Philadelphia Gay News Vol. 33 No. 19
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
May 8 - 14, 2009
Maine OKs Candidates court votes Council backs HB 300 marriage By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Maine became the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage this week after the state legislature and governor approved a bill that overturned a ban on such unions. Gov. John Baldacci (D), who had not publicly announced his position on the bill, signed it into law just one hour after it got final legislative approval May 6. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage five years ago, and Connecticut followed suit last year, followed by Iowa and Vermont last month. The issue of marriage equality in California is currently awaiting a state Supreme Court ruling, which is expected in the next few weeks. Maine is now the second state, after Vermont, to legalize same-sex marriage through legislative, rather than judicial, means. “Just one year ago, a single state allowed same-sex couples to marry,” said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese. “Now, with the historic step taken by Gov. Baldacci and the Maine legislature, five states will provide equal dignity, equal respect and equal rights under state law for same-sex couples by recognizing their See MAINE, Page 14
DAN ANDERS
ALAN BUTKOVITZ
BRETT MANDELL
DAN MCCAFFERY
DAN MCELHATTON
DAWN SEGAL
SETH WILLIAMS
JOHN YOUNG
PGN Staff Reports
candidates for their position on LGBT issues of importance: nondiscrimination legislation, On May 19, Philadelphians will go to diversity in hiring, marriage equality and the polls to nominate candidates for district adoption. attorney, city controller and numerous judicial benches. PGN spoke with the CITY CONTROLLER candidates for city controller, current controller Alan Butkovitz and challenger Alan Butkovitz Brett Mandel; leading DA candidates Dan Butkovitz, a native Philadelphian and a McCaffery, Dan McElhatton and Seth former state representative, is wrapping up Williams; openly LGBT judicial candidates his first term as Philadelphia city controller Dan Anders and Dawn Segal; and Superior and is seeking reelection to the position. Court candidate Judge John Younge, who During his tenure as a state legislator, has been a friend to the LGBT community 1991-2005, Butkovitz said he voted for in his years on the bench. legislation to include the LGBT community PGN asked the Democrats the same questions for each position, and asked all See CANDIDATES, Page 12
In a unanimous vote April 30, Philadelphia City Council approved a resolution that urges the Pennsylvania House to approve a nondiscrimination bill that would extend protections to the LGBT community. The resolution, which was introduced by Councilwoman-at-Large Blondell Reynolds Brown (D) and Frank DiCicco (D-1st Dist.) late last month, expresses support for House Bill 300 and encourages state legislators to vote in favor of the bill. HB 300 would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The bill was passed out of the House State Government Committee in March and is currently awaiting approval by the Appropriations Committee. Reynolds Brown noted that while she usually focuses her Council work on youth, the arts and small businesses, she believes she’s developed a reputation for being a “champion and reliable advocate for the rights of minorities and women, and the LGBT community is certainly no different.” She said she and DiCicco spoke with See COUNCIL, Page 15
House passes hate-crimes bill Judge denies new murder trial By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer The U.S. House approved a bill last week that would add protections for LGBT individuals to the federal hate-crimes law. Legislators voted 249-175 in favor of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act on April 29. The bill, also known as the Matthew Shepard Act, would expand the 1969 hatecrimes law to include sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and mental or physical disability; provide funding to local and state agencies to investigate hate crimes; remove the current stipulation that offenses must be committed while a victim is engaging in a federally protected activity; and provide the Justice Department greater jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. “All Americans are one step closer to protection from hate violence thanks
to today’s vote,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, last week. “Hate crimes are a scourge on our communities and it’s time we give law enforcement the tools they need to combat this serious problem.” The day before the vote, President Obama issued a statement urging the House to pass the legislation, and Solmonese said the Senate should heed the president’s message and not “delay in passing this bill into law.” U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced a companion version of the bill in the Senate on April 28, along with 33 cosponsors. Both senators from Pennsylvania, Robert Casey (D) and Arlen Specter (D), signed on as cosponsors. The bill is currently in the Judiciary Committee. U.S. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and
By Timothy Cwiek PGN Writer-at-Large
William F. Smithson’s quest for a new murder trial has received a preliminary setback. Delaware County Common Pleas Judge Barry C. Dozor, who presided over Smithson’s trial, has declined a request by Smithson to overturn his first-degree murder conviction. Dozor issued the denial in an opinion issued April 23. But Smithson’s attorneys are preparing a more extensive appeal to be filed in state Superior Court. Advocates for Smithson say his initial trial, held in November 2008, was dominated by homophobia, making it difficult for jurors to objectively determine the truth. Smithson, 44, stands convicted of strangling to death coworker Jason See HATE CRIMES, Page 9 Shephard, 23, during the early-morning
hours of Sept. 19, 2006, while Shephard was visiting Smithson’s home in Thornbury, Delaware County. Smithson slipped the “date-rape” drug, gamma-hydroxybutric (GHB) acid, into Shephard’s Gatorade prior to trying to rape him. Then he strangled Shephard with some type of ligature, according to the prosecution. Smithson denies the allegations and claims prosecutors haven’t adequately examined the actions of a third man in his house that morning, F. Bruce Covington. Covington acknowledged bringing illicit drugs to Smithson’s residence at the time of Shephard’s death but has denied knowing anything about the homicide. Covington remains free on bail, facing several drug-related charges in Montgomery and Delaware counties. He’s also accused of lying to police about his whereabouts at See SMITHSON, Page 15
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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News
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Editorial 10 International News 17 Letters/Feedback 11 11 Mark My Words 7 Media Trail 5 News Briefing 7 National News 10 Other Views 5 Regional News 11 Street Talk
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
Rainbow overshadows rain
Dinner and a show
Hundreds rallied on Independence Mall May 3 on the last day of this year’s Equality Forum.
Dining Out for Life recognized two individuals at this year’s VIP dinner at Parc on Rittenhouse Square.
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Publisher
Mark Segal (ext. 204) mark@epgn.com
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Art Director Christopher Potter design@epgn.com
Detour Comics Dining Guide Diversions Portraits Meeting Place Q Puzzle Scene in Philly Worth Watching
Staff Writers Jen Colletta (ext. 215) jen@epgn.com
27 30 34 26 36 27 25 33
Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) Graphic Artist Sean Dorn (ext. 211) sean@epgn.com
Family Portraits:
“OUTRAGE” on the big screen
Stella Blu The remodeled Conshohocken restaurant has an upscale look with homemade taste.
Melissa Kolczynski Page 21
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Classifieds Directories
Photographer/Graphic Artist Scott A. Drake (ext. 216) scott@epgn.com Advertising Manager Greg Dennis (ext. 201) greg@epgn.com Advertising Sales Representatives Kelly Root (ext. 207) kelly@epgn.com
Features CD Reviews Offline OUT Online
Editor Sarah Blazucki (ext. 206) sarah@epgn.com
Morgan Levine morgan@epgn.com (ext. 212)
28 22 23
37 42
National Advertising Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863
CDs
Worth Watching
Offline
Out Online
Depeche Mode, Erasure and VNV Nation
Adele is on “Ugly Betty”
Things to do this month
Out on campus
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Poll results from our survey ending May 6: Which movie are you most looking forward to seeing this summer?
Atlantic City gets the B-52s
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DIRECTOR MEGHANN WILLIAMS “The Little Dog Laughed” at The Adrienne Page 29
13% 13%
Angels & Demons
13%
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
25%
Star Trek
35%
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Bruno
Go to www.epgn.com to vote on this week’s question: Page 35
What is your favorite network for LGBT shows?
Office Manager/Classifieds Don Pignolet (ext. 200) don@epgn.com Executive Assistant Credit/Billing Manager Carol Giunta (ext. 202) carol@epgn.com Philadelphia Gay News is a member of: The Associated Press National Gay Newspaper Guild Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Published by Masco Communications Inc. © 2008 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-5155
The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned “Editorial” column. Opinions expressed in bylined columns, stories and letters to the editor are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of PGN. The appearance of names or pictorial representations in PGN does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that named or pictured person or persons.
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Regional
News Briefing
Marriage still priority for SF mayor
PAC members view Morris records
By Jen Colletta PGN Exclusive The California Supreme Court has less than a month to issue its ruling on Proposition 8, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom — whose decision to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples five years ago set Prop. 8 in motion — has not wavered in his confidence that, with or without a favorable court ruling, the Sunshine State will eventually see marriage equality. Newsom was in Philadelphia last Saturday to accept Equality Forum’s 14thannual International Role Model Award at the International Equality Dinner. Newsom, 42, has become one of the most recognizable ally voices on marriage equality since February 2004, when he directed the San Francisco city clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Newsom said he was motivated to take that action following the 2000 voter-approved Proposition 22 ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage in the constitution. “The whole idea was to frame the debate by putting a human face on it,” Newsom told PGN. “You can’t advance a constitutional amendment to write discrimination into the constitution without doing it with a sense of responsibility that this isn’t about a constitution, it’s about human beings, friends and family members, loved ones. That was the whole idea. But never did we imagine that a month would go by and 4,036 other couples would be married from 48 states and eight countries.” The California Supreme Court placed a halt on the marriages in March and several months later invalidated all of the same-sex marriages performed during that time. Several of the couples launched lawsuits against the state, which led to last year’s Supreme Court ruling that overturned Prop. 22 and legalized same-sex marriage. About 18,000 same-sex couples tied the knot in the state last year before voters approved Prop. 8 in November, again barring same-sex marriage. Newsom said that while he hadn’t foreseen the wide-ranging effects of his 2004 decision, he was prepared for the backlash his directive would ignite, which he said he felt from all sides. “I certainly understood the controversy it would create. And the controversy incidentally was hardly just from the religious right or the more conservative parts of the country,” Newsom said. “It came from all parties, from elders and leaders throughout my party that were very much upset that we were moving forward. People were making the same arguments that we were moving too much, too fast, too soon
and that we should just be patient and one day somehow things would start to take shape. It was a remarkable reaction early on.” Late last month, Newsom announced his bid to run for governor of the state and will face nine other Democratic candidates, including former California governor and current state attorney general Jerry Brown, who argued for the overturning of Prop. 8, in the June primary. Newsom said that, if elected, he would “certainly sign [marriageequality] legislation in a second.” “We’ve watched Gov. Schwarzenegger not once, but twice, veto marriage equality,” he said. “That’s pretty remarkable when you consider that he’s advanced, at least rhetorically, in his perspective of inclusivity and antidiscrimination. SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM AT THE He was given the rare CONSTITUTION CENTER Photo: Scott A. Drake opportunity to not pass legislature and signed by the governor it just once but twice and to make up for his mistake, but he twice — that would contravene that constitution unconstitutional. So we’ll have to go in front rejected it.” The future of marriage equality in of voters again to change that constitution California now lies with the state Supreme back; isn’t that ironic? But it’s inevitable; Court, which has until June 3 to issue its we’d work to fight to advance another ruling on several lawsuits, including one initiative. It’s a terrible thing because the from the city of San Francisco, that charge whole idea of extending to the voters the that Prop. 8 was passed unconstitutionally. rights of a minority to determine their fate Marriage-equality advocates argue that the is exactly why we have a constitution and ballot measure should have been considered courts. But we’re compelled by the nature a constitutional revision — a major revision of the constitutional amendment that was that would have required approval by the promoted and advanced by voters to do state legislature before being posed to that.” While many legal experts have proffered voters — rather than an amendment. Brown also asserted that the court needs to evaluate that the court is likely to uphold Prop. 8, whether Prop. 8 overrode “inalienable Newsom said the court could also hand rights” that same-sex couples have, which down a middle-of-the-road ruling. “You never know what could happen,” he he contended it did. If the court upholds Prop. 8, Newsom said said. “There’s a lot of speculation, perhaps marriage-equality advocates must again more idle than real, that the Supreme Court pose the question of same-sex marriage to could issue a decision that opens up a door to a third option. You never know with this the public. “There’s only one strategy: We have to court. But they are sitting on this longer go back in front of the voters. We don’t than people expected.” ■ have any other choice because what the voters did is change a constitution to make Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn. any law — even one passed through the com.
A contingent of the city’s Police Advisory Commission visited the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office on April 30 to view additional records in the Nizah Morris homicide. William M. Johnson, executive director of the PAC, confirmed the meeting took place, but declined to offer additional details, citing a non-disclosure agreement between the PAC and the DA’s Office. Morris, 47, was a transgender woman found with a fatal head wound shortly after receiving a courtesy ride from Philadelphia police during the earlymorning hours of Dec. 22, 2002. She died two days later, from complications due to a fractured skull. In August, PAC members subpoenaed the DA’s Office for all cell-phone records, interview memoranda and search warrants related to those records within the DA’s Morris file. Instead of complying with the subpoena, the DA’s Office offered a visual review of additional Morris records, which the PAC accepted. The DA’s Office first required PAC members to adhere to a non-disclosure agreement that limits their right to publicly disclose the contents of the records they viewed. Johnson said PAC members will give an update on the case at their next public meeting, 7 p.m. May 13 at 34 S. 11th Street, sixth floor. — Timothy Cwiek
Group honors openly gay city leader Dr. Donald Schwarz, the openly gay deputy mayor for health and opportunity and health commissioner, will be the guest of honor at The Center for Families and Relationships’ 15th Anniversary Benefit Gala, 6:30 p.m. May 9 at the Torresdale Frankford Country Club, Frankford and Grant avenues in the Northeast. The organization, which provides counseling and support to low-income families, will present Schwarz with its fifth annual Daniel Gottlieb Humanitarian Award during the event. The black-tie-optional gala will feature such raffle prizes as a one-week stay in Brigantine, N.J., valued at $2,000. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cfarcounseling.org or call (215) 272-7180 or (267) 334-7574. ■
— Jen Colletta
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Every week.
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
DINNER IS SERVED: Kevin Burns (far right), executive director of ActionAIDS, welcomes diners and special guests Nancy Becker (from left), media and marketing director of 15 Minutes Inc.; local restaurateur Stephen Starr; Laureno Farinas, president of the ActionAIDS board of directors; Tim Mahoney, president and chief marketing officer of Subaru of America; and Mayor Nutter to the April 30 Dining Out for Life at Parc in Rittenhouse Square. More than 200 restaurants in the Philadelphia area participated in the event, which has been raising money for ActionAIDS and other local HIV/ AIDS organizations since 1990. Starr and Mahoney received this year’s Friend for Life Awards in recognition of their continued support of ActionAIDS and Dining Out for Life. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Local, state leaders to marshal Pride By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer When this summer’s Pride parade sets off en route to Penn’s Landing, it will be led by a collection of individuals who’ve marshalled countless efforts to promote LGBT equality. Philly Pride Presents, which organizes the annual Pride celebration, recently announced that Steve Glassman, chair of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and Rue Landau, chair of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, will serve as the grand marshals of this year’s Pride parade, June 14. “This is a way of recognizing these people who’ve gone beyond what is expected of them to help make sure the gay community has basic rights,” said Franny Price, president of Philly Pride Presents. Price noted that Glassman has been a stellar representative for the LGBT community in statelevel, as well as local, legislative issues. “Steve has always been working for our community, and not just in Philadelphia but throughout the entire state,” Price said. Glassman expressed gratitude at having been chosen to lead the event. “I’m deeply honored and looking forward to celebrating our
pride with the rest of the LGBT community,” Glassman said. Landau, who became the first out lesbian appointed to lead the PCHR when Mayor Nutter selected her last summer, has also been a strong advocate for the community. Landau successfully led the effort to reinstate the transfer-tax benefit for domestic partners in the city and has spearheaded the commission’s investigations into numerous antiLGBT discrimination cases. “Rue’s a great advocate for the local LGBT community and is always out there working for equality,” Price said. Landau said she was proud to represent both the LGBT community and the PCHR in the upcoming parade. “It is quite an honor to be chosen as one of the grand marshals for this year’s parade,” Landau said. “As our community continues to fight for equality and justice, it’s important to highlight the PCHR’s role in protecting the rights of the LGBT community.” Additionally, two young LGBT advocates, Sergio Morales and Talya Washington, will serve as the parade’s youth grand marshals. Morales and Washington, both 20, have been involved at The Attic Youth Center for a number of years. Carrie Jacobs, executive director of The Attic, said Morales, who
worked on the organization’s peer support prevention program, is a “great role model for the younger kids” and noted that Washington has been a tireless advocate for LGBT-rights issues, calling her an “activist-in-training.” Jacobs noted that the youth grand marshal positions provide young LGBT individuals some rarely given but deserved acknowledgment. “This is a great opportunity for the community to recognize our youth, and it’s also a great opportunity for the youth also so that they can really feel like a part of the community in a way that they’re not usually given an opportunity to because they’re younger,” Jacobs said. In addition to the marshals, Pride organizers chose Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector James Tiano as this year’s Friend of Pride. Price said Tiano, the police liaison to the LGBT community, has been integral to improving police-community relations. “He’s helped create a relationship between the police and the gay community that wasn’t really there before,” she said. For more information about this year’s Pride celebration, visit www.phillypride.org. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
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Media Trail Married gays can still be discharged The Des Moines Register reports gay military servicemembers who are legally married in Iowa can still be discharged from the Iowa National Guard under a federal law that prevents homosexuals from openly serving. The federal ban, known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and approved by Congress in 1993, takes precedence over the Iowa Supreme Court ruling in April that legalized same-sex marriage. The Iowa National Guard is prevented from implementing the recent marriage ruling for its personnel because it is a federal military organization.
Court allows school to expel lesbians BRINGING THEIR OWN RAINBOWS: Nathaniel Frank, an openly gay researcher and author and one of the leading voices against the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, speaks to the soggy crowd at last weekend’s National Equality Rally at Independence Hall. Despite the driving rain, several hundred people assembled May 3 in front of Independence Hall carrying rainbow signs and even some rainbow umbrellas for the event — billed as the first national LGBT rally since 2000 and the first ever held outside of Washington, D.C. The rally, organized as the capstone of Equality Forum’s week of events and held at the site of the Reminder Day LGBT demonstrations in the 1960s, featured speeches by Frank Kameny, one of the original gay pioneers who helped organize the rallies 40 years ago; openly gay Harrisburg City Councilman Dan Miller; and Mazzoni Center executive director Nurit Shein. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Transgender Army vet wins federal suit By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer A federal judge last week found in favor of a transgender Army veteran who accused a federal agency of employment discrimination, awarding her nearly $500,000. U.S. District Judge James Robinson ruled April 28 that Diane Schroer, who spent 25 years in the Army and served as a Special Forces commander, was unjustly treated by the Library of Congress. Schroer was offered a job as a terrorism analyst with the Library in 2004, but when she informed her supervisor that she was planning to transition to become a woman, the offer was rescinded. “I served our country because I believed in an America that is committed to ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to have a meaningful life,” Schroer said after the ruling. “That belief was shaken when I was told I wasn’t worthy to do what I trained my entire life to do because I happen to be transgender.” The judge ruled that Schroer was entitled to $491,190 in back pay and damages — $300,000 for emotional pain and suffering, $183,653 in back pay and an additional $7,500 for court expenses — the maximum compensation that she could have received. “The court understood the senseless harm that is caused by discrimination, and that gives me hope that others will also,” Schroer
said. In an earlier ruling, Robinson said that under federal law, the Library could not discriminate against an individual because of his or her decision to transition to another gender. In last week’s ruling, Robinson also noted that the Library was guilty of sex stereotyping, as Schroer did not live up to general assumptions about what a male or female should look like. Sharon McGowan, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT Project and lead attorney on the case, said she hopes the ruling will underscore the effects of discrimination that LGBT people and other minorities often experience in the workplace. “The decision from the court sends an extremely clear message that not only is employment discrimination wrong in the sense that it’s against the law and employers will be subject to liability if they engage in discrimination, but it also articulated in a very clear way why discrimination is so devastating to the lives of people who suffer from it,” McGowan said. “It was as much a call to everyone in society to end the scourge of discrimination because all of us suffer when people are denied opportunities to participate to the fullest extent, based on something like gender identity, which has absolutely nothing to do with someone’s job qualifications.”
McGowan said the Library, which made several unsuccessful motions in the past few years to have the case dismissed, will have up to two months to file an appeal to the ruling. The Library did not return calls for comment. Openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (DMass.) expressed dismay at the Library’s actions, but said the case could further illustrate to Congressmembers the need for a federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would provide workplace protections for the LGBT community. “As a member of Congress, I am deeply distressed that the Library of Congress practiced discrimination in the name of the institution in which I serve,” Frank said. “It is my hope that in this Congress, we will act to provide needed legal protection for people like Diane Schroer who suffer acts of discrimination.” McGowan noted that last week’s ruling serves as an “explicit statement of the principles that President Obama stood for on his campaign trail and since he’s become president,” and that she’s hopeful he’ll support not only the ruling, but also spearhead efforts to prohibit LGBT employment discrimination in the federal government. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn. com.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the California Supreme Court left intact on April 29 a lower-court ruling that said a private school could expel students it believed were lesbians. The court denied review of an appeal by the parents of two girls who were expelled from a high school in Riverside County. A lawyer for the parents said the ruling would allow private schools to discriminate against students on any basis they chose. In 2005, the two juniors at California Lutheran High School in the town of Wildomar were expelled. In January, the Fourth District Court of Appeal in San Bernardino said the school is not a business but a social organization entitled to follow its principles.
No bathroom breaks for gay students Advocate.com reports 15 students protested outside a Frankfort, Ky., high school on May 1 after an official advised teachers to bar gay students from leaving class to use the restroom. Franklin County High School assistant principal Karen Buzard sent the e-mail after two female students were reportedly seen kissing in a bathroom. A statement on the school’s Web site said the directive was “that certain students should not be allowed to leave the classroom during class because they had been in violation of school rules. All students have time between classes to use the facilities.” Protesters waved rainbow flags and signs that read, “Honk if you’re gay” and “We have a right to pee.” ■ — Larry Nichols
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New Hope celebrates family, community pride By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer With Philly’s Pride still over a month away, the local LGBT community can get its next dose of gaiety at New Hope Celebrates Pride, May 15-17. The event will feature the annual array of entertainment, activities, tours and parties — which are expected to draw more than 5,000 to the small riverside town — and this year will place special emphasis on the inclusion of LGBT families. Dan Brooks, NHC president, said the organization aimed to design family-friendly programs and that, while in the planning stages, the organization received calls from Gay Parent magazine and Sesame Place, which were eager to sponsor the festivities. “This was pretty huge,” Brooks said. “Sesame Place has not participated like this in any GLBT activities before. The reach-out effort on their part is greatly appreciated.” Lauren Weil, secretary of the NHC board, is organizing the family-friendly component at this year’s pride. Weil, who has two children with her partner of 11 years, said the family events fit well into the week, as they encourage participation by all LGBT and ally supporters, not just LGBT families.
LAST YEAR’S PRIDE FESTIVITIES IN NEW HOPE Photo: Mark Margraff
“New Hope is very open and accepting and Pride is really community-oriented,” she said. “There are parents whose kids go to school with mine and while they’re not gay, they’re like, ‘Absolutely, we’ll come and we’ll march with you.’ It’s really important for my kids and other kids with families like ours to see people around them are supporting them.” For May 16 Pride parade, LGBT families and allies interested in marching will gather at 11:30 a.m. at the parking lot of New HopeSolebury High School, 180 W. Bridge St. From 2:30-4:30 p.m. that day, “Family Fun and Fitness” will
be held on the grounds of the New Hope-Solebury Elementary School, and from 2:30-4:30 p.m. the following day, parents and kids are invited to the “Proud to be Families and Friends Afternoon Tea Dance” at Kehilat HaNahar, 85 W. Mechanic St., which will feature music from Sounds by Shelly. The festivities will also offer plenty of activities for LGBT and ally individuals sans kids, such as the May 12 “Flower Power BINGO” at the Eagle Volunteer Fire Co., 46 N. Sugan Road, which has a ticket price of $14. From 6-8 p.m. May 13 at Havana’s, 105 S. Main St., the
Bridge Professional Network Group will host a networking dinner — which includes a threecourse prix-fixe option for $20 — during which NHC organizers will honor this year’s NHC grant recipients, The Trevor Project, Philadelphia FIGHT, FACT Bucks County and the William Way LGBT Community Center. Each organization will receive $500 from NHC and an additional $500 from the New Hope Chamber of Commerce. On May 15, Harlans at The Nevermore, 6426 Lower York Road, will present the audienceparticipation mind-reading show “Mind Gaymes” at 8:30 p.m. Visitors can also stop by the annual “Pumpkin’s Pride Review” at 9 p.m. at John & Peter’s Place, 96 S. Main St., and “Girl’s Night Out” at Triumph Brewing Company, 400 Union Square, featuring the Christine Martucci Band at 10 p.m. The noon parade the following day will feature such entertainers as the D.C. Cowboys, the New York City Big Apple Corps, ANT from Comedy Central’s “Last Comic Standing” and DJ Mark Picchiotti of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” as well as U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (DEighth Dist.) and dozens of other individuals and groups. The day will also feature a softball tournament, LGBT art
displays and history tours. At 10 p.m., the Josh Zuckerman Band will take the stage at Triumph, followed by DJ Ron Blessington. Actor Kelly McGillis will host “Sing Out Loud and Proud 2009,” beginning at 2 p.m. May 17 at the Stephen Buck Auditorium in the high school, which will feature a performance by ANT. Picchiotti and other entertainers will headline the “Proud to Be” closing event at The Nevermore from 4-10 p.m. Brooks noted that although NHC had some difficulties locating funding sources for this year’s event, in light of the economic conditions, twice the number of LGBT and mainstream organizations and individuals in the New Hope area contributed to the event than last year. Brooks said the diverse donor base is a reflection of the eclectic crowd that gathers for Pride. “I think there’s an atmosphere here that you’re not going to find elsewhere,” he said. “The people who participate in the events and attend the parade are such a diverse mix. It’s worth the 45-minute trip just to be a part of the awesome crowd.” For more information about the NHCP events, visit www. newhopecelebrates.com. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
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Abington pol honored in national lesbian magazine By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer This month’s issue of Curve Magazine features an array of news stories, advice columns, a summer-travel preview and an interview with Pam Grier of “The L Word.” Also included on the glossy pages of the national lesbian publication is a profile of a local politician, whose commitment to her constituents and the LGBT community earned her a distinctive title from the awardwinning magazine. Curve included Abington Township Commissioner Lori Schreiber in an article about 10 powerful lesbian politicians in the country. Schreiber was the only elected official from Pennsylvania to make the list. Schreiber has served on the township’s board of commissioners since 2005, when she unseated a 24-year incumbent, and faces reelection this year. In addition to her duties as a commissioner, Schreiber, 50, is a part-time faculty member at both Montgomery County Community College and Penn State Abington and has taught at numerous other institutions, such as East Stroudsburg University and the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science, now Philadelphia University. Schreiber also serves as the community liaison for MCCC’s POWER Program, a careercounseling service for people with mental illness that she helped to
HATE CRIMES From Page 1 Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) introduced the House bill, HR 1913, April 2 with 42 cosponsors; its support eventually grew to 95 cosponsors. Of the 19 representatives from Pennsylvania, Reps. Bob Brady (D-1st Dist.), Joe Sestak (D-7th Dist.), Patrick Murphy (D-8th Dist.), Michael Doyle (D-14th Dist.) and Todd Russell Platts (R19th Dist.) cosponsored HR 1913. The House passed a version of the bill in the last legislative session and a Senate amendment was was withdrawn after a veto pledge from then-President George W. Bush. Currently, 32 states have hate-
LORI SCHREIBER
create in 2006. Schreiber, who moved to Abington about 20 years ago, volunteered for Pennsylvania Rep. Josh Shapiro’s (D-153rd Dist.) successful 2004 campaign, and the representative encouraged her to take on a leadership role in her community. “Right after Josh’s election, I was on a committee looking for people to run for the board of commissioners, and Josh said to me, ‘Why don’t you run?’ And then it all just came together,” she said. Schreiber said that since the time she decided to run for office, she’s been committed to being open about her sexuality. “I talked to a number of elected people that I was friendly with, such as Josh Shapiro, [U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania] Allyson Schwartz and [former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania] Joe Hoeffel, crimes laws that are inclusive of sexual orientation, 11 of which also extend protections based on gender identity and expression. Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-38th Dist.) quietly introduced a bill in the Pennsylvania Senate in February that seeks to add sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, ancestry and mental or physical disability as protected classes under the state’s Ethnic Intimidation Act. The state legislature had approved such changes to the law in 2002 but, following a suit from antigay group Repent America, the Commonwealth Court ruled in 2007 that the revisions were made unconstitutionally, citing a procedural technicality. The bill, which has eight
about how they thought I should come out. I’m a big believer in open government, and I think that elected officials should be as accessible and transparent as possible. We decided to address it from the beginning, and when we made the announcement that I was going to run, I included a mention about my partner and just came out from the beginning.” Throughout the past four years, Schreiber has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at revitalizing Roslyn, the area she represents. Schreiber launched two large street festivities — a film festival and a pet fair — which have become annual events and has also been influential in pushing for the expansion of the Roslyn Library to include an arts and cultural center, which she said is now underway. Schreiber, who is running unopposed in next month’s Municipal Primary but will face a Republican challenger in the November election, said that, if reelected, she would be grateful for the continued opportunity to heighten the visibility of the LGBT community. “[The gay community] is really an underrepresented voice, and we need to have more diversity in our government; we only can make inroads if we demystify who we are.” For more information about Schreiber, visit www.lorischreiber. com. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com. cosponsors, is currently in the state Senate Judiciary Committee. Before last week’s House of Representatives vote, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said the bill’s pseudonym is inaccurate, arguing that Matthew Shepard, an openly gay Wyoming college student who was beaten, tied to a fence and later died, was the victim of a robbery and not a hate crime, calling the latter notion a “hoax.” Foxx’s comment sparked outrage among LGBT and ally individuals. Foxx sent Shepard’s mother, Judy — who had been in the House gallery when the comments were made — an apology earlier this week. ■
PGN
www.epgn.com
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Editorial Barring bullying in our schools The Safe Schools Improvement Act, introduced this week in the U.S. House of Representatives, seeks to ensure that students, including LGBT youth, are free from bullying in the classroom. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) on May 5, would require that public schools that receive federal Safe and DrugFree Schools and Communities Act funding employ comprehensive anti-bullying policies that specifically prohibit harassment motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation has been introduced three times previously and, most recently, died in committee last year. The bill has received widespread support from such organizations as the National Safe Schools Partnership, the American Association of School Administrators, the National Parent-Teacher Association and the American Federation of Teachers. In addition to the policy requirement, the legislation would also call for school districts to track cases of bullying in order for further understanding of the motivations and effects of classroom harassment. According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, these effects are often particularly devastating for LGBT students. GLSEN’s 2007 National School Climate Survey found that more than 86 percent of LGBT students surveyed had experienced harassment at school, which led more than 60 percent of them to feel unsafe at their schools and nearly a third of them to skip a day of school within a one-month period. The study found that the higher the level of harassment, the lower the students’ attendance, which had a profound impact on their academic performance. Last month, GLSEN released statistics on Pennsylvania LGBT students, who reported higher levels of harassment than the national average in every category that GLSEN analyzed. Nearly 90 percent of local LGBT students included in the study had experienced verbal harassment, and more than 50 percent of the students said the bullying had progressed to physical harassment. Pennsylvania, along with 42 other states, does not currently have a statewide LGBT-inclusive school bullying law. Academic consequences pale in comparison to the other effects that anti-LGBT bullying can have on students. Just last month, Jaheem Herrera, an 11year-old boy from Massachusetts, hung himself after facing constant antigay taunts from his classmates. With such a vast majority of states lacking comprehensive plans to deter bullying of students for sexual-orientation or gender-identity issues, a federal law is the most effective approach to stemming the tide of classroom harassment. Although the federal government can’t legislate what parents teach their children about acceptance and tolerance, it does have the power — and the obligation — to ensure that American schools are places where all of our youth can grow and learn without the presence and pressure of bigotry. ■
Glenn Lash (glennlash@yahoo.com)
Other Views
Jennifer Vanasco
Pushing Obama for more By the end of Barack Obama’s first 100 days, it became clear: Gays and lesbians are not this president’s priority. He stopped mentioning us, except for two notable cases: the brouhaha surrounding the invitation of the Rev. Rick Warren to give the inaugural prayer and the call to Congress to support including sexual orientation and gender identity in hate crimes. Then, at just about the 100-day mark, bloggers started pointing out something disturbing: WhiteHouse. gov had stripped its “civil rights” page of almost all things gay. It narrowed down promises to the LGBT community from eight to three, and from a half-page to a few sentences. When bloggers called the White House to protest, some of the promises came back, including a full repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” — but talk of repealing the Defense of Marriage Act had disappeared. What also disappeared was this moving quote from Obama himself, on June 1, 2007, when he was still in campaign mode and working for our votes: “While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights
is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It’s about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.” When blogger John Aravosis called the White House to ask what was going on, this is what he was told: “Recently we overhauled the issues section to concisely reflect the President’s broad agenda, and will continue to update these pages. The President’s commitment on LGBT issues has not changed, and any suggestions to the contrary are false.” Well. Maybe we’d believe that Obama’s commitment hasn’t changed if we saw some action on our issues, instead of almost complete avoidance. Obama made that call for hatecrimes legislation, great. Of course, that was the easiest of our issues to get behind — it is supported by the majority of our police forces and attorneys general, after all. And yes, he’s facing big issues — the economic meltdown, two wars, now a retiring Supreme Court justice. But in his first 100 days, he was somehow able to make it easier
for women to sue for equal pay, lift Bush’s ban on stem-cell research, lift the traveling restrictions for Cuban Americans to Cuba and protect 2 million acres of wilderness. In other words, he made significant, sweeping change in government and for some groups of people, change that is only tangentially related — if at all — to the economy or to the wars. We’ve seen change, all right. Good change. For others. But we haven’t seen change for gays and lesbians and we haven’t seen proof of commitment to our issues. Campaign promises are campaign promises. It is not enough that Obama said he was our “fierce advocate” during the campaign. He needs to now show us that he is our president as well. Obama is a good president. But we are clearly not his priority. He has forgotten, perhaps, that we are part of America’s “founding promise.” Which means we need to stop being patient, stop giving him time and start raising our voices until we are heard. ■ Jennifer Vanasco is an awardwinning syndicated columnist. Email her at Jennifer.Vanasco@gmail. com.
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Mark My Words
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Street Talk
Mark Segal
Republican Party, stuck in the past In March, I suggested in this column that Sen. Arlen Specter change parties since, as we pointed out, it was doubtful he could win a Republican primary. Since then, polls have made that point crystal clear and it finally got across to the good senator. But there were two other reasons I made that suggestion in that column. The first was that Specter had a great voting record on LGBT issues, and second — and maybe most telling — is that he could help bring about the passage of LGBT legislation in the U.S. Senate by making it a solid 60 filibusterbreaking majority. What we didn’t say and should be pointed out is that maybe nowhere else in the nation is the Republican Party more in the Dark Ages than here in Pennsylvania. And Specter’s words were correct: There is no moderate Republican Party in Pennsylvania. The Republican Party in Pennsylvania is stuck in the past. Let’s prove it by one, and only one, fact.
There are 25 states that outlaw some form of discrimination against the LGBT community. Pennsylvania is not one of them. Each time a relevant measure is introduced in the legislature, the Republicans do whatever it takes to stop it. As we reported last week, the current nondiscrimination bill in the Pennsylvania House has no less than 40 negative amendments. The party of no civil rights is bent on staying in the past. Not only do they still adore our former junior, and ultra-right-winger, Sen. Rick Santorum, but reports are swirling that Republican Party elders have now gone back to the past to ask former antigay-rights Gov. Tom Ridge to run against Specter. Last summer, while Ridge was being considered as a vice-presidential candidate, we dedicated a column to his constant stand in the doorway of civil rights. We called Ridge to offer him the chance to update or change his position but he refused to reply. Seems that Ridge and the Pennsylvania Republican Party are still stuck in America’s past. ■ Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com.
Letters and Feedback In response to “Former COLOURS director indicted,” May 1-6 Wow! It was only a matter of time. — Sex Ed For such a small organization with meager funds, the staff really seemed to pick what crumbs were available for themselves. Isn’t Mark [Segal] such good friends with Street and these folks? [Michael] Hinson, Tyrone [Smith] and others? Such wonderful contributions they all have made to the community. — Chuck0900 Maybe she should get a refund for that plastic surgery ... YIKES! — DrSamLoomis In response to “Q on the tube: Murder makes news,” May 1-6 I would hardly consider using “Law & Order” (any of them) as a mirror on America for “normal” behavior. In case you missed it, these shows are about the criminal, not the normal, people in our society!
For what it’s worth (and many will think it worth nothing), even the use of the word “queer” is negative as the definition is “odd or unusual,” thus implying not normal. Using fictional TV shows and distorted biopics as an example of how gays are not seen as normal is a bit ridiculous, especially as one has to turn the mirror on themselves first to see how they may be contributing to the problem. Stop using “queer” and stop saying you’re “different” because you are gay. Only then will you really be seen as “normal” — just another nameless, faceless body like the rest of the population. — phillybookwoman Being gay makes us different, not abnormal. In the same way that having blue eyes makes someone different from someone with brown eyes. Comparing TV representations of gays to real life works just fine for me. For many Americans, what they see on TV is the only frame of reference they have. Imagine the poor children in the [Westboro Baptist Church] with no access to the outside world,
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How would you grade President Obama’s first 100 days on LGBT issues?
Jesse Foster maintenance engineer Overbrook
Jon Isen graduate student Washington Square West
“A-plus. He’s definitely good on civil rights. And he’s also very good on human rights. I’m glad he supports the decriminalization of homosexuality throughout the world. That’s more than Bush would do.”
“He gets a B-minus. I’d give him a B-plus, but I was disappointed when he invited the Rev. Rick Warren to pray at his Inaugural. But I understand he has to appease various segments of society. Otherwise, I think he’s addressing LGBT issues acceptably.”
Martin Katzoff painter Washington Square West
Daniel Peck musician Fishtown
“I give him an A. Obama makes me feel like I’m no longer living under a dictatorship. He’s trying to make things better for everybody. He’s a hell of an improvement over Bush. He’s a symbol of equality. We all just need a little patience.”
“I’ll give him a B. He’s very supportive of civil unions throughout the country. I think he’s showing compassion to others because of his own minority status. I would have given him an A. But there’s always more that he could be doing."
constantly having their heads filled with lies about how “evil” the world is. — Evilclark In response to the editorial “Miss California’s missteps,” April 2430 Miss California does not deserve a mic. Hand the mic over to the dykes. — Shocked Lez
Tell us what you think Send letters and opinion column submissions to: e-mail: pgn@epgn.com PGN 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: (215) 925-6437 Please include a daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, style and space considerations.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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CANDIDATES From Page 1 in statewide hate-crimes and nondiscrimination laws. Butkovitz, elected city controller in 2005, said high-level members of his staff and campaign are openly gay, and that “there’s a general climate in the office where people know that bias would never be an issue.” Butkovitz said he favors civil unions for same-sex couples, opposes a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and supports statewide and federal LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination laws and the rights of LGBT individuals and couples to become foster or adoptive parents. He said he supports the city’s efforts to enforce the Fair Practices Ordinance with regard to the Boy Scouts Cradle of Liberty Council. Since he took office, Butkovitz said he tripled the number of performance audits that the controller’s office employs each year, which saved the city approximately $413 million, and created a five-year plan to protect city employees’ pensions, which would also save the city more than $300 million in that time. Last year, Butkovitz released a far-reaching report on the Minority Business Enterprise Council, which evaluated how city contracts were awarded to minority, women and disabled
business owners and issued a set of recommendations for increasing minority representation in city contracts. Butkovitz noted that the city controller is not responsible for allocating city funding for any particular organization or community, but is rather charged with ensuring that funding is properly spent within contract and legal guidelines. But he said that, if he’s reelected, his office would strive to stamp out any discrimination in city employment and contracts. “If we were to receive information that government agencies are practicing discrimination, we would make a decision as to if this is something we should send to the Human Relations Commission or something that we could investigate ourselves, which we would,” he said. Brett Mandel Philadelphia native Mandel, the previous director of financial and policy analysis under former City Controller Jonathan Saidel, is challenging Butkovitz for the Democratic nomination. Mandel earned a master’s in governmental administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s in public policy from Hamilton College. Most recently, Mandel served as the executive director of Philadelphia Forward, a citizens’ organization that advocates for
policy changes to improve tax fairness and to reduce wage and business taxes. On LGBT issues, Mandel said he goes to acquaintances for advice, noting he has several close friends who are members of the LGBT community. Mandel also said he has LGBT advisors and volunteers on his campaign, and that he will continue to promote diversity in hiring practices. “In the controller’s office, obviously you have limited ability to hire your staff because that is civil service, but in my exempt staff, I hope to promote open acceptance in everything that I do,” he said. “Everybody should understand that diversity in the workplace is a wonderful thing and intolerance is unacceptable.” When asked about furthering equality for the LGBT community and other minorities, Mandel talked about tackling those issues at home. “As a father, I think I have a special responsibility to make sure that my children understand that diversity in all its forms is a wonderful thing,” he said. “They should know that, in the world that we live in, intolerance for same-sex marriage and adoption is unacceptable.” On the issue of funding equality for LGBT groups, Mandel said there are only a few instances in which the controller can take action.
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
“The city controller has to sign off on all payments to vendors and if there is anything contractually that requires them to produce anything or meet certain requirements, we should not pay them until they meet those requirements,” he said. Mandel said that as city controller, he would do what he could to uphold the Fair Practices Act and promote LGBT equality. “If we are auditing any agencies and we find any improprieties, I won’t be shy about reporting them,” he said. “If there is anything criminal going on, I won’t be shy about reporting it. The powers of the controller have much more to do with the government spending our money efficiently and effectively. I don’t know if there is something that the controller can do beside leading by example and having a workforce that looks like Philadelphia.” DISTRICT ATTORNEY Dan McCaffery
McCaffery, former assistant district attorney and a native Philadelphian, is the brother of Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery and currently a partner at Friedman, Schuman,Applebaum, Nemeroff & McCaffery, P.C., in Jenkintown. McCaffery said he has openly gay employees on his campaign as well as at his firm, and that he would be interested in recruiting assistant district attorneys from GALLOP. “I’ve long said that I think that the DA’s office should be reflective of the city it represents,” he said. “I would proudly support, hire and train openly gay members from Philadelphia because it’s important to have people from a diverse outlook with an understanding of the city of Philadelphia and its various communities.” McCaffery said he favors same-sex marriage and supports statewide and federal LGBTinclusive nondiscrimination laws and the rights of LGBT individuals and couples to become foster or adoptive parents. He said he also supports the city’s efforts to enforce the Fair Practices Ordinance against the Boy Scouts Cradle of Liberty Council. In addition, McCaffery said he supports the tracking of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity, and would encourage the DA’s legislative unit to advocate for the passage of a bill that would extend statewide hate-crimes protections to the LGBT community.
McCaffery said he would retain the DA’s liaison to the LGBT community and that he’s long believed in the creation of an LGBT victim-witness coordinator in the DA’s office to assist LGBT victims of crime. He said he supports releasing the Nizah Morris records to the public and noted that “all investigations should be as open and transparent as possible. There can’t be any inconsistencies with respect to how members of the LGBT community are treated when compared to community members at large.” McCaffery said that, if elected, he would do “anything and everything” in his power to promote LGBT equality. “It sounds simplistic but for me it’s always been an equalprotection argument. The LGBT community needs the same exact protection under the law that the straight community has. There is no room for discrimination.” Dan McElhatton
McElhatton, a former assistant district attorney and member of City Council, is also seeking the office of District Attorney. While a councilmember from 1992-96, McElhatton, a native of Philadelphia who received his law degree from Temple University School of Law, cast a decisive vote in the overriding of then-Mayor Rendell’s veto of legislation to create the Police Advisory Commission, a civilian oversight committee of the Philadelphia Police Department — an action he said drew praise from the LGBT community. “Even though not all of my district was in favor of the creation of the PAC, and I think I was defeated in my reelection because of that vote. The minority communities I represented — whether that was the Latino, African-American or LGBT communities — had spoken out forcefully in favor of it,” he said, noting the vote was a “very significant example of my willingness to do what I believe to be the right thing.” McElhatton favors civil unions for same-sex couples, opposes a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and supports statewide and federal LGBTinclusive nondiscrimination laws and the rights of LGBT individuals and couples to become foster or adoptive parents. He said he supports the city’s efforts to enforce the Fair Practices Ordinance with regard to the Boy Scouts Cradle of Liberty Council. McElhatton said he would retain the DA’s liaison to the
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
LGBT community, as he believes “it is critical that the DA hear from a diverse cross-section of our communities,” and would recruit assistant district attorneys from the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia. He said he would favor the creation of a victim’s-assistance position to reach out to victims of crime and supports the tracking of hate crimes motivated by an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. “I’ve spoken out that an obligation of the DA is to maintain and enforce the laws and particularly enforce hate-crimes laws,” he said. “I think that you also need to make sure that you publicize those hate crimes and the prosecution of them and seek the most severe sanctions you can.” McElhatton said that while he could not say whether the records relating to the death of transgender individual Nizah Morris, who died after receiving a police courtesy ride, should be released to the public — as he hasn’t had access to review them and would not advocate an action that could compromise confidentiality — he would be committed to investigating all aspects of any crime. He proffered that the best way to strengthen relations between the LGBT community and the police department and DA’s office is “dialogue, dialogue, dialogue.” Seth Williams
Williams, former assistant district attorney and City Inspector General, is a lifelong Philadelphian. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University after graduating from Penn State, where he served as the president of the Undergraduate Student Government. Williams said he favors civil unions for same-sex couples, opposes a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and supports statewide and federal LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination laws and the rights of LGBT individuals and couples to become foster or adoptive parents. He said he supports the city’s efforts to enforce the Fair Practices Ordinance against the Boy Scouts. Williams also said he endorses the tracking of hate crimes motivated by an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity and would support the DA’s legislative unit in lobbying for the inclusion of the LGBT community into statewide hate-crimes laws. In addition, Williams said he
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
would retain the DA’s liaison to the LGBT community and would consider establishing a victim’sassistance position. He said he would recruit LGBT attorneys from GALLOP as assistant district attorneys and noted that he hired openly gay attorney Abbe Fletman as his own personal attorney. Since his attempt to unseat current District Attorney Lynne Abraham in 2005, Williams has continued to advocate for a community-based prosecution plan, in which district attorneys are assigned to specific geographic locations in the city. He said he would also implement a program that would require cases of abuse between samesex couples to be prosecuted in the same manner as heterosexual domestic-violence cases. Williams said he could not yet state if he would publicly release the records from the Nizah Morris case, as he has not reviewed them and would not want to compromise confidentiality, but believes that Morris’ family — with whom his own family is close friends — should have access to the records. “It would ultimately be nice if the records could be released to the public, but if I couldn’t go that far, I’d try to make them available to the family,” he said. Williams said his communitybased prosecution plan could assist the DA’s office in gaining a better perspective of issues facing the LGBT community. JUDGES Dan Anders
Openly gay Judge Anders currently serves in the Family Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas and hears cases involving Philadelphia’s at-risk and neglected children. Anders, who has been endorsed by both the Democratic and Republican parties, is seeking election to a full 10-year term on the bench. Prior to his 2007 appointment by Gov. Rendell, Anders practiced at Pepper Hamilton LLP; he earned his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Anders said he draws advice on LGBT issues from a variety of organizations depending on the issue, including Mazzoni Center, ASIAC, COLOURS Inc. and The Attic Youth Center. Anders said his efforts to further equality in the LGBT and other minority communities comes from the many hours of pro-bono work he’s done. “I contributed 350 hours a year
every year that I was a lawyer to pro-bono work. That’s probably 3,000 hours of legal work that I’ve provided almost exclusively to LGBT issues. On the community side, I’ve served on the boards of Equality Advocates and AIDS Law Project and I’ve been a visible and active member in many other organizations. I’ve worked with an African-American man who was exercising his right to religion. He was of the Islamic faith and he was unable to do that in the drug and alcohol rehab center where he was. I worked with him to successfully settle his case to practice his faith in a way he thought was appropriate.” Like most of the other judges, Anders would not comment on the legality of the city’s case against the Boy Scouts Cradle of Liberty Council. He did comment about what he would do to promote LGBT equality. “My goal is to treat everyone who appears in front of me equally,” he said. “When I do have LGBT families for children that come in front of me, I treat them with the same respect as I do any other family.” Dawn Segal
Openly lesbian Segal has been a practicing attorney for nearly 25 years, trying domestic, commercial and personal-injury cases in Philadelphia and neighboring counties. The Municipal Court candidate practiced at the U.S. Postal Service and the Office of the City Solicitor, as well as at several law offices. The Temple University of Law School graduate also served as a Judge Pro Tem of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas from 2002-03. Segal said she has openly LGBT employees on her staff and will continue to promote LGBT diversity in hiring as a Municipal judge. “I think I would do it without thinking about it,” she said about promoting diversity. “I’m not going to have a homogenous staff were I elected. I would expect a certain level of acceptance, knowledge and appreciation of diversity on my staff and certainly in my courtroom. I would not tolerate anything below acceptance for everyone.” Segal said her own personal experiences have shaped her view regarding the rights of same-sex couple to marry and adopt. “I and my partner have two kids and my partner adopted our kids,” she said. “We were involved in See CANDIDATES, Page 15
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*CHANGE OF DATE* Friday, May 15: BA Shabbat service, 8:00 PM. Please join us for a traditional rabbi-led BA service, followed by the oneg. *CHANGE OF PLAY/THEATRE* Saturday, May 16 : BA Theatre Party, 8:00 PM, “The Little Dog Laughed,” Adrienne Theatre, 20th and Sansom. Dinner prior to the show at a nearby restaurant. Tickets: $18/person. If interested in attending, please contact BA at 215-923-2003 with your name, phone number, e-mail address, and the number of tickets you’re interested in reserving. *NEW DATE* Sunday, June 14: The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene presents, “Mama’s Lokshn Kugel,” a traveling Yiddish revue featuring classic songs and sketches, 3:00 PM; $10/person, payable at the door, Teller Auditorium at Rodeph Shalom. Supertitles will be projected during the performance--no knowledge of Yiddish required. Please reserve by calling BA at 215-923-2003 and leaving your name and phone number on our voicemail. Beth Ahavah and Rodeph Shalom are affiliated in spirit and share a sacred home. In July 2007 Beth Ahavah affiliated with Rodeph Shalom. Beth Ahavah retains its congregational status within the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and proudly offers its congregation dual membership at both synagogues.
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MAY 8 - 14, 2009
LGBT legal organization celebrates milestone By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer LGBT and ally individuals will gather this week to pay tribute to an organization and its supporters that have been dedicated to working for equal rights for LGBT Pennsylvanians for more than a decade. Equality Advocates Pennsylvania will host its 13th Anniversary Celebration from 6:30-9 p.m. May 13 at The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1630 Latimer St. The event, which will feature a silent auction, food and drinks, will honor numerous individuals and organizations from across the commonwealth who’ve made significant contributions over the past year to the agency’s mission
of advancing LGBT rights in the state. The group will recognize Stacey Sobel, former executive director of Equality Advocates, who is moving to California in July to take a position as a constitutional law professor at Western State University Law School. Sobel served as the executive director of the organization from 2001-08. Lynn Zeitlin, current executive director of EqualityAdvocates, said the group wanted to draw attention to the wide-ranging impact Sobel had on the organization, as well as on the progress of LGBT rights in the state. “We wanted to honor her many accomplishments while she was the executive director,” said Zeitlin. “She took the agency from a small, at-home situation and
broadened the base and added to the agenda of items that it covers and goals for it to reach. She was certainly very effective for the LGBT community in Philadelphia and in Pennsylvania at large.” Sobel said she appreciates the recognition, as well as the seven years she spent leading the organization. “It’s very meaningful to me that the organization is honoring me,” she said. “Equality Advocates Pennsylvania has been an extremely important part of my life, and being able to support the LGBT community through my position there has been a great honor for me.” Equality Advocates will give its Large Pro Bono Law Firm Award to WolfBlock LLP for its assistance in the ongoing legal battle between the city and the
Boy Scouts Cradle of Liberty Council. The group will present its Small Pro Bono Law Firm Award to Salmanson Goldshaw, P.C., a firm that has only three attorneys but that, Zeitlin noted, contributed countless hours of pro-bono work on several of the organization’s cases. The agency chose Natalie Hrubos for its Sara Weaver Volunteer of the Year honor, recognition that Zeitlin said is well-deserved. “She’s been really outstanding in the field of transgender rights and in helping transgender people and other LGBT folks with obtaining all the documents they need,” Zeitlin said. “She is simply wonderful, and we’re delighted to be honoring her.” Equality Advocates will also present Kris Rust with the
organization’s Barbara Gittings Activist of the Year award. Jake Kaskey, policy and outreach coordinator at Equality Advocates, said Rust has been a tireless advocate for LGBT-rights issues. “Kris was chosen for his commitment to LGBT equality in the western part of the state,” Kaskey said. “He’s truly mobilized countless groups, organizations and individuals fighting for equality on both a county and statewide level.” Tickets for the event begin at $125. To register or for more information, visit www.equalitypa. org or call Joe Dungee at (215) 731-1447 ext. 22. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
MAINE From Page 1 freedom to marry, and we hope more will follow soon.” Baldacci is the first governor in the nation to sign a gay-marriage bill that did not follow a court decision. Connecticut governor Jodi Rell signed such legislation last month, one year after the state Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. Baldacci said in a statement that he did not believe that civil unions provided same-sex couples equal rights. “In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions,” Baldacci said Wednesday. “I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage.” The House voted 89-57 Tuesday in favor of the bill. Last week, the Senate approved the legislation in a vote of 21-14 and gave its final approval on Wednesday before it was sent to the governor. In his statement, Baldacci did note that voters in Maine had the power to overturn the law. “Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the state belongs to the people,” he said. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
CANDIDATES From Page 13
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
their sexual orientation, who they are and what background they come from,” she said.
that are openly gay but, quite honestly, I didn’t know they were gay when they came to work for us,” he said. “I’m proud to say that every aspect of my professional career, as well as my campaign, is about diversity. I think you have to have an idea in your mind that you promote fairness in everything and then look for people that also believe in the same thing. You have to have a willingness to be inclusive.” Younge’s views on LGBT issues include supporting adoption rights for same-sex couples and the federal Employment NonDiscrimination Act. Younge does not support marriage equality, but instead favors same-sex couples “having all the rights and privileges of marriage to those who are committed to one another.” Younge added that he would not support an amendment to the Pennsylvania constitution to
fighting for same-sex adoptions.” Like other judicial candidates, Segal said she could not comment on the state law banning gay marriage or the Boy Scouts Cradle of Liberty case. However, she did state that she thinks marriage is a right. She also has strong opinions about the interpretation of the Full Faith and Credit Clause. “I believe that it means that everyone in every state is required to honor the laws of any other state regardless of whether that state approves or disapproves of that other state’s laws,” she said. “But, of course, that is not being upheld at all.” Segal was equally candid about how she would promote LGBT equality as a judge. “I will treat anyone who comes before me fairly, regardless of
John Milton Younge
SMITHSON
circumstantial evidence,” Nardello said. “That was mostly what the trial was based on. Bill Smithson was convicted without any physical evidence.” Nardello also criticized Dozor for refusing to grant immunity to Covington so that he could have been called as a witness by the defense and questioned in front of jurors. Nardello also said prosecutors inflamed jurors by referring to Smithson’s home as a “house of sodomy,” displaying photographs of Smithson’s sex toys and aids and questioning Smithson’s character witnesses about their sexual orientation. In a brief interview, Assistant District Attorney Thomas F. Lawrie Jr., who prosecuted the case, said Smithson was eligible for the death penalty because he kidnapped Shephard and tried to rape him, prior to strangling him. He said references to Smithson’s sexual activities, including his sex toys and aids,
were appropriate because of the sexual nature of the crime. “It was relevant to show that his motive here was a sexual assault, and he was a homosexual man,” Lawrie told PGN. Lawrie also said it was appropriate to ask Smithson’s character witnesses about their sexual orientation. “I felt it was an appropriate question, given the circumstance of their bias toward him, their bias in the case,” Lawrie said. Advocates for Smithson also want a new trial because prosecutors lost four search warrants related to the case. But in his opinion, Dozor said police made photocopies of the search warrants, which did not differ materially from the actual search warrants approved by a judge. The state Superior Court isn’t expected to issue a ruling on the appeal until late 2009. ■
said. “It gets it on the radar screen and could encourage other municipalities to do this, too. This is a chance for Philadelphia to lead by example and register its voice to urge the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to pass this.” The resolution notes that while 14 municipalities in the state, including Philadelphia, have similar laws, a vast majority of the state’s residents live outside
of these areas. It goes on to note that 20 other states and the District of Columbia currently employ nondiscrimination laws inclusive of sexual orientation, 13 of which also extend protections based on gender identity, and that Pennsylvania is the only state in the Northeast without such a law. ■
From Page 1 the time of Shephard’s death. In a 38-page opinion, Dozor summarized the case. “On a September night in 2006, following a business dinner and a coworker’s invitation to his house, Jason entered a different world, a world of parties where cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and GHB were used. Jason was lured to this party by William Smithson, who drugged, kidnapped, assaulted, nearly raped [him] and strangled him to death. However these crimes were simply not enough for Smithson. After Jason was tragically cut down in the prime of his life, Mr. Smithson tampered with physical evidence, abused Jason’s corpse and spent nearly three days lying to his coworkers, hotel staff and the police.” Rob Nardello, a close friend of Smithson, said he wasn’t surprised by Dozor’s opinion. “It’s just regurgitated
COUNCIL From Page 1 a number of LGBT leaders across the state who concurred that a council resolution in favor of HB 300 could bolster its chances of success in the House. “They all stated that this resolution would make a difference,” Reynolds Brown
Judge Younge was first elected to the Court of Common Pleas in 1995 and reelected in 2005. The Superior Court candidate is a past president of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, a member of the House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and a faculty member of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. Younge earned his juris doctor from Howard University and a bachelor’s in business administration from Boston University. While Younge doesn’t have any go-to people for advice on LGBT issues — he consults his “basic sense of fairness” — he does have openly gay employees working for him. “I do have campaign staffers
Timothy Cwiek can be reached at (215) 625-8501 ext. 208.
Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
PAGE 15
limit marriage to one man and one woman. “I think the constitution should be an enabling document, not a prohibitive document,” he said. “It should give rights, not take rights away.” Younge declined to give a position on the state law banning gay marriage, whether marriage is a right or the Boy Scout Cradle of Liberty case. He did say that he would support LBGT equality as a judge
by promoting an atmosphere of fairness in his court. “When people look at the life that I have lived and the kind of people that associate with me, I think I have promoted fairness,” he said. “That is the thing that advances equality for all. When people come into my courtroom, they know that if the law is on their side, they are going to win in spite of anything. That, to me, is how you promote LGBT issues: being fair at all levels.” ■
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
International News Body dug up again from cemetery The body of a man believed to be gay has twice been dug up from a Muslim cemetery in Senegal. The man, in his 30s, was first buried on May 2 before residents of the western town of Thies dug up his body and left it near his grave, police said. His family then reburied him, but people who did not want him buried there once more exhumed him. His body was dumped outside the family house. Homosexual acts are outlawed in Senegal. The state-owned Le Soleil newspaper reports that the man was buried within the grounds of the family home.
Lesbian chosen as U.K. poet laureate On May 1, Britain awarded the role of national poet laureate to Carol Ann Duffy, the first woman to hold a post that has been filled by William Wordsworth, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Ted Hughes. Duffy, who once said “no selfrespecting poet” should have to write verses about the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son, will be expected to produce poems for royal weddings, funerals and other state occasions. A witty and popular writer whose work is widely taught in British schools, Duffy is also the first openly gay laureate. Duffy, 53, said she had thought “long and hard” before accepting the high-profile job, which has a 10-year term. She said she’d given the final decision to her 13year-old daughter. “She said, ‘Yes, Mummy, there’s never been a woman,’” Duffy said.
Greece annuls gay marriages A court on May 5 annulled the only two same-sex marriages performed in Greece. In June, Mayor Tasos Aliferis, on the island of Rhodes, performed the weddings after LGBT-rights group OLKE said it had found a loophole in a 26-year-old update of the Greek civil-marriage law that refers only to participating
PAGE 17
Larry Nichols
“persons,” without specifying gender. The government disagreed with OLKE’s assessment of the law. It maintains the law limits marriage to opposite-sex couples and immediately asked a court in Rhodes to void the marriages. In addition to seeking to have the marriages invalidated, the government charged Aliferis with breach of duty. Gays and lesbians have some legal protections under Greek law, mainly in the areas of employment and housing.
Alberta approves gay rights Alberta has introduced legislation that critics say will make it the last province in Canada to enshrine gay rights in its human-rights code. Alberta lost a high-profile court battle over this issue a decade
ago and was then ordered by the Supreme Court of Canada to add sexual orientation to the humanrights code. But there’s a controversial twist to the legislation introduced April 28. The Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Amendment Act will also give parents the right to exclude their kids from parts of the education curriculum they don’t agree with, including anything to do with same-sex relationships.
Antigay figures barred from U.K. The British government has published a list of people permanently barred from entering the country for fostering extremism or hatred. The list includes two wellknown American gay opponents: the Rev. Fred Phelps and talk-
radio host Michael Savage. Phelps is the founder of the Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, which operates Web sites including GodHatesFags.com and GodHatesAmerica.com. Church members routinely demonstrate at the funerals of people who die from AIDS and recently at the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq. The ban, announced May 5, bars Phelps permanently.
Savage was placed on the list not only for his antigay remarks but also for calling the Muslim holy book, the Quran, a “book of hate” and for saying autism in most cases is “a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out.” Savage also said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a “national panic” by over-diagnosing autism. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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MAY 8 - 14, 2009
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MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Detour PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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A departure from the ordinary
Cultivating ‘Outrage’
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 20
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Director opens door on closeted pols, media By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor “Outrage” is Kirby Dick’s incisive documentary about closeted politicians who vote antigay. However, the purpose of this provocative and important film, which opens today at Ritz theaters, is not about “outing” individuals. Dick eschewed taking a “gotcha” approach to the hot-button subject and has instead made a thoughtful film that not only connects the dots, but also shows how many dots are out there. The filmmaker specifically profiles closet cases who have exposed themselves or been exposed by others. Like he did in his previous documentary, “This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” in which a lesbian private detective tracked down members of the MPAA rating board, in “Outrage” Dick follows another queer investigator — Michael Rogers of the Web site blogActive.com — to identify the subjects he profiles. In the film, Rogers is described as “the most feared man in Capitol Hill” because of his blog.
Dick focuses squarely on the hypocrisy of politicians who have power and wield it irresponsibly. These Congressmen have voted against gay-marriage acts, denied funds for AIDS research, prevented gays and lesbians from adopting children and stopped the passage of hate-crimes bills intended to protect the rights of queer people. Several powerful scenes in the film depict the consequences of not having laws to protect members of the LGBT community. “Outrage” opens with the arrest of Idaho Sen. Larry Craig for lewd behavior, and charts the bad behavior of several politicians who have provided evidence of being Janus-faced. The gay rumors about Florida Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who supported Amendment 2, which bans samesex marriage, are scrutinized. Likewise, Republican Louisiana Congressman Jim McCrery is exposed for using his college fraternity house “as a gay bar” on visits to his alma mater. Dick also takes Democrats to task, such as Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York City, who
hid the fact that he had a male lover. “Outrage” claims Koch did little or nothing to help the gay community and assist with the AIDS crisis during his time in office. In contrast, former governor of New Jersey Jim McGreevey talks candidly and poignantly about his own battles with the closet. Dick is also adamant that the media is involved in a “conspiracy” that is responsible for underreporting or improperly reporting these cases. PGN recently met with Dick to ask why this topic was of such interest to a straight man. He responded, “I was surprised — as I think most of my audience will be — to know that there were so many closeted politicians and to know that many of these are voting antigay.” Dick admitted he was fascinated by the psychology of these men — and in the film, they are all men. “Who would choose a powerful political career at the cost of living a double life? And some of these people I focus on, their experience is almost Shakespearean to make that ‘deal with the devil,’ if you will.”
“Outrage” makes some judicious observations about the moral compromises these politicians face. Even though they make the laws, these men don’t feel subject to them; in fact, they feel immune to exposure and deflect attention from the issue. Dick shows how the “moral hunter,” becomes the “moral hunted” as when details are revealed about Virginia Congressman Ed Schrock’s prurient phone calls for gay sex. The Republican quickly “folds like a cheap suit.” In his interview, Dick explained — not excused — why he thinks high-powered politicians like Crist in Florida or McGreevey hide in the closet while in office. “I think the closet exists because people perceive there is something wrong — a liability — to being gay,” he said. “Personally, I believe that they underestimate the power of coming out and being open and honest. Certainly, there is going to be a percentage of the population who is extremely homophobic who is going to turn on them, but I think particularly in these ‘purple’ areas/districts, that there is going to be a larger
percentage of the population that will say, ‘That took a lot of guts,’ and respect from the constituency will increase.” Fear is certainly a factor when it comes to coming out, or even speaking openly about the individuals profiled in the film. Dick recounted talking to sources about the politicians featured in “Outrage,” only to be cut off abruptly when the source was afraid to continue. “Whether their fears were valid or not, I don’t know,” Dick said. “But there is a level of fear out there.” Yet some individuals who could blow the whistle on closeted politicians may have other reasons for keeping quiet. The film suggests that folks such as Crist’s ex-girlfriend, whose quote regarding her thoughts on his sexuality appears onscreen, are respecting confidences. Or one could speculate that they have been bought off and forced to sign a nondisclosure statement. Dick had a different idea. “I think there is a fear that they will become a bit notorious in the media as the person who
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
spoke. [Some] people are afraid of genuine repercussions. I don’t know about physical ones, but perhaps it would hurt their business, and people would shun them.” Nevertheless, the filmmaker was dogged in his efforts to find people to go on the record, and testimonies from various gay men who slept with politicians are powerful. With the help of a team that included his persuasive producer Amy Ziering and his openly gay co-producer Tanner Barklow, Dick was also able to get poignant interviews from U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and former Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.). Both talk eloquently about their experiences being in the closet and how their self-worth changed after they came out. One of the discussions Dick had with his staff while making “Outrage” was to include segments on closeted politicians who were allies of the gay community. Although the filmmaker acknowledged there are a number of them, and that while there is an issue of dishonesty here — that people, even homophobes, have the right to know if people voting on gay-rights issues are gay — he maintained that this is not the crux of his film. “I am focusing on people who are in the closet and acting hypocritically,” he said. “I feel the discussion around outing has obscured the more important
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
issues around this. It’s important to have this discussion, and people can continue to have their opinions, but I wanted to also move past this.” Additionally, while “Outrage” examines the media “conspiracy” that prevents these cases from being fairly reported in the mainstream news, Dick made a conscious decision to include Fox News’ Shepard Smith but exclude CNN’s Anderson Cooper — both of whom have been the subject of gay rumors. Dick justifies the conspicuous absence of Cooper: “I wanted to keep in place with this issue of hypocrisy. There’s no question Fox has been [complicit] in the development of this antigay hysteria. With CNN, that’s not the case. There is certainly a parallel between Cooper and Smith in terms of their prominence and importance in their respective organizations. But the organization that has really caused damage to gay rights is Fox, not CNN.” That said, he not only thinks that Cooper should come out, but that it would be “very significant” if/when he did. Would Dick talk about this on the newscaster’s CNN show “Anderson Cooper 360?” He laughs and answers with a resounding “no!” — almost embarrassed at the suggestion. The filmmaker said that in addition to showing the “cost” of being closeted, one of his goals in making “Outrage” is to “contribute to the demise, or the
partial demise, of the closet.” Dick suggested one way that could happen is for those young people considering a political career to evaluate their identities. “Before they are/become elected to office, they have a choice to make: Run as out or run a closeted life.” The issue of closeted politicians has not been discussed much in the mainstream media. And, said Dick, the reluctance of the media to address this issue can propagate homophobia in society. Meanwhile, Dick prides himself on the fact that his film is “built on the shoulders of the gay press,” whose position has been, “Let’s have full parity. Even to the point that if there’s a gay scandal, let’s report on that in the same way as a straight scandal.” However, added Dick, politicians seem to think they can just “slide through” their careers without having to address the issue of their homosexuality, or that they will avoid the gay scandals that have snared so many of their brethren. Dick said he believes that if U.S. Rep. David Dreier — a Republican from California who, it is revealed in the film, traveled with his chief of staff to exotic locations outside his district — came out, it would be significant. “If we had a prominent gay Republican, that may be the achievement that could advance the cause of gay rights today,” he said. “I think it could really
COVER: SEN. LARRY CRAIG’S ARREST PHOTO AND FILMMAKER KIRBY DICK ELIZABETH BIRCH (CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT), JIM MCGREEVEY, BARNEY FRANK AND LARRY KRAMER IN “OUTRAGE.” Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
PAGE 21
shake up the Republican Party on that issue. Personally, I think if the Republican Party lets this issue go, there would be a large minority — 40-45 percent of the gay population — supporting them.” Like athletes who come out after their last season, politicians tend to come out after their careers are finished. “Outrage” may offer apologies from “gay American” McGreevey, who lied about his sexuality when he was in office, but Dick is less interested in these men being contrite than he is in having such individuals use their powers for good rather than ill. One example in the film is Dan Gurley, the former GOP national field director who is now working for LGBT equality. Dick said his purpose in calling attention to the hypocrisy in Washington, D.C., is to “contribute to the advancement of the gay-rights struggle in this
country. I think it is trending in the right direction. But I think it is by no means resolved. One only has to look at the passage of Proposition 8, which is probably going to be upheld by the Supreme Court of California, and Amendment 2, which has been underreported nationally, to see that.” Proposition 8 overturned same-sex marriage in California; Amendment 2 banned it in Florida. “Outrage” is a clarion call for closeted politicians and the media alike to change their ways and acknowledge their homosexuality. Ironically, as a result of making “Outrage,” the straight filmmaker said he’s now more attuned to others’ sexual orientation. “My gaydar has become much more refined. Now I look at people — men in particular — and go, ‘He’s gay.’ I realize that I would not have known that two years ago.” ■
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Offline
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Bruce Yelk
Style, exile and Phlash in the city Each year, Philadelphia’s LGBT community utilizes the weeks following Equality Forum to gear up for summer. Whether that means putting in some extra time at the office, the gym or the tanning bed, preparations for beach weather and three-day weekends are well underway across the city and suburbs. But with two weeks until Memorial Day, there are a number of marquee exhibits and events at
Philly’s most popular spaces to keep you entertained during the seasonal transition. As many of us are busy preparing for summer, Jimmy Contreras, one of Philadelphia’s most innovative entrepreneurs, is putting the finishing touches on his new style boutique. Located at 1820 E. Passyunk Ave., in South Philly’s most progressive and popular neighborhood, JimmyStyle will carry an eclectic mixture of funky, functional and fashionable products to elevate your wardrobe and your home. As Contreras approaches his opening the week after Memorial Day, check out www. shopjimmystyle.com for more
information and updates. While I can’t wait to see what Jimmy has created in South Philly, I’m equally excited about Sapphire Fund’s “Circus: Casino Night and Silent Auction” tomorrow evening at the Center for Architecture, 1218 Arch St. Though Sapphire Fund is best known for organizing Blue Ball, the group’s leadership has made a strategic effort to diversify fundraising activities and events in recent years. “Circus” will run from 6:30-10 p.m. and feature a number of casino-style games and a silent auction. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at PHAG, 1225 Walnut St. Attendees will be treated to a complimentary bar, hors d’oeuvres and play chips. If you’ve never been to the Center for Architecture, it’s worth the admission just to experience the space. Visit www.sapphirefund. org for more information. From Old City to Rittenhouse Square, Center City has an amazing selection of boutiquestyle art galleries/studios. One of my favorites is the gallery at Always By Design, 265 S. 10th
St., which received PGN’s 2008 Pink Penny Award for “Best Place to Appreciate Fringe Art.” With new exhibits every month or two, AxD always keeps it fresh by featuring new artists and a wide range of media. The studio’s current exhibit features winners of the American Institute of Graphic Artists Philadelphia “Show Some Love” Design Awards. The show runs through May 30. To learn more about the gallery and upcoming exhibits, visit www.a-x-d.com.
AxD is the perfect spot to appreciate up-and-coming artists in an intimate setting. To enjoy exhibits on a slightly larger scale, the Philly Phlash Trolley just unveiled a newly expanded route that takes riders to every marquee attraction in the city. With 27 stops between Penn’s Landing and the Centennial District in Fairmount Park, riders can hop on and off at new locations, including the National Constitution Center, Franklin Square, the African-American Museum, the Philadelphia Zoo and the Please Touch Museum. When combined with existing stops on the Ben Franklin Parkway and elsewhere,
the new Phlash route makes all of Philly’s cultural institutions easily accessible to everyone. The fare is only $2 each time you board. Individual all-day passes are $5 and all-day family passes for two adults and two children ages 6-17 are $10. Children under 5 and seniors ride for free. Tickets can be purchased at the Independence Visitors Center on Independence Mall or at Capriccio at Café Cret, 16th Street and the Parkway. For details, visit www.phillyphlash.com.
That’s about it for now. Don’t forget to check out “Cezanne and Beyond” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art before it closes on May 31 (www.philamuseum. org), and the groundbreaking Galileo exhibit at the Franklin Institute (www2.fi.edu), which runs throughout the summer. Also, make sure to grab PGN in two weeks for my second annual Summer Fun Guide. ’Til next time, get offline and see what your community has to offer! ■
If you have comments or information on upcoming events, e-mail Bruce@nightlifegay.com, reference Offline.
ith w f f 15% o ad! this
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
OUTonline
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Jason Villemez
Coming out at college You step up to the mailbox, eagerly anticipating the letter that will decide the rest of your life. The anxiety from months of waiting will finally subside, the hours of guessing finally finished. Thick packet or thin envelope, dreams coming true or dashed completely. Will the years of studying and activities pay off? Open the lid and peek inside. There sits your packet! Congratulations, you’ve just been accepted to college. As that scene plays out for many high-school seniors across the country, feelings of elation will soon shift to more practical matters. Questions will arise like how to pay, what to study and what life will be like. No matter how well-adjusted a person is, the transition from high school to college is dramatic. And for LGBT students, it has an even greater cause for concern. “Will I fit in?” is more than merely making friends and adjusting to the lifestyle when it comes to gay students. Many have yet to come out and will be meeting other gay people for the first time in their lives. Some will move from conservative areas to places more liberal, and vice versa. Homophobia, sensitivity and curiosity — no matter how much experience an 18-year-old has — can be overwhelming. As such, it helps to know what resources colleges have for their LGBT students. Now that sites like Facebook have become so popular, it’s pretty easy to search for different student groups at any college. Incoming freshmen can join their respective college networks months before they step foot in a classroom, and even start an “Incoming LGBT Freshmen” group if they so desire. Along with student groups, many university LGBT offices have their own Facebook groups as well. Once a student gets to college and the computer veil comes off, things can get a little trickier. If the college has an LGBT office, it can offer resources such as coming-out or networking advice. Depending on the campus, meeting
other LGBT students can be easy coasting or more difficult than final exams. Some might simply go about their lives and try to fit in as much as possible. For many, this might include joining a fraternity or sorority. My college had a pitifully insignificant fraternity/sorority scene, so I don’t have firsthand experience. But the folks over at the Lambda 10 project (www. lambda10.org) certainly do. The project focuses on increasing the visibility of LGBT students who have chosen to go Greek. Along with promoting the issue, the site is a great resource for brothers, sisters and those who have decided to rush. Visitors can read about the gay history of fraternities and personal accounts of LGBT members. They can get advice on how to come out of the closet to their fellow members, as well as how to deal with others who choose to come out. The brave can see pros and cons of rushing as an openly gay student. And everyone can read about how to make fraternities and sororities more accepting. The site also includes listings, a bulletin board, shopping and chat for members. For those not interested in brother or sisterhood, there are other resources one can check out. The Campus Pride site (www.campuspride.org) is for LGBT students and offices, and discusses issues ranging from trans advocacy, athletics, religious universities and military recruitment. And the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Professionals site (www. lgbtcampus.org) has a great directory of college LGBT offices and job listings, as well as resources for issues like crisis response, programming and outreach. Stereotype or not, we often hear people reflecting fondly on their college years, wanting to return to that time of cramming, craziness and community. But let’s not forget it isn’t a picnic for everyone, especially those just beginning. So, to all the newly accepted freshmen, experienced or not: Good luck, and hopefully you’ll join in the nostalgia in the years to come. ■ Contact Jason with feedback at outonline@gmail.com.
Dining Guide...this week in
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Family Portraits Oscar Wilde once said, “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” Of course he also said, “I love acting. It is so much more real than life.” But that’s just the kind of guy he was. Theater is a medium that can transcend boundaries, open hearts and minds and, in the case of the Keith, Melissa and Tom Show, bring a smile to your face and make you put your troubles aside for just a moment. The most recent in a series of popular cabaret-style shows, “Good Songs for Tough Times” is sure to be another crowd pleaser and will help raise muchneeded funds for the William Way LGBT Community Center. I spoke with Melissa Kolczynski about her journey to the stage. PGN: Are you a Philly gal? MK: No, I was born in Pittsburgh and moved to York when I was in high school. I came to Philadelphia to attend the University of the Arts and have lived here ever since. PGN: What was life like in the Pitts? MK: I loved growing up in Pittsburgh. It’s not quite like Philadelphia in that people don’t
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Suzi Nash really live downtown. It’s more neighborhood-oriented. What I loved is that, though it had a small-town feel, it still had a bigcity feel with a thriving arts and culture element. So it was like the best of the suburbs and the city at once.
and mine faced each other. She lived in a funeral home so I would hop the fence and we would sneak onto this little elevator that went down to the basement where they did all the embalming. We would try to sneak looks at the corpses. Good times.
PGN: What do your parents do? MK: My father is an engineer and my mom’s a math teacher.
PGN: When did you get the theater bug? MK: My father always kind of wanted to be a singer so I guess I got the performance bug from him. When I was about 12, I used to love to watch old movies — especially old musicals — and from then on, that’s all I wanted to do.
PGN: So are you good at math? MK: [Laughs.] Yes! I’m one of the few actors I know who actually liked math. The classes that are usually favorites for actors — like English and history — were the classes that I hated. I was more into the sciences. PGN: What was your best science experience? MK: Growing mold. PGN: I’m hoping it was in a lab, not just leftover from sneakers in your locker or something. MK: No, no. It was in a Petri dish. I actually won a prize for it at a science fair. PGN: Any siblings? MK: No, I’m an only child. PGN: Who did you play with? MK: My best friend’s backyard
PGN: Which actor and actress would you want to be? MK: Male: Cary Grant for sure; female: Judy Garland. PGN: A favorite line from a movie? MK: One of my favorite movies is “Auntie Mame” with Rosalind Russell. She has a scene where she wakes up at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, hung over. Her best friend Vera Charles is in the next bedroom, also hung over. She receives the news that the trustee of her nephew’s estate is about to come over and meet her for the first time. She runs into the guest
MELISSA KOLCZYNSKI Photo: Suzi Nash
room and, as she opens up the curtains, Vera says, “He’s coming here, in the middle of the night? Good God, that moon is bright!” That’s one of my favorite lines. PGN: So did you experience culture shock moving from Pittsburgh to York? MK: Oh yes, it was a big shock. The plus side was that they had a good community theater, so I got to really explore my theatrical desires there. Because it was a small community, I probably got
more of a chance to act there than I might have in Pittsburgh. PGN: What was the biggest difference? MK: Me! From day one I noticed that I was different than everyone else. I was probably the only girl in the entire school with short hair. Just the way I dressed, everything about me stood out. There were probably only two black people in the whole school, which also was a shock coming from a big city.
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PGN: Favorite toy as a kid? MK: I had a tape recorder that I used to tape myself with and sing into. I still have some of the old tapes, which are really funny to listen to now. PGN: I know you sing; do you play any instruments? MK: I play a little piano and I used to play the trumpet in marching band. I hated doing the parades. You had to hold your instrument up and, after a while, that trumpet could get really heavy. PGN: An early sign you were gay? MK: In the old movies I used to watch when I was 8 or 9, the stories inevitably had some sweet woman being treated poorly by some man and I remember thinking, even as a kid, “God, if I had a woman like that I would never treat her that way!” PGN: Last movie you saw? MK: “V for Vendetta.” I rented it. I don’t go to the movies very often. PGN: What’s the farthest you’ve traveled? MK: When I graduated from college, a friend of mine and I took off and just traveled across the country. PGN: When did you come out? MK: At about 13, I came out to some friends. Shortly after, I had a friend who was pretty obviously gay and my mother knew I was hanging out with him, so one day
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
she just asked me and it’s been out ever since. Neither of my parents had a problem with it.
Q Puzzle
PGN: Worst clothing disaster? MK: The last big show I was in was “Candide” at the Arden Theatre. They custom-built our costumes and they decided to give me a strapless dress for a waltz scene. I raised my arms during the dance and fell out of the dress. Fortunately, it was only a dress rehearsal, so there weren’t a lot of people in the audience. But there were enough to make it a sighting.
Of “The L Word” We Sing
Across 1. Benjamin Britten’s Peter 6. “Quo Vadis” emperor 10. Big name in pumps 14. Fame 15. Where to find hot buns 16. Sailor’s mop 17. Gladiator area 18. Pilaf ingredient 19. Debussy’s daddy 20. “The L Word” episode named for a song from “Guys PGN: What types of books do and Dolls” you like to read? MK: I like books that incorporate 23. Spots on TV 24. P. Hearst’s kidnappers several styles at once, like the book “Angels & Demons.” It has 25. Org. that uses ball-washaction and mystery and history all ers 26. Practice B&D, e.g. at once. 27. T or F, on exams 30. Armchair athlete’s chanPGN: Others are embarrassed nel when I ... 33. Like a leprechaun MK: Talk loudly. And I have a 35. Vietnam neighbor tendency to blab things that are 37. Love of Lesbos supposed to be secrets. Unless 39. Tribal symbol someone says specifically that I 41. Episode named for a shouldn’t say something, I have Ricky Martin song a tendency to be overly honest 44. “The L Word” creator about things. Chaiken 45. New Haven school PGN: The hardest part of being 46. Like a twosome gay? MK: I got harassed a little in high 47. Broadway stage pieces 49. Narrow opening school. There was a particular 51. Stuff for a blowjob? group of guys who would yell 52. “The Simpsons” bartendvulgar things and pick on me. I er had a lot of friends but as bullies will do, they never did it if anyone 53. Neighbor of Miss. else was around. I haven’t had any 55. Clinton blows it 57. He knocked out many problems in my adult life. men 58. Episode named for a PGN: I’m so gay ... Feliciano song MK: That I’m uncomfortable telling people to go straight while 64. Diana of “The Avengers” 66. Countee Cullen work giving driving instructions. 67. Soda size, sometimes 68. Dickinson’s “There ___ See PORTRAITS, Page 32 frigate like a book”
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69. Shrek, for one 70 “Full House” twin name 71. Facetious “I see” 72. Climax time in a Gary Cooper film 73. Novelist Charles Down 1. The clap you get ringing someone’s chimes 2. Sandy-colored 3. Mapa of “Desperate Housewives” 4. Gay pride marchers close them 5. Of sound mind 6. “You’ve Got Mail” female 7. Like some twins 8. Summary by 62-Down 9. Like a nervous Nelly 10. Medium skill 11. Enjoy an oldie a la Richard Simmons? 12. Crowded place 13. Too big for your britches 21. Stand next to Cassat
22. Crimean conference site 27. Weight-loss product 28. Fem’s application 29. Queens, e.g. 31. Say grace, say 32. Pop stars? 34. Toss in one’s hand 36. Chinese (prefix) 38. Pie-cooling ledge 40. Soda shop treat 42. Mt. Everest locale 43. Ben Franklin’s belief 48. Don, as a nightie 50. Gay-friendly Elizabeth 52. “West Side Story” girl 54. Part of a club name 56. Dossier about Uranus? 59. Mark Bingham of United Flight 93 60. Some Feds 61. “ ___ small world” 62. Movie critic Rex 63. Sea eagle 65. Sticky stuff See SOLUTION, Page 32
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CD Reviews
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Larry Nichols
New, classic synth-pop abounds on recent releases Depeche Mode Sounds of the Universe Mute/Capitol/Virgin Records Depeche Mode has never really made a bad record, and chances are they aren’t about to start now. Granted, there have been some less-than-shining moments during their career, but for the most part, the influential and pioneering synth-pop group’s studio output has always existed somewhere between stunning and perfunctorybut-forgettable mediocrity. Thankfully, “Sounds of the Universe” falls a lot closer to the former category. Ever since 2001’s rather limp “Exciter,” Depeche Mode has been trying to get its mojo back. In 2005, “Playing the
Angel” was a huge step in the right direction, recapturing a bit of that old “Violator”-era magic. “Sounds of the Universe” is a more assured step in the same direction, harkening back to the group’s darkest period somewhere between the grungy but soulful
“Songs of Faith and Devotion” and the bleak and lush electronics of “Ultra,” all with the kind of youthful spark that made earlier efforts like “Black Celebration” such a classic. To achieve that feel, the group employed vintage synthesizers, and it definitely makes the difference in the warm, fuzzy and ultimately dirty-sounding newwave bleeps and flourishes on songs like “Little Soul” and “In Sympathy.” Elsewhere, the vintage synths lend a foreign yet classic soft-core cinematic vibe to songs like “Perfect” and “Spacewalker.” In other words, “Sounds of the Universe” is classic Depeche Mode all the way. The band — 30 years into its long and storied
career — is still at the top of its game. Erasure Total Pop! Deluxe Box – The first 40 hits Mute/Sire/Rhino There’s no need to cover the first two discs of this set because, short of your ex absconding with your CD collection postbreakup, you really should have the majority of these songs from this synth-pop group floating around somewhere.
No, seriously, if you don’t have “A Little Respect,” “Chains of Love,” “Who Needs Love (Like That),” “Ship of Fools” or any of the other hits floating around in your iPod or on a mix tape in a box under your bed, then we really can’t do anything for you. OK, now that that’s out of the way, “Total Pop!” goes above and beyond the typical greatest-hits route with an extensive booklet featuring photos, interviews and notes from the group’s more-thantwo-decade-long history. It’s the third and fourth discs that make “Total Pop!” worth the trip to the store. The third disc is comprised of live tracks spanning 20 years’ worth of touring. The best of these tracks are taken from 1989’s The Wild! Tour, where “Knocking on Your Door” and “Push Shove Me” bristle with excitement. The fourth disc is a DVD of “live” performances, most taken from Erasure’s appearances on the U.K. show “Top of the Pops.” The visual trek of mid-1980s to early ’90s fashion alone is worth watching, but the performances are top notch as well. “Total Pop!” is the total package for anyone even remotely interested in Erasure. VNV Nation Reformation 01 Anachron America
This Hamburg-based Irish/ English synth-pop duo’s new limited-edition boxed set contains a live CD, a collection of rarities
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Acclaimed play looks at closeted Hollywood By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer Flashpoint Theatre Company is hosting the Philadelphia debut of a play satirizing the thorny politics of sexuality in Hollywood. “The Little Dog Laughed” centers on Mitchell, a rising Hollywood star whose agent, Diane, would love nothing better than to keep him in the closet — a position made even more comical due to the fact that Diane herself is gay. “She identifies as a lesbian but is non-practicing,” director Meghann Williams said. “Her real passion and fire is work. She doesn’t engage in relationships outside of work. It gives her character a window into what’s going on with her client, and she knows way in advance of anything he comes to conclusions about way before he thinks it.” Diane’s job gets harder, Mitchell’s life gets more interesting and hilarity ensues when he meets hustler and love interest Alex. After all, it is Hollywood, right?
“It’s the best kind of comedy in that it actually has something to say and, on a personal note, the themes about having to hide what you are, I think that it’s universal,” Williams said. “As a bisexual woman [myself], it’s a play that deals with themes about being true to yourself and your sexuality. It’s all very relevant to my life, so I feel like I can bring a more personal touch to the play. It attracted me because of that.” Williams isn’t the only one attracted to the play. Written by Douglas Carter Beane (“To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar,” “Xanadu”) and opening in early 2006, “The Little Dog Laughed” was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award and a Tony during its run in off-Broadway and Broadway venues. Williams hasn’t seen any of the New York productions of the play and, for artistic reasons, prefers it that way. “I tend to like to not see any productions of anything that I’m directing if I can help it, because I am easily influenced and I would hate to put a copycat up on stage,”
and remixes and a live DVD sure to please both longtime fans and/or hook new fans. The live set is a fine document of VNV Nation’s energetic live show, drawing heavily from 2005’s excellent “Matter + Form” album. It’s a great place to start for the uninitiated and a great audio souvenir for VNV vets. The real treasure is the disc of rarities. Once you motor past three PAGE 30 versions of “Chrome” (all good, but none approach the brilliance of the original), the disc really begins to show the depth of the band. The slower, more contemplative tracks like the remixes of “Carry You” and “As It Fades” fare better than the pounding speed remix of “Nemesis.” But it’s the unreleased material that dominates this disc. “Still Water” is a contemplative trance epic, “Precipice” is a propulsive and darkly danceable piece of synth-pop and “Suffer” can hold its own and against even the most beautiful of movie scores ever made. If you’ve never heard of VNV Nation, “Reformation 01” is a great place to catch up. ■
Look for
DIRECTOR MEGHANN WILLIAMS
she said. “It wouldn’t be true.” She added that she has a great amount of respect for what little she has seen of Beane’s work. “I haven’t read anything else of his,” she said. “I like the movie ‘Xanadu’ but I didn’t see his book from the new musical, unfortunately. This is the only thing I know of them. If I can only go on this, then yes, I am a huge fan. He has given us this incredible script, though, and everything from the stage direction to just the little unspoken lines, he’s laid out exactly what we need.” Did we mention there’s full nudity and adult situations in the play? Williams, who was still in
“I’ll admit, I’m a celebritygossip junkie,” she said. “So we’ve been talking a lot about Tom Cruise and the speculation about him and his friends: the John Travoltas, the Will Smiths, all of these things. We talked a lot in rehearsal about the stigma of being an openly gay man in Hollywood and the disconnect between being an openly gay man and an openly gay woman in Hollywood. Because that is becoming more and more accepted. Portia de Rossi came out and no one blinked an eye. It was celebrated and accepted. Should a marquis male star come out, it’s a big deal. Neil Patrick Harris came out while he was on Broadway and that sort of cushioned that for him. He’s had enormous success since then and I hope that’s more of the norm going forward.” “The Little Dog Laughed” runs through May 30 at Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. For more information or tickets, visit www.flashpointtheatre.org or call (215) 665-9720. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
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pre-production rehearsals when PGN spoke with her, said the cast was working its way up to the “situational” scenes. “I think that’s definitely something that we’ve been talking about,” she said about the nude scenes. “We just staged what we call ‘the impeding blowjob.’ But we’re not rehearsing the scene nude until we get onto the stage under stage lights. That’s just a courtesy to the actors so they don’t have to do it under fluorescents in the rehearsal room. If you have to be naked on stage, there’s always going to be a little part of you saying, ‘Am I attractive enough?’ We’re concentrating on making the scene so important and passionate that you’re not thinking about these men as being naked. You want to be thinking about the character and what’s happening to them. It’s such a huge moment for Mitchell. He’s deciding to really go there and admit these feelings. It’s important.” If Williams has her way, the audience will be more focused on the underlying issues the play pokes fun at than the flesh displayed on stage.
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MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Stella Blu dazzles in Conshy By Suzi Nash PGN Contributor
Published the 2nd and 4th week of every month.
(215) 625-8501
Greg, ext. 201; Kelly, ext. 207; Morgan, ext. 212
According to Wikipedia, so you know it must be true, the name Conshohocken comes from “gueno-sheiki-hacking,” meaning “pleasant valley” in the native tongue of the Lenape American Indians. Since I’m 1/16 Lenape twice removed on my grandmother’s side, I’ll vouch for it. I’ll also vouch for Conshohocken becoming a pleasant place, at least in culinary terms. I recently wrote about a wonderful find on Fayette Street in Conshy and now I have found a second reason to get off the highway at exit 332. The newly renovated Stella Blu is a lovely place, sophisticated but with a neighborhood feel. Originally opened in 2001 by business partners Marianne Gere and Kim Strengari, who quickly made chef Ralph Pallarino the third partner, it underwent a total renovation in December. I don’t know what the old place looked like, but the new Blu is crisp and clean, yet still manages to exude a coziness about it. Perhaps that comes from the warmth of the staff. They were so close-knit I thought it must have been a family business, but Strengari just laughed and said, “I know.
FRIED ARTICHOKE HEARTS
It feels that way, but none of us are related. We just all get along really well. Our people have a tendency to stay here forever. I love it here: I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.” All three owners are very hands on at Stella Blu. Strengari takes care of the front of the house and seemed to know many customers by name. Gere seemed to be a middleman, so to speak, handling hosting duties with equal gregariousness, and taking care of kitchen and office matters as well.
Join us for Mother’s Day!
Photos: Suzi Nash
Pallarino, who grew up enjoying the sights and smells of his mother’s Italian cooking at home in Chicago, is responsible for the menu: He’s been featured on the Food Network’s “Date Plate” and “Fretz Kitchen,” NBC’s hit show “The Restaurant” and on Fine Living Network’s “Dinner Date.” In addition to the new décor, Stella Blu has rolled out a new menu described by Gere as “contemporary, with an Italian flair.” We sat down at a high glass table surrounded by tall silver chairs. I was dining with my mother and was concerned that the set up, though attractive, might not be terribly comfortable for her short little legs (sorry, Mom), but it turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. In fact, she raved about the fact that at most places, she longs for the comfort of a phone book to prop her up so that her nose will be above the wine glasses on the table. Here, the tall chairs worked to lift her almost to adult height. With my father’s long legs, I also enjoyed the extra height. And the chairs swiveled ... whee! We started out with the escarole with white bean soup ($5), a recipe adapted from one created by the chef’s beloved grandmother, who, along with his mother, were his early teachers. It is said that while the other kids were out playing, Pallarino was busy inside making homemade pastas, oversized ravioli and fried eel. His nonna knew what she was doing because the soup was excellent. Our server also brought us
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some fresh sesame rolls in case we wanted to do something as uncouth as dunking our bread in the soup. I actually held back on that, but only because the bread, served with paprika-dusted butter, was good on its own. Next up was an order from the small-plate menu. I love small plates, as they give you a chance to try a variety of tastes without having to buy a whole new wardrobe. In a recent interview, Pallarino stated, “When I look at a menu, the appetizers are usually more interesting than the entrées. I take what could be large plates and scale them down. That gives our guests the ability to have not one but two or three great dishes. Who wouldn’t enjoy a 3-ounce piece of halibut as a small plate, or two or three great scallops?” I couldn’t agree more. From Pallarino’s menu, I chose the fried artichoke hearts with balsamic mayonnaise ($8), beautifully crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Yum. I love artichokes, but there’s a reason why the word “choke” is in the name. You usually come across a part that’s a little chewy that doesn’t go down quite right. Not so with these (and trust me, I tried several just to be sure): They were delicious and edible through and through. My mom ordered the salad du jour ($14), a thick slice of seared ahi tuna served on a bed of Romaine and arugula, with sliced strawberries, crumbled blue cheese and chopped pistachios with a balsamic vinaigrette. I have to give it to Pallarino: I would not have expected tuna and strawberries to go together. But they did impeccably, primarily based on the strength of the tuna. Though it was a bright-pink, thick cut of tuna, it managed to be seared to perfection. The people at the table next to us were commenting on it as well. I had the roasted beet salad ($9), cubed red beets over a thin layer of prosciutto with crumbled goat cheese, chiledusted pumpkin seeds and extravirgin olive oil. Handsomely presented, the crunch of the roasted pumpkin seeds was a nice contrast to the silkiness of the beets. We took a breather and enjoyed a glass of Livermore Valley Wente “Riverbank” Reisling ($8), a floral wine with honeysuckle accents, which gave it a lovely semi sweet taste. For a relatively small restaurant, Stella Blu had a nice selection of wines
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
both by the glass and the bottle. As I took in the aroma of the wine, I stopped to look at the surroundings. We were sitting under a wonderful ornate glass chandelier with blue teardrop fixtures. The walls are covered in a contemporary style with cream paper dotted with silver swirls and flowers. There are a variety of modern light fixtures (all of which would look good in my house if the owners decide they want to remodel again). In fact, our wine was served in a chic little lopsided glass with a cracked motif that I liked so much, our server told me where to get them. For our main meal, we decided to sampled Pallarino’s “Best of Philly” lobster mac and cheese ($20), a heart-stopping blend of asiago, Parmesan and goat cheese baked with cold-water Maine lobster. Though we had the lunch portion, there was enough for two plus leftovers for two days! Granted, I had stuffed myself on the artichoke hearts, but this was such a rich dish, I could only manage a tablespoon or two ... and still leave room for dessert. For dessert, we had the banana chocolate-chip cake. The cake was amazingly moist and light with the flavors well balanced. It was a refreshing way to end the meal. Our server, a lovely, attentive woman who doubles as a
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bartender and spent a good amount of time chatting with us, was one of the family of employees at Stella Blu. She darted around the table greeting people and filling them in on everything new at Stella. The fellows at the table to our left seemed to be regulars. A couple of older gentlemen, they were joking with her as if she were a favored granddaughter. To my surprise, as they left she called out, “Nice to meet you!” It was a testament to the family atmosphere at Stella Blu that I thought they were longtime friends and customers. From the smiles they wore as they left, I suspect they soon will be. Stella Blu’s Star Bar is in full swing late nights, with live acoustic music Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at 9 p.m. Get started earlier on weekdays with a happy-hour Martini Madness from 5-7 p.m., where you can choose from five martinis for $5 apiece and enjoy half-price small plates. ■
If you go Stella Blu 101 Ford St. West Conshohocken (610) 825-7060 www.stellablurestaurant.com
STELLA BLU DINING ROOM (TOP) AND BAR
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PORTRAITS From Page 27 PGN: People often mistake me for ... MK: When, and only when, I have dark lipstick on, people tell me I look like Gwen Stefani. PGN: What’s your sign and what traits do you have? MK: I’m very much a Libra. We display things and I have a lot of knick-knacks and stuff. I also looked up my specific [birth] date one time and it said I should be an actor. PGN: What traits have you inherited from your parents? MK: Oh God, I’m exactly like my mother except that I did inherit my father’s emotional side. We’re both criers, whereas my mother’s more stoic. But I have the same goofy sense of humor as her. PGN: First crush? MK: Melody Easton from York. She was in one of the first shows I ever did. I hated her the day I met her and for a good week of rehearsals, and then suddenly I couldn’t get enough of her. Uh, yeah — after that crush, I knew I was gay. PGN: Person you’d want to sit with at a dinner party? MK: Liza Minnelli. I love her
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MAY 8 - 14, 2009
and I’m sure she’d do something fabulous or tragic that would make a good story later. PGN: Favorite teacher? MK: My college voice teacher. She was tough, but you knew that if she complimented you, she meant it. PGN: Three sounds you love or three you hate? MK: Let’s go with hate: the word “moist,” the fake sounds they make throwing punches on TV and the sound of someone pulling cotton apart. PGN: Ginger or Maryanne? MK: Ginger ... PGN: Brush with fame? MK: I got to sing with Donna McKechnie, who won the Tony Award for “A Chorus Line,” and Chuck Wagner, who was the prince in “Into the Woods” and the beast in “Beauty and the Beast.” It was pretty awesome.
a benefit for the William Way LGBT Community Center’s High School Bookmobile Project. It’s our own little stimulus package ... “Good Songs for Tough Times” with Philadelphia trio Keith Kaczorowski, Melissa Kolczynski and Tom Wilson Weinberg takes the stage at Willie Way Cabaret at 6 and 9 p.m. May 16. For tickets, call the center at (215) 732-2220 or visit www. TomWilsonWeinberg.com. ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portraits,” write to: Family Portraits, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 or portraits05@aol.com.
SOLUTION From Page 27
PGN: So what’s up next for you? MK: I’m doing a cabaret with Keith Kaczorowski and Tom Wilson Weinberg called “Good Songs for Tough Times.” In response to our current recession, we’re featuring funny and touching songs from the Depression era. The show is
PGN
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Q on the Tube: MAY 8 - 14, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
worth watching: FRIDAY Dollhouse Season finale. This intensely homoerotic show wraps with the rogue agent, Alpha, coming after Echo. 9 p.m. on Fox. SATURDAY Groomer Has It Tonight, 12 doggy stylists create hairstyles (yes, it is that gay) for a variety of breeds. 9 p.m. on Animal Planet. SUNDAY Desperate Housewives An immigration agent halts Jackson’s plans of marrying Susan. Tom wishes to have plastic surgery until Lynette convinces him not to. 9 p.m. on ABC. The Tudors Henry brings an end to the Catholic uprising. Tonight, the quest for a queen is underway. 9
Queer TV you can always see: All My Children You can stop watching “AMC” now. Bianca and Reese have reunited and gone back to Paris with their daughters. Expect to see a Christmas reunion. MondayFriday, 1 p.m. on ABC.
p.m. on Showtime. Brothers & Sisters Season finale. The third season ends as the Walker clan unites in Mexico with Tommy. Kevin has an unwelcome surprise for his errant brother. 10 p.m. on ABC. MONDAY House Season finale. House and the team are intrigued by a man whose left brain and right brain operate independently, leaving him with two distinct personalities. Will Thirteen come back queer next season? 8 p.m. on Fox. TUESDAY American Idol The final four. Adam almost got kicked out last week, despite a stellar performance. If he and Danny aren’t the final two, there is no justice. 8 p.m. on Fox. WEDNESDAY America’s Next Top Model Season finale. Last week’s shocker was that London was kicked off — for being fat. Memo to Tyra Banks: Remember telling your audience to kiss your fat black ass? 8 p.m. on the CW. Lie to Me Season finale. Jennifer Beals (“The L Word”) returns for this stunner about a terrorist bombing in Washington, D.C., where the Lightman Group is based. 8 p.m. on Fox.
Q on the tube: New Adventures of Old Christine Lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes. 8 p.m. on CBS. Better Off Ted Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres’ wife, stars as a corporate boss from hell in this hilarious new black comedy. 8:30 p.m. on ABC. American Idol Results of the vote leading to the season finale next week. 9 p.m. on Fox. THURSDAY Parks and Recreation Amy Poehler is at her funniest in this quirky spin-off of “The Office.” 8:30 p.m. on NBC. Grey’s Anatomy Two-hour season finale. Meredith does (or doesn’t) marry Derek. Izzie does (or doesn’t) recover from surgery. Mark does (or doesn’t) propose to Lexie. Callie does (or doesn’t) ask Arizona to live with her. 9 p.m. on ABC. Hell’s Kitchen The season finale finds Paula and Danny in one of the toughest faceoffs in “HK” history. 8 p.m. on Fox. Southland Gay cop John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) is the butchest guy on the beat. Tonight, he’s on the “Westside” with two female detectives. 10 p.m. on NBC.
As the World Turns As Noah recovered in the hospital from his near-fatal gunshot wound, he convinced Luke to give Damian a chance. Monday-Friday, 2 p.m. on CBS. Guiding Light Natalia and Olivia are off to a private getaway and there’s only one hotel room. Will they finally consummate their love? Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. on CBS. Ellen Monday-Friday, 3 p.m. on NBC. The Rachel Maddow Show Monday-Friday, 9 p.m. on MSNBC.
STAR POWER!: We must be closing in on season-finale time, because the guest-star and nuptial-plot floodgates have burst open. Grammy winner and U.K. singer Adele (pictured), actress Christine Baranski and a rather freakish-looking wedding liven things up on a back-from-hiatus episode of “Ugly Betty,” 8 p.m. Thursday on ABC. Photo: ABC/Patrick Habron
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Defiling the dead By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor Virginia Foxx — absolutely no relation to Red Foxx — has made the news. The previously under-the-radar Republican Congresswoman from North Carolina spoke on April 29 during the House debate on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, also known as the Matthew Shepard Act, named for the Wyoming college student killed in a 1998 torture murder because he was gay. Foxx told the House, “The hate crimes bill that’s called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn’t because he was gay ... This — the bill was named for him, hate-crimes bill was named for him, but it’s really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills.” The somewhat-incoherent syntax mirrors the stunning ignorance displayed by the words. Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother, was in the gallery during Foxx’s commentary. This Republican meme — that Shepard was a robbery victim — was somehow extrapolated from a November 2004 episode of “20/20” in which one of Shepard’s killers, Aaron James McKinney, accused Shepard of making sexual advances toward him. McKinney then said he planned to rob Shepard. Republicans refer to this as “proof” that the Shepard murder was not a hate crime. Shepard died after sustaining 18 separate skull fractures — what the medical examiner called “overkill.” On April 30, Judy Shepard appeared on “The Rachel Maddow Show” to discuss the hate-crimes bill, her son’s death and, of course, Foxx’s comments. Shepard told Maddow, “Well, you know, attacks of lesser consequence, I guess, have been said about Matt since the beginning, and in 2007 when it passed the House, the same sort of vitriol was spoken from the floor as well. I did not ever expect it to be called a hoax.” Shepard, who became an activist for LGBT issues after her son’s murder, also explained that the legislation would expand the abilities of law enforcement to prosecute such crimes. Maddow wrapped the interview with her own take on the legislation. In her usual down-to-earth explication of something complex, Maddow asserted: “The idea is that the federal Justice Department can get involved in a case to help local authorities or even to take the lead on a case if need be, in prosecuting individual serious violent crimes and murders in which the victim was selected on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability. The idea is that crimes like that are intended not only to hurt or murder an individual, but to terrorize an entire community, and so there is a national interest in ensuring that those crimes are solved and prosecuted, particularly if local law enforcement doesn’t want to because they are blinkered by the same prejudice that led to the crime in the first place.” There’s no question that Foxx is “blinkered” all right. After the floor vote, she claimed she’d received death threats. However, the Capitol Police had no record of any such threats, just as Matt Shepard wasn’t killed during a “robbery.” Defiling the dead isn’t a hate crime. But Foxx’s comments certainly evince what makes hate-crimes legislation so vital to protect minorities from the ignorance — and concomitant violence — of others. ■
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Diversions
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Your guide to arts and entertainment
Theater
Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits The Walnut Street Theatre presents a tribute to the big shows and bigger legends in this hilarious, loving and endlessly entertaining revue, through June 28 at Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 5743550. Jihad Jones & The Kalashnikov Babes InterAct Theatre Company presents a fast and furious satire examining the effect of Hollywood’s stereotyping of Arab Americans, through May 10, 2030 Sansom St.; (215) 568-8077. The Little Dog Laughed The Tony Award-nominated satire about a gay actor and his agent’s efforts to keep him closeted makes its Philadelphia premiere, through May 30 at Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St.; (215) 6659720. The Producers The Walnut Street Theatre presents an all-new production of Mel Brooks’ Tony Award-winning musical, May 12-July 19, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 5743550. Something Intangible Arden Theatre Company presents the world premiere by celebrated Philadelphia playwright Bruce Graham, set in Hollywood circa 1941, through June 7, 40 N. Second St.; (215) 922-1122. A Stone Carver New City Stage presents a newly revised version of William Mastrosimone’s first play, about a 1970s Italian-American patriarch who must move out of the Trenton home he built with his own hands to make
fueled, hilarious show that celebrates the best of babes and Botox, at 3 and 8 p.m. May 9 at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; (215) 257-5808.
room for a new highway, through May 24 at Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio 5, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 5743550. Thoroughly Modern Millie The Media Theater presents the Tony Award-winning 1920s musical romp, through June 7, 104 E. State St.; (610) 891-0100.
Alo Brasil Twelve Philadelphia musicians spanning three generations crank out Brazilian music at 8 p.m. May 9 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 2221400.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Lantern Theater Company presents the famous play in a surprising theatrical event that plumbs the dark humor of Shakespeare’s tragic son, through May 17 at St. Stephen’s Theater, 923 Ludlow St.; (215) 8299002.
Music classical
Rattle Conducts Bruckner The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Sir Simon Rattle leading a program pairing musical visions from two Austrian masters, 2 p.m. May 8 and 8 p.m. May 9 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. Conga Kings The Kimmel Center presents an evening of Afro-Cuban music, American jazz and Latin percussion, 8 p.m. May 8 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 7905847. Beethoven’s Emperor The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia presents this classic conducted by Ignat Solzhenitsyn, at 2:30 p.m. May 10 and 7:30 p.m. May 11 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. Hooray for Hollywood! Peter Nero and the Philly Pops present a special
Ben Harper The roots-rocker artist performs at 8 p.m. May 9 at TLA, 334 South St.; (215) 922-1011.
MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT!: Get ready to cheer on out personal trainer Liz Sherman when she makes her professional boxing debut at The Brawl on Broad Street, 7:30 p.m. May 9 at South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St. Hopefully one day her pugilistic skills will warrant the city building a statue of her somewhere, kind of like what’s-hisname at the bottom of the steps at the place with all the art. And maybe she’ll hook up with someone named Adrian. For more information or tickets, call (215) 755-8156.
multi-media event to honor the captivating music that has the uncanny ability to transport us to another place and time, May 10-17 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. Leonard Cohen The Kimmel Center presents the singersongwriter’s 2009 World Tour, at 8 p.m. May 12 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. KLR Trio The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents the acclaimed trio, at 8 p.m. May 12 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Dvorak, Bartók and Enescu The Philadelphia Orchestra presents two orchestral works by Antonín Dvorák, at 8 p.m. May 14 and 16 and 2 p.m. May 15 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 7905847.
Music other
UB40 The reggae group performs at 8 p.m. May 8 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 5727650. Four Bitchin’ Babes: Hormonal Imbalance Sally Fingerett, Debi Smith, Nancy Moran and Deirdre Flint perform an estrogen-
India.Arie The singer-songwriter performs at 8 p.m. May 9 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 572-7650. The Crystal Method The electronica group performs at 8 p.m. May 10 at TLA, 334 South St.; (215) 922-1011. Kevin Costner & Modern West Yeah, that Kevin Costner, and some other dudes backing him up, at 7:30 p.m. May 10 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400. The Damned The influential punk band performs at 8 p.m. May 13 at TLA, 334 South St.; (215) 922-1011. Lez Zeppelin The all-girl Led Zeppelin tribute band performs at 8 p.m. May 13 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483. Johnny Lang The blues guitarist performs at 9 p.m. May 14 at the House of Blues, 801
Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; (609) 236-2583. Jagermeister Music Tour Punk groups Pennywise and Pepper perform at 8 p.m. May 14 at Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; (215) 627-1332. Jill Sobule The girl-kissing singersongwriter performs at 8 p.m. May 14 at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; (215) 257-5808. Unwigged & Unplugged Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer perform songs from films “This Is Spinal Tap” and “A Mighty Wind” at 8 p.m. May 14 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 572-7650.
Exhibits
Benjamin Long Proximity Gallery presents the artist’s current exhibition of paintings and photography through May 31, 2434 E. Dauphin St.; (267) 825-2949. A Closer Look Allens Lane Art Center presents new paintings and sculptures by artists Henrietta and Reinhold Edelschein, through June 12, 601 W. Allens Lane; (215) 248-0546.
Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Diversions, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147; fax them to (215) 925-6437; or e-mail them to pgn@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Collective Aphrodite Gallery, Philadelphia’s showcase for erotic fine arts, presents a staff art show through May 24 at Passional Toys, 620 S. Fifth St.; (215) 829-4986. Figure Fleisher/Ollman Gallery presents a solo exhibition of the work of Philadelphia artist Bruce Pollock, through May 9, 1616 Walnut St., Suite 100; (215) 545-7562. Ion Zupcu: Works on Paper Gallery 339 presents an exhibition of still-life photography, through May 16, 339 S. 21st St.; (215) 731-1530. Pulp Function Fred Beans Gallery at
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Michener Art Museum presents a wide variety of artistic expressions using handmade paper pulp, recycled paper, paper cuts, cardboard, papier-mâché and folded paper, through June 28, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; (215) 3409800. Quiescent The Clay Studio presents the latest works from utilitarian potter Julia Galloway, through May 31, 137 N. Second St.; (215) 925-3453. Show Some Love AxD Gallery presents an exhibition of the winners of the American Institute of Graphic Artists Philadelphia Design Awards, through May 30, 265 S. 10th St.; (215) 627-
PGN
6250. Small Favors IV: Benefit Exhibition and Sale The Clay Studio presents an original ceramic arts exhibition, showcasing the latest in miniature, wallmounted artworks, through May 31, 137 N. Second St.; (215) 925-3453. Two Women: Two Visions Edge Gallery presents an exhibition featuring the work of Monika Dalkin and Noelle Stoffel, through May 31, 72 N. Second St.; (215) 413-7072.
urban landscapes at night, through May 16, 339 S. 21st St.; (215) 731-1530.
Dance
Spooky Action Micro Dance Theatre presents the magical story of two bodies falling eternally through a void, fatefully intertwined and inseparable, May 9-10 at Kimmel’s Innovation Studio, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Film
The Sound of Music The classic 1965 musical is screened at 2 p.m. May 10 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Yuichi Hibi: Neco Phoenixville; (610) 917Gallery 339 presents Hibi’s 0223. photographic exhibition that evokes the menace, Handel’s Giulio Cesare beauty and mystery of The Opera Company
Pick
We can’t think of any better place to get your “Rock Lobster” on than Atlantic City. The B-52s may hail from Georgia, but we’re pretty sure the iconic and half-gay alt-rock party band is going to tear up the city like they own the place at 8 p.m. May 9 at the House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J. It doesn’t hurt that their latest album, “Funplex” is every bit as danceable and fun as their many, many classic hits. For more information or tickets, call (609) 236-2583. Photo: Joseph Cultice
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of Philadelphia screens director David McVicar’s acclaimed production of the Handel favorite set in the early 20th century, during a period of British colonialism in Egypt, May 10-20 at Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr; (610) 527-9898.
Books
Etc.
The Ins and Outs of Female Masturbation Aphrodite Gallery hosts an interactive workshop exploring the historical and societal influences on female masturbation, from 7-9 p.m. May 8, 704 S. Fifth St.; (215) 829-4986.
Chuck Palahniuk The openly gay author of “Choke” and “Fight Club” hosts a reading at 7:30 p.m. May 8 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; (215) 686-5322.
Vinyl DJs spin actual records at Philly’s newest LGBT party, 10 p.m.-3:30 a.m. May 9 at Pure, 1221 St. James St.; (215) 735-5772.
Elmore Leonard The author of “Road Dogs” hosts a reading at 7:30 p.m. May 14 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; (215) 686-5322.
Dane Cook The “comedian” performs at 8 p.m. May 9 at the Wachovia Spectrum, 3601 S. Broad St.; (215) 3363600. ■
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Meeting Place A community bulletin board of activities, facilities and organizations
Community centers ■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held from 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday through Friday. See the Youth section for more events. 255 S. 16th St.; (215) 545-4331 ■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St.; (215) 898-5044; center@dolphin.upenn.edu, Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. ■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; (215) 348-0558 ext. 65; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. ■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; (215) 732-2220; www.waygay.org. Peer counseling: Monday through Friday, 6-9 p.m. Library hours: Mondays 3-6 p.m., Tuesdays 3-6 p.m., Wednesdays 3-9 p.m., Thursdays 3-9 p.m., Fridays 3-6 p.m., Saturdays noon-6 p.m. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.; Volunteer Velada, third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.
Health Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 166 W. Lehigh Ave.; (215) 763-8870 ext. 6000. AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., suite 205; (2215) 536-2424. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; (215) 851-1822 or (866) 2223871. Spanish/English. HIV testing Free, anonymous testing and counseling is offered from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment at AIDS Resource, 520 W. Fourth St., suite 2A, Williamsport;
Key numbers ■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: (215) 587-9377 ■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: (856) 933-9500 ext. 221 ■ AIDS Library: (215) 985-4851
(570) 322-8448. HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; (215) 685-1803. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications, confidential HIV testing available at 17 MacDade Blvd., suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; (610) 586-9077. Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 1201 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-0652. www.mazzonicenter.org. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; (215) 985-9206. Gloria Casarez, (215) 686-2194; Gloria. Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: (215) 686-2555 ■ Mazzoni Center: (215) 563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org ■ Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine: (215) 563-0658
■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: (215) 5921513
■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): (215) 572-1833
■ AIDS Treatment hot line: (215) 5452212
■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: (215) 686-4670
■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: (215) 685-1633
■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: (215) 772-2000
■ The COLOURS Organization Inc. 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; (215) 4960330. ■ Equality Advocates Pennsylvania: (215) 731-1447; (866) LGBTLAW ■ Equality Forum: (215) 732-3378 ■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: (215) 732-TALK ■ Mayor’s liaison to LGBT communities:
■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Chief Inspector James Tiano: (215) 685-3655 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: (215) 494-LGBT; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: (215) 875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: (717) 920-9537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: (215) 732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)
Men
Boys Night Out A social gathering for gay men, meets at 7 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday at Iron Hill Brewery, 30 E. State St., Media; BurbBoysNiteOut@aol.com. Delaware Valley 40-plus Club for Men Social group meets every other month; (215) 587-9933. Gay Married Men’s Association Meets at 8 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays at the William Way Center; (215) 483-1032. Men of All Colors Together Meets at 7:30 p.m. third Friday of the month September through June at the William Way Center; (610) 277-6595; www.MACTPhila.org. Men’s Coming Out Group, N.J. Meets at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at The Pride Center of New Jersey. Men’s Coming Out Group Meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; (215) 563-0652 ext. 219. Men of Color United A discussion/support group for gay and bisexual men of color meets from 6:30-8:30 p.m. every Wednesday at 1201 Chestnut St., 15th floor; (215) 496-0330. Men of Standard Provides a place for men of color 21 and older to share issues of concern. Meets 7-9 p.m. every Thursday at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St., Camden, N.J.; (856) 963-2432 ext. 206; johnson_ t@camden_ahec.org. Philly DADS An association of gay and bisexual fathers supporting each other meets at 7:30 p.m. fourth Friday of the month at the William Way Center; (215) 668-5239.
Parents/Families
MAY 8 - 14, 2009 Interweave New Jersey An organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Unitarian and their allies meets every third Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; (856) 667-3618. Oasis Meets 7-8 p.m. Wednesdays at 1201 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-0652 ext. 509. Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine Primary healthcare and specialized transgender services in a safe, professional, non-judgemental environment, 809 Locust St.; (215) 563-0658. Renaissance Transgender Assoc. Meets at 8 p.m. third Saturday of the month at Into the Woods office complex in King of Prussia; (610) 975-9119 box 5; and 7:30 p.m. first Thursday of the month at the William Way Center; www.ren.org. T-MAN People of color support group for transmen, FTMs, butches, studs, agressives, bois, genderqueer and all female-born individuals with gender questions meets 7:30-9:30 p.m. Mondays, second floor, 1201 Locust St.; (215) 834-9063; tman215@aol.com. Transhealth Programming Committee Meetings are at 5 p.m. second and last Sundays of the month at the William Way Center. Transhealth Information Project Sponsors a weekly drop-in center from 7-11 p.m. Tuesdays at 1201 Locust St.; (267) 549-6497. Transgender Health Action Coalition Peer trans health-advocacy organization meets at 5 p.m. second and last Sundays of the month at the William Way Center; (215) 732-1207; www. critpath.org/thac. WeXist FTM support group meets from 6-8 p.m. second Friday of the month at the William Way Center; first hour is open; second hour is for people assigned female at birth who have gender issues; (267) 250-1548; www.wexist.org.
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Bucks County Meets at 7:30 p.m. third Thursday of the month at Penns Park United Methodist Church, 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; (215) 598-8005.
Young, Trans, and Unified! Support group for transgender and questioning individuals ages 13-23 meets from 7-8:30 p.m. every Thursday at The Attic Youth Center; (215) 545-4331 ext. 24.
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Cape May, N.J. Meets at 2 p.m. third Sunday of the month in the Maruchi Room of Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital, 2 Stone Harbor Blvd.; (609) 861-1848. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Chester County Meets at 7 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the Unitarian Fellowship of West Chester, 501 S. High St., West Chester; (484) 354-2448.
African Asian Latina Lesbians United Social-issues discussion group meets fourth Thursday of the month at The Pride Center of New Jersey.
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Philadelphia Meets from 2-5 p.m. third Sunday of the month at the LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania, 3907 Spruce St.; (215) 572-1833.
Expressions Women’s Space Lesbian singles, family and coming-out groups meet at 1538 Church St.; (215) 535-3600.
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Princeton, N.J. Meets at 7:30 p.m. second Monday of the month in the George Thomas Room at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St.; (609) 683-5155. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Wilmington, Del. Meets at 7 p.m. second Thursday of the month at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 13th and Rodney streets; (302) 654-2995. Philadelphia Family Pride Advocacy, support and social network for LGBT families offers play groups, monthly kids and teen talk groups, activities and outings. Planning meetings are held monthly; (215) 844-3360; www. phillyfamilypride.org.
Trans
Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey A transgender civil-rights group meets first Sunday of the month at 1 p.m. at The Pride Center of New Jersey.
Women
Bucks County Lesbian Alliance Meets monthly for social events; http://buckscountylesbianalliance.org.
Lesbians and BiWomen in Heterosexual Marriages A support group meets at 7:30 p.m. on third Wednesday of the month at The Pride Center of New Jersey. Lesbian Community of Delaware Valley Social group holds monthly meetings and activities for gay women of all ages in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties; P.O. Box 962, Phoenixville, PA 19460; http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/LCDV/; marichikogirl@yahoo.com. Lesbian Couples Dining Group of Montgomery County Meets monthly; (215) 542-2899. Lesbian Social Network of South Jersey 500-member social group for lesbians holds monthly activities in South Jersey and surrounding area; www.lsn.southjersey.com. Lesbians with Breast Cancer A support group meets from 6:30-8:30 on second Wednesday of the month at Gilda Club Delaware Valley, 200 Kirk Road, Warminster; (215) 4413290. Queer Connections
Social group for women in their 20s meets weekly; (215) 468-1352; queerconnect@yahoo. com. Republican Lesbians Meetings held at 7:30 p.m. on first Monday of the month at The Pride Center of New Jersey. South Jersey Lesbians of Color Meetings are the first and third Fridays at 7:30 p.m. at The Starting Point, 215 Highland Ave., Suite C, Westmont, N.J.; (856) 824-0881; e-mail: SJLOC-owner@yahoogroups.com. Women’s Coffee House for Lesbians A group for lesbian and bisexual women meets on first Saturday of the month at 7 p.m. at The Pride Center of New Jersey. The Womyn’s Village The first womyn-owned and operated thinktank targeting black African, Asian, Latina and Native American LBT and two-spirited womyn. Meets at 5 p.m. on third Thursday of the month at COLOURS Organization, 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; (215) 765-0121; the_womyns. village@yahoo.com.
Youth
40 Acres of Change Discussion group for teen and young adults meets Thursdays at The COLOURS Organization Inc., 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; (215) 496-0330. Drop-in Group For gay, lesbian and bisexual youth; meets at 11 a.m. Saturdays at AIDS Delaware, 100 W. 10th St., Suite 315, Wilmington, Del.; (302) 652-6776. HAVEN For GLBT, intersex, questioning, queer and allied youth ages 14-20; meets from 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley, 424 Center St., Bethlehem; (610) 868-2153. HiTOPS A safe-space support program for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, will meet from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at 21 Wiggins St., Princeton, N.J.; (609) 683-5155. Main Line Youth Alliance Meets from 7-9:30 p.m. Fridays at 109 Lancaster Ave., Wayne; (610) 688-1861; info@myaonline. org. Mountain Meadow For youth with GLBTQ parents. Monthly programs for ages 8-16, family programs and parent coffee groups. Residential program offered in August; 1315 Spruce St.; (215) 772-1107; inquiries@mountainmeadow.org. Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center For ages 14-21; meets 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; (215) 3480558 ext. 65; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. Space to be Proud, Open, and Together Open to all LGBTQ queer youth and allies, ages 14-21, the SPOT meets Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Planned Parenthood of Chester County’s West Chester office, 8 S. Wayne St., West Chester; (610) 692-1770 ext. 108 or thespot@ppccpa.org. Teen Support Group Drop-in group for teens and adolescents meets Thursdays from 4:30-6 p.m. at 1201 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-0658 ext. 319. Under the Rainbow Discussion and social group for 18-25-year-old gays and lesbians meets at 7:30 p.m. at The Pride Center of New Jersey. Youth in Transition A support group for transgender and questioning youth ages 12-23 meets from 7:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays at the The Attic Youth Center. Youth Making a Difference For GLBTQ African-American and Latino youth ages 14-24. Meets from 5-7 p.m. every Tuesday at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St., Camden, N.J.; (856) 963-2432 ext. 234; gray_w@camden-ahec. org.
Send submissions to: e-mail: pgn@epgn.com of fax: (215) 925-6437 PGN Meeting Place, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
Meeting Place is a public service. Submissions must include a phone number for publication.
PAGE844 MAY - 14, 2009
APRIL 24 -PAGE 30, 2009 37
����������� Classifieds
������������������������������������������������������ With Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services and Personals
�������������������������������������������������� Meltdown 101: Low mortgage rates not for everyone ������������� By Associated Adrian Sainz The Press The Associated Press When you sign up for Facebook mortgage orEvery Twitter,week, you expect to get afinance stream giant Freddie Mac releases of random messages from theaverage people rates fouruptypes home loans, who on make yourof virtual social including fixed-rate network — but30-year pitches on homes for mortgages — the most popular type sale? of loan for homebuyers. Real-estate agents and others are Lately,forthe number putand outother by trolling clients on these Freddie has been incredibly low popularMac online social networking — temptingly so forhuckstering people thinking sites, mixing home with about refinancing or buying their online networking. But aisnew this place. Butway anyone whoa comes a good to sell home across or are this average be getting disappointed agents’ sales may pitches lost in when they find out what kind of rate the post? they actuallywho qualifyuse for. the social Agents Why is it that mortgage networking sitesthe toaverage market properties rate can be so tohard for anreferrals actual say they hope generate borrower Here area friend some — just as to youget? might tip off questions andfor-sale answers.sign on a lawn. about a new Q: “Tweeting First of all,iswhat’s the average the same way,” been says lately? Duane Hopper, an owner and A: Average rates on2130-year fixed broker at Century Real Estate mortgages percent Center in reached Seattle, 4.78 referring to the the week 2, a record low on dating term of forApril posting messages the back to when Freddie firstTwitter. started microblogging WebMac site its survey of mortgage rates in 1971. com. That mark iswas tied when effect the latest “There a multiplier that can take place, particularly on very hot information,” adds Hopper, who
posts information about homes he’s number Thursday. trying tocame sell out andlast promotes himself began falling in the winter, onRates Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and and slid again after the Federal ActiveRain. Reserve month would Twittersaid letslast users createit profiles buy trillion in mortgagewhere$1.2 they can post messages of up backed securities and billion in to 140 characters that$300 can be viewed long-term which by anyonegovernment with Internetdebt, access on a traditionally PC or mobileinfluences phone. rates on 30year home loans. Hopper started using the site Q: the benefit of racked having up a lastWhat’s fall. Since then, he’s lower more mortgage than 600rate? people who have A: Low rates result in less elected to “follow” his interest tweets. that have celebrities to pay on top of (Byborrowers comparison, such their principalSpears loan balance. as Britney have hundreds Mac of saysdedicated the low tweet rates ofFreddie thousands have spurred refinancing activity recipients.) —A borrowers whoatrefinanced during recent look Hopper’s Twitter this first more quarterthan reduced their pageyear’s revealed 20 tweets, mortgage payments by about although not all the posts were$2.5 real billion over the coming year. estate-related. Q: Hopper So, can Iliberally get a mortgage a mixes with tweets 4.78-percent rate? baseball team — about the Mariners A: Not necessarily. areOpening several “Getting excited forThere Home reasons may — notwith get Day forthat the borrowers 5-2 Mariners” the lowonrates they expect. posts his daily real-estate rounds: First, must realize that “On myconsumers way to paint For Sale Post Freddie reports averagelisting. rates, at our Mac hot new Kirkland which should not of as a Can’t anyone get be thethought color right?” standard, industry-wide But often, Hopper’snumber. tweets are listings of homes for sale that read like word-stingy newspaper
classified ads: “At Juanita MultiSecond, a rate started can achange level photo shoot,” recent several times coming. during the dayif due post. “Listing Hurry you to fluctuations in the $500K, market 2,190 — it have buyers. Under could be 5.52.5Bth.” percent in the morning feet. 3Bed andHopper increasealso to sometimes 5.75 percentincludes in the afternoon. Web links to a virtual tour of the Loan rates also vary by type. home. ForJo-Ann instance, Freddie Mac’s survey Cervin, a buyer’s agent showed last Thursday thatbegan the with ZipRealty in Las Vegas, average 15-year using therate siteon justa last week fixedunder rate mortgage was 4.48 percent this the handle “LV—Cheap—Houses,” week, lower thanlittle the time 30-year fixeda but she’s wasted posting mortgage. the size of the loan barrage ofAnd bulletins urging readers can affect the interest rate — “jumbo to buy now. loans,” expensive So ones far, taken she out hasfor 44 users homes, are becoming harder to get subscribing to her tweets, which and carryconsist higherofrates thanfor loans mostly homes salefor or $729,000 or less,like for example. calls to action this one: “Las Q: Let’sbank say all thoseproperties factors work Vegas owned are out in my favor. What elseThe can keep seeing multiple offers! great me from low rate? deals aregetting going aQUICK!” A: Cervin For one isn’t thing, worried mortgagethat lenders the look closely at credit scores. barrage of home listings via tweets If you a FICO — a will scarehave off those whoscore subscribe commonly used credit score — close to her missives. to 800, you’rechoosing more likely get an “They’re to toconnect attractive rate. A borrower with me,” Cervin says. with, “I’m say, not aspamming.” 650 credit score can’t expect an interest rate comparable the record On Facebook, whichto boasts more than 200-million active users, many real-estate firms have profile pages
that sometimes feature home listings lows by Freddie and reported discussions about Mac. real estate. Also, agents it can set be hard to get the Some up commercial lowest ratespages, if youwhich want are to open borrow Facebook to too large a percentage of your all users. home’s cutoff varies Many value. agents The use one of several — sometimesapplications you can get designed the best Facebook rates by keeping the listings loan to less to highlight home on than their 80 percent of the value, but profile page, suchhome’s as eListIt’s My sometimes the threshold as Listings widget. Others can let be users low percent. pipeasin60 video tours. Q: John What Ammirati, if I manageanto associate snare a mortgage rate Century in the 4.78-percent broker with 21 Prevete range — are thereN.Y., other created costs toa in Long Island, worry about? Facebook page for his company so A: most hisThere agents logcertainly in and are. post listings One aspect of mortgages can and information about openthat houses. confuse borrowers is points, or fees. “We’re just starting to get into Points by lender: Some are paid video,”vary he says. at the time of application, at Hopper takes a moreothers subtle closing. Higher fees meanhowever. more cost approach on Facebook, to the could He consumer, tries to and keep it outweigh personal, the benefit of a relatively lowvacation, interest posting photos of a recent rate. for example, while only sprinkling fees, listings like titleandinsurance, inSome real-estate links to are negotiable, so don’t be shy about virtual home tours. trying get them “I to don’t wantreduced. to overwhelm Q: So should I be looking people,” Hopper says. elsewhere, “It’s like besides average rates that comeif getting these unsolicited advertising out week, youeach overdo it.” as I try to figure out Cervin also only recently began playing up her real-estate business
on Facebook. She hopes her what sortwill of mortgage I’ll to be able to friends refer her wouldget? be homebuyers. She’s also on A: Freddie Mac releases its survey ActiveRain, where she blogs about of mortgage ratesultimately, for a given week real estate and, hopes to on reportsfrom about it nabThursdays, some clientso referrals other are backward-looking and not a agents on the site. great wayCervin to determine a Still, says what she rate hasn’t borrower right now. received can any get business directly from Homebuyers or owners seeking her social networking activities — to yet.refinance should do their own research. sites as the “At this Web point it’s freesuch advertising,” Mortgage she says. Bankers Association’s and Yahoo Finance provide updated using rates Ammirati, who began on all types of loans. and now fires Twitter in December Q: I doa week if I’mtolooking offWhat tweetsshould six days nearly for mortgage don’tsuggests have a 600a people onand the I site, particularly good credit score?groups finding real-estate-oriented A: Consumers shop trackers around with more thanshould 100 tweet and rates and fees, despite and compare join the pack. perceived credit problems. There’s Social networking has begun to no of mortgage brokers out payshortage off for Ammirati. there whohewant Since andtohisconnect agentslenders began with usingborrowers. Facebook and other sites Another option: holdhave off about a year ago,You thecould efforts on refinancing or buying a home, and brought in at least four clients. spend someoftime to improve “Part it trying is the agents your credit reconnecting score by paying your themselves with some bills on in time paying down your people theand past,” Ammirati says. credit-card balances. ■ to quantify “Sometimes it’s hard how this networking leads exactly to [new clients].” ■
Location!���������� Location!��������� Location! ���������� This week’s featured property �����������������������������
837 N. 2nd St., Northern Liberties �����������������������������������
������������������������ Beds: 3 Baths: 2.5 ��������������������� Square footage: 1,923 sq. ft. of living space ��������������� Age of property: only 4 years old ������������������� Cost: $485,625 �������������������������� Realtor: Barbara Louridas �������������������������������� Real Estate Co: Long and Foster Independence Hall Office ������������������������������� Office Phone: 215-409-6900 ext. 6939 Direct: 215-429-9605 ��������������������� Website: Barbara.Louridas@longandfoster.com ������������������������������������������
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NorthernLiberties Libertiesbi-level bi-levelpenthouse penthouseininpristine pristinecondition. condition. Northern ownerand andonly only44years old. This This spacious spacious bi-level bi-level condo condo 11owner years old. hasmany manylarge largerooms, rooms,with with33beds bedsand and2.5 2.5large largebaths, baths,very very has largedining-living dining-livingGreat GreatRoom Roomand andincludes includesaadeeded, deeded, large gated, covered, secure gated-covered, secureparking parkingspace spaceatatno noextra extracharge. charge. Condo fees are reasonable. Condo fees are reasonable.
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS CLASSIFIEDS
PAGE 44 38
MAY81- -14, 7, 2009 MAY
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Deadline for Line Advertising is Friday at 3 p.m. for the following Friday’s issue. You may place your ad via our secure voicemail system, fax or e-mail at any time, or on our Web site. Please have the following information ready to place your ad:
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All classified advertising must be in our office by 3 p.m. Friday for the next Friday’s paper. Ads arriving after that time will be held for the next available issue. PGN reserves the right to edit or rewrite ads as needed, to refuse any ad for any reason and to determine the final classification. Ads determined to be in bad taste, directed to or from persons under the legal age of consent or containing racially or sexually discriminatory language will be refused. We need your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number on the insertion order form for you ad. This information is confidential and will not appear in the paper. Any ads received without full information will be destroyed. Sexually explicit language will be edited or refused at the discretion of the management.
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Classified ads may placed online or by mail, fax, e-mail or in person at the PGN offices at 505 S. Fourth St., Phila. Phone, fax and e-mail orders are accepted with credit/debit cards only. A $10 minimum applies to all charges. If you are paying in person with cash, please have the exact change as we cannot make change at the office. All ads must be prepaid for their entire run. NO EXCEPTIONS! DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL; IT’S NOT SAFE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED.
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������������������� All PGN Classified ads are cancelable and refundable except for “FRIENDS” ads. Deadline for cancellation is 3 p.m. Friday. The balance will be credited to your credit/debit card. Checks take two weeks to process. The date of the first issue the ad appeared in, along with the classification, your name, address and daytime phone number is required to cancel your ad.
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Select the TYPE STYLE you want from the examples below, and begin each line under the arrow to the left of the letter representing that style. Write to the end of the line (hyphenate words correctly. Do not stop at any other arrow, as each arrow represents a starting point. Allow one block for each letter, number, punctuation mark and space. Be sure to skip a space between words. PHONE NUMBER MUST INCLUDE AREA CODE. Be sure to circle one of the classifications and compute the cost of your ad. Liner advertising is on a PREPAY BASIS ONLY, and payment must accompany this form. PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL. Type STYLE A ������������ ������������
A
B
����������������������������������������������������� 40 spaces Per Line ������������������ ������������������
7 point ������� �������
C
NAME ADDRESS CITY PHONE
PLEASE PRINT STATE
ZIP
AMEX • MASTERCARD • VISA • DISCOVER CARD NUMBER EXPIRATION SIGNATURE NAME ON CARD # # #
“A” LINES @ $5.50 - $ “B” LINES @ $7.50 - $ “C” LINES @ $10.00 - $ ����������������� SUBTOTAL
NUMBER OF WEEKS X SUBTOTAL % TERM DISCOUNT AD TOTAL CLASSIFICATION (CIRCLE ONE) REAL ESTATE FOR SALE • REAL ESTATE FOR RENT • ROOMMATES • SEASONAL RENTALS • SERVICES • FINANCIAL SERVICES HELP WANTED • JOBS WANTED • BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES • FOR SALE • AUTOMOTIVE • AUCTIONS • TRAVEL RESORTS ADOPTION • PERSONALS • FRIENDS MEN • FRIENDS BISEXUAL • FRIENDS TV/TS • FRIENDS WOMEN
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TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED
Return form and payment to: Masco Communications 505 S. Fourth St., Phila., PA 19147 or fax: 215-925-6437 or email: don@epgn.com
PAGE 48
CLASSIFIEDS
MAY 8 - 14, 2009
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Real Estate
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REAL ESTATE
SALE PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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NYS LAND BARGAINS ����������� 5 AC w/ Rustic Camp- $19,900. Over 150 properties, 16�counties 5-200 acres. Specializing in family getaway camps, hunting & fishing properties & small lakefront camps. Financing available w/ payments starting at $200/ month call Christmas & Associates 800-229-7843 www.LandandCamps.com _______________________________33-19 Cameron County- 4 wooded acres bordering state forest and Beautiful trout stream! Electric, ��������������������������� perc, road frontage, near Sizerville State Park. �������� 800-668-8679. $49,000 Owner financing _______________________________33-19 ����������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������� BAY AREA VIRGINIA 29.50 Acres Subdividable ������������� Waterfront Was $399,900 Now $299,900. Distressed de���������������������������������������������������� veloper slashed price for quick sale. Owner ���������������������������������������� arranged financing. Won’t last-call today! ������������������ 1-804-687-6217. �������������������������������������������������������� _______________________________33-19 ������������������������� FREE LIST ��������������� Of North Carolina waterfront and water ac���������������������������������������������������� cess homesites, real bargains available. No ��������������������������������������������������� reasonable offer refused, Bank financing. �������������������� 1-800-566-5263.��������������� _______________________________33-19
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Make your tastebuds dance...
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REAL ESTATE ����������� SALE �����
REAL ESTATE ����������� SALE ����� PAGE 47
�������������������������� Areas include Shawnee, Camel Back, �������������������������� Mt. Airy������������� Casino and Rainbow Mt. Corners of Routes 390 & 447 • Candensis, PA 18325 ������������������������������������������������ �������������������������������������������� ��������������������
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� � � � �Conrad � � � � Kuhn Broker/Sales Rep. Since 1987 ��������������� NJAR Circle of Excellence Sales Award 1991- 2007 ����������������� Weichert President’s & Ambassador’s Clubs ������������������������� Office: 856.227.1950 ext. 124 ������������ Cell: 609.221.1196
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_______________________________32-18 5 bedroom, 2 Baths Bank Repo only $45,000! Payments from $199/month! 5% down, 20
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3 Bedroom Bank foreclosure only $207/month! 4 bedroom, 2 bath home only $238/month! 5% down, 20 years @8% apr! For listings ��������������������������������
�������������������� Art Museum Area-- off 26th St. (800 N. �������������������������������� _______________________________32-16 Bambrey, 19130) Corner house on quiet �������������������������������� street, close to public transportation. Newly ������������������������� renovated, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, hardwood ___________________________________ floors, AC, laundry, deck, PARKING, wired. ���������������� ����������������� $1600+���������������������������������������������������� call 215-990-4850. Go to kratzworks. Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 com for pix. Lovely 3 W/D, bd. 1upper ba. fully furnished home in ���������������������������������������������� full baths, and lower decks, use of _______________________________33-20 beautiful secluded gay court. 2 blocks to kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 ���������������� beach, jitney at corner. Long season-12,500. ���������������������������������������� Two bedroom split-level apartment on second min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least neat and employed. Rent is $600 + floor of������������������������������������������������������ row home at 20th and Christian streets. reasonably _______________________________32-17 LR, kitchen/dining, bath, small foyer. On-street 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. ��������������������������������� parking, pets okay. Utilities separate. $875+two _______________________________33-19 Lg. twhnse, 3 BR, 2.5 BA. No pets or smoking. NE Phila. house to share. $350/mo. Call Jim, months deposit. Scott 267.736.6743. �������������������������������������������������� _______________________________32-19 _______________________________33-18 215-821-1062. ��������������������������������������� _______________________________33-18 ����������������� of affordable rentals. Full/partial 1 BR apts.������������������������������������������������� avail. Various choices. $750 to Best selection�������������� weeks. Call for free brochure. Open daily. Beach blk. Share lovely 3 BR house w/senior $1000/mo. Call soon, 215-901-0041. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102 Online ����������������������������������� citizen. Full house privileges. Must be em_______________________________33-21 ployed. $950/mo. Call Jim at 609-458-3711 �������������������� _______________________________32-16 ��������������������� eld, Debordieu, The 3 room apartment, living room, kitchen, bath, to discuss details. Jewels of the South Carolina Coast. House/ ���������������������������������������� and bedroom (all Large rooms) 2nd floor, _______________________________33-19 condo 2rentals. Beach start cable. here! Share BR apt. Uppervacations Darby, W/D, private entrance. $1000.00 month, includes www.lachicotte.com. For availability call 1����������������������������������� $350. Call 610-352-1188. utilities. Call 215 686-3431 or 215-468-9166 _______________________________33-21 _______________________________32-16 evenings. Roommate wanted to share home in Norris_______________________________33-24 town. $600/mo. + half utils. Ref. req. Must love ������������������ cats. call 610-270-0288. No drugs. Entire 3rd floor apartment for rent has large _______________________________33-21 eat-in kitchen with ice maker, built in micro, d/w, garb disp. lots of counter and storage. hall �������� closet, very large living room, rent includes all channel Tevo. bathroom has a washer/dryer, � another hall closet and two bedrooms with more closets. Heat and hot water is also included. ��������������������� $1,200.00/month. This is a non-smoking buildSuper-private 5 1/2 acres with views, stream, ing. 215-416-5545.
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Mystery shoppers, make up to $150 a day. Drive the Big Rigs! 30 Trainees Needed ASAP. Undercover shoppers needed to judge retail $700-$800 per week, Benefits, No CDL, No and dining establishemnts. Experience not Problem. No Credit, No Problem. GIT-R-DONE required. 877-280-7603. Call Now! 1-800-961-4319. _______________________________33-19 _______________________________33-18 Pensioner, GM inn, 609-287-8779 9 AM-1 Over 18? Between High School and College? PM only. Travel and Have Fun w/Young Successful _______________________________33-19 Business Group. No Experience Necessary. �������������������������� 2wks Paid Training. Lodging, Transportation No exp. necessary, will train. PT or FT. SJ Provided. 1-877-646-5050. shore area. Call 609-645-2010. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-19 Now Hiring OTR Dry-Van Drivers! WESTERN Travel, Travel, Travel! $500 Sign-on and EXPRESS *Regular Home-Time *Excellent $500 Performance bonuses. Seeking Sharp Equipment *One-Day Orientation *BCBS Guys/Gals, Blue Jean Environment, Music Insurance *Stable,Growing Company, Must Lovers Welcome! Janelle #888-375-9795 be 22Yrs. Old, Class-A CDL required 866Start Today! 863-4009. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-18 Part-time, home-based Internet business. Earn $500-$1000/month or more. Flexible hours. Mailing Brochures! Weekly pay + Bonus. SupTraining provided. No selling required. FREE plies furnished. Guaranteed Opportunity. Call Now! 1-800-307-7131. details. www.K348.com �������������� _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-18 MLS #5495977 ������������������� “Can You Dig It?” Heavy Equipment 3wk ������������������������ Avg. Pay $21/hour or $54K annually including Training Program. Backhoes, Bulldozers, ���������������������� Federal Benefits and OT. Paid Training. Vaca- Trackhoes. Local job placement asst. COULD �������������������������� QUALIFY FOR GI/VA BENEFITS. 866-362tions. PT/FT 1-866-945-0341. ������������������������� _______________________________33-18 6497. ������������������������������� _______________________________33-18 ���������������� �������������������������������������������������������� National Company Hiring 18-30 Sharp People. NOW AVAILABLE! 2009 POST OFFICE JOBS. �������������������������������������� Able to Start Today. Transportation & Lodging $18-$20/hr. NO EXPERIENCE, PAID TRAIN������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Furnished. NO EXPERIENCE Necessary. Paid ING, FED BENEFITS, VACATIONS. CALL 1-800-910-9941 TODAY! Ref #PA09. Training. Over 18+ 866-734-5216. PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-18
837 N. 2nd Street, Unit #302 Philadlephia, PA 19123
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The Philadelphia Gay News is seeking a part-time editorial As New Priceintern. $549,900 editorial intern, you will perform a variety of duties in support of the 2436 Madison Sq. Graduate Hospital editorial staff. Duties might include writing short articles and weekly 2 storylistings, Charmer on greatfact block, 2 BR, tile Bath, LivRm data w/ wd flrs, exevent research, checking, ling, archiving and special posed beams, Newer Eat-In Kit. Patio. 756 sq. ft. c/a Move In! projects. ��������������������������������������� ���������������������������
NewSPRING Price! $259,000 Intern(s) may also on level interest AVENUE OF THEhave ARTS the opportunity (depending GARDEN of �������� ������������������ 250 S. 13TH STREET- 1 br, doorman hw fl, local events 1601 SPRING(press GARDEN ST #419- gorgeous upgraded unit, and journalistic skills)building, to attend conferences, rallies, ����������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������� tenant $230,000 Kera Ritter elevator and secure $179,900 Janis Dubin ����������������������������� ����������������������������� etc.)occupied and write news and features articles. 1326 SPRUCE ST (CENTERStunning CITY ONE)-2br, renovation, 2 bth, 29th fl 3 BRS, 2 Baths, SOUTH PHILADELPHIABasement, New Listing! Finished ������������� Intern(s) should be highly motivated with skills. A large living views $435,000 Tom����������������� Gangemi 1904 S.strong 9TH ST-and 2brwriting home in Bella Vista w/ ���������������������������������������������������� custom lighting and finishes, wood flrs, 9’ clgs more �������������������������������������������������������� OLD CITY room, $139,900 John Perno ���������������������������������������� journalistic background is preferred but not required. Intern(s) must ��������������������������� 244-48 3RD, UNIT 3B – Corner unit condo, parkingwhile working independently. UNIVERSITY CITY $184,900 ������������������ haveN. the ability to stay focused Intern(s) included Ritter ������������ 209 MARKS SQ-longer-term 6br,2.5bth porch front w/huge �������������������������������������������������������� must $225,000 be ableKera to meet deadlines both on aSAINT daily and basis. RITTENHOUSE backyard, c/a, w/d, wood floors and high ceilings. ������������������������� ������������������������������������������������ $599,000 Dubin��������������� 226 W. RITTENHOUSE SQ br/den. 2 bth, newly renoThis is an unpaid internship (academic creditJanis available), 15-20 ����������������������������������������������� Renovated in-22005, wood flrs, finished Basement, C/A hours wonvated, park view, $895,000 Tom Gangemi WASHINGTON WEST ���������������������������������������������������� per with week. ��������������������������������������������������� derful amenities 3BRs, 1 Bath 1072 sq ft 1613 LOMBARD STBrand new everything, 3 br, 2 bth 541 S. 12TH ST UNIT A2br, 2 bth condo newly ��������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������� Skills: �������������������� and working fire place $499,900 Kera Ritter renovated, deeded parking, court yard $389,900 Tom New Price $309,900 ���������������������������������������������������������� Gangemi ��������������� 401 S.Computer 17TH ST-401 S. 17TH: Quaint space, great location, cient. (Prefer Word, e-mail, In-Design, Excel. pro ����������������������������������������������������� new kitchen,Marlborough commercial on 1st floor. $499,900. Kera ��������������������������������������������������������� 1119 Fishtown Photoshop a plus.) ������ Ritter �����������������������������������������������
1620 N Front
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Organized, orientedHistorical House w/ orig wide plank New Listing!detail Charming Solid written and verbal communications skills; knowledge of AP style �������� FOR RENT flrs, baseboards and panel pine drs. Modern Kitchen and Bath �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Team 240 S. 13TH ST-.player Sunny studio, new kitchen, hardwood floors, $1000 includes heat-Kera Ritter 2����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Bs,baths, 1356 sq 2ftsecure parking spaces, great space $2,000 mo Kera Ritter 711 S.BRS, 18TH ST-21.5 beds/1.5 backyard,
Please send résumé, cover letter and three writing samples to ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1513 S. 31TH ST-Ultra Modern 1 BR, 1 BA with deck in Gray’s Ferry. Avail May 1 - $575 mo no pets Janis Dubin $259,900 ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Sarah Blazucki, Editor, 3512 BARING ST – Studio, utilities included inPhiladelphia rent starting at $900Gay MO KeraNews, Ritter 505 S. Fourth St., ��������������������������������������������������������������������� Philadelphia, 4030 W. GIRARD AVE-Huge StorefrontPA retail 19147. space, $1000Or MO e-mail, Kera Ritter editor@epgn.com. ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1613 LOMBARD ST Brand new everything, 3 br, 2 bth and working fp $2000 MO Kera Ritter �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2314 REED ST- 2 bedrooms- 2 Units-wood floors, new kit, exposed brick starting $895 MO Janis Dubin ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 226 W. RITTENHOUSE SQ-2br,den, recently renovated, balcony, view of park $3500 MO Tom Gangemi �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1601 SPRING GARDEN ST #419-Chancellor gorgeous upgraded unit,Street, elevator and secure $1000 MO Janis ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2017 Phila., PADubin19103 1������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� bedroom. Hardwoodfloors, pets ok, heat included. Available August 1. $1200 MO Kera Ritter CAREER OPPORTUNITY FOR FULL TIME SALES AGENT- FOR INTERVIEW CALL OFFICE ����������������������������������������������������������������������� �������� ���������� SPECIALIZING IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT-CONDOS ANDtoAPARTMENTS 2-10 UNITS ��������������������������������������������������������������������� Wishing adopt newborn to nurture and 2001 Toyota Celica GTS $2500! 2 door,custom
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������������������������ satellite TV, heat and hot water, all included. ������������������� WashingtonYou Township pay; gas Office cooking and electric. Subway ���������������������������� 42 door. $1,200 / month. and 5070 bus atRoute the front 215-416-5545. Available May 2008. This is a ������������������� Turnersville, NJ 08012 _______________________________32-18 5 bedroom, 2 Baths Bank Repo only $45,000! Payments from $199/month! 5% down, 20
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��������� _______________________________32-16 3 Bedroom Bank foreclosure only $207/month! ����������������� 4 bedroom, 2 bath home only $238/month! 5% down, 20 years @8% apr! For listings �������������������������������� �������������������� �������������������������������� Art Museum Area-- off 26th St. (800 N. �������������������������������� _______________________________32-16 Bambrey, 19130)������������������������ Corner house on quiet �������������������������������� street, close to public transportation. Newly �������������������������
renovated, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, hardwood floors, AC, laundry, deck, PARKING, wired. $1600+ call 215-990-4850. Go to kratzworks. com for pix. _______________________________33-20 ���������������� Two bedroom split-level apartment on second floor of row home at 20th and Christian streets. LR, kitchen/dining, bath, small foyer. On-street parking, pets okay. Utilities separate. $875+two months deposit. Scott 267.736.6743. _______________________________33-18 ����������������� 1 BR apts. avail. Various choices. $750 to $1000/mo. Call soon, 215-901-0041. _______________________________33-21 �������������������� 3 room apartment, living room, kitchen, bath, and bedroom (all Large rooms) 2nd floor, private entrance. $1000.00 month, includes utilities. Call 215 686-3431 or 215-468-9166 evenings. _______________________________33-24 ������������������ Entire 3rd floor apartment for rent has large eat-in kitchen with ice maker, built in micro, d/w, garb disp. lots of counter and storage. hall closet, very large living room, rent includes all channel Tevo. bathroom has a washer/dryer, another hall closet and two bedrooms with more closets. Heat and hot water is also included. $1,200.00/month. This is a non-smoking building. 215-416-5545. _______________________________33-20
___________________________________ ����������������� ���������������� Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 Lovely 3 W/D, bd. 1upper ba. fully furnished home in full baths, and lower decks, use of beautiful secluded gay court. 2 blocks to kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 beach, jitney at corner. Long season-12,500. min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + _______________________________32-17 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. _______________________________33-19 Lg. twhnse, 3 BR, 2.5 BA. No pets or smoking. NE Phila. house to share. $350/mo. Call Jim, _______________________________32-19 215-821-1062. _______________________________33-18 Best selection�������������� of affordable rentals. Full/partial weeks. Call for free brochure. Open daily. Beach blk. Share lovely 3 BR house w/senior Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102 Online citizen. Full house privileges. Must be employed. $950/mo. Call Jim at 609-458-3711 _______________________________32-16 to discuss details. eld, Debordieu, The _______________________________33-19 Jewels of the South Carolina Coast. House/ condo 2rentals. Beach start cable. here! Share BR apt. Uppervacations Darby, W/D, www.lachicotte.com. For availability call 1$350. Call 610-352-1188. _______________________________33-21 _______________________________32-16 Roommate wanted to share home in Norristown. $600/mo. + half utils. Ref. req. Must love cats. call 610-270-0288. No drugs. _______________________________33-21
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
MAY 1 - 7, 2009
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Mystery shoppers, make up to $150 a day. Drive the Big Rigs! 30 Trainees Needed ASAP. Undercover shoppersESTATE needed to judge retail $700-$800 per week,ESTATE Benefits, No CDL, No REAL REAL and dining establishemnts. Experience not Problem. No Credit, No Problem. GIT-R-DONE required. 877-280-7603. Call Now! 1-800-961-4319. _______________________________33-19 _______________________________33-18 Pensioner, GM inn, 609-287-8779 9 AM-1 Over 18? Between High School and College? PM only. Travel and Have Fun w/Young Successful _______________________________33-19 Business Group. No Experience Necessary. �������������������������� 2wks Paid Training. Lodging, Transportation No exp. necessary, will train. PT or����������� FT. SJ Provided. 1-877-646-5050. shore area. Call 609-645-2010. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-19 Now Hiring OTR Dry-Van Drivers! WESTERN ���������������������. Furness Flats. Large 2 bed, 1 bath. last Travel, Travel, Travel! $500 Sign-on and EXPRESS *Regular Home-Time *Excellent unitPerformance left in thisbonuses. highlySeeking desirable Close to all Center City $500 Sharpbuilding. Equipment *One-Day Orientation *BCBS Guys/Gals, BlueLow Jeanfees Environment, Music................................������������� Hospitals. and taxes Insurance *Stable,Growing Company, Must Lovers Welcome! Janelle #888-375-9795 be 22Yrs. Old, Class-A CDL required 866Start Today! ������������������������ “George T. Sale Condo” Unique Garden 863-4009. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-18 level 1 bd, 1 ba. unit w/ private entrance.. Low fees & Tax Part-time, home-based Internet business. Earn Brochures! Weekly pay + Bonus. Sup$500-$1000/month or more. price Flexible1hours. Abatement. Lowest bd. inMailing area ........................��������. Training provided. No selling required. FREE plies furnished. Guaranteed Opportunity. Call Now! 1-800-307-7131. details. www.K348.com ����������� _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-18 “Can You Dig It?” Heavy Equipment 3wk ������������������������ ����������������������. New open style 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo Avg. Pay $21/hour or $54K annually including Training Program. Backhoes, Bulldozers, Trackhoes. Local jobfriendly placementbuilding. asst. COULD with low taxes and condo small pet Federal Benefits and OT. Paid Training.fees. Vaca- Great QUALIFY FOR GI/VA BENEFITS. 866-362tions. PT/FT 1-866-945-0341. .........................................................................�������� _______________________________33-18 6497. _______________________________33-18 ���������������� ������������������� Old Swedes Court. New Listing Large 3 National Company Hiring 18-30 Sharp People. NOW AVAILABLE! 2009 POST OFFICE JOBS. Bedroom 2.5 Bath with Garage, roof deck and hardwoodPAID floors. EXPERIENCE, TRAINAble to Start Today. Transportation & Lodging $18-$20/hr. NO ING, FED BENEFITS, VACATIONS. CALL Furnished. NO EXPERIENCE Necessary. Paid Village Low association fees in Queen ....................�������� 1-800-910-9941 TODAY! Ref #PA09. Training. Over 18+ 866-734-5216. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-18 �������������. NEW LISTING. Large update 4 bd. 2 ba. with
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Seeking part-time editorial intern
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The Philadelphia Gay News is seeking a part-time editorial intern. As ��������� editorial intern, you will perform a variety of duties in support of the ������������������ ������������������������������������� editorial staff. Duties might include writing short articles and weekly ���������������������� event listings, research, fact checking, ling, archiving data and special ������������������������������������������� projects. ������������������������������������ �����������������
Intern(s) may also have the opportunity (depending on level of interest and journalistic skills) to attend local events (press conferences, rallies, etc.) and write news and features articles.
Want to see something more interesting in that chair?
Intern(s) should be highly motivated with strong writing skills. A journalistic background is preferred but not required. Intern(s) must have the ability to stay focused while working independently. Intern(s) must be able to meet deadlines both on a daily and longer-term basis.
��������� From only $2,990.00--Convert your LOGS TO VALUABLE LUMBER with your Norwood portable band sawmill. Log skidders also available. www.norwoodsawmills.com/300n Free PGN WILL NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DISinformation: 1-800-578-1363-Ext300-N. TINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS. SUCH _______________________________33-18 NOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. THANK ���������������� YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. Buy Soma, Ultram, Fioricet, Prozac, Buspar ___________________________________ $71.99/90 $107/180 Quantities. PRICE INGREATER NE PHILA. CLUDES PRESCRIPTION! Over 200 meds Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split $25 Coupon. Mention Offer: #21A31. 1-888level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 531-6744. tri-pharmacy.info full baths, W/D, upper and lower decks, use of _______________________________33-18 kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 ������������������������� min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least Call today for your Medicare approved Power reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + Wheelchairs & Scooters. ABSOLUTELY NO 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. COST TO YOU if qualified! ELDERKARE MED_______________________________33-24 ICAL SUPPLIES 1-888-54-ELDER(35337) BRIGANTINE, NJ _______________________________33-18 Beach blk. Share lovely 3 BR house w/senior ������������������������������ citizen. Full house privileges. Must be emLimited Offer! Power Wheel Chairs & Scooters ployed. $950/mo. Call Jim at 609-458-3711 ACT NOW: 1-800-719-0024. to discuss details. _______________________________33-17 _______________________________33-19 ������������������� Share 2 BR apt. Upper Darby, W/D, cable. Kayak Pools looking for Demo Homesites to $350. Call 610-352-1188. display new maintenance free Kayak Pools. _______________________________33-21 Save thousands of $$. Unique opportunity! Roommate wanted to share home in Norris100% financing available. 1-877-499-POOL. town. $600/mo. + half utils. Ref. req. Must love _______________________________33-18 cats. call 610-270-0288. No drugs. ����������� _______________________________33-21 Distributor must sell entire inventory of leftSOUTH PHILLY over 2008 Pools! HUGE 31’x19’ w/Sundeck, Large furnishedd room, shared bath, full house Fence,Filter ONLY $890! (Install. extra) 100% priv. 1 blk from Broad. All utils incl. except FINANCING! 3-Day Installation! Call Us! 1-866phone. Must be employed. $450/mo. Call 237-2217 sapphirepools.biz 215-551-7611. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-20 STUCK IN THE DOLDRUMS? �������� Be a roommate for 2 positive thinking men who want to change the world. Get involved in great venues, learn from very progressive thinkers: Insurance for & Sale: Major National writing, PR,Agency advertising promotions. You will Insurance Company has local for have life changing experiences onagencies a daily basis. sale. Great toCastle, run your busiShare large Opportunity house in New DEown area, 45 ness.frm Please reply: Fax#866-296-7535 or mins. Phila. Own room. $500/mo. Must have agencyforsalepa@aol.com car. Call 302-276-2755 before 10 PM. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-20 ���������������������� Do you earn $800 in a day? Your own local VACATION candy route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy All for $9,995. 1-800-460-4027. _______________________________33-18 SECLUDED BUCKS SPREAD �������������������������� Super-private 5 1/2 acres with views, stream, ��������� waterfall, 20’ X 36’ pool. Fully funished 3 Commercial Office Cleaning. Operate a Busibedrooms, 3 baths, 4 TVs, 1 flat screen, DSL, ness that YOU own! Since 1984, as low as stereo, grand piano, eat-in kitchen. Vine-cov$1500 down, Equipment, Support, Customers. ered dining deck. $5000 per month. June to Phone: 717-260-3678. Sept. billwrite@aol.com _______________________________33-16 _______________________________33-23 OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102 Online reservations www.holidayoc.com �������� _______________________________33-19 Painting and paper hanging, reasonable prices. NorthNeat Wildwood, NJwork. Sonny, 45 yrs experience. and clean FLORENTINE MOTEL 215-888-1099. Beach/Boardwalk Block, Heated Pools, Ef_______________________________33-18 ficiency/��������������������� motel units refrigerator, elevator. Color Brochure/ specials 609-522-4075 Dept.105 From Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, www.fl orentinemotel.com *Computers, *Criminal Justice. Job placement _______________________________33-19 assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 866-858-2121 www.CenturaOnline.com _______________________________33-18 ������������������� Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified -Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (888)349-5387. _______________________________33-18
ROOMMATES
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This is an unpaid internship (academic credit available), 15-20 hours per week.
Web Personals epgn.com
Skills: Computer procient. (Prefer Word, e-mail, In-Design, Excel. Photoshop a plus.) Organized, detail oriented Solid written and verbal communications skills; knowledge of AP style Team player ESTATE REAL REAL ESTATE
RENT RENT Please send résumé, cover letter and three writing samples to Sarah Blazucki, Editor, Philadelphia Gay News, 505 S. Fourth St., 12TH & DICKINSON ST. BREWERYTOWN 3 BR/3 BA HOME Philadelphia, PA 19147. Or e-mail, 3 room apartment, living room, kitchen, bath, Beautiful editor@epgn.com. home w/garage, 1400 square and bedroom (all Large rooms) 2nd floor, private entrance. $1000.00 month, includes utilities. Call 215 686-3431 or 215-468-9166 evenings. _______________________________33-24 AVENUE OF THE ARTS ���������� Entire 3rd floor apartment for rent has large 2001 Toyota Celica GTS $2500! 2 door,custom eat-in kitchen with ice maker, built in micro, made orange exterior, black interior, 96500 d/w, garb disp. lots of counter and storage. hall miles, 6 speed manual, 4 cyl. Contact info: closet, very large living room, rent includes all corysmoore@gmail.com or call at (208) channel Tevo. bathroom has a washer/dryer, 977-9080. another hall closet and two bedrooms with more _______________________________33-18 closets. Heat and hot water is also included. �������������� $1,200.00/month. This is a non-smoking buildReceive $1000 Grocery Coupon. Noah’s ing. 215-416-5545. Arc Support No Kill Shelters. Research to _______________________________33-20 Advance Veterinary Treatments. Free TowIN THE GAYBORHOOD ing, Tax Deductible, Non-Runners accepted 1 BR apts. avail. Various choices. $750 to 1-866-912-GIVE $1000/mo. Call soon, 215-901-0041. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-21 2 BR HOUSE W/PARKING Art Museum Area-- off 26th St. (800 N. Bambrey, 19130) Corner house on quiet street, close to public transportation. Newly renovated, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, hardwood floors, AC, laundry, deck, PARKING, wired. $1600+ call 215-990-4850. Go to kratzworks. com for pix. _______________________________33-20
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ft in Brewerytown Square built 2006 for rent in June. $2,100 /month +util. Literally steps from Fairmount Park and the Art Museum. 3br, 3 full ba (master bath w/double sinks & double headed shower), beautiful kitchen (GE Profile stainless appliances, ��������gas range, Brazilian granite and bar, stone floor), Wishing tocountertops adopt newborn to nurture and stunning large plank wood oors with throughout, adore. Will provide your flbaby warm, plush each br, separate loving,carpet stableinhome. You will be living/dining treated with rooms, size front Expenses loader W&D, car respect/full confidentiality. Paid.one Please garage and 1-866-535-8080. one car driveway in gated area, call Glenna security system, tons of storage, master br with _______________________________33-18 large walk in closet,����� Skyline view from private Childless202.669.7812 loving woman (teacher) wishes to balcony. or djmcintire@hotmail. adoptAvail. a newborn. com June. Financially secure home with close extended family. Legal/Confidential. _______________________________33-21 Expenses paid. Please Denise: 1-866-201APARTMENTS NEARcall RITTENHOUSE SQ. 4602 Pin#01960. Great Studio and One Bedroom Apartments _______________________________33-18 close to Rittenhouse Square! $795-$995. Why Considering A beautiful home, loving not be near Adoption? the Square this summer? Great attorney and full-time mometc. awaits Location, closenurturing to restaurants, stores, For your baby. Expenses Call Anne & Phyllis More Information, callpaid. (215) 546-1424. (ask for michelle/adam) 1-800-790-5260. _______________________________33-20 _______________________________33-18 BENSALEM, BUCKS CO.
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Single home, 2 BR, 1 bath, refrigerator, new W/ D, W/W carpet, easy access I-95, walking distance R-7 train. Call Vince, 215-639-8512. _______________________________33-20
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��������������������������� Auction. Selling for the bank, Late Model Logging/Construction Equipment, 80+ Pieces. May 14, 10 a.m. Rockingham, NC. Iron Horse Auction, NCAL3936, 800-997-2248, www. ironhorseauction.com _______________________________33-18
Health Directory
PAGE MAY 852- 14, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS CLASSIFIEDS
LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
AMY F. STEERMAN Attorney at Law
Concentrating in Planning for Lesbian and Gay Couples • Probate • Wills • Living Wills • Powers of Attorney
215-735-1006
1900 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.amysteerman.com
MAY 1 PAGE - 7, 2009 41
William A. Torchia, Esquire Attorney-at-Law
Estate & Tax Planning
GENERAL PRACTICE FOR THE COMMUNITY ������������������������ ����������������������������� ��������������������� ��������������������� �����������
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CLASSIFIEDS PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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14,2009 2009 MAY 18 - 7,
CLASSIFIEDS PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY
43 PAGE 51
ARE YOU HOT!
Dowd Heating & Air Inc. 215-752-3638
2490 Williamson Court Bensalem, Pa 19020
Fax : 215-501-8306
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PAGE 44
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
CLASSIFIEDS
SERVICES DIRECTORY
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PAGE 53 MAY 1 - 7, 2009 MAY 8 - 14, 2009
Dave’s K-9 College Start your pet on the right “paw” where your pet goes to school
Certified Dog Trainer Contact Dave
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
215-698-0215
SERVICES DIRECTORY
PAGE 53
or
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MAY - 14, 2009 PAGE852
CLASSIFIEDS PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
Don’t paint yourself into a corner... AMY F. STEERMAN Attorney at Law
Concentrating in Planning for Lesbian and Gay Couples • Probate • Wills • Living Wills • Powers of Attorney
215-735-1006
1900 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.amysteerman.com
45 MAY 1PAGE - 7, 2009
William A. Torchia, Esquire Attorney-at-Law
Estate & Tax Planning
GENERAL PRACTICE FOR THE COMMUNITY ������������������������ ����������������������������� ��������������������� ��������������������� �����������
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PAGE 46
Advertising works. MAY 1 - 7, 2009
��� HELP WANTED ����
HELP WANTED
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Seeking part-time editorial intern The Philadelphia Gay News is seeking a part-time editorial intern. As editorial intern, you will perform a variety of duties in support of the editorial staff. Duties might include writing short articles and weekly event listings, research, fact checking, ling, archiving data and special projects. MAY 1 - 7, 2009 Intern(s) may also have the opportunity (depending on level of interest and journalistic skills) to attend local events (press conferences, rallies, ������� ������� etc.) and write news and features articles.
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Intern(s) should be highly motivated with strong writing skills. A journalistic background is preferred but not required. Intern(s) must have the ability to stay focused while working independently. Intern(s) must be able to meet deadlines both on a daily and longer-term basis. This is an unpaid internship (academic credit available), 15-20 hours per week. Skills: Computer procient. (Prefer Word, e-mail, In-Design, Excel. Photoshop a plus.) Organized, detail oriented Solid written and verbal communications skills; knowledge of AP style Team player
Please send résumé, cover letter and three writing samples to Sarah Blazucki, Editor, Philadelphia Gay News, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147. Or e-mail, editor@epgn.com.
Display Advertising Deadlines Reservation deadline is Friday, 2pm, prior to issue to appear. Camera ready ads must arrive by noon on Monday prior to issue. PGN deadlines are strictly followed.
PGN
CLASSIFIEDS/THE PLAYGROUND
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HELP WANTED ���� Mystery shoppers, make up to $150 a day. Undercover shoppers needed to judge retail and dining establishemnts. Experience not required. 877-280-7603. _______________________________33-19 Pensioner, GM inn, 609-287-8779 9 AM-1 PM only. _______________________________33-19 BALLROOM DANCE INSTRUCTORS No exp. necessary, will train. PT or FT. SJ shore area. Call 609-645-2010. _______________________________33-19 Part-time, home-based Internet business. Earn $500-$1000/month or more. Flexible hours. PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS Training provided. No selling required. FREE details. www.K348.com _______________________________33-19 ������� POST OFFICE NOW HIRING! � or $54K annually including Avg. Pay $21/hour Federal Benefits and OT. Paid Training. Vacations. PT/FT 1-866-945-0341. _______________________________33-19 Drive the Big Rigs! 30 Trainees Needed ASAP. $700-$800 per week, Benefits, No CDL, No Problem. No Credit, No Problem. GIT-R-DONE Call Now! 1-800-961-4319. _______________________________33-19 ABLE TO TRAVEL? National Company Hiring 18-30 Sharp People. Able to Start Today. Transportation & Lodging Furnished. NO EXPERIENCE Necessary. Paid Training. Over 18+ 866-734-5216. _______________________________33-19 Over 18? Between High School and College? Travel and Have Fun w/Young Successful Business Group. No Experience Necessary. 2wks Paid Training. Lodging, Transportation Provided. 1-877-646-5050. _______________________________33-19 Now Hiring OTR Dry-Van Drivers! WESTERN EXPRESS *Regular Home-Time *Excellent Equipment *One-Day Orientation *BCBS Insurance *Stable,Growing Company, Must be 22Yrs. Old, Class-A CDL required 866863-4009. _______________________________33-19 Mailing Brochures! Weekly pay + Bonus. Supplies furnished. Guaranteed Opportunity. Call Now! 1-800-307-7131. _______________________________33-19 NOW AVAILABLE! 2009 POST OFFICE JOBS. $18-$20/hr. NO EXPERIENCE, PAID TRAINING, FED BENEFITS, VACATIONS. CALL 1-800-910-9941 TODAY! Ref #PA09. _______________________________33-19 GTS needs CDL-A. 1 year exp in past 2. Teams & Singles, High Miles per Week. Medical, Life, Dental, Prescriptions, Paid Vacations. 1-800-326-8889. _______________________________33-19
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OPPORTUNITIES ���� Insurance Agency for Sale: Major National Insurance Company has local agencies for sale. Great Opportunity to run your own business. Please reply: Fax#866-296-7535 or agencyforsalepa@aol.com _______________________________33-19 100% RECESSION PROOF! Do you earn $800 in a day? Your own local candy route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy All for $9,995. 1-800-460-4027. _______________________________33-19 VANGUARD CLEANING SYSTEMS FRANCHISE Commercial Office Cleaning. Operate a Business that YOU own! Since 1984, as low as $1500 down, Equipment, Support, Customers. ��������� Phone: 717-260-3678. � _______________________________33-19
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Pursuant to §128.85 of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Title 7 regulations, GROWMARK FS, LLC. hereby gives notice of ground application of “Restricted Use Pesticides” for the protection of agricultural crops in municipalities in Pennsylvania during the next 45 days. Residents of contiguous property to our application sites should contact your local GROWMARK FS, LLC. facility for additional information. Concerned Citizens should contact: Michael Layton, MGR. Safety & Environment, mlayton@growmarkfs.com GROWMARK FS, LLC. 308 N.E. Front Street, Milford, DE 19963. Call 302-422-3002 . _______________________________33-19
AUTOS 967 CHEVY CHEVELLE SS $4000, 80000 miles, 2 dr coupe, 4 speed manual, 8 cylinder, exterior: orange, interior: black. 303-593-6463. My email: dannykelos@gmail. com _______________________________33-20 DONATE VEHICLE Receive $1000 Grocery Coupon. Noah’s Arc Support No Kill Shelters. Research to Advance Veterinary Treatments. Free Towing, Tax Deductible, Non-Runners accepted 1-866-912-GIVE _______________________________33-19
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����������������������������� SAWMILLS From�������������������� only $2,990.00--Convert your LOGS TO VALUABLE LUMBER with your Norwood ���������������������� portable band sawmill. Log skidders also available. www.norwoodsawmills.com/300n ������������������� Free information: 1-800-578-1363-Ext300-N. ����������������������������� _______________________________33-19 ������������������� HOMEOWNERS WANTED! Kayak for Demo Homesites to ���� Pools looking ��������� display new maintenance free Kayak Pools. Save thousands of $$. Unique opportunity! 100% financing available. 1-877-499-POOL. _______________________________33-19 AAA POOLS! Distributor must sell entire inventory of leftover 2008 Pools! HUGE 31’x19’ w/Sundeck, Fence,Filter ONLY $890! (Install. extra) 100% FINANCING! 3-Day Installation! Call Us! 1-866237-2217 sapphirepools.biz _______________________________33-19
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ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE From Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Computers, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 866-858-2121 www.CenturaOnline.com _______________________________33-19 Start a Great Career in Heat & Air. 3wk Training ������ Accreditation. EPA/OSHA Certified. Local Job Placement � Assist. Financing Available. May Qualify: GI/VA Benefits. 1-877-994-9904. _______________________________33-19 AIRLINES ARE HIRING Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified -Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (888)349-5387. _______________________________33-19
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PAGE 48
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
MAY 8 - 14, 2009