricstage.com

Since its 2011 founding by author-artist Quinn Cox and John Cameron Mitchell, Tony award-winning creator of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” the Afterglow Festival has produced dozens of exciting, innovative performance pieces (many with queer sensibilities), emerging as a strong and vital steward of Provincetown’s pioneering artistic legacy. This year’s lineup is another stunner. Highlights include “Tits and Teeth: Diary of a Vegas Showgirl,” the latest from celebrated drag performer Martha Graham Cracker, “Arias Deconstructed,” a show from cult cabaret star Joey Arias, and “Dan Fishback Alone!” starring the eponymous gay performance artist.

SEPT. 11–15

Art House | 214 Commercial Street, Provincetown | afterglowfestival.org

“The Black Clown” Culture vultures are already familiar with Langston Hughes, a pioneer of the Harlem Renaissance movement whose sexuality remains a subject of debate, given the queer undertones scattered throughout his writings. But you’ve never seen Hughes’ poetry presented like this: “The Black Clown” is an American Repertory Theater world premiere, a musical staging of Hughes’ poem about a Black minstrel discarding his costume. Vaudeville, African-American spirituals and opera collide in a commissioned piece starring bass-baritone Davóne Tines and set to a score by New England native Michael Schachter. “The Black Clown” proves that A.R.T.’s 20182019 season is no joke.

THROUGH SEPT. 23

Loeb Drama Center | 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge | americanrepertorytheater.org

54 | BOSTON SPIRIT

“The Niceties” It is easy, but oversimplifying, to portray all arguments about race as taking place over wide political chasms. In truth, even seemingly similar-minded progressives can have trouble discussing these issues rationally and with nuance. But that’s exactly what “The Niceties” works to do. Brookline, Massachusetts native Eleanor Burgess took inspiration from her experiences at Yale, where a 2015 controversy over culturally insensitive Halloween costumes caused a furor (and earned national headlines), to craft a world premiere play about a black student and white professor whose debate over a term paper on slavery ignites a powder keg of emotion.

THROUGH OCT. 6

BCA | 527 Tremont Street, Boston | huntingtontheatre.org

Trajal Harrell: “Caen Amour” Gay choreographer Trajal Harrell has a way with exploring subcultures of dance: Witness “Twenty Looks or Paris is Burning at Judson Church,” his famed series that draws on voguing, dance born in the queer Harlem ball scene. For his latest, “Caen Amour,” Harrell finds inspiration in “hoochie-coochie” shows, erotic displays popularized in the 19th-century that gave women a new form of sensual agency in performance. In a synthesis of fashion show and dance spectacle, Harrell imagines a meeting between modern dance pioneer Loïe Fuller, Tatsumi Hijikata, founder of Japanese butoh dance, and Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo.

SEPT. 21–22

Institute of Contemporary Art | 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston | icaboston.org

Emerson Paramount Center

Afterglow Festival

THROUGH SEPT. 23

SEPTEMBER “Hamnet”

Boston Opera House | 539 Washington Street, Boston | bostonballet.org

SEPTEMBER Mashrou’ Leila

“Genius at Play”

Winnie the Pooh: Exploring a Classic SEPTEMBER Lisa Yuen “Kiss of the Spider Woman” Lyric Stage Company

He’s the sweetest bear you’ll ever meet, at least outside of P-Town. Winnie the Pooh is back, both in movie theaters—where he’s co-starring in the just-released flick “Christopher Robin—and at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where this unique exhibition gathers nearly 200 works tracing the evolution of Pooh (plus his pals Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, et al.) since his 1926 creation by writer A.A. Milne and illustrator E.H. Shepard. The MFA will provide timed-entry tickets for this inevitable hit of an exhibit, offering guests entry at appointed times on the hour and half-hour.

SEPT. 22–JAN. 6, 2019

Museum of Fine Arts | 2465 Huntington Avenue, Boston | mfa.org

SEPT. 20–OCT. 7

Emerson Paramount Center | 2559 Washington Street, Boston | artsemerson.org

SEPTEMBER Winnie the Pooh: Exploring a Classic, Boston MFA

No, that’s not a typo. “Hamnet” refers to William Shakespeare’s other, regrettably less remembered creation: his son, Hamnet, who died at age 11, before his father’s play “Hamlet” was born. Shakespeare basically abandoned his family to pursue his theatre ambitions, and “Hamnet,” developed by Ireland’s Dead Centre theatre and receiving its U.S. premiere from Boston’s ArtsEmerson, catches up with its eponymous emotional orphan in purgatory. What follows are ruminations on abandonment and art, loss and grief. The multimedia show, anchored by a young solo performer, is a moving, marvelous monologue we think the bard himself would have applauded.

“Jeckyll & Hyde” If you thought your last Tinder date was two-faced—you haven’t seen anything yet. North Shore Music Theatre presents “Jeckyll & Hyde,” the Tony-nominated musical based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic novel about a scientist who drinks a potion that transforms him from genial doctor to murderous madman. In this production, songs like “This is the Moment” and “Someone Like You” will be performed by two former “American Idol” finalists: Constantine Maroulis as Dr. Henry Jeckyll and Diana DeGarmo as Lucy, a prostitute who falls in love with a guy with a split personality. We’ve been there, girl.

SEPT. 25–OCT. 7

North Shore Music Theatre | 62 Dunham Road, Beverly | nsmt.org

SEPTEMBER “Genius at Play” Boston Ballet

SEPTEMBER Empresses of China’s Forbidden City, Peabosy Essex Museaum

“Hamnet”

Amy Jo Jackson PHOTO Michael Hull Photography

Mashrou’ Leila Rock and roll is pop art that can be used to make strong political statements. Such is the case with Mashrou’ Leila, a five-piece alt-rock band from Beirut that is fronted by openly gay vocalist Hamed Sinno, a powerful LGBTQ activist in the Arab world. The hugely popular Middle Eastern band’s music, like “Tayf (Ghost),” a song about a gay club, touches on LGBTQ issues and other hot-button political topics. Cairo concertgoers were once arrested for waving rainbow flags at a Mashrou’ Leila show, but we expect a warmer reception when World Music/CRASHarts brings these revolutionary musicians to Cambridge.

SEPT. 12

The Sinclair | 52 Church Street, Cambridge | worldmusic.org

OCTOBER “Hairspray” “Hairspray” is probably John Waters’ most approachable film—there’s nary a dog poo-eating drag queen to be found—so it’s unsurprising that it has also become a successful stage musical. Hang out with “The Nicest Kids in Town” when the colorful song and dance-filled production arrives at North Shore Music Theatre, delivering a rousing, uplifting show about an endearingly nerdy teen’s fight for racial integration when she becomes an overnight sensation on a 1960s “National Bandstand”-style dance show. “Hairspray” piles on earnestness as high as the bouffant hairdos, an endearing antidote to cynicism that doesn’t feel dated at all.

OCT 30–NOV 11

“Fun Home” Amy Jo Jackson has played some formidable women, from Ursula in “The Little Mermaid” to the Lady of the Lake in “Spamalot.” She’s also used her powerhouse voice and commanding presence for her own nightclub act, including an homage to legendary gender-bending singer Annie Lennox. Jackson and other Broadway vocalists will perform Eurythmics and solo hits from the diva herself this fall at Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York. But maybe most challenging to the 2005 Boston Conservatory graduate is her newest role: Alison Bechdel in “Fun Home,” the 2015 Tony-winning musical adapted from Bechdel’s acclaimed memoir, in SpeakEasy Stage’s production directed by Paul Daigneault. Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron’s landmark musical depicts Bechdel at three stages of life as she navigates coming out as a lesbian and coming to terms with the complexities of her family. Jackson will also be performing her cabaret show at Boston’s Club Cafe on November 12 at 7:30 p.m. She just might blend a little Bechdel with her Lennox for a night of LGBT icons. —Loren King

OCT 19–NOV 1

Boston Center for the Arts | 539 Tremont Street, Boston | speakeasystage.com

Alan Cumming: “Legal Immigrant” Alan Cumming is a longtime bi icon, but this year has been particularly eventful. In “Instinct,” a new police procedural on CBS, Cumming portrays the first gay lead character on a network TV drama. 2018 also marks a special anniversary for Cumming: ten years since he obtained American citizenship. So it’s not surprising that immigration—especially in light of the current political climate—is on Cumming’s mind as he returns to the cabaret stage with “Legal Immigrant,” a ballsy new show blending personal storytelling and song: from a Disney medley to timeless standards like Edith Piaf’s “Hymn to Love.”

OCT 7

Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston | celebrityseries.org

56 | BOSTON SPIRIT

“We Will Not Be Silent” We post on Facebook. We send angry tweets. We march in the street. But how far are ordinary citizens really willing to go to stand up for what’s right in the face of fascism and injustice? That’s the question asked by “We Will Not Be Silent,” a play based on the true story of Sophie Scholl, a German college student who, along with her brother Hans, launched The White Rose, the only major citizen-led movement opposing the Nazi regime. “Resistance” is only a word until it finds a voice. This is the story of a woman who used hers.

OCT 13–NOV 4

Moresian Center for the Arts | 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown | newrep.org

OCTOBER OCTOBERCecilia CeciliaVicauña, Vicuña, Disappeared Quipu at Boston MFA

North Shore Music Theatre | 62 Dunham Road, Beverly | nsmt.org

OCT 17–28

Emerson Paramount Center | 559 Washington Street, Boston | artsemerson.org Great art identifies issues that can be applied across time and culture—and by that estimation, “Measure for Measure” really goes the mile. Shakespeare’s play, originally published in 1623, has been categorized a “problem play” for tackling social issues like corruptive power and authoritarianism. But in this stunning and visceral production, developed by Moscow’s Pushkin Theatre and UK theatre company Cheek by Jowl, which was founded by gay couple Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod, “Measure for Measure” is reimagined in Russia. It’s a timely interpretation that asks pertinent questions about how we allow ourselves to be governed.

OCT 24–28

Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre | 219 Tremont Street, Boston | artsemerson.org

Afterglow @ Oberon It’s appropriate that a theatre series named “Afterglow” would continue to radiate after its original climax. So once you’ve checked out the annual Afterglow Festival in Provincetown in September, discover the subsequent lineup that founder Quinn Cox curated for Cambridge. The near-monthly acts include queer performance artist Taja Lindley in “The Bag Lady Manifesta,” an indictment of how our society treats black lives as disposable, and The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, who queer kiddie hero Mr. Rogers in the smartly subversive “John Jarboe as Mx. Rogers in a Musical Healing Ritual For Adults: You Can Never Go Down the Drain.”

OCT 21–APRIL 18, 2019

Oberon | 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge | americanrepertorytheater.org

“The Barber of Seville” We’ll cut to the chase: “Barber” is one of the most famous comic operas for a reason. Unlike the hairdos in your high school yearbook, which expired by the time the ink dried, Rossini’s seminal work remains vital more than 200 years after its premiere. The Boston Lyric Opera will share with audiences this timeless, zany love story about an amorous count who woos the woman he loves through a series of schemes suggested by his barber, Figaro. “Barber,” conducted by music director David Angus, is a stylish season opener for the BLO. OCTOBER “Barber of Seville” Boston Lyric Opera

OCTOBER Alan Cumming: “Legal Immigrant”

“Measure for Measure”

OCTOBER Youssou Ndour

In her one-woman play, actor-activist Liza Jessie Peterson portrays Betsy Ross—Betsy LaQuanda Ross, that is, a woman who sews not flags, but quilt patches representing men and women who have been incarcerated in an American prison system that she calls “slavery remixed.” America has the highest incarceration rate in the world, disproportionately targeting people of color, and though fighting systemic racism through criminal justice reform is not a new idea, “The Peculiar Patriot,” inspired by Peterson’s decades-long experience working with actual prison populations, provides a funny and furious new voice to an important conversation.

OCTOBER Liza Jessie Peterson, “The Peculiar Patriot”

“The Peculiar Patriot”

OCT 12–21

Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre | 219 Tremont Street, Boston | blo.org

Cecilia Vicuña: Disappeared Quipu

OCTOBER William Forsythe at the ICA

In this powerful MFA exhibition, Vicuña again explores the nature of exile, a theme to which she has returned throughout her decadesspanning career; the artist left her native Chile for London after the 1973 coup d’etat. But with “Disappeared Quipu” she also reclaims a piece of heritage: Quipus, knotted cords used for complex record-keeping, were made by the ancient Andeans for millennia until the Spanish banned them during colonization. This exhibition includes five actual ancient quipus alongside a massive site-specific installation by Vicuña—think wool sculptures and video projections—plus participatory song and poetry performances by the artist herself.

OCT 20–JAN 21, 2019

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston | mfa.org

Youssou N’Dour Over the course of a 40-year career, Senegalese singer-songwriter Youssou N’Dour has earned numerous accolades and widespread attention across Africa; “Rolling Stone” has called him one of the most famous and beloved artists on the continent, and he even attempted to run for president of his native country. Yet most Americans remain unfamiliar with N’Dour. Change that by checking out the global music legend’s Cambridge show, presented by World Music/ CRASHarts, and discover the legendary synthesis of modern Afropop and traditional mbalax (Senegalese dance music) that has made him an icon, whether Westerners know it or not.

OCT 21

The Sinclair | 52 Church Street, Cambridge | worldmusic.org

World-renowned choreographer William Forsythe is in the midst of a five-year residency at the Boston Ballet, and its upcoming program “Full-On Forsythe” (March 7—17, 2019) will include Forsythe’s first world premiere with an American company in over two decades. Prepare by visiting this similarly groundbreaking exhibition at the ICA: For the first time, an American museum will collect the art installations, films and interactive sculptures (like a roomful of swinging pendulums for guests to navigate) that the multi-talented Forsythe has been creating since the 1990s—including some site-specific works just for the ICA.

OCT 31–FEB 24, 2019

Institute of Contemporary Art | 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston | icaboston.org

58 | BOSTON SPIRIT

OCTOBER Measure for Measure PHOTO Johan Persson/Anna Khalilulina

William Forsythe: Choreographic Objects

qFLIX Worcester From the City of Brotherly Love to the heart of the Commonwealth: Last year, the founders of qFLIX Philadelphia made Worcester, Massachusetts the second city to receive an iteration of the LGBTQ film festival. The debut lineup, rooted in its curators’ quarter-century history organizing queer film fests, included a number of regional premieres: like “Kept Boy,” a dark comedy about sugar daddies, “The Freedom to Marry,” a documentary about the work of legendary equal marriage activist Evan Wolfson, and the appropriately-titled “Brotherly Love” about the conflict between flesh and faith. Expect similarly ovationworthy selections for this year’s encore.

OCT 11–14

The Hanover Theatre | 2 Southbridge Street, Worcester | qflixworcester.com

NOVEMBER “Elf” The 1940s gave us “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The 1980s gave us “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” And the Aughties gave us “Elf,” the funny Will Ferrell flick that has turned into a modern holiday classic. Now the musical version has arrived like a bow-topped gift from the North Pole, delivering audiences the same sly, sweet, silly sensibility of the movie. This time, though, it’s accompanied by lavishly produced songs like “Christmastown,” “Nobody Cares About Santa” and “Sparklejollytwinklejingley.” Even without Will, make your way to see this joyous jingle ball.

NOV 29–DEC 2

NOVEMBER “Elf” at Hanover Theater

Hanover Theatre | 2 Southbridge Street, Worcester | thehanovertheatre.org

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Dance Heginbotham

Billy Dean Thomas

Find a front-row seat for one of the most buzzed-about choreographic talents of the last decade-plus. In 2011, John Heginbotham, already well-known in dance circles for his long tenure with Mark Morris Dance Group, founded his Brooklyn-based performance group Dance Heginbotham. Its adventurousness and athleticism earned raves, and earlier this year, Heginbotham—also a faculty member in the theatre department of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire— was named a Guggenheim Fellow in the field of choreography. Discover why when Heginbotham, whose work has also been featured in performances by transgender pianist Our Lady J, brings his company to Boston.

Thomas has massive ambitions. After all, the Jamaica Plain-based musician adopted the nickname “The Queer B.I.G.” (playing off legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G.). Luckily, their talent is outsized. They rap with the best of them; check out “Black Bach,” in which Thomas flows over a performance of “Prelude, Fugue and Allegro, BWV 998” by Ben Verderey, guitar chair at the Yale School of Music. They were also among the standout LGBTQ artists in the Theater Offensive’s first Out’Hood Residency Program. Thomas’s music, infused with social commentary about issues like feminism and #BlackLivesMatters, lives up to hype—in a B.I.G. way.

“Schoenberg in Hollywood” Los Angeles is a city where people frequently travel to pursue dreams of fame and fortune. But when Austria-born composer Arnold Schoenberg moved to LA in 1934, it was for a much simpler reason: to flee Nazi persecution. This world premiere from Boston Lyric Opera, commissioned from esteemed Cambridge-based composer Tod Machover and librettist Simon Robson—considers the dramatic journey undertaken by Schoenberg, who landed in the glittering, giddy epicenter of Hollywood’s Golden Age while Europe descended into a decade of atrocities. It’s a story about the struggle of assimilation and the artist’s never-ending hunt for hope.

NOV 29–DEC 2

Emerson Paramount Center | 559 Washington Street, Boston | blo.org

“WET: A DACAmented Journey” LGBTQ people understand the importance of coming out and telling our stories. It’s only by putting a human face and lived experience to a polarizing issue that we can move hearts and minds. That’s exactly what Alex Alpharoah seeks to do in this show about his life as an undocumented American (his mother came to America from Guatemala when he was three months old) and the bureaucratic nightmares he has endured while trying to sustain a life here. By putting himself in the literal spotlight, Alpharoah potentially risks his freedom for an important reward: the chance to humanize headlines.

NOV 8–25

Emerson Paramount Center | 559 Washington Street, Boston | artsemerson.org

NOV 2

Oberon | 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge | americanrepertorytheater.org

“Man in the Ring” Emile Griffith had to fight all his life. A bisexual immigrant from the Virgin Islands, he became a World Champion in the machismo-fueled arena of professional boxing. But Griffith is most remembered for one specific fight: At the weigh-in before a 1962 title match, Griffith’s opponent Benny Paret taunted him with a homophobic slur; during the televised faceoff, Griffith beat Paret so severely that he died. Griffith was forever haunted by the event, and “Man in the Ring,” considers his fascinating, embattled biography through the eyes of an elderly, dementia-afflicted fighter piecing together a lifelong quest for redemption.

NOV 16–DEC 22

Boston Center for the Arts | 539 Tremont Street, Boston | huntingtontheatre.org

“Breath & Imagination” Roland Hayes is a history-maker whose story too often goes untold. Born on a Georgia plantation, Hayes would wind up recognized as the first truly world-renowned AfricanAmerican concert artist. He traveled Europe performing for royalty, and lived much of his life here in Boston, where he became the first African-American to sing at Boston Symphony Hall. Though there is a music school in Roxbury named for Hayes, many people remain unfamiliar with his truly remarkable life story—but “Breath & Imagination,” a play with music that unspools Hayes’ biography through a series of vignettes, may help change that.

NOV 30–DEC 23

Lyric Stage Company | 140 Clarendon Street, Boston | lyricstage.com 60 | BOSTON SPIRIT

NOVEMBER MFA, Ansel Adams ‘Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico’

NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre | 255 St. Botolph Street, Boston | celebrityseries.org

NOVEMBER Dance Heginbotham PHOTO Amber Star Merkens

DEC 10–11

NOVEMBER Maurice Parent, “Breath & Imagination,” Lyric Stage Company

Boston Jewish Film Festival Some folks freak out about turning 30. But as it celebrates a milestone year, the Boston Jewish Film Festival is strolling confidently into another decade of exceptional programming. This year’s festival will screen standout flicks like the Boston premiere of “Those People,” a GLAAD award-winning film about a complicated love story between Charlie, a New York art student, Sebastian, his best friend stuck in the middle of a Bernie Madofflevel Wall Street scandal, and Tim, a promising orchestra pianist. It’s may be the festival’s birthday, but picks like this are a gift to us.

NOV 8–14

Institute of Contemporary Art | 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston | icaboston.org

NOV 9–18

The Center for the Arts in Natick | 14 Summer Street, Natick | natickarts.org

Boston Symphony Orchestra: Christmas Oratorio BSO music director Andris Nelsons is a bicontinental talent: Last year Nelsons also became music director of the Gewandhausorchester symphony orchestra in Leipzig, Germany. Thus was born a unique cultural exchange between the cities. Among the fruits born is Leipzig Week in Boston, which will take place every season of the alliance (there’s also a Boston Week in Leipzig). This fall, Leipzig Week highlights J.S. Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio,” originally composed for Leipzig’s Christmas season in 1734; the BSO hasn’t performed it since 1960. For this engagement, the orchestra is joined by guest soloists and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

NOV 29–DEC 1

The Center for the Arts in Natick | 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston | bso.org

“Extraordinary: A Celebration of Music Theatre at ART” Not since Madonna’s “Immaculate Collection” have we been so excited for a greatesthits celebration. 2018 marks the ten-year anniversary of Tony winner Diane Paulus taking the mantle of artistic director at Cambridge’s American Repertory Theatre. With Paulus at the helm, the ART has notched major triumphs: from sending the Sara Bareilles-scored “Waitress” to Broadway, where it became the first musical on the Great White Way with an all-female creative team, to the recent world premiere of “Jagged Little Pill,” a rock musical inspired by the Alanis Morissette album. “Extraordinary” is a special guest-filled revue of a dynamic decade.

NOV 16–30

Loeb Drama Center | 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge | americanrepertorytheater.org

NOVEMBER DACA PHOTO Youthana Yuos

If “Rent,” “Sesame Street” and “South Park” had an artistic ménage à trois, the offspring would look like “Avenue Q.” Set on an imaginary NYC street, the Tony winningmusical, in which most of the main characters are played by puppets, deals with comingof-age crisis and existential anxieties through side-splitting songs and decidedly non-PC humor. Consider tunes like “The Internet is For Porn,” “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” and “If You Were Gay,” which is sung to a closeted Republican banker. Don’t be fooled by the presence of puppets: this isn’t kiddie fare. “Q” is rated “R”—for riotous.

NOVEMBER Urban Nurcracker PHOTO Peter Paradise

NOVEMBER Boston Lyric Opera, Schoenberg PHOTO Liza Voll

“Avenue Q”

Proudly Welcoming You to A STORY IN EVERY MILE

The area from Boston, Massachusetts' doorstep extending to the New Hampshire border is a diverse and beautiful place with historical and cultural significance. Distances are short, prices are reasonable, and the people are friendly and welcoming. Known for cozy hotels and inns, delicious restaurants, fascinating museums and great beaches, North of Boston, MA is the ideal vacation destination for everyone. Request a free travel guide and map.

Photos: (Main Photo) The Crane Estate,The Trustees of Reservations, Ipswich © Mark Gardner; (Smaller Images) Salem Trolley © Kishgraphics; Standup Paddle Boarding, Marblehead © Little Harbor Boathouse; Lobster at Woodman’s of Essex © A.M. Casey/NBCVB; Wedding at the House of the Seven Gables © Lightshed Photography; Motif #1, Rockport © John Grant

Celebrate 200 years of inspiring agriculture at the Topsfield Fair. PHOTO TOPSFIELD FAIR, TOPSFIELD BY ANN MARIE CASEY

Travel Essex County’s Toast the Coast trail tasting locally crafted beer, wine & spirits.PHOTO RYAN & WOOD DISTILLERY, GLOUCESTER BY NBCVB

Make your own magic at Salem’s Haunted Happenings, a celebration of Halloween & Fall. PHOTO SALEM WITCH MUSEUM, SALEM BY ROBERT DUSCHENNE.

Take in the beauty of fall foliage in New England with a drive along the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway. The 90-mile roadway links 14 coastal communities from Lynn to Salisbury. PHOTO ESSEX COASTAL SCENIC BYWAY, PEABODY BY JEFF FOLGER

There’s a story in every mile North of Boston! Located only 30 minutes from Boston, the region offers 200 miles of coastline, restaurants, cultural sites, attractions, performing arts venues, and more. The Greater Salem area is rich in history, arts, and culture. Visit quintessential New England villages like Marblehead and Beverly. Salem, noted for the Witch Trials of 1692, transports visitors from the 17th-century to the 21st-century through literature, architecture, and maritime heritage.

Nestled where the Merrimack River meets the Atlantic, the Greater Newburyport area is filled with natural beauty. Newburyport’s quaint brick-lined downtown features shops, restaurants, art galleries and festivals galore. See historic homes, farms, and marshes as you wind through the region on the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway.

Kick back and enjoy family vacations, romantic getaways, ocean adventures, and fresh seafood in the Cape Ann communities of Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. Gloucester’s world-famous Fisherman’s Memorial (“The Man at the Wheel” statue) stands testament to thousands of fishermen lost at sea. The harbor bustles with schooner sails, lighthouse tours, and deep-sea fishing with some of the world’s best whale watching off the coast.

Just to the north and west on Rt. 495 lies the Greater Merrimack Valley offering skiing, biking, hiking, canoeing, strawberry picking, and concerts year-round. Visit the mill buildings that helped grow America. From the beaches of Salisbury to the rocky shores of Rockport, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Please visit northofboston.org for additional information and calendar of events.

“The Play That Goes Wrong”

“The Wolves”

We love to watch a train wreck. How else to explain guilty pleasures like the “Real Housewives of”—well, anywhere? Taking cues from similar behind-the-scenes farces like “Noises Off,” “The Play That Goes Wrong” is an uproarious recount of a fictitious English theatre company’s disastrous staging of a 1920s murder-mystery. In this Laurence Olivier Award winner, lines are flubbed, sets collapse, actors are knocked unconscious—and it’s all intentional. They say that theater wears two masks, tragedy and comedy. “The Play That Goes Wrong” puts on both at once, and it’s so, so right.

In too many plays, particularly those written by men, teenage girls are reduced to stereotypes (prudes, sluts, bimbos, bookworms) and robbed of dimension. In stark contrast stands “The Wolves,” which follows a girls soccer team through day-in, day-out discussions on the field. The members of this pack are identified only by the numbers on their jerseys, yet the characters are drawn with uncommon complexity by playwright Sarah DeLappe, whose debut work wound up a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It’s a brilliant, revealing look at girls navigating adolescent rites of passage, both petty and profound. Goal!

Emerson Colonial Theatre | 106 Boylston Street, Boston | boston.broadway.com

DECEMBER AND BEYOND “Urban Nutcracker” The Boston Ballet’s annual presentation of “The Nutcracker” is a decades-spanning holiday institution—but the “Urban Nutcracker,” premiered in 2001, is a more modern tradition that succeeds by breaking the mold. It is the creation of Tony Williams, who became the Boston Ballet’s first AfricanAmerican principle dancer in the 1960s. Williams’ spin on The Nutcracker makes use of a marvelously diverse cast, is set in Boston— behold the Citgo sign!—and infuses classic dance with dashes of hip hop, jazz, flamenco and more. We love a cherished old chestnut, but this mixed bag offers some truly fabulous flavor.

DEC 20–30

Boch Center Shubert Theatre | 265 Tremont Street, Boston | urbannutcracker.com

JAN 11–FEB 3, 2019

Lyric Stage Company | 140 Clarendon Street, Boston | lyricstage.com

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” Rip a golden ticket for this stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s delirious, devilish and decadent children’s novel. Sure, the story is familiar: A sweet, impoverished boy enters a sugary wonderland presided over by an eccentric confectioner, and antics ensure. But the musical combines brand-new songs with a few familiar tunes from the 1971 film, including the memorable “Pure Imagination,” and throws in a few contemporary twists when reimagining its kid characters: Dahl’s boob tube junkie, Mike Teavee, is now hooked to his smartphone, and bratty Violet Beauregarde is a wannabe YouTube diva. The resulting confection is just as tasty.

JAN 8–20, 2019

Lyric Stage Company | Boston Opera House | boston.broadway.com

“Barber Shop Chronicles” In much of the African diaspora, the barber shop is a sacred sort of social space: Somewhere where men can connect, communicate, spin stories, unburden secrets, build brotherly bonds and settle longsimmering feuds. “Barber Shop Chronicles” invites audiences inside these trim shops via globe-trotting vignettes set everywhere from Lagos to Accra. Conversations cover wide ground, both political and personal, but themes return often to ideas of Black masculinity: how they are held and received, experienced and perceived. Funny, fresh and poignant, “Chronicles” moves at a clip but feels warm and familiar—like a chat with a favorite barber.

JAN 8–20, 2019

Loeb Drama Center | 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge | americanrepertorytheater.org

64 | BOSTON SPIRIT

DECEMBER Lance Bordelon in the National Tour of Kinky Boots. PHOTO Matthew Murphy

NOV 7–18

DECEMBER “A John Waters’ Christmas”

We all need a lift right now. Find it when the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus presents “Raise You Up,” featuring Cyndi Lauper-penned selections from the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots” and joined by the show’s Tony Award-winning headliner (and current “Pose” star) Billy Porter. The night also includes the powerful 15-minute piece “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed,” a stirring and dramatic composition that uses the final words of seven African-Americans killed by police. From the buoyant cheering of show tunes to somber reflections on a final breath, “Raise You Up” is a promise of support through song.

MARCH 16–17, 2019

New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall | 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston | bgmc.org

Huma Bhabha Huma Bhabha’s sculptures are the stuff of dreamscapes—or beautiful nightmares, depending on how you look at it. The Pakistan-born artist, who studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, takes inspiration from broad sources—including sci-fi/horror films and religious relics—to create haunting mixed-media pieces, many made using found objects, that evoke themes like mutation, mutilation and postapocalyptic ravages of war. Creepy? It sure is—but fascinating too. It’s visceral art that demands a reaction, and this ICA exhibition, the largest survey of Bhabha’s work to date, is bound to elicit many.

DECEMBER Dance Up, Danza Orgánica PHOTO Tess Scheflan

MARCH 20–27, 2019

Institute of Contemporary Art | 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston | icaboston.org

Dance Up Boston is a city steeped in tradition, but when it comes to dance, there’s plenty of exciting and innovative work going down. Dance Up, a three-part series of performances, highlights several standout contemporary companies. Danza Orgánica investigates social justice themes through liberating movement drawing inspiration from the African diaspora. Prometheus Dance has a decades-spanning history of collaborating with composers and designers to create exciting dance displays. The Wondertwins, Bobby and Billy McClain, remix elements of vaudeville, tap and hip hop for a soulful, inimitable style all their own. Dance UP highlights artists elevating dance in Boston.

DECEMBER Boston Ballet, Ela, Paulo/Arrais, Paulo PHOTO LizaVoll Photography

DECEMBER MFA, Ansel Adams “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico”

Boston Gay Men’s Chorus: “Raise You Up”

JAN 25–27, 2019

Institute of Contemporary Art | 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston | worldmusic.org

SEP|OCT 2018 | 65

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: Analogy Trilogy

FEB 14–17, 2019

Institute of Contemporary Art | 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston | icaboston.org

“Ansel Adams in Our Time” The monochromatic landscapes of photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams offer indelible imagery. The real world, though, is constantly in flux—especially now, as the impacts of climate change on the Earth’s topography become more deeply felt. This MFA exhibition juxtaposes Adams’ photography with works by more than 20 contemporary artists who have returned to the physical locations and trafficked in the general themes (conservationism, wilderness, urban sprawl, land misuse) he earlier engaged. The show also includes photography by 19th-century government land surveyors who influenced Adams. “Time,” a visual journey through past and present, stirs weighty thoughts about the future.

DECEMBER Crashfest

Oral histories comprise the foundation for this three-part series of works by the renowned dance company founded by partners in love and art. Each piece tells a different story close to Jones’ heart. One nods to the life of his mother-in-law, a French Jewish nurse and WWII survivor. Another looks to his nephew, a performer in the ‘90s gay club scene who wound up in the sex industry. The third is inspired by a fictional character from W.G. Sebald’s award-winning novel “The Emigrant.” Together, these stories tell a single unifying tale about the individual quest for a personal truth.

“A John Waters Christmas” The gay icon and king of cult cinema doesn’t exactly offer a conventional Christmas show. This annual one-man spectacle is irreverent and dark-edged, yet sprinkled like tinsel with the artist’s inimitable queer sensibility. Waters rewrites much of the show each year, but typically covers everything from shopping (and shoplifting) to Christmas memories (some best forgotten) and holiday etiquette (or lack thereof). Guests can also ante up for VIP seats that include a post-show meet-andgreet with autographs and photos, the perfect Christmas gift for a Waters fan on your “nice” list—or the “naughty” one, for that matter.

DEC 6

Berklee Performance Center | 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston | berklee.edu

DEC 13–FEB 24, 2019

“Cabaret”

More than 100 years after her murder trial became a national cause célèbre, Lizzie Borden is back in the headlines. Borden, who was accused of the heinous hatchet murder of her father and stepmother in Fall River in 1892, is the subject of the new film “Lizzie,” a Chloe Sevigny-starring retell that plays up a possible same-sex romance between Borden and her family’s maid. Now the Footlight Club, America’s oldest continuously operating community theater, offers up “Blood Relations,” a psychology character study and murder-mystery based on a historic crime that continues to fascinate us today.

Atrocities rarely announce themselves. They often encroach quietly and incrementally, unnoticed until the once-unthinkable is recognized as a frightening new reality. “Cabaret” captures that. Set in 1931 Berlin, it watches the downfall of the Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazi Party through the horrorstruck eyes of American writer Cliff Bradshaw, English cabaret gal Sally Bowles, and the omnipresent emcee of the decadent Kit Kat Klub (famously played with genderbending glee by Alan Cumming on Broadway). As racial division and authoritarianism gain traction in America, “Cabaret” feels timelier than ever. But “Maybe This Time,” it’ll be different.

DEC 6

MARCH 30–APRIL 13, 2019

The Footlight Club | 7A Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain | footlight.org

“Blood Relations”

66 | BOSTON SPIRIT

DECEMBER Alvin Ailey

Museum of Fine Arts | 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston | mfa.org

For a person of such small stature, Ruth Westheimer has carved out a pretty big place in popular culture. The German-born media personality practically invented the occupation of celebrity sex therapist, a role none have subsequently pulled off as successfully as she has. “Becoming” unspools her biography in a one-woman show, covering Westheimer’s escape from Nazi Germany, time as a sniper in Jerusalem, struggles as a single mother and recent immigrant to America, and rise to a curious kind of fame that actually provided a pretty important service: legitimizing in mass media frank, candid, shame-free discussions of human sexuality.

APRIL 27–MAY 19, 2019

Mosesian Center for the Arts | 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown | newrep.org

“Spamilton: An American Parody” In case you’re living under a rock, the critically lauded commercial blockbuster “Hamilton” is now playing in Boston (see story on page XX). Once you’ve genuflected at that muchworshiped musical, check out this loving parody offered by the creative minds behind the “Forbidden Broadway” series of satires. The uproarious show casts a wide net, also incorporating good-natured jabs at “Gypsy,” “Chicago,” “The Book of Mormon” and many more. Don’t feel bad for laughing. Even “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda saw “Spamilton.” He later tweeted, “I laughed my brains out.” So will you.

DECEMBER Billy Porter with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus

“Becoming Dr. Ruth”

APRIL 27–MAY 19, 2019

Boston Center for the Arts | 539 Tremont Street, Boston | huntingtontheatre.org Diana Oh is a lot of things. She is queer. She is Korean-American. She is a performance artist. And she is clairvoyant—at least, as asserted by this one-woman show that sees the hyper-perceptive artist offer up her genre-jumping original music and journal entries in a celebration of self-knowledge. Named a top LGBTQ influencer by Refinery29, Oh recently made waves with “{my lingerie play},” a feminist series of public installations starring the artist in her underwear. We can’t claim to see the future, but we’re pretty sure this badass boundary-pusher has a bright road ahead.

APRIL 24–28, 2019

Oberon | 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge | americanrepertorytheater.org

DECEMBER Prometheus Dance

“Clairvoyance”

“Kinky Boots”

Diana Oh is a lot of things. She is queer. She is Korean-American. She is a performance artist. And she is clairvoyant—at least, as asserted by this one-woman show that sees the hyper-perceptive artist offer up her genre-jumping original music and journal entries in a celebration of self-knowledge. Named a top LGBTQ influencer by Refinery29, Oh recently made waves with “{my lingerie play},” a feminist series of public installations starring the artist in her underwear. We can’t claim to see the future, but we’re pretty sure this badass boundary-pusher has a bright road ahead.

Strap on “Kinky Boots,” the Tony-winning musical that made Cyndi Lauper the first woman to score the Best Score award solo. (Harvey Fierstein penned the show’s uproarious book.) “Kinky Boots” follows the unlikely camaraderie between Charlie, the hapless inheritor of his father’s English shoe factory, and Lola, a towering drag queen whose knack for designing high-heeled sequined boots might be the key to saving the business. Charlie and Lola must contend with workplace hazards, like homophobic townies. But ultimately, “Kinky Boots” is a rousing, kicky affair that leaves audiences inspired. If the shoe fits, strut in it.

MAY 31–JUNE 22, 2019

Boston Center for the Arts | 527 Tremont Street, Boston | speakeasystage.org

“Bat Out of Hell” It seems like there are no popular artists left who haven’t been tapped for a jukebox musical. But we must admit, the rock catalogue of Meat Loaf is a perfect fit for the format. After all, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” star imbues every tune with epic melodrama: think “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” They’re all included in this new stage show that uses Meat Loaf music for a story about love—the young, wild, dangerous kind—set in post-apocalyptic NYC.

MAY 7–12, 2019

Emerson Colonial Theatre | 106 Boylston Street, Boston | boston.broadway.org

Wicked Queer, The Boston LGBT Film Festival

Boch Center Wang Theatre | 270 Tremont Street, Boston | bochcenter.org

Art has always been a vehicle for examining the issues and emotions that come with being LGBT, sharing our community’s experience, and moving hearts and minds. And Wicked Queer, Boston’s annual LGBT film fest, always curates a smart cinematic selection of flicks—this year, we’re sure, being no exception. Highlights will include “1985,” about a man returning to his conservative family in the midst of the AIDS crisis and the Boston premiere of “Bixa Travesty,” about Linn da Quebrada, a Black transgender performer injecting queerness to Brazilian pop music. Plus: parties, panels and more.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Throughout Boston | wickedqueer.org

APRIL 3–21, 2019

It’s impossible to overstate the contributions of Alvin Ailey. He helped to popularize modern dance, revolutionized the participation of African-Americans in the discipline, and has gone down in history as one of the LGBTQ community’s most influential cultural contributors. Though Ailey passed from AIDS in 1989, the theater that still bears his name continues to visit Boston annually through the Celebrity Series, and this year is no exception. If you haven’t yet had the Ailey experience, move now.

MAY 2–5, 2019

Boch Center Wang Theatre | 270 Tremont Street, Boston | celebrityseries.org

MARCH 29–APRIL 8, 2019

“Rhapsody” In the May/June issue of Boston Spirit, we profiled Boston Ballet principal dancer Paulo Arrais. The out performer told us about plans for his choreographic debut with the company: “ELA, Rhapsody in Blue,” a tribute to the power of the female spirit told through 15 male dancers and a single woman, all set to the music of George Gershwin. “ELA” finally arrives in this program, where it is joined by several other pieces exploring the theme of inspiration: “Pas de Quatre,” “Rodin” “Vestras” and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. “Rhapsody” should make for an epic night of dance.

MAY 16–JUNE 9, 2019

Boston Opera House | 539 Washington Street, Boston | bostonballet.org

68 | BOSTON SPIRIT

DECEMBER Huma Bhabha “Unnatural Histories”

“The View UpStairs”

“The Handmaid’s Tale” As if the television show wasn’t dramatic enough, “The Handmaid’s Tale” hits the stage as a stunning opera—and timely cautionary tale. The dystopic drama about a totalitarian society that subjects women to servitude, set in Boston and Cambridge, promises to be one of the Boston Lyric Opera’s largest, most lavish productions. This will be the first performance of a new edition by the composer that was commissioned by the BLO, and it is directed by Rhode Island native Anne Bogart, a legend in contemporary theatre. Blessed be the fruit of their provocative and pertinent artistic labor.

MAY 5–12, 2019

Harvard University Ray Lavietes Pavilion | 65 North Harvard Street, Boston | blo.org

CRASHfest Hear sounds from around the world—without ever leaving Boston. CRASHfest, an annual celebration of global music, returns to the House of Blues with another lineup of international acts. Ten bands will play three stages throughout the venue, and it’s bound to be quite a party. Past acts have included Newpoli, playing modern spins on old-world taranta music from southern Italy, Mokoomba, a Zimbabwean group that fuses Afro-pop with traditional Tonga rhythms, and Tal National, serving up electrifying West African guitar music. Besides the world- and genre-spanning

DECEMBER Wondertiwns PHOTO Sally Cohn

performers, expect to find internationallyinspired street foods and cocktails.

FEBRUARY 23, 2019

House of Blues | 15 Lansdowne Street, Boston | worldmusic.org Gloria Estefan is a strong LGBTQ ally—and not just because she cast drag to replace her in the 1994 music video for “Everlasting Love.” Last year she received a National Leadership Award from the National LGBTQ Task Force. She starred in the movie “Change of Heart,” a tolerance-promoting flick about a homophobe who receives a heart transplant from a drag queen. And Estefan’s daughter recently came out in a same-sex relationship on Instagram. Celebrate the pop icon when “On Your Feet!” charts the story of the singer and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan, using her chart-topping hits.

MARCH 27–31, 2019

The Hanover Theatre | 2 Southbridge Street, Worcester | thehanovertheatre.org

O C TO B E R 1 1 – M AY 4

617-266-1200 bso.org

DECEMBER “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” PHOTO Joan Marcus

DECEMBER “Barber Shop” PHOTO March Brenner

“On Your Feet!”

CULTURE Stage STORY Loren King

All that Jazz Ensembles will serenade strollers along the Charles River September 23 Combining live performance, audience engagement and homage to all things Boston, “Jazz Along the Charles” is a unique event that takes audiences out of the concert halls and clubs and puts on a show for free all along the Esplanade. On September 23 in the afternoon, 25 jazz ensembles selected for the event by an anonymous group that chose the acts from among hundreds of applicants will gather at different, connected locations along the Charles River Esplanade and place two sets of songs, 16 in total, related in some way to Boston. This first-ever collective concert celebrates the city and jazz by inviting spectators to stroll a twomile loop while taking in each ensemble’s interpretations of the same songs. (The rain date is October 7.)

Cameron Shave PHOTO Robert Torres It’s a diverse set list, ranging from Duke Ellington’s “I Got it Bad (and That Ain’t Good) which tips a hat to the Duke’s alto sax player, Johnny Hodges, who was born in Cambridge and also lived in Boston’s South End to “Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor with its famous line about snow covering the Turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston. “The idea of focusing on music related to Boston is intriguing,” says longtime local jazz musician and composer Ken Field who curated the set list for the event. Each ensemble will be given sheet music and invited to put its own spin on the song.

Eric Hofbauer PHOTO Robert Torres

Field is a member of the Boston-based art-rock group Birdsongs of the Mesozoic and leads the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, an improvisational brass band. His own composition, “I Got It,” performed with the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, will be heard during the event. Despite his long ties to the Boston music scene, Field says that, at first, he wasn’t sure he could find more than a few appropriate songs. New York and Paris, sure, but songs about Boston? But the more research he did, he says, the more Field discovered an eclectic group of songs connected to the city or written by composers with roots here.

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MIXCLA PHOTO Robert Torres Some selections were obvious—“Dirty Water” with its refrain “Oh, Boston You’re My Home” familiar to anyone who’s attended a local sport event—others, less so. Renowned vibist, composer, and educator Gary Burton, who’s had a 30-year affiliation with Berklee College of Music, is represented by his composition “Boston Marathon.” There’s “Boston Beans,” from the 1962 Peggy Lee release “Blues Cross Country,” a song Lee herself wrote with Bob Schluger and Milton Raskin. “Back Bay Boogie” is a Benny Carter tune from 1946 based on a riff that Carter used to play with his sextet at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, says Field.

Field’s list also includes composers born in the Boston area, such as Chelsea native son Chick Corea and his “500 Miles High”; Lawrence-born Leonard Bernstein’s classic “Maria”; and one of Field’s favorites, Sonny Stitt’s version of “I Cover the Waterfront.” Stitt was born Edward Hammond Boatner, Jr. in Boston in 1924 and became one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording more than 100 albums. Field also wanted to mix it up, and challenge the musicians with some rock tunes. So audiences can expect to hear a jazzy version of “The Night,” by the late Mark Sandman’s Boston-based group

inside & outside

Morphine, an international sensation in the 1990s. Field also wanted new bands represented, so there’s “Loaded” by the Boston-based duo Lilith (Hannah + Kelsey) and “Boston” by California rock band Augustana, from their debut album “All the Stars and Boulevards” (2005). Drawing on the rich and diverse music scene in Boston, the jazz acts selected for the event run the gamut from traditional jazz groups such as the Jason Palmer Quintet and The Kevin Harris Project to Eric Hofbauser, a solo jazz guitarist. There’s OddSong, a sax quartet with vocalist Rebecca Shrimpton; a young trio that call themselves MIXCLA, and many more. “Jazz Along the Charles” is a free public event, part of Celebrity Series’ commitment to free public performance experiences for the people of Boston. Previous Celebrity Series projects have included “Street Pianos Boston” (2013 and 2016), “Le Grand Continental” (2014), and “Let’s Dance Boston!” (2015 and 2017). [x]

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CULTURE Stage STORY Loren King

A ‘Kiss’ Still Haunting, Still Relevant Iconic gay character anchors landmark musical Director/choreographer Rachel Bertone’s much acclaimed production in April of the John Kander and Fred Ebb classic “Cabaret” for Moonbox Productions — hailed by critics as bleak and

72 | BOSTON SPIRIT

brilliant— sparked her quest to go deeper into the Kander and Ebb canon. Bertone says the duo’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman” was “on my bucket list for years.” Winner of Tony awards in 1993 for

best musical, score and book by out writer Terrence McNally, “Kiss of the Spider Woman” centers on the relationship between two men, the flamboyantly gay Molina and the macho political prisoner Valentin, who share a cell in an Argentina prison.

[OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER-LEFT]

Eddy Cavazos, Rachel Bertone, Lisa Yuen, Taavon Gamble “I needed to do these two shows back to back,” says Bertone, a Malden native and Boston Conservatory graduate whose long list of directing credits includes “Gypsy” in 2017 at Lyric Stage Company and “Carousel” in 2016 at Reagle Music Theatre. “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” she says, “is incredibly relevant. It’s a beautiful story; a haunting story.” Bertone approached Lyric Stage Company artistic director Spiro Veloudos about staging the show this year and he readily agreed. “Kiss of the Spider Woman” opened the Lyrics’s new season August 31 and runs through October 7. Many LGBT audiences likely know “Kiss of the Spider Woman” from the landmark 1985 film starring William Hurt as Molina, Raul Julia as Valentin and Sonia Braga as Aurora. The film earned Hurt the Best Actor Oscar, giving him the distinction of being the first actor to win an Oscar for a gay role. The film is based on the 1976 novel by Argentine writer Manuel Puig. As part of her preparation, Bertone did extensive research on “Kiss of the Spider

Woman,” an aspect of directing she enjoys and undertakes for all her shows. Molina, who escapes from the brutal reality of prison life through his fantasies about a mysterious 1940s movie star who takes on the role of a Spider Woman, represents Puig, says Bertone. Like the author, Molina is an effeminate gay man who “maybe identifies as gender queer” but who is not trans, as some critics have recently speculated. “Molina’s femininity is a beautiful thing in the play; a total contrast to the toxic masculinity” in the work, she says. “Molina is proud of his identity; he worships the ideals of femininity and he is true to himself even if he’ll be persecuted for it.” In creating this character “with a huge arc” that ends with him in a completely different place, Puig “was ahead of his time and wasn’t afraid to be radical,” Bertone notes. “Creating this homosexual character during this political time [in Argentina] was very controversial.” Berton, who also choreographs the show, no doubt will bring plenty of sizzle to the

dance numbers. But she stresses the heart of the show is the Kander and Ebb score, which ranges from the tender moments of “Dear One” and “Mama It’s Me” to the rousing “The Day After That” and “Anything for Him,” which expresses Molina’s feelings for Valentin. “You Could Never Shame Me” is a powerful anthem about a parent’s love for a child. Bertone says it was important to her vision for this production that it be cast with people of color and Latinx actors. Heading a cast of 14 are Eddy Cavazos as Molina; Taavon Gamble as Valentin; and Lisa Yuen as Aurora. Just as “Cabaret,” set in 1930s Germany as the Nazis rise to power, seems chilling in its relevance to today, Bertone says “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” also set during a repressive regime, will no doubt strike a chord with audiences who will view it through the lens of the current social and political climate. “The play deals with homophobia and violence, and Molina’s power to reject it and show Valentin … [that] you can show

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“ We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir,” said Dixon as Pence scurried up the aisle to the exit. “But we truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. All of us. Again, we truly thank you truly for seeing this show, this wonderful American story told by a diverse group of men and women of different colors, creeds and orientations.”

CULTURE Theater STORY Loren King

“Hamilton,” national tour company. PHOTO Joan Marcus

Outsider Art Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton” comes to Boston “Hamilton” is finally coming to Boston. It was the hardest ticket get on Broadway and the touring production won’t be any easier. The Broadway in Boston production runs September 18–November 18. It needs no publicity; the run was sold-out almost immediately. “Hamilton” is more than a mega-hit Broadway musical; it’s a cultural phenomenon. With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, “Hamilton” won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, after netting a record 16 Tony nominations. It won the Pulitzer Prize and its cast album received the 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album. “Hamilton” appealed to people across every demographic including LGBT not just because it’s a creative, original and powerful musical. Its hip-hop and R&B

74 | BOSTON SPIRIT

score was unorthodox for Broadway and redefined what American musicals are supposed to sound like, just as its diverse casting turned notions of what a Broadway musical about historical figures should look like on its head. The main characters in “Hamilton”—the revolutionaries—are all people of color. That a cast of mostly black and Latino actors play the founders of the country gives meaning to “Hamilton” that resonate with all outsiders: history has whitewashed all our stories, including LGBT. Miranda based his show on Ron Chernow’s biography Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became a key player in defining a new nation and the first US secretary of the treasury. Even though “Hamilton” focuses on the accomplishments of white men, the diverse casting turned the historical

account into an immigrant story. A line in one of the songs, “Immigrants/We get the job done,” consistently drew ovations on Broadway; eventually, the cast had to pause until the applause died down. The relevance of Hamilton to current events was most notable just after the 2016 election. Vice President-elect Pence attended a performance of the Broadway production. As the cast took its curtain call, Brandon Victor Dixon, who played Aaron Burr in the musical, read a potent prepared message from the “Hamilton” team. “We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir,” said Dixon as Pence scurried up the aisle to the exit. “But we truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. All of us. Again, we truly thank you truly for seeing this show, this wonderful American story told by a diverse group of men and women of different colors, creeds and orientations.” [x]

CULTURE Music/Comedy STORY Loren King Tory Scott. PHOTO Darren Bell

Thirst for Life Tori Scott brings brings shameless musical journey to Oberon With her big voice, bawdy humor and gay following, Tori Scott has been compared with Bette Midler. But even Scott didn’t expect her career path to follow Midler’s in such a surprising way: performing at a New York City bathhouse. Midler famously got her start at the Continental Baths in the 70s; Scott was among a handful performers to entertain at a late-night party at a Turkish baths on Wall Street “Man, it was wild. I read somewhere that Bette Midler said she’d never seen a guy naked when she performed at the baths, which is shocking to me because that’s the first thing I saw when I walked in. They

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were not shy,” says Scott over the phone from Edinburgh where she’s performing in the annual Festival Fringe. A graduate of the Boston Conservatory, Scott has been honing her cabaret show for years in New York at other venues besides the baths. She’s performed at popular Joe’s Pub and made her debut two summers ago at the Art House in Provincetown where she returned this past July. Now she brings show, “Thirsty” her mashup of comedy and music, to Afterglow at Oberon on Oct. 11, 8 p.m. “Thirsty,” says Scott. is “a shameless musical journey and a comedy cabaret show celebrating the bad decisions I’ve

made in my life.” Scott’s powerhouse voice displays her eclectic tastes that run the gamut from show tunes to pop hits. There’s Judy Garland and Edith Piaf; Queen and Madonna. “Thirsty is about my love of vodka and my thirst for love and for enjoying life and finding those connections with people,” says Scott. She grew up a musical theater devotee in Arlington, Texas. “I was in the children’s chorus of ‘Evita.’ I was obsessed with Patti LuPone. I had a cassette tape of ‘Evita’ and I wore it out,” she says. “A dance teacher and mentor had me watch old musicals including ‘White Christmas’ at Thanksgiving so Rosemary Clooney was another inspiration. She was so classy and gorgeous and what a voice. I like these older genres of music. Later, I was into stand up comedy and storytelling so there’s been a range of inspirations.” After graduating and leaving Boston, Scott headed for New York ready to make her mark on the musical stage. But she was frustrated by the endless auditions for too-few musical roles. “It’s tough to get in door; it’s hard to get seen for things. There are only so many open calls you can go to and sing 16 bars. A friend was working at a gay bar that’s since closed and he liked my voice and said, ‘We have drag queens. Why not do a show?’ … It was a way for me to perform without waiting for someone to hire me. I knew I was a good performer.” Gigs at Fire Island, Rehoboth Beach and Atlantis gay cruises followed, building a gay following for Scott, and several years later, she was booked at Joe’s Pub. Mixing classic songs and engaging stories, Scott’s act evolved over the years and it has opened doors for her, she says. “Now I can get in the room [for auditions]. I’m just going on this ride and will see where it take me. I’m more confident and more comfortable.” So maybe in a couple decades there will be hordes who claim, like they do with Bette Midler, that they first saw Scott singing at a bathhouse. “At 2: 30 in the morning, I don’t think they will remember,” she laughs. [x]

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CULTURE Festival STORY Loren King

Wishful and Wistful From Snagglepuss to Amanda Plummer, the stars align at this year’s Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival What does the popular ’50s and ’60-era cartoon character of Snagglepuss have to do with Tennessee Williams? At this year’s Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival, which runs September 27–30, the answer is, a lot. Writer Mark Russell’s new comic book miniseries, “Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles,” drawn by Mike Feehan and published by DC Comics, reimagines Snagglepuss, a pink mountain lion, as a droll 1950’s Southern playwright. In homage to Williams, Russell and Feehan’s Snagglepuss attends the 1953 premiere of a Broadway play he’s written titled “The Heart is a Kennel of Thieves.” Meanwhile, across town, Snagglepuss’s Cuban boyfriend Pablo waits at The Stonewall Inn for the closeted playwright to visit him. Not only that, but Huckleberry Hound shows up as a gay

Southern novelist in love with a New York City police horse. “The Snagglepuss Chronicles” will be presented as a staged reading at the Provincetown Theater on all three days of the festival. Directed by Brenna Geffers, it will be performed by the Die-Cast ensemble from Philadelphia, a company long associated with the festival which honors Williams by presenting his classic and undiscovered plays, the work of his peers, and new work inspired by Williams’ creative vision worldwide. The original Snagglepuss, one Hanna-Barbera’s animated cartoon characters, first appeared in 1959 as Snaggletooth on “The Quick Draw McGraw Show” but was soon renamed and added to the supporting cast for “Augie Doggie & Doggie Daddy.” In 1961, Snagglepuss was a regular on “The Yogi Bear Show,” featured

78 | BOSTON SPIRIT

in 32 episodes that have been shown on syndicated television ever since, turning his flabbergasted expression, “Heavens to Murgatroyd!” into a popular catchphrase. In “The Snagglepuss Chronicles,” the pink mountain lion with the distinctive blubbering speaking voice is called to testify before a committee of the House of Representatives intent on purging what they consider unAmerican activities, from homosexuality to nuclear disarmament. In a scene with cheeky contemporary resonance, the committee asks if Snagglepuss understands the importance of his testimony. He replies, “I only know that a nation must either conquer its fears or become them ... You’re right that this hearing is important. But it’s not me who’s on trial. It’s you.” For festival curator David Kaplan, The Snagglepuss Chronicles” fits perfectly with this year’s theme of “Wishful Thinking.” “The plays presented this year at the Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown draw on all … aspects of

wishful thinking, prompted by waiting for something to happen—often, waiting for someone to arrive. That seems to me to be the situation we live with in 2018,” says Kaplan. The 2018 lineup of shows features five Tennessee Williams plays alongside works by Federico García Lorca, Anton Chekhov, and Samuel Beckett, produced and performed by artists from New York City, Philadelphia, Florida, Michigan, Texas, and beyond. Another highlight of this year’s festival is the world premiere of “Talisman Roses,” a short play that Tom Williams, before he was Tennessee, wrote in 1937, at the time that his beloved sister Rose was in an asylum. The play is about a young woman released from an institution into the care of her family. “Talisman Roses” will be performed at the Provincetown Theater under the direction of fourtime Oscar-nominated actress turned stage director Marsha Mason who also happens to be a native of St. Louis, where the play is set. It will star Tony award-winning actress Amanda Plummer. Plummer

Festival Curator David Kaplan and Amanda Plummer. PHOTO Loren King Jared Oxborough as Tennessee Williams in a previous festival’s world premiere of “Autumn Song” PHOTO William Cameron [OPPOSITE-RIGHT] Amanda Plummer. [ABOVE]

[OPPOSITE-LEFT]

Crane at peace on the bottom of the sea, until his mother dies and tracks him down to straighten him out. Both plays are directed by Rory Pelsue and produced by The Collective NY, Another notable offering is Williams’ “Will Mr. Merriwether Return From Memphis?” The play is produced by the Pensacola Little Theatre which has been ongoing since 1936 and will be staged at the Provincetown Inn. Directed by Jeff Glickman who also composed the music which he’ll perform on banjo, it’s a ghost tale set in Bethesda, Mississippi at the dawn of the 20th century. A widowed landlady, Louise McBride, pines for her former flame and star boarder, Mr. Merriwether, a traveling salesman who went off to Memphis. He’s been gone so long he might be dead, so Louise holds séances with Nora, her neighbor. But the ghosts they conjure include the ghost of Vincent Van Gogh and Williams playfully explores the meaning of life and death. [x]

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was the guest of honor at the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival’s gala fundraiser in June. It was then that she told Kaplan how much she wanted to be part of this year’s lineup of plays and jumped at the opportunity to perform in this first-ever production of “Talisman Roses.” Also at the Provincetown Theater is Williams’ dark comedy, “Some Problems for the Moose Lodge,” a one-act play that grew into Williams’ last completed play, “A House Not Meant to Stand.” A couple, Cornelius and Bella McCorkle, come home to Pascagoula after the funeral of their fun-loving gay son. To Bella’s delight and Cornelius’s derision, they discover their other son has moved into their house for a visit with his fiancée: a pregnant holy roller who speaks in tongues. “Moose Lodge” will be paired with “Steps Must Be Gentle,” Williams’ fantasia about the influential American poet Hart Crane, now acknowledged as gay, who committed suicide by jumping off a ship into the Gulf of Mexico. In “Steps Must Be Gentle,” Williams imagines

Calendar Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective: One Big Event As the HGLHC celebrates its 35th year, its signature annual gala dances into a sweet sixteenth installment. The “One Big Event,” a night of dinner, dancing, cocktail-drinking and DJ-soundtracked boogying, raises vital funds for the multi-service organization, which offers an array of important services: from HIV testing to health education outreach to support groups for LGBTQ youth. Give the anniversary gift of your attendance, and walk home with some excellent live and silent auction items, by making this singular soiree a number-one priority. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Saturday, October 20

Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford CT

onebigevent.org

Troye Sivan with Kim Petras With smart electropop songs like “Bloom,” a sweet and sexy ode to gay desire that serves as the title track for his new album, 23-year old singer-songwriter Sivan is emerging as one of the most promising out musicians of his generation. Discover why when Sivan brings his “Bloom Tour” to Boston, supported by opening act Kim Petras, a 25-year old rising pop music phenomenon who first shot to fame in her native Germany after undergoing gender Kim Petras transition as a teenager. By making major soundwaves in music while being vocally queer, this talented twosome proves: the kids are alright. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Friday, October 12

Boch Center Wang Theatre, Boston

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Artcetera The art world has always been a vital force in the fight against HIV/AIDS; consider the iconic “Silence = Death” motto made famous by the late Keith Haring. And since 1985, ARTcetera has been a cornerstone of fundraising for the AIDS Action Committee, offering local collectors a way to access investment-worthy works — including pieces by major names like Warhol, Rothko and Liebowitz — while supporting a truly priceless organization. Join a flock of fellow culture vultures at a fabulous fete full of art and heart. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Sat., Oct. 27

The Castle at Park Plaza, Boston

artceteraboston.org

PHOTO Alex Syphers

Pride New Haven PHOTO Megan McGory Gleason

Connecticut’s second-largest city knows how to throw a premier Pride event, and this year’s 20th anniversary installment will be no exception. The week-long series of events includes a Mr. and Mrs. Gay New Haven pageant, vendor-packed block party with DJs and live performers, drag shows, and even a book signing with trans author Sophie Labelle. Celebrate two decades worth of city-wide queer visibility with a fun-filled lineup offering something for everyone. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Sunday, September 9—Sunday, September 16

Throughout New Haven

newhavenpridecenter.org/ programming/pride

BAGLY: “The Revolution” It has never wavered from its mission as a youth-led, adult-supported social support organization for LGBTQ young people — but boy oh boy, BAGLY sure has grown up. When it was launched in 1980, BAGLY was based out of a tiny rented space on Boston’s Tremont Street; in August, the mature national leader in queer youth programming moved into a new, 5000 square-foot community center at 28 Court Street, steps from the Massachusetts State House and Boston City Hall. Support this revolutionary next chapter in the non-profit’s history with a party at Yvonne’s, one of Boston’s buzziest restaurants, complete with open bar and hors d’oeuvres. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Thursday, September 20

Yvonne’s, Boston

bagly.org/revolution

Youth Pride Inc: “Annual Rainbow Party” Support LGBTQ young people in the Ocean State — and enjoy a stellar ocean view — at the “Annual Rainbow Party” to support Youth Pride Inc. The Rhode Island organization, founded in 1992, offers a multitude of affirming, supportive services to young adults, including an LGBTQ drop-in center, mentoring programs, diverse workshops and more. Youth Pride, guided by the motto “Don’t Grow Up Invisible,” also provides LGBTQ-inclusive training to area educators. Funds raised at the beach club-set Rainbow Party, which will include music, open bar and hors d’oeuvres, will ensure many more years of successful advocacy ahead. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Sunday, September 23

The Dunes Club, Narragansett, RI

bit.ly/YPI_Rainbow_ Party_2018

Latinx Queer Film Series Film is one of the most powerful mediums for sharing the LGBTQ experience, but Latinx folks are often made invisible in movies with queer themes. Presented by The Theater Offensive’s Out’hood program and Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA), this film series will present three free screenings of flicks that deal directly with LGBTQ Latinx communities, including “Extra Terrestres,” about a Puerto Rican lesbian who returns to her rural home to invite her conservative family to her wedding, and “Sin Vagina, Me Marginan,” the first Peruvian film recorded entirely on a smartphone, about a transgender woman who kidnaps the daughter of a transphobic minister to use the ransom money for surgery. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Wednesdays, September 12, 19 and 26

Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, Boston

eventbrite.com

Pride Vermont and Outright VT Fire Truck Pull

Luv

If you’re looking for an excuse to take a trip up north, in September the Green Mountain State’s biggest city, Burlington, hosts Pride Vermont. This year the annual celebration will include a colorful parade from Church Street to Battery Park, site of the exciting festival filled with LGBTQ vendors and live entertainment, from drag and burlesque to stand-up comedy. Prefer something a bit quirkier? Come back to Burlington in late September to participate (or simply spectate) at an annual fire truck pull that raises tens of thousands of dollars for the LGBTQ organization Outright Vermont. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Saturday, September 8 (Pride Vermont); Saturday, September 22 (Fire Truck Pull)

Burlington, VT

pridevt.org, outrightvt.org

DJs James Derek Dwyer and Matheus are ready to spread the “Luv” at their new monthly party at Bella Luna in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, long one of the city’s most diverse, LGBTQ-friendly areas. Their new gay (and allies) dance night promises a sassy but shade-free zone uniting music fans through a series of rotating themes. September’s debut will focus on “90s Divas,” spinning major icons like Madonna and Janet Jackson alongside deeper cuts from one of the most memorable eras for gay bar bangers. “We’re really focusing on actually getting people dancing,” says Dwyer. We have a feeling LUV will win our hearts in no time. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Friday, September 21; Friday, October 19 and the third Friday of every month

Bella Luna & The Milky Way, Jamaica Plain

$5 cover starting at 10 PM

Worcester Pride

Years and Years This British electropop trio continues to craft indelible, danceable hooks on their latest record, “Palo Santo,” a concept album set in a fictional future where androids have overtaken human society. Its standouts include lead single “Sanctify,” which sees out frontman Olly Alexander sing about gay intimacy as a spiritual blessing over sultry, pounding beats. Alexander has emerged as a highly visible advocate for LGBTQ equality, but politics aside, expect a night of pure pop magic when the group takes its “Palo Santo Tour” to Boston. Years & Years will deliver a night to remember. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Friday, October 12

Paradise Rock Club, Boston

ticketmaster.com

Boston Pride may be over, but now turn your attention to New England’s second largest city. Plenty of exciting festivities are on tap for this year’s Worcester Pride, which garners thousands of attendees for its annual LGBTQ Pride Pageant, parade and festival on the common. It’s also a chance to discover the organization behind a year-round calendar of events; Worcester Pride also produces a youth prom, an annual drag brunch, and a familyfriend Pride night at a Worcester Bravehearts baseball game. Way to go, Woo-town. WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Wednesday–Sunday, October 5–9

Worcester, MA

worcesterpride.org

SCENE Fête PHOTOS Devon Kelley, Joy Mosenfelder and Lizzie Sinclair

CRI Summer Party Red Inn | Provincetown | July 21, 2018

The Red Inn was abuzz with energy during CRI’s 15th annual Summer Party, where more than 175 people gathered to raise more than $50,000 for Community Research Initiative’s lifesaving research and services. This year, the nonprofit honored Jonathan Scott, CEO of Victory Programs, with the Dr. Cal Cohen Founder’s Award for his tireless dedication throughout his 43-year career to improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. The event also celebrates the ongoing success CRI has achieved over the nearly 30 years since it was founded.

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SCENE Networking PHOTOS Kathleen Darcy, Daina Boyajian and Alison Gray

Cambridge LGBTQ Networking Night MIT Media Lab | Cambridge | June 20, 2018

Cambridge Savings Bank, in partnership with the Cambridge Office of Tourism and the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, held their first-ever Cambridge LGBTQ Networking Night at the MIT Media Lab. More than 100 guests attended including former Cambridge Mayor Ken Reeves, Executive Director of the Cambridge Office of Tourism Robyn Culbertson and Executive Director of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce David Maher, also a former mayor of Cambridge.

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SCENE Celebration PHOTOS Allana Taranto

Boston Spirit Summer Sunset Cruise Boston Harbor | Boston | June 13, 2018

Hundreds of happy cruisers set sail on a beautiful, balmy evening aboard the Provincetown II for Boston Spirit’s 15th annual Summer Sunset Sail. Every year, proceeds from this annual sell-out event, which welcomes in the summer and coincides with the culmination of Boston Pride festivities—benefit Fenway Health’s research and healthcare services.

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SCENE Fête PHOTOS Infinity Photography

GLAD Summer Party

Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum | Provincetown | July 28, 2018

At its 37th annual Summer Party in Provincetown, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) honored LGBTQ rights and breast cancer activist, anti-poverty advocate and political strategist Ann Maguire. The popular event featured spectacular views, an open bar and delicious food. The fabulous Varla Jean Merman hosted a live auction featuring custom art, travel packages, engaging family experiences and more.

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Rachel Feingold teeing off.

Victory’s Director of Facilities John O’Connor [FAR LEFT] and Bill Weihs of United Way [FAR RIGHT] with Pete Polsonetti and Jonathan Elia. First Place winners Tim Clougherty, Donnie Fitzgerald, Scott Longmuir and TJ Regan

SCENE Sports/Benefit PHOTOS Steve Lord and Victory Programs staff

Drive for Victory

Blue Hill Country Club | Canton, MA | June 25, 2018

Another year, another beautiful day golfing for good with Victory Programs at the sixth annual Drive for Victory charity golf tournament. Setting a new record this year, this fun-filled fundraiser brought in more than $60,000 for the 2,500 individuals and families that Victory serves. Victory’s 19 programs in Boston, Cambridge and Topsfield provide vital services to help individuals recover from substance addiction, manage chronic illnesses like HIV/AIDS and overcome homelessness.

Second Place winners Mike Bouchard, Robert Burch, Joseph DeQuattro and Steve Dwyer

Third Place winners Joe Coombs, Joe Coombs Jr., Steve Coombs and Matt Geeves

Ed Banks, Sandro Frattura, Gary Christensen and Sam Baccam.

Most Honest Team winners David Connelly, Tony Gale and Kenneth Westermann

Wendell K. Chestnut, David Zimmerman and John Karnath.

[AT LEFT] Meghan Lynch, Joanne St.

Pierre, Stephanie Jenis and Paul Lynch.

[FAR LEFT] Victory Programs’ Board Member

Elizabeth Dugan and son with Scott Longmuir.

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SCENE Pride PHOTOS Paul E. Martin

Rhode Island PrideFest Providence | June 17, 2017

“Louder and Prouder” was the theme of the 43rd annual PrideFest and Illuminated Night Time Parade in Providence, which kicked off the summer in Rhode Island, and it was one of the biggest—and, yes, the loudest in all the best ways— that the Ocean State has ever seen. Local faves LuLu Locks, Kira Stone and comedian John Kelley hosted the mainstage with RuPaul Drag Race stars Monet X Change and Monique Heart among the headliners. Grand Marshal Ashley Delgado, Miss Lesbian Rhode Island 2017, led the parade. Honorary marshals were the TGI Netword of Rhode Island, Youth Pride and Sage RI.

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LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DANCE!

www.mochadj.com INFO@MOCHADJ.COM

SCENE Travel/Music PHOTOS Thomas L. Collins III

BGMC South Afria Tour South Africa | June 11–25, 2018

During their history-making 11-day tour of South Africa, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus met South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, led the first-ever LGBTQ Pride Parade in George, South Africa, and raised nearly $40,000 from proceeds from their concerts in Soweto, Johannesburg and Cape Town for communitybased organizations serving LGBTQ South Africans. BGMC Music Director Rueben Reynolds III—who has led all three of the Chorus’ international tours (Eastern Europe in 2005, the Middle East in 2015 and South Africa in 2018)—said that the chorus tours to celebrate difference and learn from others: “Music is a universal language. We share our stories through song and find common ground with others.”

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South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa greets BGMC at Soweto Youth Day march.

SCENE Pride PHOTOS Marilyn Humphries

North Shore Pride Salem, MA | June 23, 2018

A few rain clouds proved no match as a sea of rainbows flooded downtown Salem for the seventh annual North Shore Pride Parade and Festival, themed #TrueSelf. Celebrity Grand Marshal actress and comedian Caroline Rhea and her daughter Ava led the parade through the city along a newly extended route ending at Salem Commons for the festival. Over 10,000 people came out to celebrate as festival emcee WZLX Classic Rock radio personality Angie C and performances by Annie Brobst, Vinyl Groove, Jme Redd and Big Ol Dirty Bucket entertained the crowds throughout the afternoon. Afterwards, at Murphy’s Pub for the Official After Party, guests danced to music by local favorite DJ Andrea Stamas and enjoyed a benefit comedy show by Caroline Rhea.

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CODA Song STORY Scott Kearnan

Candy-Coated Bops of Love Trans songstress Kim Petras brings a sweet flair of life to her music Back in her native Germany, 26-year-old Kim Petras first earned headlines as one of the youngest people to undergo gender confirmation surgery at age 16. But in America, Petras is a rising pop star whose music—candy-coated bops about love, life and Los Angeles, served with flirty flair—steals the show all on its own. Earworm melodies and fun music videos, like “I Don’t Want It At All,” which paired Petras with a cameo from sugar-baby idol Paris Hilton, have been building her a strong stateside fan base, especially with LGBTQ crowds. And though she’s seemingly cut in the pop princess mold of Britney Spears, this out trans artist also writes her own insanely catchy songs. On Friday, October 12, Petras joins the acclaimed 23-yearold gay singer Troye Sivan, another A-plus member of the new class of out pop performers, when his “Bloom Tour” visits Boston. We grabbed her for a few questions about her upcoming debut album, being a young trans role model, and her own favorite idols—from Boy George to the Spice Girls. [SPIRIT] Your recent single “Heart to Break” is such a bop. What’s the biggest heartbreak you’ve ever had, and what did you learn from it? [PETRAS] Probably my first boyfriend. He just kinda ended things without actually breaking up with me, so that sucked. I think what I’ve learned about heartbreak is that life goes on, and to allow myself to be sad and depressed

for a little bit in order to get better. But still, I kinda feel like I’m not particularly good at love and picking the right guy.

k.d. lang in concert. PHOTO Matt Duboff

[SPIRIT] As your full-length album comes together, what’s the vibe you want to capture? What is inspiring your songwriting right now? [PETRAS] I think the first album for any artist is really special, because it’s so many years of material just built up. I think escapism is a big thing for me, and just glamorizing what I dreamt my life to be like versus what it’s actually like. All of my songs are autobiographical. They are all about real experiences and real feelings that I have: you know, moving to LA, having nothing and then making something of myself. [SPIRIT] As an out transgender artist, do you ever feel like you face certain challenges or resistance from within the LGBTQ community? In a world with so few out trans pop stars, do you feel it’s difficult to be yourself while also “representing” so much to the LGBTQ community? [PETRAS] I try to always be an advocate for the trans community: to help and inspire other people, to change the world, to give transgender people more visibility. I think it’s always important that people are talking about it and there’s exposure around it. Honestly, mostly I’m about equality. I feel like transgender people get reduced a lot to just being transgender — and there is so much more to a person than their gender identification. I want to be a great artist and be taken seriously as an artist — and also be transgender.

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Kim Petras [SPIRIT] Artists like you and Troye represent a new generation of out, proud and vocal LGBTQ artists. That’s inspiring to older generations who never had role models like you. What is something that you think today’s young LGBTQ people can learn from those that came before? [PETRAS] I have a lot of respect for LGBTQ people that came before me because they paved the way that made it okay for me to be myself. I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to be myself and I’m grateful that they’ve paved the way which allows me to inspire others to be brave and stand up for themselves. I’m really lucky to have grown up with icons like Boy George and Freddie Mercury because they were so talented and I’m constantly inspired by everything they’ve done not only in music but in the community. [SPIRIT] If you could perform a duet with any LGBTQ music icon in history—who would it be, why, and what would you sing? [PETRAS] Boy George! Actually—Boy George and Freddie Mercury, it would be

a trio. And the song I would choose is “It’s Raining Men,” by the Weather Girls. [SPIRIT] In November, Massachusetts voters will decide whether to keep protections for transgender people in public places. Is there anything you’d like to say to voters—especially younger voters—about the importance of showing up to vote? [PETRAS] I think it’s important to be involved with what’s going on right now. It’s important to speak up about what’s important to you and what you believe in — and you can do that by voting. I think in a weird way this whole Trump thing has brought the LGBT community together, and there’s more of a sense of fighting for something together. I think it’s always important to push for progress and be involved in making positive change. [x]

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