Options Magazine - June 2015

options June 2015

LGBTQ News, Resources & Events

VISIBLE 2015 RI PRIDE CELEBRATION

Official PrideGuide

Let PrideFest

Entertain You! p. 40

FREE Rhode Island’s LGBTQ Community Magazine Since 1982

Let’s add a new health benefit to health insurance. Eye contact.

Introducing Your Blue Store, an LGBTQ Safe Zone.

Healthcare brings up a lot of questions. Now we can sit together and discuss the answers. It’s one of the many ways we’re making your health coverage even better.

Visit bcbsri.com/yourbluestore for a calendar of in-store events in Warwick.

Blue Cross is a proud sponsor of RI PrideFest. Stop by our booth on June 20!

Visit us in:

Bristol

Warwick Cowesett Corners (in the plaza with Christmas Tree Shops®) 300 Quaker Lane Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Bell Tower Plaza, Unit 18 576 Metacom Avenue Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Se habla español.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

04/15 HR-16518

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From the Editor Dear Reader, These 88 pages—Options’ largest publication in its 33 years— offer the monthly features regular readers count on plus all the information you need to get the most out of the Rhode Island Pride season. Even the advertisements advise us where to party, whom to patronize, and where to find the services we need without fear of judgment or refusal.

It’s been a year now that I’ve had the good fortune to work closely with our talented graphic designer, Reese Barzyk, who has given her all to make this issue especially pleasing to the eye.You’ll certainly want it in hand to guide you through PrideFest activities taking place throughout downtown Providence the weekend of June 20. An informative map by the multi-talented Jen Bonin is your Pride Guide centerfold, and the pages preceding it roll out a fantastic entertainment lineup. As you flip through you’ll see evidence of a vibrant, thriving Rhode Island LGBTQ community; each organization, business, league, and faith organization finds a way to participate in the festivities. (I like to imagine that when July rolls around you’ll save this issue as a keepsake, reference the Resources section year-round, or at the very least recycle it after an enjoyable read.)

Yearly PrideFest attendance had been estimated at 20,000 until the Emergency Management Agency flew over the Parade last year and reported attendance to be about 30,000. While Rhode Island Pride had probably been underestimating, factors such as the recent marriage victory, radio ads, and growing interest from young people and the general population noticeably swelled the 2014 celebration. The Huffington Post took notice, naming only Rhode Island’s Pride Festival among its “Top 15 LGBT Must-Dos of 2015.”

In anticipation of record PrideFest crowds, the Pride team is prepared with numerous innovations to keep up with demand: a Youth Center will operate for ages 13 and up; a jumbotron will magnify the entertainment; the revamped festival layout will ease crowd flow and includes additional vendors and a breastfeeding station; the entire length of the Illuminated Night Parade will be barricaded to prioritize crowd safety; and an app has been launched (“RI Pride” for Apple and Android) to readily offer updated information. With such costly improvements needed and Pride’s trickling cash flow, it’s worth noting that Dark Lady & Alley Cat club owners Rande Diantuano and Buck Aspirino stepped up financially as the first-ever Presenting Sponsors of Rhode Island PrideFest.

2015 is proving to be a history-making year for our local festival, and as we go to press, my hopes and fears lie in the U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage expected this month. The ruling will leave me either elated or furious, but knowing I’m part of this IndiVISIBLE community ensures me an uproarious celebration or a strategic political rally—two sides of a coin Pride Festivals around the world succeed to unite so artfully.

In Solidarity, Jen Stevens

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Options | June 2015

options

In This Issue:

Rhode Island’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community news source since 1982.

June 2015, Vol. XXXIV, Issue 2

Publisher Kyle McKendall kyle@optionsri.org Editor in Chief Jen Stevens editor@optionsri.org Resources Editor

Crystal Bowersox Headlines RI PrideFest June 20th pg. 40

Myra Shays Calendar Editor Sam Simas calendar@optionsri.org Copy Editors Bradford Greer, Rex LeBeau, The Lit Chick, Joseph Morra, Maria Phillips, Myra Shays Graphic Design Theresa “Reese” Barzyk

Parade Grand Marshal: Billy Mencer Ackerly pg. 12

PrideFest Programming for Youth & Families pg. 23

6 From the Editor 8 From the Pride President 9 Rhode Island PrideFest Sponsors 10 From the Publisher 11 Advertisers in This Issue 12 Rhode Island Pride Honorees 16 Calendar of Events 20 News Briefs 23 Youth & Families at PrideFest 25 Loving and the Supreme Court 30 Pride Essentials 34 Kyle Parker Taylor Stars in Kinky Boots 36 In Between Binary 40 PrideFest Entertainment 43 PrideFest Entertainment Lineup

Loving and the Supreme Court pg. 26

44 PrideFest & Parade Map 49 SAGE-RI: Pride is Ageless 50 Bear & Bones 53 A Higher Gay Pride Vibe 55 Transgender Day of Empowerment 58 No Haven at Haven Bros.

60 Marching on with AIDS Project RI 62 Out on the Town 64 RI LGBTQ Community Center 66 A Breakthrough Cure for Hep C 70 Lesbians on the Loose 72 Milestones: AIDS Care Ocean State 75 Resources 84 Worth a Look

Home delivery is free! Subscribe at www.optionsri.org, email frank@optionsri.org, or write to us at our PO Box. © OPTIONS 2015. Options is published monthly. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the governing board, volunteers, or staff. Listings are provided as a resource and do not imply endorsement. Submissions to Options must include a phone number or email address. Names may be withheld on request. Submissions, ads, calendar, or resource listings for the July issue must be delivered by June 19.

Writers Joanne Bussiere, Jeana DeLaire, Kurt Bagley, Adam Brooks, Annie Cronin-Silva, Christopher Dalpe, Bradford Greer, Sally Ann Hay, Beth Hebert-Silvia, Janelle Heideman,The Lit Chick, Brian Mills, TC Rogers, Myra Shays Melanie Silva, Sam Simas, Paula Smith, Jen Stevens, Kim Stowell, Bill Zelazny Photographers Jen Bonin, Jack Hartwein-Sanchez, Kim Stowell Photo Editor Michael Scanlon IV Finance Director Donny McKendall billing@optionsri.org Subscription Manager Francis Ryan frank@optionsri.org Advertising advertising@optionsri.org

Contact Us info@optionsri.org PO Box 6406 Providence, RI 02940 (401) 724-LGBT www.optionsri.org

IndiVISIBLE Logo by Rodney Davis

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FROM THE

PRESIDENT OF RHODE ISLAND

PRIDE

As we celebrate our annual LGBTQ Pride here in Rhode Island, I’m reminded how far we have come since the Congress of People with Gay Concerns founded Rhode Island’s grassroots movement in 1976. A court battle ensued to allow our community’s participation in celebrations planned by the RI Bicentennial Committee, which had requested participation from groups who were “encouraging activities leading to a better life, enhanced appreciation of opportunities for individual and collective freedom, and national cohesion and purpose.” We won that battle and the first Pride marchers in Rhode Island took to the streets.

The modern Pride movement in the U.S. can be traced back to the Stonewall Riots that took place in New York City in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a tavern in Greenwich Village. These riots were a response to ongoing police raids conducted in an attempt to enforce an anti-homosexual legal system. This fact bears repeating as we witness the riots that have more recently taken place in Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD, both of which also have roots in a community’s dissatisfaction with their treatment at the hands of the police and a skewed legal system. It is clear that our march to freedom and equality is not over and, in fact, has become much broader in light of recent events. Social media are opening the eyes of a younger, more socially-conscious generation, allowing greater awareness of inequalities suffered by our friends in our ever-growing, nationwide networks.

Here in Rhode Island, our biggest battle in recent years was for marriage equality. Having won that and enjoying greater acceptance, did we become complacent and lose sight of other inequalities that are still plaguing us? Recent hate crimes in Providence remind us that we still have work to do. A gay man who was being teased for what he was wearing, stood up for himself, was then denied asylum by the business he was patronizing, and forced onto the street at knifepoint only to be physically assaulted by his bullies and their friends, who were never caught. Barely two weeks later, two gay men were subjects of drive-by hate speech while walking downtown. In reply they shouted, “Don’t spread the hate!” and were then followed and threatened for several blocks and eventually fired

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upon with a pellet gun before police were thankfully able to apprehend the perpetrators.

Rhode Island Pride provides opportunities for people to come out, express and celebrate their sexual identities, and in doing this we forge a path for change. Being visible is vital to our community’s ability to affect change in our state.

As downtown Providence comes alive for Pride month, our community must again take advantage of the platform that Stonewall has given us, reconvene our Congress of People with Gay Concerns, and continue to make our voices heard.

We must come together and reaffirm our commitment to challenging all forms of discrimination and disparities endured by the LGBTQ community. We face prejudice and violence against our trans* brothers and sisters, high rates of HIV infection among our young men, workplace discrimination, bullying, teen depression and suicide, racial/ethnic invisibility and exclusion in the face of police and social bigotry, youth homelessness, economic inequality, and inadequate support for our elderly. It is important that we recognize and embrace our unique differences and needs, and realize that we are not the only community experiencing these inequalities. We must explore better solutions together.

Please join Rhode Island Pride in this commitment: As diverse and varied as we are as individuals, we must stand together, IndiVISIBLE, towards liberty, justice, and equality for all.

Yours in Pride, Kurt Bagley

Rhode Island Pride is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the visibility, equality, and diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and provides safe space to come out, express, and celebrate all sexual identities and genders.

For more information, visit www.prideri.com, email info@prideri.com, or call (401) 467-2130.

Options | June 2015

Rhode Island PrideFest 2015

PRESENTED BY:

SPONSORS

PLATINUM McLaughlin & Moran Mclaughlin & Moran

GOLD BRONZE LAVENDER

TOWN HALL LANES

FRIENDS

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From the Publisher Dear Reader,

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Thirty-three years ago, Jos Fayette, the first editor of Options Magazine, would perhaps be finalizing his Letter to the Reader without the peculiarities of a delete button available. As I write, and re-write, delete, and write some more, I reflect on how our communication technologies have evolved over the years, as have the messages they carry. Social media platforms have given activists a power that no bullhorn or monthly publication could ever provide. #Hashtags and video uploads are the tools that our contemporary leaders use to reach their audiences, and subsequently expand the numbers of participants in marches, protests, and rallies toward social justice across the world.

The problems faced by our community and human rights activists are not new. But clearly the tools and methods we have available to address them are—and they’re working. By strategically and deliberately planning our next steps, both locally and globally, we are finding ways to harness the tools of the 21st century to support and unite oppressed and marginalized communities.

Options has experienced explosive growth over the past year: we’ve added pages, improved quality of design, and increased advertising revenue by over 40% and subscriptions by 25%. We’ve reestablished and strengthened relationships with other LGBTQ nonprofits and have built new ones along the way.

Options has provided an outlet and platform for communication for 33 years, yet the immediate need for our publication has changed. No longer are our pages the first place Rhode Islanders hear about a particular event, initiative, or piece of legislation. Options’ importance in the big-picture conversation, however, has only been strengthened with the rise of social media journalists. In this fast-paced world, where a 140-character tweet can reach millions in minutes, reflection and dialogue are needed now more than ever.

As you partake in the upcoming PrideFest celebrations, I ask you to reflect on the accomplishments of our community over the past decade and consider what role—either in person or #140characters long—you can play in the decade to come.

The pages of this publication are thirsty for the ink from your pen, and ready for your perspective, ideas, and dialogue for our future.

Tweet us @OptionsMag with your thoughts.

Onward, Kyle McKendall

Options | June 2015

Advertisers in This Issue ACLU Rhode Island Chapter 64 AIDS Care Ocean State 3 & 52 AIDS Project Rhode Island 38 Amazing Intimate Essentials 46 & 47 AMC Permanent Cosmetics & Wellness 27 AT&T 49 Baggage at URI Feinstein Providence Campus 71 Bank of America 71 Beneficent Church 71 Bill Hendrickson, Electrician 71 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island 2 & 28 Bob DaRocha, Realtor 34 Brown University 28 Bud Light 29 Campus Fine Wines 35 Citizens Bank 65 City Kitty 65 Classic Flute Duos 65 Clean Plate 11 Club Body Center 56 Comedy Connection 22 Cruise Planners 24 Dark Lady & Alley Cat 4&5 Deep Eddy Vodka 37 Devereux Foster Care 73 Die, Mommie, Die! an Options benefit 18 DJ Andy Morris 49 The Eagle 32 & 33 EGO 14 & 15

GoProvidence.com 28 Gordon School 10 Greencare Landscaping 55 Gregory’s Optical 85 Hasbro 74 Insperiors 13 Jamie Durand, Mental Health Counselor 69 JDHS Photos 49 John DaPonte, Mental Health Counselor 85 Jennifer Minuto, Attorney 85 Kinky Boots at PPAC 19 Law Offices of Dawn Euer 74 Lifespan 85 Lisa Eramo, Writer & Editor 85 LGBTQ Housing Survey 35 Marjorie Roblin, Social Worker 10 Mayor Jorge Elorza 55 The Melting Pot 86 Merry Men Cleaning 85 Mirabar 52 Miriam Hospital HIV/STD Clinic 24 Mister Sister Erotica 10 Motif Magazine 60 Mr. & Miss Gay RI 2015 28 National Grid 52 Neighborhood Health Plan of RI 39 New Flavor Media 13 Newport Comedy 61 OUT Connecticut 65

Providence’s newest downtown restaurant.

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Patriot Subaru 39 PFLAG Greater Providence 85 Planned Parenthood 87 Plumbing by Paul 65 The Promenade 48 The Providence Flea 22 Providence Gay Men’s Chorus 51 Providence Performing Arts Center 74 Providence Preservation Society 48 Residential Mortgage Services 67 Residential Properties 54 Quidnessett Country Club 54 Randall Realtors, Page Taft, Kilin Grover 51 Renaissance City Softball League 68 Roger Williams U. School of Continuing Ed. 28 SAGE Rhode Island 65 Salon KG 71 Shamrock Financial 59 The Stable 69 St. Peter’s & St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church 53 Stephen J. Dennis, Attorney 28 TD Bank 61 Town Hall Lanes 35 Thundermist Health Center 37 Unity Consulting Group 74 The Village 6, 23, 88 Yael and Paula, Couples Counseling 27 Youth Pride Inc. 13 Zipcar 71

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345 S Water Street, Providence, RI 02903 Options | June 2015

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2015 Rhode Island Pride Honorees

by Kurt Bagley, Chris Dalpe, and the 2015 Marshals

Grand Marshal Billy Mencer Ackerly

Billy shares photos, personal stories, and historical accounts on his Facebook page to preserve Rhode Island Pride’s history.

He invites you to view them to understand how individuals came together to create the change we celebrate today.

Rhode Island Pride is so pleased to honor Billy Mencer Ackerly as our 2015 Grand Marshal as he makes his 40th march through downtown Providence.

Honorary Marshal Pam Goff

Billy Mencer Ackerly and his partner Alex Alexander

In 1976, Billy Mencer Ackerly marched in Rhode Island’s first Gay Pride Parade. In 2015, we celebrate his 40th consecutive march.

Billy had moved to Rhode Island when he was 16 years old, often taking refuge in Providence’s early gay bars and clubs. By 1976, when he was 25 years old, the gay liberation movement had started in Rhode Island and Billy officially came out of the closet, marching in that inaugural parade. His mom rode in a car with signs proclaiming “I’m Proud to Say My Child Is Gay,” and his 16-year-old brother carried an American flag, while his dad watched, proudly supporting from the sidelines.

Billy had been working at the Bulova Watch Company and recounts, “In the early years of Rhode Island Pride, I was shown on TV, leading chants in the Parade. Lots of people I worked with saw it. The women in the plant accepted me; the men were a different story. Some avoided me if they could, and stopped speaking to me.There were some brave men I worked with who treated me with respect. Some wonderful guys still bought raffle tickets from me [in support of the Metropolitan Community Church of Providence]. Joe Raimondo, Governor Gina Raimondo’s Dad—he worked in the lab, and Lew Pryeor—Lew Pryeor’s Dad—worked as a plumber there. I remember them for accepting me just as I am. At the time it was not too cool to accept someone who was gay.”

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The annual Born This Way Prom has been gaining popularity thanks to its founder and champion, Pam Goff. A member of Interweave at Newport’s Channing Memorial Church, Pam has led the group’s planning for this LGBTQ youth-focused night of dinner, dancing, desserts, drag performances, and carousel rides at the Easton’s Beach Rotunda. Reminiscing about the first event, Pam remarked, “In 2009, our Interweave chair, Lee Whittaker, wanted to have a spring dance for LGBTQs and allies. I said I would help, as I was a big party girl and attended many proms in my hippie 1960s youth. Lee said he always dreamed of going to prom in a tux. That’s all I needed to hear!”

The event has found its niche with soaring attendance from youth from all over the state who enjoy the chance to meet others like them, celebrate their diversity, and spend time with one another without any judgment. Produced entirely through donations, the first Prom was made possible in 2009 by a generous donation that Pam sought from Nuala Pell, mother of the late Julie Pell, a strong LGBTQ civil rights activist.

Pam and Interweave have worked hard to establish and grow this event. Rhode Island Pride is pleased to honor Pam’s efforts and looks forward to the bright future of the Born This Way Prom under her guidance.

See you on the dance floor, Pam!

Options | June 2015

Honorary Marshal AIDS Care Ocean State

Since its inception 25 years ago, AIDS Ocean State Nathan J. Care Reynolds (ACOS) has facilitated safe, 508-837-3972 inclusive, and welcoming spaces for LGBTQIA individuals. Fundraising initiatives such as Drag nathan@insperiors.com www.insperiors.com Bingo,The Legends! Calendar, and King of Queens celebrate our diverse and vibrant community while raising the much-needed funds to support the agency. ACOS programs support those

infected and affected by HIV/AIDS through case management, housing resources, assisted living facilities, individual and group counseling, outpatient substance abuse care, HIV prevention education, and outreach.

ACOS is the largest provider of subsidized housing in the State of Rhode Island for persons living with HIV/AIDS. They have built and developed 19 properties and currently own and operate 95 apartments that house over 200 clients. ACOS staff remain steadfast in their belief that putting an end to poverty, stigma, housing instability, and homelessness is paramount in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In addition to offering free, anonymous, and confidential HIV and HCV testing and the only needle exchange program in the state, ACOS also has a Speaker’s Bureau that travels all over Rhode Island and Massachusetts to combat stigma and provide schools and groups with an open and frank conversation about HIV and AIDS. At last year’s Rhode Island PrideFest, their Prevention team distributed over 4,000 safer sex kits and administered over 100 HIV and HCV tests. ACOS staff, clients, friends, and volunteers have marched with spirit in the Pride Parade for the past twenty years, triumphantly carrying the ACOS banner. Rhode Island Pride is happy to acknowledge AIDS Care Ocean State as an Honorary Marshal of the 2015 Rhode Island Pride Parade.q

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Calendar of Events Get Happy with PGMC June 4-7

Imperial Court of RI presents Investitures

June 7

June Mon. 1 Kitty Litter and Jeanne D’Agostino’s Birthday HiTini, 5:30-7:30pm. Providence Biltmore Garden Terrace, 11 Dorrance Street. $35 to benefit AIDS Care Ocean State.

Sun. 7 Imperial Court of RI presents Investitures 1—Reign XXIII, 9pm. The Dark Lady, 19 Snow Street, Providence. Stage open to all performers. $5 donation to benefit Rhode Island Pride. www.icriprov.org.

Thu. 4 - Sun. 7 Providence Gay Men’s Chorus presents: Get Happy. Providence Public Library Auditorium, 225 Washington Street, Providence.Thu.-Sat. at 7pm, Sun. at 4pm.

For more info or to purchase tickets, www.provgmc.org.

Tue. 9 & Wed. 17 RI PrideFest Volunteer Orientations, 7pm. RI Pride Center, 1005 Main Street, #1105 in Pawtucket’s Hope Artiste Village. Learn about and register for PrideFest 2015 volunteer opportunities. Refreshments served. All are welcome.

Thu. 4 - Sat. 6, 11-13, 18-19 Baggage, 7:30pm. URI Providence Feinstein Campus, 80 Washington Street, Providence. Play written and performed by Frank V. Toti Jr. Baggage explores what we carry with us and what is reevaluated and repacked before moving on. Dealing with the coming out process and LGBTQ issues, the play is presented in celebration of Rhode Island PrideFest and the Providence International Arts Festival.

Fri. 5 Pride Rainbow Flag Raising & Reception, 5:30pm.

Providence City Hall steps, 25 Dorrance Street. Mayor Jorge Elorza and the City of Providence officially kick off Pride Season. Free cheese fondue reception and cash bar at Melting Pot Providence, 6:15-7pm. 199 Providence Place.

Fri. 5 Melting Pot Providence hosts Pride Dinner Night, 7-10pm. 199 Providence Place. Mention Rhode Island Pride and 25% of your total bill, including drinks, will be donated to RI Pride Fri. 5 Twerk Friday, 10pm. EGO, 73 Richmond Street, Providence. Countdown to Pride at this gay and lesbian top 40, pop, and Latin dance night.

Fri. 5 Comic Jennie McNulty with special guest Karen O’Donnell, 8pm. The Village, 373 Richmond Street, Providence. $10. Reservations recommended at 2287222. www.thevillageri.com.

Sat. 6 Lust, a Countdown to Pride event, 9pm.The Eagle, 124 Snow Street, Providence.

Sun. 7 Pride Karaoke, 9pm. The Village, 373 Richmond Street, Providence. No cover. www.thevillageri.com.

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Wed. 10 Kinky Boots, 5:30pm. Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. Reception and performance to benefit Rhode Island Pride and the RI Association of Gay Professionals. Tickets cost $125 and can be purchased at www.prideri.com or www.riagp.com.

Thu. 11 Sweet Little Variety Show, 8pm. Aurora, 276 Westminster Street, Providence. A queer-produced potpourri of entertainment including music, comedy, dance, and oddities. $10 to benefit Rhode Island Pride.

Visit Sweet Little Variety Show on Facebook.

Fri. 12 FLICKERS: Providence LGBTQ Film Festival Preview, 7:30pm. The Vets, One Avenue of the Arts, Providence. Featuring a program of international short films and a sneak peek of a major new feature film. $10 with reduced group rates for Flickers members. For more info: www.RIFilmFest.org, 861-4445, info@film-festival.org.

Fri. 12 Gay Pride Sabbath Service with special guest Daniel Kertzner, 6:15pm. Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. This Reform congregation is the only synagogue in the state to hold a Gay Pride Sabbath.

Fri. 12 Pride King & Queen Ocean State Pageant, 9pm.

Mirabar, 15 Elbow Street, Providence. $5 to benefit Rhode Island Pride. www.mirabar.com.

Sat. 13 Boston Pride Parade and Festival: Wicked Proud, 11am-6pm. City Hall Plaza. Free for all ages. www.bostonpride.org.

Options | June 2015

RI PrideFest & Illuminated Night Parade

Kinky Boots June 10 For use against a white or light background

June 20

JUNE 9 – 14

For tickets, visit ppacri.org or call (401) 421-ARTS (2787) PART OF THE BROADWAY SERIES SPONSORED BY:

July

For use against a black or dark background

Sun. 14 RI Prime Timers, 4:30-7pm. Network for gay and bisexual men 50+. Social, dinner, and meeting. For more info, www.riprimetimers.org or call Steve at 9963010.

Wed. 17 Queer Book Club, 7-9:30pm. Books on the Square, 471 Angell Street, Providence. Reading: The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. Discount if book is purchased at Books on the Square. For more info, email queerbookclub@gmail.com.

Thu. 18 Drag Bingo: Peace, Love & Understanding, 6-9pm.

Riviera Bingo Palace, 1612 Elmwood Avenue, Cranston. $20 gets you in all games with over $2000 in cash and prizes awarded monthly. Hosted by Kitty Litter and Haley Star. AIDS Care Ocean State raises funds to benefit Rhode Island Pride.

Fri. 19 Rhode Island Pride’s official pre-Pride block party with Taylor Dayne and DJ Hector Fonseca, doors 7pm/ show 9pm. Dark Lady, 19 Snow Street, Providence. $20 at www.tix.com or at the door. Open til 3am.

Sat. 20 Rhode Island PrideFest Interfaith Service, 11am.

South Water Street Greenway, Providence. Service led by faith leaders from various denominations. All are welcome.

Free for all ages.

Sat. 20 Rhode Island PrideFest: IndiVISIBLE, noon-8pm.

South Water Street Greenway, Providence. Presented by Dark Lady & Alley Cat. PrideFest features a Kids Zone, Youth Center, over 100 vendors, a beer/wine/spirits garden, and performances by American Idol’s Crystal Bowersox, Pearl & the Beard, Shannel from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Mimi Gonzalez, Sir Ari Gold, Pamela Means, Derek Capobianco, Heather Rose in Clover, Shryne, and more.

Free for all ages.

Sat. 20 Rhode Island Pride’s Illuminated Night Parade, 8:45pm. Presented by Dark Lady & Alley Cat. Starts at Dorrance and Weybosset Streets in downtown Providence and travels west on Washington Street to Empire Street. Reviewing stand on Empire Street (rather than at PPAC this year). Ends at Empire and Weybosset Streets. Free for all ages.

Options | June 2015

Sat. 4 Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks, 7:30pm. India Point Park, Providence.With RI Philharmonic Pops conducted by Francisco Noya. Sponsored by BankRI and City of Providence Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism.

Sun. 5 Options Release Party, 3-6pm. The Stable, 125 Washington Street, Providence. Join Options Magazine for the release of the July issue.

Sun. 12 RI Prime Timers, 4:30-7pm. Network for gay and bisexual men 50+. Social, dinner, and meeting. For more info, www.riprimetimers.org or call Steve at 996-3010.

Wed. 15 Queer Book Club, 7-9:30pm. Books on the Square, 471 Angell Street, Providence. Reading: Gay Berlin: Birthplace of a Modern Identity by Robert Beachy. Discount if book is purchased at Books on the Square. For more info, email queerbookclub@gmail.com.

Thu. 16 2nd Story Theatre presents Die, Mommy, Die!

by Charles Busch. Faded drag performer, Angela Arden (played by Payton St. James), attempts to set herself free from her ill-tempered family by murdering her ailing husband in this clever, kitsch, psychedelic satire of 60s celluloid classics. $25 tickets benefit Options Magazine: www.optionsri.org.

Sat. 18 Pride Volunteer Appreciation Party, 2-10pm.

432 Massasoit Avenue, East Providence. Volunteers of PrideFest 2015 and their families are invited to enjoy food, drink, and inflatable waterslides. Free.

Regularly Scheduled Support Groups:

ACOS Tue. 4pm, (gay males): Wed. 1:30pm Alcoholics Anonymous (LGBT Group): Tue. 7pm COLAGE (children of LGBTs): 3rd Sat. 10:30am PFLAG (parents, friends, allies): 1st Wed. 6:45pm TGI Network (trans*): 1st & 3rd Tue. & Sat. 7pm TransFamily New England: 2nd Mon. 6:30pm YPI (youth): Way Out Thu. 4pm/Gender Spectrum Tue. 4pm

See Resources on page 75 for more info.

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Die,

, y m Die! Mom

A benefit for

options magazine

This clever, kitsch, psychedelic satire of ’60s celluloid classics will give “summer camp” a whole new meaning.

Thursday, July 16, 2015 2nd Story Theatre 28 Market Street, Warren, RI

Tickets are a $25 donation to Options.

Purchase online at optionsri.org

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Starring PAYTON ST. JAMES

Options | June 2015

ainst a white kground

JUNE 9 – 14

For tickets, visit ppacri.org or call (401) 421-ARTS (2787) PART OF THE BROADWAY SERIES SPONSORED BY:

News Briefs

by Adam Brooks

Mayor Elorza Announces Transgender-Inclusive Benefits for City Employees

The City of Providence has extended transition-related healthcare coverage for employees and retirees who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming. The new coverage went into effect on May 1 and will pay for services related to gender reassignment surgery, including hormone therapy, reconstructive surgeries, and behavioral health services.The Elorza administration’s announcement comes in conjunction with the opening of genderneutral bathrooms at City Hall, the Providence School Department, and the Public Safety Complex. “Removing these barriers will make a tangible difference in the lives of transgender Providence residents,” said Mayor Elorza. “My administration is committed to creating a City Hall that is inclusive and welcoming for all employees and residents, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. It is simply the right thing to do.”

Gay-Straight Prom Couple Faces Discrimination from Las Vegas Walmart

Last month the Internet was on fire when a straight student at Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, asked his gay best friend to their school’s junior prom. The proposal of Jacob Lescenski to Anthony Martinez went viral almost immediately when Martinez tweeted a picture of a banner saying, “You’re hella gay, I’m hella str8, but you’re like my brother, so be my d8?” with the caption, “Guess who just got asked to prom.”The proposal had overwhelmingly positive reactions and was covered by Teen Vogue and other media outlets. Ellen DeGeneres invited the teens to be guests on her show where she presented them each with a check for $10,000. But when Jennifer Sandoval, Martinez’s aunt, hoped to have “You’re gay, he’s straight, you’re going to prom, you couldn’t have a better date” inscribed on a cake, Walmart associates wouldn’t comply with the request because it included the word “gay” in it. Sandoval was upset by Walmart’s decision, saying, “It was to make my nephew happy, to see a smile on his face.” The cake was instead decorated with the words, “You matter, Prom Kings.”

Otherwise, the prom went off without a hitch.

Nebraska Woman Suing All Gay People in the World

Sylvia Ann Driskell, a 66-year old self-proclaimed ambassador for God and Jesus Christ, is filing a lawsuit against every homosexual person on the planet for breaking “religious and moral laws.”

Driskell, of Auburn, Nebraska, delivered her handwritten petition to the U.S. District Court of Omaha early last month. Hidden under numerous spelling and punctuation errors, Driskell’s message is that “Homosexuality is a sin and that the homosexuals know it is a sin to live a life of homosexuality.” Driskell’s seven-page magnum opus slams all members of the LGBT community as being “[liars], deceivers, and thieves” who have been “hiding in the closet to avoid the punishment they deserve.” Driskell cites both the Bible and Webster’s Dictionary in her lawsuit which has been filed as Driskell v.

Homosexuals. “I never thought that I would see a day in which our Great Nation or our Great State of Nebraska would become so compliant to the complicity of some people[’s] lewd behavior,” says Driskell, who will be representing herself in the inevitable lawsuit to follow. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not.” So far, the court has not issued a summons regarding this case, but that isn’t stopping a lot of high-profile members of the LGBT community from feigning fear.

Says Steven Payne of the Daily Kos, “We anticipate the restitution ordered to this woman will take us down to our very last penny.”

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Supreme Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments against the same-sex marriage bans in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee.This is the first time the high court has taken up the issue since 2013, when a vote of 5-4 determined the Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional. One of the lawyers opposing the ban, Mary Bonauto of GLAD, who in the past has been called a “gay marriage hero,” was grilled with questions from conservative justices asking why, after millennia of traditional marriage, the definition of marriage should be changed. At one point early in the hearing a protestor interrupted by screaming anti-gay epithets and threats before being escorted out of the courtroom by security.

The Supreme Court will hear many arguments before making a decision at the end of June, but experts predict that even the conservatives will rule to make same-sex marriage a constitutional right.

Options | June 2015

Miley Cyrus Launches Charity for Homeless & LGBT Youth

From wearing pasties in public, to her outlandish live performances, 22-year-old former Disney Channel singer Miley Cyrus says she is just being herself and thinks that everyone deserves the same opportunity. Because of this, Cyrus is launching a charity called the Happy Hippie Foundation to help homeless and LGBT youth throughout the nation. In a phone interview with the Associated Press, Cyrus stated, “The position I’m in, I feel like I’ve got a lot of power. But so many kids don’t feel that way. They’re under their parents’ rule.” Cyrus vaguely stated that of all her past relationships, not all were “straight, heterosexual” ones, without further elaboration. To launch the Happy Hippie Foundation and raise money and awareness for its programs, she’s unveiling a series of music video collaborations with artists such as Joan Jett and Ariana Grande. Miley has also been writing music about loving one another and being true to one’s self. Funds raised by Happy Hippie will create digital support groups for LGBT youth and their families.

The foundation is also aiding My Friend’s Place, a center for homeless youth in Hollywood.

Bruce Jenner Interview Captivates Nation

In April, in a 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer, Bruce Jenner officially came out to the world as a transgender woman. Millions tuned in as Jenner revealed that he has been living under an assigned gender that wasn’t his own and that he has been a woman inside for all of his life. “It was a tectonic shift for the trans community, said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis at the GLAAD Media Awards. “For the first time, about 20 million people in America met somebody who’s transgender. You can’t really do that in any other way or with somebody who’s even better suited for it because Bruce has always been a champion in the past and is now a new kind of champion.” Jenner will star in his own docu-series on the E! network called About Bruce, to debut on July 26. Co-chair of GLAAD’s board of directors Jennifer Finney Boylan, an out trans advocate, will be consulting on the new series and says that Jenner is “in seventh heaven” to finally be sharing his journey with the world. The main issue with the series is how to broach the private matters in Jenner’s life. “People are curious about [things] that are in fact none of their business,” says Boylan. “Trans people who want to be accepted and who hope to create that acceptance through education have kind of felt obligated to answer every embarrassing question…It’ll be a challenge to be educational and to normalize the experience without going into every salacious detail–that’s the balance that has to be achieved.”

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URI’s Gender & Sexuality Center Opens Without Mention of Origin

by Bradford Greer The University of Rhode Island’s much-anticipated Gender & Sexuality Center opened its doors May 6 without mention of Andrew Winters, who began the fight to open an LGBT center on campus in 1995, established the URI LGBT Center in 2001, and led the effort to have that center expanded and relocated until his 2010 dismissal, which remains in dispute. Twenty years of hard work, theorizing, protesting, bullying, graffiti, attacks, negative campus ratings, meetings, fundraising, and political gladhanding have finally resulted in the design and construction of the first building in Rhode Island specifically to address LGBT issues. URI has clearly stepped up its efforts to improve the quality of campus life for LGBT students and faculty, though local community members continue to search for answers regarding Winters’ controversial departure from URI.

Philadelphia Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Gay Rights Protest

by Jen Stevens About 40 people protested for gay rights (specifically federal employment) in front of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell on July 4, 1965.This is considered by some to be the start of the LGBT civil rights movement. Organized by pioneers Frank Kameny and Barbara Gittings, these “Annual Reminders” took place in Philadelphia each Independence Day for the four years preceding the Stonewall Riot. On the first anniversary of Stonewall, rather than holding another Annual Reminder, these activists and others organized a march in New York City that would come to be known as the first Pride Parade. A fourday celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 protest will culminate on July 4 in Philadelphia and includes panels, film screenings, parties, and fireworks. Participants include Judy Shepard, Bishop Gene Robinson, Edith Windsor, and Wanda Sykes. For more information, visit www.lgbt50.org.

Temple Habonim to Hold Gay Pride Sabbath June 12

by Myra Shays On Friday evening, June 12,Temple Habonim in Barrington will hold its fourth annual Gay Pride Sabbath service. The guest speaker will be Daniel Kertzner, whose topic is “Making Outsiders Insiders, and Our Congregations a Home for All Who Enter.”

He will describe ways of standing up against negative messages about being gay, and will stress the importance of being good allies in moving beyond Welcoming to make our synagogues truly inclusive. Mr. Kertzner is the Rhode Island Foundation’s Senior Philanthropic Advisor for Funding Partnerships. He is a member of Temple Beth-El in Providence, where he has served on the Board of Trustees as chair of the Social Action and Leadership Development Committees. Temple Habonim, at 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington, a 56-year-old Reform congregation, designates a Sabbath each year to observe June as Gay Pride Month. It is the only synagogue in the state to hold a Gay Pride Sabbath. The service will begin at 6:15pm and will be followed by a reception. The entire community is welcome.

More information on the service and the congregation can be found at www.templehabonim.org, or by calling 245-6536. q

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don’t grow up invisible

Youth Pride Inc. Enhanced Programming for

YOUTH AND FAMILIES AT PRIDEFEST

by Bill Zelazny and Jeana DeLaire

Youth and families will enjoy programming especially for them in a greater capacity than ever before at this year’s RI PrideFest.

The Kids Zone, a fixture at RI PrideFest for over a decade, will be sponsored by Hasbro’s Heart Employee group, Inc. (www.hasbro.com) and will expand to include many new features thanks to this generous support. The Hasbro Kids Zone is a safe, family-focused play and entertainment area set aside on the PrideFest grounds for children from birth to age 14 who are accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Camp Sparkle (www.campsparkleri.com), a children’s empowerment camp run by Miss Rhode Island World Amara Berry, will provide volunteer staffers along with volunteers from Hasbro and RI Pride to guide and assist youth with hands-on activities, games, arts and crafts, and special events. All children who come through the Hasbro Kids Zone gate will receive giveaways.

Youth Pride Inc. (YPI) is excited to take their mission of serving LGBTQQ youth and young adults to PrideFest this year with the first-ever Pride Youth Center. Youth ages 13 to 23 are welcome and encouraged to join YPI for an afternoon of fun games, interesting workshops, and Pride bracelet making. Workshop topics will address YPI programs, healthy relationships, safer sex tips, gay-straight alliance-building, and more, with hosts from various youth-serving organizations. To learn more about YPI and their drop-in center (located at 473 Westminster Street in Providence), visit www.youthprideri.org, email info@youthprideri.org, or call (401) 421-5626. q

The Hasbro Kids Zone and the Pride Youth Center will be open on PrideFest day, June 20, from 12-5pm on South Water Street in Providence. There is no cost to participate. A breastfeeding and changing station will also be available.

Options | June 2015

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Options | June 2015

Loving

and the Supreme Court

by Bradford Greer

I

t could be the rich color of the skin, the construction of facial features, the texture of the hair, the walk, the attitude, the demeanor that turns your head. Or perhaps it’s the confidence, the intelligence, the personality, smile, or the eyes that hold your attention. Who can say what sparks the attraction of one human being to another. It’s true: the heart wants what the heart wants.

Imagine Paula Barros at home in bed sleeping peacefully with her wife Kristen Csizmesia. Paula is Brazilian and Kristen is white.They have been together since they were introduced by a mutual friend on August 24, 1988.They married on August 24, 2013, which is also Kristen’s father’s birthday. Paula’s family has never cared about race or Paula’s white girlfriends.

They were more concerned about her sexual orientation. Kristen’s family was also concerned about her being gay but not about Paula’s race. They had a small wedding of about 20 friends and went to a restaurant to celebrate. They do not have a big life; they have each other.

Suddenly there is a loud crash.

Two police officers knock down their

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bedroom door, drag them both out of bed and throw them in jail. It is illegal for same sex couples to marry in their state, and now they have a criminal record.

Fortunately this has not happened to Paula and Kristen, who have been happily married in Rhode Island, a state that does recognize same-sex marriage.

But this has happened before. In 1958 the police raided the home of Mildred and Richard Loving in the middle of the night while the interracial couple was in their bed. They were arrested and thrown in jail for violation of Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act. Mrs. Loving was five months pregnant and would be considered a felon for the rest of her life.

Judge Leon Bazile told them, “Almighty God created the races and put them on separate continents. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” That, apparently is what the state of Virginia called “racial integrity” in 1958. The case went before the Supreme Court and on June 12, 1967, in a unanimous decision, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote: “The freedom to marry has long been

recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men,” and “under our Constitution, the freedom to marry or not to marry a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the state.”

It’s June 2015, and the Supreme Court will once again be determining who has the right to wed legally and to have those rights respected in every state of the union. Whichever way the Supreme Court votes, people will still feel the same way they did before, says Paula. “In some parts of Brazil people are still very close-minded about being gay.

It’s better in the large cities. You think it’s bad here? Go there. Not so very much for women but very much so for men in your everyday life.”

In some places in the American South what is worse than being considered gay or unattractive is dating interracially.

Writer Glenn Garner posted in August 2014, “Living in a state [Mississippi] where a majority of the population does not accept us can condition us to not accept ourselves. This self-shame prevents us

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from accepting other minorities as well.”

Kevon and Reggie Tucker-Sealey met in St. Louis 17 years ago. The bars were often segregated then: blacks on one side,

We were not destined to marry, but what about those who were?

In 2013 Louisiana Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell routinely refused to marry interracial couples because he believed interracial children would be harmed growing up in that type of environment. He would refer couples to other justices. He did not believe himself to be a racist—just concerned for the children.

Paige Parks met Sarah Clausius when Paige and Sarah

Reggie and Kevon

whites on the other. A foster child, Kevon grew up in a racially diverse home. Reggie’s family had already broken the color barrier with a mixed-race marriage. Kevon kept calling to arrange dates, and within six months they moved in together. It had not entered their minds that marriage was a possibility until they moved to New England. They were going to become domestic partners, but marriage became a real option in Massachusetts. They had counseling sessions with their gay pastor, married in 2004 with about 15 racially mixed guests, and honeymooned in New York City. Reggie experiences more racism than Kevon.They tell a story of shopping for furniture. They split up to look for different items. Kevon was immediately solicited and helped. Reggie was followed around but ignored until the two came together. It is not unusual for Reggie to be followed, yet ignored. The more blatant racism in the South is subtle here in the East, he says. That’s what makes it more shocking when it does happen here. Though Reggie feels like he is safe here, he fears people in the Midwest, southern states, or economically deprived cities and states may feel the brunt of attacks and racism more often.

This attitude is not confined to the South. As a young Afro-American in 1972 in Massachusetts, I was accosted in a bar for dancing with a white girl.

I suddenly found myself surrounded by a circle of white people (who had obviously not seen Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner). The bouncer broke it up and escorted my friend and me out to safety. I have experienced many instances of racial disharmony in my life, though happily they have diminished as the years have passed.

The worst was when I was engaged to marry a white woman. Her parents, who thought the world of me personally, threatened to throw her out of the house if our engagement persisted. I can’t imagine how she felt. I know how horrible I felt asking her to choose her parents or me.

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they were in college together in 1999.

Paige was born in St. Louis but raised in Connecticut. Sarah was born in New York and raised in Rhode Island. They became fast friends, discovering they had many things in common, including closeness to their families. Paige is black and had dated interracially before. Sarah is white and had not. Their tight-knit circle of friends had

Should the Supreme Court vote to let individual states determine the legality of gay marriage, couples of every race and sexual identity will have limitations when deciding where they will live within the United States. no issue with their dating. They became a couple in 2003. Race was not a problem for either family. Sarah’s mother calls Paige her daughter, and Paige’s parents think Sarah is awesome. They married in a small wedding of family and friends in 2009. They have two small children: a four-year-old daughter carried by Sarah and a three-yearold son carried by Paige. Not only are the children Caucasian and African-American, but they are also Asian. While Paige has

not experienced any direct prejudice, Sarah has often had to explain to well-meaning people of narrower experience that she does not share their limited or stereotypical views. Both parents negotiate the myriad questions about cultural upbringing based on the values they were brought up with and how best to incorporate those values into their children’s lives in order to make them well-rounded.

Six adult children of gay parents have filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court to dissuade the justices from legalizing same-sex marriage, citing their childhood struggles with gender confusion and feelings of isolation and sadness without being able to talk about those things with anyone.

They also cite pressures to conform to “gay values.” The inconsolable longing for the missing parent is another common theme.

(Children of straight, single parents don’t have this longing?) Groups like the Family Equality Council and COLAGE filed a brief with the Supreme Court arguing that families led by same-sex parents deserve no less protection than other families, and the years of same-sex marriages have already shown its benefits to children.

What group can really stand up and claim they have a monopoly on the sanctity of marriage? Come on now, Mr. Pot calling Ms. Kettle black. These are the fringe elements coupled with the uninformed and slow to enlighten. Hypocrites aside, old traditions are hard to break, and values are often too difficult to change.

According to DivorceSource.com, a couple getting married today has about a 40 percent chance of being divorced. The good news is that number is significantly lower since the 1990s, which leads one to think that people are entering into marriage with more thought and care and finding ways to make it work. That still does not indicate that heterosexuals have cornered the market on either morality or marriage success as many would have people believe. And frankly, if we are all indeed created equal, then homosexuals certainly deserve the same opportunity to make the same mistakes as our straight counterparts. Don’t judge. No one denies that marriage is a struggle.

John Beaudreau and Dameian Slocum started dating in 2000. They were immediately smitten with each other when they first met at the Mirabar through a mutual friend. Both had dated interracially before. Their love affair was a complete surprise but for reasons of personality, not skin color. John, who is white, is gregariously charming, and no one expected him to bring home the more subdued Dameian.

John’s parents couldn’t have cared less that Dameian was black. While Dameian’s

Options | June 2015

Happy PRIDE Rhode Island from Yael & Paula

John and Dameian

older relatives did caution him about the dangers of prejudice, they never minded interracial relationships. He has always had friends of different races and nationalities, so prejudice was never taught in his home. Dameian, however, has always been searched at the airport and has been followed in stores often. John never is. They were married in 2003. They do get looks when they are out but can’t really tell if it’s because they are gay or a mixed couple.

John and Dameian slid precariously into the precipice of separation. (Mind your business. This is not the Enquirer.) Suffice it to say they found themselves living lives that were not, shall we say, compatible, and they divorced in 2009. That solution did not work for them either. After a thoughtful reconciliation in 2012, they have repaired their relationship, and it has been resuscitated and rejuvenated.

Most people know couples who have made a fantastic success at marriage. We celebrate their anniversaries every year and marvel at how they have managed to do so without moodaltering prescriptions or accidentally pushing one into the path of a speeding bus. These people have managed to uphold the sanctity of marriage, and those who enter into marriage strive to emulate them. Some of these people are our loved ones. And some of them are gay.

Should the Supreme Court vote to let individual states determine the legality of gay marriage, the Clausius-Parks family, the Tucker-Sealys, the Slocum-Beaudreaus, the Barros-Csizmesias, and so many other couples of every race and sexual identity will have limitations when deciding where they will live within the United States, just as the Lovings did when they married and were arrested in 1958. Moving to a state that will not recognize their marriage will compromise their rights of safety and integrity in many ways. Rights such as hospital regulations, insurance, property ownership, authority over children, taxes, social security benefits, funeral arrangements, and other spousal rights will be called into question. It will be open season on discrimination, which brings us right back to the principles of separate but equal: for colored only and no catered pizza at your gay wedding.

More couples than ever are marrying outside their race and marrying the same sex. There will always be those who don’t want or are reluctant to change. But there is hope. They may learn to walk with the changing landscape in time, as so many have done.

Some of them will die. If not now, the next generation will bring this forward.This June is the 48th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court decision. Mildred Loving, just months before she died in 2008, issued a statement urging support for marriage between same-sex couples. q

Options | June 2015

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Enjoy Responsibly ©2014 A-B, Bud Light® Beer, 29St. Louis, MO

PrideFest

Essentials make your Here are a few guidelines and tips to healthy.

PrideFest experience safe, happy and

Getting to PrideFest: PrideFest takes place in the heart of downtown on South Water Street, along the Providence River waterfront.

Driving: From the North or South: I-95 to exit 22A towards downtown/Memorial Blvd. Count 5 traffic lights, starting at the bottom of the exit ramp from Rt. 95. At the sixth traffic light you will see the festival entrance at the road closure at South Water Street. From the East: I-195 West to exit 2 (South Main St.). South Main St. Make a left onto College Hill and then a left onto Memorial Blvd. At the next traffic light you will see the festival entrance. From the West: Take US Rt. 6 East/ Rt. 10 North towards I-95. Take the downtown exit. Count 6 traffic lights to the festival entrance. GPS: 345 South Water Street, Providence.

Parking: In addition to more than 40 parking lots and garages, downtown Providence has over 1,100 onstreet parking spaces. Meters cost $0.25/12 minutes and are in effect Monday-Saturday from 8am-6pm.

Parking is free all other times. Street parking is limited in the area immediately around the festival site. The Dyer Street parking lots are adjacent to the festival and are within easy walking distance from the parade route. Providence Place Mall and Rhode Island Convention Center parking lots are also just a ten minute walk down the river.

Bus: The RIPTA Bus Terminal located in Kennedy Plaza is within walking distance from the festival site. For scheduling information, visit www.ripta.com or call 781-9400. Peter Pan Bus Lines (800-343-9999/www.peterpanbus.com) offers service from Boston, Hartford, the Cape and New York City.

Greyhound Bus Lines (800-231-2222/www.greyhound.com) also offers service to Providence’s Kennedy Plaza.

Train: PrideFest is just ten minutes down the riverwalk, from the Providence Train Station which is served by Amtrak and from Boston by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter trains, though be careful to check the return schedule. Call Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL or visit their web site at www.amtrak. com. The MBTA offers weekend commuter rail service to the city of Providence from Boston. Call the MBTA at 800-392-6100 or visit their web site at www.mbta.com.

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by Brian Mills

Safety Tips:The Providence Police are at the festival along with RI Pride’s Safety Team. If you have a non-emergency medical need there is a first aid tent located across from the information tent. If you have a medical or police emergency dial 911.

Pride volunteers can be identified by their t-shirts and identification badges. If you need information or assistance within the PrideFest grounds please feel free to approach a volunteer.

Take care of all personal belongings and be aware of those around you. Keep wallets, purses, handbags, mobile phones, and cameras secure and within sight at all times.

Many organizations, including RI Pride, will be asking for donations at PrideFest. Individuals soliciting donations for organizations should be identifiable by badges or affiliation information. If you believe that someone is pan-handling or harassing our guests for money, please report the activity to a Pride volunteer.

Even though PrideFest is a safe and friendly venue, we still recommend the buddy system. Spend the day with a friend, travel to and from the festival in a group, and make sure that you stay aware of your personal safety.

Remember you should carry identification with you at all times. We want your Pride experience to be as safe and enjoyable as possible. Please report any concerns to RI Pride Security or the Providence Police.

Trash and Recycling bins are located throughout the festival grounds. Please be responsible with your trash and keep the street as clean as possible. RI Pride is responsible for the clean up and removal of all trash from South Water Street. Please help us by pitching in.

Alcoholic Beverages: A festival is a place to party, and some people like to do that with a drink. The Beer, Wine and Spirits Tent is located adjacent to the Main Stage.

Proper ID will be required to enter and to purchase alcohol. All beer, wine, and spirits must be consumed within the fenced area. Please drink responsibly.

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Pets Are Allowed on the festival grounds during the event. For everyone’s safety, please keep your pet leashed and be courteous to pick up after your animal should he or she “answer the call of nature.”

Bicycles, skateboards, skates, scooters, and motorized vehicles of any kind are prohibited from the festival grounds for the safety of our guests.

Lost & Found and Lost Children: RI Pride does not operate a lost and found service, but sometimes people turn in found items to the Pride information tent Lost children should be taken to the Pride information/ security tent or to a police officer.

ATMS are located on the festival grounds for your convenience. There is a transaction fee of $3.00.

The RI Pride Illuminated Night Parade winds its way through the streets of Providence from the intersection of Dorrance and Weybosset Streets, makes a left on Washington Street, and turns left on Empire Street, traveling past the reviewing stand. Pride volunteers and the Providence Police work extremely hard to keep the more than 30,000 people who crowd the streets of Providence safe and happy. By following these simple suggestions you can help us help you maximize the viewing experience.

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You must remain on the sidewalk as the Parade passes. People standing on the street are not only a safety hazard but also block the Parade from passing and slow the procession.The Parade route in front of the Providence Biltmore and near the Previewing stand on Empire Street can become very congested. Prime viewing is available all along the Parade route (Dorrance Street, Washington Street, and Empire Street) and is just as fun. Many of the city streets remain open to traffic during the Parade. Please observe all police direction and obey traffic signals and crosswalks. Do not approach floats or vehicles in the parade. Vehicles are likely to move without notice. If you are not officially registered in the P arade, please do not enter the Parade route.

Keep your children safe and out of danger. Use extra caution with strollers on the parade route and hold young children’s hands. Children should not be allowed to enter the Parade route for any reason without adult supervision.

We hope you have a great day with RI Pride at the PrideFest and Parade. However, even in the fun atmosphere of a festival, the Providence Police are responsible for enforcing all applicable state laws and local ordinances during the Pride event which include, but are not limited to: public decency, alcohol, controlled substances, public safety, and parking.

RI Pride as the event organizer, reserves the right to decline admittance to anyone who violates the reasonable policies established for public safety, tries to gain entrance to restricted areas, or causes serious disruption to the good order of the event.

Have a happy, fun and safe Pride! q

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KYLE TAYLOR PARKER Stars in

by Joanne Bussiere

JUNE 9 – 14

For use against a white or light background

For tickets, visit ppacri.org or call (401) 421-ARTS (2787) PART OF THE BROADWAY SERIES SPONSORED BY:

For use against a black or dark background

Kinky Boots National Tour. Photo by Matthew Murphy

S

tanding-room-only crowds have been enjoying the Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots since it opened on Broadway in April of 2013. The tour stops at the Providence Performing Arts Center (June 9-14) with a special fundraiser for Rhode Island Pride and the RI Association of Gay Professionals on June 10. Based on the true-life events of a shoe factory saved by a line of footwear for drag queens, Kinky Boots is directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell and brings together four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (book) and Grammy-winner Cyndi Lauper (first solo woman to win a Tony for Best Score).

Kyle Taylor Parker, an openly gay New Yorker, debuted with the show in 2012 as one of six drag queen “angels” and has now stepped into the lead role, portraying Lola for the national tour. His other credits include a national tour of In the Heights and regional productions of Hair and I Left My Heart In San Francisco.

Kyle began performing for his mother and grandmother at age five in his hometown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. By age nine, he was moving around the world with his mother, singing for everyone who asked him to. He discovered the joy of reaching others through song in a different way than he had in schools and church back in Wisconsin. He returned to the U.S. and would graduate from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy of NY. His journey to Broadway inspired him to create Actor Crack! a new Broadway website dedicated to inspiring actors to live full and fabulous lives by providing them with tools and inspiration they need to succeed. This is a “happiness project” for him. He interviewed actor friends and—by tapping into their similar experiences and hopes—created a forum for those who shared the dream of breaking into Broadway. Through Actor Crack! Kyle is creating a community to help those new to the scene discover that there is a place for everyone.

I asked Kyle what he thought the Providence audience should know about Kinky Boots. He said, “Be prepared to laugh and cry and then to dance out of the theatre. The show is surprising and not what everyone thinks they are going to see.” q

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IN BETWEEN BINARY

E

ven though we are besieged with public definitions of gender in the media, on billboards, and within our families and cultures, gender is deeply personal. It would be impossible to strip ourselves of the many messages about gender and gender roles loaded upon us in a lifetime, which can make being an individual within such gender constraints troubling and painful. Although the male/female binary is most often celebrated as the accepted societal standard, the reality is that gender has become almost indefinable. Though some feel easy in their gender and the way it aligns with their physical body and society’s norms, many do not. It’s often complicated. Feeling the freedom to be in one’s gender, to dress and express as feels natural, to be comfortable in the world, does not come from a pink or blue one-size-fits-all box. For those who feel outside the gender norm, the pathway to becoming their gender is unique, no two paths the same. Many might like to rest for a while as the genderless narrator in Willa Cather’s My Antonia, and enjoy the freedom of having no gender identity. For others, having a clear and definable gender identity is essential to living their life fully.

Through interviews with local community members who consider themselves outside the standard binary or who help those discovering their place in gender, this article attempts to reflect the textured tapestry of gender, and the journey through and into gender—living and loving and finding support.

Defining and Redefining Gender Judith Butler, American philosopher, published Undoing Gender in 2002. In the text’s introduction Butler professed, “If gender is a kind of doing, an incessant activity performed, in part, without one’s knowing and without one’s willing, it is not for that reason automatic or mechanical. On the contrary, it is a practice of improvisation within a scene of constraint. Moreover, one does not ‘do’ one’s gender alone. … But the terms that make up one’s gender are, from the start, outside oneself, beyond oneself in a sociality that has no single author.” The following interview participants responded to Butler’s notion of gender and shared their own perspectives on defining gender.

Eliza Sher, LICSW, psychotherapist posited, “Unlike anatomical sex, which in most cases is unambiguous, gender is a state of mind, an internal state, a perception of oneself, perceptions of others, and a social

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by TC Rogers

performance, as Judith Butler writes.” Sher also states, “I personally believe that gender is a very fluid thing and that ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ are completely made up and arbitrary categories.”

Naturopathic doctor, educator, and social justice activist Marcy (M) Feibelman said, “Gender is one of the ways I see and identify myself as a person, and something that is fluid and ambiguous.”

Janelle Heideman, writer, educator, and activist explained, “I feel my gender in terms of how I relate to others. … The way I relate to others is often determined by expectations society has in terms of what is typical behavior for various places on the gender spectrum. Gender is different from sex, although how we think of sex can also reflect society’s expectations. For instance, I was assigned male at birth, but see myself as female.”

Social alchemist, storyteller, sound manipulator, and urban ecologist Kai Xavier LoMuscio described gender as “the intersection of how society perceives us and how we see ourselves.”

Michael Friend, LICSW, pointed out Janelle Heideman

that “one does not do one’s gender alone.

Support of family, friends, professionals all can play a positive role in assisting someone reach their full potential. … Our views of ourselves are impacted by our interactions and reactions of others.”

Michelle Forcier, MD, MPH, and associate professor in pediatrics at the Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, emphasized, “My patients are very clear that their gender is a deep and critical part of who they are, not a choice but a part of their being that is affected by family, culture, and community … that gender is a core part of every person’s identity and development and the uniqueness that occurs in biology and

Marcy (M) Feibelman

humanity is to be respected and celebrated for the diversity it offers.”

Living and loving, as nonconforming Embracing gender nonconformity, including partial or full transition from anatomical birth sex and its prescriptions to a gender that feels more comfortable physically and soulfully, presents challenges and growth in relationships. For those who embrace the need to shift their gender after developing deep loving relationships, such as with significant others who fell in love with their mind, body, and soul, can be confusing and painful. Heideman shared that she lost relationships, including her spouse, family members, and friendships with co-workers when she began transitioning from male to female. LoMuscio identified as genderqueer for years, though when he told his girlfriend at the time that he wanted to physically transition, “she told me I was disgusting. That was unexpected.”

Feibelman explained, “In relationships where partners have had trouble understanding my gender identity, its fluidity, and the relationship I have with my body–it has been challenging” and has found the most satisfying relationships with those who also find themselves outside the gender binary.

Sher stated that although her daughter, a “feminine little girl who loves very girly dresses,” asks many questions to help her understand Sher’s place in gender, the intense love that they share has become more important than how they express their genders.

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Support Support from family, friends, mental health therapists, doctors, books, and support groups help make living in between, around, and through gender easier. Eliza Sher and Michael Friend are recommended mental health therapists, who have served the LGBT community for many years. Dr. Michelle Forcier classifies herself as “a medical mutt who has been doing work with all age patients in gender and sexuality and reproductive justice for 15 years,” and works with individuals who are seeking medical assistance with gender transitioning. For those seeking to transition from their current gender identity, Forcier explained, “There is every option conceivable by the individual regarding how, when, where, and why regarding their unique gender identity and goals for transition,” whether it be name and pronoun only, or physical changes including hormones and surgery. Additionally, Jennifer Finney Boylan’s She’s Not There: My Life in Two Genders was noted as a helpful read by Heideman. LoMuscio and Feibelman said that the local organization TGI Network has been especially supportive in their journeys with gender identity.

Eliza Sher with daughter Sheray

Onward

People need to be honored in their unique claim on gender and gender identity. For those who do live in between, around and through the standard gender binary, we find comfort in a time that airs an interview of Bruce Jenner’s personal struggle and journey with gender identity, watched by millions, though there is still far to go in shifting from the prescribed gender binary. So what can we do to strive as a society and peacefully eradicate judgment and fear about gender nonconformity? We live, with the sweet mix of courage and ease, however we feel is true to ourselves in our own gender identity; we set the example, and we take it one breath at a time. q

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AIDS PROJECT RHODE ISLAND Together, side by side, serving Rhode Island for 30 years raising funds and awareness.

The first three confirmed cases of AIDS in Rhode Island were reported in 1983. AIDS Project Rhode Island has been responding to the needs of people infected, affected, and at-risk of HIV and AIDS since 1985.

1985 1988 1990 1990 1991 1998 1998 2005 2015

AIDS Project Rhode Island is incorporated on May 31 as Rhode Island Project AIDS First annual AIDS Walk for Life is held Hosts Care to Dance, an AIDS Dance-A-Thon Heart to Heart – An Evening of Hope dinner is held Jane Oliver headlines the World AIDS Day benefit concert Gay Bingo is launched Rhode Island Project AIDS officially changes its name to AIDS Project Rhode Island First annual Rhode Island Dine Out for Life AIDS Project Rhode Island Celebrates 30 years

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Options | June 2015

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PrideFest 2015 Entertainment Crystal Bowersox has made it her mission to

live life and her music to the fullest.With a gentle warmth and wisdom well beyond her years, the consummate artist has an uncompromising vision of herself and her music that is refreshing and rare. “I believe if you stand for something, stand your ground; stand it strong, and stand it proud.” It is this fortitude and courageous spirit that resonated with millions night after night as the 2010 American Idol runner-up took the stage. Her rich amalgam of blues, country, folk, and rock makes her one of the most dynamic young voices in music to come along in years. She has performed alongside Harry Connick Jr., Joe Cocker, Alanis Morrisette, Michael Franti, John Popper, and BB King. All That for This, Crystal Bowersox’ second release and Shanachie Entertainment debut in 2013, is a powerful testament to her talents as a singer and songwriter, and her unerring musical vision.

She confides, “I am more proud of this body of work than anything I’ve done before. If this music can move someone to tears or makes them smile, then I have really accomplished something. That’s all I can ask for.” All That for This is Crystal Bowersox’ emancipation from judgment. It is the manifestation of her own womanhood and enlightenment won through hard-fought battles, failures, and triumphs, exposing a new dimension of her music.

This finely crafted and beautifully arranged tapestry illustrates the dynamic singer’s keen ability to shape a narrative poetically and metaphorically, inviting listeners into her world.

Pearl and the Beard

is Brooklyn trio Jocelyn Mackenzie (vocals/percussion), Emily Hope Price (vocals/cello/keys), and Jeremy Styles (vocals/guitars). The three passionately intertwine their distinct voices amidst a powerfully delicate orchestra of cello, guitars, keyboard, bells, and percussion, offering songs that speak to joy and sorrow, love and loss. The breadth of their songwriting and genre-defying sound is reflected in the vast variety of artists with whom they’ve shared the stage, most notably Ani DiFranco, Matt & Kim, Ingrid Michaelson, DeVotchKa, Lucius, Laura Marling, Avan Lava, and The Drums. The trio is currently in the final stages of producing their third full-length album.

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Options | June 2015

June 20, South Water St. Providence Southern Californian Bryan Watkins has been performing and dazzling audiences as Shannel, a female illusionist and drag queen since winning a Halloween contest in drag at age 15. She worked for Glamour Shots as a makeup artist and a hairstylist and for Chanel Cosmetic as a beauty advisor. Shannel’s career as a host and headliner took off in Las Vegas. She was cast in the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009 and returned for 2012’s RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars. She continues to tour with the Dreamgirls Revue, makes special guest appearances, and will be a recurring co-host with Frank Marino on his Las Vegas show Divas.

A Billboard Top 10 Recording Artist, USA Songwriting Competition Grand Prize Winner, Independent Music Award Winner, three-time Outmusic “Visionary Award” recipient, and knight of the Imperial Court of New York, Sir Ari Gold is considered to be the first American openly gay recording artist from the beginning of his career. People Magazine says, “This out dance pop artist packs bornthis-way swagger...and takes the listener to fresh places.” Ari has been featured on VH-1, MTV, BBC, Top of the Pops, Bravo, Vibe, W, V, New York Magazine, Perez Hilton, HuffPost, Advocate, OUT100, and has more #1 videos than any artist to date on Logo. Ari can be seen in RuPaul’s cult film Starrbooty and his music has been featured in films (Shortbus, Boy Culture) and on hit TV shows (Scrubs, Cougar Town). Sir Ari has headlined concerts in Europe, Canada, and in over 40 states including his hometown NYC at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, and Summerstage. Ari’s first single from his new CD is called “Sex Like a Porn Star,” and comes out this summer.

Bettysioux Tailor lives by the motto “larger than life is just the right size.” A graduate of Lady Miss Iris’ first “From Bumps to Boas” class, Miss Tailor has been dazzling audiences across New England for eight years and brought home the title of “Most Beautiful” at the 2010 Great Boston Burlesque Expo. Bettysioux produces the annual “Salute to Bettie Page,” has been a performer for the past four Rhode Island Pride Goddess Shows, and is frequently featured in the Sweet Little Variety Show. From sewing, to tap dancing, and teaching to singing, Miss Tailor has an arsenal of talents, but when it comes right down to it she always says, “Glamour is my only weapon!”

Derek Capobianco is a recording artist born and raised in Rhode Island. His five songs on iTunes include his newly released single “One Way.” You can follow his promising career on social media: DerekCapobiancoMusic on Facebook, @derekrobert! on Instagram, and @der_cap on Twitter.

Rhode Island native, Heather Rose has been performing for over 15 years around New England and beyond, taking home several Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll, Motif, and other area awards along the way. In Heather Rose

Options | June 2015

In Clover, the multi-instrumentalist teams up with Lisa Middleton, Jeana DeLaire, and Don Anderson, building upon the pop-rock foundation and rock ’n’ roll roots Heather Rose has made solid throughout her extensive career.

Jodi Jolt and The Volt came together in the spring of 2011, playing their first gig at the old Club Gallery after the Rhode Island Pride celebration. Since then The Volt has been performing in the greater RI, MA, and CT area playing original, high energy music and select covers.

The Volt has been featured in Frock Magazine, Transformation Magazine, TGForum, and performed on the Tony Jones Show. They have donated performances to benefit Aids Project New Haven, the RI Food Bank, animal shelters, and will perform for LGBT youth at KC’s Tap in Pawtucket on July 18.

Cranston native Joe Conscious released his first album, Higher Consciousness, in 2012. His latest release, GayA: The Love/Hate Mixtape, was released last month. JC is a poet/rapper/singer/ songwriter who is fighting for truth, justice, equality, and love while bringing meaningful, positive messages back to hip hop and rap.

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Drag persona Jordan Mayhem took Rhode Island by storm with her punk, rock, goth alternative look that’s beyond glitz, glamour, and big hair. Jordan performs at various locations in Massachusetts, recently Florida, and calls The Dark Lady in Providence her home club.

Mimi Gonzalez is a nationally televised comedian who’s traveled the world entertaining the US military and audiences across the country.

Throughout her decade of live performance, she’s consistently been a published freelance journalist. She’s hosted morning radio in New York, moderated panels, and emceed major events including one March on Washington. Provincetown Magazine called her “a comic, life-affirming force.” After many seasons and shows on the Cape, she now calls Boston home.

Pamela Means, singer-songwriter and jazz musician, with “mad guitar-and-vocal skills” (Time Out New York) has toured throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia, winning awards, delighting audiences, and impressing critics with her razor wit, inimitable voice, jaw-dropping guitar work, and seven independent releases along the way. Currently, Means is writing and performing songs in preparation for a forthcoming album.“When Pamela Means picks up her guitar and begins to sing, a listener doesn’t forget her. She possesses musical attitude and purpose.” (WSHU Radio) Ro Colegrove will put you at ease as his confident whispers and mature, original, poetic lyrics nourish the mind and soul. This young guitarist has performed at legendary regional venues like Club Passim, the Lizard Lounge, Tupelo Music Hall, and The Vanilla Bean. Ro has opened for many accomplished acts including Meg Hutchinson, Rachael Sage, Vance Gilbert, Edie Carey, Anne Heaton, We’re About 9, and Brooks Williams and shared the stage with Chuck E. Costa, Brian Webb, Joe Stevens (of Coyote Grace), Rose Polenzani (Sub Rosa), Pamela Means, Nicole Reynolds, Melissa Ferrick, Carsie Blanton, and Lucy Wainright Roche.

Providence-based Shryne brings classic rock into the 21st century, with Jon Patrick Brennan on lead vocals and keys, Alex Tirrell on keys and vocals, Benjamin Lee Tirrell on lead guitar and vocals, Andrew Sharp on bass guitar, and Kevin Pereira on drums. Shryne was named “Break-Thru Band of the Year” by Motif Magazine in 2010, and earned 2010 Album of the Year from Limelight Magazine for their sophomore album Here and Now. Listen online at www.shrynerocks.com.

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Tee Lamour is a high energy drag performer— plenty sweet, extremely seductive, and leaves you sweating for more. Tee got her drag name by dropping the rvr in her boy name Trever and invoking the drag expression, “No tee no shade, or all tee all shade!” You can find her performing at the The Dark Lady or EGO in Providence.

Also Featuring Triple Crown Title Holders:

Miss Bisexual RI 2015

Amber Giselle

Miss Gay RI 2015

Complete Destruction

Miss Trans RI 2015

Alejandra Blaze

Mr. Gay RI 2015

Richie DeFilippo

Ms. Lesbian RI 2015

Lorena Gorman

Options | June 2015

Entertainment Lineup 12:00pm

Welcome with Mimi Gonzalez

3:15pm

Mr. Gay RI 2015 Richie DeFilippo

12:05pm

King Pride Ocean State 2015

3:25pm

Shryne

12:15pm

Jodi Jolt and the Volt

3:50pm

Miss Gay RI 2015 Complete Destruction

12:40pm

Queen Pride Ocean State 2015

4:00pm

Ro Colegrove

12:50pm Bettysioux Tailor

01:00pm Jordan Mayhem & Tee Lamour

4:25pm

National Anthem

4:30pm

Rhode Island PrideFest Rally

01:15pm

Imperial Court of Rhode Island

5:05pm

Pamela Means

01:30pm

Miss Bisexual RI 2015 Amber Giselle

5:35pm

Pearl and the Beard

01:40pm

Joe Conscious

6:20pm

Ari Gold

02:05pm

Miss Trans RI 2015 Alejandra Blaze

7:00pm

Crystal Bowersox

02:15pm

Derek Capobianco

7:45pm

Shannel

02:40pm

Ms. Lesbian RI 2015 Lorena Gorman

8:00pm

DJ Andy Morris

02:50pm

Heather Rose in Clover

12:00pm-2:30pm

Mimi Gonzalez

EMCEES

2:30pm-5:00pm

John Kelley

Elena Jawitz

Vi’let

5:00pm-8:00pm

Jacqueline DiMera Options | June 2015

Kitty Litter

Haley Star 43

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START

•

END

Illuminated Night Parade

8:30pm New England’s only illuminated nighttime Pride Parade.

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Options | June 2015

PrideFest

12-8pm Over 120 vendors, live performances, KidsZone, and a beer, wine & spirits garden.

PrideFest & Illuminated Night Parade Saturday, June 20, 2015

VISIBLE 2015 RI PRIDE CELEBRATION

Places of Interest 01. Providence Performing Arts Center 02. Beneficent Church 03. Kennedy Plaza Bars/Clubs 04. Providence Eagle 05. EGO 06. The Stable 07. The Village/KiKi’s 08. Dark Lady & Alley Cat 09. Mirabar 10. Club Body Center 11. Club Gallery 333 12. The Salon 13. Aurora Providence Restaurants 14. Bravo Brasserie 15. Clean Plate Accommodations 16. Hampton Inn 17. The Biltmore Hotel 18. Hotel Providence 19. The Dean Hotel 20. Courtyard Marriott MAP ELEMENTS Parade Route PrideFest Parade Staging Parks Parking Places of Interest Parade Reviewing Stand Accessible ParadeViewing i

+

Information First Aid

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Cartographer Jen Bonin PhD

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Options | June 2015

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Providence Preservation Society’s signature annual event opens some of Providence’s most beautiful historic homes and intimate gardens. The Festival begins Friday, June 12, with an evening cocktail reception followed by tours on

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Options | June 2015

Pride Is Ageless

by Sally Ann Hay

Exciting Changes on the Horizon The life of a grassroots, stand-alone, organization that is staffed by volunteers is exciting, exhilarating, exhausting…and precarious! SAGE-RI has been in search of firmer footing for some time now and we are delighted to announce that we have found a parent organization who is prepared to provide just that. CareLink is a nonprofit management service organization that offers an array of consultation and business services to its member organizations— groups that cover the spectrum of long term care options in Rhode Island. Well respected within health care and policy circles in Rhode Island, CareLink will offer SAGE-RI a stronger platform from which to advocate for LGBT older adults. More importantly, they understand and share a commitment to our mission, and they are prepared to offer us the resources needed to continue and expand our work. As we progress with the merger, we will be sharing more information, but for now, we hope you will celebrate with us.

Ever Grateful We want to thank Cathy Cranston, who is stepping down as our Interim Executive Director. Before she was hired, Cathy was clear her intent was to work hard, fast, and only until May 1. By golly, she was true to her word! A whirling dervish of energy, creativity, and

strategic thinking, Cathy played a profoundly significant role in helping SAGE-RI position itself for a stronger and more stable future. We wish her all the best as she looks forward to enjoying a different pace of life: sharing retirement with her partner (and original founder of SAGE-RI), Mildred Bates, who has recently stepped down from her position at Rhode Island College School of Social Work. Don’t get too comfortable, Cathy and Mildred; we’re counting on you to be a part of SAGE-RI’s future.

Join Us! How can you resist? If you aren’t currently an LGBT older adult, we surely hope you will be one day; we all have a stake in the future.

LGBT people of all ages are invited to join in our efforts to make Aging While LGBT a rich and enjoyable experience in RI. Look for us at Pride; help shape the local and national LGBT agenda (http://bit.ly/ ourtomorrow41); join us at one of the monthly LGBT Cafes; come to any one of the several GenSilent showings and discussions that will be occurring at various faith-based organizations over the summer and fall; and watch for our upcoming membership drive. It’s a good time to join SAGE-RI. Want to know more about any and all of these events?

Make sure you are on our email list and follow us on Facebook.q

SAGE-RI (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders) addresses issues of concern to LGBT elders and is an organization of diverse people of all ages. For information on programs or to join SAGE-RI, drop us a line at sageriinfo@gmail.com; leave us a message at (401) 528-3259; write to us at 235 Promenade St., Suite 500, Box 18, Providence, RI 02908; or find us on Facebook as SAGE-Rhode Island.

JDHS PHOTOS connect out loud At AT&T, we’re proud to celebrate the power of network and to help connect people with their dreams. att.com

All marks used herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2015 AT&T Intellectual Property.

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Options | June 2015

The Providence Gay Men's Chorus (PGMC), one of the finest gay male choral ensembles in the country, delivers uplifting and empowering messages of equality for all. Sharing our group and individual talents, our love of music, the joy of performing, and our commitment to musical excellence are our main objectives. The PGMC constantly demonstrates to the community how people of different ethnicities, religious beliefs, educational levels and core belief systems can come together in an inclusive, productive, fun & safe environment. We have two concert seasons with concerts in June and December – just in time to start your holiday celebrations. Looking for a musical home? Come check us out at our next open rehearsals in late August.

www.ProvGMC.org

Options | June 2015

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To us, it’s a simple equation.

At National Grid we are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce that actively promotes recruitment, retention, talent development and equality in the workplace for all.

For job opportunities visit: www.nationalgridus.com/careers

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Options | June 2015

A Higher Gay Pride Vibe

by Paula Smith

For many of us, the annual tradition of Gay Pride has been both a time of reflection on gay history and struggles and a celebration of important milestones and achievements. Twentynine years ago, I was standing on the State House steps for Pride. I watched my fellow LGBT, glittering queens, buff gay men, butches and femmes, rainbow flags triumphantly raised, and plenty of hyper-sexualized carrying on blending perfectly in a saucy commemorative celebration of solidarity, liberation, and freedom. I was wearing my best jeans with a blouse left over from the seventies. Although there was excitement all around me, I couldn’t hold back the tears in my eyes and the rage in my throat.

That day, I, like many LGBTQs, was exiled from my family.

“Do not come home. We disagree with your morals and values [being lesbian], so we think that you should spend your life in Newport, RI.”This was written in a letter Fed-exed to me by my parents. After reading it, I turned their hate and rejection against myself.

I believe there are two active ingredients without which nothing happens. One is anger. The other is love. It is a volatile mixture. Most of us have been burned trying to get the balance right. Many of us have been blown up. That’s because anger is love’s poison, and if it’s not harnessed right it can destroy the sacred joy, love, and real power that are possible for us.

The past was locked inside me, building up pressurized fumes from the wrong mix of love and anger—a formula for self-hatred that outlives life’s blessings. A wise person once said, “If you forget or ignore the past, it grows inside you.” Self-hatred doesn’t just go away, not on its own. Being a part of the historic symbolic action of Gay Pride is a wonderful way to heal and transcend the wildfire inside. The approach to this alchemical process has many layers. However, the key is in understanding that we must dive deeper than the angry victim stories buried within. When our story takes on a slightly different color and flavor, it loosens the grip of anger’s burn and we see that we have a choice to move into a more conscious response to it. Once we stop buying into our victim stories, we land in a transcendent fiery passion I call a “Higher Gay Pride Vibe.”

Inhabiting a Higher Gay Pride Vibe is an opportunity for the LGBTQ community to wholeheartedly celebrate our solidarity, our love, our liberation, and our freedom within society, as well as our social acceptance within realms that once went to fatal extremes to oppress us.

Options | June 2015

So let’s have fun this Pride! Let’s stand together as grateful beneficiaries of a political movement spurred on by intolerance, homophobia, and hatred during the 1969 Stonewall Riots.

Let’s rise up with dignity, grace, and respect for the courageous leaders who fought to secure protections and equal rights for LGBTQs. Let’s honor the space under the rainbow flags for all those who continue to work for equal rights and legal protections for all. Let’s stand in remembrance and prayer for LBGTQs who continue to suffer violence and oppression, homophobic bullying, denial of respect, and anti-gay bigotry globally. And last, let’s show compassion for our brothers and sisters marching with tears in their eyes and rage in their throats. q

St. Peter’s & St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church www.stpeters-standrews.org 25 Pomona Avenue, Providence, RI 401.272.9649

Join us for worship Sundays at 10am.

Our 14th Annual Drag Show is October 24, 2015 at 6:00pm.

Tickets must be purchased in advance.

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Options | June 2015

TRANSGENDER

DAY OF

EMPOWERMENT

On April 25, TGI Network of Rhode Island was pleased to present the area’s first-ever Transgender Day of Empowerment to nearly 50 participants at the Bell Street Chapel in Providence.

Having started in the San Diego and Detroit areas, the Transgender Day of Empowerment is now taking root in other parts of the country. Purposely scheduled approximately half a year after November’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Transgender Day of Empowerment is meant to be a counterpoint to the Day of Remembrance, which looks back at those we’ve lost over the past year. The Day of Empowerment looks forward, giving trans* people and our allies the tools we need to empower ourselves and flourish.

Presentations on fitness, healthful eating, and stress reduction were especially helpful.There was also an informative presentation on the state of policies and legislation concerning Rhode Island’s trans* community. A panel discussed what it means to be trans* in the workplace, addressing issues like seeking employment and coming out to employers. Another panel explained opportunities for community involvement and the empowerment that can be felt by those who get involved.

Special awards were presented to Lauren Nocera for her community involvement and to Jodi Glass, an outstanding ally.

by Janelle Heideman

I was grateful to serve on the wonderful Transgender Day of Empowerment Committee with Ethan Huckel, Tarah Tamayo, and Monique Paul. I would like to thank all presenters and panelists, the supportive people at Bell Street Chapel, and all individuals who helped make the day a success. q

TGI Network of Rhode Island is the only statewide organization providing support, advocacy, and education for the transgender, gender-variant, and intersex community (aka trans* community).

Incorporated in 2011, our mission is to be a resource for TGI people navigating their lives and the medical and legal systems; to serve as a resource for professionals working with TGI people; and to serve as a liaison between the TGI and LGB communities and the community at large. Visit us at www.tginetwork.org.

Groups from all over the Ocean State participated in the resource fair, including AIDS Care Ocean State, Options, the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health, SAGE-RI, and our generous event sponsor Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.

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NO HAVEN AT

Haven

Brothers

by Joanne Bussiere

Photos by Kim Stowell In the early hours of Sunday, April 26, Joey Catanzaro, a 24-year-old gay man, was assaulted both inside and outside of Haven Brothers Diner in Providence. Unknown assailants made fun of how Catanzaro was dressed, and when he spoke up to his bullies, they attacked and choked him. Haven Brothers employees told all involved to leave. Catanzaro did not want to go outside until the police were called, but one of the cooks threatened him with a butcher knife, insisting that he join the assailants outside. Once he went outside, the men ganged up on him and beat him, leaving Catanzaro unconscious in the street.

In the wake of this beating, a call came out from our community in the form of a Facebook event: “In light of yet another report of gay bashing and safety concerns downtown, our community and those allies who oppose bias-based violence and abuse will gather to support safer communities for everyone. We will stand together in support of people who are harmed because of other people’s biases. We will express our concerns about safety for LGBTQQ members of our community.

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We will demonstrate our determination that those who allow abuse to occur will not receive our community’s support.”

The protest was held on Saturday, May 2, at 6pm on the steps of Providence City Hall just steps away from Haven Brothers. The original idea was to have a vigil with signs to create a presence showing solidarity and support for not only this young man, but for all victims of gay bashing. The vigil became a rally. In addition to the signs, a few megaphones allowed community members to speak, share their stories, and shed light on the many issues that still face the LBGTQQ community as a whole.

towards a time when we are all free to live in peace. We need to be able to walk without fear of a car slowing down and calling us faggot or dyke, or worse, being beaten and forgotten. ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) has been repeatedly submitted to Congress since 1994. There are still 18 states where a person can be fired or not hired based on their sexual orientation; however,

Marriage equality has been a significant focus of many and is an example of our strength when that focus becomes a laser and gathers momentum. We now have 37 states with legal gay marriage. We have come a long way, but the young speakers at this rally brought up again and again that this progress is not the end of the road but rather a stepping stone

Options | June 2015

full employment protection exists in 22 states. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 92% of LGBT youth say they are hearing negative messages about being LGBT. LGBT youth are twice as likely as their peers to be physically assaulted or shoved in school. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center synthesized these studies and estimated that 30-40% of LGBT youth, depending on age and sex, have attempted suicide. While gaybashing is now a hate crime in this country, it is not always easy to get the police to follow through and pursue these incidents as hate crimes.

What happened to Joey Catanzaro in April is far too common an occurrence. Another young man bravely recounted the details of being beaten last June. The police ultimately drove him home and left him to his own devices because it was nearing 2am and they needed to focus on “the straights” coming out of the clubs.

The May 2 gathering emphasized the need for the Providence Police to follow through and protect and serve all of us. We live in a world that remains divided and made fearful by our differences. We are divided by race, class, sexual orientation, gender, and opinions. While the turnout for this first rally was modest, it is a reminder of the strength born of joining together with a common goal. As one speaker asked those gathered to take a stand for each other for “if not us, then who?” q

Helping Present and Future Homeowners with their Homeownership Dreams

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Marching On

by Sam Simas for AIDS Project RI One year after the 1969 Stonewall Riot in New York City, the nation commemorated the unprecedented uprising that fueled the launch of the LGBT civil rights movement.

This commemoration took the form of a parade, marching from Greenwich Village into uptown Manhattan. Hundreds of participants chanted, “Say it clear. Say it loud. Gay is good. Gay is proud!” This was the first Pride Parade, which originated as a radical political action, and its replication became essential to the visibility and acceptance of LGBT people worldwide.

The fight continues. We’re terrifically excited to be on the cusp of another year of pride, of support, and of visibility for the LGBT community in Rhode Island. AIDS Project RI will be there walking with you down the streets of Providence as loud and proud as we’ve ever been. It’s a time to welcome people to step outside of their fears and embrace the differences that make our community rich.

Whether it is marching in your rainbow gear or strolling down the waterside to check out the vendor booths and live entertainment, we hope to see you there.q

Organizations and individuals took up the cry to join the movement and began traveling the long road toward equality—with marches evolving from protests into celebrations as victories were achieved in various locales.

Bianca Wythe of PBS’ American Experience writes, “By the 1980s, most major U.S. cities had their own parades. Pride parades have occurred in some fairly unlikely places such as Moscow, Tel Aviv, and Nepal.”

AIDS Project RI is a division of Family Service of RI, providing case management, various health-related services, advocacy, prevention education, and HIV and Hep-C testing. APRI’s location is 9 Pleasant Street, Providence. Call (401) 831-5522 or visit www.aidsprojectri.org for more info.

The first Rhode Island Pride Parade and celebration was in 1976, only a few years after the movement began in New York, and a few years before the “March on Washington.”

Rhode Island Pride writes, “[Pride] is essential” because it provides “avenues to educate the larger community and opportunities to come together and openly celebrate who they are.”

According to Rhode Island Pride, government officials in Rhode Island were not initially in favor of the parade, but a court ruling defeated their resistance. And so the march began. At first, it was a small stream of about seventy-five people marching around the courthouse and calling for visibility, support, and equality. Now, participation has grown to over 30,000 at Rhode Island PrideFest.

Pride celebrations were the first steps towards equality, and the larger LGBT civil rights movement that would eventually extend protections to this community. Rhode Island Pride reminds us that gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals received legal protections in 1995, while transgender civil rights were achieved in 2001. In 2013, Rhode Island became the tenth state to acquire the right to same-sex marriage.

Rhode Island Pride says it “continues to reach out to an increasingly diverse and growing population, hoping to make it easier for all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people to be themselves.”

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Options | June 2015

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Being yourself is just being human Everywhere. Every day.

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Options | June 2015

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OUT

The Eagle hosts Mr. New England Rubber Contest & Drummer Northeast Leather Contest, May 2 & 9 photos by Jack Hartwein-Sanchez AIDS Care Ocean State 25th Anniversary Gala: The Silver Lining, May 2 photos by Jen Bonin

On the Town 62

Options | June 2015

Options | June 2015

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The Rhode Island LGBTQ Community Center:

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

by Kim Stowell

RI LGBTQ Center Board of Directors. Front row, left to right: Antonio Aguilar, Andy Morris, Leah Lubman, Alex McCray, John Fornoff. Rear: Greg Gould, Keota Fields, Ray Sirico, Kim Stowell, Jenn Salcido.

Not pictured: Brandon Marshall and Jodi Glass.

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hile the dream of a community center for LGBTQ Rhode Islanders is not quite yet a reality, there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Groundwork has been carefully laid – with transparency, hard work, and community spirit – and the brick-and-mortar Center is beginning to appear on the horizon.

In the last year, The Center team said grateful goodbyes to outgoing Board members Brian Gay, Mitch Zahn, Stephen Hartley, Fr. David Martins, Jeanne D’Agostino, and Frank Picciotti. All of these individuals played significant roles in the creation of the center—especially Stephen Hartley, who had been involved since the original incorporating committee. It is important that their contributions be acknowledged.

Happily, the group also said hello to incoming Board members Jenn Salcido, Alex McCray, Keota Fields, Brandon Marshall, John Fornoff, Leah Lubman, Gregory Gould, and Jodi Glass, all of whom have already shown themselves to be wonderful additions. Their collective energy, intelligence, and focus are proving to be the combination of talents that will lead this project through its next phase.

Late last year, a collaboration was forged with Rhode Island Pride to produce an annual appeal fundraising letter. It’s common knowledge that collaboration is key in seeking funding through grants and foundations, and being under the collective roof of The RI LGBTQ Center will foster this kind of partnership in the future.

The Center also received its first grant from the Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Action Fund to hire a consultant for business plan development. Together with him, the Board of Directors held an all-day retreat, helping to create a plan for the future.

A friend-raising event was held in April at 186 Carpenter, a community arts space in Providence, at which numerous community members asked questions, made suggestions, and pledged their support as volunteers.

The next event, part of Countdown to Pride, was an LGBTQ movie night. Again, The Center team met several people who

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were interested in getting involved.

Now, the group is out talking to LGBT community organizations about the range of ways that they can be a part of the Center, from renting office space in the building to sponsoring programming and many other possibilities. Everyone is on board so far! Rhode Island Pride and Options Magazine have already agreed to join the Center when it opens, and many more groups and organizations have given us enthusiastic thumbs up.

What’s next, you ask? Start by checking out the new web site.

There you will find information on the Center’s mission and vision, as well as a way to get in touch with the team, and an easy and secure way to contribute to the funding of the project. Updates can also be found on the Center’s Facebook page. They will host frequent events this year to spread the word, and corral as many of you as possible into helping to make this Center a reality. The hope is that every LGBTQ person in Rhode Island will be able to say they played a part in building this lasting, welcoming space for our community and beyond.

For more information, visit www.rilgbtqcenter.org. q

Options | June 2015

Celebrating our differences brings us together.

Citizens Bank is proud to support Rhode Island Pride and PrideFest 2015.

Member FDIC. Citizens Bank is a brand name of Citizens Bank, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. 519656

New London Pride Weekend Long Festival

Save the Dates

Saturday, August 29 Downtown New London, CT Sunday, August 30 Ocean Beach Park New London, CT

www.outct.org Options | June 2015

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A BREAKTHROUGH CURE FOR

HEPATITIS C

by Beth Hebert-Silvia for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Recent medical advances have led to breakthroughs in solving some of the nation’s greatest medical challenges, including those disproportionately affecting the LGBT community. Some diseases that were once terminal, are now manageable—and even curable.

One extraordinary discovery in recent months concerns Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a blood-based, contagious illness that can lead to liver cancer and liver failure. It results in 8,000 to 10,000 deaths annually in the United States. Men who have sex with men are at greater risk of contracting Hepatitis C. Of the 1.2 million Americans who are HIVpositive, it is estimated that 400,000 are coinfected with Hepatitis C. However, due to remarkable medical advances leading to innovative drug combinations, Hepatitis C is now curable.

These drug combinations are giving hope to millions of Americans who are infected with Hepatitis C, while also providing them a treatment path that is shorter and has fewer negative side effects. Most treatment combinations are effective even if the patient is co-infected with HIV. While vaccinations exist for Hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccination for Hepatitis C. It is extremely important for men who have sex with men to know their status and to begin treatment immediately if necessary. According to the World Health Organization, the following factors increase the likelihood of contracting Hepatitis C: • Injectable drug use

• Facilities with inadequate infection control practices • Children born to mothers infected with Hepatitis C • Sexual partners who are Hepatitis C-infected • HIV infection • Intranasal drug use • Tattoos or piercings

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As recently as a few years ago, treatments for Hepatitis C were tedious and lengthy, and could lead to anemia or other blood abnormalities. These treatments were also largely ineffective.

Patients with Hepatitis C expressed their experiences of undergoing painful daily or weekly injections for more than a year, hoping to be part of the 20 percent of patients who would be cured.

In contrast, new treatments have a course of 8-24 weeks, and some combinations don’t require injections at all. The exact treatment combinations are determined according to the patient’s type of Hepatitis C and other health history. New drugs await FDA approval, meaning that in the future, even more combinations will be available to meet patients’ specific needs. However, there are very few variants of Hepatitis C that don’t currently have a treatment option.

While new treatments create a vastly improved experience for patients, they demand strict adherence to be effective.

Many medical providers require that patients work with a counselor to ensure they take the medication properly and on a schedule. When patients make and follow through with their commitment to a treatment plan, they can expect a greater than 90 percent cure rate—a feat that was unimaginable even just a few years ago.

Hepatitis C is communicable, meaning that those being treated can pass along the disease to someone else. Keeping up to date on other immunizations helps ensure that a patient doesn’t become coinfected with another disease, which can limit Hepatitis C treatment options. Once cured, people treated for Hepatitis C can become re-infected. The new advances surrounding Hepatitis C don’t diminish the importance of prevention measures and regular testing.

any symptoms, and thus many people with Hepatitis C don’t receive any kind of treatment until 10 or 15 years after becoming infected. The asymptomatic nature of Hepatitis C makes it critically important to get tested regularly, if lifestyle choices are a risk factor for the disease.

Health care providers are an important resource in helping to prevent Hepatitis C or diagnose and treat it early.

By openly discussing their sexual and medical history, as well as alcohol and drug use, with a health care provider, patients help ensure they receive appropriate testing and follow-up care. Patients should discuss Hepatitis C with their doctor if they have been exposed to any risk factors, and can also ask for advice on monitoring the health of their liver.

The medical community continues to make astonishing advances that seemed out-of-reach even a decade ago.

Breakthroughs in Hepatitis C give hope that we will one day—hopefully soon— cure other diseases like HIV/AIDS, ALS, or Alzheimer’s. Until then, it is important to recognize how far we’ve come, and the victories we’ve achieved, by working together to address the toughest medical issues, and by never giving up.

For more information on Hepatitis C prevention, testing, and treatment, visit www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/ hepatitis/index.htm, a website set up by the CDC. q

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is the state’s leading health insurer with more than 450,000 members. For more information, visit www.bcbsri.com, follow us on Twitter @BCBSRI, and like us on Facebook at fb.com/bcbsri.

Symptoms of Hepatitis C can be flulike, including fatigue, soreness, and joint pain. However, 70 to 80 percent of people infected with Hepatitis C don’t show

Options | June 2015

Excited to be a part of RI Pride 2015!

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THE RENAISSANCE CITY SOFTBALL LEAGUE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR 2015 SPONSORS and WISH EVERYONE A VERY SAFE and HAPPY RHODE ISLAND PRIDE

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Options | June 2015

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Lesbians on the

e s o Lo

by Annie Cronin-Silva & Melanie Silva

Happy summer! If our springtime activities were any indication of how busy we will be in the summer, then it’s going to be jam-packed!

so many of them dance and express themselves without feeling persecuted or worried about being bullied. DJ Butch Taylor kept the dancers on the floor all night, but it was never more packed than when famed Drag Queens Vilet Laboss, Jacqueline DiMera, Gia Devaroux, and Angela Soprano-Butana took to the dance floor to perform as the kids

On April 19, the Imperial Court of Rhode Island held their annual Coronation event at the Biltmore Hotel, showcasing the final bow for Empress Jealousy Jonz and Emperor Ryder Hard after a successful year’s reign. They passed the torch—or should we say “crown”— to Empress XXIII Angela SopranoButana.

The fantastic costumes and elaborate tiaras adorning drag royalty from near and far sparkled during the many spectacular song-and-dance numbers.

The event’s Honorary Co-chair, Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, was presented with a special tiara ley, Bebe, Melanie, Lauren, Annie, Donny, Ha and she and husband Clay Pell ng and LaDiva at The Silver Lini graciously posed for pictures with guests. Trust us, you need to get to this entertaining excitedly cheered. Pam Goff, the driving event next year! and enthusiastic force behind the prom, took to the microphone to ask how We found ourselves in Newport many youth were attending for the first on April 24 as chaperones of Channing time; attendance had doubled since last Interweave’s Born This Way Prom for year. Everything about this prom depicts LGBTQ youth and their allies. The perfect how society and life should be: welcoming, weather and gorgeous Easton’s Beach enthusiastic, loving, embracing, and fun. For Rotunda welcomed young people from an amazing volunteer experience, get in all over the state to have the night of touch with Channing Memorial Church in their lives. We got goosebumps seeing

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Newport to help make the magic happen next spring.

AIDS Care Ocean State (ACOS) held its 25th Anniversary Gala, The Silver Lining, at the ornate Providence Performing Arts Center lobby on May 2, and the many silver-attired guests enjoyed a perfect night.This moving event not only showcased 25 years of ACOS services, but also honored several humanitarians who fought to make a difference in the lives of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, including Paul Carpentier and Dennis Delsignore, Alicia Brock, and the late Sister Anne Keefe.

Congratulations to Stephen Hartley, board members, and the entire team at ACOS on 25 years of dedicated service and support to our community!

Summer will be heating up with lots of fun activities.

We recommend you mark your calendar for upcoming events such as Pride Karaoke on June 7 at The Village; Boston Pride Parade & Festival on June 13; Drag Bingo: Peace, Love & Understanding on June 18; and, of course, Rhode Island Pride Fest & The Illuminated Night Parade on June 20. Please remember to donate to Rhode Island Pride to ensure successful festivals for years to come. Come out, be seen, and be part of the community! q

Options | June 2015

URI Feinstein Providence Campus presents

The premiere of a play Created and Performed

by Frank V. Toti Jr.

of Rhode Island Pride

Art by Kyle Ringquist

Art by Kyle Ringquist

June 4-6, 11-13, 18-19 at 7:30pm The play explores life’s journey through the eye of the playwright. Baggage explores those ‘things’ we carry with us, ‘things’ we collect along the way, and the decision to reevaluate, remove, and repack before moving on. Dealing with LGBTQ issues of coming out and coming to terms with life’s experiences, the play is presented in celebration of Rhode Island PRIDE and also the Providence International Arts Festival.

URI PROVIDENCE CAMPUS PAFF AUDITORIUM 80 WASHINGTON ST, PROVIDENCE, RI 02903 Performances are FREE and open to the public. For information contact 401-277-5206 - uri.artsandculture@gmail.com or visit uri.edu/prov/arts

Where vintage meets modern

Be Yourself (We like you better that way)

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Ask us about our wedding services!

Beneficent Church A place to belong.

300 Weybosset St., Providence www.beneficentchurch.org

Options | June 2015

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Milestones, Memories, and Moving Forward

by Christopher Dalpe for AIDS Care Ocean State

as our honorees accepted their recognitions, reminding us all of the good work that’s been done and the people who made it happen.

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ore than 250 guests joined AIDS Care Ocean State in the grand two-story lobby of the Providence Performing Arts Center on May 2 to celebrate the agency’s 25th Anniversary. Cocktails, delicious food, and live music, were enjoyed by all. The true spirit of the occasion was to honor one of our founding members, the late Sister Ann Keefe.

Father Raymond Malm, Paul Carpentier, and Dennis DelSignore were recognized as 2014 Philanthropists of the Year; Sister Joyce Flowers was awarded the 2015 Sister Anne Keefe Humanitarian Award, and Alysha Brock was the Silver Jubilee Volunteer Award recipient. Heartfelt sentiments were shared

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ACOS wishes to thank our generous gala sponsors: Pannone Lopes Devereaux and West LLC, FM Global and Marc Gauthier, RI Realty Management Corp., Barbara Sokoloff Associates, Independence Home Care, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Carpenter, Dr. Diane Siedlecki, RIMS-IBC, RI Medical Society, SK Wealth Management, Karen Peck, Options Magazine, Providence Performing Arts Center, and Rentals Unlimited. Special thanks to TEN31 Productions, Gianna Mia Izzo, and photographer Jen Bonin.

AIDS Care Ocean State is humbled by the outstanding support we have received from the community over the past 25 years. HIV/AIDS isn’t just a history lesson; it’s right now; it’s today, and it’s our community. In solidarity, we continue to search for a cure and combat stigma.q AIDS Care Ocean State provides comprehensive HIV/AIDS services including supportive and transitional housing, clinical services, education and prevention, a Speaker’s Bureau, and HIV & HCV testing. Located at 18 Parkis Avenue, Providence. (401) 521-3603. Appointments: (401) 781-0665. www.aidscareoceanstate.org.

Options | June 2015

Rhode Island children are waiting for you.

Become a foster parent.

We Provide: -24/7 support -Bi-weekly stipend -Comprehensive training -8 paid respite days -$1,000 referral bonus -Foster parent liability insurance - $1,000 sign-on bonus (401) 734-9680 2346 Post Rd. Suite 103 Warwick, RI 02886 kyoung5@devereux.org

HAPPY PRIDE

Dawn Euer Law Offices of Dawn Euer 129 Dyer Street Providence, RI 02903 (401)264-0680 dawn.euer@gmail.com

Community is a core value at Hasbro – and we are proud to sponsor the RI PrideFest Kids’ Zone.

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Options | June 2015

RESOURCES Options originated in 1982 as the offical newsletter of the Rhode Island Gay Task Force. Editor Jos Fayette explained, “The RIGTF wants to make the homosexual community aware of their options as gay men and women in Rhode Island. And it’s only because we live, work, love, and play in this state that there are such a large number of options available to all of us.” Options has always, and will continue to print LGBTQ resources so that you can, as Fayette went on to say, “Exercise your OPTIONS today to make positive changes in your life tomorrow.”

Help us help you! Email info@optionsri.org if you come across a resource listing that needs updating. Phone numbers are in the 401 area code and addresses are in Rhode Island, unless otherwise indicated.

Addiction Support Groups AA Brothers in Sobriety: Saturday 7:30pm. 372 Wayland Avenue, Providence. 751-9328.

Alcohol/Drug Helpline: RI Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence. 24hr. (866) 252-3784.

RI LGBT AA Group: Tuesdays 7-8pm. The Wellness Company,132A George M Cohan Blvd.,Providence.All are welcome.

Set Them Free: Narcotics Anonymous open discussion group.

Wednesdays 7:30-9pm. Anchor Recovery Community Center, 249 Main Street, Pawtucket. 721-5100. info@anchorrecovery.org. www.anchorrecovery.org.

Seven Hills Behavioral Health: Addiction support services and Narcan. 1173 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford, MA, 508-9994159. 310 S. Main Street, Fall River, MA, 508-235-1012. Leonard Amaral, Program Manager, lamaral@sevenhills.org.

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous: 12-step program. Fridays at 7pm. Providence Presbyterian Church, 500 Hope Street, Providence, side entrance, downstairs to the left. Gay, but all are welcome.

AIDS/Health Resources AFIA Center for Health & Wholeness: Meals, food pantry, HIV support groups, recovery groups, recreational and social activities.

Sponsored by AIDS Project RI. Free to clients. Wednesday and Thursday 12-3pm. Mathewson Street Church, 134 Mathewson Street, Providence. Contact Gordon Cooper, 331-1350 ext.

3268. info@uwri.org. www.familyserviceri.org.

AIDS Action Hotline: MA only. (800) 235-2331. www.aac.org.

AIDS Care Ocean State: Confidential HIV & HEP C testing, safer-sex supplies, case management, emergency funds, clinical services, assisted and supportive housing for people living with HIV/AIDS, street outreach, ENCORE, HIV+ support groups.

Speaker’s Bureau, 18 Parkis Ave., Providence. 521-3603 (call 781-0665 to schedule an appointment). www.aidscareos.org.

AIDS Project RI: Division of Family Service of RI. Case management, buddies, COBRA and dental services, emergency fund, mental health counseling, nutrition support, assessment and referral, wellness programs, advocacy, strength training, prevention education, HIV testing. 9 Pleasant Street, Providence.

831-5522 www.aidsprojectri.org.

Options | June 2015

AIDS Quilt RI: Displays local AIDS memorial quilt panels, panel-making programs including Anna’s Workshop, HIV/AIDS education for young people. PO Box 2591, Newport. 434-4880. admin@aidsquiltri.org. www.aidsquiltri.org.

Brown University AIDS Program: Clinical trials, public policy, research, lectures, conferences, patient and community education.

121 South Main Street, Second Floor, Providence. 863-6790. brunap@brown.edu. brown.edu/Departments/BRUNAP. Community Care Alliance: Case management, support, personal care items for people living with HIV/AIDS in northern Rhode Island.

245 Main Street, Woonsocket. 235-6092. lcohen@famresri.org.

Comprehensive Community Action Programs: Medical, mental health, dental, social services, LGBT outreach. 311 Doric Avenue, Cranston. Also Coventry, Pawtucket, and Warwick. 467-9610.

Gabriel Care, LLC: Nursing/social worker case management and financial compensation for assistance and supervision for those living with HIV. MassHealth funded for MA residents. 376 South Main Street, Fall River, MA. Contact Jenn, (508) 678-1002.

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HIV Antibody Testing: Anonymous.Free or sliding scale.RI Department of Health. Providence, Newport and other locations. 222-2320.

Home and Hospice Care of RI: Medical care management for HIV/AIDS. 24hr nursing staff for treatment. 1085 North Main Street, Providence. Referrals: 782-0725. Bereavement groups: Contact John Charette, 727-7079. Main Office: 415-4200 or toll-free 800-338-6555. www.hhcri.org.

House of Compassion: HIV/AIDS housing. 2510 Mendon Road, Cumberland. 658-3992.

LGBT Caregiver Online Support Group: For LGBTs caring for someone with chronic health problems. www.caregiver.org Luis E. Martinez House CHS, Inc.: Supportive, permanent housing for 10 adults living with HIV/AIDS and/or substance abuse. New Bedford, MA. Contact Joe Taylor. (508) 984-7514.

Partners in Learning About AIDS: Outreach to minorities, women of color, and LGBT community at clubs and other locations. North Providence office provides free condoms and information about STIs and post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. 1006 Charles Street, Suite 5, North Providence. 484-7523. info@plaidsproject.org. www.plaidsproject.org.

Planned Parenthood of So. New England: Confidential, lowcost, same-day & walk-in STD and HIV testing. Commonsense approach to health. 111 Point St., Providence. 800-230-7526. www.ppsne.org.

Project Weber: Services for male sex workers. Drop-in center, support groups, HIV and Hep C testing, clean needles.

383-4888. www.projectweber.org.

Seven Hills HIV Prevention & Screening: TWIST program, HIV and STI prevention and testing,partner care.1173AcushnetAvenue, New Bedford, MA, 508-999-4159. 310 S. Main Street, Fall River, MA, 508-235-1012. Contact Leonard Amaral, lamaral@sevenhills.org.

SSTAR (Stanley Street Treatment & Resources): Counseling, drug treatment, detox, domestic violence programs, free and confidential HIV, HEP C, and STD testing, education, case management and support. MA and RI locations. 386 Stanley Street, Fall River, MA. (508) 679-5222. Project Aware (HIV/HCV); (508) 324-3561. Family Healthcare Center; (508) 675-1054. www.sstar.org.

Steppingstone, Inc.: Welcome Home Medical case management program. One-on-one peer support in Somerset to Wareham area. HIV support groups available. Free and open to any HIV+ person 18+. 5 Dover Street, New Bedford, MA. (508) 984-7514. www.steppingstoneinc.org.

Tranquil Mind & Wellness: Counseling, alternative healing, yoga, Pilates, meditation.109 Rhode Island Road, Lakeville, MA. (508) 947-1683. www.tranquilmind.net.

Thundermist Health Center: Provides HIV/AIDS services including medical care and treatment by an HIV specialist, dental care, behavioral health counseling, nutritional assessment and counseling, pharmacy consultation, free and confidential HIV testing. 450 Clinton Street, Woonsocket. Contact Philip Kane.

767-4100 ext. 3516.

Information/Education

The Center for Sexual Pleasure & Health: Education, pleasure, health, advocacy. Tues. -- Sat. 12 -- 6 and by appointment. 250 Main Street, Unit 1, Pawtucket. 489-5513. www.thecsph.org.

Fenway Community Center LGBT Helpline: Support, information and referrals. Fenway Community Health Center, Boston. Open daily 6-11pm. (617) 267-9001 or 888-340-452 GLBT National Help Center Hotline: Local resources

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nationwide provided by social services agency. 888-843-4564. www.glbtnationalhelpcenter.org.

Newport Out: LGBT website for Newport. www.newportout.com.

RILGBT-News: Low-volume email distribution list for LGBT & AIDS news from RI. Not a discussion list. To subscribe: tinawood@cox.net.

United Way of RI Referral Line: 2-1-1

Options | June 2015

Nightlife The Alley Cat Providence: Downtown neighborhood bar.

Monday-Thursday 3pm-1am, Friday 3pm-2am, Saturday 2pm2am, Sunday 2pm-1am. 19 Snow Street, Providence. 272-6369.

Bobby’s Place: Dancing, pool, video lounge, karaoke. SundayWednesday 5pm-1am, Thursday-Saturday 5pm-2am. 62 Weir Street,Taunton, MA. (508) 824-9997. www.bobbysplacema.com.

Brooklyn Coffee Tea House: 209 Douglas Ave., Providence: public/private venue for music, art, film screenings, weddings, showers, etc. RHODYWOOD@yahoo.com; 359-0192.

Club Body Center: Gay men’s sauna. Membership required.

One-day pass available. Open 24hr. 257 Weybosset Street, Providence. 274-0298. www.cbcresorts.com.

The Dark Lady: Downtown bar and nightclub. TuesdayThursday 9pm-1am, Friday & Saturday 9pm-3am, Sunday 9pm1am. 17 Snow Street, Providence. 272-6369.

EGO: Providence’s newest gay nightlife performance/event space.

Sunday and Thursday 9pm-1am, Friday and Saturday 10pm-3am, 73 Richmond St, Providence. 383-1208. www.egopvd.com.

Indigo Lounge: 599 Tiogue Ave, Coventry RI 02816. Breakfast buffet, specialty pizzas, T Dances, live entertainment, karaoke Thurs. Hours vary, closed Mon. www.indigopizza.com.

Mirabar: Downtown bar and nightclub. Monday-Thursday 3pm-1am, Friday and Saturday 3pm-2am, Sunday 3pm-1am.

15 Elbow Street, Providence. 331-6761. www.mirabar.com.

Providence Eagle: Leather, Levi, bear cruise bar. MondayThursday 2pm-1am, Friday 2pm-2am, Saturday-Sunday 12pm2am. 124 Snow Street, Providence. 421-1447.

The Stable: Downtown video bar. No cover. Monday-Thursday 2pm-1am, Friday 2pm-2am, Saturday 12pm-2am, Sunday 12pm1am. 125 Washington Street, Providence. 272-6950.

The Village: Downtown Providence’s newest LGBT owned and operated restaurant and live entertainment venue.

Lunch & dinner Wednesday through Sunday for varying hours.

373 Richmond St. 228-7222, www.thevillageri.com

Political & Legal Groups American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): 128 Dorrance Street, Suite 220, Providence. 831-7171. riaclu.org.

Amnesty International OUTfront: Program to campaign globally for LGBTQ human rights. (212) 807-8400. Cvohs18904@yahoo.com. www.amnestyusa.org.

Brown University Queer Alliance: Student advocacy and support organization. queer@brown.edu.

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD): LGBT/ HIV legal info hotline. Weekdays 1:30-4:30pm. 30 Winter Street, Suite 800, Boston, MA. (617) 436-1350 or (800) 455-GLAD. gladlaw@glad.org www.GLAD.org.

Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund: 120 Wall Street, Suite 1500, NY. (212) 809-8585. www.lambdalegal.org.

Lawyers for Equality and Diversity (LEAD): Advocates for LGBT causes. lawyersforequality@gmail.com.

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Assoc./New England: Works for fair and accurate media coverage of LGBT issues. info@nlgja.org, www.nlgja.org.

Options | June 2015

The Next Thing (TNT): Political and support group for queer people of color located at Brown University. 863-3062. tnt@brown.edu.

RI Commission on Prejudice and Bias: Hate crime awareness training program. www.hatecrimeri.org.

RI Socialist Action: 952-5385, adgagneri@gmail.com. Spanish: 351-3514, walsil@cox.net.

RI Human Rights Commission: Anti-discrimination law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit. 180 Westminster Street, 3rd floor, Providence. 222-2662 TTY: 222-2664, richr.ri.gov.

Scouts for Equality: An organization composed largely of Boy Scouts of America alumni dedicated to ending the BSA’s ban on gay members and leaders. Contact Carol Crowther. ccrowther1@gmail.com. Facebook.com/riscoutsforequality.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network: Serving LGBT military personnel and veterans. PO Box 65301, Washington DC. (202) 328-3244. or (800) 538-7418. sldn@sldn.org. www.sldn.org.

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Religious & Spiritual All Saints Memorial Church: 674Westminster Street,Providence.

751-1747. asmcri@verizon.net. www.allsaintsmemorial.org.

Amicable Congregational Church: UCC. Open & Affirming.

Pastor William Sterrett. Sunday 10am. 3736 Main Road, Tiverton.

624-4611. amicablechurch@aol.com, www.amicablechurch.org.

Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists: robin@awab.org, www.awab.org.

Barrington Congregational Church: UCC. “The white church.” Sundays 10am. 461 County Road, Barrington. 246-0111. office@bccucc.org, www.bccucc.org.

Bell Street Chapel: Unitarian Universalist. A Welcoming Congregation. Rev. Margaret Weis. Sundays 10am. 5 Bell Street, Providence. 273-5678. www.bellstreetchapel.org.

Beneficent Congregational Church: UCC. An Open & Affirming congregation in the heart of Providence. Co-Pastors Todd & Nicole Yonkman. Sundays 10am. 300 Weybosset Street, Providence. 331-9844. BeneficentChurchUCC@gmail.com, www.beneficentchurch.org.

Berean Baptist Church: A safe and welcoming place for all God’s children. Sunday 10am. 474 Chapel Street, Harrisville. 568-5411. bereanbaptist@verizon.net. www.bereanri.org.

Calvary United Methodist Church of Middletown: LGBTQ early dementia support group. Contact Amy. Sundays 10:30am. 200 Turner Road, Middletown. 847-6181, www.middletownmethodist.com.

Central Congregational Church: UCC. An Opening & Affirming Congregation. Sundays 10:30am. 296 Angell Street,

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Providence. 331-1960. www.centralchurch.us.

Channing Memorial Church: Unitarian Universalist. A Welcoming Congregation. Sundays 10am. 135 Pelham Street, Newport.

846-0643. administrator@channingchurch.org. www.channingchurch.org.

Charter Oak Grove ADF: An Open and Welcoming Congregation of Neo-pagan Druids in CT. charteroakadf@gmail. com, www.charteroakadf.org.

Christ Church in Lonsdale: Episcopal.

1643 Lonsdale Avenue, Lincoln.

Services 8am and 10:30am.

725-1920. office@christchurchlincoln.org. www.christchurchlincoln.org.

Church of the Epiphany: A diverse Open & Affirming Episcopal congregation. 1336 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence. 434-5012. info@epiphanyep.org, www.epiphanyep.org.

Church of the Holy Paraclete: Independent Old Catholic.

Fr. Jakob Lazarus. Sunday 9am and 6pm. 155 Douglas Avenue, Providence. 218-0706. www.holyparaclete.org.

Edgewood Congregational Church: UCC. Open & Affirming.

Service 10am. 1788 Broad Street, Cranston. 461-1344. office@edgewoodchurchri.org. www.edgewoodchurchri.org.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church: Sundays 8 and 9:30am. 120 Nate Whipple Highway, Cumberland. 658-1506. office@emmanuelri.org. www.emmanuelri.org.

First Congregational Church in Bristol: An Open and Affirming Congregation. Skip Macaulay, Interim Pastor. 281 High Street, Bristol. 253-7288. www.fccbristol.org.

Options | June 2015

First Unitarian Church: A welcoming congregation.

Sunday 10:30am. 1 Benevolent Street, Providence. 421-7970. admin@firstunitarianprov.org, www.firstunitarianprov.org.

First Unitarian Church: Service 11am. 71 8th Street, New Bedford, MA. (508) 994-9686. admin@uunewbedford.org, www.uunewbedford.org.

First Universalist Society: UU. Welcoming congregation.

Same-gender weddings. 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin, MA. (508) 528-5348. fusf@verizon.net, www.fusf.org.

Foxboro Universalist Church: UUA. Service 10am. 6 Bird Street, Foxboro, MA. 508-543-4002. chair@uufoxborough.org. www.uufoxborough.org.

Grace Episcopal Church in Providence: 175 Mathewson Street, Providence. 331-3225. hello@gracechurchprovidence.org. www.gracechurchprovidence.org.

Immanuel Lutheran Church: A Reconciling in Christ congregation. Pastor Sandra Demmler D’Amico. 647 North Main Street, Attleboro, MA. (508) 222-2898. www.immanuellc.org.

Interweave at Channing Memorial UU Church: A membership organization for the spiritual, political and social wellbeing of LGBTQ persons, and their allies, confronting oppression.

135 Pelham Street, Newport. 846-0643.

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd: A “Reconciling in Christ” congregation (Welcoming). 3383 Old North Rd., Kingston, RI. Sundays 9 am. Pastor Mary Hansen-Joyce. 7897776; office@goodshepherdri.org Mathewson St. Church: United Methodist. 134 Mathewson Street, Providence. 331-8900. MathewsonStUMC@gmail.com.

Mercy of God Community: Christian, inclusive religious order. mercycomm@yahoo.com, www.mgc.org.

Murray Unitarian Universalist Church: Marriage and commitment ceremonies for all. Rev. Bob McKetchnie.

505 North Main Street, Attleboro, MA. (508) 222-0505 www.murrayuuchurch.org.

Newman Congregational Church: Open & Affirming. 100 Newman Avenue, Rumford. 434-4742. www.newmanucc.org.

Newport Congregational Church: UCC. Open & Affirming.

Rev. Hayes and Rev. Baker. 73 Pelham Street, Newport. 849-2238.

Park Place Congregational Church: 71 Park Place, Pawtucket.

726-2800. office@ppucc.necoxmail.com, www.parkplaceucc.com.

The Pub Church: An Open & Affirming church that meets in a pub. Location may change. Saturday 5pm. The Dugout, 722 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA. thepubchurch@gmail.com.

Pilgrim Lutheran Church: An inclusive congregation. Sundays 8 and 9:30am. 1817 Warwick Avenue, Warwick. 739-2937. parishasst@pilgrimlutheranri.org, pilgrimlutheranri.jimdo.com.

Pilgrim United Church of Christ: Open and Affirming. 635 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA. (508)-997-9086.

Riverside Church: UCC.15 Oak Avenue, Riverside. Service 10am. 433-2039. www.rcc-ucc.com.

St. Augustine’s Church and Episcopal Center at URI: 15 Lower College Road, Kingston. 783-2153. Sundays 8am and 10am.

StAugustinesChurch@necoxmail.com, www.staugustineuri.org.

St. James Church: Episcopal. 474 Fruit Hill Avenue, North Providence. 353-2079.

Options | June 2015

St. Martin’s Episcopal Church: Sundays 8 and 10am. 50 Orchard Avenue, Providence. 751-2141. StMartinsNB.Secretary@gmail. com, www.stmartinsprov.org.

St. Martin’s Episcopal Church: Welcoming Church. Monthly LGBT Eucharist. 136 Rivet Street, New Bedford, MA. (508)9948972. stmartins1887@comcast.com, www.stmartinsma.org.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: Sundays 9am. 50 Park Place, Pawtucket. 728-4300. office@stpaulspawtucket.org, www. stpaulspawtucket.org.

St. Paul’s Church: A welcoming Episcopal church. Sundays 9am. 2679 East Main Street, Portsmouth. 683-1164. stpaulsportsmouthri.org.

St. Peter & St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church: 25 Pomona Avenue, Providence. 272-9649.stpanda25@verizon.net. www.stpeters-standrews.org.

Saint Therese Old Catholic Church: Open & Affirming. Fr. David Martins. Sunday 10:30am. 134 Mathewson Street, Providence.

680-9076. stocc134@gmail.com, www.saintthereseocc.org.

Second Congregational Church of Attleboro: UCC. Open & Affirming. 50 Park Street, Attleboro, MA. Sunday 10am. (508) 2224677. office2nd@verizon.net, www.attleborosecondchurch.org.

Seekonk Congregational Church: Rev. Joy Utter. Sundays 9am. 600 Fall River Avenue, Seekonk, MA. (508) 336-9355. sccucc@verizon.net, www.scc-ucc.com Soka Gakkai: Buddhist association for peace, culture, and education. Contact for weekly meetings in Providence. 930 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. (617) 264-2000. www.sgi-usa. org.

Temple Agudas Achim: Reconstructionist congregation.

901 North Main Street, Attleboro, MA. (508) 222-2243. office@agudasma.org, www.agudasma.org.

Temple Beth-El: Rabbi Sarah E. Mack. 70 Orchard Avenue, Providence. 331-6070. info@temple-beth-el.org, www.templebeth-el.org.

Temple Emanu-El: A welcoming Conservative congregation.

Rabbi Wayne Franklin. 99 Taft Avenue, Providence. 331-1616. info@teprov.org, www.teprov.org.

Temple Habonim: A warm, Welcoming Reform congregation.

Rabbi Andrew Klein. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. 2456536. office@templehabonim.org, www.templehabonim.org.

Temple Sinai: A Welcoming Reform temple. Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser, 30 Hagen Avenue, Cranston. 942-8350. webmaster@templesinairi.org, www.templesinairi.org.

Unitarian Church in Fall River: Sunday 10:30am. 309 North Main Street, Fall River, MA. 508-678-9700. office@ unitarianchurchfr.org, www.unitarianchurchfr.org.

Unitarian Universalist Society of Fairhaven: Service 10:30am. 102 Green Street, Fairhaven, MA. (508) 992-7081. www.uufairhaven.org.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South County: 27 North Road, Peace Dale. 783-4170 or Val 789-7282. uucscri@ yahoo.com. www.uusouthcountyri.org.

Westminster Unitarian Universalist Church: A UUA Welcoming Congregation. 119 Kenyon Avenue, East Greenwich.

884-5933. www.westminsteruu.org.

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Social Organizations

Bear Providence: Monthly social events for the bear community. www.bearprovidence.com Bisexual Resource Center: PO Box 170796, Boston, MA. (617) 424-9595. brc@bicresource.net www.biresource.net.

Biversity Boston: Mixed-gender social events for Boston and the surrounding area. (617) 424-9595. biversity-subscribe@biversity.org, www.biversity.org.

Boston Bisexual Women’s Network: Social activities including monthly brunches, coming out groups and quarterly newsletter “Bi Woman Quarterly.” www.biwomenboston.org.

BearsOceanState(BOS):Informale-groupforgay&bisexualbearidentified and affiliated men for friendly companionship.All welcome. groups.yahoo.com/group/bearsoceanstate.

Cape and Islands Gay & Straight Youth Alliance (CIGSYA): 56 Barnstable Road, Hyannis, MA. (508) 778-7744. info@cisgsya.org, www.cigsya.org.

Communisong: For unity through song. Non-performance monthly singing session. www.communisong.net.

CORISMA: Potluck get-togethers for couples from RI and southeast MA. corismainfo@comcast.net, www.corismagroup.org.

Imperial Court of RI at Providence: Drag and non-drag performers raise funds for local charities. All welcome to general membership meetings on first Monday at Dark Lady, 17 Snow Street, Providence. icri.prov@gmail.com. www.icriprov.org.

Mixed Borders Gardening Group: Gardening and more. Monthly meetings, all welcome. Mixedborders@cox.net. www.mixedborders.com.

Opera Club: Enjoy hearing and attending. Last Sunday of each month at 1pm. BrettCornellpi4@aol.com.

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Providence Gay Men’s Chorus: New season rehearsals begin in January and August. Singers and non-singing volunteers welcome. Monday 7-9:30pm. Beneficent Church, 300 Weybosset Street, Providence. www.provgmc.org.

RI Association of Gay Professionals: Networking and philanthropy. www.riagp.com.

RI Parents Pride: Gay parents socializing together with their children. Contact Melanie. 464-2288. saphicangel120@yahoo.com.

RI Pride: Open house 4th Wednesdays. Festival & Parade 3rd Saturday in June. Office: 1005 Main Street #1105 Pawtucket. Mail: PO Box 1082, Providence, 02903. 467-2130. info@prideri.com, www.prideri.com.

RI Prime Timers: Social and networking group for gay and bisexual men 40 and older. Second Sunday. Contact Steve, 9963010. www.riprimetimers.org.

RI Skeptics Society: Yearning to talk with someone rational?

Refreshing discussion. Fourth Saturday. East Providence restaurant location. www.meetup.com/skeptics-133/.

RI Women’s Association: Lesbian social group. 21+. Dances & events. www.riwa.net.

SAGE/RI (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders): Advocacy, education and social events for LGBTQ seniors. 235 Promenade Street, Suite 500, Box 18, Providence. 528-3259. sageriinfo@gmail.com.

SEMASSMEN: Social group for GBQ men of southeastern MA & RI to foster strong friendships. Semassmen-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com. rlevass@yahoo.com.

Yankee Lambda Car Club: Regional club for GLBT vintage and specialty car enthusiasts. www.yankeelcc.com.

Options | June 2015

Sports & Recreation PrideSports Boston: Network of twenty-plus gay sports leagues/teams in Boston area. www.pridesportsboston.com.

Boston Gay BASKETBALL League: ksg.bgbl@gmail.com, www.bgbl.com.

Big Gay Al’s Duckpin BOWLING League: Proceeds benefit AIDS causes. Tuesday 6:30pm. 1463 Atwood Avenue, Town Hall Lanes, Johnston. Contact Frank Ferri. 831-6940.www.bgalbowling. com. www.townhalllanes.com.

GALA Bowling League: Sundays 5:50 p.m., E. Providence Lanes, 80 Newport Ave., E. Prov. Season thru April. View us on Facebook or email galabowlingleague@gmail.com.

FLAG (For Lesbians And Gays) FOOTBALL: Boston-based recreational football club. All skill levels are encouraged to participate.

Saturday mornings in the fall and spring. www.flagflagfootball.com.

Boston Pride HOCKEY: www.bostonpridehockey.org.

Rondeaus KICKBOXING: 272-5425. www.rondeauskickboxing.com.

Main Street MARTIAL ARTS: Non-profit. Welcoming dojo and community center. 1282 North Main Street, Providence.

274-7672.www.mainstma.org.

Chiltern Mountain Club: OUTDOOR recreation club in New England. events@chiltern.org. www.chiltern.org.

Boston Gay ROWERS: Worldwide online community for gay and lesbian rowers, coxies, coaches, and race officials. www.glrf.org.

Boston Ironsides RUGBY Football: www.bostonironsides.org.

Frontrunners Rhode Island RUNNING Group: Running and walking group. Newcomers welcome. Meet at the end of Blackstone Boulevard at Hope Street, Providence.Thursday 6pm. Contact Brian.

751-7643. bripm@cox.net, frontrunnersri@gmail.com

Options | June 2015

Frontrunners Boston RUNNING Group: Morning walk/ run along the Charles River. Saturdays,10am. Club Cafe, 209 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA. www.frontrunnersboston.org.

OutRyders SKIING: New England’s largest gay and lesbian ski and snowboard club. www.outryders.org.

Boston Strikers SOCCER Club: Non-profit social organization to learn and improve soccer skills in a relaxed, congenial environment. www.bostonstrikers.com.

Renaissance City SOFTBALL League: New players and boosters always welcome. www.providencesoftball.org.

Beantown SOFTBALL League: Friendly competition. 27 teams in four divisions of play: competitive, intermediate, and recreational. (617) 297-7490. www.beantownsoftball.com.

LANES (Liquid Assets New England SWIMMING): Fitness and/or competition. (617) 937-5858. www.swim-lanes.org.

TENNIS-4-All: Boston area tennis organization. www.tennis4all.org.

Cambridge Boston VOLLEYBALL Association: Players of all skill levels welcome. secretary@cbvolleyball.net www.gayvolleyball.net.

Ocean State Pride VOLLEYBALL League: Adult coed indoor league following USVBA rules. No try-outs. Fee applies. Kent County YMCA, 900 Centerville Road, Warwick. ospvolleyball@gmail.com.

East Coast WRESTLING Club: (617)937.5858 x6. ecwc@juno.com. www.eastcoastwrestlingclub.org.

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Students & Youth Bristol Community College Gay/Straight Alliance: Steven Camara, Advisor. BCC-H202, 777 Elsbree Street, Fall River, MA. (774) 357-2391.

Brown University Queer Alliance: Umbrella organization at Brown University for LGBTQ groups. 863-3062. queer@brown. edu or lgbtq@brown.edu.

CCRI Triangle Alliance: an LGBTQQ student-run group at CCRI, on the Flanagan, Liston, and Knight campuses. www.ccri.edu/triangle/.

COLAGE: Support and social activities for children of LGBT parents. Coordinator Veronica Jutras. Third Saturday 10:30am12pm. Gordon School, E. Providence. rhodeisland@colage.org www.colage.org/colage-chapter/colage-rhode-island-chapter/.

LGBT National Youth Talkline: 800-246-7743. Private oneto-one chat and info on local resources.

Peer Listening Line: Youth-staffed hotline for GLBT youth.

Support, info and referrals. 5-10pm. Fenway Community Health Center, Boston, MA. (617) 267-9001 or (800) 399-PEER. www. fenwayhealth.org.

Salve Regina University – The Alliance: 100 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport. Contact: Mandy Hart. mandy.hart@salve.edu.

SeaQuel (Southeast Asian Queers United for Empowerment and Leadership): a program of PRYSM. Monthly Sunday meetings. 383-7450. SeaQuel@prysm.us. www.prysm.us.

S.H.E.P.A.R.D. (Stopping Homophobia, Eliminating Prejudices and Restoring Dignity): Providence College, 1 Cunningham Square, Providence. 865-1631. shepard@providence.edu.

The Trevor Project: The only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBT youth. Also offers social networks. (866)4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386). thetrevorproject.org.

University of RI LGBTIQ2: Alumni association. 874-5808. gsimonelli@uri.edu.

URI LGBTQ Center: A cultural department for students, faculty and staff. Florence Badejo. 874-2894.

Youth Pride Inc.: Support, education & advocacy for LGBTQQ young people ages 13--23. Tues. -- Fri. 2 -- 8pm. The Way Out peer support group Thurs. 4pm. Gender Spectrum support group Tues. 4pm. Visit our website for full calendar of events. 743 Westminster St., Providence. 421-5626. info@youthprideri.org. www.youthprideri.org.

Support Groups & Social Services

Abuse Victims and Survivors: Support on phone for LGBTQ victims & survivors of partner abuse. Confidential peer-led groups.

Hotline: (617) 742-4911.TTY: (617) 227-4911. advocate@tnlr.org.

Adoption Options: Non-sectarian help. Jewish Family Service, 959 North Main Street, Providence. Contact Betsy Alper. 3315437. www.adoptionoptions.org.

Child & Family Services: Counseling, young parent support, adoption, more. LGBT groups beginning July. Open six days. 66 Troy St., Fall River, MA. (508) 676-5708. www.child-familyservices.org Community Care Alliance: Stipend, assistance, training provided by Family Resources Community Action. 235-6095. www.famresri.org.

Foster parents needed: For newborn to age six. 276-4300. www.childrensfriendri.org.

Family Service RI: Training, stipend, support provided for nurturing families. Family Service of RI. Contact Gregary Wright.

331-1350 ext. 3305. www.familyserviceri.org.

Seven Hills Behavioral Health: HIV Prevention and Screening.

310 South Main Street, Fall River, MA. (508) 235-1012. T.W.I.S.T. (508) 672-0378.

Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center: Offering resources for victims of domestic violence. 723-3057. www.bvadvocacycenter.org.

Compass: FTM trans info, support and social group.

Boston first Thursday 7-9pm. compassftm@gmail.com. www.compassftm.org.

Crossroads RI Hotline: (800) 367-2700.

Day One: Counseling & legal aid for victims of sexual assault/ abuse & incest. 24hr hotline. (800) 494-8100. 421-4100. www.dayoneri.org.

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Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County: Support, court advocacy, counseling, safe home, info for women and men in abusive or controlling relationships. 24hr free and confidential helpline. 782-3990 or toll free 800-494-8100, www.dvrcsc.org.

Gay Fathers of Greater Boston: Support. 738 Main St. #323, Waltham, MA. (781) 333-8429. info@gayfathersboston.org, www.gayfathersboston.org.

Gay Officers Action League (GOAL)/New England: Law enforcement officers (sworn & civilian), fire, rescue and publicly employed EMS. Confidential. PO Box 587, Boston, MA 02117.

(617) 376-3612. info@goalne.org, www.goalne.org.

Gay Share: Coming Out? Gay men’s support group. No fee.

Wednesday 7:30pm. Contact Tom or Mike. 369-9448. info@ gayshare.org, www.gayshare.org.

GLBTQ Domestic Violence Project: Support, info, shelter.

955 Massachusetts Avenue, Private Message Box 131, Cambridge, MA. (800) 832-1901. www.glbtqdvp.org.

Helpline for LGBT Youth: Trevor Helpline and social networks for crisis and suicide prevention. 24/7. (866) 4-U-Trevor.

HIV+ Gay Men’s Support Group: Refreshments served. AIDS Care Ocean State, 18 Parkis Avenue, Providence. 521-3603. New members contact Scott. 640-3108.

Kathys’ Group: Free support group for lesbians with cancer or any life-threatening illness. Partners and caregivers welcome.

Meets monthly in Providence. 888-5KATHYS. Mantalk of S.E. Mass: Socializing and discussions for gay, bi and curious men. Confidential. Drug and alcohol-free. 18+.Thursdays in Taunton and first Tuesdays in New Bedford. 7-8:30pm. mantalksouthcoast@yahoo.com.

Options | June 2015

Partner Support Group at Fenway Health: A ten-week support group with the purpose of building community and connections for anyone who identifies as non-trans, ages 18+, and is in a relationship with a trans* person(s). 1340 Boylston Street, Boston, MA. Contact Sarah Eley, LICSW. 857-313-6551. seley@fenwayhealth.org.

PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays): Greater Providence chapter,serves all RI and southeastern MA.FirstWednesday 6:45pm. Met School, 325 Public Street, Providence. 751-7571.

PFLAGprovidence@gmail.com, www.pflagprovidence.org.

RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 24hr helpline: (800) 494-8100. 467-9940.

RI Rainbow Support Group: For people with disabilities who identify as LGBTQ. Last Tuesday. 98 Rolfe Street, Cranston.

6-7:30pm. Contact Ken Renaud. 785-2100.

Samaritans: 24hr hotline for suicidal, lonely, despairing, depressed.

(800) 365-4044. 272-4044 (RI only). www.samaritansri.org.

Sexual Health Education & Advocacy Program: HIV, sexual wellness, domestic violence risk reduction. Free, confidential, bilingual (Spanish). No caller ID used. Calls blocked for safety. 8616191 ext. 121.

Sojourner House: Call for confidential support group.

Support, shelter, advocacy and information for people in abusive relationships. Including specific LGBT services. No caller ID used.

Outgoing calls blocked for safety. 24hr helpline. 765-3232. 8616191. www.sojournerri.org

Options | June 2015

Straight Spouses: Groups and online support. www.straightspouse. org.

TGI Network of RI: Support, advocacy for transgender, transsexual, gender-variant and/or intersex people. Borderlands peer group 1st & 3d Tues. and 1st & 3d Sat. of the month.

Location & information: 441-5058. info@tginetwork.org. www. tginetwork.org.

Trans* Partners New England: Gives romantic partners of transgender people a confidential, safe space to explore the impact of a loved one’s gender identity on their relationships, and to connect with other loved ones of transgender people. First Wednesday 6:30-8:30pm. Providence. Location unpublished for privacy. partners@tginetwork.org.

Trans* Youth Family Allies: Support for gender-variant and transgender children ages 3-18. info@imatyfa.org, www.imatyfa.org.

Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA): Growing organization to address the concerns of fair treatment of transgender veterans and active duty service members. www. tavausa.org.

Women’s Resource Center of Newport and Bristol Counties: Offering services to victims of domestic violence.

846-5263. www.wrcnbc.org. q

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Worth a Look

by The Lit Chick If Pride had a soundtrack, Jimmy Somerville would be on it. The British gay disco king is back with Homage, a nod to his 1980s disco roots that may make you want to strap on your roller skates and ride a rainbow down to this year’s Rhode Island PrideFest.

Somerville, famous for his falsetto voice as a member of 80s bands Bronski Beat and the Communards, has been marrying “disco” to “gay” for more than 30 years. Homage is his first full-length original album in more than ten years.

It’s a perfect album for your PrideFest pregaming and will get you in the mood for Rhode Island’s always spectacular Illuminated Night Parade.

While you’re at it, download “I Feel Love” by the Bronski Beat, featuring Marc Almond, and “I Was Born This Way,” Somerville’s contribution to the Gay Games VII soundtrack. Both songs are worth a listen as you make your way to downtown Providence and the night of delicious disco adventures that may await.

Learn more about Somerville and download his music at www.jimmysomerville.co.uk.

Few have experienced what George Baxter-Holder has lived to tell, and what a tale it is. One part memoir and two parts self-help book, Baxter-Holder’s book, Drugs, Food, Sex and God, chronicles his many addictions, descent into a life of crime, and the long way out.

Today a happily married business owner with a doctorate and a nursing practice, BaxterHolder battled an addiction to drugs and alcohol for years, with a special affinity for crystal meth. He became a rampant IV drug user, deliberately losing a lucrative job in corporate software training, and instead financing his habit through prostitution and drug dealing.

Baxter tells one rock-bottom story after another, but each only illustrates his true intent: helping others find their own way out, and giving step-by-step advice along the way. His ultimate prescription: living a life of intention.

“My message is that there is hope,” writes Baxter-Holder.

“No matter how far you feel you have strayed from your path, you can get back to living and choose differently for yourself.”

Pride: The Gay and Lesbian Comedy Slam, a classic compilation of acts from some of the best gay and lesbian comedians, is back on Netflix for Pride Month.

Still relevant and hilarious, the show is hosted by Bruce Vilanch, long-time comedian and head writer for the Oscars.

Vilanch introduces self-proclaimed “gaysian sweetheart,” the tight-shorted Alec Mapa, and the late, great Scott Kennedy, who performed on more than 50 tours in Iraq while shattering stereotypes. The sexy Sandra Valls calls out “evil heteroflexibles” and warns about the dangers of gas station bathrooms. But my favorite is Rhode Island’s own pant-suited diva Poppy Champlain, who ends the bash with a bang, dishing about eager beavers and adventures in lesbian couples counseling.

Between sets, the comedians give their two cents on the issues of the day. “We have a long way to work on this gay marriage thing but I believe we can do it because we’re all connected,” said Valls on the heels of Proposition 8. “Many in body, one in mind.” Look how far we’ve come.

Pride is definitely worth a look if you haven’t seen these comedians perform, and worth a second look if you have. q Happy PrideFest, Rhode Island!

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