Empty Closet, March 2010 Sec A

The Empty Closet

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number 432 a publication of the gay alliance of the genesee valley

LOCAL & STATE NEWS

Save the Date: Day of Silence rally is April 16 The annual Day of Silence observation will take place April 16, in the Apollo Room on the lower level at the Auditorium Center, 875 E. Main St. Youth who take part will keep silent that day until the moment of breaking the silence at the rally. The event will include youth reading their poems and speaking about their personal experiences. The rally will be followed by a dance with DJ Chuck Argento.

The Day of Silence is an opportunity to honor the memory of LGBT youth and adults whose lives have been lost to hatred and bigotry. For more details on this year’s event, see the April Empty Closet.

Rainbow SAGE hosts Intergenerational Panel March 21

The Health Month calendar is at www.everybodysgood.com.

Erik Libey

Libey said that some of the tips are very basic, general things like “Take the stairs” or “Floss your teeth”. Others, while good reminders for anyone, are aimed specifically at the LGBT community, such as “Screen for breast

Gold Eastman Kodak Company; Excellus, Mass Mutual Financial Group; Merrill Lynch; MetLife, Nixon Peabody, LLP Silver Ace Mailing Services; Bausch & Lomb Inc.; Cor ning Incorporated; Harter Secrest & Emory LLP; Heveron & Heveron CPAs; ITT Corporation; Monroe Plan for Medical Care; Sage Advisors of Sage Rutty; St. John Fisher College; Tim Tompkins Enterprises; Xerox Capital Services Bronze Canandaigua National Bank; Edgerton Florist; Empire State College; Galaxe Pride at Work; Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church; Third Presbyterian Church; Wegmans Food Markets; The Woolbright Group

access local therapists and other treatment,” he said, “and also link to the website’s own directory of local providers.”

He listed some of the outstanding events for Health Month. “Around 18 events will be taking place,” he said. “Some are events that were already planned for March, but which we feel will add to people’s wellbeing, like the RGMC concert, the Vagina Monologues production and the Rainbow SAGE Intergenerational Panel. Others (31 Ways continues page 3)

On March 21, Rainbow SAGE of the Genesee Valley will host its seventh Intergenerational Panel. Members of the group for LGBT elders and the Gay Alliance Youth Group will participate.

The Panel will be held at the Gay Alliance Youth Center, first floor, 875 E. Main St., at 4 p.m. This year the theme is “Self Acceptance”.

Refreshments will be served. For more information, call dd Corcimiglia, 872-2631 ext 3.

By Ove Overmyer On the cold and snowy Saturday afternoon of Feb. 6, over 125 people gathered at the Auditorium Center to share stories and information on how HIV/ AIDS has devastated our communities of color.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is a national HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative targeted at African American people in the United States and the Diaspora. There are four specific focal points: education, testing, involvement, and treatment. The main focus is to get

Stephaun Clipper of MOCHA

people of color educated on the basics of HIV/AIDS in their local communities.

On Feb. 7, the National Black (HIV/AIDS continues page 3)

Take EC survey and preview new Alliance website photo: ove overmyer

photo: laura mcspadden

The Gay Alliance appreciates the continuing partnership of businesses within our community who support our mission and vision.

cancer,” reminding lesbians and bi women that they are often seen as being at higher risk, or “Know if you’re depressed.” The tip of the day will be featured on the Health Month calendar and the AIDS Care website at www.everybodysgood.com. The website will also provide links to other information on the site and to local and national resources.

Libey said that “Know if you’re depressed” will link to an online depression test which people can take for free. “You can put in your zip code and

HIV/AIDS groups raise awareness of testing, treatment in our area

The Red Ball, Page 19

Pride Thomson Reuters

NewsBriefs

By Susan Jordan A health tip every day for the 31 days of March -- that’s what you get from the calendar planned by the NYS Health and Human Services Network’s Healthcare Committee. That and a lot of exciting events.

Erik Libey of AIDS Care filled in The Empty Closet on some of the events and information which he hopes will make LGBT people in the Rochester area healthier, and even happier,

by April.

“We’ve done a week-long health observance for four years now,” Libey said. “We wanted to do it bigger and better and this year we decided to do a full month.”

photo: susan Jordan

By Ove Overmyer This month, American households everywhere will receive their 2010 Census forms in the mail: an important civic milestone that happens only once every 10 years.

What makes this year’s Census historic is the unprecedented outreach by U.S. Census leaders and managers to include the LGBT and allied community in these efforts, as a way to achieve the nation’s most accurate count possible. While far from perfect (see OPINION, page A 14), the 2010 Census at least provides the possibility of visibility. Plans are underway to improve the 2020 census in order to make it genuinely inclusive (see below).

Dr. Robert Groves, Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, endorsed the 2010 initiative: “We are charged each ten years to provide Congress with a Census they trust to be accurate and complete. We are grateful to our LGBT community partners in helping us achieve this significant responsibility, and to help educate, motivate and inspire everyone to take part and above all, to be visible and counted.”

(Census continues page 3)

New York State’s Oldest LGBT Publication march 2010

31 Ways for 31 Days: It’s LGBT Health Month The 2010 Census: How to fill out the form and be counted, maybe

Section A

When you take the Empty Closet online survey, you can also get a glimpse of the changes coming up on the Gay Alliance website as a whole.

Go to www.gayalliance.org and click on Empty Closet News. You can then take the survey and let us know who you are and what you want and need in your community newspaper.

Meanwhile, you will get a peek at the new design for the Gay Alliance website, which is soon to go public.

Inside

Section A Newsfronts..................................4 Interview: Darrell Lance...............6 Opinion: Census....................... 14 From Our Readers................... 17 Making The Scene................... 18 Section B Entertainment: Drag racing........1 Columnists..................................5 GAGV News: Marriage resources................................ 10 Groups...................................... 13 Calendar................................... 14 Classifieds................................ 14 Ongoing Calendar................... 15

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the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010

Perspectives From the Empty Closet Editor Susan Jordan

The Right: preaching morality & breaking the law Remember CREEP and Watergate? Maybe you also recall last year’s rightwing trashing of ACORN, the African American community organizing group.

For weeks, conservatives screamed that ACORN staffers had helped a pimp get funding, as revealed by hidden camera videos, and hailed James O’Keefe, who had posed as the pimp in the set-up of ACORN, as a model of journalistic ethics.

Andrew Breitbart, an O’Keefe employer, called him one of the all-time “great journalists” and said he deserved a Pulitzer. Faux News’ Bill O’Reilly declared O’Keefe deserved a “congressional medal.”

However, most wingers quickly distanced themselves when they heard that their hero, “a self-described investigative journalist” (Associated Press), had been arrested for trying to tamper with the phones in the New Orleans office of Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu.

O’Keefe and three other conservative activists (two dressed as repairmen, one with a tiny camera in his hardhat) were charged with entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony.

Incidentally, an organization that monitors hate groups produced a photo of O’Keefe

at a 2006 conference on “Race and Conservatism” that featured leading white nationalists and proponents of “Aryanism”. The photo, published Jan. 30 on the site of the anti-racism group One People’s Project, shows O’Keefe at the gathering, which even the ultra-right Leadership Institute, which employed O’Keefe at the time, wouldn’t endorse.

Meanwhile, Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign has filed complaints with the California Fair Political Practices Commission and the Attorney General’s office against Andy Pugno, General Counsel to the organization Protect Marriage and Republican candidate for California State Assembly. The complaint alleges Pugno misused public funds in violation of the state Political Reform Act while a staffer for State Senator Pete Knight, in support of a ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage, approved at the November 2000 election as Proposition 22.

This year Pugno was part of the legal team defending Prop 8.

Documents revealed at the trial showed a clear pattern of collaboration between Pugno’s client, Protect Marriage, and the leadership of the Mormon and Catholic Churches in the campaign to pass Prop 8. Jacobs’ complaint indicates that this collaboration dates back to at least 1998, and may have violated state law.

The complaint refers to a report by (real) investigative journalist Robert Salladay, published at the independent California Watch journalism website, and presenting evidence that Pugno used public resources, including State Senate stationery, phone and fax lines, to solicit advice from a Brigham Young University law professor on how to write language for the “Knight Initiative,” a.k.a. Proposition 22.

In a letter dated Feb. 26, 1998, written on State Senate letterhead, Pugno asked how to word the initiative in a way that would win the most votes, a clear act of campaign planning while working for the taxpayers -- including gay taxpayers. ■

Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley The Empty Closet is published by the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley 875 E. Main Street, Suite 500 Rochester, New York 14605 © 2010, All rights reserved.

From the Executive Director Sue Cowell

Why Marriage Matters!

A tremendous amount of time, energy and money was spent in 2009 to secure marriage rights in New York State.

The good news is that the bill did come up for a vote in the NY Senate for the first time.

Although the vote failed we now know where work remains to be done. We know that public polls continue to trend towards increased public support for equal marriage rights.

For some a domestic partnership is a completely acceptable way to recognize their relationship. However for many other couples it is not. Legally there are major differences in the legal definition and the rights and responsibility of two very different options. To say they are equal is simply not true.

Legal marriage immediately defines a long list of rights and responsibilities not given by a domestic partnership agreements or a civil union which do not have the same legal certainty as marriage. The Gay Alliance regularly receives calls from members of the LGBT community with legal issues related to the lack of a legal marriage option. Issues can include immigration of a partner, second parent adoption, tax laws related to taxable health insurance benefits and other issues. Many are in need

Editor-in-Chief: Susan Jordan Staff Reporters: Ove Overmyer, Laura McSpadden Graphic Design: Jim Anderson

of legal referrals to deal with legal issues that would be very different if their partner was legally defined as a spouse.

Marital status affects social security survivor benefits and translates into more than $5,000 a year in benefits available to legally married spouses.

Losing their partner’s income puts an elder survivor at risk for losing their home. It means that those who can’t be legally married have to do retirement planning very differently. If one partner needs Medicaid financed nursing home care, their partner can lose a jointly owned home, since assets are not protected unless married.

The list of issues goes on and is very long.

The Gay Alliance sees the impact by the phone calls we receive. Unfortunately too many in our community do not realize the full impact this may one day have on our own lives. I strongly urge everyone to take the time to educate yourself about the differences and how your family would be impacted without legal marriage.

Two organizations are working to advance marriage rights in New York State. Both have detailed information on their websites, Marriage Equality New York (meny.us) and the Empire State Pride Agenda (prideagenda.org). The ACLU has also been a leader nationally and within New York State.

People who want civil unions have that right but those who want marriage do not. Until that day happens we need to continue to work for legal marriage and nothing less. Until that happens the Gay Alliance will be here to provide resources and support to those who are in need. ■

New Library Hours Sunday: 2-5pm Monday: 6-8pm Wednesday: 6-8pm Other times by appointment only: library@gayalliance.org

Read All About It! he Gay Alliance Library has over 5000 items available to browse. Checking out items is a benefit of membership. Become a member today, then stop in to see what’s on the shelf.

Name Address City/State/Zip Phone E:mail

photo: Gerry szymanski

Submissions: For publication, submit news items, ads, photos, letters, stories, poetry, ads, photographs or art by mail or in person to The Empty Closet office by the 15th of the month.

Design services for non-camera ready ads are available for a fee. (www.emptycloset@ gagv.us) Publication Information: The Empty Closet is published 11 times a year (December and January combined) by The Empty Closet Press for the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Inc. Approximately 5000 copies of each issue are distributed during the first week of the month, some by mail in a plain sealed envelope. The publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles is not an indication of the sexual or affectional orientation of that person or the members of that organization. For further information, please write to The Empty Closet, 875 E. Main St., Rochester NY. 14605, call (585) 244-9030 or e-mail emptycloset@gagv.us.

The Empty Closet is the official publication of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Inc., as stated in the bylaws of that organization. Its purpose is to inform the Rochester gay community about local and national gay-related news and events; to provide a forum for ideas and creative work from the local gay community; to help promote leadership within the community, and to be a part of a national network of lesbian and gay publications that exchange ideas and seek to educate.

Part of our purpose is to maintain a middle position with respect to the entire community. We must be careful to present all viewpoints in a way that takes into consideration the views of all – women, men, people of color, young and old, and those from various walks of life.

The opinions of columnists, editorial writers and other contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the collective attitude of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley or The Empty Closet. The Empty Closet shall not be liable for any loss or expense that results from the publication (whether correctly or incorrectly) or omission of an ad. In the event of non-payment, your account may be assigned to a collection agency or an attorney, and will be liable for the charges paid by us to such collection agency or attorney.

Letters to the editor The opinions of columnists, editorial writers and other contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the collective attitude of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley or The Empty Closet. We will print letters at the editor’s discretion and on a space available basis. Only one letter by the same writer in a six-month period is allowed. We will not print personal attacks on individuals, nor will we be a forum for ongoing disputes between individuals. We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. We will print anonymous letters if the name and phone number are provided to the Editor; confidentiality will be respected. Submissions are due by the 15th of the month at: The Empty Closet, 875 E. Main Street, Suite 500, Rochester, NY 14605; e-mail: emptycloset@gagv. us. Online edition of EC available at www. gayalliance.org.

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Membership levels: ❏ $25-99 Advocate ❏ $100-999 Champion ❏ $1,000-4,999 Triangle Club ❏ $5,000+ Stonewall enefits begin with a subscription to The Empty Closet ~ mailed to home or work, plus privileges at each level.

Phone us: 585 244-8640 or mail to the Gay Alliance, 875 E. Main Street, Suite 500, Rochester, NY 14605

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Advertising policy: The Empty Closet does not print advertisements that contain nude drawings or photographs, nor does it print advertising that states that the person pictured in the ad is for sale, or that you will “get” that particular person if you patronize the establishment advertised. Advertisements that are explicitly racist, sexist, ageist, ableist or homophobic will be refused; advertisements from organizations that are sexist, racist, ageist, ableist or anti-gay will also be refused. All political advertisements must contain information about who placed them and a method of contact. Additionally, The Empty Closet does not print negative or “attack” advertisements, whether they relate to a product or politics and no matter in whose interest the ad is being produced. A negative advertisement is defined as one that focuses upon a rival product, or in the political area, a rival election candidate or party, in order to point out supposed flaws and to persuade the public not to buy it (or vote for him or her). The Empty Closet maintains, within legal boundaries, neutrality regarding products, political candidates and parties. However, “attack” ads that fail to provide undisputable evidence that the information in the ad is true do not further in any way the objectives and policies of the Gay Alliance or The Empty Closet, including the primary tenet that The Empty Closet’s purpose is to inform the Rochester gay community and to provide an impartial forum for ideas.

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March 2010 • number 432 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet from page 0ne

(31 Days from page 1) are the result of partnering with organizations in the local health coalition.”

ImageOut will present a free screening of two films on March 25 at the Cinema in the South Wedge. One film will be “Swimming with Lesbians,” the documentary about the Buffalo community’s history, which was a big success at the ImageOut festival last fall, and the other film is “Dare,” a new full length feature.

The MOCHA Center and the Gay Alliance will partner to present a panel discussing transgender issues and access to health care, featuring a panel of trans people. (See ad, pages A 10-11, and Calendar, page B 14, for details on all events.)

AIDS Care will host a screening of “Diagnosing Difference” in their downstairs meeting room at 259 Monroe Ave. It’s a one-hour documentary about how diagnosing transgender as a “disorder” marginalizes trans people. A discussion following the film will include transgender people and trans-friendly local healthcare providers.

Rated F, the sex-positive feminist group, will present three events: LGBT self defense, a session on making and safely using sex toys, and a session about chest and breast health specifically for women and people of transgender experience. Community members will be invited to make plaster casts of their chests and then paint them. The casts may be part of a future art exhibit on chest and breast health, Libey said.

On March 8, Terri Schwartz and Craig Durie will give a presentation and discussion on gay men and anal health.

Kelly Clark of the Gay Alliance Community Safety Program and Tawa Pano Unity Fellowship Church, and the Minority AIDS Committee, will collaborate on observance of the National Week of Prayer and Healing for AIDS. This will take place on March 12 at a service and panel presentation on the Black church and LGBT people, hosted by Memorial AME Zion Church.

There will also be a presentation on legal issues and health care, open to all rural LGBT people, on March 31 at the Dansville satellite office of AIDS Care, hosted by the Dansville men’s social/support group. There are several such groups for rural gay men now and Allegra Anka of AIDS Care hopes to start a rural women’s group soon.

Erik Libey said, “The overall message from the coalition is that we want the community to take this opportunity to think about what it means to be LGBT and healthy – not just getting tested but all the things that promote spiritual and emotional health too. We all need to socialize in a positive way with others who share our experiences. One challenge for us is all the negative messages that we hear all the time. We want to counter those messages. A positive sense of self worth is crucial to our physical health. You can give people drugs or information and if they don’t think they are worth taking care of, they won’t use them. Until people care enough about themselves to take care of themselves, they won’t be healthy!” ■

(Census from page 1) For this initiative, the U.S. Census recruited and deployed nearly two dozen Census Bureau Partnership Specialists across the country specifically to work with LGBT community groups and leaders. These specialists worked with Che Ruddell-Tabisola, who was tapped by the U.S. Census to serve as national LGBT partnership leader and as the primary bridge between the LGBT-inspired community campaign called Our Families Count (www.ourfamiliescount.org).

(Information from Witeck-Combs Communications) How to fill out the form If you are in a relationship and you live together, you have two choices when selecting boxes to check.

First, one of you will be designated as “Person 1” and the other will be “Person 2.” Person 2 is asked how they are related to Person 1. There are 16 choices, but the two that concern you are “husband or wife” and “unmarried partner.”

This is the important part: You do not answer based on the actual legal status of your relationship; you answer based on how you personally categorize your relationship. If you are legally married, you will probably mark down “husband or wife,” though if you are in a civil union or domestic partnership, yet you still feel married, then you should also mark “husband or wife.” If there is no legal recognition of your relationship where you live, but you still consider yourself married, it’s also important that you mark “husband or wife.”

If this box doesn’t accurately represent your relationship, you have the option of the “unmarried partner” box. If this sounds like a vague catch-all, that’s because it is. The Guide to the American Community Survey says, “An unmarried partner, also known as a domestic partner, is a person who shares a close personal relationship with Person 1.” If this better describes your relationship, than mark the “unmarried partner” box.

If you are not in a relationship, unfortunately there is no way for you to officially come out to the U.S. Government on this census. However, there are still some important steps that you need to take.

The campaign to get a question on the 2020 Census that asks about sexual orientation and gender identity is well underway. There are two simple actions you can take right now to help make this happen.

One initiative is called Queer the Census, a project initiated by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. The other campaign is signing the Change.Org petition to urge U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to make sure that LGBT people are properly acknowledged in the 2020 Census. ■

Patrick Fisher speaks at the Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day event on Feb. 6. Photo: Ove Overmyer

(HIV/AIDS from page 1) HIV/AIDS Awareness Day had its 10th birthday. It was founded by five national organizations funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1999 to provide capacity building assistance to Black communities and organizations.

Many local organizations, from Buffalo to Rochester, took part in the program on Feb. 6, including the MOCHA Center, the Gay Alliance, NYS Health Department, Anthony L. Jordan Health Center, Action for a Better Community and AIDS Care.

Testing and active participation were at the core of this initiative. Patrick Fisher, University of Rochester Community Recruiter for HIV Trials, gave an impassioned presentation telling attendees how important it was for HIV negative people to volunteer for the clinical trials to help find a vaccine.

In the opening remarks of the program, MOCHA Center’s Stephan Clipper said it was especially important for those who are sexually active to know their status and for those who are at high risk of contracting HIV to get connected to the services and treatment available in our community. ■

NewsFronts LOCAL AND STATE Lance to speak on Bible and homosexuality

By Susan Jordan The extremist right loves to bash queers with the Bible. But are they taking statements out of context and using them as political hate-propaganda?

H. Darrell Lance will give a talk as part of the series “The Bible and LGBT Experience: Beginning the Conversation” on Sunday, March 14, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, East Ave. and Westminster Rd., at the 4 p.m. Lenten Choral Evensong and 5 p.m. lecture and discussion.

Lance will address “What the Bible Says -- and Doesn’t Say -- about Homosexuality.” He is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament Interpretation at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. (See Interview, page A 6.)

His talk is sponsored by Christian Faith and LGBT Experience, a consortium of congregations who, with CRCDS, offer community forums which articulate some aspect of the welcoming and affirming theology of the Christian tradition toward lgbt persons.

For further information, visit cfle. groupsite.com

Pride Agenda forgoes E&J Day for grassroots efforts across state For the first time in a number of years, the Empire State Pride Agenda will not hold the annual Equality & Justice Day in Albany.

E&J Day has been designed to bring large numbers of LGBT New Yorkers and allies from across the state to lobby legislators on marriage equality, GENDA and Dignity for All Students. In the past, the Assembly didn’t vote on all three bills, but now they do and the Pride Agenda expects this to continue.

In the Senate, the organization feels that they have already built the support needed to pass GENDA and Dignity, once the bills go to the floor, so holding E&J Day this year after the Dec. 2 vote on marriage “just doesn’t make sense,” the Pride Agenda says.

“Where our community really needs to be now is not in Albany on one day of the year, but on the streets in Senators’ districts across the state throughout the year. The State Senate has grown accustomed to seeing us in Albany. What they don’t expect is to see us at shopping centers, transportation hubs, Labor Day picnics and walking door-to-door in their Districts talking to their constituents about our lives. This strategy is in your face. It’s grassroots organizing at its best, and it’s what we’re asking you to do — and to support financially — in 2010 so we can build the momentum to win.”

Transgender conference set for Albany in May The 2010 Empire Conference will run from Thursday through Saturday, May 20–22, in Albany.

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The conference will feature speakers and workshops exploring diverse transgender experience, from trans-theory to trans-practicalities. There will also be special evening entertainment, area outings, and pre-conference activities for those who can come early.

The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza in the historic section of downtown Albany and will partner with the Capital District LGBT Community Council, which celebrates its 40th anniversary just two weeks after the conference. The Council is developing several programs, including several concerning trans-youth and female to male trans people, and is also organizing many social activities (think picnics, restaurant tours and club crawls).

For more information and to register, visit http://www.transeventsusa.org/ empire/.

Quinn responds to NYC hate crime charges In September, Blake Hayes, Alec Bell and Danny Calvert were victims of a hate crime in midtown Manhattan. They were assaulted by violence and anti-gay slurs.

After an investigation by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force, that extended from New York to Virginia to the United Kingdom, a suspect was found: Air Force Staff Sergeant Benjamin Ford. Through an agreement between the NYPD and the U.S. Air Force, he was charged in a military court with three counts of assault and battery and one count of issuing a false statement (AF Form 1158), in violation of Article 107 of military code. His punishment will include docked pay for the month of September, a loss of a stripe and lowering of his rank.

“This sentence shows that if you commit a hate crime in New York City, you will be pursued, apprehended and prosecuted,” said Christine Quinn, Speaker of the NYC Council. “I want to thank the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force for working collaboratively on this case with my office as well as with Air Force officials. I applaud the United States Air Force for taking swift and appropriate action on this case.

“This crime was also notable because of reports from the victims that NYPD officers responding to the scene did not appropriately recognize the seriousness of the incident and failed to collect evidence.”

NYC to end transgender welfare discrimination TransJustice of the Audre Lorde Project, Housing Works, Queers for Economic Justice, and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project announced a victory for their Welfare Justice Campaign on Feb. 10.

On Dec. 23, 2009 -- after five years of organizing by Trans and Gender Non Conforming communities -- the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) passed a procedure to stop (State/Local continues page 7)

Take the Empty Closet online survey Let us know what you think! Make your opinions and needs known by completing the Empty Closet Reader Survey at www.gayalliance.org online this month!

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the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010

NewsFronts national and international LGBT health survey shows bias in care “The results of this survey should shock the conscience of this nation and make clear that the system is broken when it comes to health care for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and those living with HIV,” said Beverly Tillery, Lambda Legal’s Director of Community Education and Advocacy and one of the authors of the report. “No one should be turned away or face discrimination when they are sick or seeking medical care.”

In spring 2009, Lambda Legal and over 100 partner organizations distributed a survey to LGBT people and people living with HIV across the country. “When Health Care Isn’t Caring: Lambda Legal’s Survey on Discrimination Against LGBT People and People Living with HIV” is based on responses from approximately 5,000 people and reveals the experiences of a diverse cross section of members of the LGBT and HIV communities all over the country.

The survey included questions about the following types of discrimination in care: being refused needed care; health care professionals refusing to touch patients or using excessive precautions; health care professionals using harsh or abusive language; being blamed for one’s health status; or health care professionals being physically rough or abusive.

According to the results, almost 56 percent of lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) respondents had at least one of these experiences; 70 percent of transgender and gender-nonconforming respondents had one or more of these experiences; and nearly 63 percent of respondents living with HIV experienced one or more of these types of discrimination in health care.

The report found that not only did sexual orientation or serostatus affect the respondents’ access to quality health care, but transgender or gender-nonconforming respondents faced discrimination two to three times more frequently than lesbian, gay or bisexual respondents.

In nearly every category, a higher proportion of respondents who are people of color and/or low-income reported experiencing discriminatory and substandard care. Close to 33 percent of low-income transgender and gender-nonconforming respondents reported being refused care because of their gender identity and almost a quarter of low-income respondents living with HIV reported being denied care.

In addition to instances of discrimination, respondents also reported a high degree of anticipation and belief that they would face discriminatory care. Overall, nine percent of LGB respondents are concerned about being refused medical services when they need them and 20 percent of respondents living with HIV and over half of transgender and gender-nonconforming respondents share this same concern. Nearly half of LGB respondents and respondents living with HIV and almost 90 percent of transgender respondents believe there are not enough medical personnel who are properly trained to care for them. These barriers to care may result in poorer health outcomes because of delays in diagnosis, treatment or preventive measures.

Within the report, Lambda Legal provides key recommendations for health care institutions, government, individuals, and organizations to combat these issues. Lambda recommends comprehensive cultural competency, inclusive policies, research and training for medical personnel, stronger laws, as well as advocacy and community education.

For the full report and the list of partners in Lambda Legal’s national Health Care Fairness Campaign, visit www. lambdalegal.org/health-care-report.

Gates, Mullen call for an end to DADT policy The Congressional hearing on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” opened on Feb. 2 with the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chief of Staffs Chairman declaring that it is time to end the policy of discrimination against LGBT military personnel.

Lawrence J. Korb and Winnie Stachelberg of the Center for American Progress commented on Feb. 2, “Today Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen signaled to the Senate Armed Services Committee and to the nation that the Obama administration and the leadership of our nation’s armed forces are committed to repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“In their historic testimony, they underscored the importance of taking a deliberate and comprehensive approach to the implementation of such an action that could take up to one year.

“While it is critically important that we get the implementation of a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal right, we at the Center for American Progress believe it is also important that we not unnecessarily delay repeal of this law. The Center has been a consistent advocate of repealing

this unnecessary and counterproductive law, and we believe the Pentagon, like the 26 other countries that have ended the ban since 1993, can effectively conduct its review of the policy while Congress simultaneously works to dismantle it.

“We are encouraged by Secretary Gates’ announcement that, as a first step, the Department of Defense will no longer aggressively pursue disciplinary action against gay service members whose orientation is revealed against their will by third parties so that as few qualified and patriotic Americans as possible are discharged from the armed forces because of their sexual orientation. While the United States is heavily engaged in two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military needs every qualified man and woman it can get, regardless of their sexual orientation.”

Rep. Baldwin’s statement Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, commented, “President Obama has done the right thing in calling for an end to the unAmerican and discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. I thank Chairman Levin for holding today’s hearing and was pleased to hear Secretary of Defense Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen, clearly state their support for ending the policy that prevents gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

“Since 1997, our armed forces have forced out nearly 11,000 dedicated, skilled, patriotic service members solely on the basis of their sexual orientation. At a time when we need them most, we have lost trained Arabic linguists and other specialists, putting all of our troops and our national security at greater risk. It is high time the U.S. catch up with many of our allies, including some fighting with us in Afghanistan, by ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. These allies have welcomed openly gay and lesbian service members into their ranks with no loss of morale, unit cohesion, or other adverse effect.

Certainly we can do the same.

“I hope today’s hearing marks the first step toward expeditiously ending the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. I look forward to the results of the Department of Defense (DOD) 45-day review of policy to assess what can be done immediately.

However, I believe an implementation study can occur in a much shorter time frame than the 11 months that is currently being proposed. Secretary Gates testified, ‘We can only take this process so far, as the ultimate decision rests with you, the Congress.’ Secretary Gates is correct and I will continue my strong efforts to pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283) to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in our military.

“It’s time for Congress to act,” Baldwin said. “Every day this policy remains in place, it does further damage to individuals, to our armed forces, and to our national security.”

Mullen’s remarks Admiral Mullen made a strong statement of support for ending DADT and made clear that he was taking leadership.

Senator Levin, committee chair, established that Adm. Mullen was under oath and obligated to give his personal opinion, and that this was not an opinion he was ordered to give by the Commander in Chief. Sen. McCaskill asked the important question: how can the Department of Defense make a balanced survey of the feelings of serving military personnel and their families regarding DADT when gay soldiers are under threat by DADT should they come forward and participate?

“Mr. Chairman, speaking for myself and myself only, it is my personal and professional belief that allowing homosexuals to serve openly would be the right thing to do,” Mullen said. “No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, it comes down to integrity -- theirs as individuals and ours as an institution.

“I also believe the great young men and women of our military can and would accommodate such a change,” he continued. “I never underestimate their ability to adapt.”

Mullen went on to acknowledge that he does “not know this for a fact, nor do I know for a fact how we would best make such a major policy change in a time of two wars.

“That there will be some disruption in the force I cannot deny,” he continued. “That there will be legal, social and perhaps even infrastructure changes to be made certainly seem plausible. We would all like to have a better handle on these types of concerns. And that is what our review will offer.”

SLDN statement “We strongly applaud Sec. Gates supporting the President’s view that DADT needs to go,” said the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). “It’s a matter of when and how, he said, not if.

We also strongly applaud Chairman Mullen who unambiguously personally supported gays and lesbians serving openly.

The top military brass of the United States just laid out a roadmap for full repeal.

“We also welcome the new direction coming out of the Pentagon over the next 45 days. The direction seems to be a focus on reducing DADT discharges and has adopted or is considering adopting six of SLDN’s regulatory changes we provided the Department of Defense last summer.

“Top military officials also announced today they wanted to study the issue for a year or longer. Like Sen. Udall (D-Colo.), we think a one-year study is far too long and unnecessary and this process must have finality. SLDN would support a reasonable implementation and transition period if the Military Readiness Enhancement Act -- Rep. Patrick Murphy’s legislation that repeals the law and replaces it

March 2010 • number 432 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet with a policy of nondiscrimination -- was simultaneously moving through Congress this year and the President signed the bill into law this year.

“All studies, including the decisive 1993 RAND study commissioned by the defense department, show that openly gay service members do not have an adverse impact on unit cohesion, recruitment, retention, or readiness. Service members will be fired almost daily while the study is going on.

“Some during the hearing today tried to claim DADT is working and is successful. It hasn’t been working for 16 years.

Nearly a quarter of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans say they know who is gay and who is not. This means gay and straight troops are talking about it. Having a law on the books that fires 300+ talented linguists and medics, at a time of two wars when all manpower is needed, is un-American, and practically speaking, makes no sense, not to mention the cost to the taxpayer of kicking out qualified men and women.

“SLDN renews our call for Congress to include repeal in the defense authorization bill, which continues to be drafted and will not be finalized until late spring.

The overwhelming majority of the public, including 61 percent of weekly churchgoers according to Gallup, is with the President and the 187 members of the House of Representatives who have cosponsored Rep. Murphy’s bill.”

National Black Justice Coalition statement The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) applauded the recommendation.

“Tens of thousands of African Americans have had their lives turned upside down by this misguided policy,” noted NBJC Executive Director Sharon J. Lettman. “We implore the military leadership reviewing how to dismantle ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ not to be distracted by those who would prevent gays and lesbians from serving their country honorably and openly.”

Pentagon data shows that African American women in particular are disproportionately affected by DADT, and have been discharged under this policy at three times the rate they serve in the military.

Religious Action Center statement Mark Pelavin, Associate Director of the Religious Action Center, issued the following statement: “The time is long past due for the repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. To the detriment of our nation’s and the world’s security, we have allowed the discharge of crucial and qualified personnel solely because of their sexual orientation. The 16-year-old Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, which was presented as a compromise that would respect service members’ privacy and meet our military’s needs, has instead forced gay and lesbian service members to live their lives in secret, always at risk of losing their ability to serve our country. Conversely, our nation’s military has lost the skills, devotion and dedication of far too many exem-

plary young men and women who wanted to serve.

“We are pleased that the White House has recognized the urgency, complexity and seriousness of this issue and is engaging with the military and Congress to end this failed policy. Yesterday’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was a crucial step in that process. We welcome the announcement that the military will review practices and policies with the goal of allowing gay and lesbian members to serve openly. That process is essential. But we urge caution that the review process not be allowed to continue indefinitely; rather, a reasonable and firm timetable should be established and legislation introduced without delay in the Senate to finally invalidate the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law.

“We are heartened that 187 members of the House of Representatives have co-sponsored The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and we urge the swift passage and enactment of this legislation. The Senate must introduce companion legislation with alacrity.”

Gen. Powell changes position General Colin Powell, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1990s, who supported the law’s passage back in 1993, changed his position in a statement sent out Feb. 4, saying, “attitudes and circumstances have changed”. In voicing his support for the law’s repeal, Gen. Powell threw his full support behind “the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen.”

Black AIDS Conference cancelled; no funding Although AIDS is devastating the Black community, the 2010 National Conference on African Americans and AIDS (NCAAA) has been cancelled due to inadequate funding. NCAAA is the only nationwide conference on Black people and HIV/AIDS. Historically, financial support has been provided by pharmaceutical companies. This year, only one company agreed to fund the event, TheBody.com reports.

“If (pharmaceutical companies) are going to expand their markets exponentially, their corporate responsibility needs to keep pace -- especially supporting U.S.based organizations in the market that made all the profit possible,” K. Mary Hess, who founded and directed both the NCAAA and the National Conference on Latinos and AIDS (NCLA), told TheBody.com. NCLA, which usually takes place during the summer, is also being postponed indefinitely.

“At a time when Black people are increasingly disproportionately impacted

by HIV/AIDS, we need more opportunities for Black AIDS-service providers to come together and share best practices,” says Phill Wilson, founder and president of the Black AIDS Institute. “It is criti-

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cal for Black AIDS leaders to cooperate to ensure that there are venues for us to address HIV/AIDS issues from a uniquely Black point of view.”

Obama: Uganda anti-gay bill is “odious” On Feb. 4, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out against the pending anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda at the 58th National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. Hosted by conservative members of Congress and sponsored by the Fellowship Foundation, otherwise known as The Family, a coalition of rightwing Congress members who have encouraged Uganda to target gays, the breakfast was attended by foreign leaders, U.S. government officials and invited guests. The breakfast has been attended by every president since President Eisenhower.

During his address, President Obama stated that it is unconscionable, at home or abroad, to target lesbians and gays for who they are. Moreover, he described the Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill as “odious.” Secretary Clinton stated that she has spoken to President Museveni of Uganda about the despicable nature of the pending legislation. In addition, she assured breakfast attendees that her Department will continue to address international human rights violations of lesbians and gays.

What is The Family?

The Family finances and gives technical support and training to ultra-conservative political and faith leaders around the globe with a goal of spreading an anti-LGBT message worldwide. Work of The Family is directly tied to the draconian anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda. In fact, the sponsor of the Ugandan bill, David Bahati, who has been called

by Truth Wins Out “a key member of The Family,” has previously attended the National Prayer Breakfast and was once again invited this year — however, he did not attend.

For information on The Family, see the book of that name by Jeff Sharlet.

Following the National Prayer Breakfast, an American Prayer Hour organized by gay rights supporters took place in around 20 cities across the nation.

Obama’s speech In his speech, Obama said: “We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are -- whether it’s here in the United States or, as Hillary mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda.”

Truth Wins Out said the President’s words were particularly powerful given the setting of this breakfast, which is hosted by the fundamentalist group known as The Family. This secretive organization is directly linked to the “Kill the Gays” bill in Uganda.

“We applaud President Obama for

A5 having the courage to confront those responsible for the heinous anti-gay bill in Uganda,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “We hope that the President’s laudable stand makes it clear to Family members in the United States and Uganda that the world is watching. Religion can no longer be used to justify bigotry, intolerance and persecution anywhere on the face of the earth.”

Besen is the coordinator of The American Prayer Hour, which is an alternative to the National Prayer Breakfast. Fifteen national organizations launched the American Prayer Hour to shine a spotlight on what TWO called The Family’s nefarious role in Uganda in the week of their annual National Prayer Breakfast.

“The safe course would have been for President Obama to remain silent,” said TWO’s Besen. “Instead, he walked into The Family’s house and held them accountable for their actions in Uganda. It was a huge victory for human rights and the president’s actions were courageous and honorable.”

Congress acts against the bill U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced a resolution calling on members of the Ugandan Parliament to reject the so-called “Anti-Homosexuality Bill.”

In addition to condemning the proposed legislation in Uganda, the bipartisan resolution also urges all countries around the world to reject and repeal similar laws that criminalize homosexuality, and encourages the United States Department of State to closely monitor human rights abuses that occur because of sexual orientation.

There are laws on the books in nations around the world criminalizing homosexuality. In several countries, including Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, the penalty for homosexuality includes the death penalty.

Howard L. Berman (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Feb. 4 introduced a bipartisan congressional resolution condemning the anti-gay legislation.

“The proposed Ugandan bill not only threatens human rights, it also reverses so many of the gains that Uganda has made in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This issue has united leaders of different political and religious views in Uganda and worldwide in one common belief in the rights of all human beings regardless of sexual orientation.”

More than three dozen members of Congress joined Berman in introducing the resolution (H. Res. 1064), including Committee Ranking Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA); Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Chair Donald Payne (D-NJ); Congressional Black Caucus Chair Barbara Lee (D-CA); and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus.

(Uganda continues page 8 )

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the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010

Interview H. Darrell Lance

By Susan Jordan H. Darrell Lance, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament Interpretation at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, will give a talk on “What the Bible Says -- and Doesn’t Say -- About Homosexuality” on March 14, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, East Ave. and Westminster Rd. The talk is part of the series “The Bible and LGBT Experience: Beginning the Conversation”. (See article, page A 3). Darrell Lance recently spoke with The Empty Closet about his talk and what Christian Faith and LGBT Experience, a consortium of congregations, hopes to achieve with their series of community forums on welcoming and affirming theology of the Christian tradition toward lgbt persons.

Lance’s talk will precede an appearance in Rochester by New Hampshire’s openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who will speak here on April 29 at St. Luke and St. Simon Cyrene Episcopal Church (“Two-Saints”).

Empty Closet: Can you talk about some of the most common misperceptions that people have about what the Bible says about homosexuality – and what it doesn’t say?

H. Darrell Lance: The most important factor is that all reading, including the Bible, is an act of interpretation; it depends on the knowledge, experience and background of the interpreter.

People often assume “the Bible was written in Hebrew”. In reality, we have none of the original manuscripts of the Old Testament, only oral traditions passed on by rabbis. So when people talk about “the Bible,” they mean “my favorite English translation.” Also, the New Testament was written, or dictated, in Greek, the lingua franca of that day.

The reality is that in some cases, as in First Corinthians 6, there are Greek words that no one understands. One word there occurs for the first time in all of Greek literature. Obviously words are defined by their context, and no one knows what was in Paul’s mind. All of the letters he wrote were dictated in Greek and all we have is copies of copies of copies. It’s the same problem as with the Old Testament.

The mysterious word used by Paul has been translated as “homosexuality” – but this leads to the next issue. The concept of homosexuality as an identity did not arise until the 19th century. So any translation that inserts the word “homosexuality” is suspect, because that concept didn’t exist in those times. They are reading through a post-19th century vocabulary.

Oscar Wilde is arguably the first person in history to be labeled a “homosexual”. People were just seen as behaving differently in different circumstances.

The idea of innate sexual identity did not exist.

EC: So people were seen as “heterosexuals”, or rather just as people, behaving in a socially-disapproved way, but not as being something called “a homosexual”.

DL: Yes. Another issue is that Paul in Romans 1 talks about men and women “exchanging natural relations for unnatural.” This has been seen as implying homosexuality, but not necessarily.

EC: It could mean oral sex, anal sex or whatever. Why have the discoveries of Biblical scholars not been passed on by church leaders to the mass of believers?

DL: One reason is that Biblical scholars have not done a very good job since the 18th century of interpreting ancient sources… The “clobber texts” were not studied because scholars were afraid to challenge them – they might be suspected of being gay.

Not until the 1950s did scholars begin to look at the clobber texts as being antihomosexuality. Some of the texts were

found to be totally irrelevant when subjected to empirical analysis. They didn’t pertain to homosexuality at all.

One example is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. There have been various interpretations, but to me the most convincing is that it’s a story of rape and anal penetration as a way of humiliating strangers, foreigners, prisoners of war or trespassers. Phallic posts called herms would be set up in front of houses or other places as a way of warning, “If you break into this house, or steal from this orchard, you will be raped.”

This also indicates the deep connection between homophobia and misogyny. Men still say, without knowing what they’re saying, “Boy was I screwed.”

Which in effect means, “I was raped and treated like a woman.”

In Ezekiel, there is a passage on the sins of Sodom. They were accused of cruelty to strangers, idolatry, etc. but NOT of having sex with men.

Each of the clobber passages is unique in its complexity. You can’t deal with them as a group – each deals with different issues. For example, Leviticus. It deals with purity issues. It’s about maintaining the purity of the Israelite nation, and saying not to imitate the “impure” ways of the Canaanites and others.

It goes back to the basic idea that two categories that are discrete should not be mixed. That’s why it’s forbidden to weave two different fabrics together – or to plow a field with an ox and a donkey. It has to be two oxen or two donkeys. This goes back to the belief that God’s original creation included specific categories that should not be mixed. So the passive male partner is seen as mixing male and female qualities.

People look to the Bible for proof of opinions they’ve already arrived at. You can use the Bible to prove anything wrong or right.

The Bible reflects the attitudes of the times. In Jesus’s parable about a master going on a journey and giving his servants talents (coins) – in Greek it says that “Master gave three slaves three talents.”

Jesus casually takes the example of slaves for granted. People, including Jews, commonly had slaves in his time. Christians had slaves. If they beat a slave to death, they might be punished with something like denial of communion for a period of time. It wasn’t regarded as murder.

The Bible comes from its own time and reflects the values of those times.

During the 19th century in America, slave owners quoted from the Bible to justify slavery. Abolitionists replied, we don’t care what the Bible says, slavery is wrong!

Interpretive context influences the understanding of the interpreters. Every individual has a different background and experience and no two people will see something exactly the same way. Therefore you get different interpretations of the Constitution by Supreme Court justices…

The interpretive process has to be a dialogue between the documents and the interpreters. Even in the early centuries of the Christian church, they were well aware of the difficulty and complexity of interpreting scripture.

As a Christian, I have a loyalty to the Bible – but not an uncritical loyalty. It’s the documents where I go to find grounding in the Christian story, but I understand that the Bible comes from its own milieu with its own cultural assumptions and blind spots. The early church went through a period of modification of the gospels. The Gospel of John especially is a theological interpretation of what the Christ event meant; the gospels were not intended as historical records.

EC: The fundamentalists and evangelicals of today’s right use the Bible for

conservative political purposes.

DH: The basic reality is that the Bible is used to support opinions that have been arrived at on other grounds. I’ve often contended that a person who starts with Genesis and reads all the way through to Revelation cannot become a fundamentalist, because you see things that require explanation.

Liberals do it as much as conservatives. But it’s a misrepresentation of what the Judeo-Christian tradition is all about.

“The Word became flesh” – not “the Word became text”. The Word/communication/Logos between the divine and the human is personified—not written down.

It in effect “dies” when written down because it becomes dated. The Body of Christ – the living church – is in human action and behavior – that is the presence of God. The confidence in written texts is misplaced because of context and by the blindness of interpreters today to their own prejudices. An example is George W. Bush defining marriage as “between a man and a woman.” That is an interpretation drawn from his own religious background, but ignores the fact that marriage is a CIVIL institution. The Bible doesn’t mention any “man and a woman” definition of marriage. In fact it mentions all kinds of relationships, including polygamy. That may have its basic roots in Roman culture – Western monogamy replacing the Eastern tradition of polygamy. In Eastern cultures that didn’t happen; Islam still allows four wives, like Old Testament patriarchs (Abraham, David, Solomon, etc.) who had multiple wives and concubines.

EC: So the “marriage is between a man and a woman” thing really refers to monogamy versus polygamy.

What does the Christian Faith and LGBT Experience consortium hope to accomplish through its series of community forums?

DH: What this event is designed for is churches and congregations that have a

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H. Darrell Lance

guilty conscience on the gay issue but have not yet done a lot of work on this.

It is open to the public too, of course; we need to open up the interpretative process of Bible study to let lgbt people understand that they don’t have to hate themselves and God doesn’t hate them.

But it is also for churches which have not become “welcoming and affirming” but are questioning homophobia. We’re calling it “putting a toe in the water” in regard to these churches. We’re starting with analysis of the Bible and are giving resources for them to set up study groups within their congregations. ■

Coming up in April…

April 16-18: Temple Beth El – Rabbi Stephen Greenberg will facilitate weekend of study and dialogue on Judaism and sexuality.

April 29: New Hampshire’s openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson will speak at St. Luke St. Simon Cyrene Church (“Two Saints”), 121 S. Fitzhugh St. See April’s Empty Closet for details!

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March 2010 • number 432 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet local and state

( Transgender continued from page 3) rampant transphobic discrimination and harassment in New York City’s welfare system.

Transgender and Gender Non Conforming people face extreme, abusive, unjust discrimination when trying to access government benefits in New York City. Some transgender people are denied the ability to even apply for benefits and told to come back when they “dress more like a girl, or boy.”

Since 2005, Trans and Gender NonConforming (TGNC) communities in New York City have been fighting back by urging HRA to address the widespread transphobia, discrimination, and harassment that Trans and Gender NonConforming people in New York City face when accessing public assistance.

In 2005 HRA and a Citizen Advisory Transgender Sub Committee developed Best Practice Protocols for Serving Trans and Gender Non Conforming Clients (the new procedure is based on this document). Unfortunately, these protocols sat on the shelf for years and were never implemented nor adopted by HRA. Jane Corbett, Executive Deputy Commissioner of HRA and Kavita Pawria, HRA Director of Office of Refugee and Immigrant Affairs have been working along side community groups for the last two years to develop a HRA procedure on serving Trans and Gender Non Conforming communities. On Dec. 23, HRA Commissioner Robert Doar finally approved the new procedure.

HRA Executive Deputy Commissioner Jane Corbett stated, “After much cooperation both within the agency and with community leaders outside of HRA, the procedure was finalized and distributed to staff last December. We expect that this reinforcement of City rules will improve our customer service.”

According to Mya Vazquez, of TransJustice of the Audre Lorde Project, “Due to wide spread prejudice in order to survive we’re forced to apply for public benefits, yet when we go to welfare centers, we’re harassed, jeered at, and faced with discrimination because of our gender identities and/or expression.” She states that, “The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell campaign’ has taken up so much national attention and resources, yet the issues of daily survival that Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color deal with go unnoticed.”

Tracy Bumpus of Housing Works states, “This procedure is important because the greatest fundamental human right is to be free to love and live as our minds and hearts guide us.

But for Trans and Gender Non Conforming people what is the value of freedom if we are afraid to seek the life sustaining services offered by HR A because we are discriminated against, made fun of and made to feel less than human. Hopefully this procedure will change the outdated ways of thinking

that people seem unable to let go of.”

While approval of the HRA procedure is a major win, it is only the beginning.

Reina Gossett, of Queers for Economic Justice states, “The approval of this procedure is a major victory for Trans and Gender Non Conforming communities, however we still have far to go. In the past, similar city policies have failed in the training phase using inadequate curriculum and trainers lacking cultural competence. We need everyone’s support to insure that all HRA employees are trained on the new procedure and that our communities are central to the development and implementation of these trainings.”

Van Capelle leaves post at Pride Agenda The Boards of the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation and the Empire State Pride Agenda, Inc. on Jan. 27 announced the resignation of Executive Director Alan van Capelle.

The Boards also announced that Managing Director of Operations Joe Tarver is serving as the Interim Executive Director while a search takes place for the Pride Agenda’s next Executive Director.

Alan van Capelle has accepted the position of Deputy Comptroller for External Affairs with the Office of the New York City Comptroller. For more information, see the Empty Closet News page at www.gayalliance.org.

NTID to host Deaf LGBT Youth Colorfest 2010 National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) will host the third annual Deaf LGBT Youth Colorfest, better known as Colorfest 2010, on March 26-28.

Spearheading the event are Kriston Pumphrey and Geo Kartheiser, both graduates of RIT. In 2008, Pumphrey had a vision of reaching out to Deaf LGBT youth to transform students into leaders of tomorrow, which led to the inception of Colorfest, an annual event designed to provide Deaf LGBT youth with opportunities to flourish, network, and learn beneficial skills within a college setting.

An estimated 250 Deaf LGBT youth are projected to participate. This year’s fest will include an opening ceremony, workshops, evening social, performing arts, and much more. Hearing and straight allies are welcome.

Further information regarding event registration, volunteer opportunities or sponsorship can be found by visiting www.colorfest2010.com. ■

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(Uganda continued from page 5) Rightwing spokesman defends death penalty for gays Rightwing activist Cliff Kincaid claimed the bill was designed to “save lives by discouraging homosexual practices which spread disease and death” and that the much-publicized death penalty provision in the bill is for “deliberately spreading AIDS and engaging in homosexual behavior that threatens children and society.”

Gay commentators on pamshouseblend.com asked whether Kincaid would support the execution of heterosexuals who engage in unsafe sex or who engage in pedophilia as well, since AIDS in Africa is mostly spread through heterosexual sex.

Tax court rules trans woman’s medical expenses necessary, not just “cosmetic” In a closely-watched case, the United States Tax Court overwhelmingly ruled on Feb. 2 in O’Donnabhain v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue that a transgender woman’s medical expenses for hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery were medically necessary and therefore tax-deductible under Federal law.

After considering extensive medical evidence and testimony from leading medical experts, the court rejected an interpretation of the law that would consider transgender people’s medical treatment different from all other medically necessary treatment recommended by major medical and psychological organizations.

“Finally, we have recognition from the courts of what transgender people and our medical providers have known

the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010 all along -- that transition related care is absolutely necessary health care for the wellbeing of many transgender people,” said Mara Keisling, the Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). “Being able to deduct a portion of costly medical treatments will make it more affordable for transgender people to follow through with the care their doctors prescribe. For the IRS to treat transgender people and non-transgender people differently was discrimination, plain and simple, and now that has ended.”

The court’s decision does not mean that all medical treatments and procedures associated with gender transition will be tax-deductible.

Hawaii rejects civil unions; gays to challenge in court Equality Hawaii, the state’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, and the Human Rights Campaign on Jan. 29 denounced the Hawaii State House for failing to take up and pass HB 444 SD1, the state Civil Unions bill.

The bill would have provided that the equal rights and responsibilities of married couples in Hawaii be afforded to thousands of non-married couples in the state. The House voted by voice vote to postpone the bill indefinitely, effectively killing the bill for the session.

On Feb. 1, Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai’i Foundation (ACLU) announced they are planning legal action against the state of Hawai’i following the Legislature’s failure to enact a law providing broad legal rights and duties to the state’s lesbian and gay couples.

“Enough is enough. Infinite patience in the face of discrimination is irresponsible,” said Jennifer C. Pizer, Marriage Project Director for Lambda Legal.

March 2010 • number 432 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

Look for future Wine Tastings During March, a portion of all proceeds will go to the Wease Cares Children’s Fund.

Mention Wease Cares when you are checking out and a discount will be provided!

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the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010

March 2010 • number 432 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

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the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010

Pride 2010 Welcome to Pride 2010 Corner!

This is where you can learn about the progress in planning for Pride 2010. We want you to know what is happening, and we want you to share this information with all those you love – let’s get our straight pals involved too!

Mark your Calendars!

Saturday, July 10: .....Gay Day at Seabreeze, 11am-4pm Sunday, July 11: ........Rainbow Flag Raising at City Hall Monday, July 12: .......Youth Pride Dance Friday, July 16: ..........Pride Kick-Off at the Strathallan Hotel Saturday, July 17: . ....Pride Parade & Festival, (same locations as last year) Sunday, July 18: ........Pride Picnic, Genesee Valley Park, 1-7pm

Pride in March: Sunday, March 28, 4-7pm. Monte Carlo Style Casino Tea at Nasty D’s.

A fund-raiser to support Pride! Thanks to The Dealers and Nasty D’s.

Pride in April:

Sunday, April 18, a fun and “fashionable” fund-raising event that you will not want to miss! Attendees at this event will learn the Pride 2010 theme, and the Talent providing the entertainment at the Festival.

Attend Pride 2010 meetings if you have ideas and/or want to get involved. April 20, May 18, June 22 in the Gay Alliance Youth Center, 6pm.

If you enjoyed last year’s Pride events, you, your friends and family will love to attend all the events this year!

We hope to see you around town, PRIDE-fully, Pride 2010 Co-Chairs: Carrie Vernon and Michael J. Hardy

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InQueery is an easy way for LGBT and allied community members to learn about a wide variety of things together. All sessions will be part social, part educational, and LGBT to the core.

Upcoming sessions include: • Volleyball Skills with LGBT Flare, • Understanding Human Sexuality, • Body Image for LGBT Community, • Trans-Inclusive Language, Faith and LGBT Issues and more.

See the full list at www.GayAlliance.org look for InQueery under the Education Tab. Currently most sessions are free, but some classes may have special fees for tickets or supplies.

March 2010 • number 432 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

History Corner March History Corner This month History Corner focuses on one of the most influential women in American History, Susan B. Anthony.

XIX Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (The proposed amendment was sent to the states June 4, 1919, by the Sixty-sixth Congress. It was ratified Aug. 18, 1920.)

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

1837: Young teacher Susan B. Anthony asked for equal pay for women teachers.

July 19-20, 1848: Woman’s Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York.

1869: National Woman Suffrage Association founded primarily by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

1872: Campaign was initiated by Susan B. Anthony to encourage women to register to vote and then vote, using the Fourteenth Amendment as justification.

November 5, 1872: Susan B. Anthony and others attempted to vote; some, including Anthony, are arrested.

June 1873: Susan B. Anthony was tried for “illegally” voting.

January 10, 1878: The “Anthony Amendment” to extend the vote to women was introduced into the United States Congress.

1902: Elizabeth Cady Stanton died.

1906: Susan B. Anthony died.

May 4, 1912: Women marched up Fifth Avenue in New York City, demanding the vote.

May 4, 1913: About 5,000 paraded for woman suffrage up Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. January 10, 1918: House of Representatives passed the Anthony Amendment but the Senate failed to pass it.

May 21, 1919: United States House of Representatives passed the Anthony Amendment again.

June 4, 1919: United States Senate approved the Anthony Amendment.

August 18, 1920: Tennessee legislature ratified the Anthony Amendment by a single vote, giving the Amendment the necessary states for ratification.

August 24, 1920: Tennessee governor signed the Anthony Amendment.

August 26, 1920: United States Secretary of State signed the Anthony Amendment into law.

Shoulders To Stand On: March is Women’s History Month Shoulders To Stand on is proud to recognize the women who were Vickie Cup Honorees and Past Presidents (or Co-Presidents) of the Gay Alliance. Vicki Cup Awards were begun by Arnie Pegish in 1979 in honor of Vicki Russo. The award is given to a woman who has made a significant contribution to the Rochester gay community. These are only a few of the shoulders of the women in our community that we stand on.

The purpose of Women’s History

Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women’s history: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women, in hopes that the day will soon come when it is impossible to teach or learn history without remembering these contributions. Help us identify Vickie Cup honorees for years not given and to identify unknown and unrecognized women leaders in Rochester glbt organizations and agencies.

We are also looking for names of past board members, and any organizational records of GLBT organizations, agencies, and groups from 1968 – 1980. Contact our Archival Consultant, Nicole Menarchem, at 244-8640x32 or by email: NicoleM@gayalliance.org or visit our website www.shoulderstostandon.org for more info.

Vickie Cup Honorees 1979 Mary Lou Wells 1980 Sue Cowell 1981 Elaine Smith 1982 RosemaryCahill 1983 Pauline Geraullo 1984 Ginny Shear, Sue Slate 1985 Nilda Hernandez 1986 Jackie Nudd 1987 Barb Debes 1988 Robin Freer 1989 Chic Parker 1991 Evelyn Bailey 1992 Susan Jordan 1994 Paula Silverstrone 1996 Adrienne Kllc 1997 Susan Soleil 1998 Emily Jones 2000 Nancy Casey 2009 Judy Cranston Past Gay Alliance Women Presidents 1976 Mary Lou Welz (Co-President) 1977 Pat Collins 1978 Marge David (Co-President) 1979 Sue Cowell (Co-President) 1980 Mary Lou Welz (Co-President) 1981 Elaine Smith (Co-President) 1982 Mary Lou Komarek 1988 Autumn Craft (Co-President) 1989-90 Chic Parker 1990 Betty Dwyer 1999 – 2000 Kim Brumber 2001 Shirley Bowen 2003 Ann Young 2005 Emily Jones/Kathryn Rivers 2006 Kathryn Rivers 2007 Sue Cowell (Co-President) Thank You !

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Sunday:

7:30 am 9:30 am (at Hochstein, 50 Plymouth Avenue)

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Opinion 2010 Census Update: Identity Does Matter

By Ove Overmyer There appears to be some relatively good news and some not so good news on the horizon for LGBT folk with regard to the 2010 Census.

Never before has there been so much outreach to gay folk. However, there is also a strong possibility that many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people will not be accurately counted this year.

In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau will not ask about sexual orientation nor, possibly, recognize gay marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships. It’s possible that married same-sex partners with a child won’t even be considered “families.” The disappearing act will be courtesy of the federal government and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau takes a snapshot of our population, determining how many people reside within the nation’s borders, who they are, and where they live. The results help determine your representation in government, as well as how federal funds are spent in your community on things like healthcare, roads, parks, housing, schools and public safety.

We’re counted but don’t count In June 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau announced it would count samesex married couples. However, technical problems with current census software may affect whether we are included in the census as “married” or whether we will be listed as “unmarried partners.”

USA Today and PinkNews report, “If two people of the same sex identify as husband and husband or wife and wife,

the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010 the census will retain that answer, but when results are released, those people could be counted as unmarried partners.”

Additionally, a same-sex couple with kids will be listed as single parents -even if they’re living under the same roof.

The U.S. Census has recruited and deployed nearly two dozen Census Bureau Partnership Specialists across the country specifically to work with LGBT community groups and leaders. This sounds like a win-win situation for all, but I’m not convinced that the survey language is inclusive enough to reflect the reality of our lives. I think there is a general willingness to get it right, but the execution lacks clarity and specificity.

In a time when same-sex marriage is legal is some states, and another 18,000 unions are recognized in California, why can’t we just spell it out on these forms?

Another issue that has surfaced is that DOMA does not apply to the census, but does apply to every federal agency that uses census data to calculate funding streams and enforce equality.

According to demographer Gary Gates of UCLA School of Law, there’s a “classic Catch-22” at play -- the census is limited to addressing issues that are backed by federal tax dollars -- but good luck trying to get it for an identity group that doesn’t officially exist.

Why bother?

Progressive activists and some straight allies might be rolling their eyes and asking, “Why do you care if your identity, relationship or family is officially counted -- aren’t there bigger fish to fry right now?”

Well, as far as I see it, no -- not in 2010. What is more important than telling the federal government that you exist? Why are my married gay friends paying more federal taxes than their married heterosexual counterparts?

Frankly, I’m offended by it all.

Additionally, many LGBT people do

not and will not live openly. When we are hidden under these false pretenses and general descriptions on census forms and reports, it just makes us more invisible and reinforces the status quo.

Acknowledgement means political power The simple acknowledgement of identifying individual gay people and gay households would inject some potent political power into our 21st century policy-making.

The LGBT community has an opportunity here to stand up and be counted in 2010. I applaud all of the collaboration between LGBT groups and the Census Bureau. But in the final analysis, we are very far from getting it right.

It is imperative that this occasion not be wasted. This month, census packets will be mailed to everyone in the country. If you care at all about our collective future, make sure you and your loved ones are counted in 2010. ■

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March 2010 • number 432 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

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the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010

From Our Readers Be proactive, not reactive To the Editor: Looking at the photos in last month’s EC showing protestors outside of Joe Robachs’ office leads me to believe that some members of our community reacting out with emotion, verses being proactive to effect change.

I was also disappointed to hear that one perceived leader in our community wrote personally disparaging comments on their facebook page in an attempt to lash out at Joe. What are you people thinking? Do we take the right-wing religious right protestors seriously at our

events? Did we treat the Democrats who abstained or voted against the bill, such has David Gannt, in the same manner?

Being Gay, and working towards equal rights should not be a partisan. Those in our community have to reach out and inform both parties in a positive fashion. All Gays are not Democrats and all Democrats are not Gay Friendly. Just as all Republicans are not homophobes. Personally I am an independent, and would like to think I am in independent thinker.

We as a community should not be swayed by a few who may have personal agendas which impact their way of thinking and their influence.

Many in our community thought that

Bill Clinton let us down with the “Don’t ask Don’t Tell” policy now over a decade later leaders in the armed forces, including Colin Powell, and the highest ranking members of the armed services are advocating to allow openly Gay men and women to serve in the military.

We need to crawl before we can walk.

Joe Robach is in full support of Civil Unions, which would allow most of rights that those pushing for Gay Marriage are asking for. Do we want to battle the religious right for the next thirty years as those in the abortion rights battle have done? Or do we want to move in a positive direction?

Before you pick up a sign and protest Joe Robach’s office here are a few of the things he has done for our community: Voted for and supported all measures for equality in housing, employment, etc.; voted for anti-bias related, anti-hate crime bills; delivered resources and legislation to assist with the aides epidemic; has

received accommodations and awards from AIDS Rochester, ACHC and the Black Men & Latino Men Health Crisis; delivered grant funding in the total amount of $175,000 over four years to the Gay Alliance for their LGBT antiviolence program; received the 2006 Gay Alliance Community Leader Award for support of issues and delivery of resources; secured $25,000 in grant funding for 2007 Image/Out Film Festival; supports civil unions, and other legal protections for all; hired Rob Byrnes (an openly/gay man who served as his former Chief of Staff.

At the end of the day, Joe Robach as a straight/Republican has been a true friend of the LBGT community. As disappointed as many were at his vote, there are others who were more deserving of the mistreatment he received. I for one have apologized for my peers who acted out of emotion and personal agendas. Change will come over time, as it always does.

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March 2010 • number 432 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet Let’s act responsively and hold all elected officials to the same standards and keep supporting those who support our community to increase the awareness of their constituencies so our rights can finally become equal.

Sincerely, Jeff Briggs

A letter to my community To the Editor: My shelf life as a field organizer for the Empire State Pride Agenda expired on Feb. 11, 2010. Having worked so closely with so many members of our community over the past several years, I feel compelled to express my deep gratitude for all the support and encouragement that I’ve received from my community during my years of employment at the Pride Agenda.

I’m proud of how the Rochester community has consistently rallied to the call

to action. We have been a major presence in Albany every spring for Equality & Justice Day for as long as I have been organizing our annual lobby day. No region can hold a candle to our corner of the state when it comes to the dedication and passion of our activists. Rochester is blessed with many natural born leaders, two of whom were honored this past January at the Pride Agenda’s STAR Awards.

The NYS Supreme Court ruling (in 2008) that New York’s marriage recognition rule applied equally to legally married same-sex spouses is a result of a court case that was settled right here in Rochester at the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department. The Martinez decision has since served as a precedent for other positive outcomes in court cases both in and outside our state.

As I count my blessings, I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight the impressive number of welcoming and affirming faith communities and clergy who champion

equality and justice for LGBTQ people.

We have many workplaces that rate 100 percent on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. Rochester’s Pride at Work chapter has led the charge in garnering active support from WNY labor unions for the fair and equal treatment of LGBTQ workers.

I also must give a shout out to our many not-for-profit community partners: the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, the Genesee Valley Chapter of the NYCLU, Planned Parenthood of the Rochester Syracuse Region, The MoCHA Center (Buffalo and Rochester), AIDS Care (formerly AIDS Rochester and ACHC), RGMC, ImageOut and countless others who have lent support and resources to the work of ending discrimination and prejudice against LGBTQ people.

Hopefully, this year we’ll see our labors come to fruition with the passage of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). And while we may not have won the marriage vote in 2009, I know that time is on our side and that with perseverance we will have marriage equality in NYS. The Gay Alliance and Rochester GLSEN have already demonstrated that we can implement the actionable components of the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) at low or no cost to our public schools. The training of teachers and staff that has been done within the Rochester City School District is a model for the rest of the state. We need to keep the pressure on our lawmakers until we have a comprehensive anti-bullying law passed and all students have the promise

of a safe, respectful and supportive learning environment.

It’s been my privilege to have cultivated so many friendships in my years working at the Gay Alliance, NYCLU and the Pride Agenda. Having suffered rejection by most members of my immediate and extended family and my faith community when I came out as a gay man some ten years ago, the precious relationships that I have forged during my decade of service to my community have come to constitute my family of choice.

In my life, human connection and community are of the utmost importance.

How we treat one another and the way that we go about our work, in my value system, take precedence over the achievement of any specific goal or end result. If we compromise our integrity or the dignity of others as a shortcut to reaching our objectives, can we really take pride in our accomplishments? It is my sincerest hope that in all of my interactions with my “family”, friends, former co-workers and the community at large, that I have honored and uplifted you.

In the future I’m excited at the opportunity to pursue new avenues of service to my community. I don’t have any immediate plans to leave the area, so please stop me and say hello if you see me on the street or in your favorite cafe’. Better yet, give me a call (585-278-4190) or email me (todd.plank@gmail.com) and let me know what you’re up to!

In Love & Community, Todd A Plank

The Empty Closet can be found at these fine places: Aaron’s Alley • Abilene • Abundance Natural Food Store • Action for a Better Community • AIDS Care • AMF Terrace Garden Lanes • Anthony Jordan Health Center • A Step Apart • Avenue Pub • Bachelor Forum • Borders Books & Music (Henrietta) • Boulder Coffee locations • Canaltown Coffee Roasters • Cinema Theatre • Clover Lanes • Daniel Ward Salon • DePaul Mental Health • Eastman School • Empire State College • Equal=Grounds • Family Medicine (S. Clinton Ave.) • Federation of Social Workers • First Unitarian Church • Genesee Co-op • Genesee Federal Credit Union • Hudson Video/News • HIV/STD Clinic (855 W. Main) • ImageOut Film Festival office • Industrial Video • Irondequoit Library • Java • Little Theatre • Lollipop Farm (Humane Society) • Mercury Poster • Metro Justice • Mex • MOCHA Center • Motor • Muthers • Mystic Moon • Nasty D’s • Open Arms MCC • Outlandish • Park Avenue Laundromat • Planned Parenthood • Pleasant Bunz café • Rochester Public Library (Rundel) • Rochester Spa and Body Club • Record Archive (East Ave.) • Show World Video • Spin Café • St. Luke St. Simon Church • St. Mary’s Clinic • Starry Nights • State Street News • South Wedge Barber Shop • Tawa Pano Unity Fellowship Church • The Spot • Tilt • Unity Behavioral Health • Utter Clutter • Ventures IRPT • Village Gate entrances • World Wide News • Writers & Books … and at other fine places, including some therapists’ offices and most area colleges during the school year.

In Buffalo: Adonia’s • Cathode Ray • Q • Underground • Buffalo Pride Center In Syracuse: Lavender Inkwell Bookstore • Sparky Town Restaurant • Hairanoia • Sugar Pearl • Syracuse Cultural Works

Thank you very much!

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the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010

Making the Scene

Gay Alliance Board President Tom Ferrarese.

APPRECIATION EVENT: The Gay Alliance held a Donor Appreciation event on Jan. 28 at the Strathallan. Above: Nino Vitale, Sean VanHatten and Paul Allen.

The event was sponsored by MetLife. Gay Alliance Development Director Brian Doran said, “It was an awful, snowy night, but tons of people came out to show their support. The evening was to have ended at 7:30, but people were still there at 8:30. Everyone had a good time.” Photos by Laura McSpadden

Donna Pfahl (left) and Pat Scheg.

(left to right) Jarrett Felton, Jennifer Leonard and Jason Livingston

Elaine Elkins, M.S. Psychotherapist 244-4837

Individual & Relationship Counseling Anxiety & Depression Loneliness & Separation Conflict Resolution Communication Skills Sexual Abuse Recovery Drug & Alcohol Abuse Grief & Loss

March 2010 • number 432 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

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Photo: Laura McSpadden

Sue Morgan and Jenny Gaul with their daughters Katie and Eleanor at the Red Ball on Feb. 6. Sue and Jenny received the Moulin Rouge Award for best pair of dancers. Photo: Bess Watts

Chris (left) and Jake (right) won the Red Heart Award for most romantic couple. All winners received a $20 gift certificate from Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe (258 Alexander St.) Photo Bess Watts

Photo: Laura McSpadden

The Ball was held at the Auditorium Center. Photo: Laura McSpadden

Aria (with her family) won the Cupid Award for most angelic features and attire. Photo: Bess Watts

Deanna Baker. Photo: Bess Watts

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the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 432 • March 2010