PGN Feb. 2 - 9, 2018 by The Philadelphia Gay News

pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976

Vol. 42 No. 5

Family Portrait: Mark Sampson talks the language of dance PAGE 23

Feb. 2-8, 2018

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM

Topper reiterates call to block health-care services for trans individuals PAGE 2

PAGE 21

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady won’t seek reelection

12th Street Gym closes By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com The 12th Street Gym, a well-known presence in the Gayborhood for 30 years, permanently closed its doors Wednesday. The closure was announced last week. The news wasn’t unexpected because the building that houses the gym recently was purchased by a New York-based developer. Still, its finality brought feelings of disappointment to some of the gym’s 4,000 members. “The gym is such a warm, healthy and fun place,” said Richard N. Gliniak, a member for 20 years. “The camaraderie and level of support that everyone gives each other is irreplaceable. I’m going to miss that very deeply. I feel sadness and disappointment. And I’m not at all convinced that closing the gym was inevitable.” Current gym memberships will be transferred at no cost to members for Philadelphia Sports Club, which operates three gyms within about a mile of 12th Street Gym. The 12th Street Gym’s website states in part: “Over the past year, we have been forced to evaluate the future of [the gym]. With heavy hearts, we must announce that [the gym] will close its doors for the last time at 11 p.m. on January 31, 2018.” Frank Baer, co-owner of the gym, declined to comment for this story. In a prior interview, Baer said the gym faced financial challenges, including a sharp property-tax increase and expensive fire-code improvements. Karen Guss, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Licenses & Inspections, issued this statement: “I’m sorry to hear about the gym closing. Violations on a property conPAGE 19

Comics Julie Goldman and Brian Loekle will tag-team your funnybone

By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com

SOCCER CELEBRATION: Members of the Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club and friends gathered for a group picture during the annual banquet Jan. 27 at the William Way LGBT Community Center. Presentations were made after the dinner for most improved player, rookie and a host of others, as well as the introduction of the board members for 2018. The Falcons kicked off their 30th-anniversary celebration as well, with several special events to come over the next year. For more information or to join the team, visit falcons-soccer.org. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Democratic Congressman Bob Brady announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection, effectively capping a political career spanning more than three decades. Brady, of Philadelphia, stated during a press conference that his decision comes from his desire to be “home with family.” The congressman, in relaying his successes in office, said he helped pass 14 bills and is supporting the Congressional Education About Sexual Harassment Eradication Resolution, introduced in November, requiring sexual-harassment training for Congress members and staff. Brady also introduced legislation in 2014 expanding authority of the federal government to prosecute hate crimes that are committed strictly based on a victim’s sexual orientation. Prior to this legislation, Pennsylvania laws did not classify crimes committed because of a person’s sexual orientation as hate crimes. PAGE 19

PA Dems accuse Paul Mango of being ‘homophobic’ By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is accusing Rep. Paul Mango (R-Richland) of being “homophobic” and “racist” after Mango appeared in a video interview with Hyung Jin Moon. Mango, a Republican candidate for governor, talked about his campaign in the 37-minute video. Moon is leader of the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland, near the Poconos. Around the video’s 24-minute mark, Moon states: “There are so many people of faith that have strong Christian values that don’t want to send their kids to school because they’re scared of the indoctrination factor. They’re getting indoctrinated into the homosexual political agenda and transgender agenda.” Mango then nods his head and starts talking about “out-of-control” property taxes funding state education. Then, at around the 37-minute mark, Moon states that Planned Parenthood founder

Margaret Sanger is “one of the most racist, racist eugenicists in the history of American politics.” Moon adds that Sanger “literally wants to exterminate black people,” and that Planned Parenthood is “founded on racism, on trying to eradicate whole masses of people.” Moon published the video Jan. 10 on YouTube. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party published a video on Facebook showing a Jan. 22 press conference at the Pennsylvania Press Club in which Mango denies Moon’s comments, adding he “disagrees” and “doesn’t recall.” A reporter not visible in the video is heard asking Mango about his statements and why he didn’t say something if he “did not agree.” “I am not going to disagree with him in the middle of an interview,” Mango responds. “I told you what I did believe in, not what Rev. Moon believed in.” Mango or his office staff could not be reached for comment by presstime. Beth Melena, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said in a Jan. 29 statement: “It comes as no surprise that

Paul Mango would sink this low in order to gain support of the most right-wing, extremist sectors of the Republican Party to get through the primary. This is the most recent evidence that Paul Mango is moving as far to the right as possible. Paul Mango’s homophobic and racist interview and his subsequent lies about it are proof that he is not fit for public office.” Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is seeking reelection this year. MANGO (TOP) AND MOON Mango is running in the May primary against Republicans Laura Ellsworth, an attorney and a political newcomer; state Rep. Mike Turzai and state Sen. Scott Wagner. n

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

Resource listings Legal resources • ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215-592-1513; aclupa.org • AIDS Law Project of PA: 215-587-9377; aidslawpa.org • AIDS Law Project of South Jersey: 856-784-8532; aidslawsnj.org/ • Equality PA: equalitypa. org; 215-731-1447

• Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations — Rue Landau: 215-686-4670 • Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-7603686; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com • SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-920-9537

• Office of LGBT Affairs — Amber Hikes: 215-686-0330; amber.hikes@phila.gov

Community centers • The Attic Youth Center; 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331, atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. • LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania; 3907 Spruce

St.; 215-898-5044, center@dolphin.upenn.edu.

• Rainbow Room: Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center

Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065, rainbowroom@ppbucks.org.

• William Way LGBT Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220, www.waygay.org.

Health and HIV testing • Action Wellness: 1216 Arch St.; 215981-0088, actionwellness.org

• AIDS Library:

1233 Locust St.; aidslibrary.org/

• AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800-6626080

• Bebashi-Transition to Hope: 1235 Spring Garden St.; 215769-3561; bebashi.org

• COLOURS: coloursorganization.org, 215832-0100 • Congreso de Latinos Unidos;

216 W. Somerset St.; 215-763-8870

• GALAEI: 149 W. Susquehanna Ave.; 267-457-3912, galaei.org. Spanish/ English

• Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad

St.; 215-685-1821

• Mazzoni Center:

1348 Bainbridge St.; 215-563-0652, mazzonicenter.org

• Philadelphia FIGHT: 1233 Locust St.; 215-985-4448, fight.org

• Washington West Project of Mazzoni Center:

1201 Locust St.; 215985-9206

• Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207

Other • Independence Branch Library Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection: 215-685-1633 • Independence Business Alliance; 215-557-0190, IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com

• LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK • PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833 • Philly Pride Presents: 215-875-9288

Sponsor of anti-trans legislation speaks out By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Pennsylvania state Rep. Jesse W. Topper last week voiced continued support for his controversial bill that would block state dollars from funding a wide variety of trans services in health-care plans. “I’ve not been convinced that tax dollars should go to any of those [trans] procedures or services,” the Republican told PGN. But Topper also conceded that passage of House Bill 1933 isn’t his top priority, and that he couldn’t predict when it might come up for a final vote. “There’s no definitive time frame,” he said. H.B. 1933, which Topper introduced in November, would ban state funding for trans-specific services such as puberty blockers, gender-confirmation surgeries, mastectomies, penectomies and hormonal therapies. The proposed measure has been released from a committee and could be called for a final vote any time the Republican leadership of the state House decides to do so. The bill wouldn’t affect private health plans, nor people with “ambiguous genitalia” enrolled in state-supported health plans, according to the bill’s language. Topper, 36, said there could be better ways to treat gender dysphoria without resorting to “life-altering surgeries,” claiming that numerous medical professionals agree with that view. He also expressed disappointment that the bill didn’t come up for a final vote last year. “I believe in the public policy I’m supporting,” he said. According to Topper, the legislation would help return the state’s public policy on trans issues to the days before Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf took office. Topper also said he wouldn’t oppose public hearings on the bill if it reaches the Senate. He said it’s too late to hold hearings in the House, as the bill already has been released from a committee. “I’m always open to hearings — to transparency and folks coming in and sharing,” Topper added. The legislator said he’s focused on representing his 65,000 constituents in Bedford, Franklin and Fulton counties, located in the south-central part of the state. He said no specific community — including the LGBT community or the medical community — would determine his stance on a particular issue. “I’m not prepared to give away legislative authority to develop public policy

based on what people in a certain community feel. We have to develop the public policy as legislators. And the medical community needs to follow that public policy as they do in other fields.” Topper said he’s in favor of basic civil rights for the LGBT community. “I believe in civil rights for all under the Constitution,” he said. But he stopped short of supporting a statewide LGBT civil-rights bill currently pending in a House committee. “I’m opposed to the bill in its current form,” he said. “But I would be willing to negotiate on the bill for a better product.” Speaking hypothetically, Topper said he would support a same-sex couple who wanted to be seated at a restaurant of their choice. But he also said the government shouldn’t order the restaurant owner to cater their that couple’s wedding reception. Topper said he has friends in the LGBT

Speaking hypothetically, Topper said he would support a same-sex couple who wanted to be seated at a restaurant of their choice. But he also said the government shouldn’t order the restaurant owner to cater that couple’s wedding reception. community and that they didn’t fault him for introducing H.B. 1933. “None of my friends would do that because they know me, they know my heart, my character and why I believe what I believe.” Topper also said he doesn’t resent when opponents say he needs to be “educated” on trans issues, adding he has heard from some trans people who support H.B. 1933. Topper was asked the main thing he’d like to convey to the LGBT community. “We can have civil, reasonable discussions — even about the most sensitive, emotional issues,” he replied. “As Americans and Pennsylvanians, we can still have difficult discussions in the public arena without automatically thinking the worst of each other. We can all do better on both sides by understanding there are nuances to these discussions.” n

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 2-8, 2018

In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.

What Is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).

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Mytesi (crofelemer): • Is the only medicine FDA-approved to relieve diarrhea in people with HIV • Treats diarrhea differently by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract • Has the same or fewer side effects as placebo in clinical studies • Comes from a tree sustainably harvested in the Amazon Rainforest What is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Important Safety Information Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).

Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant? • Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant • There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi • This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed A Nursing Mother? • It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk • If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi • Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? • Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age • Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you

What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi With Other Medicines? If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your doctor before starting Mytesi.

What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi? For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor or pharmacist. To report side effects or make a product complaint or for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256.

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• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

News & Opinion

10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Op-Ed Street Talk Transmissions

Columns

16 — Out Law: Let them eat cake?

Arts & Culture 21 23 25 26 28 29

NEW NETWORKERS: The Independence Business Alliance hosted about 40 young professionals Jan. 30 at WeWork, 1900 Market St. The evening included a social hour, networking and some interaction group work to get the attendees familiar with other professionals. The next IBA/ConnX networking event will be held Feb. 20 at Caffe Aldo Lamberti in Cherry Hill, N.J. Photo: Scott A. Drake

— Feature: They’re two funny — Family Portrait — Scene in Philly — Out & About — Comic — Q Puzzle

“With this grant, we can continue organizing around our experiences with transphobia, racism, economic injustice, transmisogyny, ableism, incarceration and other intersecting oppressions that affect trans and gender-nonconforming individuals.” ~ Christian Lovehall, on the Trans Equity Project being a Philadelphia Foundation grantee, page 6

Love & Lust Issue coming Feb. 9 8

Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts announces lineups and dates for its latest incarnation.

PGN 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147-1506 Phone: 215-625-8501 Fax: 215-925-6437 E-mail: pgn@epgn.com Web: www.epgn.com

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The Wishing Well B&B in New Hope is up for sale.

Interim Editor

Jeremy Rodriguez (ext. 206) jeremy@epgn.com Staff Writers Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Brittany M. Wehner (ext. 215) brittany@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) timothy@epgn.com

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Creep of the Week: Alex Jones believes LGBT people commit suicide because other LGBT people pick on them.

Art Director/ Photographer

Scott A. Drake (ext. 210) scott@epgn.com 267-736-6743 Graphic Artist Sean Dorn (ext. 211) sean@epgn.com

Philadelphia Gay News is a member of: The Associated Press Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Suburban Newspapers of America

The Philly POPS will honor Leonard Bernstein during a national tribute to the composer/conductor.

Copyright © 1976 - 2018 Copyright(s) in all materials in these pages are either owned or licensed by Masco Communications Inc. or its subsidiaries or affiliate companies (Philadelphia Gay News, PGN, and it’s WWW sites.) All other reproduction, distribution, retransmission, modification, public display, and public performance of our materials is prohibited without the prior written consent of Masco Communications. To obtain such consent, email pgn@epgn.com Published by Masco Communications Inc. © 1976-2018 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-5155

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LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 2-8, 2018

Pa. county seeks dismissal of trans antibias suit By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Allegheny County officials want a federal judge to dismiss the antibias lawsuit of Jules M. Williams, a trans woman who claims she was raped and assaulted while housed in a male section of the Allegheny County Jail. Williams, who’s no longer incarcerated, filed suit in November, alleging severe mistreatment at the jail due to her gender identity. Located in downtown Pittsburgh, the facility houses about 2,500 inmates. Williams, 37, contends her constitutional rights were violated on multiple occasions during various stays at the jail since 2015. She’s seeking an unspecified amount in damages and remedial measures within the facility. But in a 26-page answer filed Dec. 22, Allegheny County officials denied any wrongdoing and urged U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti to dismiss the case. The defendants denied being aware of an actual rape or assault committed against Williams. They also maintained the county has an appropriate policy for housing transgender inmates. “The Allegheny County Jail is aware

that transgender inmates have unique needs that need to be considered and it has adopted a policy to address those needs consistent with the safety and security of the facility, the staff and the inmates,” the filing states. Officials specifically deny the county has a policy of housing all trans women in a male section of the jail. “The policy is to evaluate each transgender person and house them appropriately based on their individual qualities and characteristics and upon the safety and security of that inmate, other inmates and the staff.” Additionally, the filing outlines that Williams had access to proper medical care while housed at the facility. “The policy and custom of Allegheny County was to provide inmates of the Allegheny County Jail with reasonable and necessary medical care and to accommodate transgender inmates,” they wrote The majority of the defense filing refers to Williams with female pronouns but two of its paragraphs misgender her. Neither side had a comment for this story. As of presstime, Conti hadn’t ruled on the defendants’ request to dismiss the case. n

QUEER CAMARADERIE: A launch party for Queerality drew scores of art lovers to see works by artists Devon Reiffer and Jessica Reitmeyer. The event was held Jan. 26 at a new gallery space at 1042 Pine St. Queerality is “dedicated to creating, supporting, and stewarding art and education to influence a social shift that inspires intersectionality and inclusivity,” according to its Facebook page. Future events are to be announced. Photo: Scott A. Drake

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

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LOCAL PGN

Trans Equity Project receives $25K grant By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com A local organization received a $25,000 grant to support the continued HIV/AIDS prevention and advocacy work for transgender and gender-nonconforming communities in Philadelphia. The Trans Equity Project, a program of GALAEI, received a grant from the Walter E. Hering Fund #2 from The Philadelphia Foundation, which works to strengthen economic social and civic vitality in Greater Philadelphia. “The Philadelphia Foundation is proud to have a long tradition of supporting LGBTQ+ organizations and programs, and this grant is in keeping with that commitment,” said Pedro A. Ramos, the foundation’s president and CEO. “We were an early founder of AIDS programs, have been named among the top five community foundations nationally to fund LGBTQ issues and have supported the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference through the Mazzoni Center for five years. Our grant to GALAEI’s Trans Equity Project supports a vulnerable population and addresses an ongoing community need.” According to GALAEI Executive Director Nikki Lopez, funding from the grant will be used to increase mobilization efforts, organizing, lead-

ership development and other general program support for the transgender community. “The support from the foundation came at a critical time for our communities as we experienced a devastating budget cut from the city’s health department,” Lopez said in a statement. “Due to citywide national budget cuts in HIV prevention work, we lost almost half of our funding for the Trans Equity Project.” The project provides peer-based support for trans or gender-nonconforming individuals. The program offers HIV-prevention counseling and education on sexual health. “Because of this donation from the Philadelphia Foundation, we will now avoid staff layoffs and can continue to do the critical work of providing essential programs for our communities,” said Christian Lovehall, Trans Equity Project coordinator, in a statement. “With this grant, we can continue organizing around our experiences with transphobia, racism, economic injustice, transmisogyny, ableism, incarceration and other intersecting oppressions that affect trans and gender-nonconforming individuals,” Lovehall said. The grant will allow the organization to continue building on its mission of creating trans equity for those most marginalized in the city, he added. n

Allentown-based community center to host spirituality, spiritual violence mini-series By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center this month will host a mini-series focusing on spirituality and spiritual violence. The series will open a channel of communication about different experiences LGBT people face within faith communities. “LGBT people [from] a variety of backgrounds have experienced both positive and negative experiences with religion and faith communities,” said Adrian Shanker, founder and executive director of the Center. For people who have negative experiences, it can fall into the category of spiritual violence — being invalidated or excluded specifically on claims of religion, according to Shanker. “Spiritual violence can lead to people feeling depressed, anxious and it can lead to a suicide risk,” he said. “For some people, it’s everything they believe in and if they experience rejection, it can create a harmful situation.” The mini-series, moderated by the Rev. Beth Goudy, will

provide a safe place to explore and discuss these experiences. Goudy has spoken frequently about spiritual violence, reconciliation and affirming LGBT spirituality. “LGBT people of different faith traditions have positive experiences, too, through communities creating rituals affirming and specifically speaking to LGBT experiences like samesex marriages or celebrating and honoring people in gender transition, parents adopting or building a family through medical processes,” Shanker said. “The goal of this mini-series is to hold community-level conversation on both positive and negative experiences.” Two national religious leaders will participate in the mini-series, which will take place on two days in February at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, 522 W. Maple St., Allentown. The first event will be held 7 p.m. Feb. 5 and will feature Rabbi Deborah Waxman, president of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Jewish Reconstructionist Communities. Rabbi Waxman was the firm woman and lesbian to lead a

Jewish congregational union and Jewish seminary in 2014. The next event will be held 7 p.m. Feb. 19, featuring the Rev. Justin Tanis, managing director of the Center for Gay & Lesbian Studies in Religion. “We want to have these conversations, not just within the community but within our region to help people who care deeply about creating spaces that can be LGBT-inclusive and welcoming,” said Shanker. “It’s really relevant to bring two national leaders to the table with a personal background and incredible credibility. We are really honored.” The mini-series is free and open to the public. The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center received grant funding from the E. Rhodes & Leona Carpenter Foundation, headquartered in Philadelphia, making the event possible. This is the second time the foundation has funded an LGBT spirituality program at the center. For more information on the mini series, please visit http:// www.bradburysullivancenter. org/events. n

LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 2-8, 2018

Officials speak out against Trump’s Conscience and Religious Freedom Division

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Community College of Philadelphia is the smart path to a bachelor’s degree and today’s most sought-after careers. By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com Community members joined local organizations at a rally Thursday to protest the Trump administration’s announcement of a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within the Office of Civil Rights and Department of Health and Human Services. Dozens of protesters joined Mazzoni Center workers and representatives from Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Make the Road Pennsylvania and SEIU Healthcare. Organizers held the rally in tandem with separate events in Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. Mazzoni interim CEO Stephen Glassman said the new office “will be responsible for handling complaints from health-care workers who do not want to perform medical procedures such as an abortion or assisted death, because it violates their religious or moral beliefs.” Glassman added that it could impact the LGBT community. “This is particularly true for people who identify as transgender and gender-nonconforming, the majority of whom have experienced discrimination, unequal treatment and injustice throughout their lives,” he said. Out state Rep. Brian Sims said it’s important to “call it what it is.” “This is about racism, it’s about homophobia, it’s about sexism, it’s about misogyny, and transphobia,” Sims said. “We know exactly what this is about. Those words have definitions. These meet those definitions and, so, I think we need to be very clear in the words we use as well.” Officials spoke on the negative repercussions trans or gender-nonconforming people have reported in regard to health care in recent years. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, a 2015 survey stated that one-third of trans patients seeking health care reported negative outcomes. A quarter of all trans people avoided seeking medical care because they knew about those

negative outcomes. Phebe Brandt, a nurse practitioner with Planned Parenthood, said the new initiative puts others’ health on the line. “Transgender and gender nonconforming people already face discrimination in healthcare settings,” Brandt said. Nearly one in five people reported in the national survey that they were refused care because they were transgender or gender-nonconforming. “The survey participants reported very high levels of postponing care when they were sick or injured because of discrimination and disrespect. Twenty-eight percent were subject to harassment in the medical setting,” Brandt said. “People have the right to trust that health-care providers provide the best care possible — not worry that they may instead impose their private religious beliefs on their patients.” Officials emphasized the importance of protecting patients when religious refusals may compromise care. “This initiative threatens access to healthcare services disproportionately hurting women and LGBT people, especially including trans people,” Brandt said. “This is another dangerous attack on health care in a string of attempts to infringe on our freedoms. Despite these attacks, Planned Parenthood will continue to open its doors to all people and provide our patients with the best possible care.” For Kai Mondloch, a transgender woman and medical-case manager at Mazzoni, it’s not about asking people to change their views, but simply to medically treat individuals as needed. “I need access to a provider who will support me and care for me no matter what concerns I have about my health,” Mondloch said. “I am not asking for special considerations from anyone, I am looking for support in being my full self. “I am not asking anyone to change their moral or religious beliefs, I am asking them to do the job they’re being paid for to help me to receive the medical services I need.” n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

LOCAL PGN

Kimmel Center unveils lineup for Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts announced the 2018 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts lineup of performances and shows from around the world. In the span of 11 days, 50 shows will entertain crowds in a celebration of culture and diversity. “The nature of these projects are focused on how we form community and how we express ourselves as a city,” said Jay Wahl, producing artistic director. Performances during the festival include dance, live theater and interactive visual-art installations. “We’re proud to present so many world-class artists that open our eyes about how we form community, collectively tell our stories, shepherd our flocks, define our individuality and defy gravity,” Wahl said. “When I’m in the audience being awed by these shows, I realize that though the performers on stage may be of different race, gender or religion, I see

how much we have in common as people celebrating together humanity’s courage, prowess, beauty and grace.” One show premiering in Philadelphia during the festival is Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music. The show is a 24-hour performance-art concert focusing on social history of the United States using popular music covering topics like diversity, civil and queer rights, and women fighting for the right to vote.

“The 24-hour show tells history of the United States from the point of view of those who systematically have been left out of the picture, people who did not have a voice,” said Wahl. Mac is a theater artist, singer, songwriter and playwright who identifies with a unique gender pronoun: “judy.” According to Wahl, Mac was inspired to write the show based on an experience in San Francisco. Around age 14, the theater artist attended an AIDS

walk. It was the first time Taylor Mac saw people who were “out” as gay. The 24-decade history will be presented in 24 hours, as two 12-hour parts. “Someone has to tell this story,” Wahl said. “By acknowledging what has happened in our communities we can move forward together. That is the idea of this show, and I’d apply it to the whole festival.” Another featured show looks at the role of gender and masculinity in culture by putting it to dance. “My Organ My Seoul” is a male dance performance from South Korea looking at what it means to be a man in culture. The show is a world premiere. Regardless of the plot, dance or song, each show celebrates individuality and unity. “It’s defying gravity with your bodies, not about gender or sexuality, but physics and space,” said Wahl. “When we come together, we can achieve things.” When looking to bring in talent, Wahl said he considers what would resonate with Philadelphia. “I’m always interested in what

are the questions we’re talking about, the challenges we’re struggling with and how can it be a gateway to open a dialogue.” “For PIFA, I combine that interest with work that tends to be hard to describe, not classifiable, not just dance or music performance. It’s always about the relationship in real time, telling a story with the audience. The audience is the show and that’s what I’m really interested in. There is no barrier there,” Wahl added. Each show and performance in the festival has different points of view for anyone to enjoy, he said. “That serves to continually illustrate that we are in this together. This is our city and this makes our city. We are participants in the art.” Other announced shows include Doggie Hamlet, an outdoor theatrical event that features five performers, three dogs and a flock of sheep; Cristal Palace and Tape Riot. n The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts runs May 31-June 10. For more information on the festival’s shows, artists and performers, visit www.kimmelcenter. org/pifa.

LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 2-8, 2018

Popular New Hope-based bed and breakfast goes up for sale By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com The Wishing Well Guest House started as an 1850s farmhouse and was transformed into a successful bed and breakfast in New Hope. Now up for sale, the owner hopes to see a new chapter for the inn. Daniel Brooks purchased the bed and breakfast 18 years ago with the intention of restoring the old abandoned farmhouse to its original shape. “I bought it at a time when things were bustling. It has always had a history with a little ‘gayborhood’ area of New Hope,” Brooks said. The Wishing Well, located off Old York Road, is in an area centralized for tourists and locals rooted in the LGBT community. New Hope Celebrates, which Brooks also founded, is an all-volunteer LGBT marketing organization and hosts New Hope Pride Week & Parade, an annual event drawing in celebrants. Brooks said he created the organization to help simulate tourism and bring awareness to New Hope. Since its beginning, organization members frequently held meetings at the Wising Well. “It’s a scene I’m very proud of. For 10 years, it was like a clubhouse for the LGBT community. I would like to see it continue

in that direction.” Not only does the Wishing Well serve as a meeting post, it attracts people from different states such as New York. Many Pride organizations in the region hold their annual retreats at the inn, according to Brooks. The site also has other uses, such as a couple’s getaway, yoga retreats and ceremonies. “All things considered, my goal was achieved. New Hope celebrations are bigger than ever. People are aware of the Wishing Well. It’s a place you come to see in New Hope,” Brooks said. The inn also has convenient locations near other areas in New Hope, like The Raven and Bucks County Playhouse. “It’s actually a very good time in New Hope with things happening and a lot of restoration. It’s a good time for someone to invest in New Hope,” said Brooks. The owner of the Wishing Well said he hopes to see someone interested in the LGBT community to keep moving in a positive direction with the inn. The Wishing Well also has a one-bedroom apartment within the structure for the individual who buys the property and takes over the reigns. It also includes six guest rooms. Brooks currently works as a full-time psychoanalyst in New York and said he feels it is time to move on to different things.

“I’m really hoping I can attract an LGBT owner, whether a couple or someone, who would like to come, and hopefully it will continue to serve the community by bringing an awareness to tourism and bring people in. I would love to see someone gay

maintain all the effort that has been made in attracting LGBT guests. It’s really a beautiful facility,” Brooks said. n For more information on the bed and breakfast, visit www.wishingwellguesthouse.com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

EDITORIAL PGN EDITORIAL

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Alex Jones

Editorial

State of the (Non-)Union On Tuesday, President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union Address — and it was about as problematic as you could imagine. While the evening was surprisingly void of noteworthy sound bites for us to laugh at, his speech pointed out clear divisions within our country. The “build-awall” talk was repeatedly used as a way to instill fear, and therefore create a more visibly racist and xenophobic culture. Trump told the Republicans — and booing Democrats — that “open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities.” Further on, he contended that low-wage workers must “compete for jobs and wages against the poorest Americans.” He added a comment that was clearly reminiscent of the #AllLivesMatter “movement.” “My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans, to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American dream — because Americans are dreamers too.” He used this play-on-words to completely downplay the struggles of undocumented people — people who are also Americans. Trump’s comment also caught the attention of white-supremacist leaders on Twitter. David Duke, the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, tweeted, “Thank you President Trump” in response. Meanwhile, Richard Spencer, the man who coined the term “alt-right,” posted the quote along with a photo of a white heterosexual couple with two white children. This clearly illustrates the direction this president is leaning toward. While Trump repeatedly boasted about what he has done in the past year, he failed to mention any of the setbacks — or possible moves forward — his administration issued to LGBT rights. However, in the Democratic response, Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.) put forth his intention to protect both native-born and undocumented Americans and made a subtle allusion to the struggles of our community. “As if the parent who lies awake terrified that their transgender son or daughter will be beaten and bullied at school is any more or less legitimate than a parent whose heart is shattered by a daughter in the grips of an opioid addiction. So here is the answer the Democrats offer tonight: We choose both,” Kennedy said. Trump may try to divide us, but it is encouraging to know there are still people out there who have our backs — along with the backs of everyone who wants to call this country “home.” n

Alex Jones of the conspiracy-laden, right-wing echo chamber that is Infowars took a closer look at the so-called Women’s March on the Jan. 22 episode of “The Alex Jones Show.” What he found will shock you: litter(ally). After ranting about the evils of soy lattes (“women who drink them can’t get pregnant,” he said, Jones refers to an image of attendees at the LA Women’s March standing with signs that read things like, “Reclaiming my time” and “Trump Lies.” Some of the women are wearing the pink-knitted “pussy” hats. “Just look at these people. They look like people escaped out of a mental institution,” Jones said, making me wonder if he’s ever seen “The Alex Jones Show.” He then calls them “a bunch of dirty pigs.” Jones and his correspondent, Millie Weaver, were beside themselves about the empty Starbucks cups littering the march site. And they have a point! Littering is wrong. So the moral is, “Pick up after yourselves!” Got it. Liberals owned. So we’re done here, right? Ha, no. Jones went on to say that the Women’s March litter means that Los Angeles is turning into Haiti, which he describes as “deforested and a hell hole,” adding that “their national religion is devil worship.” This is a totally logical conclusion to an argument that ladies shouldn’t throw cups on the ground. He’s definitely a very stable genius. If you love his theories about littering, you’ll love his theory about LGBT suicide, which he shared on Jan. 21. “The gay community … on average, they have the highest level of suicide globally of any group,” Jones said, which is not untrue. The suicide rate for LGBT people is alarmingly high. “And it’s not because folks are being mean to them,” Jones continued. “It’s because that community is being mean to them.” And by “that community,” he means the gay community. In other words, LGBT people don’t kill themselves because of outside oppression and discrimination. Nope. They kill themselves because they are a bunch of catty bitches. “I’ve witnessed it for myself,” Jones said. “I’ve had friends, family, neighbors that are gay. You go to their party,

they’re being meaner than hell to each other.” I’d like to point out the use of the past tense “had” to describe his gay friends, family and neighbors. Presumably, they stopped associating with him after watching his show. Either that or he stopped associating with them after they refused to buy the “proprietary” vitamin supplements Jones pedals on his website. And what did Jones mean when he said, “You go to their party?” What gay people are inviting this man to their parties? “A lot of gay people are really mean,” he lamented. “Let’s not lie about that, and let’s not lie about how [gays] treat each other,” he said. “And that lesbians have the highest level of abusing each other.” I’m not sure what he means by “highest level of abusing each other.” If he’s talking about domestic violence, then, yes, that’s an actual problem that exists in some lesbian relationships. But it also exists, at a much higher rate, in heterosexual relationships, and Jones doesn’t seem concerned about that. Is it true that some gays treat other gays terribly? Well, yes. Of course. Because gays are human and some humans are trash (see: Alex Jones). And there are definitely some killer queens out there with razor-sharp wits and lashing tongues. But I’d argue the external obstacles gays face play a much larger role in suicide rates than some queen dishing out devastating reads at the bar. I can’t help but think Jones has been binge-watching too much “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” But if he truly is so concerned about gays committing suicide, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to donate some of his vitamin-supplement money to The Trevor Project (thetrevorproject.org). n

“Let’s not lie about that, and let’s not lie about how [gays] treat each other. And that lesbians have the highest level of abusing each other.”

D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.

OP-ED PGN

Op-Ed

Randall Sell

Populations who dare not speak their names It’s time to stop extending the closet. For decades, research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people has faced serious challenges, most notably funding. The federal government has never provided more than a token level of dollars for research addressing the many persistent health concerns faced by LGBTI people like health-care access, HIV/AIDS, violence or mental health. For example, in fiscal year 2014, the National Institutes of Health funded only two new non-HIV-related projects on transgender health. That’s compared to more than 25,000 awards the organization gave out that same year. A recent memo sent around the CDC encouraged those who were seeking government funding to avoid using “transgender” — as well as “vulnerable” and “diversity.” If those words appeared in a proposal, the thought was that funding wouldn’t be likely. On top of the excessive funding challenges that are already faced by those seeking to study health in the LGBTI community, the challenges mount even higher when the very language used in projects is policed. But here’s the thing: This is nothing new. For decades, these populations have been actively hidden through code words imposed upon them by politicians — across both Republican and Democratic administrations. It wasn’t productive in

Transmissions

the past, and it is worse now. When the words “gay,” “lesbian,” “bisexual,” “transgender” or “intersex” were too threatening for government officials or taxpayers, researchers censured themselves using terms such as “men who have sex with men” and “women who have sex with women” when investigating gay men and lesbians. And as a group, LGBTI people have been included with other groups under the umbrella of “vulnerable” or “diverse” populations, making research in those areas more palatable. For example, the first major program announcement from the NIH written to specifically address the health concerns of LGBTI people was released in 2001 and titled “Health Research with Diverse Populations.” The reasons for these semantics have been many over my three-decade scientific career, but the consequences have always been the same: harmful. For people that have often been driven into secrecy and privacy in their personal lives, the cloaking of research about them is more than ironic. The closet is not a healthy place for people or research. So, when government officials tell us that we cannot use words such as “vulnerable” and “diverse” — words are already just code for who these people really are and what is actually being studied — you’re just putting a closet around the closet. Where does this PAGE 19

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 2-8, 2018

Street Talk Would you vote for Oprah Winfrey for president? “No. She’s too unqualified and inexperienced for that important position. I don’t care for Oprah Stanley Brill Winfrey. scientist She’s too Holland, Pa. shallow and not intellectual enough for me.”

"Yes. She's a humanitarian. She's done a lot of good for people. And she's very good about connecting with people Stanley Caito from all cook walks of life. North Philadelphia I think Oprah Winfrey would make a great president. I hope she does run for president."

“I haven’t researched her politics. But I know she’s liberalleaning. If she were the Democratic nominee, I’d definitely Patrick Olsen vote for her. physician And if she Bella Vista were running against Trump, I’d vote for her in a heartbeat. I can’t handle another four years of Trump.”

“No. I like her as a person. But that doesn’t mean she’d be a good president. Oprah is the face of American Stephanie capitalism. Stevens I don’t put dancer her on a South Philadelphia pedestal. Of course, anything is better than the situation we’re in now. But at the end of the day, she’s not a politician.”

to do is conflate Roman’s crimes with transgender people, and most specifically transgender people using restrooms or other facilities consistent with their gender identity. This plays directly into the “transgender bathroom panic” that has fueled calls for anti-transgender and anti-LGBT legislation in places like North Carolina and Texas. I should also note that this reminds me of Rachel Dolenzal’s “trans black” shenanigans, but with an obviously darker — no pun intended — side. While Dolenzal may have been attempting to defraud people with her actions, we should not forget that Roman assaulted three children. That said, let’s get one thing straight: Roman’s excuse, taken at face value, doesn’t excuse his crimes. He can passionately identify as anything he wishes, but this doesn’t change the fact that he sexually assaulted three children. The same is true of any transgender person who commits a crime: Our identity is not in and of itself a “get out of jail free” card. If any-

thing, it is more likely to cause us to get a harsher sentence purely out of anti-transgender animus. This is the frustrating thing with the bathroom bills, let alone the stories about Roman or the “clovergender” nonsense. Being transgender does not equate with sexual desire any more than anything else does, and there is no great transgender conspiracy to get transgender people into sex-segregated spaces to commit sexual assault. I will tell you this: Transgender people are a wide and varied bunch, and under that umbrella are people who may fetishize attire coded for people opposite their birth gender. There may be some who even have a sexual desire for altering their own body to that of the opposite sex. If this world has taught us anything, it is that people can become aroused by any number of things, real and imagined. Likewise, there are people out there who do play at being “little girls,” and other forms of “ageplay.” PAGE 19

Gwendolyn Ann Smith

The curious case of Joseph Roman Criminals make up excuses for their crimes. We’ve heard so many bad excuses for crime that many such stories have become the things of legend, like the infamous “Twinkie defense” of Dan White for the brutal slaying of Harvey Milk and George Moscone. That is, that his consumption of sugary snacks was somehow proof of the depression White was suffering, and that depression caused him to kill two men. Or consider Josh Duggar now pinning the assaults he performed on his sisters on the devil literally tempting him, or Keith Griffin claiming that it was his cat, not him, who downloaded more than 1,000 sexually explicit photos of children to his hard drive. Now enter Joseph Roman, a 38-year-old man in Chicago. He assaulted three girls, who were between the ages of 6-8. Like most sexual-assault victims, Roman was a friend of their families, which allowed him to gain access to these kids. What makes Roman’s sexual abuse ger-

mane to this column is his defense. He has admitted to some of the attacks, but has a novel excuse. He told Chicago police he is “a 9-year-old trapped in an adult’s body.” His excuse is not novel. Indeed, the denizens of 4chan, a website known for — amongst other things — hardcore trolling, began to push a faux identity last year called “clovergender.” Named for the clover shape that 4chan uses for a logo, “clovergender” is a trolling campaign that purports to foster positive awareness of “hildren trapped in men’s bodies, who are attracted to other children.” The whole point of this is to delegitimize transgender and related identities. I’m not sure if Roman knew of the 4chan trolling campaign, or if he came up with this excuse on his own. Either way, the hard right latched onto him, with several websites such as Infowars branding Roman as “trans age” and using him as a cheap jab at transgender people. The thing that both 4chan and these other right-wing websites have attempted

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 2-8, 2018

Obituaries Casey Fay Berrian, recovery community advocate, 40 By Jeremy Rodriguez jeremy@epgn.com Casey Fay Berrian died Jan. 8 after a long battle with addiction at age 40. N i k o l a s Kostenko, Berrian’s friend, said she was “a very special girl who never gave up on herself or her sobriety, even though she struggled so hard to remain sober. She was a determined woman and came back to AA every time with conviction to learn. She always had an attitude of honesty, openness and willingness and desperately wanted to figure out how to live a sober life. She was a brilliant artist, funny as hell and fiercely loyal to those she let in her inner circle.” Kostenko said Berrian’s best friend was her dog, Toby Roo, whom she “loved more than life itself.” “She prided herself in her individuality and never conformed to the norms of society. I oftentimes saw her for the beautiful individual she was and though she couldn’t see it herself, a light shone from her that others bathed in and appreciated far more than she could ever possibly comprehend,” Berrian said. “Her demons were plenty and powerful with a very complicated personal history and a past that would bring the strongest of us crumbling to our knees. She, however, persevered time and time again, slowly trying to piece the shattered fragments of her life together and build a promising future.” Lori Vogt, another friend, said that Berrian, who was bisexual, was “full of

OP-ED from page 11

stop? Are their concerns less important than any other American’s? How many closets will there be two years from now? Six? Ten? Whatever administrations are in place in those timeframes might not even matter. I’ve seen this on both sides of the aisle. In my first meeting with representatives of President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the 1990s, I was told before the meeting to not even say the word “transgender.” More than a decade later, when meeting with officials appointed under President Barack Obama, I got similar advice before an off-the-record meeting — because they would not participate in meetings about

life” and noted her work in the recovery community. “She entertained her friends with creative, funny thoughts and told it to us straight when we needed to hear the truth,” Vogt said. “Time spent with Casey always included laughter, adventure and deep inquiry. She helped people struggling with addiction in rehabilitation centers, homeless shelters and hospitals. She shared with them her life story, which was filled with challenges, determination, hope and gratitude.” Another friend, Erin Rogers, said Berrian was “beautiful, smart, fiery, sarcastic, hilarious, kind and would have you believe her tough exterior when instead she was fragile, poetic, warm, compassionate, loving and sometimes sad.” “She reached innumerable people in her life and helped so many of us just by being her unique self,” Rogers said. Marcelle Hawn echoed Rogers’ sentiments. “She had a fighting spirit, was hilarious and walked to the beat of her own drum, and she was a badass with a big heart who would do anything for the people she was close to,” Hawn said. Berrian is survived by her dog Toby Roo, her mother Julie Marin, her father Bruce Berrian, her brothers Wayne Marin Jr. and Hayden Marin, her aunts Cheryl Fariss, Nancy Bohnfack and Cathy Casillas and many cousins, friends and sponsors. A celebration of her life will be held 1 p.m. Feb. 4 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. In lieu of flowers, individuals are encouraged to donate in her memory to Prevention Point Philadelphia at http:/ ppponline.org. n

transgender people on the record. I know that new words will just be created or selected to replace the ones that politicians and their ilk don’t want to hear. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people will simply rebrand themselves — or be rebranded by others. But this is science. It’s our job to pursue what we don’t know, what we can’t see, and explain it. Euphemisms don’t fit into that. We shouldn’t obscure the LGBTI population that we study. It’s hurtful to them and hurtful to science. It’s time our politicians realized that. n

Randall Sell is an associate professor in Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health.

Peter Diforte, volunteer and fundraising icon, 67 By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com Peter R. DiForte, a volunteer who spearheaded fundraising for Philadelphia organizations, died Jan. 28 at age 67. DiForte grew up in South Philadelphia, where he attended the parish school of St. Richard of Chichester Church and graduated from St. John Neumann High School in 1968. He remained a lifelong parishioner. DiForte is the son and only child of the late Rosario and Lucy R. DiForte. Many cousins survive him. Those who knew DiForte described him as “generous and devoted.” DiForte was dedicated to raising money for local organizations including Philadelphia FIGHT, the Mazzoni Center, AIDS Information Network, AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania and events like the Blue Ball Recovery Brunch. DiForte was also an artist and cabaret singer who would occasionally perform in town or as part of a fundraiser for an organization. He was also known to frequent New York City and perform at Judy’s on 8th Avenue and other city spots. “Peter DiForte was a huge help to FIGHT over a period of many years with fundraising focused on events we sponsored,” said executive director Jane Shull. “He was always cheerful, willing and extremely effective. “But beyond that, he was a warm and wonderful person whom everybody here was always glad to see, and we will miss him very much.” Nurit Shein, former Mazzoni Center CEO, TRANSMISSIONS from page 11

This, however, is more concerned with playing at such a role, and not at assaulting actual children. It is worth noting, too, that not all who do this are transgender either. Let’s not get lost in the weeds here: None of the above falls within the dodge that Roman is trying. Even if there was validity to his claim, his actions don’t square with his supposed identity, nor are those actions a natural outgrowth of such an identity. For those of us in the transgender-rights movement, we have to continually rehash that our identities are not something we adopt rashly. We may spend years, even decades, trying to fight against our transgender nature, then more time again learning self-acceptance and finding a place in this world to be ourselves.

knew DiForte for many years and worked with him on annual auctions for the center. “He was a dedicated volunteer, always giving, and never saying no,” Shein said. “Thanks to his hard work, the organization had successful events, which enabled us to provide free services. He always smiled, was always a gentleman and a generous spirit. May his memory be a blessing.” DiForte also organized and hosted the Blue Ball Recovery Brunch for many years and always offered to chair the corporate sponsorship committee. Heshie Zinman, an advocate for health in the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities, also spoke highly of DiForte’s continuous efforts. “Peter was a very kind, generous and, overall, a wonderful person. He was a devoted friend to all who knew him,” Zinman said. DiForte was also well-known in town and was a frequent customer at Millennium Coffee on 12th Street, where he first met Dave Rumsey in the 1990s. “He was a regular customer at the coffee bar, but there was nothing regular about him,” said Rumsey. “He was an incredibly kind and gentle man. And he was always willing to help you in whatever way he could.” Several former employees of Millennium expressed heartbreak over DiForte’s death. Former employee Katie Carr said DiForte once bought her a tiny Christmas tree for her apartment because she never had one of her own. When DiForte was not busy giving back, he was working in the home-design and decorating industry. During his career, he worked out of the Marketplace Design Center. “It was really his extracurricular endeavors, fundraising and volunteering for so many different Philadelphia community organizations, that really defined who he was and what he was about,” said Rumsey. His memorial service was held Jan. 24 at St. Richard Church in Cherry Hill, N.J. n Those who argue against our very identities would tell you that this is nothing more than a lark at best, and that one can so easily change from one gender to another in order to commit any number of crimes, like some character in a cheesy comedy from the 1980s. Indeed, our hard-won identities are treated as something we would cast off whenever we may need to, while so many of us are facing hardships and remaining true to our gender identities or expressions. I expect and hope that Roman will be spending a long time in a jail cell, but his dodgy excuse will likely be with us for some time, reinforcing bigotry and hatred aimed at the transgender community. We must, and will, push back. n Gwen Smith isn’t kidding around. You’ll find her on the web at www.gwensmith.com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

LEGAL PGN

Masterpiece Cakeshop will change the way we do business In early December, SCOTUS heard oral would do to businesses across the country. arguments in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Among the ways the justices could Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The rule in this case, two in particular would crux of the case is that bakery change the way we do business. owner Jack Phillips sued the First, the Court could favor the CCRC claiming his rights to narrow definition that Phillips’ freedom of religion and freecakes are artistry, and theredom of speech have been denied fore he cannot be compelled to when he refused to bake a cuscreate art that violates his relitom wedding cake for a gay gious freedom and free speech. couple, Charlie Craig and David This decision would lead to Mullins. Citing his religious an onslaught of cases to deterbeliefs that marriage is between mine the definition of “artistry” one man and one woman, in commerce. Are bartenders Phillips claims that because he or chefs considered artists? sketches and sculpts his culiIf so, that means we could be nary creations, he’s an artist. denied a cocktail at R2L or a Therefore, forcing him to make from the chef of Bibou. Angela meal these cakes violated his right to Second, the Court could find Giampolo that any business owner with a free expression, speech and religious freedom. faith-based objection to servExpert analysts on the cases’s oral-aring the LGBT community has grounds to guments phase speculate that the conlegally refuse that service. servative justices are leaning in favor of For a moment, let’s consider one of Phillips, with Justice Anthony Kennedy these two arguments is the finding of the being the key vote, though his questions Court. Justice Kennedy speculated that at times seemed favorable to both sides, ruling in favor of Phillips would result in making it difficult to determine where he a deluge of petitions to bakers and other might land. We won’t get a ruling until creative wedding vendors — florists, phosummer, according to the SCOTUSblog, so tographers, makeup artists — to cease prothis leaves plenty of time to consider what viding their products and services to the a ruling in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop LGBT community, leaving us with little

Out Law

in the way of choice should those business owners comply. In less-populated areas, this could be problematic, not only in terms of finding businesses that don’t discriminate against us, but with scheduling as well. Wedding vendors book up months, if not years, in advance. If there are only one or two bakeries in an area that do wedding cakes, and the one LGBT-friendly option is booked for a couple’s wedding day, where does the couple turn? And that’s just one vendor. What about photographers? Caterers? Florists? Planning a wedding with LGBT-friendly vendors becomes a much greater burden and could ruin what is otherwise supposed to be the best day of a couple’s life. Anything short of a ruling completely in our favor will not bode well for the LGBT community. In previous court cases, SCOTUS has held that “not all burdens on religion are unconstitutional and that [t]he state may justify a limitation on religious liberty by showing that it is essential to accomplish an overriding governmental interest.” In the case of Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises, the Court determined that compelling the service of food to a black man was in the government’s overriding interest despite the defendant arguing that the bible prohibited the interaction of dif-

ferent races. For commerce and the economy to hum like a well-oiled machine, the Court has decided the government has a compelling interest in seeing discriminatory behavior is kept to a minimum, at least in the case of race. Justice Sotomayor, during the Masterpiece oral arguments, commented, “We can’t legislate civility and rudeness, but we can legislate behavior.” As a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the Independence Business Alliance, Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, I intend to run my business on the basis that we are all equal in the eyes of the law. I will accept nothing less than equal treatment from those seeking my patronage as a client; and the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission ruling, if decided in favor of Jack Phillips, will force every business across the country to state whether they do the same. n Angela D. Giampolo, principal of Giampolo Law Group, maintains offices in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and specializes in LGBT law, family law, business law, real-estate law and civil rights. Her website is www.giampololaw.com, and she maintains a blog at www.phillygaylawyer.com. Reach out to Angela with your legal questions at 215-645-2415 or angela@giampololaw.com.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 2-8, 2018

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

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PGN GYM from page 1

tinue to exist when the property changes ownership or occupants. So L&I will continue its efforts to get compliance with the fire code.” Alleged fire-code violations on the premises include unsafe fire escapes, insufficient standpipes, inadequate fire doors and a firealarm system that isn’t certified, according to city records. The gym also is embroiled in contentious civil litigation in federal and state courts. According to court papers, Baer hired Jerome P. McNeill in 2014 to serve as a masseur at Loews Hotel in Center City, where 12th Street Gym was operating a spa at the time. McNeill allegedly sexually assaulted a Texas woman and an Arizona woman while giving them massages at the hotel. The Texas woman’s lawsuit was settled for $5.4 million — with the gym’s insurer paying $1 million. Other insurers and sources paid an additional $4.4 million. But 12th Street Gym’s insurer refuses to pay more money to defend the gym in a pending lawsuit filed by the Arizona woman. McNeill recently was convicted of indecent assault in a criminal case pursued by the Texas woman and awaits sentencing in April.

Last month, the building that houses the gym and 25 other tenants was sold for $7.4-million to Midwood, a New York-based real-estate investment and development firm. The name of the legal entity on the property’s deed is “South 12th Street Owner L.L.C.” The building displays a mural of Gloria Casarez, an iconic figure in the local LGBT community. A spokesperson for Midwood couldn’t be reached for comment on whether the new owner would ensure the long-term preservation of the mural. Gliniak expressed hope that the Casarez mural would be preserved. “It’s too late to save the gym but at least save the mural,” he said. “It was a huge effort to create that beautiful mural. To tear it down would be too much to bear; too awful to contemplate.” Midwood also reportedly plans to purchase the property housing Tabu Lounge & Bar, an LGBT sports bar adjacent to the property housing the gym. Jeffrey C. Sotland, co-owner of Tabu, said the planned purchase won’t affect the continued operation of Tabu. “We have a long-term lease,” Sotland told PGN. “We’re staying. End of story.” n

BRADY from page 1

Brady also backed The Equality Act, which was submitted to both the House and Senate with 240 cosponsors. The legislation would prohibit LGBT discrimination on a federal level. Pennsylvania still lacks discrimination protections for LGBT individuals. The congressman, who is also the Democratic Party chairman, said he is proud of his record and the work he has done. “Don’t get me wrong, I am the luckiest guy in the world. I love my job, I love my district and, most of all, I love the people I have served. I am not leaving because I love them any less today than I did the day I swore my oath of office 20 years go,” said Brady, who served 11 consecutive terms representing Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District. Brady added he wants to invest more time in his family, stating, “It’s time to come home.” “Today I’m just choosing family over service. There are some things I love more.” Brady said his decision not to seek reelection has nothing to do with the FBI investigation into alleged payments made by his

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 2-8, 2018

campaign to encourage a challenger to drop out of the race in 2012. Two of Brady’s campaign aides were charged with conspiracy. The congressman added he “did nothing wrong” and that he was no longer under investigation. He said he isn’t facing any

“I made no deals with nobody. I know what I do. I did nothing wrong,” he said. Brady reiterated his desire to spend time with his family, especially his great-grandchild. Brady also served as the deputy mayor for labor in the administration of Philadelphia; consul-

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN BOB BRADY AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE JAN. 31 Photo: Britanny M. Wehner

charges and that the statute of limitations has expired. Brady also said he didn’t make any deals with the federal government related to his retirement from Congress.

tant to the Pennsylvania State Senate; Pennsylvania Turnpike commissioner; and as a member of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

Comic Family Portrait Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly

Page Page Page Page Page

28 23 26 29 25

PAGE 37

So Humorous Together

Out comedians link up for laughs in New Hope By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Out comedians Brad Loekle and Julie Goldman are teaming up for an evening of comedy Feb. 3 at the Rrazz Room. Both comics, regularly seen on TV and stages around the country, originally lived on the East Coast for many years before moving to the West Coast. We wondered what on earth would lure them away from balmy California climates and cruise-ship performances, and back to the bitter cold on our side of the country. “Julie Goldman and I lost a bet and we have to go,” Loekle joked (we hope). “Julie and I tour together a lot and I’m spending the next two months doing events in and out of the Southeast and the Caribbean and she’s going to be doing

some shows in the Northeast. And we’ve been dying to get back up to the Northeast because she moved away from there 10 years ago and I moved away five years ago. So we just decided to do some shows together while we’re on the East Coast.” Loekle said that while his approach to making audiences laugh is different from Goldman’s, their individual performance styles mesh well on the same bill. “What I love about her style is that we both have a real intensity and energy that is different but it plays off each other really well,” he said. “We’re both loud, energetic, over-the-top aggressive people. Most of the lesbian comedians I work with — who I love and adore — are in the Ellen [DeGeneres] vein of the calm, observational, matter-of-fact vein. What I love about Julie’s is the ferocious nature

of her personality and her comedy.” We asked if either of them is going harder on political observations in their jokes these days. “I think we’re both doing the same as we ever did,” Loekle said. “I’m probably doing it a little bit more. I’m a very political person in my personal life. I’m very socially involved and have been my whole life. So I tend not to talk about it a lot on stage because I want some time away from it and because a lot of my material is autobiographical, so it’s not driven by hot topics. It’s driven by personal experience. “Julie has always been more about talking about the pulse of the culture. I don’t think she’s doing more of it. It’s just [that] people are perking up their ears more just because of the extreme nature of

the social climate we live in now. Neither of us are comedians who avoid anything but [we] haven’t suddenly become social critics that we weren’t before.” Both Loekle and Goldman perform for LGBT and mainstream audiences. Loekle said that while audiences in general are more accepting these days of gay and lesbian comedians, the industry itself still likes to corral sexual and ethnic minorities into themed comedy shows. “Audiences accept it more than the venues,” he said. “If you look at clubs in particular across the country, in a lot of places, you see black comedians or a black comedy night — the same for lady comedians and gay shows. They still tend to compartmentalize the audiences but if you talk to most gay comedians, they’ll tell you it’s PAGE 22

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

COMEDY from page 21

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much easier to perform for a straight audience than a gay audience. We’re a novelty to a straight audience. To them, it’s fun and different and anything we talk about regarding our culture is a Jacques Cousteau peek into a different world. Gay audiences tend to be extremely judgmental of gay artists from the point of view of, ‘Do you represent me? Do I want you representing me?’ There’s a whole psychology to ‘gay’ in comedy that is so much more complex, [whereas] heterosexual audiences just go to a comedy show to have a good time.” Loekle added that his mainstream TV-show appearances have attracted a significant demographic of fans outside the LGBT community, and sometimes fans with differing political and social views as well. “I probably pull a little more of the other side of the aisle because of the years that I was on TruTV,” he said. “I was on a show for eight years called ‘World’s Dumbest,’ which pulled a very heterosexual, heteronormative, Middle-American crowd. And they were big fans of me and I’m big fans of them. Obviously, the polit-

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JULIE GOLDMAN ical climate has polarized a lot of them. I definitely tend to have more of that demographic in my audience. I haven’t experienced any issues with them and I don’t think Julie has. There are also a lot of quiet gay people who didn’t vote along

progressive lines in this election. I think those people get really quiet when they are in a room full of strangers and understandably so. ‘It’s a volatile time we live in. But I don’t, in recent memory, remember a time when I’ve had somebody stand and said ‘Fuck you! Trump’s our president. Suck it up!’ Luckily we don’t draw that kind of crowd and frankly, in most comedy clubs,

BRAD LOEKLE that kind of behavior went out a long time ago. So, for better or worse, we don’t get those moments like we used to 10 or 15 years ago.” Speaking of “World’s Dumbest,” we asked Loekle if being in a society where people are voluntarily eating Tide Pods means the show will probably never go off the air. “We can make episodes of that show for eternity,” he said. “Humans have no predators anymore except for ourselves. We’re not thinning the herd and people are out there doing the dumbest things. People are doing things that we knew were dumb 50 years ago, like not vaccinating your children so they don’t die. There is no shortage when I look at my phone in the morning of something dumb that happened the night before while I was asleep.” n Julie Goldman and Brad Loekle perform 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at The Rrazz Room, 6426 Lower York Road., New Hope. For more information or tickets, call 888596-1027 or visit www.therrazzroom.com.

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PGN PROFILE

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

Suzi Nash

Mark Sampson, dancing his way around the globe I love the art of dance and, last year, I saw an amazing group of performers at the Prince, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal. When I heard they were coming back, I tracked down one of the performers to get an inside glimpse. I spoke to dancer Mark Sampson via FaceTime between his rehearsals in a beautiful old building that used to be a library, but now functions as office space for the government Arts Council and Ballet Jazz and a number of different arts organizations. PGN: We have a neat place in Philadelphia called the Bok Building that used to be an old trade school and now they rent out the old classrooms to artists and small businesses like designers, jewelers, painters, etc. They also have a bar on the rooftop. It’s really cool. MS: That sounds awesome. I’m so excited to come to Philly. PGN: It’s a great city. Tell me about where you grew up. MS: I grew up all over the place. I was born on the East Coast of Canada, in Sydney, Nova Scotia and then moved to the states when I was 3 years old. We lived in West Virginia for nine years. PGN: Have you always loved dance? MS: Yes. From the age of 3, I’d always dance around the living room and insist that everyone watched. I think my parents got tired of being my solo audience so they enrolled me in dance class. I lived quite an idyllic life. They were both loving, open-minded people who exposed me to a lot of culture that most people don’t get to experience at a young age. When I was about 12, we moved back to Canada to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and they still live there. At 14, I left home to study dance professionally at the National Ballet School of Canada. I studied dance, finished high school and then moved to New York to study at Julliard. They were supportive the entire time. PGN: I read that you got interested in dance from watching a VHS tape of the Irish dancer Michael Flatley’s “Riverdance.” Does that mean that you started dancing with your arms pinned to your sides? MS: [Laughing] I think I was a little too flamboyant to keep my arms at my sides! My intention was probably to do that, but I doubt I executed it very often. I’d watch those tapes every day and then put a cape on and try to get that machismo Michael Flatley “Lord of the Dance” thing going but it didn’t quite fit me. Obviously, I still haven’t mastered it to this day! PGN: [Laughing] I interviewed someone once about an early sign he was gay and he too wore a cape, but then he also fashioned armbands and a tiara out of tin foil and

would spin around on the lawn pretending to be Wonder Woman until his father yelled at him to get inside! MS: Ha! I think my tell was that when I was dancing in West Virginia, I had this blue sequined vest and I wore it everywhere. I thought it was the most gorgeous thing in the world. I thought I was the most fabulous person ever when I wore it. PGN: In West Virginia, you probably were! Yeah, I’d say that was a subtle sign that you were gay. And why were you watching VHS? You’re too young for that! MS: No. I remember VHS. We had it growing up. I distinctly remember the switch to DVDs but we had a lot of old tapes in the house too. A lot of dance tapes and I’d watch them over and over. PGN: There’s a video showing young kids looking at cassette tapes. They had no idea how to work them; they kept pushing spots on the tape to try to make it play. Describe yourself as a kid? MS: I was quite a vibrant child, easily excited about anything and everything. I was very colorful and very loving and I think I had a happiness and enthusiasm that was infectious. And I think that’s carried on through my adulthood, I’m pretty upbeat. I had a LOT of energy, probably too much, which is why I thrived in dance class. It helped direct some of that excess energy in a positive direction. I kind of knew dance was my fate from early on and was quite focused, even at the beginning. PGN: You say you were excitable: Do you recall a Christmas or birthday present that would have sent you squealing like a kid in one of those viral videos? MS: Oh God, yes! Probably several, but the one that stands out was when I was about 10 years old and my mother surprised me with a trip to New York. We traveled a lot when I was a kid and I loved museums and shows, but I’d never been to New York, which was like the be-all, end-all for me. I knew that I needed to get there. I needed to see it, so I was beyond excited. I still remember the joy that I felt when she said we were going. It was pretty exceptional. PGN: You went off to school by yourself at 14. How was that experience? Best and worst parts? MS: I completely loved it. Being a gay man, or boy at the time, it was really easy to be in a ballet school. I didn’t encounter any bigotry or bullying and everyone was quite loving. I had a second family at school. Plus, I was very independent. As much as I love my family, I didn’t have a hard time leaving. we kept in touch and I felt their love from afar every day. I did have some rough times that first year: I

was a little bit chubbier than most dancers when I arrived to study at the National Ballet School and after the first year, I was asked to leave in part because they didn’t think my body was a balletic type. That’s a big challenge for a 14-year-old to handle on his own. I was going through puberty at the time, so my body was changing. I developed some body issues until I developed the fortitude to say I’m good enough as I am, and to move forward. That’s when I really missed my family, because they weren’t there to physically console me. We’d talk on the phone but it wasn’t the same. Luckily, I did get plenty of support but it was a big mental hurdle. It was tough but a good learning experience. I still learn from it today. It gave me a resilience and taught me self-love. I knew I was a dancer, and refused to let anyone stop me. PGN: And especially ironic, because from what I understand when you got accepted to Julliard, one of the teachers said in part,

PGN: So when they asked you to leave National Ballet, that was pretty harsh. MS: Yes. They didn’t so much ask me to leave as they didn’t give me an invitation to come back after the first year. PGN: Ouch! I understand the Julliard audition was pretty tough as well. MS: Yeah, I auditioned in Chicago. It was the only school I applied to because I figured, if this didn’t work out, I’d still have another year at the Winnipeg school to finish. But I knew I wanted to do contemporary dance and Julliard was THE place for it. So I put all my eggs in one basket. My parents came with me and my mom still talks about how the other parents were bragging, “Yeah, my daughter has auditions for 16 different schools” or “My son has 18 auditions scheduled” and she thought with horror, Oh my, he really did put all his eggs in one basket. There were 52 dancers in my audition and five rounds to the audition process. The first part was basic ballet and I didn’t think they’d make a big deal out of it because it was a contemporary school but when it was over, they cut 35 dancers so there were 16 of us left. The next rounds included everything from a modern-dance class to an interview to a challenge and then learning a piece of choreography in 15 minutes. We had to wait six weeks to learn whether or not we made it. It was excruciating! In the end, about eight of us made it through and one of them became my best friend, so it was a neat experience.

PGN: I’m always amazed at how dancers — at least in movies like “Fame” — can go into a room and the choreographer can instruct, “OK, turn, shuffle, jump, twist”— give a whole routine. And then two seconds later, yell, “OK, from the top!” And everyone does it. Does that really happen? MS: Yeah, yeah. It’s pretty intense. You don’t want to Photo: Jeremy Coachman “Mark had good training, a beaube the one that messes up, tiful body, in terms of proportions but I’ve always been a quick and good facility in the hips, physically, I learner so I’m pretty comfortable in those saw that he had tremendous potential.” situations. But it is a lot of information to MS: Yeah. I left National Ballet School process. You have to be on your mental as and went to Winnipeg Ballet School, well as physical game. where I had excellent support. The faculty loved me and gave me lots of help and PGN: You also choreograph. How do you support. And Julliard was the same thing. get ideas? I absolutely adored it. I had many great MS: I’m an art nerd. I like the visual arts, mentors there who truly believed in me. It paintings, photographs, films, plays, and restored my confidence and stability. I get inspired by the PAGE 29

PGN

The

Guide to the Gayborhood

The Philadelphia Gayborhood is roughly centered at Locust and Camac streets. Look for the rainbow street signs at intersections and remember to be aware of your surroundings wherever you go. Boxers

1330 Walnut St. facebook.com/ boxersphl Sports bar with a dozen huge TVs, pool table, brick pizza oven, sports teams specials

Toasted Walnut

Tabu

Woody’s

1316 Walnut St. 215.546.8888 Festively lit women-owned bar complete with a “beer” pong table

<—

Chancellor St.

❍

St. James St.

❍ Locust St.

Manning St.

❍

11th St.

❒

❍

Quince St.

<—

Latimer St.

12th St.

Camac St.

❍

❒

206 S Quince St. 215.627.1662 Levi/leather men’s bar; pool tables, big-screen sports action; basement dress code Walnut St.

❍

The Bike Stop

200 S. 12th St. 215.964.9675 tabuphilly.com Sports bar with food and shows upstairs

202 S. 13th St. 215.545.1893 woodysbar.com Mixed crowd Attatched to Walnut St. bars Rosewood and GloBar

❍

13th St.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

Juniper St.

❍ Spruce St.

❍

Cypress St.

William Way LGBT Community Writer’s Block Rehab Center 1342 Cypress St. 267.603.6960 A cozy, comfortable bar and lounge perfect for escaping the norm

1315 Spruce St. 215.732.2220 waygay.org A resource for all things LGBT

<— <— West of Broad Street Stir Lounge

1705 Chancellor St. 215.732.2700 stirphilly.com Fun two-bar lounge, DJ in the back, regular poker games and specials

The Attic Youth Center

255 S. 16th St. 215.545.4331 atticyouthcenter.org Safe space and programs for LGBTs age 16-23 weekday afternoons and evenings

Voyeur

Knock

U Bar

ICandy

1221 St. James St. 215.735.5772 voyeurnightclub.com After-hours private club; membership required

1220 Locust St. 215.546.6660 Relaxing corner bar, easy-going crowd, popular for happy hour and window watching

225 S. 12th St. 215.925.1166 knockphilly.com Fine-dining restaurant and bar, outdoor seating (weather permitting), piano in back room

254 S. 12th St. 267.324.3500 clubicandy.com Three floors with a total of six bars; dance floor, lounge and rootop deck.

Tavern on Camac Bar X 255 S. Camac St. Bar and dancefloor

255 S. Camac St. 215.545.8731 Piano lounge with upstairs dance floor; Tavern restaurant below is open late.

Pa. bars close at 2 a.m. unless they have a private-club license. Please drink responsibly.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

The Philly POPS get theatrical for Bernstein celebration By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

great open heart and just the ultimate.” Abell noted that one doesn’t have to be steeped in the history of Bernstein or even theater to appreciate this tribute concert. “There’s a lot of comedy in the concert,” he said. “Bernstein had a real-madcap sense of humor. So no one needs to be scared or intimidated by the idea of coming to the Leonard Bernstein concert. You’re definitely going to be entertained. He wanted

Philadelphia will take part in a citywide and nationwide tribute to legendary out composer Leonard Bernstein, to mark what would have been his 100th birthday, with a concert by the Philly POPS Feb. 2-4 at the Kimmel Center. David Charles Abell, a Philly native, will lead the show as the newly appointed POPS principal guest conductor. He said the Philadelphia show celebrating the composer will be unlike any other tribute performance across the country. “It will be unique in Philadelphia,” he said. “No one is doing a show like we’re doing. We are concentrating on Bernstein’s Broadway songs mostly. So that of course includes ‘West Side Story’ and also ‘On the Town,’ ‘Wonderful Town,’ ‘Candide,’ ‘1600 Pennsylvania Avenue’ and ‘MASS,’ which is not really a Broadway show but a theatrical event. Our focus will be on the theater music.” LEONARD BERNSTEIN (ABOVE) AND Abell said these perforDAVID CHARLES ABELL Photo: Bachrach Photo mances have an added significance to him because he worked with Bernstein, who helped to entertain people. Unlike some classical composers at the time, he cared about the guide his career. “It makes it extremely meaningful for audience. He wanted them to laugh and he me because I knew him and he was a huge wanted to move them.” influence on my life,” he said. “It’s proba- Abell said he hopes this series of tribbly because of him that I became a musi- ute performances will show audiences just cian. I met him first when I was 13 and how much of an impact Bernstein had on singing in the boys’ choir for ‘MASS’ at Broadway, and how he changed and chalthe opening of the Kennedy Center in 1971. lenged perceptions of what theater can I was just in awe of him and of that piece, accomplish. which pulled in so many different musical “When I was growing up, he was there. elements, including jazz and rock and clas- He was alive,” Abell said. “He died 28 sical music, and told an extraordinary story. years ago, so it’s been a while, but it’s hard It was a very audacious thing to do, to for me to imagine growing up in a world make a theater piece in the form of a mass, without him. He revolutionized Broadway particularly by a Jewish composer. So that by bringing elements of classical music. He knew all the great composers’ music was one of my early musical experiences. “I was lucky enough to meet him again very well. He was influenced by them. 10 years later,” Abell added. “I was work- He wanted to bring to Broadway a coming with a conductor at Yale and he was plexity and an edginess. Bernstein brought working with Bernstein. We, together, in elements of classical music that were did the 10th-anniversary production of advanced but he felt that the Broadway ‘MASS.’ The following year Bernstein audience could appreciate it, and he was asked me to conduct ‘MASS’ in Berlin, right.” n which turned out to be my professional conducting debut. Basically everybody David Charles Abell leads the Philly POPS in “Lenny’s Revolution: A Centennial Bernstein wanted to be Bernstein. If you were an Celebration,” Feb. 2-4 at The Kimmel center’s American conductor, you wanted to be Verizon Hall, 300 S. Broad St. For more information Leonard Bernstein. He was larger than life, or tickets, visit www.phillyopops.org or call 215-893a brilliant musician, an amazing intellect, a 1999.

STILL GIVING UP THE FUNK: Music pioneer and icon George Clinton leads his influential band Parliament Funkadelic in an evening of roof-raising revelry when they perform 8 p.m. Feb. 8 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside. For more information or tickets, call 215-572-7650.

Theater & Arts Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery Walnut Street Theatre presents Ken Ludwig’s acclaimed adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1902 classic mystery, “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” through Feb. 4, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Copenhagen Lantern Theater Company presents a dramatic mystery about German physicist Werner Heisenberg visiting his old mentor and Danish counterpart Niels Bohr in 1941 while their countries were at war, through Feb. 11 at St. Stephen’s Theater, 923 Ludlow St.; 215829-0395. Design in Revolution: A 1960s Odyssey Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an

exhibition of pop art and psychedelia from the civilrights and anti-war movements Feb. 3-Sept. 9, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. The Humans Walnut Street Theatre presents the Tony Awardwinning new play about a family’s holiday turmoil through March 4, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Josie Long The comedian from London performs 10 p.m. Feb. 2 at Good Good Comedy Theatre, 215 N. 11th St.; 215-3991279. Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble Dance Affiliates presents the preeminent modern-dance company making a triumphant return to Philadelphia after 14 years Feb. 9-10 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215898-3900.

Old Masters Now: Celebrating the Johnson Collection Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of European art from the likes of Botticelli, Bosch, Titian, Rembrandt and Monet through Feb. 19, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Patricia Urquiola: Between Craft and Industry The work of acclaimed designer Urquiola, who creates cool, innovative objects for the home and office, is on display through March 4 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Peter Pan Arden Theatre presents the classic children’s story about the boy who never grows up and spends his days in Neverland foiling Captain Hook, through Feb. 4, 40 N. Second St.; 215-922-1122. Predator The action sci-fi film is screened 8 p.m. Feb. 5 at The Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888. The Revolutionists Theatre Horizon presents a comedy about four badass women trying not to lose their heads in this irreverent, rebellious comedy set during the French Revolution through Feb. 25 at Theatre Horizon, 401 DeKalb St., Norristown; 610283-2230.

Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

dancehall, Afrobeat and everything in between, 10 p.m.2 a.m. Feb. 3 at Pub Webb, 1527 Cecil B. Moore Ave.; https://www. ticketfly.com/ event/1632263. Amateur Drag Night New queens strut their stuff and perform 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at L’Etage, 624 S. Sixth St.; 215-5920656.

MOMENTS OF TRUTH: Out British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard comes to the area for his “Believe Me” tour, where he regales audiences with humor, stories and photos about his extraordinary life and times 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at The Playhouse Theater on Rodney, 1007 N. Market St. For more information or tickets, call 844-765-8432.

Sensitive Guys InterAct Theatre Company presents a drama about safe spaces and an incident that threatens the idea at a liberal-arts university through Feb. 11 at The Drake Proscenium Theatre, 302 S. Hicks St.; 215-5688079. Sp3 FringeArts presents the abstract music and dance performance through Feb. 3, 140 N. Columbus Blvd.; 215-4131318. Tiger Style! Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists present their first full production of their raucous comedy examining the successes and failures of “tiger parenting” from the point of view of a playwright who’s actually been through it, through Feb. 4 at The Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks St.; https:// papatigerstyle. brownpapertickets. com/.

Varujan Boghosian: Master Manipulator Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition featuring works by the artist and collector who scours antique shops and flea markets for materials to use in his imaginative sculptures and collages through April 18, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Music Enter Shikari The hard-rock band performs 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215232-2100. John Oates with the Good Road Band The singersongwriter and other half of Hall & Oates performs 8 p.m. Feb. 6 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

Jay Electronica The rapper performs 8:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.; 215-232-2100. The Funk Hunters The EDM/funk/ soul-fusion group performs 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215222-1400. Machine Head The metal band performs 8 p.m. Feb. 8 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-9221011.

Nightlife Mimi Imfurst Presents Drag Diva Brunch Mimi Imfurst, Bev, Vinchelle, Sutton Fearce and special guests perform 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 3 at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.; 215-606-6555. FADE The alternative queer womxn’s night featuring a playlist of hip hop, alt sounds,

Martha Graham Cracker Philly’s out cabaret star performs 7 and 10 p.m. Feb. 8 at L’Etage, 624 S. Sixth St.; 215-5920656. Big Mouth: Philly’s Lip Sync Tournament Sixteen performers perform for a chance at the grand prize and bragging rights 9-11 p.m. Feb. 8 at Ruba Club, 416 Green St.; 215-627-9831.

Outta Town Burnt Offering The hauntedhouse thriller is screened 9:45 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. Groundhog Day The comedy film about a day that repeats over and over again is screened 1:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. Julie Goldman and Brad Loekle The out comedians perform 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at The Rrazz Room, 6426 Lower York Road., New Hope; 888-5961027. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

Theatre Horizon starts a Revolution(ist) By A.D. Amorosi PGN Contributor In the hands and mouths of San Francisco playwright Lauren Gunderson (writer of 2015’s “Silent Sky”), Theatre Horizon guest director Kathryn MacMillan and four of Philadelphia’s wiliest actresses (Jaylene Clark Owens, Claire Inie-Richards, Jessica Bedford and Charlotte Northeast) will get a little closer to 1789-era Paris this month with “The Revolutionists.” According to Gunderson’s legend, “four badass women” wriggle their witty way through wry rebel comic moments. An assassin, a spy, an author and Marie Antoinette make merry in a burning, warring Paris with “liberté, égalité and sororité” at the forefront. Acting and writing are two parts of the show’s equation at Theatre Horizon. Its third crucial element is the look of the play — creating decadently opulent 18th-century Paris at the time of liberation. Two LGBT-identifying artists, lighting-director Lily Fossner and set-designer Brian Dudekiewicz, form that element. They use shadow, fog and angles of abstraction to create the fanciful feuding France of another century. Fossner and Dudekiewicz — both with resumes filled with bigger shows for larger companies and smaller plays in intimate confines — noted that, more often than not, their initial encounter with any space comes outside of meeting the producers or directors. “My initial exposure is usually through the phone or online and happens after Brian’s involvement, responding to a room filled with collaborators,” said Fossner, who has lit up stages locally for companies such as Act II, The Lantern and 1812 Productions. “From there, it’s important that I am working with people who are open and generous and interested in engaging with one another as well as the material.” Dudekiewicz, a Barrymore Awardnominated designer for his past creations with Theatre Horizon such as “In the Blood,” “A New Brain,” “Fully Committed” and “Black Nativity,” agreed with Fossner and furthered those notions with the need for conversations. “We need to discuss everything that excites us before starting any physical design,” Dudekiewicz said. “I absorb everything discussed to create the world of a play — this play or any play.” For “The Revolutionists,” Fossner and Dudekiewicz said that all initial conversations had to focus on context — not just

the physical location, but rather the comic and emotional tenor and tone. “We had to ascertain what is happening to these four women and [create] a space that responds to how we feel about these ladies, about their struggle and their power,” Dudekiewicz said. “We have to create a world for them where they can be who they want to be. We want to portray the weight and the danger that surround these four characters.” Fossner said her cues as a lighting boss come from Gunderson’s script and its elements of danger.

“We’re illustrating scenes where women go to — spoiler alert — the guillotine. So there’s an abstraction to our staging or sound and our lighting. That is an interesting challenge.” Both Dudekiewicz and Fossner said Theatre Horizon is run by a brilliant batch of women artists and that “The Revolutionists” follows a femme-forward creation. “There’s only one man on staff and there’s me doing this show and beyond that is women running this place — all of which are apt for this play,” Dudekiewicz said. “My experience here is that they’re always excited to create engaging art that doesn’t fit into a single mold. What is beautiful and poetic is that these women in this play speak their mind. Very much like what is happening at this moment, women refuse to be prostituted. If that means that certain men go to jail because of their crimes or that other men don’t get Oscar nominations, then so be it.” Fossner finds the world of Theatre Horizon and The Revolutionists an empowering and rare experience. “This gives me full permission to make the sort of work I crave to make,” he said. And at a time when #MeToo is a living, breathing, forward-moving organism, Theatre Horizon is doing more than staging a play: It’s having a moment. “There are four characters here that are given voice to their anger,” said Fossner. “Their voice is given legitimacy — an unapologetic voice.” n “The Revolutionists” will play through Feb. 25 at Theatre Horizon, 401 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information or tickets, visit www.theatrehorizon.org.

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thoughts that other people put out and my reaction to them. I think of ideas and the images just come into my head. They’re almost surrealist images that I have to translate to dance. So in my mind, I’m a visual artist, but my medium is movement. PGN: Describe the work of the company you’re with now. MS: Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal: They’re a wonderful company to dance with — a lot of young, vibrant, energetic, quite interesting people. We travel all over the world. Last year, we were in France, Germany, Switzerland, China, Hong Kong, the states, all over the place. It’s a dream. PGN: Where are your favorite audiences? MS: My favorite place that we visited was Hong Kong. It was amazing. Such a dynamic city; it’s really Western actually but still has its cultural roots. The best audiences are in Germany. There’s a respect there for contemporary dance that you don’t find many other places. PGN: When I went to Seoul, South Korea, my first thought was, This is just like New York, but bigger. MS: Yeah, they’re such incredible cities and so much like the cities we’re familiar with, but even newer and more contemporary. It’s fascinating. PGN: What was your biggest onstage mishap? MS: Mishaps … I don’t know. Nothing big. I’ve had moments where I’ve forgotten the choreography and had to start improvising. I’ve stumbled and fallen quite a lot. Sometimes my limbs just get out of control and I become a baby deer. PGN: Any crazy performances? I think of Brian Sanders here in Philly. I once asked him about his inspirations and he said, “It can be anything, I can see a cinderblock on the curb and think, I wonder if we could dance with those on our heads?” And sure enough, his next show, the dancers were running around with cinderblocks on their heads! MS: [Laughing] No, I think my wildest was with a classmate at Julliard. He asked me at the last minute to do a cameo in a piece he was doing. I was known at the school for being fairly outrageous. Right before I went on, he gave me heels, a dress and an ugly wig. It was hideous hair. I probably looked more masculine in the dress and wig than I did just as me on a daily basis. I was supposed to just walk across the stage three times eating various pieces of fruits and vegetables — an orange, a banana and then a cucumber, more phallic with each passing. It was absurd and great fun. I loved it. PGN: What fun does LBJM have in store for us in Philly? MS: We’re doing a new work by choreographer Itzik Galili called “Casualties of

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com FEB. 2-8, 2018

Memory,” which is quite a hard-hitting, exciting, energetic piece of work. Pure dance. Though we get to do a little drumming in it, which will be fun. And we’re premiering a piece called, “Dance Me.” We were given the rights to do works based on Leonard Cohen’s music. It’s very meaningful for us especially coming from Montréal but people everywhere will love it, and we’re doing another piece from Itzik called “O Balcao de Amor,” which is really fun and energetic. You’ll notice that a lot of what we do has a lot of energy and joy, but this will be a lighter piece than the other two. PGN: So, here’s a random question. If you invented a robot, what would you call it and what would it do? MS: Oh gosh! I’d call it Xavier and it would clean my floors. I hate doing them. PGN: You need a handsome stranger to buy you a Rumba! MS: [Laughing] Oh yeah, I guess they have those already! But Xavier would clean and mop and take out trash, take care of my house in Montréal when I’m away. PGN: I really want to get there! MS: You have to. It’s such an exceptional city, especially if you’re in the LGBT community. Everyone is so open-minded. PGN: Your name is Sampson. Favorite word that begins with “S”? MS: Sensual! For many, many reasons… PGN: Ooh, good one. A scent that makes you stop and reflect? MS: The scent of baked bread. It brings warm thoughts. PGN: Something interesting about a family member? MS: When she was young, my mom worked for the airlines and since they flew for free, she and a friend would travel all over the world. Spend $100 for a hotel and go to Paris for the weekend. She has some great stories. I’m totally envious. PGN: You must have inherited her wanderlust, as you also travel the world now. MS: That’s true. And instead of paying to go somewhere, I get paid to go there. PGN: What non-dancer would you want to do a duet with? MS: Meryl Streep. Who knows if she can dance, but it would be great just to have a conversation with her. PGN: Is there still a stereotype of ballet dancers being gay? MS: Not really. Many of the dancers I work with are straight. It might allow you to be more in touch with your sensitive side or more self-reflective, but those aren’t gay qualities. Those are qualities of caring people. n To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol.com.

Q Puzzle A Swell Movie Character Across

1. GLAAD fundraiser, e.g. 5. Market bear’s fear 10. Alternative to “Go straight” 14. A shade of the color purple 15. Skater Sonja 16. Langston Hughes was born here 17. Like vanilla sex 18. Including everything 19. S&M response 20. Start of a quote from 62-Across by a swell movie character 23. Un-American idol 24. Mauresmo may win in straight ones 25. Duet partner for Tony Bennett 28. AIDS activist Elizabeth 32. Lyon king 33. Diana, to the Greeks 37. Gershwin

of “Of Thee I Sing” 38. Shaft output 40. Aunt in a Disney film 41. Peter the Great, for example 42. End of the quote 47. GayBFF and others 48. Carrie’s “Star Wars” role 49. Convertible for a bottom? 52. Harvey, in “Torch Song Trilogy” 56. “Guys and Dolls” co-creator Burrows 57. Like clothing that’s hung 61. Nectar inspector 62. Movie about a pregnant teenager 64. With 65-Across, actress who played the pregnant teenager 65. See 64-Across 66. Dating from 67. Terse summons 68. Barbra’s “Funny Girl” guy

69. AIDS flick “Under ___” 70. Strait-laced 71. 42-Across is a play on an expression using this word

Down

1. Family docs 2. What little things mean, in a Cher song 3. Rife with vegetation 4. One that reproduces without sex or adoption 5. Zadan/ Meron musical 6. Kidneyrelated 7. About Uranus? 8. Places to set geraniums 9. Protection for the heads for tight ends 10. Object of a foot fetish 11. “No way!” 12. “Aida” lyricist Tim 13. Type of drama in the land of Samurai 21. Cristina of “Grey’s Anatomy” 22. Some vowels of Sappho 25. Ray who

gets the meat to you fast 26. Nickelodeon explorer 27. In ___ of 29. Sally portrayer of “Cabaret” 30. Type of stimulation 31. Pink on the inside 34. Cubby holes? 35. Some forensic evidence 36. Suffolk, to Shakespeare 39. 9 inches, e.g. 41. Conceptual artist Gaye 43. Apple that isn’t a fruit 44. Rule despotically 45. Long in the

past 46. Lean and sinewy 49. Indian head 50. Manhandle 51. Type of salami hung in a deli 53. Gayfriendlier prez than what we got 54. No longer jail bait 55. Handle on a tractor? 58. Line from “Rent”? 59. Guilty, to Perry Mason 60. GI Jane portrayer 63. Frequently, to Shakespeare 65. Honey holder

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