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… is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?

—Patrick Henry

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Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation, Jennifer and Andrew Borggaard, Kate and Ford O’Neil and Burt Adelman and Lydia Rogers also provided generous support. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum.

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Jacob Lawrence, . . . is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? —Patrick Henry, 1775, Panel 1, 1955 (detail), from Struggle: From the History of the American People, 1954–56. Egg tempera on hardboard. Collection of Harvey and Harvey-Ann Ross. © The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Bob Packert/PEM.

publisher@bostonspiritmagazine.com

From The Publisher For the past 13 years Boston Spirit has had the incredible good fortune to have Jim Lopata as our Editor in Chief. Jim’s vision, integrity, honesty and leadership have been on display in each and every issue we have published during his tenure. And so it is with a mixture of sadness and excitement that Boston Spirit will be entering into a new chapter in our evolution. This issue will be Jim’s final issue as our Editor in Chief. For the past couple of years, Jim has worked very hard as an integral member of the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce and at his own executive coaching practice. Now the time has come for those two passions to become full time endeavors.

I cannot express how thankful I am for Jim’s work at Boston Spirit. As great an editor as Jim is, he is an even better person and friend. Simply put, Boston Spirit would not be where we are today without Jim Lopata. At our very first meeting to discuss the possibility of becoming the magazine’s editor, I brought a few magazines along with notations on things I wanted to change. Jim also brought along several magazines flagged with things he wanted to change. To our mutual amazement the issues were nearly identical. He had such a great vision for where the magazine was and where it could go. It was the easiest negotiation in the history of business. I said, “Tell me what I need to do to hire you” … and we were off. Since that first meeting, I have never received an email, phone call or had an in-person meeting in which I heard a negative word about Jim. In addition to working with me on story ideas, etc., Jim also managed our stable of freelance writers and associate editors. One of those associate editors is Rob Phelps (yet another great decision by Jim … to bring Rob on board). It is with tremendous pride and excitement that I get to announce that Rob will be taking over as Boston Spirit’s next Editor in Chief. Rob is an incredible writer with a passion for LGBT issues. He has stepped in seamlessly and, suffice to say, the future is bright for Boston Spirit. Rob and I are already hard at work on several major stories that will be coming up in the next few issues … 2020 is going to be a great year.

And so, as we all transition from 2019 into 2020, Boston Spirit also transitions into our next phase. We hope you will join us for the ride!

Happy New Year,

David Zimmerman Publisher

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Contribute your opinion: editor@bostonspiritmagazine.com

As We Go To Press Let’s bring it home.

It feels somehow appropriate that the main theme of my last issue working with Boston Spirit magazine is “Home.”

What? This is my last issue with Boston Spirit magazine? Well, yes.

It was 13 years ago that David Zimmerman and I sat down to talk about the future of Boston Spirit and the possibility of me becoming its editor.

David outlined a compelling vision of how we can serve and support the amazing New England LGBT community—a vibrant community that was, at that time, making international headlines as the only state in the country to legally recognize marriage for same-sex couples.

Well! We’ve come a long way since then!

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to David and the entire New England LGBT community for allowing me to be a small part of the path to where we are today.

Like Dorothy on her Yellow Brick Road to Oz, so many incredible players have joined me. Along with David, I need to thank our extraordinarily talented team: super-designer Art Director Dean Burchell; Mr. thoughtful Managing Editor Rob Phelps; uber-knowledgable Arts Editor Loren King; turn-of-phrase-king Lifestyle Editor Scott Kearnan; and our earlier Lifestyle Editor, the hilarious John O’Connell; and a special nod to photographer Joel Benjamin, who, though not an official member on our regular masthead, has been one of our most frequent and consistently outstanding contributors.

Huge kudos also to the countless writers, journalists, photographers, designers and others who have contributed over the years.

4 | BOSTON SPIRIT

These amazing individuals covered a lot of ground. The first big story I worked on told of a soldier closeted in Iraq—when Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was still the law of the land. Other milestones included: exploring Romney’s anti-gay history during his presidential campaign, unearthing improprieties in the Gay Games selection process, and a piece on gay Muslims in New England. I’m also quite proud of our Diversity and Young Activist issues.

It’s also true that some of the smaller stories have meant most to me. Covering a local business or describing how a local arts piece resonates and transforms us plays powerfully to the more human side of what journalism can do well.

Indeed, when I talk about my work as an editor, I frequently tell people that it’s not so much about writing. I see the magazine’s role as community development.

I’ve been proud to offer a platform for our collective voice.

Boston Spirit magazine, to me, brings it all home.

I want to thank all of you as well. As readers, you have afforded me the privilege and honor of coming into your homes and sitting on your coffee tables for more than a decade. I am deeply honored.

Thank you. Thank you, David. Thank you, LGBT family.

Home is about family.

Home is where the heart is. And my heart will always be with our heart-warming LGBT community.

In the words of Dorothy: There’s no place like home.

Thank you!

James Lopata Editor in Chief

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Double Divas

Contents JAN| FEB 2020 | VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 1

Designs for Wellness

38

Get Smart

42

How to make your home a place for comfort, beauty and health

Spotlight

Hit List Picturesque Pretty Double Divas NoWoCo Pride Sharing the Love Standing Strong Scoring Points for Inclusivity Senior Spirit From the Blog Newsmakers | New Hampshire Newsmakers | Vermont Newsmakers | Maine Newsmakers | Rhode Island Newsmakers | Connecticut

Feature

No Place Like Home

8 10 12 14 16 17 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 31

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Transgender co-op is a model for Boston’s home-seekers in transition

Cannabis Queen of the Commonwealth 36

38

Scoring Points for Inclusivity

Commonplace and cutting-edge technology along with connectivity can turn anyone into a master of their universe

Seasonal

48

Design Inspiration

58

New England home designers who transform, inspire and elevate

Culture

Broadway Baby

70

Local Love

72

What’s in Your Icebox?

74

Ski Bunny Alert

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Casey Nicholaw brings big gay energy to ‘Mean Girls,’ making its Boston debut Massachusetts is a special place for ‘Gay Chorus Deep South’ Rhode Island School of Design commemorates major Warhol exhibit

Varla Jean Merman brings fresh fan fave ‘Big Top’ to Winter Rendezvous at Stowe

Divine Madness

From prestige musicals to bold burlesque, Seacoast Rep does it all

Scene

Design Inspiration

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72

Broadway Baby

82

GLAD Spirit of Justice Award Dinner 83 Breaking the Double Pane Glass Ceiling 84 PFLAG National Chapter Award 85 Boston Spirit Drag Idol 86 EqualityMaine Great Pumpkin Ball 87 Toys for Joys Gift Gala Decorations 88 Toys for Joys 89 Celebration of Life 90 Rhode Island Pride Honors 91 HRC New England Gala Dinner and Auction 92 Rucks and Tucks 93 Pie in the Sky 94 Gay for Good Wagon Assembly 95

Bay State’s fourth largest LGBTQ-owned business is grown from the ground up

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78

Calendar

New England Events

At Your Service

Unique amenities vie for attention at Boston‑area residencies

Cannabis Queen of the Commonwealth

96

Universal Appeal

GOOD CELEBRATES

Good shows love every day. For the sixth consecutive year, Eastern Bank has earned a perfect score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index and has been recognized as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. Because we believe that making everyone feel welcome is a full-time job.

Join us to make a difference at joinusforgood.com

#JoinUsForGood

SPOTLIGHT Trending STORY Scott Kearnan

Hit List NEWS, NOTES AND TO-DOS FOR EVERY GAY AGENDA

Jonathan Knight

show off the skills he’s developed while making over a 1700s-built barn and other features at the rural Massachusetts estate where he and his husband raise horses. More: hgtv.com.

approach to home-cooking and just released his first book, “Antoni in the Kitchen.” More: gortons.com.

MEET THE TASTY SNACK

GET READY TO BINGE-WATCH

Noodles at Nightshade

WARM UP from the winter chill

by diving into steaming bowls at Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn, Massachusetts. The debut restaurant from out chef Rachel Miller, a buzzed-about name in the Boston-area foodie world, doles out sophisticated spins on VietnameseAmerican cuisine—including her signature house-made noodles in, say, pork broth with Nantucket Bay scallops.

Smart wines? Check. Tropicsinvoking cocktails? You bet.

The intimate North Shore restaurant is a fierce foodie find. More: nightshadenoodlebar. com.

your next HGTV obsession.

Coming soon to the home and interiors–focused network is “Farmhouse Fixer,” a rustic renovation series starring New Kids on the Block singer Jonathan Knight. The gay member of the Boston-born pop group, which just wrapped a national “Mixtape Tour” alongside fellow ’80s artists like Debbie Gibson, will

Antoni Porowski

putting an LGBTQ face to one of the country’s biggest frozenfood brands. “Queer Eye” star Antoni Porowski, recently named “Sexiest Reality Star”

by People magazine, has partnered with Gloucester, Massachusetts-based Gorton’s seafood to promote healthy Alaska pollock by developing recipes using Gorton’s nowfamous fish sticks. Porowski, the food and wine expert for the popular Netflix series, is known for his accessible

Love to All

COZY UP in

sweatshirts and other snuggly apparel from the Love to All Project, a new clothing brand founded by a group of queer students at Philips Exeter Academy, the legendary New England prep school that inspired the setting for John Knowles’ “A Separate Peace.”

The Love to All Project, represented by a logo of a heart cradled by peace-sign fingers, donates proceeds to LGBTQ organizations like the Trevor Project. It also publishes the Love Club, an online series of interviews with LGBTQ activists. More: lovetoallproject. com.

SHOW YOUR PINE TREE STATE PRIDE by wearing something

from Citizen Maine, a new clothing line founded by husbands Don Bostick and Danny Cain. The pair are already known for Hello Sailor, a brand of t-shirts, tote bags and other accessories bearing images of buff seamen 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 Regina Cole, Courtney

Goodrich, Tom Joyce, Marni Katz, Ryan M. Leach, Bob Linscott, Natalie Nonken, Anu Parikh, Kim Harris Stowell, LuAnn Thibodeau, Elyse Wilk CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Joel Benjamin COVER PHOTO Eric Roth ON THE WEB [bostonspiritmagazine.com] TALK TO US

JAN| FEB 2020 | VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 1

[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 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.

8 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Citizen Maine

alongside saucy sayings.

Citizen Maine offers more mainstream-focused apparel that is covered in lobsters, lighthouses and other nautical symbols associated with the majestic, northeastern-most state. More: shopcitizenmaine. com.

Lynch, for the second time, is Brianna Wu, a queer softwareindustry star.

Lisa Carton

Robbie Goldstein

LEARN MORE

about a gay congressional candidate who is seeking to unseat a long-time Democratic incumbent. Robbie Goldstein, a doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, recently announced his bid to challenge Rep. Stephen Lynch in Massachusetts’ eighth congressional district.

Lynch, first elected to the House in 2001, is considered too conservative by some progressive corners, including next-gen leaders like Goldstein, who is 36. Goldstein is currently medical director at MGH’s Transgender Health Program, which he helped create. Also running against

FIND COMMUNITY through Queer Connect, a new organization that is dedicated to increasing resources and building networks for LGBTQ people in and around Bennington, Vermont. With a population of about 15,000, Bennington is the largest town in rural southern Vermont, where Queer Connect founder Lisa Carton felt isolated from other LGBTQ folks. Carlton’s group pulled off the very first Bennington Pride celebration last summer, recently partnered with the Bennington Museum to establish a queer archive documenting the region’s LGBTQ history, and hosts regular special events.

More: queerconnectbennington. com. [x]

SPOTLIGHT Travel STORY Scott Kearnan 1

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Picturesque Pretty GET AWAY THIS WINTER TO GAY PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE Looking for a postcard-pretty getaway in the middle of a New England winter? Head to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a picturesque seaport with a small but thriving LGBTQ community. We’ve got a bucket list of 13 different ways to shop, dine and explore.

1. Reserve a room at the Inn Downtown, a centrally located, 1809-built property that has been transformed to feature 10 contemporary, kitchenette-equipped suites offering all the amenities of home.

Guests get total privacy, starting with the independent check-in, but enjoy thoughtful appointments and little perks—like pre-arrival grocery delivery, so your fridge is already stocked.

2. Replenish your wardrobe with a trip to Sault—a men’s lifestyle shop that also has a location in Boston’s South End. From refined-rustic fashions to

leather goods and luxurious personal

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care products, it’s got plenty of fabulous finds for gifting yourself.

3. Support Seacoast Outright, an organization that supports LGBTQ young people in the Portsmouth area. Not only does Seacoast organize the annual Portsmouth Pride parade, but it hosts community events, youth meetings, and parent support groups throughout the year.

4. Pick up a love potion at Deadwick’s Ethereal Emporium, a unique magic shop tucked quietly down a quaint Portsmouth street.

The four-year-old, queer-friendly boutique is beloved by New England’s witch community, and sells everything from tarot cards to talismans to special gems and oils for spellcasting.

5. Stop for pastries at Teatotaller, a café in Somersworth, New Hampshire, which is just outside of Portsmouth. Its management

team, which includes the trans justice organizer at the ACLU of New Hampshire,

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10 | BOSTON SPIRIT

is known for celebrating and advocating for the local LGBTQ community. Several of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have made stops here, and maybe you’ll even spot a drag show while snagging a scone.

6. Take in a show with Seacoast Repertory Theater, a fantastic professional organization in the heart of downtown.

Show tune queens will love this year’s lineup, which includes “Ragtime” throughout February, as well as a live version of the drag classic “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” in April and May. (The theater also hosts a recurring “Drag Haus” series of performances.)

7. Bite into a beefy meal at Brgr Bar, owned by renowned local restaurateur Phelps Craig and her wife. The inventive patties— made with responsibly raised meat from a Maine family farm—feature fun toppings like ancho aioli or smoked fig

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and apple jam. There are also quirky apps, such as Buffalo-style Brussels sprouts and boozy, adult milkshakes.

8. Strap on your skates and hit the ice rink at the Strawbery Banke Museum. The

outdoor museum, a 10-acre collection of historic buildings that tell the story of the oldest neighborhood in New Hampshire to be settled by Europeans. The museum’s Puddle Duck Pond is a quaint little spot to rent blades and sip hot chocolate on a romantic wintertime playdate.

9. See what’s new at 3S Artspace, a hip multidisciplinary complex that contains a buzzy taco restaurant, gallery for rotating exhibits of boundary-pushing visual art, and a flexible performance space that hosts everything from film festivals to fashion shows to cool bands. It’s where you’ll find

“Bunny and the Fox,” a live series starring “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Joslyn Fox

11

and Bunny Wonderland, a cult-favorite in the local drag scene. (The next spate of shows kick off on February 22.)

10. Find an inclusive community through Feminist Oasis, an organization founded by activist, community organizer, and communications expert Crystal Paradis—who also works with Seacoast Outright to coordinate Portsmouth Pride. All genders are welcome at the meetups, which include everything from book clubs to hiking trips, so there’s a visible queer contingent.

11. Sip a selection of New Hampshire-made wines at the Portsmouth tasting room of LaBelle Winery. The bottle-stuffed shop

has a counter where helpful grape experts pour out flights of grapebased whites and reds, as well as more unique fruit wines—such as a standout dry pear selection, and a luscious red raspberry-based dessert wine.

12. Hang out with Seacoast Gay Men, a social organization that meets every Monday in or around Kittery, Maine, which neighbors Portsmouth. Potlucks, movie and trivia

nights are among the experiences—and the crowds range from late bloomers to those who have been out pre-Stonewall.

13. Take a trip to Ogunquit. The gay beach

town—which takes on a different, but equally appealing kind of charm in the off-season—is only a 20-minute drive from Portsmouth. So it’s easy to take in a show at the Ogunquit Playhouse, visit the piano bar at the Front Porch restaurant for a singalong, or cut up the dance floor at the yearround Mainestreet nightclub. [x]

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JAN | FEB 2020 | 11

SPOTLIGHT Drag STORY Scott Kearnan

Contestants Arabella LaDessé, Raquel Surpreeze, Atlas Queen, Qya Cristál, Veronica Vandersnatch and Amanda Playwith, with Boston Spirit Publisher David Zimmerman and Randy Price. PHOTO Rob Phelps [AT LEFT] Boston Spirit Drag Idol 2019 Winners Arabella LaDessé and Qya Cristál. PHOTO Rob Phelps

Double Divas BOSTON DRAG IDOL CROWNS TWO WINNERS: ARABELLA LADESSÉ AND QYA CRISTÁL Boston Spirit recently hosted its annual Boston Drag Idol competition, a fundraiser for Victory Programs held at American Repertory Theatre’s Oberon nightclub. Emceed by Bostonbased legend Verna Turbulence, this year’s contestants were some of the best queens we’ve ever seen. In fact, they were so impressive that our panel of judges—WCVB news anchor Randy Price, star chefrestaurateur Tiffani Faison and Miss Massachusetts Gabriela Tavares—wound up crowning two winners: Arabella LaDessé and Qya Cristál.

Miss out on the fun? Get to know the winners, and check out one of their shows soon.

Arabella LaDessé Drag can teach you a lot of things: How to contour cheekbones, for one, or how to jump right into a split. (One word: Ow!) Both are useful in the gay bars. For Arabella LaDessé, though, the lessons of drag have been much more profound—and something she carries with her wherever she goes.

“One of the most important things I’ve learned about myself,” says Arabella, “is that I have a lot of power in my femininity.”

Learning that has been a lifelong process. After all, growing up in rural New Hampshire, Rashaun Plourde felt a lot of pressure to act “more masculine.” “I grew up a queer black youth in an Irish-Catholic, white-male dominated household,” says Arabella now, speaking of a kid who had yet to discover the power a pair of stilettos can bring. At the time, the pressure to butch up meant wearing a lot of baggy jeans and oversized shirts to “hide my skinny, feminine-framed body.”

But then came the night at Mainestreet, a gay nightclub in Ogunquit, when Arabella made her debut mere months after “RuPaul’s Drag Race” first got her to start playing with makeup. She entered the bar, nervously took off her jacket— and received appreciative cheers for her body-hugging, sequined bikini and thigh-high

12 | BOSTON SPIRIT

sequined boots (with very high heels).

“Taking off that jacket, revealing this feminine figure, and having everyone celebrate it—that was when Arabella was born.”

And now, she’s thriving. Despite being one of the newer queens on the circuit, Arabella performs near-nightly at venues throughout the northeast. She’s grown her name fast thanks to an amazing aesthetic—high fashion with a hint of club kid—and fierce performances to energetic dance tracks, like Beyonce’s “Grown Woman” and Meghan Trainor’s “Me Too.” Of course, Arabella—whose chosen last name LaDessé references the French word for “goddess”—wants to one day perform on the mainstage of “Drag Race.” That, after all, is the show that started her love affair with drag—and with her femininity. More importantly, it’s also a platform where she could bring her “Black girl magic” to the masses. Arabella believes strongly in the political power of drag, and she says that

growing up in the Granite State, around people who didn’t look or think like her, taught her that “comedy and patience” are important tools in getting folks to see a new perspective.

She also hopes her success will get more people to see that talented queer performers exist everywhere. “I wish I could change where people in the entertainment and fashion world are looking,” says Arabella. “There’s a lot of talent that comes out of great big cities, and we always find them.”

“But no one looks in the trees,” she adds. Thanks to at least one sequin-flashing femme, that’s going to change.

Qya Cristál Learning to lip sync? That’s drag 101. Singing live, on the other hand, is a talent few can master.

Qya Cristál is one of them—and she was teaching herself at a time when some kids are still working on toilet training.

“I was three years old, back home in Texas, and my mother had the radio on,” remembers

Qya. “She was in the other room, and thought she heard two voices. When she came back, I was singing along to Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You.’” And so it began. Qya’s prodigious talent was so impressive, she was cast in the adults’ choir at the local church when she was only a toddler. Singing was second nature to Qya, who performed in musical theater in high school and eventually made her way to Boston’s esteemed Berklee College of Music. There, she found important community in the campus’s LGBT student group. “Being part of a person-of-color family, and a very religious family, we didn’t really talk about sexual orientation,” says Qya. “You’re supposed to marry a woman, buy a house with a white picket fence and have two and a half kids.”

Berklee is also when Qya dabbled in drag for the first time.

She started off by dressing as

Beyonce for Halloween—then, bit by bit and wig by wig, developed her own persona. Inspired by the graceful beauty of her mother, the stage presence of divas like Patti LaBelle, and the professionalism of political heroes like Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, Arabella emerged as a force to be reckoned with in New England’s drag scene. Setting herself apart with her powerful live pipes, Qya went from her first gig at “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” a queer night at a not-quite-dive bar in Boston, all the way to claiming the Miss Gay Massachusetts USofA 2018 crown. She later made it to the top five in the nationals, and says that the pageant system has helped her perfect the kind of “polish” that is so important to her as a performer.

Performing, after all, is still her passion—whatever form it takes. She’s an in-demand queen with a full calendar of gigs. You might find her commanding a

crowd at a nightclub show, or hitting the stage with the Gold Dust Orphans, comic playwright Ryan Landry’s fringe theater company and a beloved institution in Provincetown, Boston and beyond. She just wrapped the Orphans’ uproarious holiday show, “Christmas on Uranus.”

Qya says drag will always be part of her repertoire, because it gives her the “freedom and confidence” to experiment as an artist. (“Qya,” she says, “is kind of a superhero.”) But she also wants to continue performing out of drag, in order to explore every possible avenue to success as an entertainer. And no, “Drag Race” isn’t her end goal.

“My goal would be a nice onewoman show, singing with some musicians and traveling the world,” says Qya. A rare voice like hers demands to be heard. [x]

Let’s work together.

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Member FDIC, Member DIF. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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JAN | FEB 2020 | 13

SPOTLIGHT Pride STORY LuAnn Thibodeau

NoWoCo Pride NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY PRIDE GROUP EMERGES IN FITCHBERG Drumroll, please!

A new Pride group has formed in the Fitchburg area. And though its president, Anthony Bovenzi claims he started it “on a whim,” it very much emerged from a grassroots groundswell of community pride with a state mission “to recognize, promote, and unify the North Worcester County LGBTQIA+ community, allies, and supporters.”

Now NoWoCo Pride is holding its official Kick-Off Reception on January 25, from 6 to 9 p.m., at Leominster Veterans Memorial Center. Links to purchase tickets to the event can be found on the group’s website, nowocopride.org, and on the NoWoCo Pride Facebook page.

At the Kick-Off event, the group’s theme for its 2020 Pride will be presented and their new logo to accompany the theme revealed.

Prior to heading the area’s new Pride, Bovenzi worked with Boston Pride for four years before moving to and spending some 15 years with Worcester Pride. There, he was approached by friends in Fitchburg, asking to start a local group. Though welcoming to all statewide, neither Boston nor Worcester’s Pride groups really reached so far into Massachusetts, he said. He and friends officially formed NoWoCo Pride in Fitchburg as 2018, melting into 2019.

2019 presented some unique challenges for the new group.

The biggest occurred when they were planning their Pride 2019 Festival. The Lane property, located in Lunenburg, had been secured for the venue, and the plans continued, including obtaining the proper permits from the town—until there came a hiccup. Claiming concerns about their children being exposed to such things as the drag race, a group of nine neighbors filed a suit to prevent

NoWoCo Pride from holding its event there. NoWoCo filed a countersuit on the basis of discrimination—stay tuned for the outcome as the litigation is ongoing. The upshot was that NoWoCo had to regroup and find a new venue. They prevailed, and the festival was held in downtown Fitchburg at Riverfront Park, on July 20, 2019.

But that was not the only obstacle that the group met.

When a group of eighth graders asked the mayor of Leominster to fly the Pride Flag, he refused.

Bovenzi then emailed the mayor to ask the same thing, and he was met with the same answer.

Many students from local junior and senior high schools expressed disappointment, said Bovenzi, as they were looking for a show of solidarity. But still, no flag flew.

State Rep. Natalie Higgins then reached out on the group’s behalf, but the mayor remained adamant about decision.

Fitchburg City Councilor Sam Squali, Anthony Bovenzi, Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatalie, State Rep. Natalie Higgins and Congresswoman Lori Trahan at NoWoCo Pride 2019

(Interestingly, a member of the Leominster City Council also happens to be the attorney representing the nine neighbors in the Lunenburg lawsuit.)

There was also some less-thanpositive feedback from the mayor of Gardner. When asked to make even a brief appearance at a NoWoCo Pride event, the group was given “the runaround” and didn’t receive a real answer until the last minute, when he said that he had to attend his son’s hockey game.

Nevertheless, despite all that, the group remains strong and steadfast in their mission to represent the people of North Central Massachusetts and to provide support and events not only for the LGBTQ community, but events that are open to everyone.

For 2020, some of the events planned, in addition to the Kick

14 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Pride flag, Fitchburg, Massachusetts Off, are the Festival and March, planned for July 9–12; a series of drag bingo nights, which have been described as “a good time for all”; and Pride flag raisings on the Thursday before the festival in Gardner, Fitchburg, Leominster and Lunenburg. [x]

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SPOTLIGHT Community STORY Scott Kearnan

Sharing the Love URBAN HOUND INTERNSHIPS PROVIDE DIGNIFIED WORK TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS Many LGBTQ folks know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of labeling, generalizations, and unfair assumptions. But out business owner Rebecca Wilson hopes that her latest (and very unique) venture might help to break down stigmas surrounding another marginalized community.

“A lot of people have stereotypes about homelessness,” says Wilson. “They associate it with drugs or something terrible. But there are a number of reasons why people are homeless. It could happen to any one of us.”

Wilson has come up with a creative way of “educating” Bostonians about homelessness, while also helping to build potential career paths for those who face housing insecurity. She’s the owner of the Urban Hound, a popular “luxury dog care facility” in the city’s South End—and just opened a second location at St. Francis House, Massachusetts’ largest and most comprehensive day shelter. Wilson got wind that St. Francis House was considering a dog care business, among other options, for the ground-floor commercial space at their newly renovated downtown building. So she reached out to forge a partnership that she hopes will offer valuable training, and potential employment opportunities, to those who seek refuge at the shelter.

16 | BOSTON SPIRIT

“I really want to help homeless people in Boston find a job and do something meaningful, provide an opportunity that they might not have had before,” says Wilson.

To do this, the Urban Hound at St. Francis House has implemented a three-month paid internship program—dubbed the Dog Academy—that will take on about a dozen individuals at a time. Each will be screened and accompanied by an Urban Hound staff

member as they learn the ropes of working with the animals and the business. If any of the interns show interest in specializing, they program will be extended to a full six months, and they will be offered a role at either the downtown or South End location to learn more about dog training, grooming, and other skills.

“Our hope is that after six months of working, we can employ some of these people,” says Wilson, who lives on the South Shore with her wife and daughter. “That’s our ultimate goal.”

Well, not exactly. The real aim, Wilson explains, is to provide professional training that can help homeless individuals find dignified work, as well as encourage other folks to hear their stories and build connections based on empathy—not to mention, a shared love of furry friends.

“When people are walking down the street and see a homeless person, they might look down at their screen and ignore them,” says Wilson. “But how often do you see a cute dog, make eye contact with their person, and start a conversation with, ‘your dog is so cute’?”

Rebecca Wilson. PHOTO Brian Samuels

“Imagine if it’s a homeless person on the other end of that leash,” she continues.

“You’ve changed their day by speaking to them, by recognizing them. Part of this program is to bridge the gap that is so great in Boston between those who are homeless and those who are not.” [x]

SPOTLIGHT AIDS/HIV STORY Anu Parikh

At the Boston Living center today

Standing Strong AFTER 30 YEARS, BOSTON LIVING CENTER IS AN ICON IN THE HIV COMMUNITY In the words of a member at the Boston Living Center, “The BLC is a place where I belong, not just as a virus, but as a long-term survivor. Not as a patient, but as a poet. The sharing in groups rewards my mind/body with a reason to live fully each day. The prescription to take five doses of the BLC is the only med without the side effects, copay, or stigma.”

During the height of the AIDS epidemic, a few gay men formed a supper group that met on Monday nights around kitchen tables to cope with social isolation, discrimination, helplessness around losing their friends to a virus now known as HIV. In the fall of 1989, the group formalized to become the Boston Living Center (popularly known as the BLC) and opened its doors at the then YMCA building on Clarendon Street. By 1995, having outgrown its initial space, the BLC moved to 29 Stanhope Street, where it is today, with significantly expanded services for the HIV+ community. The idea was to offer a one-stop shopping model to include daily meals, support groups, education programs and holistic health in a nonjudgmental environment.

After 30 years, the Boston Living Center, a part of Victory Programs since 2012, is still a sanctuary and a home away from home for more than 1,200 HIV+ people each year.

Thanks to the advances in medicine, many

of the early members are still alive and regularly access services at the BLC. Every day at the BLC is different. The day starts with members dropping by for breakfast before participating in a daily support group. At lunch time on Tuesday through Friday, the dining room transforms into an energetic place when members come for a hot meal, meet with friends, check in with the staff around a variety of issues including housing, benefits, medication, health appointments or even vent about a recent breakup. Afternoons at the BLC offer a variety of educational and social activities including art workshops, nutrition and cooking classes, advocacy training or Friday “flicks.” Wellness workshops range from yoga, reiki, and acupuncture to evidencebased multi-week programs focused on health education and medication adherence around HIV. Since its founding, access to nutritious meals with friends and peers has been at the heart of all of the services at the BLC. Monday night dinners are particularly popular when the guests are served meals in a restaurant style—a tradition that has continued since the early days. The menus are prepared by the staff dietician, keeping in mind the wide diaspora of ethnic backgrounds among the membership and the changing demographic. The meals are prepared daily and on-site with the help of

[ABOVE] Boston Mayor Menino, 1989, Boston Living Center opening [TOP] Boston Globe article announcing BLC opening

community volunteers, annually serving over 32,000 meals. For the majority of our members, the BLC is the primary or secondary source of food week after week.

Having trained HIV+ staff members at the BLC is particularly reassuring to members as they are better able to communicate some of the challenges related to disease management. The staff often become like family offering a level of comfort that can be equally reassuring to the newly diagnosed members and long-term survivors.

After three decades of service to the HIV community, the BLC still embodies the original ideals by providing a welcoming and nonjudgmental environment to members, where they can belong, while continuing to offer progressive, low-threshold programs that reflect the changes in the needs of the HIV population.

In 1989, James McVoy and Mel Reicher, the BLC’s founders, had a hope that the BLC will close its doors because there will not be a need. But the need is still here, and the BLC doors are still open. After 30 years, the BLC still remains an icon in the HIV community, empowering those living with HIV, while remembering those who have been lost to the disease, in its hallways and hearts of many. [x]

Interested in volunteering at BLC? Visit vpi. org/boston/careers-volunteers/.

JAN | FEB 2020 | 17

SPOTLIGHT Sports STORY Tom Joyce

Scoring Points for Inclusivity BOSTON PRIDE HOCKEY IS EXPANDING, WITH FIRST ALL-TRANS TEAM ON RECORD On the ice, there is one hockey organization in the Boston area that guarantees an inclusive experience for members of the LGBTQIA community: Boston Pride Hockey.

Pride Hockey consists of multiple components, including Thursday night scrimmages from 9 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. at Simoni Skating Rink in Cambridge. For these scrimmages, which occur weekly from late August to early April, players of all different athletic backgrounds who are at least 18 years old are welcome to join; they charge $20 per session, but the first one is free to encourage participation.

Additionally, Pride Hockey plays eight games against teams from the Skate for the 22 Foundation throughout New England, and people can sign up to play in those contests on a game-by-game basis.

“We’ve had a lot of members in similar circumstances, and there’s a lot of LGBT service members,” Pride Hockey President Greg Sargent said. “These veterans put their lives at risk for us, so if we can help them succeed in life by playing hockey with them, that’s great. They help us a lot too. It’s fantastic.”

18 | BOSTON SPIRIT

To help people learn the sport and improve on their ability, Pride Hockey offers skill sessions every other Sunday in Cambridge.

Pride Hockey made history in November with its Friendship Series. They developed and scrimmaged Team Trans, the first alltransgender ice hockey team on record.

Team Trans featured 16 players, including Jack Henderson.

“Playing with Team Trans was an interesting experience because BPH is my home team—it’s where I came out as nonbinary and where I learned to play hockey,” Henderson said. “There’s already this special energy when we play LGBTQ hockey in general, and playing with Team Trans was that same feeling, but concentrated. Trans people aren’t represented in sports or are actively forced out of them, so being part of a team that was exuberantly trans was exciting, both for us as hockey players getting to skate with others like us, but also as trans athletes making a statement about our deserved place in sports.”

Team Trans will continue existing. They are scheduling another Friendship Series sometime in the first half of 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. Sargent said the long-term

goal is for Team Trans to have their own league in New England.

On the international level, Pride Hockey has participated in the Gay Games where they are five-time medalists.

Pride Hockey initially came to existence as a team to compete in the 1990 Gay Games.

The Pride took gold at the 2018 games in Paris.

“The goodness and the fun we enjoy weekly with our 30–40 people blown up by a thousand,” Sargent said of the experience.

“It’s usually in a pretty cool city and it’s very exciting. Usually, we try to stack our teams to make sure we win. We’re competitive there. And now we have LGBT hockey friends from across the world.”

Pride Hockey is expanding. New this season, the organization hosts scrimmages in Providence, Rhode Island. The first one in 2020 is set for Monday, January 13, at Meehan Auditorium on Brown University’s campus (9 p.m. start).

“We’re definitely in a growth period,” Sargent said. “We have a couple of members who are from Rhode Island who will take care of that. We’ve had three scrimmages down there and we’re growing numbers, but it’ll take another half a season for it be successful on its own.”

Sargent also noted Pride Hockey wants to start a summer street hockey program next July. [x]

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SPOTLIGHT Community STORY Bob Linscott

Senior Spirit CELEBRATING THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED BOSTON’S LGBTQ COMMUNITY It is too easy to sit back and believe that history is written by the contributions of our forefathers because that’s what we were told in school. Look behind every movement, every significant moment in history and you will see strong women fighting, organizing and educating. The same is true in the LGBTQ community: the women have played a central role in the fight for the rights we all enjoy today.

On October 27, 2019, over 100 women gathered at the Brookline Senior Center for a special event honoring the Lesbian Founders of Lesbian Organizations in Boston.

The event was organized by RALLY, a social organization for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women 55+. Event cochairs Suzanne Laurelle and Sue Reamer, felt an event like this was needed to bring together women from all the different organizations, and, Laurelle added, “Something like this had never been done before, anywhere, and on top of that, there are women who have never heard of some of the early lesbian groups.

We felt it was our role to pass this history down to the younger generations.”

The event celebrated and honored 12 women who represented 7 different lesbian organizations. These distinguished pathfinders included Lois Johnson and Sheri Barden of Boston’s Daughters of Bilitis, Sue Katz from the Lesbian Liberation Movement, the late Toni Schiff and Araya Fast for OLE (Older Lesbian Energy); Candy Feldt

20 | BOSTON SPIRIT

and Doreen Michaels for Ova 4D (Lesbians over 40) Jan Taylor for RALLY, Sarah Pearlman and Alice Fisher for OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) and Shirley Royster and Gloria Charles for Flashback Sunday (LGBT Elders of Color).

There were so many stories shared during the event that stretched across the decades.

One of the many highlights included the tributes to Johnson and Barden, who ran the Boston chapter of Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) for 20 years. DOB was the first lesbian political rights organization in America. It was started in San Francisco in 1955 by the legendary Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon. The organization’s name came from the fictional lesbian character Bilitis who lived on the island Lesbos along with Sappho, from the 1894 French work “Songs of Bilitis” by Pierre Louys.

In 1969 Johnson and Barden were approached by activist Jan Chase to start a chapter of DOB in Boston. It was a risk in those days to identify as a lesbian and a greater danger to start a political group to organize lesbians. Even that first meeting was held in a secret location in a cabin in the woods. At the time Johnson had a job as a producer for children’s television on WBGH and she couldn’t risk losing her job, so they sadly declined the offer.

Later that year the Stonewall Riots happened and in the following year Johnson

and Barden watched the first gay march in New York City on television from their home. “We cried and cried watching that and said we have to do something, we can’t sit on the sidelines any longer.” In that moment they made a commitment to not worry about the risks and to get out there and join in on the fight for gay rights.

The next year, 1971, Barden and Johnson attended Boston’s first gay rights march and joined the recently formed Boston chapter of DOB. By 1975, Johnson was elected president in a landslide and would hold that title until the group closed its doors.

Although the original mission of DOB was very radical and political, Johnson and Barden saw a greater need to create a community of gay women. They struggled with the word “lesbian” back then because it was so closely associated with criminal behavior and deviance. Barden, who had known what it was like to be in a community of gay women during her years in the military, had been so disappointed when she got out and moved to Boston. “I kept wondering ‘where are all the women? How do we find them?’”

As leaders of DOB, the couple started putting ads in the Gay Community News and the Boston Phoenix inviting gay women to attend rap sessions at the Old Cambridge Baptist Church.

One of the critical roles Daughters of Bilitis played in the Boston community in the ’70s and ’80s was to provide a place for women to meet and support each other through those difficult times. The “rap groups,” as they were called, gained in popularity and soon, in addition to the general raps, they had special raps including ones for women over 35, women with children, married women, etc.

The groups were all led by rap leaders and DOB provided the training for the leaders.

[AT RIGHT] Lois Johnson and Shari Barden, 1971. Photo courtesy Sheri Barden [OPPOSITE, FROM LEFT:] Nancy Schiff, Doreen Michaels, Jan Taylor, Sue Katz, Shirley Royster, Gloria Charles, Sarah Pearlman and Alice Fisher; [SEATED:] Sheri Barden and Lois Johnson Photo Barry Hock

Barden said, “Those raps were so important; these women didn’t have anyone to turn to and sometimes their stories were so painful.” Johnson adds, “One woman came to DOB and shared that her children were taken away from her when her husband learned she was a lesbian. Then at the trial her own mother testified against her saying she was an unfit mother.”

In 1995 Johnson called for a vote to have DOB close its doors. “It was the ’90s and you didn’t need to hide anymore like the earlier days, and just about every school and college had a gay group. We felt our work was done.”

To this day both Barden and Johnson still have women who come up to them saying that DOB saved their lives.

Nearly 50 years have passed since Barden and Johnson were gathering women in a church meeting room in Cambridge, but in the last 15 years a new need surfaced in the LGBTQ community. Jan Taylor believed “older lesbians were facing a real problem, they were sliding into social isolation. The bars were gone and we were too old for them anyway. We needed something to bring

older lesbians together for social connection and support as we age.” Just like the original meeting in the cabin in the woods, Taylor called together a collection of women and said, “We need a group for LBT women over 55. Let’s do this together.” That night in 2012 in a living room in Lexington, RALLY was born. This was the reason behind all the other older women’s groups that were honored. They each realized that something had to be done to bring the community back together. That organizing spirit never quits for these leaders.

younger generations that will be remembered after we are gone. We are all so fortunate to Rally organizers, Suzanne Laurelle, Sue Reamer and Jan Taylor for putting on this important event to remind us to never forget the contributions of these brave leaders who shaped the LGBTQ movement 50 years ago and continue to shape it today. We are forever grateful. [x]

As each of us in the LGBTQ community begin to age, we are all asked to consider what do we want to pass down to the

Bob Linscott is assistant director of the LGBT Aging Project at The Fenway Institute

To support this initiative in Boston, contact the mayor’s office at mayor@boston.gov. For more information about this project, contact Aileen Montour aileenmontour@gmail.com.

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SPOTLIGHT News STORY Rob Phelps

From the Blog NEWS HIGHLIGHTS FROM BOSTONSPIRITMAGAZINE.COM PATRICK-LEMIEUX ENGAGEMENT

and the governor, who had just helped keep gay marriage legal in Massachusetts.”

HISTORICALLY DIVERSE CITY COUNCIL IN BOSTON As of January 2020, Boston’s City Council welcomes its most diverse city council to take office in history, with minority candidates making up the majority, eight of the 13 members women, and the first-ever openly LGBTQ woman, Liz Breadon of Allston-Brighton and an immigrant from Northern Ireland, taking her seat at the table.

Katherine Patrick and Alisha Marie Lemieux. PHOTO Facebook Katherine Patrick, daughter of former Massachusetts governor and US Presidential candidate Duval Patrick, and Alisha Marie Lemieux of New Bedford announced their engagement in November.

As the Boston Globe reported, Patrick, a Smith College graduate, “now lives in the Bay Area, where she’s studying for her doctorate in psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California.” Lemieux is studying sociology at Mills College in Oakland.

Katherine “made news in 2008 when she came out publicly in Bay Windows, a weekly newspaper aimed at the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. A year earlier, she’d come out to her mother

“Boston has a vibrant LGBTQ community, yet for nearly three decades there was no openly LGBTQ person representing the community on the council,” said Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, in a statement.

“While the city has a strong record on advancing LGBTQ equality,” Parker wrote, “nearly every issue that comes to the council affects LGBTQ people in some way, making it essential an LGBTQ perspective is part of the conversation. This historic victory for Liz ends the long absence of LGBTQ voices—and we know all of Boston will benefit from her service.”

Alejandra St. Guillen. PHOTO Facebook

A RAZOR-THIN MARGIN Two weeks after the November election, Boston city officials were still examining votes for the city council’s fourth at-large seat to see if longtime community advocate Alejandra St. Guillen would become both the first openly LGBTQ woman and first Latina to serve on the council. The razor thin margin, once all votes were tallied almost a week later, came in at

a mere eight votes between St. Guillen and fellow Latina community leader Julia Mejia.

On December 9, the recount came down to a single vote for Meija, with a fourth recount under consideration.

Whatever the outcome, St. Guillen told the Boston Globe that “a city council with either of us on it is a victory for Boston. We will support each other, because we believe in the same values.”

Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon [CENTER]. PHOTO Facebook Holly Ryan [LEFT], Senator Elizabeth Warren and Diego Miguel Sanchez of PFLAG. PHOTO Facebook

ANOTHER FIRST IN NEWTON Ward 8 City Council Candidate Holly Ryan made history on November 5 when voters headed to the polls in Newton, Massachusetts, and cast their ballots. Running unopposed,

22 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Ryan became the first openly transgender elected official in Newton, one of the first in the state and one of just 13 in the country, according to the Victory Institute.

Along with making history, Ryan earned her success

through decades of hard work.

As noted in the Boston Globe, Ryan, an activist since the Vietnam War and Stonewall uprising, has lobbied for civil rights and social justice for 25 years. She served as a steering committee cochair of the Mass.

Transgender Political Coalition and the Bay State’s Democratic State Committee’s LGBT Caucus, as well as the Mass.

Dept. of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services’ LGBTQ advisory board.

“If you look at it from other people’s perspective, they say this was the most logical evolution in my politics,” Ryan told the Boston Globe. “I know the city, the whole city, I know what’s going on. I’ve been [in Newton] for over 65 years. I’ve seen all the changes from when it was farmland and dirt roads.”

Ryan “has a strong understanding of the issues that face our community. She has a tremendous heart and intellect that allows her to work effectively with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds,” said former Newton Mayor Setti Warren, who had appointed Ryan to the Newton Human Rights Commission and LGBTQ liaison back in 2012 for her “statewide leadership around LGBTQ issues and, in particular, her strategic leadership,” he told the Globe.

see it implemented as soon as possible.)

“While I believe the residents of the Commonwealth would still benefit from the Senate’s bill [which would apply to other state documents, including birth certificates] being passed into law, I am very excited to see that the Administration has taken steps to allow a non-binary option on drivers’ licenses,” Bay State Senate President Karen Spilka wrote in a November 12 statement. “It is an important step towards letting people be who they are.”

ANTI-GAY ATTACK IN BOSTON A violent anti-gay incident was reported outside Jacques Cabaret in Boston early Saturday morning, following a Friday night event.

Three men—Michael Flowers, organizer of the bimonthly

NONBINARY GENDER RMV IDS As of early November, Bay State residents can choose “X,” “M” or “F” on state IDs issued by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. This move joins 14 other states, including Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire (as of January 2020), and the District of Columbia. (Also in New England, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo approved a similar measure this summer, stating she hoped to

Jacques Cabaret PHOTO CBS Boston WBZ 4

Fascination fetish gear and kink event that takes place in the basement of Jacques, and two others—describe being provoked with anti-gay slurs and beaten while waiting for a ride outside the club.

“The [attackers] were attending the show upstairs and used antigay epithets, including the word f@gg0t during the assault,” according to a November 2 posting on the event’s Facebook page. “All three of the individuals assaulted are comfortable acknowledging this as a hate crime influenced by their identities and presentations as queer people. All three of individuals assaulted are currently safe and have support systems with which they are able to unpack the trauma associated with the event.”

The next day, Flowers recounted the incident in a posting in the same page, stating the group began with jeers and

taunts before “the conflict escalated into a multi-person fight. I remember getting hit in the face several times. It is unclear to me how many times I was hit. At some point during the conflict, I noticed that [one of Flowers’ friends] was on the ground and saw that he was getting kicked and punched repeatedly. I attempted to pull several of his assailants off of him unsuccessfully. After what I perceived to be about a minute, the fight broke up and the assailants fled.

It was only then that I noticed [Flowers’ other friend] and saw that the left side of his face was completely covered in blood.”

Anyone with information that might lead toward identifying the alleged attackers should call Boston Police Crime Stoppers at 800-494-TIPS. [x]

SPOTLIGHT News STORY Rob Phelps

Newsmakers | New Hampshire Headlines from the Granite State FIRST IN STATE

Rep. Joe Alexander “Mo’s grassroots activism is the foundation for LGBT equality in New Hampshire,” Buckley said.

City Coucilor Palana Belken with Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Crystal Paradis and Emmett Soldati

The first openly transgender person elected to a city council in New Hampshire won by a vote of 342-300 in Rochester on November 6.

“When I moved here to Somersworth less than three years ago,” Paradis said, “I didn’t expect to find what I found here, which was a really strong community,” Paradis told Seacoast. “It’s just great to be a part of it.”

Palana Belken, transgender justice organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, defeated incumbent city councilor and state rep.

Sandra Keans to become of three LGBTQ city councilors in Rochester, along with Jeremy Hutchinson, an incumbent and the also recently elected Chris Rice.

Reported Seacoast Online, “To some residents of Rochester, a longtime political bellwether community, Belken’s victory is a confirmation of the acceptance that exists within the Lilac City. Others, including Belken, say they see it as one of many reaffirming signs that Rochester’s renewal is growing and supporting energetic people and ideas along the way.”

“I am ready to have the conversations needed to make sure that a collective future is built where everyone in Rochester is included in its prosperity,” Belken stated on her campaign website palananh.com.

‘MOST RAINBOWIEST’ Another historical win in Somersworth— “known by some as the Rainbow City”— Seacost Online also reported, was made on November 6 by electing new LGBTQ city councilors Crystal Paradis and Dan DeSantis, along with school board member Matt Gerding. The three join the city’s openly gay Mayor Dana Hilliard and state rep. Gerri Cannon.

24 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Reports Seacoast, “[Palana] Belken said she wouldn’t have entered the political fray this year if not for living in Somersworth for four years from 2014 to 2018 and managing Teatotaller Café. Teatotaller, owned

by Somersworth native Emmett Soldati, has gained state and national attention as a hub of acceptance, advocacy and community-building.

“We are the most rainbowiest we’ve ever been,” Emmett Soldati, owner of Teatotaller told Seacoast, of the community.

LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR BAXLEY LGBTQ advocate Mo Baxley of Laconia received the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s Leadership Award at the 2019 Eleanor Roosevelt Award Celebration in late October, reports the Laconia Daily Sun. “For over 30 years, Mo has been a leader in the LGBTQ and progressive community,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “Whether it was her role as an activist, state representative, or party leader, she has been successful in her fight to protect and expand equal rights for all Granite Staters, and was instrumental in the passage of New Hampshire’s marriage equality law."

NEW LOG CABIN FINANCE DIRECTOR

Mo Baxley New Hampshire Log Cabin Republicans board member and first-term state rep. Joe Alexander of Goffstown has been named the state GOP’s finance director. Alexander also serves on the board of the New Hampshire Young Republicans.

“I’m happy to serve as the new NHGOP finance director,” Alexander told WMUR TV-9. “With a renewed energy after our victory in the Epping special election, we at the NHGOP are committed to working to build an organization that will retake the House, Senate, and Executive Council while re-electing Gov. Chris Sununu and retiring (Sen.) Jeanne Shaheen and our out-oftouch members of Congress.”

“We are one big team with one goal in mind: Getting Republicans elected,” he said.

Reports WMUR, “Alexander is the first person to hold the post of NHGOP finance director since June 2017, and with his hiring, the NHGOP now has three full-time paid staffers for the first time since February 2017.” [x]

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SPOTLIGHT News STORY Rob Phelps

Newsmakers | Vermont Green Mountain State Update TOWN HALLS TAKE THE STATE A series of Vermont LGBTQ+ town halls hit the trail across the state in late October and throughout November. Folks gathered to discuss in an open forum “needs, challenges and joys as LGBTQ+ people living in Vermont” at gatherings held in Montpelier, St. Johnsbury, Brattleboro, Bennington, Burlington and Rutland.

The series of town halls was held by the Pride Center of Vermont, which sponsored the town halls in partnership with the LGBTQIA Alliance of Vermont. Its aim was to help the Alliance set a legislative agenda for years to come, “to explore

Brenda Churchill together what we want to see in our communities and discuss how we might get there.” The town halls were facilitated by Alliance chair Keith Goslant

and Brenda Churchill, executive director of the Alliance.

“One of the things that we want to do is represent our community,” Churchill told the Bennington Banner, “and that means getting out into as many corners of the state as we can,” said Brenda Churchill. She said she spends a lot of time with a colleague at the statehouse advocating for LGBTQ rights, and “it would be good to know if we’re heading in the right direction or if people need us to do other things.”

Queer Connect cosponsored the event in Bennington. Lisa Carton, president of Queer Connect, called the Alliance the “direct ear to the legislation.”

She told the Bennington Banner, the Alliance was conducting the town halls “to hear what our needs are, so they can best represent us to the statehouse, which is spectacular.”

For more: or visit the LGBTQIA Alliance of Vermont page on

Facebook, pridecentervt.org and queerconnectbennington.com.

MIDDLEBURY EXPANDS SUPPORT Middlebury College has created a new position to extend programming to support queer and transgender students.

The college appointed Janae Due assistant director of its Anderson Freeman Resource Center, an intercultural center focused on serving the needs of students from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Previously, Due served as equity and social justice coordinator at the Margaret Sloss Center for Women and Gender Equity at Iowa State University.

“We are thrilled that Janae is joining the staff of the Anderson Freeman Center,” said Roberto Lint Sagarena, director of the center. “Her expertise in LGBTQIA student support has been much needed on our campus for a very long time.

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Anderson Freeman Resource Center, Roberto Lint Sagarena [FAR RIGHT] Her arrival allows the center to better live up to its mission; namely, supporting marginalized and underrepresented student constituencies.”

“I want to encourage students to celebrate and honor their identities,” said Due. “Many students in the queer and trans community have faced hardship and marginalization.

These experiences are important, but we need to realize that there is beauty and hope and joy in being queer and trans too.”

Connecticut, reintroduced the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. The act would reauthorize essential programs, “including prevention, emergency shelters, street outreach, transitional living and assistance in rural areas,” and “an explicit non-discrimination provision that would prohibit any provider of these services from discriminating against youth based on their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability,” reports the Human Rights Campaign.

The legislation would “raise the authorization of appropriations to $225 million and double the minimum grant allocation provided to small states, from $100,000, to $200,000,” according to Vermont Business Magazine.

Senator Patrick Leahy

HOMELESS YOUTH BILL REINTRODUCED In late November, Senator Patrick Leahy and five other senators, including Susan Collins of Maine and Jahana Hayes of

“No child in America should have to call the street home,” Senator Leahy stated. “Our bill will offer service providers the training and tools they need to best serve young people, to help ensure that they don’t fall victim to human trafficking, and to keep them safe.”

These are often lifesaving programs,” he said, “rescuing young lives and giving them crucial lifelines. Our legislation will allow communities in Vermont and across the country to expand their enormously important work.” [x]

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Newsmakers | Maine

News from the Pine Tree State Collins, reported The New York Times, joined Democrats in “criticizing Menashi’s record on a range of issues, including immigration, race, women’s equality and LGBTQ rights.”

Senator Susan Collins

COLLINS REJECTS ANTI-LGBTQ JUDGE APPOINTEE On November 15, Maine Senator Susan Collins cast the sole Republican vote against the confirmation of anti-LGBTQ White House lawyer Steven Menashi to become a judge on the New York-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Menashi,” say HRC President Alphonso David, “has made a career of promoting anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, and has used whatever platform he’s handed—from his college newspaper, to legal publications, to a seat at the table at the White House—to undermine our community’s fight for equality.”

“His reluctance to answer questions about the family separation policy made it difficult for me to assess his record and impeded my constitutional duty to evaluate his fitness to serve as a judge,’’ Collins wrote in a statement.

“After careful consideration...I do not believe he is well-suited to serve on the federal bench.”

Menashi was confirmed by the Senate in a 51-41 vote.

TRANSGENDER HEALTH SERVICES AT MAINECARE Transgender people can no longer be denied coverage of trans-specific health services in Maine. As of September. MaineCare, the state’s version of Medicaid, removed transgender-specific health services from its list of procedures it would not cover, according to Maine-TV Channel 13 WGME. Reports WGME: “As of Sept.

12, the department finished establishing the criteria for covered services, according to

Maine Department of Health and Human Services. PHOTO Channel 13 WGME

SAGE Maine at Portland Pride. Photo SAGE Maine Jackie Farwell, a spokesperson for the department.

“Those services include those medically necessary to treat gender dysphoria — a conflict between a person’s gender identity and the gender they were assigned at birth, according to the LGBTQ-rights group EqualityMaine.

“Shane Diamond, a spokesperson for the group, said that includes a diagnosis from a mental health provider and hormone-replacement therapy that can bring a person in line with their gender identity. Coverage for surgical procedures related to gender dysphoria will require prior authorization from MaineCare, according to EqualityMaine.”

The shift brings the state in line with legislation passed this year and signed by Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, clarifying that transgender individuals could not be denied coverage based on their gender identity. A 2017 study from the UCLA School of Law estimated there were between 3,200 and 8,900 transgender adults in Maine.

EQUALITYMAINE AND SAGE MAINE MERGE In early November, SAGE Maine‘s board of directors announced their organization was merging with EqualityMaine, the state’s leading LGBTQ advocacy group.

“LGBTQ older adults in Maine have demonstrated a real and growing need for the advocacy and services beyond what SAGE can deliver as a largely volunteer-managed and operated organization,” said John Hennessy, founding board member and current cochair, who will join EqualityMaine’s board of directors, according to a recent press release.

Former SAGE board members will now serve on EqualityMaine’s SAGE Program Advisory Committee. And SAGE’s core programs “will remain intact into the foreseeable future,” notes a press release from EqualityMaine, which will also “explore new opportunities across the state to establish and grow the SAGE aging service referral network, social support and community education programming.”

Said EqualityMaine Executive Director Matt Moonen, “We see the merger with SAGE Maine as a natural extension of our work and look forward to continuing the relationships that SAGE Maine has established across the state with members of our community and the providers and networks that support us.

We all hope to have care and support as we age, and we’re grateful to take on that work here in Maine.”

For more: SageMaine.org or EqualityMaine.org [x]

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SPOTLIGHT News STORY Kim Harris Stowell

Newsmakers | Rhode Island This Just in from the Ocean State Providence. The show, which has always had a commitment to being a feminist, anti-racist, queer-and body-positive cabaret, will feature Rory Raven, Christopher Johnson, Jodi Jolt and The Volt, Tania Rocha, Baby Oil, Bettysioux Tailor and host Eva Destruction. Tickets to the show are $7 and are available to anyone 18+. Food and drink are available. For details, visit them at sweetlittlevarietyshow.com.

QUEER HOCKEY COMES TO RI

Boston Pride Hockey Boston Pride Hockey, the LGBTQ+ inclusive hockey league of New England, has expanded into Rhode Island.

The league welcomes both beginners and experienced players, as well as anyone who identifies as gay, lesbian, bi, pan, trans, queer or ally. Games will be played at Meehan Auditorium at Brown University in Providence. The next games are scheduled for January 13 and February 17. For more information, contact Jim O’Connor at (401) 835-1212 or jim@lrse. com, or find them at BPH Rhode Island Scrimmage on Facebook.

TEN YEARS OF SWEET LITTLE VARIETY Rhode Island’s Sweet Little Variety Show is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a show on January 9, from 8 to 10 p.m., at Askew, 150 Chestnut Street,

GOOD COMPANY (RIAGP) REVIVES The Rhode Island Association of Gay Professionals (RIAGP) and Good Company have found new life, thanks to several volunteers and an enthusiastic LGBT business community. With a mission to empower LGBTQ+ people by building an organic network of entrepreneurs, innovators, professionals and knowledge seekers though mentorship and knowledge transfer, the wellattended events have been held at Rooftop at the Providence G, and have been sponsored by Feeney IP Law, Independence Home Care and Providence Concierge. The group has also welcomed members of Newport Out and numerous attendees from Boston. For information on upcoming events, find them at RI Association of Gay Professionals on Facebook or on Meetup at meetup.com/ri-agp.

Jodi and the Volt

DISCHARGED VETS TO GET STATE, LOCAL BENEFITS Governor Gina Raimondo signed legislation that restores state and local benefits to LGBTQ veterans denied honorable discharges due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Prior to and during the years when the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was in effect, thousands of LGBTQ service members received dishonorable discharges, making them ineligible for veterans’ benefits, including pension, insurance, employment and education assistance, and the right to be buried in a military cemetery.

While veterans are contesting their dishonorable discharge status with the federal government, they will be able to apply to claim their state benefits.

Sponsor and State Rep. Camille Vella-Wilkinson, a retired Navy officer, called the bill a “bold, compassionate step” to right the wrongs committed against those who were discharged simply because of their sexual orientation.

SHADE RANGE RETURNS TO CELEBRATE QUEER FOLX OF COLOR Miss Gay Rhode Island 2019, Pulp Friction, has announced the return of Shade Range, an evening celebrating trans and queer performers of color. The event is held at the Columbus Theatre in Providence, RI. Tickets are $10 presale and $12 at the door. To reserve tickets,

Pulp Friction [RIGHT] 30 | BOSTON SPIRIT

visit columbustheatre.com/ shade-range.

The first performance of Shade Range, held on September 28, was a smash success. With raffles and donations from many queer-operated businesses in Providence, Shade Range has been able to maintain a platform for the underrepresented talent in the queer community/trans and queer performers of color.

PASTOR RESIGNS AFTER TAKING A PAGE FROM RI BISHOP’S PLAYBOOK Posting a message taken largely from a tweet by Rhode Island bishop Thomas Tobin, UKbased pastor Keith Waters suggested that Christians should not be supportive of events that are held in honor of LGBTQ Pride month.

“A reminder that Christians should not support or attend LGBTQ ‘Pride month’ events held in June,” Waters noted.

“They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Christian faith and morals. They are especially harmful to children.”

Almost immediately, Waters was met with a deluge of strong replies. A funeral director showed up at his residence, telling his wife he was there to arrange Waters’ funeral. It was alleged that some individuals began spreading rumors that Waters was a child molester, and the pastor was reprimanded by superiors for bringing the school into disrepute and breaking the code of conduct. As a result of this disciplinary action, Waters resigned his post. [x]

SPOTLIGHT News STORY Natalie Nonkin

Newsmakers | Connecticut Articles from the Constitution State about collecting data on transgender and gay children. She explained that the average age of kids coming out as gay is 11 years old, and claimed that schools often don’t pay attention to sexual identification.

The Mirror also pointed out the fact that Connecticut “is now ranked one of the states with the strongest civil-rights protections for the LGBTQ community,” as “the state banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations in 1991,” and “gender identity was added to the law in 2011.” However, in 29 states it is still legal to fire an employee based on sexual orientation. There are a number of current US Supreme Court cases dealing with people who have been fired due to being transgender or gay.

Attorney General William Tong

AG HOLDS ROUNDTABLE ON LGBTQ RIGHTS This past October, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong organized a roundtable discussion regarding the state of LGBTQ rights in Connecticut. The event, which took place at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford, examined the state’s progress in terms of gay rights, as well as the progress, or lack thereof, in our country. The location was fitting, as this year’s baseball season included a “Pride Night” at a Yard Goats game at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in June.

EXPLORING DESPRESSION THROUGH ART The New Haven Pride Center’s Great Room Gallery is currently showing an exhibit entitled “Explorations of Depression.”

The exhibit, which premiered in December, continues through January 20.

As described on the center’s website, “The artist currently focuses on the dark aspects.

The artist uses encaustic paint as the medium for its cloudy, moody appearance.

The artist would like to explore the visual

roller coaster of depression which will include the hopeful light at the end of the tunnel.”

This artist, Sue Czark, is based in New Haven and has primarily focused on graphic design. Sue “hopes that this exhibit will be something that members of the LGBTQ+ community can relate to and use it to spark discussion,” according to NewHavenPrideCenter.org.

QPOC SOIREE AT TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTER Norwalk’s Triangle Community Center will host this year’s first Queer People of Color (QPOC) Soiree on January 3. The monthly event is an opportunity for queer individuals of color to discuss their personal experiences, and express themselves through music, poetry and storytelling. This is a safe space where members of the community can discuss visibility and the oppression they face. They can connect with those who share their struggles and triumphs. The soiree is free of charge and welcomes those who are 18+.

It is a monthly event at the center, with the second soiree of the year taking place on February 7. Details can always be found at ctpridecenter.org. [x]

According to The Connecticut Mirror, after Tong’s election in 2006, he soon confronted the issue of protecting transgender citizens.

At the roundtable, he invited attendees to shed light on the challenges that transgender and gay people are currently dealing with in the state. Also among the participants at roundtable was Shawn Lang, who had been arrested two times 30 years ago as he protested Connecticut’s lack of gay rights. Lang currently works at AIDS-CT. The executive director of True Colors, Robin McHaelen, also participated in the discussion. True Colors is one of Connecticut’s nonprofit organizations for LGBTQ youth. As the Mirror described, McHaelen emphasized the fact that agencies such as the Department of Children and Families, as well as schools, need to be more diligent

New Haven Pride Center

JAN | FEB 2020 | 31

FEATURE Transgender STORY Elyse Wilk

No Place Like Home Transgender co-op is a model for Boston’s home-seekers in transition Ava Glasscott is on a mission. Glasscott, the first transgender Boston Pride Parade Marshal (in 2019), intends to make sure the law protects her and all people like her.

She wants to see the day when everyone in the trans community feels inclusive in society.

Glasscott is also the reigning Miss Trans Massachusetts. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Governor Charlie Baker and other Bay State dignitaries on the same podium where she gave a speech on behalf of the LGBTQ community. She’s also appeared in Amy Schumer’s Movie, “I Feel Pretty,” she has a cameo in Mark Wahlberg’s upcoming film, “Wonderland.”

Before Glasscott evolved into the statuesque role model she is today, she traveled difficult roads and had to climb over barbed wire obstacles. When asked her to recount some of her painful stories, she replied, with tear-filled eyes, there were too many to tell, but she mentioned an employer who upon finding out she was a transwoman, fired her on the spot and kicked her out of the hair salon where she

32 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Clearly, Glasscott works hard at everything she does, and one of these things is outreach to a transgender cooperative that the author of this article and her husband have owned for many years. Glasscott reaches out to everyone at the coop, taking special interest in helping young people so that they will not have to experience the pain she endured.

A model home

Ava Glasscott worked as a stylist and makeup artist for over three months.

Glasscott grew up in a home with a loving family, was painfully shy as a child and was bullied throughout school because she identified as female. Asked her how she overcame her shyness, she replied, “It was hard work.”

The coop is a wonderful example of how a group of young likeminded trans adults and their partners navigate their way through the difficult process of securing rental housing in Boston while transitioning. “Sam,” a documentary filmmaker from Central Massachusetts and a transwoman in her twenties, is the designated spokesperson for the co-op, which dates back to the mid-1980s. Like the others living in the co-op, Sam prefers not to reveal her identity and location of their home for safety concerns. As Sam recalls, the cooperative began as happy hippy house

occupied by college graduate students and professors who were mostly straight, and morphed into what it is today—a normal, everyday, large, unassuming, two family home on a quiet side street where about ten adults reside.

What sets it apart from many other similar-looking homes, at least on the outside, is how the current residents feel free to express their sexual identity without prejudice. Sam emphasized that what makes it especially nice for them is, while undergoing one’s metamorphosis there is unconditional acceptance. The original occupants married, started families or relationships ended, and eventually they all moved out, allowing it to evolve into what it is today. As each person left, they replaced themselves with someone else to help maintain the cooperative’s valued equilibrium.

Preserved by this long-term process is a place where someone can move in without having to jump over the traditional hurdles usually experienced renting somewhere else in Boston. There is no rental agent’s fee, no security deposit required because the cooperative is long

established, and a landlord (my husband Harvey) who is open-minded and makes each new applicant feel welcome—a major plus for many transgender housing hunters.

The success of the cooperative was achieved without aid or intervention from a nonprofit or any kind of subsidy. But the cooperative is very much an exception to what’s really out there. It’s virtually impossible for someone to be accepted as a tenant without a previous tenancy, otherwise known as a Catch-22.

The application hurdle Once an apartment is selected, the first step is the rental application, which qualifies the applicant. It asks basic questions: name, address, date of birth, social security number, previous addresses, etc. To a young person amid transition, this is the first big hurdle. For a transman it appears to be easier on the surface because it’s more of a norm for a woman to undergo a name change whether it be for marriage, divorce or death of a spouse, but the dance steps for a transwoman sets off all sorts

of alarms, as it was almost unheard of in our society for a man to undergo a name change, unless it’s for a nefarious reason.

To quote Bob Thaves’ Frank and Ernest’s comic strip about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, “Sure he was great, but don’t forget, she just did it backwards and in high heels.”

Overcoming the hurdle Setting out to solve this particular part of our housing problem, we spoke with Jim Major, the president of GRAR (Greater Boston Association of Realtors), who coincidentally is on the forms committee for Massachusetts Association of Realtors and The Forms Content Advisory Board.

I asked him if he was aware there appeared to be a glitch on the standard application form, making it problematic for a person in transition to receive a fair background check based on their personal information. He replied that he wasn’t and had an “aha” moment when he realized the difficulties facing a trans person filling out the standardized form.

In today’s rental process, it is a basic

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requirement to run an identity and background check and if there’s a mismatch on the name, then a red flag goes up. Simply put, when an entirely different person’s history emerges on the credit report that’s dissimilar from the name on the application, it appears to the person reviewing the application to be a stolen identity.

Additionally, during a background check, a trans person’s employer may have no idea who the inquiring person (landlord or management company) is referring to because that person could work there under a different name, making

Do’s and Don’ts for Transgender Renters Suggestions from the landlords of the trans cooperative (my husband and me)

acceptance for the apartment unattainable for the person in transition.

Major was most appreciative of being made mindful of the problem and admitted that it was an oversight by him and the committee, as it was never discussed before or intended to impede anyone from obtaining housing. Since our original interview, the forms committee has met, voted on and changed the rental application to accommodate members of the trans community—proudly brought about

by Jim Major’s interview with me while working with Boston Spirit magazine.

Hopefully this flaw in the application

Don’t crash long-term at a friend or lover’s house and pay the rent through someone else! It can leave a person vulnerable and with no rights in the event of a relationship breakup or an eviction. If not already on the lease, pay the portion of the rent directly to the landlord and ask to be added to the lease to guarantee a legal place of residence. Otherwise, getting a landlord reference in the

James Major

future becomes the tin can that’s kicked down the road.

Things to do: Once you’re added to a lease with roommates try to create a group checking account to pay the bills and be aware if someone in the group is delinquent because in most cases the rent is owed jointly and severally. Always have enough money in the account in case one person’s check bounces to cover for the entire group. When applying for

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paradigm will light the way for changes to job applications, car loans, credit card and bank applications. After Jim Major considered the importance of fixing this glitch, he realized why the equal housing laws that should protect all members the LGBTQ community had failed some of its members.

Words to move you Additionally, Sam corroborated that for trans people experiencing the application process there seems to be a tremendous

an apartment don’t be timid, speak up and answer all the questions honestly, concisely and most important proudly.

Don’t be afraid to tell the landlord or management company about a name and gender change, always use the correct legal name on a lease, and don’t worry because that’s why there are discrimination laws!

apprehension to reveal oneself and a palpable fear of rejection which contributes to the problem. (See “Do’s and Don’ts for Transgender Renters” on this page.)

Chris Viveiros, director of communications at Fenway Health reinforced Sam’s observation: “Creating a secure home base for a young person is not only supportive of good overall physical health, but it also contributes to better mental health.”

As for Glasscott, she believes it’s easier today than it was when she was a struggling teenager with few role models. She clarified there’s much further to go and

Ask Others for Help Sam was asked to pick one piece of advice to give to someone newly arrived in Boston who is in transition. His answer was to look up the website for Fenwayhealth.org. There’s information about how to legally change one’s name, navigate through the RMV, getting a passport with a new name, low income housing and tons of other information. These are the basic necessities for

Your financial needs are unique.

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cited examples: She would like to be cast as a female actress and not pigeonholed as a transwoman actress or model. She emphasized she has the same dreams and desires as any young woman—a happy marriage to a loving husband, a nice home with a big kitchen where she can cook to her hearts content, and to have healthy children.

But first, one must find their own place to call home. [x]

Elyse Wilk is a landlord and real estate developer with her husband Harvey Wilk, a mother, grandmother, writer and proud child of a wonderful gay dad (may he rest in peace).

opening a bank account, driving a car, filling out an application for a job, an apartment or obtaining a mortgage to buy a home.

Finding an affordable apartment in Boston is daunting and although there are even more hurdles to jump over (possibly in high heels) for a person transitioning, please always remember to be fearless and never apologetic. —EW

Whether you want to provide for your loved ones, support the organizations that are important to you, or plan for your own comfortable retirement, I can help you plan for your goals. I’ll look at all aspects of your finances, then find solutions that are right for your unique needs. I’ll be there to adjust your plan as life unfolds.

When you have the right approach, life can be brilliant.

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Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., a registered investment adviser.

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2016 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. (8/16)

FEATURE Business STORY Ryan M. Leach

Cannabis Queen of the Commonwealth Bay State’s fourth largest LGBTQ-owned business is grown from the ground up

Ellen Rosenfeld PHOTO Ryan M. Leach 36 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Ellen Rosenfeld is the owner of the fourth largest LGBTQ owned businesses in the state. Her cannabis empire, CommCan, has been cultivated from the ground up since opening their first medical dispensary in 2015. Now, as Rosenfeld enters the recreational cannabis-use market with her new dispensary in Millis, she is growing jobs, local tax revenue and a mellow customer base.

“My father was born in Millis. I grew up in Millis. Born and raised in Millis with my brothers.” says Rosenfeld of her deep roots in the community where the principal operations of CommCan are located.

Rosenfeld, 65, is a pioneer of the Massachusetts cannabis industry. CommCan is the largest woman-owned business of its type in the Commonwealth and her empire is expanding to a potential third location in Rehoboth. The industry is not teeming with gay women, but Rosenfeld is unbothered by anyone who might have other ideas about who can and cannot lead in this usually male-dominated industry.

started buying land in and around Millis in the 1950s. As Rosenfled describes, he collected land like most other people would collect postcards. One of his purchases was a few hundred acres of industrial park on the edge of town. Years later, when medical marijuana became legal in Massachusetts, Rosenfeld learned that the property her father bought had turned from regular land into a green goldmine.

The town of Millis had proactively zoned the industrial park her father bought to allow medical marijuana dispensaries. As Rosenfeld quickly learned, acquiring land zoned for that use was the biggest hurdle for cannabis capitalism.

“This opportunity came on a complete fluke. I was talking to someone at the time who got one of the coveted [medical marijuna] licenses. He offered to lease the land from me. But I am a businesswoman, so I started to talk to a lawyer about doing the business on my own. He said we were in a great position to do it, and we did, and it snowballed,” she recalls.

the government relations, fundraising and anything else that needs to be done.

She is currently working on opening the Rehoboth dispensary, a process that requires every tool in Rosenfeld’s skillful toolbox.

You get the sense that if she had to, Rosenfeld could successfully take on any challenge that pops up. She is somewhat of an expert in a field where the laws change as frequently as the seasons. Recently CommCan had to deal with Governor Charlie Baker’s complete ban on vaping products, forcing CommCan to shelve all of its vaping product. Restrictions like these are unusual under normal circumstances, but in the world of weed they are par for the course. Rosenfeld has learned to take it in stride.

“People think this is just a bunch of potheads running this. They have no idea how scientific, how regulated, how expensive it is. It’s a business and not a bunch of potheads. And I love it,” says Rosenfeld.

Ironically, Rosenfeld never really used

“ People think this is just a bunch of potheads running this. They have no idea how scientific, how regulated, how expensive it is.

It’s a business and not a bunch of potheads. And I love it. ” Ellen Rosenfeld “I know [misogyny] exists. I had one guy look at me once and end with ‘sweetie’ and I looked at him and I go, ‘Do I look like a ‘sweetie’ to you?’ And that was the end of that.” says Rosenfeld.

Family roots Rosenfeld’s two younger brothers, Mark and John, help operate the company and share ownership of the remaining 49 percent. Rosenfeld holds the commanding 51 percent majority. After all, the idea for getting into the weed business was hers.

“I was in Provincetown when this was all coming down and I texted my brother: ‘I think we are going to get into the marijuana business.’ He read the text and responded, ‘Well I guess we are in the marijuana business then!’” laughed Rosenfeld.

The story of how Rosenfeld became the Cannabis Queen is rather serendipitous.

Rosenfeld’s father was a developer. He

Home grown CommCan is a completely self-financed, family owned, vertically integrated cannabis business. They take the product from seed to sale. Rosenfeld and her brother, Mark, together led a tour of their cultivation facility and Millis dispensary.

The tour offered a flash education on the cannabis business. The facility includes grow rooms, of course, but also a lab where the oils are extracted, a kitchen where the edibles are made, a warehouse where the product is stored and of course the room where the joints are made—all by hand (although not technically rolled). This is a business after all, and efficiency is key.

The tightly knit family appears to be the heart and soul of the operation. Each sibling has a skill set. Mark has become an expert on growing and harvesting a quality product. John builds out the operations and facilities. Rosenfeld is the engine keeping things moving forward. She does

cannabis growing up, despite coming of age in the 1960s. Now she only uses it rarely to help her sleep. This was only a recent development. The business keeps her pretty busy between the medical dispensary in Southborough, the medical and recreational dispensary in Millis and a potential third location. Rosenfeld is currently single, but her family and a strong group of long-time friends have helped her get through the challenging times.

“My friends have been right along with me in this. There were times during this process I didn’t think I was going to make it.” says Rosenfeld. “Honestly, up until a few months ago, I was not looking for a partner. I thought I could not bring anyone into this life, but now I’m back on the market.”

In the meantime, Rosenfeld has bigger fish to fry. Being the Commonwealth Cannabis Queen is a full-time job, and Rosenfeld wears the crown well. [x]

JAN | FEB 2020 | 37

FEATURE Design STORY Regina Cole

Designs for Wellness How to make your home a place for comfort, beauty and health “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”—William Morris, 1880 Home should be a place of comfort, beauty and health, a refuge from a world that assaults us with stimuli and wears us down with noise and stress.

While we know this, we don’t always know how to create such a space. Fortunately, there are professionals who can help.

“Wellness is not just physical, it’s also mental,” says Paul Chaisson, an interior designer with clients in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and further afield. “On weekend mornings, stay in bed, don’t rush.

Allow yourself time to relax, and furnish your home with things that foster that, like a soaking tub in the bathroom.”

38 | BOSTON SPIRIT

With spring just around the corner, it’s a good time to look at home with a new perspective and to make changes that provide peaceful space and a healthy environment.

“It need not be lavish or luxurious,” says Massachusetts architect Jason LaGorga.

His company, DesignCrossover, provides a full range of architectural and interior design services.

“People come to me and tell me that their home just doesn’t feel right, but they don’t know why. Often, with just a few simple moves, we can fix it.”

These moves can include simply rearranging furniture to improve the flow.

“You live in your own space and become a creature of habit,” LaGorga says. “We can create sightlines, vignettes, little moments that make you pause. There is

Architectural Openings in Somerville

so much visual clutter; I think in terms of simple moves and simple spaces.”

It doesn’t get much simpler than reading when it comes to promoting wellness: few things nourish the soul like immersion in a good book. For readers, a comfortable, well-made and stylish chair marries wellness and good design. At Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, it’s all about comfort; the national furniture company with its strong Boston presence offers a variety of great looking and wonderful feeling seating pieces.

Company founders and directors Gold and Williams also pride themselves on their company’s labor practices, which include on-site day care, a health-conscious gourmet café, a fitness center, a college scholarship program and a commitment to sustainability.

“We strive to cultivate and maintain an environment of mutual respect and inclusion,” they say. “And, as active members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, we

Duxiana

educate our customers to understand best practices to ensure a sustainable planet for generations to come.”

While reading, you need good lighting.

Lucy Dearborn, president of Lucia Lighting & Design in Lynn, Massachusetts, promotes lighting that is beautiful, effective and green.

“We love the fixtures from Hubbardton Forge,” Dearborn says. “They are based in Castleton, Vermont, so trucks aren’t crossing the country to deliver their products to us. Hubbardton Forge partners with as many Vermont-based and New England-based companies as possible before they leave the region for resources.

“They offer beautiful designs that are also energy efficient,” she adds. “The Abacus, for example is a new product and one of our favorites. It is an LED product that uses locally blown glass—an innovative design.”

The best designers and manufacturers know that our spaces should promote not

Paul Chaisson

“ We love the fixtures from Hubbardton Forge. They are based in Castleton, Vermont, so trucks aren’t crossing the country to deliver their products to us. ” Lucy Dearborn President, Lucia Lighting

only personal health, but also the health of the planet. At Architectural Openings in Somerville, Massachusetts, 12 craftspeople make windows and doors from wood, instead of aluminum or plastic.

“We try to save the world one window at a time,” says company president Karl

Scherrer. “There are not many options for sustainably manufactured windows and doors in this country. Our windows are so efficient that they make the home more comfortable and make the air cleaner inside the house. A wooden window never needs to be replaced; it can be endlessly repaired.”

Architectural Openings turns all its sawdust, cardboard and wood scraps into fuel for biomass boilers, sending nothing to the landfill.

Is anything more essential to wellness than a good night’s sleep?

We spend a third of our lives in bed, refreshing and recharging our minds and bodies. So why don’t our beds have at least the level of quality and luxury we expect from our sofas?

Technologically, the mattress has always lagged behind seating furniture: the coil spring, patented in the mid-eighteenth century, was used in chair seats and buggy benches long before anyone saw it as a

JAN | FEB 2020 | 39

A Lucia Lighting and Design fixture from Hubbardton Forge: The Abacus Mitchell + Gold

DesignCrossover way to a better night’s sleep. Since about 1900, the coil-spring mattress has been the standard. Though there are occasional forays into alternates like waterbeds, Sleep Number, and memory foam, the coil-spring mattress remains the favorite, and for good reason.

Duxiana, a Swedish luxury-bedding brand since 1926, makes its mattresses from all-natural materials, including springs made of high-grade Swedish steel and pine from old-growth trees that create a strong, long-lasting frame.

At the upper level, a Dux bed, as it is affectionately called, is almost infinitely adjustable, with springs that can be raised or compressed via cranks that can be stored when not in use.

“The multilayered spring technology makes it possible for the spine to be aligned all the time,” a company spokesperson explains. “This gives you an extra hour of deep sleep. A Dux bed is not a soft bed or a firm bed, but rather a supportive bed.”

The local showroom for Duxiana beds and furniture is located at 173 Newbury Street in Boston.

40 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Paul Chaisson points out that bedrooms and bathrooms have special wellness potential. A bathroom can feel a spa; a bedroom can be a personal retreat.

In the bathroom, however, make sure to use a safe brand of dental floss. Recent studies have found that some brands contain PFAS chemicals, which have been linked to liver damage, harm to the immune system, developmental issues and cancer, and can persist in people’s bodies and in the environment for many years. Also, find out what’s in your water.

If it is full of chlorine or other chemicals, install a shower head filter.

Dane Austin, a Newbury Street-based Boston interior designer, points to an essential element for a restful bedroom retreat.

“Have a ‘no screens allowed’ rule in the bedroom and make time to unwind, catch up on reading and connect with your partner.”

He believes that human connection is the key to a good life and the whole reason for design.

“With the open concept living trend, clients often have no need or desire for a

formal living room set-up. We find ourselves crafting inventive uses of the space, including a yoga retreat, music room, art studio and recreation hall, complete with pool table, jukebox and card table. These become rooms that feed the soul, encourage creativity, and connectedness.”

“I’m not one for unnecessary accessories that sit around and take up space in your life,” Austin says. “It’s important to surround yourself with only things that make you happy and bring you joy. Keep treasures from your travels, meaningful family heirlooms, a painting that you had to have, and, yes, comfortable furniture. Donate unwanted items that serve no real purpose and collect dust. Put them to good use at local fundraising organizations such as Boomerangs that provide much-needed outreach while bringing extra income to a worthy cause.”

William Morris, one of the giants of the design world, said much the same thing 140 years ago. Styles change, but comfort, wellness and good design are eternal. [x]

They take real estate seriously.

Themselves, not so much.

Gail, Ed and the team are hardworking, knowledgeable pros who always put your interests first. With over $1 billion in sales, they know what they’re doing and, yep, they have fun doing it. 617-245-4044 • gailroberts.com

JAN | FEB 2020 | 41

FEATURE Design STORY Marni Katz

Sense Energy Monitor Kit

Get Smart Commonplace and cutting-edge technology along with connectivity can turn anyone into a master of their universe In the same breath that you lament the screen—incessant texts from the office, a toddler’s howl for Peppa Pig, another push notification about a celebrity tweet masquerading as breaking news—you’re nearly giddy at the prospect of even more information.

And control. Through a series of taps, we can create the just-right climate, conjure a

romantic mood, double check on dangers, and orchestrate a host of household chores.

We’re a nation of paranoid, power-hungry Goldilocks. But maybe we’re onto something.

According to statistics database Statista, the United States is the largest consumer of smart home technology. In 2019, we spent $23.5 billion on smart home products.

42 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Spending will continue to increase. A recent Houzz survey of over 125,000 renovating homeowners reports that 27 percent regard integrating smart tech as a high priority.

Kyle Tripp, a system designer at Massachusetts-based Audio Video Design says, “The desire for smart home technology has only deepened for most clients building new homes or renovating.” Sarah Lawson, owner of S+H Construction in Cambridge, makes an estimate similar to Houzz’s findings saying, “In large-scale renovations, about 25 percent want a big fancy system.” She also notes, “It’s not the heyday

of the smart house, but it will trend up now that systems are easier to use.”

The most popular smart products are thermostats, security systems, and lighting, preferably controlled by voice via a smart speaker (that’s you Alexa). “Today’s homeowners are looking to add smart technology to every corner of their house. They like the convenience of using their phone or other device to control not only their thermostat, but their shower, kitchen faucet, and more,” says Lani Smith, a project manager at Frank Webb Home which has showrooms throughout the Northeast.

This is the place for you. Imagine hundreds of exceptional bath, kitchen and lighting products from trusted brands, in settings that help you envision them in your own home. You’ll find classic styles alongside the newest trends. A friendly, accessible staff offers guidance and detailed coordination to ensure that your project goes smoothly.

Find details and hours for more than 40 showrooms at frankwebb.com.

SOUTH BOSTON, MA 307 Dorchester Avenue BEDFORD, MA 160 Middlesex Turnpike NEEDHAM, MA 100 Highland Avenue PLYMOUTH, MA 39 Prestige Way

DXV SpaLet Smart Bidet Toilet

Kohler Konnect Ecobee Smart Thermostat

While anyone with WiFi and a smart phone (aka everyone) can integrate devices controlled by individual apps, others opt for centralized systems. “Some clients are fine using multiple apps from different brands to access systems,” Tripp says. “Many are still interested in the unified control approach.”

Lawson concurs. “We have customers who want the whole enchilada on one system,” she says. “It costs more, but it’s seamless.” One might have “dinner party mode,” during which music starts playing, the shades go down, and the lights dim, all coordinated with the press of a button. Other scenarios might include “vacation mode” with decreased heat use and lights that automatically switch on and off, or “teen hangout” mode with personal

playlists loaded and the basement doors on lockdown so more friends can’t sneak in unbeknownst to the adults.

This past November, experiential retailer b8ta opened in the Seaport offering on-trend tech gadgetry with which shoppers are encouraged to interact. “Homeowners are constantly seeking new products that optimize their daily life,” a b8ta spokesperson says.

Indeed. As such, the market is flooded with devices that range from life-saving—airquality monitors that use color and sound to communicate—to just plain fun—lightbulbs that cycle through every color of the rainbow.

We asked area experts for smart home products they love: There are two major smart thermostats on the market.

44 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Frank Webb Home favors the Ecobee Smart Thermostat.

The newest model has a builtin Alexa speaker, which means that you can control it and all of your other smart home devices with it using your voice. You can also use it an in intercom, and to stream music.

Don’t worry, it carries out its primary function—adjusting the temperature based on preferences and occupancy—to perfection.

The DXV SpaLet Smart Bidet Toilet takes cleanliness and comfort to extremes. The lid opens automatically, the seat is heated, and the fiveposition wand for front and rear cleansing has three water temperature settings and six pressure options adjustable via remote control. There’s also an air circulation and deodorizing

system, plus a nightlight. It’s energy efficient too. Frank Webb Home project manager Lani Smith says, “Once you have it, you can’t live without it!”

When it comes to smart sinks and showers, Donna Zinckmoore, director of retail operations at The Portland Group/ Splash and Spritzo, recommends Kohler Konnect. She says, “The voice activation makes it easy to do everything from filling up a pot in the kitchen to setting the temperature of your shower.” The line includes the Sensate Kitchen Faucet which can dispense specific amounts of water on command (no more measuring cups!), while its sensor monitors water usage. The DTV+ Showering System offers 11

Welcome to a waterfront property like none other. Legendary St. Regis butler service, exquisite amenities, dramatic city and harbor views await. Opening 2021. Learn more at srresidencesboston.com or call 617 357 8000.

The St. Regis Residences, Boston are not owned, developed or sold by Mar iot International, Inc. or its af il ates (“Mar iot ”). 150 Seaport L C uses the St. Regis marks under a license from Mar iot , which has not confirmed the ac uracy of any of the statements or epresentations made about he project. Al artist renderings are for il ustrative purposes only and are subject o change without notif cation.

The St. Regis Residences, Boston are not owned, developed or sold by Marriott International, Inc. or its affiliates (“Marriott”). 150 Seaport LLC uses the St. Regis marks under a license from Marriott, which has not confirmed the accuracy of any of the statements or representations made about the project. All artist renderings are for illustrative purposes only and are subject to change without notification.

Control4 Smart Home and Neeo Remote Grohe Sense & Sense Guard

August Smart Connect Lock

AXIS Gear

Sense Energy Monitor Amazon Smart Plug spa experiences plus settings for steam, light, and music.

office. or home gym, making it ideal for streaming workouts.

For value-added reflections, Zinckmoore looks to Electric Mirrors. “They’re perfect for getting ready in the morning,” she says. The company’s newest release, the Savvy Home SmartMirror allows you to download any Androidbased app (stock quotes! Insta stories! recipes!), turning the mirror into a touch-screen display. It can also act as command central for other smart home devices, such as video doorbells. Although originally developed for hotel bathrooms, the contemporary aesthetic fits into an entry, kitchen,

Control4 Smart Home and Neeo Remote is the whole house system on which to splurge. Greg Brett, owner of Sounds Good Corporation in Waltham, points to its melding of form and function. “Homeowners want smart home benefits and they want beautiful products,” he says.

While the Control4 Smart Home Operating System seamlessly connects every device in the house (its capacity is in the thousands), the Neeo Remote, which is intuitive and feels good in your

46 | BOSTON SPIRIT

hand, Brett says, “makes it easy to control and personalize.”

manual blinds (assuming they have looped chains) into motorized ones.

More smart home favorites

Avoid water damage and mold with Grohe Sense & Sense Guard. The pair sends alerts about leaks and risks of frost, and if a pipe might burst, automatically shuts down the water supply.

Want easy control over your bedside lamp or box fan? Plug anything into an Amazon Smart Plug and start talking.

All you need is the Alexa app.

Eliminate worry about forgetting your keys or dropping off an extra set for the dog walker.

August Smart Connect Lock lets you let in anyone from anywhere.

Let in some light without lifting a finger or spending a fortune. AXIS Gear is an after-market device that turns

The Sense Energy Monitor tracks the power consumption of every appliance in your home, allowing you to identify problems, adjust habits, and ultimately save energy and money. [x]

love WHERE YOU

LIVE

Are you in a new home, or remodeling an older one?

Feeling stuck or overwhelmed, not sure where to begin?

• • • • •

Custom Window Treatments and Blinds Color Palettes Furnishings and Accessories Kitchen and Bath Design Flooring and Carpeting

Schedule an in home or office Design Consultation.

Allow me to use my vast knowledge and experience to place you on the best path for all your Interior Design needs.

617-686-2701 WWW.PAULCHAISSON.COM

SEASONAL Design STORY Scott Kearnan

AT YOUR SERVICE Unique amenities vie for attention at Boston‑area residencies Everywhere you look, luxury residential buildings are popping up around Boston. In today’s market, though, high-end kitchen fixtures and an on-site concierge just aren’t enough. Instead, the new crop of high-end homes are offering truly unique amenities—from rock climbing walls to customized social calendars—to set themselves apart from the competition.

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MILLENNIUM TOWER Move into one of the 442 luxury residences at this 60-story tower, and you’ll be living the high life—literally.

The signature (and most unique) amenity at Millennium, a glistening skyscraper in the middle of Downtown Boston, is dubbed “La Vie.” It’s a curated social calendar just for residents—one that offers access to a host of special events that connect neighbors with each other and the city.

The “La Vie” series is divided into different programs: “Out & About” gets residents access to arts, sport and cultural experiences throughout Boston; “Happenings Here,” on the other hand, highlights on-property activities, from dance classes to murder mystery games.

There are “Fireside Chats” with prominent local figures and opinion leaders, an “Xpert Series” featuring star trainer-led fitness demos, and other goings-on all month long. A lot of upscale residences out there offer cool pools and screening rooms. But a jam-packed itinerary of fun events to attend, whenever the spirit moves you? That’s a lively idea.

Ahem—that said, Millennium Tower is no slouch when it comes to the screening room (that’s where weekly “La Vie” movie nights are held) and pool situation. The 75-foot lap pool is also steps away from a sprawling fitness center and spa, a fireplace-equipped lounge for owners, and a billiards-equipped parlor. Overall, it’s more than 23,000-square feet of amenity space, which includes an outdoor terrace for taking in views of Boston’s buzzing downtown.

Indeed, the neighborhood has transformed in recent years. Besides the live theaters with their glowing marquees, downtown has become quite a dining destination. And in fact, one of the most important restaurants is right downstairs: Pabu, a sexy-feeling Japanese restaurant from internationally renowned chef Michael Mina, is housed within Millennium Tower. While you can run downstairs for its stellar, contemporary cuisine anytime, residents can also take advantage of “Mina

by Michael Mina.” The partnership with Mina means residents can receive special meals— inspired by Mina’s many restaurants—right in their own homes. There are also monthly entrees offered as “two-pot” meals with “how-to” cooking videos, wine club benefits, and more.

C’est la vie, indeed. millenniumtowerboston.com

JAN | FEB 2020 | 49

FOUR SEASONS ONE DALTON It’s nice to be number one. Just ask anyone who lives at this new Back Bay tower, which now ranks as the tallest residential skyscraper in Boston (and the third-highest overall). The 61-story building houses 160 private residences alongside its luxury hotel units—and owners get access to some truly top-tier amenities.

For those, you’ll want to take the elevator to a few floors in particular.

The 7th floor is home to the spa and wellness center, anchored by a 64-foot lap pool that runs along a wide wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. There are also treatment rooms for massages and facials, a salon for hair and nail services, and plenty of fitness equipment (plus studios for yoga and Pilates).

Head up to the 24th floor to find the “Entertainment Gallery,” a sprawling space that includes a 14-seat private theater for hi-def screenings, as well as a wet bar, indoor golf simulator, and family activity center that comes complete with a kitchenette. There’s room for productivity too, thanks to the dedicated private office space, pet washing station, and commercial-grade laundry room.

Ascend all the way to floor 50, and you’ll discover the club lounge, where residents can unwind in the dining room, parlor, fully appointed bar, catering kitchen or terrace. Need even more outdoor space? There’s a newly commissioned 5,000-square-foot park designed by award-winning landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh.

(Bonus: getting between all these floors will be a breeze, thanks to a half-dozen special, high-speed elevators that travel at 1,400 feet per minute.)

On top of all this, residents enjoy the cachet of living at one of the most distinguished new addresses in Boston—one anchored by a superhyped restaurant: Zuma, a swanky Japanese spot where the high-end sushi, sake, and yakitori skewers are served with a side of DJ-driven beats. It’s a sexy scene, and residents get priority reservations.

Priority. What else would you expect when you’re at number one? fourseasons.com/onedalton

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THE ST. REGIS RESIDENCES, BOSTON Boston’s Seaport District has completely transformed in a matter of years. Where once there were parking lots and (metaphorically speaking) tumbleweeds, there is now a mini-metropolis of sparkling glass towers and sidewalks bustling with activity—not to mention, some of the buzziest bars and restaurants in the city.

It’s no surprise, then, that the Seaport is where St. Regis decided to plant its first Boston property. And what a pearl it is! The waterfront building, designed by worldrenowned Elkus Manfredi Architects to recall a billowing sail, features 114 residences with stunning harbor views—and, of course, amenities that justify those multimilliondollar price points.

According to a rep for the property, the goal is to provide residents the same kind of five-star hotel services they expect from the luxury St. Regis brand—but at home. So there are places to relax—like the in-house spa, heated stone pool with a dramatic waterfall edge, mosaic stone-tiled steam room, and multiple lounges and parlors. But the amenities also lend well to entertaining: residents have access to a special wine vault, a temperature-regulated environment for storing individual bottles; a chef-style catering kitchen; a “sport simulator” room to play virtual golf, bowling and more; and the cozy “Cognac Room” for socializing over sips and a game of cards.

Having out-of-town guests? No problem.

Though this is the St. Regis brand’s second condo-only property, there are two guest suites available for residents to rent—so you don’t have to put up your in-laws in your own space.

The biggest amenity, though, has got to be the comprehensive butler service. Seven days a week, residents will receive assistance from staff who are prepared to help, at no charge, with a huge array of duties—from wrapping gifts to retrieving dry cleaning, from shoe shining to delivering groceries.

Residents can also spring for help with even more “a la carte” tasks, like car washing, childcare, and furniture assembly.

It may not be a hotel, but when it opens in 2021, this snazzy Seaport entry is where everyone will want to check in. We’ve got no reservations saying that. srresidencesboston.com

JAN | FEB 2020 | 51

PIER 4 Something new and different has moved into one of Boston’s most iconic addresses.

The waterfront plot where Anthony’s Pier 4 restaurant once stood is now home to a nine-story building with 106 residences.

Anthony’s, which served surf-and-turf there for decades, was once one of the highest grossing restaurants in the country—and a Bostonian favorite for special occasions. But now, inside the wave-like, undulating walls of the Pier 4 building, every day is a special occasion.

It starts with the views: surrounded by water on three sides, Pier 4 is the only residence in the Seaport District to offer every unit an ocean view and private outdoor space. The developers also added access to a one-acre public park—and after you take Fido for a stroll along the Harbor Walk, you can wash those paws off at Pier 4’s pet washing station.

As for your own exercise—it starts in the expansive luxury fitness center. Besides the standard state-of-the-art equipment, there’s a golf simulator for practicing your swing without ever stepping outside.

There’s a resident club that’ll be helpful for entertaining, as well as the Topsider Lounge for kicking back cocktails. What’s more, Pier 4’s ground-floor commercial space happens to house two of Boston’s buzziest restaurants: Woods Hill Pier 4, which serves all organic, farm-to-table ingredients, and— coming soon—Nautilus Pier 4, an Asian cuisine-inflected sibling to a Nantucket seafood restaurant.

And appropriately enough for a building that occupies the site of an esteemed restaurant, hospitality is paramount to the Pier 4 experience. It’s the first Boston property to partner with FirstService Residential, a concierge company with a personal touch that rivals the kind you’d find at country clubs. The on-site concierge, Jeremy DiFlaminies, has experience in coordinating international relocation, booking private jets with only a few hours’ notice, and providing top-notch service to celebrity families. (Which all means that if you’re still missing Anthony’s, we’re sure he can hook you up with a lobster dinner.)

With views and perks like these, it’s no wonder Pier 4 is still where everyone wants to moor. pier4bostonluxury.com

52 | BOSTON SPIRIT

METRO9 Sometimes it helps to see things from a different angle. While Boston’s luxury condo scene is building, it’s worth looking right across the Charles River to the smaller city of Somerville—home to hip bars, cool restaurants, and an artsy nightlife scene. Somerville is experiencing plenty of development too, especially around Union Square, where the Green Line Extension Project is expected to add a Boston-bound subway stop by the end of 2021. So if you’re seeking a neighborhood on the rise, look no further.

Already, the area is home to Metro9, which sits just between Union Square and similarly cool Inman Square. With its concrete walls and exposed columns, the eight-story, 1916-built structure has an industrial-chic style—which makes sense, since it used to be a cold storage facility for millions of dollars’ worth of lobster.

(Yes, really.) Now you’ll want to get your claws on one of the 100 homes inside.

It’s a cool space (no cold-storage pun intended), from the glass-enclosed fireplace in the lobby to the roof-deck, where residents can get skyline views of Boston, catch a game on the outdoor TV, or grill up dinner. Inside, there are spaces designated for co-working, an entertaining kitchen, a dog-grooming station, a billiards-equipped club room and more.

Metro9 is also outfitted in ways that recognize the lifestyles and sensibilities that might characterize the older Millennial crowd. For instance, it’s a LEED Gold-certified building, an accreditation linked to environmental friendliness, and the property offers an indoor bike parking and repair room. (If you want to pump some pedals without actually going anywhere, hop on one of the state-ofthe-art Peloton bicycles in the fitness center.)

But perhaps most creative—literally—is the on-site art room, a studio-like space that can be reserved for drawing, painting, playing piano and other endeavors.

Residents use it to mount artwork for gallery-like exhibitions, and there is even an “artist’s wall” in the lobby, where residents are encouraged to showcase a piece for a month at a time.

See? It’s all about perspective. metro9condos.com

JAN | FEB 2020 | 53

RAFFLES BOSTON BACK BAY HOTEL & RESIDENCES If you need any more proof that Boston is going through a new Gilded Age, consider the arrival of Raffles. The ultra-luxury brand has only about a dozen properties around the world, mostly in Asia. So it’s exciting that Boston will be the first North American city to get an outpost when Raffles opens in Back Bay in early 2022.

The 33-story tower will dedicate its upper levels to 146 super-high-end residences (the lower levels will be occupied by hotel units). They spare no expense when it comes to style and glamour, and neither do the common areas, which boast spectacular botanical displays. Of course, you may want to wander up to the twostory sky lounge with a rooftop garden terrace too. The views of the city are sure to stun.

Besides the signature Raffles Butler service, which ensures residents get high-level personal attention, there are plenty of fancified spaces to explore: for instance, the Raffles Spa with a 20-meter indoor pool, resident lounge, fitness club and about half a dozen on-site restaurants and bars. Where to eat, with all those options?

For an intimate evening, you may want to visit the property’s tasting kitchen, where the hotel’s executive chef will host themed feasts and other food-focused events for residents only. Planning a date night? There’s also a mysterious so-called speakeasy in the building, but that’s all we’ll say. You’ll have to track down the location yourself. (Hey, that’s half the fun!)

For more contemplative ventures, Raffles will also have a writers lounge, a quiet space off the sky lobby that is lined with books, art and artifacts. It’s a place to read, write, relax, and you know, solve the world’s problems over a digestif. When idle time is its own form of activity, you know you’re officially living in the lap of luxury. rafflesresidencesboston.com

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2018 PRISM Award Winner

photography by Greg Premru

617-876-8286 www.shconstruction.com BEST OF BOSTON HOME 2017, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008 / BEST OF BOSTON 2017, 2007

THE QUINN The South End sure has changed. Back in the day, it was considered Boston’s “gayborhood”—and while the LGBTQ community is definitely thriving here, there are also a lot more baby strollers rolling down the sidewalks on Sundays.

Also, it used to be grittier, with rents local artists could afford. Now there are enough well-heeled professionals to sustain places like the Quinn, a 14-story building filled with 101 gorgeously appointed condos, some priced at more than $5 million. It opens later this year.

Some things do stay the same, though: namely, South Enders still love their dogs.

(If there’s one thing gayborhoods have always had, it’s lots of fur-babies.) So maybe it makes sense that the Quinn is the first Boston location for Dog City, a company that offers doggy day care, an indoor play space for pooches, drop-off services, veterinary appointments and more. It may be a dog’s life—but these dogs live pretty well.

Don’t worry: two-legged residents have it made, too. We wouldn’t recommend chasing balls in the hallway, but there is a fantastic fitness facility with courts for squash and basketball, as well as a rock-climbing wall to get your lats looking good before it’s summeringin-Provincetown season. Until then, of course, you can make do with the waterfall-accented indoor pool—the first inside a South End residential building— or hang out on the landscaped 12th-floor terrace, which is speckled with cabanas, lounge chairs, stone courtyards and fire pits. There’s even a barbecue area. “Kiss the Cook” apron, not included.

When the weather’s a little less fine, you can move indoors to the fourth floor, where the sweep of amenities includes a sports lounge with billiard and shuffleboard, a library, a game room, a dining room for hosting parties, work areas for home-office needs, and more.

Yeah, neighborhoods change. So do all communities. But amid the pack of new luxury residences, at least this dogfriendly option is an alpha entry. thequinn.com

56 | BOSTON SPIRIT

SEASONAL Design STORY Courtney Goodrich

Dane Austin daneaustindesign.com

“Comfort is the ultimate luxury.”

If you meet Dane Austin you’ll find he’s compassionate, talented and trustworthy right off the bat. His firm, Dane Austin Design, creates spaces that are deeply considerate of the tastes, lifestyles and backgrounds of the people who live there. The results are warm, personal environments that are special, interesting, unique and comfortable, since, after all, Austin believes “comfort is the ultimate luxury.”

Did anyone inspire you while growing up?

Design Inspiration

I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, Maryland, near my grandparents—stylish, gracious hosts who loved to entertain.

They were also well-traveled, and their home reflected that. It was full of paintings, furniture and objects of art from their adventures abroad.

New England home designers who transform, inspire and elevate

How did you get started in design?

“Creating beautiful things and transforming spaces brings so much joy and happiness to our lives!” says Pauline Curtiss, one of the seven designers working in the Boston area profiled in this issue. Creating joy and happiness is a common theme among each of these unique visionaries—for themselves as artists but also especially for the people who live in the environments they design. Keeping an eye on emerging styles, each of these designers also expresses a strong desire to transcend trends, taking their cues rather from those they design for. As Duncan Hughes puts it, “Ultimately, I want my interiors to mirror my client’s best self.”

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After attending college at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at George Washington University and studying decorative art in London and Paris, I graduated with two fine arts degrees. I’ve been interested in design since I was a child flipping through the pages of design magazines, and I realize now, looking back, that movie sets and stage sets have always inspired me.

What do you think will happen in interior design in 2020?

People are more conscious and appreciative of good design in their everyday lives. I think preserving our natural resources will be more evident in design with significant inspiration from nature. And, since the gray movement of the 2010s is on

the way out, we’ll see a return to earthy tones—chocolate brown, pale pink, terra cotta, yellow ochre, olive green and cream.

What do you focus on while designing interiors?

“Know thy client.” To easily connect with your clients, understand their family’s needs and be able to interpret the lifestyle they envision is imperative to providing the overall design. A great designer will extrapolate and develop a concept vision that reflects the client rather than imposing a cookie-cutter look. Make it fun to work with you. The experience should be easy, enjoyable, and efficient.

What gets your creativity flowing?

I find a visit to the museum or a local art gallery provides the spark of inspiration when I need it. I may see a fabulous color combination or a pattern that becomes the jumping-off point to an incredible design.

Do you have a favorite trend?

There is something so timeless and classic about the natureinspired motif of a good vineand-leaf-patterned fabric or wallcovering. I’m not a fan of trends, especially of the quatrefoil and chevron. Don’t allow mass marketing to dictate the way you approach design: if you buy what you love, you’ll always love and enjoy your surroundings.

Dane Austin. PHOTO Joyelle West [INTERIORS] PHOTOS Stacy Zarin Goldberg

JAN | FEB 2020 | 59

Duncan Hughes. PHOTO Kyle Caldwell

Duncan Hughes duncanhughes.com

After a career in advertising, Duncan Hughes revisited his interest in architecture and took a job at a furniture showroom that catered to the interior design community.

That was 18 years ago, and now his Duncan Hughes Interiors has designed homes throughout New England and beyond. Designing furniture is something Hughes especially enjoys since it reminds him of that first showroom job, which introduced him to the design world and vendors and suppliers he interacts with now as a designer.

Where did you grow up?

I’m a true New Englander.

Proud to have grown up in the smallest state capital in the United States: Montpelier, Vermont. A fantastic and truly idyllic place to be a kid.

PHOTO Eric Roth

“Ultimately, I want my interiors to mirror my client’s very best self.”

Barefoot summers, tree forts and capture-the-flag in the warmer months, skiing, sledding and making snowmen in the winter. It took leaving my hometown for college that made me realize how wonderful the community is there, the natural beauty of it all, and the kind and friendly people around every corner.

What design elements do you love?

I love modern interpretations of art deco, and mid-century, and I believe they are always in style if used in the correct balance with

60 | BOSTON SPIRIT

other elements. Also, I love installing wallpaper or a bold pattern on a ceiling—an area that is so often neglected in the design of a room.

What does the next year of design look like to you?

I hope that we continue to see exciting, colorful palettes taking over lackluster greys and tans. I have always been a believer in mixing old and new, and I think we will be seeing more of that going forward as people become more interested in living in places with soul and meaning.

What is the most important thing to keep in mind while designing interiors?

The client. Yes, my name is on the finished product and the quality of the work is vitally important to me, but ultimately, I want my interiors to mirror my client’s very best self. We work very hard to understand how our clients live, and how they want to feel in their home.

I have found this goal, this method, always yields the best and most beautiful results.

PHOTO Michael J. Lee PHOTO Nat Rea

How do you see the relationship between the design and LGBTQ communities?

In my view, the design industry has been very supportive of the LGBTQ community, and visa versa. Going forward, as workplaces become even more diverse, the importance of acceptance, inclusion, speaking out about discrimination, and prevention of bullying in the workplace becomes increasingly more important. Young professionals need to be encouraged to reach out to the next generation to spread the message that the design community is diverse and inclusive. It is important that design professionals coming up in their career feel empowered and welcomed by this multicultural work environment. I have been wildly fortunate in my experience as a gay man who is also an interior designer, but my story is

not necessarily typical of others in the community.

There is so much still to be done, and as laws and public perceptions continue to be challenged, it is vital that the design community continue, on a grassroots level, to do the good work that is necessary to keep the doors of this inclusive industry open to all who wish to enter—and use our influence to make our communities better for everyone.

So, what’s next for you?

I am so excited about the incredible response we are getting about the Duncan Hughes for Dowel furniture collection. It was such a labor of love for me to design these pieces, and shepherd them through the production process. Currently, I am also designing some furniture for Century that will available worldwide in the spring.

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Pauline Curtiss. PHOTO Adam Detour Photography

Pauline Curtiss, artist and founder of Patina Designs, is certainly multitalented. She works with designers as well as directly with homeowners for color consultations, decorative interior and exterior painting, murals, hand printed fabrics and fine art. Her custom patterns are “modern edgy spins on classical influences,” she say, and she’s currently interested in large layered patterns, environmental linework, and glazed mysterious surfaces. Oh, and she also has a line of porcelain dinnerware.

plenty of space to do design projects in wood, sculpture, and paint…and building big structures and sculptures in the state forest adjacent to our property.

How did you get started in design?

What do you suggest designers keep in mind?

I managed an imaging services team that created digital images for highend fabric companies. I learned about pattern design and production and I realized I loved working with creative designers and getting to look at gorgeous things all day long.

Have you always been interested in art?

Many members of my family are artistic.

I grew up in Upton, Massachusetts, and I spent my whole childhood having

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Elizabeth Home Decor. PHOTO Michael J Lee Photography

“Everyone deserves to be around beauty.”

What do you think is coming next?

Big bold colors! We have been doing a lot of jobs with interesting textures and abstract linework. Watercolory ombres, subtle venetian and high gloss. I’m obsessed lately with rich deep blues and greens and neon. Fearless colors of nature paired with modern interiors is where it’s at.

Be open to using all surfaces. Ceilings, floors and furniture can be awesome additions to kicking it up a notch with printing patterns on, not just walls. The unexpected makes the best drama.

Where do you find inspiration?

I love looking through art books, but also Pinterest and Instagram! I find it really helpful for clients when they are thinking about a space to look through

Michael J Lee Photography

paulinecurtiss.com, patina-designs. com, patina-collections.com

Evolve Residential Design. PHOTO Pauline Curtiss

Pauline Curtiss

Charlotte Zawel Design. PHOTO Pauline Curtiss

Elizabeth Home Decor & Design. PHOTO Michael J Lee

an assortment of gorgeous saved images so they can get ideas. Then we can find what they like and narrow it down…finding one piece of one, one part of another, playing with scale and color changes to come up with something really unique to them.

How does design affect everyday life?

Embellish Designs. PHOTO Aislinn Calabrese

Michael J Lee

Design is so important. It helps us to be invigorated and inspired. Creating beautiful things and transforming spaces brings so much joy and happiness to our lives! When a room is repainted or we create something decorative suddenly everyone in the house wants to spend all their time there. We just painted our sunroom walls and trim the deepest brightest green, filling it with bright colored accents and plants, and the whole family wants to be there all the time, including the dog. This is why I love being involved with exterior and public art projects. Everyone deserves to be around beauty.

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Eric Haydel. PHOTO Meg Barnum

Michael J. Lee

Eric Haydel erichaydel.com

“Design impacts lives, plain and simple.”

“Preppy and traditional mixed with bits of industrial contemporary,” is how Eric Haydel describes his style.

But for him, each professional project starts with a focus on good design principles.

His interior design firm, Eric Haydel Design, operates out of Haydel’s showroom in the Boston Design Center, where his team creates stunning spaces for clients, sells fabric, wallcovering, furniture and accessories, and also designs new collections of furniture, rugs and textiles.

Where are you from and how did you get started in design?

I grew up in Louisiana and moved to Boston in 2008. Most people assume this was a huge departure for me, but the two places are both rooted in such history of design. Interior design sort of fell into my lap.

I had the chance to take a hard look at my career choice when

the market crashed in 2008. A dear friend suggested design classes. I’ve never looked back.

What are your favorite paint colors?

Benjamin Moore is always my go-to! I often use Bleeker Beige HC-80, French Canvas OC-41 or Penthouse CSP35 as my neutral base and bring in colors like Georgian Brick HC-50, Prussian Blue CW-625 or Shadow AF-650 for a dramatic contrast.

When you find yourself in need of inspiration, what do you do?

I need to be outside in nature. From the beach to the mountains, nature offers a massive amount of solitude to the soul and is good for finding inspiration.

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Any trends you hope to never see again?

I think trends are more for retail clients and stores. I don’t find myself being influenced or even having conversation with clients about trends. I would just suggest shiplap would die and that the red accent wall never comes back!

What is challenging about being a designer you don’t think many people know about?

We are in a specialty business, which means nothing we work with is sitting on a shelf waiting to be loved. I think a challenging part of the job is explaining how much time it takes to make something— to design, commission or order it, and then the hands to make it. Every piece of furniture, lighting, wallpaper,

fabrics…you name it…it is all made to order, which means there are lead times.

What does design mean to you?

Design impacts lives, plain and simple. It is in all that we do or don’t do. People forget that every time you get into your car or on a train or a bus… there was an interior designer in that project to make sure you have places to sit, space to stand, places to store your luggage or even a way to access getting in or getting on.

What do you think will be big in 2020?

I think we will see a resurgence of powerful and jaw dropping lighting fixtures!

Michael J. Lee

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Scott Bell and Susan Schaub theoandisabella.com

“Traditional with a twist—juxtaposing antiques with clean, modern elements.”

Scott Bell and Susan Schaub are cofounders of Theo & Isabella Design Group (Theo is his cat and Isabella is her dog), which they formed in 2011 after working together for 10 years. Even though their lives are very different (Schaub has been married to the same man for 36 years) they realized their shared love of antiques, art history, preservation and museums early on. They design the same way and meet their clients’ needs with timeless looks, interesting contrasts and warm comforting touches.

Where are each of you from and how did your design careers merge?

I came to the world of interior design via a museum background. Growing up in Fishkill, New York, my family often visited many of the historic house museums

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sprinkled up and down the Hudson River Valley. Houses range from 18th-century Huguenout stone houses to many gilded age mansions. These houses instilled in me a curiosity about the people who lived in them and about the origins of their vastly different design elements. My love of design grew out of my infatuation with material culture—the stories that objects tell about the people who owned them, the people who designed them and what was happening in the world that led to these design decisions. In 1999, after working for several museums, I moved to Boston and worked for Bierly Drake Associates and then for a designer in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where Susan and I met.

I am from Bay Village, Ohio. I spent a great deal of time at my best friend’s house. The family owned a few Ethan Allen stores and their home was a beautiful mix of fine antiques and new pieces. I admired the warmth of their design style and neutral colors. I moved to Boston to attend Northeastern as an art history major and my first and only co-op job over four years was at the Longfellow National Historic Site on Brattle Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The house is full of original antiques—fine arts, decorative arts, furnishings, books and textiles.

As the curatorial assistant, my favorite part of the job was correcting the point

Lori Hamilton Photography

Scott Bell and Susan Schaub. PHOTO Lori Hamilton Photography

drawings when reproducing fabrics and carpets to match exactly the 19th-century originals. Then, as a stay-at-home mom, I designed retail bakeries in the Fenway and Brookline, Massachusetts, for the Wheatstone Baking Co. I was hired by a designer as an assistant and when Scott joined the firm two years later, we quickly realized our common backgrounds of art history, historic preservation, museum studies and love of design made it easy to work together and collaborate on shared projects.

One word to describe design in 2020?

Simplicity! I think everyone is looking for ways to simplify their life so that they have more time, so materials that are easy to maintain are sought after.

How would you describe your design style?

Our design style is traditional with a twist—juxtaposing antiques with clean, modern elements brings a bit of history and patina, layering rich textures with neutral palettes gives a sense of tranquility and timelessness, and blending contrasting finishes— rustic and refined, elegant and relaxed, feminine and masculine—creates warm inviting spaces focused on family living.

What is the most important thing about designing interiors?

Above all else, listen to your client.

We are creating spaces for them, their lifestyle and taste and how they will ultimately use these spaces.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t challenge them by offering ideas that are bold and forward-thinking, that push their ideas of what could be, that’s why they hire us.

How do you like to start projects?

Ideally, we like to start from the beginning with the architect to insure the house will meet the clients’ needs and desires. It’s important to

have conversations with the clients to see if there are elements they haven’t even thought of that can be incorporated into their dream home.

What trends you love currently or are happy to see come back in style?

A trend we love is ceiling treatments, from applied moldings, to shiplap, to exposed beams, wallpaper, gilding and beyond. We are glad to see brass fixtures are back in style, this time un-lacquered.

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Steven Favreau. PHOTO Tiffany Von

Greg Premru

Steven Favreau favreaulousfactory.com

“Design is art. Art transforms, inspires and elevates.”

Greg Premru

Before being an interior designer, or a “creator of experiences” as he calls it, Steven Favreau’s career was in theater.

That background gives his projects a bold yet cohesive point of view with unexpected colors and textures and funky accents. His firm, Steven Favreau Design, works out of Favreaulous Factory, an 11,000-square-foot loft in Boston’s Seaport that Favreau and his fiancé, Dennis Wyrzykowski, opened in 2018.

What do you think of design trends?

I do not follow trends, which I believe hinder the design industry. I approach each project as a completely different exploration from previous works.

Designing tells a story—getting to the heart of possibility, while revealing to the client what they never could have imagined. I pair antique with contemporary, refined and irregular, soft and hard, feminine and masculine.

How did you get started in design?

My first career was as a Broadway dancer, performing on cruise ships and on Dutch television in Amsterdam. Thereafter, I was a soloist at the Moulin Rouge in Paris.

Moving back to New York City in the mid ’90s, I no longer felt driven to pursue

68 | BOSTON SPIRIT

theatre. Switching careers, I enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology as a commercial art major. Shortly after the semester began, I discovered interior design—quickly changing my major.

Pursuing interior design in 2006, I haven’t stopped since…don’t think I ever will.

Where are you from?

I am originally from Milford, Massachusetts. I attended The Boston Conservatory and then left town. Since then I’ve been a bit of a nomad living in New York City, Amsterdam, Paris, Phoenix, Honolulu, and San Francisco, returning to Boston about six years ago.

What do you think will be popular in design this year?

I don’t know. I pay little attention to trends. While it is important to keep up on what is new and exciting in the industry, I am drawn to “thought leaders” and “magic makers” outside the interior design world.

It is a delicate balance, yet essential to who I am. I have never been a “follower.”

What are your thoughts about the design industry and its relationship to the LGBTQ community?

The LGBTQ community has always been at the forefront of art and design. Most often, there is an inclusivity fostering creativity. Persecution and exclusion of the LGBTQ community indirectly forced

Morgan Ione Photography

Steven Favreau

us to pave our own path, encouraging a free spirit, innovative thinking and a creative soul. For me, I wanted to get out of my town as fast as I could. I developed a thirst for adventure and having a singular voice, which I use every day in my career. In high school I was bullied.

While I wouldn’t want to relive the daily nightmare, I am grateful to have emerged as a strong, outspoken gay man.

What advice do you have for designing interiors?

You are an artist—a “designer”—not a “decorator.” Create don’t replicate!

Encourage your clients to consider what they never imagined. Urge them forward with respect. By understanding your authentic identity, you inevitably develop a voice distinctive to you.

Eventually, people will hire you for your aesthetic, providing you with

greater creative freedom. It is a daily dedicated effort. Know your authentic identity and stay true to your vision.

How can design help to change the world, even if just a little bit?

Design is art. Art transforms, inspires and elevates. Good design, like a fine painting, can inspire the intellect, unite people and cultures, while ending wars. I guess that is more than “just a little bit.”

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CULTURE Theater STORY Loren King From left: Danielle Wade(Cady Heron), Megan Masako Haley (Gretchen Wieners), Mariah Rose Faith (Regina George), and Jonalyn Saxer (Karen Smith). PHOTO Joan Marcus

Broadway Baby Casey Nicholaw brings big gay energy to ‘Mean Girls,’ making its Boston debut Director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw’s musical theater baptism happened in a big way. He recalls that when he was a teenager in the late ’70s, his mother drove from their home in San Diego to Los Angeles so they could attend a Wednesday matinee of “A Chorus Line.”

“It was a huge thing. I bought the cassette tape…for me to hear a gay character have a monologue, it was like, ‘I’m not alone,’” says Nicholaw, 57, in a telephone interview. Other influential musicals of his youth, he says, include “The Wiz,” “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” “Annie” and “Evita.”

Nicholaw has brought that same smart, splashy Broadway sensibility to the many musicals he’s choreographed or directed

70 | BOSTON SPIRIT

over his illustrious career, from “The Drowsy Chaperone” to “The Book of Mormon,” from “Mean Girls” to “The Prom.”

“I try to bring something for everyone,” says Nicholaw who began his career as an actor-dancer in the choruses of “Crazy for You,” “Victor/Victoria” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie” to a lead role in “Seussical The Musical.” He made his debut as choreographer on Broadway with “Spamalot” in 2005 and took on his first directing project a year later with “The Drowsy Chaperone.” “I like original musicals more than revivals,” he says. “I’m not drawn to shows that have been seen in high schools already.”

Nicholaw won a Tony Award for his co-direction and choreography with Trey Parker on the mega-hit “The Book of Mormon.” (“Trey and Matt [Stone] love musicals; it worked both as send up and as paying homage,” he says). “The Book of Mormon” is still running on Broadway along with “Aladdin,” which Nicholaw directed and choreographed.

Boston audiences can soon experience his razzle dazzle when “Mean Girls,” which Nicholaw directed and choreographed, makes its Boston debut at the Opera House January 28–February 9 as part of Broadway in Boston. This is the first national tour of the show which has been running on Broadway since it opened in April 2018.

The crowd-pleaser about an outsider, Cady Heron (Danielle Wade), whose childhood spent in Africa is nothing compared with the social jungle of her new suburban Illinois high school, which is ruled by The Plastics, a formidable trio led by the ruthless Regina George (Mariah Rose Faith). The musical is based on the 2004 movie directed by Mark Waters

Cast of “Mean Girls.” PHOTO Joan Marcus

and written by Tina Fey who also starred alongside Lindsay Lohan, Amy Poehler and Rachel McAdams.

Fey (“30 Rock”) adapted her film script into the musical’s book. Besides Nicholaw, the creative team includes Fey’s husband, composer Jeff Benjamin (“30 Rock,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) and lyricist Nell Benjamin (“Legally Blonde”), who wrote the production’s songs that include “A Cautionary Tale,” “Meet the Plastics” and “What’s Wrong with Me?” “Movies turned into musicals have to have a reason; I have to see if they’re worthy of being a musical,” says Nicholaw.

“Can you open it up enough? If I know right away, I’m in.”

“Mean Girls,” he says had immediate, universal appeal.

“Everyone can relate to not fitting in as a high school teenager. I was a big fan of the movie,” he says. At an early creative team meeting, he recalls Fey making notes on a big board. “There was a lot to cover to make the show musical-worthy.

Tina understands comedy. I know how to keep a show moving with energy and keep the dancing seamless.” Even with the

know-how of this creative quartet, “Mean Girls” had to make the giant leap from screen comedy to stage musical-comedy.

“We all had to ask, how do you select musical moments and keep the momentum going? It has to be about the humor,” says Nicholaw. “There is nothing worse than a comic movie turned into a musical and the humor is gone.”

Nicholaw, who’s been out since he was 16, has been in a show biz marriage for seven years (they’ve been a couple for 11 years) with Broadway hair stylist Josh Marquette. “He’s done all my shows [plus among others] ‘Kinky Boots,’ ‘School of Rock,’” says Nicholaw.”

Nicholaw took time for an interview with Boston Spirit while in rehearsals for the Netflix movie of his most recent Broadway hit, the LGBT-themed “The Prom.” The movie version, due out later this year, is directed by Ryan Murphy with an all-star cast that includes Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Awkwafina, James Corden, Ariana Grande, Keegan-Michael Key and Andrew Rannells.

A popular show on Broadway last year, “The Prom” earned six Tony Award

nominations, including one for best musical. (“I wish it was still running,” says Nicholaw). It follows Emma, a lesbian high school senior in the fictional conservative town of Edgewater, Indiana who is banned from taking her girlfriend Alyssa to the school dance. When assorted former Broadway luminaries get wind of the controversy, they band together to champion the cause and rehabilitate their careers.

The pro-LGBT storyline was embraced

by Broadway, says Nicholaw, but there was some pushback when a performance from “The Prom” was featured in last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The two leads shared a kiss on live television, which was heralded as the first same-sex kiss in the parade’s history.

Despite some social media criticism, “There was so much love and support,” Nicholaw says. “I’m just drawn to stories I like. I wanted to do a story about love and acceptance and people getting along.” [x]

boston.broadway.com

CULTURE Screen STORY Loren King

Scenes from “Gay Chorus Deep South”

Local Love Massachusetts is a special place for ‘Gay Chorus Deep South’ The award-winning documentary “Gay Chorus Deep South” has screened around the world since its premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Audience Award. But director David Charles Rodrigues, a Massachusetts native, says some of the most memorable screenings have taken place in his home state.

“Provincetown was one of my favorite [festivals],” says Rodrigues who was born in Lowell and spent his early years in Chelmsford surrounded by his mother’s Greek-American family. At age eight, he moved with his family to his father’s native Brazil. He still has relatives in Massachusetts and many of them made the trip to the Provincetown International Film Festival in June. In October, “Gay Chorus Deep South” was the opening film in the annual GlobeDocs Film Festival.

The packed Coolidge Corner Theater was again attended by Rodrigues, and his many relatives from Chelmsford were among the crowd at the Coolidge Corner Theatre.

72 | BOSTON SPIRIT

“‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ is a documentary about my family,” says Rodrigues with a laugh.

“Gay Chorus Deep South,” acquired in September by the new MTV Documentary Films, heads back to the Bay State in February. The film screens February 6 at Tanglewood in Lenox as a collaboration between the Berkshire International Film Festival and Tanglewood Learning Institute. It’s also screening February 7 at Harvard University.

It’s easy to see why audiences across all spectrums have embraced this film about the healing power of music to at least begin to bridge cultural, racial, political and geographical divides. Rodrigues and his crew followed the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus when, in 2016 in response to anti-LGBT laws and the divisiveness 2016 presidential election, it embarked on a tour of the Deep South.

Led by conductor Dr. Tim Seelig who in the film shares the complicated journey that took him from Texas to San Francisco. Seelig was a Southern Baptist minister with a wife and children. When he came out, he was ostracized by his family,

church and community. The SFGMC joined with the largely black Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir which has several LGBT members for the tour. More than 300 singers travelled from Mississippi to Tennessee and through the Carolinas performing, when they were welcomed, in churches, community centers and concert halls. They sang “We Shall Overcome” as they walked over the historic Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama. They faced prejudice and some protests but there was also connection, support and visibility for LGBT youth in the South. For members of the choruses like Seelig who still struggled with the pain of rejection, there was some reconciliation with the past.

The positive focus was deliberate from the outset. When Rodrigues, a straight LGBT ally, heard about the SFGMC’s plans to undertake the tour, he immediately wanted to document it. His own life, he says, has been about connecting as a minority with other minorities. “I’m the son of an immigrant and grew up between Brazil and the US, and later lived as a Latino in San Francisco” before moving to Los Angeles where he lives now.

Two other production companies with more resources than he could offer also wanted the job. But Rodrigues, whose

background is in advertising and who’s currently working on a docu-series for Netflix, believes the SFGMC chose him to make the film because of his commitment after the 2016 election to “investigate and understand the divisiveness and move forward,” he said. “I believe that we’re closer than what’s being talked about. Conflict is what draws attention in stories but in 2019, hope and positivity is the radical choice.”

As the film crew traveled with the choirs into deep red states, Rodrigues says his beliefs in human connection were reinforced. The performers were turned away at some churches, but what they encountered was “90 percent was positive,” he

says. It’s no coincidence that, even in the immediate aftermath of the election, the name of the president is never uttered in the film. “It was about giving the power to the people on the ground, who are living their lives, not to someone locked in a room tweeting,” says Rodrigues. “Minorities must work together and tell each other’s stories. We can’t be divided.”

Besides Seelig’s story, other chorus members highlighted in the film include Ashlé Blow, who wrestles with issues of gender identity while on the tour; and Jimmy White, a Mississippi native fighting cancer who hopes the tour will help him reconnect with his conservative father.

“The day I finished editing, my heart was broken because I would no longer be spending time with this incredible group of people,” Rodrigues says.

The film makes clear that while the LGBT choir members, particularly those who hail from the deep South, reckon with painful pasts, there are many LGBT living among vibrant communities throughout the South who were buoyed by the tour and the performances.

That visibility and outreach continued once the film traveled to screenings and engaged with audiences all over the globe.

For Rodrigues, one of the most touching moments was a post-screening discussion in September in Winston Salem, North Carolina. “A young queer girl who was there with her mother and friends raised her hand and said she had been living in New York and she saw the film at [the Tribeca film festival]. She told me, ‘I was inspired to go home to Winston Salem and join the fight there for the broader community.’” [x]

biffma.org, tli.org

JAN | FEB 2020 | 73

CULTURE Visual Art STORY Loren King

What’s in Your Icebox?

Rhode Island School of Design commemorates major Warhol exhibit When Andy Warhol visited the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1969 to curate an exhibit, the prince of pop art was not well-received.

It was the era of student protests and Warhol, at least at that time, was considered by many students as more socialite than iconoclast or rebel.

They “looked at him as out of touch. He was a notorious, very prominent public figure as an artist,” says Dominic Molon, Richard Brown Baker Curator of Contemporary Art. There was resistance to the elitism

that students perceived Warhol and Danny Robbins, the museum’s director at the time, represented.

Artist, filmmaker, gay icon and superstar, Warhol was given free rein to curate a show from the museum’s entire collection, pulling objects from storage to exhibit whatever captured his imagination. The “Raid the Icebox” concept, which broke down the barriers between artist, curator and museum, was radical at the time, says Molon. The exhibit may have been novel, but

74 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Warhol’s time in Providence was fraught with problems.

“He made several visits here with an entourage but he left early,” says Molon.

Today, the “Raid the Icebox” concept is fairly common among art museums, and the relationship between artists and institutions has evolved dramatically to a more collaborative one. But RISD wanted to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of “Raid the Icebox I with Andy Warhol” at the RISD Museum. What better way than a sequel that showcases acclaimed contemporary artists and celebrates RISD’s collection?

“We are honoring that historical moment from 50 years ago and [asking] ‘what does it

now mean for an artist as curator to engage the collection or institution in some way?’”

Molon says.

“Raid the Icebox” pays homage to the 50th anniversary of Warhol’s show but it is very much of the zeitgeist.

RISD invited contemporary artists and designers Pablo Bronstein, Nicole Eisenman, Pablo Helguera, Beth Katleman, Simone Leigh, Sebastian Ruth, Paul Scott and the art magazine Triple Canopy to create new bodies of work or create a unique curatorial project using the museum’s collection, which includes more than 100,000 works spanning ancient times to the present. The exhibitions, with staggered openings through

the fall and early winter, will run to summer 2020.

As curator of contemporary art, Molon worked closely with two of the invited artists, Simone Leigh and Nicole Eisenman. He was exhilarated by “grafting the artistic process onto a curatorial one, particularly with two artists whose careers are [thriving].

Both are getting invited now to major exhibitions and they both pushed themselves” with this ambitious exhibition, he says.

Eisenman earned her BFA from RISD in 1987 and lives and works in New York. Her work in painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture adapts traditional art-historical techniques to often satirical depictions of contemporary society. Eisenman is committed to representing the complex implications of the body as a site of desire and identity and to addressing issues of gender and sexuality.

Her “Raid the Icebox” project is provocatively titled, “Tonight we are going out and we are all getting hammered.”

The exhibit begins with a bold image: Molon cites Eisenman’s juxtaposition of a statue of Jesus next to a fictional gay discotheque called Kiki’s Backdoor. Ranging from medieval to contemporary, the objects in the show are arranged to draw attention to their humanity.

Party lights rake across the canvases, casting strips of blue, red, and green across the faces that line the walls of the “club” while out back behind the dumpster, sculptures wait in line to be let in.

For “Raid the Icebox,” Simone Leigh’s “The Chorus” reflects her frequent examinations of black women throughout history. Leigh’s work across many disciplines, including sculpture,

installation and film addresses the agency of black women. A sound installation, a multiplicity of voices that alludes to the chorus found in ancient Greek drama, plays in each gallery of the exhibition. In the gallery, artists, writers, curators and historians read texts written by women of color: Saidiya Hartman’s essay “Manual for General Housework” (2019), sculptor Nancy Elizabeth Prophet’s diaries from her time in Paris (1922–1934), and new text created for this project by historian Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts. Leigh’s sound work in this installation includes mature, racially charged language that directly conveys the intense personal experiences of the women who wrote it.

A Chicago native now based in Brooklyn, Leigh won the 2018 Hugo Boss Award, a prize that recognizes achievement in contemporary art. She then had a prestigious solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum. Her sculptures often use materials and forms that are traditionally associated with African art as she confronts and examines ideas of the female body, race, beauty and community.

Molon describes working with Leigh and Eisenman on “Raid the Icebox” as “an inspiring shot in the arm” that allowed him to see the collection in a different way.

“I’d been looking past items that had been on storage racks for years. The artists challenged me because the approach was modern, not historical,” he says. “The idea was to think of things differently; to let go of certain conventions working with living artists with their own styles and sensibilities.” [x]

risdmuseum.org

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CULTURE Drag STORY Scott Kearnan

Keeping her material current is important to Varla. She’s in the special camp of queens who kicked off uncommonly long-running careers before “RuPaul’s Drag Race” arrived as a TV-based catapult to instant mainstream fame.

Varla Jean Merman [OPPOSITE] Winter Rendezvous, Stowe, Vermont. PHOTO Brianne Paschen

Ski Bunny Alert Varla Jean Merman brings fresh fan fave ‘Big Top’ to Winter Rendezvous at Stowe Drag legend Varla Jean Merman has been clearing out her storage unit. Along the way, she’s been coming across a treasure trove of costumes, each a reminder of a different act in the dazzling showgirl’s storied career. Sure, she admits, not all of the threads fit—but then again, “even Cher can’t fit into all her old costumes,” says Varla, tittering a happy laugh over the phone. Still, the purging process has been gratifying for a much more important reason: When she walked away from a career in advertising in the late-’90s to pursue life as a performer, Varla (or rather, Jeffery Roberson) could never have imagined amassing so many amazing

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memories—from cutting her teeth in Provincetown to filling the seats at Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House.

“Without drag, it never would have happened,” says Varla.

Here’s hoping she procures some winterready parkas from that cleaned-out cargo.

After all, she’ll need them on Friday, January 24, when Varla takes her act to Stowe, Vermont, for Winter Rendezvous (Wednesday–Sunday, Jan. 22–26.), an annual LGBTQ ski week that turns the quaint Green Mountain State enclave into a merry, gay gathering filled with postmountain mixers, pool parties and live entertainment.

Varla will bring to Stowe her circusthemed show “Under a Big Top,” and she hopes that, like any three-ring extravaganza, it will provide audiences with a sense of “escapism” from the lessentertaining ludicrousness that we see in America right now. (“Elect a clown, expect a circus,” sighs Varla.) What you won’t get: heavy-handed politicking. What you will: Varla’s always endearing, boundlessly entertaining persona, plus spoofy songs like “Don’t Speak,” which reimagines the No Doubt ballad as being about a love triangle between mimes, as well as “Tijuana,” a twist on the recent Camilla Cabello hit “Havana.”

Keeping her material current is important to Varla. She’s in the special camp of queens (see also: Lady Bunny and Coco Peru) who kicked off uncommonly longrunning careers before “RuPaul’s Drag Race” arrived as a TV-based catapult to instant mainstream fame.

“It’s an industry now,” says Varla, who built a brand through working the circuit, word-of-mouth and critical love (from the limited media that took drag art seriously). “Back in my day, we were considered to be sexual deviants—nobody wanted to be around us. We came out at night, like rats and roaches.”

While Varla says some of the newer queens may be “more famous than they are talented,” she’s also happy the “Drag Race” has given a wider platform to outstanding pros like Bianca Del Rio, BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon, who were “old hookers before they ever got on

the show.” Would Varla do “Drag Race”? A contestant pool of pioneering vets would be fun, she admits—but it’d probably be boring TV. Whereas younger queens with “something to prove” have no problem stirring up drama, “I just want to go to bed by 9 p.m.,” Varla laughs. “Can you imagine me and Coco Peru even getting in fights?

‘Who stole my fiber?!’”

Sure, drag is a TV phenomenon and big business today. But for Varla, who came

up through the clubs and cabarets, it’s still—first and foremost—about expressing her art through acts of subversion.

And “Under a Big Top” is about pulling ski bunnies off the slopes and into a spectacle as only a royal ringmaster like she can imagine it.

After all, while she may be clearing old costumes out of her storage unit, it’s only to make room for many more new memories.

Because each relationship matters.

Member FDIC

“Being an entertainer is a lot of work, but you’re your own boss and you get to create what you want,” says Varla. “I’m so lucky they still come to see me. Last summer in Provincetown was my best summer ever.”

“So maybe I’ve finally peaked,” she adds, laughing. Nah—we think this stunning ski bunny is just getting started. [x]

www.winterrendezvous.comwinterrendezvous.com

CULTURE Theater STORY Loren King Seacoast Rep event unveiling on stage each show in its 2020 lineup

Divine Madness From prestige musicals to bold burlesque, Seacoast Rep does it all Brandon James and Ben Hart know that theater can transcend and transform reality. As co-artistic directors for Seacoast Rep in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, they’ve programmed the new season with

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blockbuster classic musicals and plays that speak to our troubled times.

“We’re calling our new season ‘Hindsight 2020’ to remind people of other times in history when humanity was not at its best,” says James. “All these

shows tell stories of the marginalized and underdogs.”

This year’s slate kicks off with “Ragtime” (running January 31–February 29), the Tony Award-winning, sweeping musical portrait of early twentieth-century America. Based on E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel, the musical boasts music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally. The rich narrative weaves the story of three families in the pursuit of the American Dream as their lives intersect and they navigate social inequality and racism.

“It speaks to every issue we face right now, especially the references to race and immigration and what it means to be an American,” says Hart who will co-direct the show with James. Seacoast Rep staged “Ragtime” 15 years ago with James as assistant choreographer and director and it has long been a personal favorite for both of them.

“We’re excited to come back to it as the artists we are today,” James says.“We intend to do it right. We are going big with it.” James and Hart planned to hold auditions in New York City over a two-week period, combining New York and Boston cast members with local ones for the show’s large ensemble. “Ragtime” will boast a costume designer with Broadway credentials and a huge orchestra.

Hart and James, who are life partners as well as a creative team, are New York City theater veterans with backgrounds in directing, acting, choreography, design and puppetry. They returned to their native Portsmouth four years ago to design and direct a production of “Avenue Q” at Seacoast Rep. They stayed on and have quickly nurtured the company into a thriving, year-round cultural fixture in Portsmouth.

The pair direct two shows each season.

Besides “Ragtime,” this year they’ll direct “Cabaret,” the John Kander/Fred Ebb dark musical set in Berlin as the Nazis rise to power, “in a way that’s not been done before,” says James.

One of their goals at the artistic helm of Seacoast Rep is reconceptualizing classics, he adds. While most contemporary productions of ‘Cabaret’ are variations of the 1998 Sam Mendes-Rob Marshall

Broadway revival starring Tony Awardwinner Alan Cumming as the Emcee, James says Seacoast Rep’s upcoming production will “take that and present something new and timely and provocative.”

The same determination to “go big” is reflected in the rest of the 2020 season.

“Ragtime” is followed by “A Chorus Line” (March 6–April 4) then “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (April 17–May 9); “Urinetown” (May 22–June 13); “Hello Dolly!” (June 26–July 25); “Cabaret” (July 31–September 5); Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” (September 18–October 4); Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd” (October 9–November 1); and “The Sound of Music” (November 20–December 23).

Together, James and Hart have expanded the theater’s offerings and grown its diverse audience into a regional destination that offers something for everyone.

Besides its MainStage productions year-round in Seacoast Rep’s intimate theater in downtown Portsmouth, they also run its active alternative programming. In January and February, there are one-night-only Mad Haus and Drag Haus

“ We’re calling our new season ‘Hindsight 2020’ to remind people of other times in history when humanity was not at its best,” says James. “All these shows tell stories of the marginalized and underdogs.”

Brandon James co-artistic director

shows under the umbrella of Seacoast Rep’s popular Red Light Series.

Drag Haus (January 15) is a campy, edgy, burlesque drag extravaganza with top performance artists who devise shows built around a theme; this month, it’s “the roaring 20s.” In February, it’s the launch of the fourth season of the inspired revues of Mad Haus. These visual and aural feasts of music, vaudeville, dance, drag, magic and puppetry, performed by “the best kings and queens on the Seacoast” including Hart when his busy schedule permits.

The Mad Haus performance theme for February is “Witch-Con Thrice,” about a Comic-Con-like meeting of witches who battle to decide who is head witch.

Seacoast Rep has flourished under their skills and artistry, but James and Hart are quick to credit “a well-oiled machine” of crew and staff that has allowed the company the ability and the confidence to mount such an ambitious season. “We could not have done this three or four years ago,” says James. “We need an ‘it takes a village’ mentality.”

“Hindsight 2020” will indeed take a village and James and Hart are eager to lead it. “There are a lot of heavy hitters in the lineup this year,” says James.

“When we looked at the season’s poster, my first thought was, “‘What do we do in 2021?’” [x]

seacoastrep.org

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Calendar ‘The Cake’ If you like your social satires with a little bit of sugarcoating, check out “The Cake,” a new ripped-from-the-headlines play by Bekah Brunstetter. Brunstetter, a writer-producer on the hit NBC show “This Is Us,” tackles religious freedom and homophobia in this funny but heartfelt story about a traditional Southern baker who refuses to bake a cake for the lesbian wedding of a woman she otherwise loves like a daughter. It’s a timely look at how people try to reconcile their marriages to competing convictions.

Michael Carbonaro Fall under the spell of this gay magician, star of the truTV show “The Carbonaro Effect.” On his show, the handsome Houdini-like entertainer performs sleight of hand for hidden cameras. But in this live production, audience members will get to see with their very own eyes the kind of cool tricks that have earned Carbonaro a recurring segment on “The Tonight Show,” as well as the first-ever Copperfield Prize from his industry’s Academy of Magical Arts.

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Friday, Jan. 10–Sunday, Feb. 9

Lyric Stage, Boston

lyricstage.com

Saturday, Feb. 8

Wilbur Theatre, Boston

michaelcarbonaro.com

Trixie Mattel ‘Grown Up’ Expect bouffant wigs, big eyelashes and a bevy of costume changes at this national tour from the season-three winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.” For this show, performer Brian Michael Firkus takes stock of turning 30 by paying homage to his childhood preoccupations with 1960s pop culture (from Barbie to “The Brady Bunch”), reflecting on his newfound fame as Trixie, and—with help from a live band—looking ahead to the release of his next electro-folk album, “Barbara.”

80 | BOSTON SPIRIT

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Tuesday, Feb. 25 (Portland) and Wednesday, Feb. 26 (Boston)

State Theatre, Portland, ME; and Royale, Boston

trixiemattel.com

Paula Poundstone The self-avowed asexual has long been popular in gay comedy clubs: maybe for her conservative-spearing stand-up, maybe for an assortment of pantsuits that is second only to Ellen’s. Poundstone grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and cut her teeth at Boston comedy clubs. Now a regular voice on NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me,” she returns to her native New England to bring glib observations about her politics and personal life with a quartet of shows.

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Vets, Providence, RI; Saturday, Jan. 18 (Providence), Diben Center for the Arts, Friday, Feb. 7 (Johnson) Johnson, VT

paulapoundstone.com

Jen Kober Good news for the growing number of fans who have discovered the comedy of Jen Kober: the laugh-a-second lesbian, who appears in Netflix’s new RuPaul-starring sitcom, “AJ & the Queen,” is bringing her Louisiana-born drawl to nearly a dozen live shows throughout New England in January and February. Buckle up as the self-described “fat first, gay second” comedian shares uproarious bits about her mom, snacking on Girl Scout Cookies, and the craving for Chick-fil-A she can’t quite quit.

WHEN

Saturday, Jan. 25 (Stowe), Saturday, Feb. 8 (Northampton) WHERE

Winter Rendezvous LGBTQ Ski Week, Stowe, VT; Academy of Music Theatre, Northampton, MA; plus 9 more NE shows (see website) HOW

jenober.com

White Out Weekend Need an excuse to get out of the city and into the fresh New England air for a long weekend? Grab your poles and chill out with other LGBT skiers at White Out Weekend (WOW), an annual gay ski outing that’ll burn up the snowy slopes of Maine with downhill fun, plus plenty of off-trail activities like fireworks, après ski socials and more. The event is presented in association with OutRyders, New England’s largest LGBT ski and snowboard club, and it’s the perfect opportunity to meet up with some likeminded snow bunnies for a wowing time.

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Friday–Sunday, Feb. 7–9

Sunday River Resort, Newry, ME

sundayriver.com, outryders.org

JAN | FEB 2020 | 81

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Snowbound Leather Weekend Get lucky at the 13th annual installment of this Provincetown event that unites leather-loving men in a wintry blast of fun. From the opening night’s “Beer Blast” at Watership Inn to a closing night dance party at A-House, the parties will be plentiful.

And you can also hop in to educational workshops at P’town’s famous Full Kit Gear.

But the biggest attraction, besides the yearly awarding of Mr. Snowbound honors, will be the friendly guys whose friendships you’ll keep all year round.

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Friday–Sunday, Feb. 21–23

Provincetown

matesleatherweekend.com

Boston Gay Men’s Chorus: ‘Cabaret’ Life is a cabaret, old chum—at least, that’s how it feels when you take in this annual show from the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus. The fun-filled, adults-only evening of song at Club Café, Boston’s legendary gay bar, gets a bit more up-close-and-personal than those BGMC concerts held in larger theaters. The group’s finest will deliver solo and duet performances in a casual setting. So come to the cabaret!

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Friday–Sunday, Feb. 21–23

Club Café, Boston

bgmc.org

First Event It’s nice to be number one. The First Event should know: it’s one of the largest and longest running transgender conferences in the world. And it’s back for its 40th (yes, 40th!) year of workshops, professional training programs, fashion shows, speakers and evening dance parties that will bring together participants from across the country. First Event is presented by the Trans Club of New England, one of the region’s major social support organizations for the transgender community.

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Wednesday, Jan. 29– Sunday, Feb. 2

Park Plaza Hotel, Boston

firstevent.org

Tove Lo The Swedish-born, bisexual pop singer has always crafted hooky melodies that get feet moving and hips bumping. But her latest album, “Sunshine Kitty,” may just be her most danceable affair yet. From the swaying, breezy bounce of “Bad as the Boys” to “Really Don’t Like U,” a sparkly nu-disco collaboration with Kylie Minogue, the record is packed with song after song that’ll please crowds at her accompanying tour. File under: Pop purr-fection.

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

Monday, Feb. 10

House of Blues, Boston

tove-lo.org

SCENE Gala PHOTOS InfinityPortraitDesign

GLAD Spirit of Justice Award Dinner Boston Marriott Copley Place | Boston | October 25, 2019

Over 1,000 LGBTQ community members and allies gathered for the GLAD’s festive 20th annual Spirit of Justice Award Dinner to celebrate and raise over a million dollars in support of GLAD’s mission to create a future of justice. The Spirit of Justice Award was presented to civil rights legal pioneer Chai R. Feldblum, the first openly gay commissioner, nominated in 2009 by President Obama, to serve the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Speakers also included GLAD’s Executive Director Janson Wu and Senior Attorney and AIDS Project Director Ben Klein, and Angelina Resto, who shared her moving story of how she worked with GLAD to become the first transgender woman in Massachusetts to secure a transfer to be housed according to her gender and the first in the country to do so as a result of a court order.

JAN | FEB 2020 | 83

SCENE Panel PHOTOS Melissa Berczuk

[FROM LEFT:] David Zimmerman, Audrea Laffely, Sue O’Connell, Valerie Stone, Elyse Cherry and Beth Chandler

Breaking the Double Pane Glass Ceiling Berkeley Building | Boston | October 24, 2019

On Thursday, October 24, John Hancock, in partnership with Boston Spirit Magazine, hosted Breaking the Double Pane Glass Ceiling. The event featured an amazing panel of LBTQ women business leaders as they discussed their personal journeys breaking through to the top of their fields. The panel also gave some personal insights and advice on how to successfully navigate challenges and opportunities facing LBTQ women in the workforce.

Sue O’Connell, New England Cable News

Elyse Cherry , CEO, BlueHub Capital

84 | BOSTON SPIRIT

Beth Chandler, President and CEO, YW Boston

Valerie Stone, Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,Dept of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

LET’S DANCE!

SCENE Award PHOTOS Greater Boston PFLAG

PFLAG National Chapter Award

[FROM LEFT:] Aspen Eberhardt, operations director; Bob and Carol Caravana, volunteer support group facilitators; and Samantha Thomasson-Bless, program manager, all of Great Boston PFLAG.

Marriott Downtown | Kansas City | October 25–27, 2019

Local representatives from Greater Boston PFLAG traveled to the PFLAG’s 2019 “We Are the Change” National Convention in Kansas City to accept the organization’s National Chapter Award. The award acknowledged the Boston chapter’s 14 support groups, 24-hour hotline, extensive support offerings and safe schools program.

In addition to praising this work, the award statement read, “it is their advocacy work that truly shines. As founding members of Freedom for All Massachusetts they successfully campaigned on 2018’s Yes on 3 vote and lobbied to pass a conversion therapy ban in 2019. And they didn’t stop there: PFLAG Greater Boston members are now working tirelessly to ensure there is a gender neutral identity marker available on stateissued IDs.”

www.mochadj.com INFO@MOCHADJ.COM

Aspen Eberhardt [RIGHT] with PFLAG national staffer

JAN | FEB 2020 | 85

SCENE Benefit Soirée PHOTOS Boston Spirit

Boston Spirit Drag Idol Oberon | Cambridge | November 8, 2019

On Friday, November 8, Boston Spirit held our second annual Boston Drag Idol to benefit Victory Programs and the Boston Living Center. A sell-out crowd at American Repertory Theater’s Oberon club in Harvard Square enjoyed an evening of amazing performances, including a few from our incomparable Mistress of Ceremonies Verna Turbulence. In the end, the judges and audience named two winners this year! Congratulations to Qya Crystál and Arabella La Dessé for taking the title of Boston Drag Idol winner for 2019! Thanks to Randy Price and Tiffani Faison for their impeccable judging. And thanks to everyone who joined us for the show and helped raise funds for Victory Programs.

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SCENE Fête PHOTOS Eleni Margaronis Photography

EqualityMaine Great Pumpkin Ball State Theatre | Portland, ME | October 26, 2019

With over 1,100 attendees, the 2019 Great Pumpkin Ball was the largest Halloween dance party in Maine and EqualityMaine’s largest event to date! The party featured performances from local drag queens and performers, plus two sets from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 runner-up, Peppermint—a strong advocate for transgender rights. All funds raised benefit EqualityMaine’s work to create safer schools for LGBTQ+ youth in Maine.

JAN | FEB 2020 | 87

SCENE Volunteering PHOTOS Gay for Good Boston

Toys for Joys Gift Gala Decorations AFH Epicenter | Boston | December 14, 2019

To pull everything off, everything had to go like clockwork. And that’s exactly how Gay for Good Boston volunteers decorated the 11th annual Toys for Joys Gift Gala, which provides thousands of toys to underprivileged teens and children in need of some holiday cheer. Each month, Gay for Good Boston selects different nonprofit and local community groups, projects and organizations to donate their time for community service projects. For more: gayforgood. org/boston

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SCENE Gala PHOTOS Arlan Fonseca

Toys for Joys Artists for Humanity Epicenter | Boston | December 14, 2019

The 11th annual Toys4Joys Gift Gala returned to its roots this year at the Artists for Humanity Epicenter in South Boston. Each year, this popular and highly anticipated feel-good event provides thousands of toys to underprivileged teens and children in need of some holiday cheer. For more, visit toys4joys.org.

JAN | FEB 2020 | 89

SCENE Celebration PHOTOS Steve Lord

Celebration of Life Boston Convention and Exhibition Center | Boston | November 6, 2019

In honor of the Boston Living Center’s 30th anniversary, BLC’s annual Celebration of Life dinner’s 2019 theme was Homecoming, in tribute to “the many ways in which the BLC has served as a ‘home away from home’ for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDs over the years.” This year’s Peter Daniel Clark Award went to Paul Glass, a long-time advocate for improving access to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention services for elder LGBTQ+ people of color. The 2019 Brenda Bellizeare “Better It Gets” Award went to William Chang, a member of the BLC who inspires other members by volunteering daily and welcoming new members. For more on BLC and other Victory Programs, visit vpi.org. (See related story on page 17.)

90 | BOSTON SPIRIT

SCENE Awards PHOTOS Paul Martin

Rhode Island Pride Honors Marriott Providence | Providence, RI | November 3, 2019

The 2019 Rhode Island Pride Honorees were all true to this year’s theme, “Live Your Truth.”

Long-time Rhode Island Pride volunteer Jen Stevens received the Pyramid of Pride Award for her lifelong commitment to the Rhode Island LGBTQIA+ community. Stevens is also coproducer of the Goddess Show and current editor of Options magazine. Yolandi received the Spirit of Pride award for their continued commitment and dedication to Rhode Island Pride and the broader LGBTQIA+ community. The Volunteer of the Year Award went to Paul Biello, Rookie Volunteer of the Year to Wini Lambrecht, PrideFest MVP Award to Ostin Linnehan and Parade MVP Award to Allison Alder.

Plus the awards for the annual Illuminated Night Parade went to Unicorn Ink for Best Illuminated, Intergalactic Alliance for Most Original, Youth Pride Inc. for Best Use of Theme, Boston Colorguard Pride for Best Walking Contingent, Fear Town Haunted House for Committee Award and Moms Demand Action RI for the President’s Award. Congratulations, all!

JAN | FEB 2020 | 91

SCENE Gala PHOTOS Tony Cotte, Arlan Fonseca and Kevin Hame

HRC New England Gala Dinner and Auction Boston Seaport World Trade Center | Boston | November 23, 2019

Senator and US Presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar opened the 38th annual Human Rights Campaign New England Dinner, delivering a powerful speech about LGBTQ equality and the importance of ending the epidemic of violence facing transgender women of color. HRC President Alphonso David welcomed the 800+ attendees with a rally cry to double-down on their work in advancing equality while protecting the gains already made. Former Mass. Governor Michael Dukakis introduced HRC’s Ally for Equality Awardee. Mimi Lemay, author and member of HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality National Council, introduced Will Malloy, the receipt of this year’s Equality Award. The awards wrapped with Omar Yaghi’s presentation of the Healthcare Leadership Award to Tufts Medical Center for their work in 2019. Co-Chairs Neil Berenson, Audrea Laffely, Kevin Peterson and Omar Yaghi hosted the event.

92 | BOSTON SPIRIT

SCENE Benefit PHOTOS TPA Photography

Rucks and Tucks Club Café | Boston | November 22, 2019

Contestants went wig to wig in lip sync battles for the crown before the largest-crowd ever, with over 180 tickets sold, at Boston Ironsides 2019 eighth “Rucks and Tucks.” The night brought in more than $6,000 for Boston Ironsides to continue to provide a safe and welcoming environment for queer and ally athletics to learn and develop skills and confidence by playing a full contact sport. Money raised goes toward starting the team’s “With You” youth leadership summer camp as well as help get the team to the world gay rugby Bingham Cup Tournament in August. For more information about joining the team, game schedule or upcoming events, email info@bostonironsides.org or follow/message the team on social media @BostonIronsidesRFC

JAN | FEB 2020 | 93

SCENE Bake Sale PHOTOS Courtesy Community Servings

Pie in the Sky Boston | November 24–25, 2019

Community Servings’ 27th annual Pie in the Sky Thanksgiving bake sale brought together more than 500 volunteers, 150 Boston-area chefs, bakers and caterers, and restaurants donated scratch-made apple, pecan, pumpkin and sweet potato pies to create and donate over 25,000 pies.

Each $30 pie sold during Pie in the Sky helps feed a neighbor struggling with illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart disease and more for one week.

94 | BOSTON SPIRIT

SCENE Volunteering PHOTOS Glenn Rizzo and Art Nava

Gay for Good Wagon Assembly Artists for Humanity | Boston| December 9–10, 2019

The Boston chapter of Gay for Good’s volunteers were delighted to help Toys for Joys assemble the red wagons that are the signature elements for Toys for Joys’ 11th Annual Gift Gala.

The wagons are given to deserving children in the Greater Boston area.

Each month, Gay for Good Boston selects different nonprofit and local community groups, projects and organizations to donate their time for community service projects. For more: gayforgood.org/boston

JAN | FEB 2020 | 95

CODA Stage Scott Kearnan John Benjamin Hickey [CENTER] with Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, who star in Hickey’s directorial debut of “Plaza Suite” in Boston.

been around a long time and been in relationships, can relate to this play— because there are three different stories: one is about a relationship that might be ending, another is about a relationship that might be beginning, and the last is about opening the nest and letting one of your birds fly away. There’s so much to relate to for any young couple, older couple, single person, straight, gay—Neil has a wonderfully universal appeal.

Universal Appeal As director or actor, John Benjamin Hickey brings love, valor and compassion to everything he does As an actor, John Benjamin Hickey has given us many memorable performances, including several in milestone gay works.

He made his Broadway debut originating the role of Arthur in “Love! Valour!

Compassion!” and starred in the 1997 film adaptation. He took home a Tony award in 2011 for “The Normal Heart,” Larry Kramer’s vital play about the early days of the AIDS epidemic. That crisis is also examined from multigenerational perspectives in the new play “The Inheritance,” a six-hour epic for which Hickey has recently been receiving rave reviews on the Great White Way. Now, though, he’s about to make his Broadway debut in a different kind of role: director. Hickey is helming “Plaza Suite,” a revival of the Neil Simon play starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. The real-life spouses, performing onstage together for the first time in more than 20 years, will portray three different couples in the three-act comedy about love and marriage. And Bostonians will get to see it first: “Plaza Suite” will stage a preBroadway run in February at the Emerson Colonial Theatre (Feb. 5–22)—the very same venue where the play made its world premiere in 1968.

Ahead of the opening, Hickey spoke with Spirit.

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[SPIRIT]What was it like to direct married stars in a show like this?

[HICKEY] A director’s job is to do two things: to create a space where wonderful actors feel like they can take big chances—and then, get out of people’s way. When you’re dealing with two actors as wonderful as those two are, you let them play. It is make-believe, after all, and part of that make-believe comes from drawing on their own experiences. Especially as they’re a couple, we’re all the richer for it.

There is, without question, a kind of meta aspect to the idea that these two people are married to each other. But at the end of the day, this is a play about relationships.

[SPIRIT] Did the issues in the show

resonate with your own relationship?

[HICKEY] I’ve been in my relationship

for almost 17 years now. In the first play [of “Plaza Suite”] the husband has to remind the wife how long they’ve been married—she’s constantly getting the numbers wrong. That’s me to a T! I can’t remember anything. I forget anniversaries and get in trouble. If I ever was to get a tattoo, I’d get my anniversary just so I could remember it. [Laughs] There are wonderful parallels in the play that I can relate to my long relationship, because the play has a universality about it. All of us who are a certain age, who have

[SPIRIT] Did approaching these heterosexual couples as a gay man offer a different, unique perspective?

[HICKEY] You know, I sure do like seeing

Sarah Jessica change clothes, which a lot of gay men did for years watching “Sex & the City.” [Laughs] But as far as the dynamics of the play—I don’t think of it differently. I haven’t thought about it from the perspective of a gay man—more so as a human being who completely sees the universal themes in Neil’s writing.

If a play has an enormous heart, as this one does, we all have that in common.

[SPIRIT] You’ve been part of important theater that

tells stories about the gay experience. How have you seen this storytelling change over the years?

[HICKEY] 25 years ago, when I did “Love!

Valour! Compassion!,” the world was a different place. We did this play that was as gay as anything you’d ever read in your life. We thought, “This will only play off-Broadway. There’s not a big enough gay audience to come out in big numbers and give this a longer life.” Before we knew it, it moved to Broadway. It won the Tony Award. I saw a seismic shift.

Whoever you were, you could embrace a play like that. I credit that to [playwright] Terrence McNally. He wrote in many ways a very politically subversive play— because it had not a political bone in its body. There was never a moment where it was saying to a straight audience, “Please tolerate us” or “Please accept us.” And there are no straight people in the play. This was one of the first popular plays that really was all gay, from top to bottom—pardon the expression. [x]

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