PGN June 5 - 11, 2009 edition by The Philadelphia Gay News

Philadelphia Gay News Vol. 33 No. 23

Honesty Integrity Professionalism

June 5 - 11, 2009

Local schools designated ‘No Place for Hate’

PA marriage bills pending

By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer

Students at a handful of local schools spent the last year striving to eliminate bigotry and bias from their classrooms. Six schools within the Philadelphia School District — out of 280 — participated in the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate program, which encourages understanding and acceptance of diversity both within and outside of the school setting. More than 165 schools in the region participated in the program this year, including Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Community Partnership School, Joseph J. Greenberg Elementary School, Kenderton Elementary School, Ludlow Elementary School and Martin Luther King High School. Archdiocese of Philadelphia high schools Father Judge and Archbishop Ryan also received No Place for Hate certifications. The No Place for Hate initiative began in Boston and was first launched in the Philadelphia area in 2001. Uyen Doan, assistant project director of the local ADL’s No Place for Hate effort, said the program began small, but saw a great influx of participants after it received Gov. Rendell’s endorsement in 2006. Schools seeking No Place for Hate designation must take several steps to achieve this distinction, such as creating a committee to address issues of bias in the school; encouraging students to sign pledges to work against bullying and intolerance; and organizing at least three activities throughout the school year that seek to educate the school community about the value of diversity. “The program basically provides an umbrella structure for schools and communities to create and implement their own projects that target bullying, bias and discrimination and teach about the strength of diversity,” Doan said. “One thing we always say is that the strength of the program comes from the fact that it’s driven by the schools — students, teachers, administrators and community members.” Kristina Diviny, principal of Martin Luther King High School in West Oak Lane, said this is the second consecutive year the school has received its No Place for Hate certification. “We have enough violence in all of our schools today, and we were looking for an outlet for our students. None of our students are the same, and we wanted to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to connect with somebody else and know that they can feel safe within our building,” Diviny said. The principal added the school already has

communities and to just mesh us with the sports community as a whole,” Nikpour said. “As opposed to just being branded with the LGBT label, this creates a very friendly and open environment for us to present ourselves.” This year’s Sports Week offers sports enthusiasts and prospective athletes the chance to come together as both participants and spectators for nearly a dozen different sporting events. Before the games begin, the week will kick off with a panel discussion on homophobia in college sports, 7-9 p.m. June 5 at University of Pennsylvania’s Carriage House, 3907 Spruce St. Our Group, a national support organization for LGBT athletes, will lead the discussion, which will feature panelists such as Ted Rybka, Our Group founding board member and director of sports media for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The sporting events commence the following day at 8 a.m., when Sports Week participants can compete in the thirdannual Independence Dragon Boat Festival on the Schuylkill River. Last year, Team Philadelphia’s inaugural team came in second in its division. At 6 that evening, participants are invited to the Philadelphia Firebirds game

State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17th Dist.) is expected to introduce a bill next week that seeks to legalize same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania. Leach announced May 27 that he would introduce the bill sometime this week, but on Tuesday a spokesperson for the senator said the timeline will be slightly delayed. “We had to send it back for redrafting of some of the language, so we’re hoping to introduce it sometime early next week,” said Casey Kockler, Leach’s media outreach and research specialist. Kockler said the bill currently has only one cosponsor, Sen. Larry Farnese (D-1st Dist.). “I’m pleased to join Sen. Leach in his effort to ensure that the freedoms of an entire class of productive, law-abiding Pennsylvanians will not be jeopardized,” Farnese said this week. Kockler said Leach will be making phone calls and visits to other lawmakers this week to “draw up more support.” Of the state senators who represent Philadelphia, Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-7th Dist.) said he hasn’t “made a decision yet [on cosponsorship] but [does] support Sen. Leach in his efforts,” while the other five local legislators — Sens. Christine Tartaglione (D2nd Dist.), Shirley Kitchen (D-3rd Dist.), Leanna Washington (D-4th Dist.), Michael Stack (D-5th Dist.) and Anthony Williams (D8th Dist.) — did not return calls for comment. The introduction of the bill will mark the first time this commonwealth considers marriageequality legislation. “The introduction of marriage-equality legislation gives the legislature and the public an opportunity to discuss this important, yet controversial, issue from both sides of the argument,” said Steve Glassman, chair of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. “For the first time, we’re not just fighting a constitutional amendment to ban recognition about relationships, but are able to educate the public and elected officials of the value to the economy and to the lives of all Pennsylvanians by recognizing the importance of equal treatment under the law for everyone who lives in this state.” Leach’s announcement came a week after another state legislator, Sen. John Eichelberger (R-30th Dist.), pledged to introduce a bill to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage. A staff member at Eichelberger’s office said the senator is still finalizing the language of the bill and probably will not introduce the legislation until at least next week. The

See SPORTS, Page 9

See MARRIAGE, Page 9

AWARDING AN ARTIST: Gloria Casarez (center), the city’s director of LGBT affairs, and members of the Anna Crusis Women’s Choir present Jane Golden (left), director of the city’s Mural Arts Program, with the choir’s inaugural Themis Award during the group’s May 30 “All Our Children Can Fly” concert. The first-annual award recognizes an individual who has worked for socialjustice change in the area. The concert also featured a performance by Amy Dixon-Kolar, a Chicago-based musician whose composition “Rosa Sat,” about the African-American civil-rights struggle, has received national attention. Photo: Scott A. Drake

LGBT athletes team up for sports visibility By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer

LGBT athletes will take to the ﬁelds, the courts, the pool and many other venues this weekend for a series of events that exhibit the varied sports prospects for the community. Sports Week, June 5-14, is organized by Team Philadelphia, the umbrella organization that oversees all Philadelphia LGBT sports, which has spearheaded the series since 1992. “We started this as a way to introduce people to the organizations that were a part of Team Philadelphia and to promote awareness of the opportunities available to LGBT people in athletics,” said Rick Van Tassel, Team Philadelphia board member and director of Sports Week. Van Tassel said Sports Week additionally functions as a precursor to the quadrennial Gay Games, which will next be held in 2010 in Cologne, Germany. Soheila Nikpour, Team Philadelphia chairperson, said the week also helps to dispel myths among mainstream athletic communities that LGBT individuals are not interested in sports. “This week represents that there are athletes in our community who are LGBT and this is an opportunity for us to See SCHOOLS, Page 6 mingle with our allies and the non-LGBT

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The City of Brotherly Love Softball League tournaments for men and women keep local teams busy playing on and off the ﬁeld.

Guess who has come out to support gaymarriage rights? This week’s Mark My Words and editorial.

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Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208)

Family Portraits:

Seeing The Sounds perform cuts from their CD “Crossing the Rubicon” is as easy as crossing the Delaware.

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Proud Marines

Get ready, get set, Pride!

“The Andersen Project” goes to the dark side.

A man and woman who pretend they’re married

Neil Patrick Harris hosts the salute to Broadway’s best.

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What event upset you most this week?

Best Sellers

Editor Sarah Blazucki (ext. 206) sarah@epgn.com

Staff Writers Jen Colletta (ext. 215) jen@epgn.com

The InterAct Theatre Company presents a drama about conﬂicting beliefs when a gay couple wants to adopt a child in “Little Lamb.” Page 18

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Detour Comics Diversions Meeting Place Portraits Q Puzzle Scene In Philly Worth Watching

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Poll results from our online 0% Adam Lambert losing “American Idol” 9% Obama’s choice for the Supreme Court 9% “Terminator Salvation” 82% California Supreme Court decision on Prop. 8

Go to www.philagaynews.com to weigh in on this week’s question:

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What are you looking forward to most during Philly Pride?

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. © 2009 Masco Communications Inc.

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News Briefing

Regional

AIDS Thrift angles for funds

FIRED UP: Mayor Nutter shakes hands with members of the Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team before the squad’s May 30 game against the D.C. Divas. Nutter performed the coin toss before the matchup, which was held at the Benjamin Johnston Memorial Stadium, and local recording artist Jaguar Wright opened the game with the National Anthem. The Divas shut out the Firebirds with 42 points. The local team will play the Pittsburgh Passion in its final home game of the season at 6 p.m. June 6 at the stadium, 1000 E. Sedgwick St. Photo: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Firebirds

Dyke March to set off next week By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer While organizers of the Pride Festival are busy ﬁnalizing plans for next week’s celebration, another group of organizers is gearing up for a local tradition that is less celebratory in nature and more of a rallying cry for the LGBT community’s female members. The 11th-annual Dyke March will kick off at 3 p.m. June 13 at Kahn Park, 11th and Pine streets. Organizer Sasha Gamburg said many cities throughout the country stage their own version of the Dyke March to coincide with each locale’s Pride festival. “The Dyke March traditionally happens the day before Pride events as an alternative to the more corporate, male-focused Pride,” Gamburg said. “We have no vendors, no sponsors; it’s just designed for people who identify as dykes to put on an event that’s more than Pride.” The Dyke March unites female-identiﬁed members of the LGBT community — lesbians, bisexuals, transgender women and others who identify with this gender — to call for political and legislative action on a variety of subjects. “It’s meant to get people riled up and to take notice of issues affecting our

community,” Gamburg said. “This is a political demonstration; it’s not a parade or stroll. We’re trying to get really good speakers and activists to come out and talk to us about these issues and about what we should be angry about and what we should be ﬁghting for.” Gamburg said the participating musicians and speakers will “get the crowd going” before the contingent sets off on the march route — east on Pine to Seventh, north to Spruce, west on Spruce to 13th, north to Locust, east to 12th, south to Pine, then returning to Kahn Park — armed with drums and signs. Gamburg said organizers considered renting a stage for the speakers, but then came up with a cost-effective, creative alternative. “We were going to rent a tiny stage, but then someone was like, ‘You have a bunch of dykes and you’re not just building your own stage?’ It sounded funny at ﬁrst, but then we considered it and were just like, ‘Yeah, why not? Let’s build a stage.’ So it’s going to be a handmade, dyke-owned and -operated stage.” Gamburg said last year’s attendance may have been impacted by the near-100-degree temperature — the event drew about 100 individuals — and that she’s hoping for at least double the crowd at next week’s

march. In addition to uniting members of the LGBT community, the Dyke March also raises awareness among spectators about the many facets of the local LGBT population. “Because we’ve had the event in the same space for the last number of years, it helps to put some good visibility out there,” Gamburg said. “The city seems to embrace its GLBT community, and I think some people have a picture of what it looks like, but this is an opportunity for people to see a different face of the queer community. Not the educational side or the party side, but this is a new political face.” Gamburg credited the diverse team of organizers for fueling the Dyke March’s annual success. “It’s a very ﬂuid organizational structure; no one’s in charge, we’re just a group of people getting together every year and making this happen,” she said. “All of us are so different and have different interests, friend groups and ability levels. When all those forces combine, we can’t help but have an amazing march happening.” For more information on the event, e-mail phillydykemarch@gmail.com or visit www. myspace.com/philadelphiadykemarch. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.

Philly AIDS Thrift, a local store that donates a signiﬁcant portion of its revenue to area HIV/AIDS causes, will host a fundraising party from 5-9 p.m. June 5 at the Magic Garden, 1022 South St. Tom Brennan, PAT store manager, said “PAT’s Summer of Love 2009: A Garden Party” will raise funds for needed improvements to the store, such as new ﬁxtures and a security system. “When we opened the store, we took over a building with many problems, but the rent was right, so we made the best of it,” Brennan said. “We’ve improved the space a lot in the three-and-a-half years since, but there’s more to do.” Brennan said the store is looking to fundraising so it doesn’t have to use any sales proceeds for the building improvements. Since its 2005 opening, PAT has donated more than $120,000 to local HIV/AIDS service organizations. The fundraising event will feature food, drinks, a silent auction and music by DJ TransAm and local band Dangerous Ponies. General-admission tickets are $25 and VIP tickets, available for $50, include an open bar. Tickets will be available at the door. For more information, visit www. phillyaidsthrift.com.

Center hosts Building Bash The LGBT and ally community is invited to the William Way LGBT Community Center’s annual Building Bash fundraiser June 6 to celebrate the agency’s 12th year in the facility, 1315 Spruce St. The general reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dedication of the center’s new elevator at 6:15 and the ﬁrst-annual Founders Dinner at 7:30. Tickets to the reception, which includes an open bar, are $25, and for $75 visitors can also take a “champagne elevator ride.” Tickets to the Founders Dinner, which also include the reception, open bar and elevator ride, begin at $275. Expected guests include Mayor Nutter, state Sens. Larry Farnese (D-1st Dist.) and Christine Tartaglione (D-2nd Dist.) and state Reps. Dwight Evans (D-203rd Dist.) and Babette Josephs (D-182nd Dist.). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.waygay.org or contact Mike Nuno at mnuno@waygay.org or See NEWS BRIEFING, Page 14

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SCHOOLS From Page 1 a very active gay-straight alliance, which brought in educational speakers frequently during the school year to talk about such issues as domestic violence. Several months ago, students took the initiative and created their own peermediation group for students facing conﬂicts with their classmates. Doors and windows throughout the school — which has a student body of nearly 1,400 — are now afﬁxed with No Place for Hate stickers, which Diviny said underscore the main principles of the Martin Luther King environment. “We have four distinct expectations at our school: peace, respect, language and time. It sounds very simple, but we use this in all of our classes as cues to our

students that everybody needs to be behaving in a positive manner, including students and teachers, and that there will be consequences for anyone who is not. We want to make sure everyone knows that our school has no tolerance for hate of any kind.” Vincent Thompson, spokesperson for the School District, said MLK’s participation signiﬁes the school’s ongoing commitment to honoring the diversity of its students. “This continues the several years of transition that Martin Luther King has been going through to encourage respect and tolerance for the entire student body,” Thompson said. “Over the last ﬁve or six years, the school’s done a lot to improve the school climate, and this program has gone even further to involve the students in this initiative.” Roslynn Sample-Green, principal

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at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in the Northeast, said her students were also enthusiastic about the program. This is the first year Benjamin Franklin received its certification, and Sample-Green said the initiative appealed to her because it allows students to gain valuable lessons in a nontraditional setting. “I looked at the program during the summer and it looked like a fun program for our students, but something that they could really take something from,” she said. “It’s something they could learn a lot from, but it’s packaged differently; it wasn’t from a textbook or a lecture, but rather was something that was very flexible that the kids could have fun with while still learning.” Benjamin Franklin, which has an enrollment of about 1,100, kicked off its program with a motivational

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009 speaker in the fall who addressed the issue of classroom bullying with the student body, and the school followed that up with a parent workshop on Internet bullying. Students also participated in a community-service project where they worked with other community members to beautify the school and, on Memorial Day Weekend, about 350 students and a host of parents attended a multi-cultural event that featured entertainment and educational outlets to raise awareness about the diverse members of the Benjamin Franklin community. Sample-Green said she’s already noticed a change in the behavior of her students. “I think this showed them that it’s OK to share how they feel, to tell someone if they hear or see something happening,” she said.

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“They’re becoming much more willing to talk things out and to try to see what’s going on in the other person’s head and to try to gain a better understanding. We’re ﬁnding that instead of going automatically to being extremely angry and jumping to a physical confrontation, they’re starting to take a few steps back and say, ‘Why did you say that?’ and ‘Let’s work through this.’” Both Diviny and Sample-Green said they’re eager to take part in the program again next year. “I don’t think our students would let me have it any other way,” Diviny said. For more information about No Place for Hate, visit http://regions. adl.org/eastern-pa/. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.

Got PRIDE? Philly Pride Issue

comes out

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JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

CBLSL hosts men’s, women’s tourneys ups were picked out of a hat, and then all teams participated in a three-game series to determine the rankings before moving on to double elimination to narrow the ﬁeld. Sotland said the tournament has a twopronged goal: “It is about competition, but it’s also a chance to get everybody together in a social environment who’s involved in softball.” The tournament registration party was held May 22 at 12th Air Command, the same locale as the registration event for Fins Aquatic Club’s International Swim Meet that weekend, which allowed participants to network with both LGBT swimmers and softball players and their supporters from around the country. The league also staged the Camac Street Festival May 23 and a closing dinner and awards presentation at Sisters the following night, as well as a Gayborhood bar crawl. Sotland said the event drew participants from throughout the country, from Florida to California to New England. Harris said the women’s tournament is more localized than the men’s event, with teams currently hailing from Harrisburg, Norristown, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., but that she expects a great inﬂux in participation. Last year, just seven teams competed in the women’s division, but Harris expects 12-14 to participate this year, including up to eight CBLSL teams. CBLSL will open the tournament with its registration party June 26 at Stir Lounge, 1705 Chancellor St. Teams will compete in three games that Saturday to determine their seed, and participants will unwind at Sisters, 1320 Chancellor St., that night before heading into Sunday’s double-elimination round. Games will be played in Pennypack Park, just off of Street Road and I-95. Registration for the tournament ends June 19. E-mail CBLSLWomen@aol.com for more information. ■

By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Philadelphia’s LGBT softball league is in full swing, and the city is rolling out the welcome mat for LGBT teams from around the country. The City of Brotherly Love Softball League hosted 31 teams from around the country for last month’s Liberty Bell Classic, and will for the ﬁrst time stage a separate women’s tournament at the end of the month. Cathy Harris, CBLSL women’s commissioner, said the women’s divisions have had trouble garnering participation from out-of-league teams in previous years, which she said could be partially attributed to the fact that the tournament is held on Memorial Day weekend. “I can’t expect my CBL teams to pay for a tournament to play each other when we do that every Sunday,” Harris said. “So, I went to various leagues and asked them what we can do to get teams to come to a Philly tournament, [and] they suggested holding it on a weekend other than Memorial Day because so many women like to go away that weekend. Women’s teams just don’t seem to travel as much as the men’s.” Harris noted that holding the women’s event separately from the men’s also helped to free up ﬁeld space for last month’s tournament. Jeff Sotland, CBLSL commissioner, said the Liberty Bell Classic drew about 500 players and another 500 spectators. The games, which were divided into B, C and D division competitions, were played at Stauffer and Metropolitan Fields in New Jersey. Women were also able to play in the D division. The Boston Club Café Angels were victorious in the B Division, while the Providence Grind and the New York Dish topped the C and D divisions, respectively. CBLSL had nine teams compete, although none made it to the trophy level. There were 117 games played throughout the two-day tournament. The match-

Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn. com.

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Media Trail Md. may recognize gay marriages BaltimoreSun.com reports Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler is looking into whether the state can recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, and his office plans to issue an opinion in the coming weeks. State law defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but Maryland also generally acknowledges couples married elsewhere. Gansler, a Democrat, supports gay marriage. While Maryland has extended a variety of protections to same-sex couples in recent years, it has stopped short of legalizing marriages or civil unions. Gay-rights advocates say the recognition of out-of-state marriages will strengthen relationships and confer hundreds of rights, benefits and responsibilities that same-sex couples currently lack.

Stonewall exhibit opens in N.Y. Advocate.com reports in honor of this month’s 40th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, the New York Public Library opened “1969: The Year of Gay Liberation” on June 1. The exhibit features photos, documents and other artifacts that trace the birth of the U.S. gay-rights movement. Included are photographs by activist Diana Davies and a letter to Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller from the Gay Activists Alliance requesting a meeting to discuss gay rights. The free exhibit will run at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan through the end of June.

Nev. lawmakers reject partnership bill veto Yahoo News reports Nevada’s Assembly voted May 31 to override Gov. Jim Gibbons’ veto and to change state law so that domestic partners, gay or straight, will have many of the rights and beneﬁts offered to married couples. The Assembly’s 28-14 vote, the bare two-thirds majority needed, followed the state Senate’s vote a day earlier to enact the measure over the conservative Republican governor’s objections. The bill provides that domestic partners have the same rights as married couples in matters such as community property and responsibility for debts. It also prohibits discrimination against domestic partners. ■

Photos: Barry James

— Larry Nichols

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SPORTS From Page 1 at Benjamin Johnston Memorial Stadium, 1000 E. Sedgwick St., where the women’s football team will take on the Pittsburgh Passion. Also that weekend, the Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association will host the secondannual Philadelphia Racqueteers Tennis Tournament, with single and double sets, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. June 7 at Franklin D. Roosevelt Park, 2000 Pattison Ave. There will also be a series of sporting events throughout the week, such as a soccer scrimmage and barbeque with the Philadelphia Falcons at 6 p.m. June 8 at Edgeley Field, Diamond Street and East Reservoir Drive in Fairmount Park; a chance to hit the mats with the Spartan wrestling team from 6:459 p.m. June 8 at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; a freestyle Frisbee game at 7 p.m. June 9 at Washington Square Park, 210 W. Washington Square; a pickup volleyball game at 8 p.m. June 10 at Franklin High, 550 N. Broad St.; and the third-annual Behind the 8-Ball Pool Tournament, which offers a $100 prize for the winner, at 7 p.m. June 11 at The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St. Participants are invited to attend a free question-and-answer session about next summer’s Gay Games with Team Philadelphia board members and Federation of Gay Games volunteers Adelina Santiago and Tony Bono, at 7 p.m. June 12

at Tavern on Camac, 243 S. Camac St. “We just want to let everybody know about the different sports and events that will be happening in Cologne,” Santiago said. “Usually some people don’t know the qualiﬁcations and there are no real qualiﬁcations; you can be a beginner and attend this event. It’s a great self-esteem builder. It’s so amazing to walk into the Gay Games at the opening ceremonies and feel the roar of people cheering you on.” Beginning at 8:30 a.m. June 13, participants will have the chance to learn more about martial arts and their role in next year’s Gay Games during a workshop and seminar at Old Pine Community Center, 401 Lombard St. Participants can also brush up on their swimming skills with a backstroke clinic hosted by the Fins Aquatic Club, at 10 a.m. June 14 at Friends Select School, 1651 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In addition to the sports activities, there will also be several social outings designed to bring together LGBT and ally individuals in support of the LGBT sporting community. From 9 p.m.-1 a.m. June 6, representatives of Team Philadelphia will be stationed outside of several LGBT nightspots throughout the city for “Pass the Buck,” in which organizers will be asking bar patrons for contributions of just $1 as a fundraiser for Team Philadelphia. Van Tassel said the money collected will be used to defray costs of Sports Week, as well as to fund Team Philadelphia’s trip to Cologne

for the Gay Games next year. At 8 p.m. June 13, Sports Week supporters are invited to The Bike Stop for Team Philadelphia Bar Night, which will offer plenty of drink specials and networking opportunities. To wrap up the week’s events, local LGBT running group the Front Runners will stage its secondannual Pride Run, a 1-mile timed race to kick off the annual Pride Parade June 14. The run will begin about 11:45 a.m., and participants will have access to the showers at 12th Street Gym before they head to the festival at Penn’s Landing. Mike Zuzu, who represents the Front Runners on the Team Philadelphia board, said some 20 people participated in last year’s inaugural event. He said attendance was probably low because of the scorching temperatures during last year’s Pride, and that he’s hoping for a larger turnout at this year’s race. Zuzu noted that all of the Sports Week activities provide the LGBT and ally communities the chance to learn more about the abounding LGBT sports culture in the city. “This gives athletes, non-athletes and just the general community an opportunity to exercise and do some healthy activities in a gay and lesbian environment,” he said. “This gives us the opportunity to showcase all the different sports and to invite the community to participate.” For more information on Sports Week, visit www.phillysportsweek. info/. ■

MARRIAGE From Page 1 legislation currently has 10 cosponsors, and the staffer noted that number is expected to grow, as lawmakers just recently returned from a break. Similar legislation was introduced in the Senate last session with 16 cosponsors and was tabled before it could come to a vote. Eichelberger’s bill seeks to add language to the constitution that deﬁnes marriage as existing only between one man and one woman. In order for the amendment to be adopted, the bill would need to pass in the same format in both the House and Senate in two consecutive sessions, and then would be posed as a ballot question to Pennsylvania voters. The Pennsylvania Senate is the only Republican-controlled state legislative chamber in the Northeast. ■

Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.

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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

Editorial Unexpected allies It’s a little hard to believe, but this week, former Vice President Dick Cheney again said he supported gay marriage. During an appearance at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., he said that “people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish.” While it is well-known that Cheney’s daughter Mary is a lesbian (with a longtime partner and 2-year-old son) and the family now publicly supports her, it is notable that Cheney’s statement puts him to the left of President Obama, who has publicly backed civil unions, not marrige, for same-sex couples. During his appearance, Cheney reiterated his assertion that the issue should be left to the states, saying, “Historically, the way marriage has been regulated is at the state level. It has always been a state issue and I think that is the way it ought to be handled, on a state-by-state basis.” Cheney spent the majority of his speech defending President Bush’s wartime policies. Interestingly, Cheney’s marriage position — a distinct departure from traditional Republican rhetoric — is actually compatible, or even more consistent, with Republican tenets of small government, federalism and personal responsibility. Despite the fact that the 2004 Republican Party platform expressed support for the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have modiﬁed the U.S. Constitution to deﬁne marriage as between one man and one woman, the party’s ideals of small government and self-determination are at odds with its socialconservative ideals. Socially conservative Republicans oppose same-sex marriage and reproductive choice, yet want smaller government and more personal liberties. However, personal liberties, by default, include the freedom to marry whom you choose and the freedom to have reproductive control over your own body. Certainly, the Republican Party is suffering from internal strife between economic conservatives and libertarians and the newer faction of social conservatives and religious right. That Cheney publicly disagreed with the 2004 Republican platform on the gay-marriage issue could be seen as a foreshadowing of the party’s continued fracturing. Perhaps Cheney’s position on same-sex marriage will, in turn, foreshadow the evolution of the party’s position on the issue. ■

Tell us what you think Send letters and opinion column submissions to: 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.

Glenn Lash (glennlash@yahoo.com)

Op-Ed

Jeffrey S. Crowley

New era of HIV/AIDS responsibility On the campaign trail, President Obama promised a renewed commitment to fighting the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. As the director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, I understand that we cannot solve this problem overnight, but we are taking crucial steps toward that end. My office is tasked with coordinating the continuing efforts of the government to reduce the number of HIV infections and provide care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States. The president has made a strong commitment to developing a national HIV/AIDS strategy, which is a top priority for ONAP. Indeed, the president’s budget seeks to increase access to healthcare among uninsured and underinsured HIV-positive individuals and reduce HIV infections. The budget provides a $107-million increase in funding to increase access to care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS and reduce HIV infections. This includes an additional $53 million for the Centers for Disease Control — for a total of $745 million in 2010 — to reduce HIV infections and increase knowledge of their status. Specifically, increased CDC funding will allow states and local health departments to expand evidence-

based prevention interventions and test 600,000 additional persons with HIV and identify 6,000 new HIV infections per year, with an emphasis on gay and bisexual men of all races/ ethnicities, African Americans and Latinos. The remaining $54-million increase will go toward the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Ryan White HIV/ AIDS program to expand access to healthcare among uninsured and underinsured individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, and to help reduce HIV/AIDS-related health disparities. These additional resources mean a total of $2.267 billion in funding will be provided for this program, which offers access to primary healthcare and support services for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. And on May 17, the Department of Health and Human Services provided $1.79 billion through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS continue to have access to life-saving healthcare and medications. The administration is also taking steps to help prevent new HIV infections. In early April, along with HHS and CDC, we launched a new ﬁve-year national communication

campaign, “Act Against AIDS.” Every nine-and-a-half minutes, another person in America becomes infected with HIV. The campaign highlights this alarming statistic and aims to combat complacency about the HIV/AIDS crisis in the U.S. Finally, recognizing that the challenge of HIV/AIDS is not limited to our borders, the president’s ﬁscal year 2010 budget requests $8.6 billion — and $63 billion over six years — to shape a new, comprehensive global-health strategy. This request builds on the success of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief launched by President Bush by more than doubling funding during this six-year period, compared to the previous period. President Obama is also including new funding for maternal child health, neglected diseases, capacity building and other programs that will, combined, kick off a comprehensive global-health strategy. This is only the beginning, but we are going to bring forth the change that America needs on this critical issue. ■ Jeffrey Crowley is the director of the White House Ofﬁce of National AIDS Policy and senior advisor on Disability Policy.

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

PAGE 11

Mark My Words Mark Segal Street Talk An inspiring chance meeting How long will it take for At a swanky cocktail party in Bryn Mawr, you’d never expect to run smack into one of the state’s biggest controversies, but we did Saturday. To the surprise of almost everyone in state government and the LGBT community, a Pennsylvania state senator issued a statement that he was going to introduce a marriageequality bill in the state Senate. You saw it on our front page last Friday. That was big news — especially in a state where we have to battle to keep our legislature from amending the state constitution to ban gay marriage. This senator, without consulting anyone, issued a press release on May 27, stating his intention to introduce the bill. And, not even a week later, I ran into him at a social event, where I was able to quiz him about his motivations. Sen. Daylin Leach, a Democrat representing Delaware and Montgomery counties, said the bill would offer “full and equal marriage rights” to same-sex couples in Pennsylvania. Under the new legislation, Pennsylvania would also recognize samesex marriages conducted in other states. In his statement, Leach noted the recent legislation in New Hampshire and Maine, adding, “It is time for Pennsylvania to act.” “In the past few weeks, several states have legalized same-sex marriage, and many will soon follow suit,” Leach said. “There has never

been a more propitious time for Pennsylvania to embrace equality and enshrine the civil right of all Pennsylvanians to marry.” Leach’s bill, which has yet to be introduced, would not require religious institutions to perform or recognize any marriages they do not wish to sanction. Additionally, the legislation would “dissolve all of the barriers to building families that gay and lesbian couples currently face, both at the state and federal level.” “The alternative to legalizing same-sex marriage is retaining our current, archaic protocol, which treats an entire group of citizens as second-class,” Leach said. “This protocol denies the reality of same-sex families, many of whom have children. It provides no vehicle by which society can encourage gay couples to do what it encourages straight couples to do: namely, to form permanent, monogamous and committed lifelong partnerships.” When I read the release, I immediately went to his Web site — since, like most of you, I hadn’t any idea who he was. And that’s where I thought it would end. Then, our surprise meeting. Let me be very clear: I have not seen a politician in Pennsylvania who has cared about our rights on this level since Gov. Milton Shapp — in 1973. Leach did this out of fairness, and had no political motive. He also knows that it will most likely be defeated, but realizes the legislation itself can start the dialogue. Since we haven’t moved one legislative inch in Harrisburg since 1973, this is a refreshing turn of events. ■ Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com.

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“Five years. The more you look around, the more LGBT people you see. People are being more open to it. Times are changing quickly. People are pushing more [for same-sex marriage], and the other side will get tired of pushing back.”

“Probably 15 years. I think we’ve made improvements toward it. But there’s still a lot of opposition. Even though there’s a lot of public awareness about the issue, that’s also brought about much opposition.”

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“My guess would be 10 years. A lot of older people probably would be opposed to it. The rural areas are highly Republican and more conservative. It will take 10 years for their attitudes to come around.”

“The year 2015. I see a shift in attitudes that are affecting even Pennsylvania. Since so many young people support gay marriage, we’re swaying the older people to see things our way, too.”

Letters and Feedback In response to “LGBT seniors: Out of the closet and nowhere to go,” May 15-21 and May 29-June 4: We need more articles like this dealing with the realities of gay life. Gay culture emphasizes sex, luxury items, vacations, celebrity worship and fashion at the expense of issues like aging, health (outside of HIV meds), spirituality and leaving a legacy for your life. — Anthony in Nashville This article, although wellmeaning, lacks an in-depth look at what it really means to age as an LGBT elder, especially an elder of color. And let’s not forget the

large number of senior LGBT immigrants who face a whole other layer of isolation. Poverty was mentioned, but what about the men and women who are 85 and still working because they have to and would never qualify for Medicare or Medicaid because they have jobs that would never qualify them — people who were working-class poor when they were younger and are workingclass poor seniors now? — Glen-Michael Francis I would like to add that the only affordable housing facility in the nation for LGBT elders over the age of 62 is Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing in Los Angeles (www.gleh.org). I appreciate Victoria Brownworth highlighting

the needs of LGBT elders in terms of social support, housing and adequate healthcare access and treatment. These are growing concerns for our aging LGBT population that deserve and demand further funding, advocacy and attention. Thank you for providing this article and bringing attention to this vitally important and underserved population. — Rafael Thank goodness there are places such as Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing in Los Angeles that are paving the way for, and increasing the availability of, affordable housing for LGBT elders! — Hooligan310

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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

PAGE 13

Obituary John Schott, former Dignity president, 70 By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer John “Scotty” Schott, a longtime leader of the local LGBT Catholic community, died of a heart attack April 20. Schott was a dedicated member of Dignity/USA, an organization that unites LGBT Catholics, since the 1970s, and his leadership helped bring visibility to the group from religious and mainstream organizations throughout the world. Schott was born June 25, 1938, in Shenandoah. He was involved with the Boy Scouts as a child, and eventually earned his Eagle Scout ranking. His sister, Ginny Roberts, said Schott held the record as the most-decorated Eagle Scout in their region for 25 years. After he graduated from high school in 1955, Schott spent three years in the U.S. Navy and then another ﬁve in the Air Force Reserves, receiving honorable discharges from both. While still in the Air Force, Schott pursued his bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy from St. Joseph’s University, which he attained in 1963. He later earned his master’s degree in public administration from Temple University, in 1983. Schott taught courses at both Girard College and Temple University High School before being hired by the City of Philadelphia’s personnel department in 1975. Schott spent more than 30 years with the city, working as a training and development specialist, personnel analyst, training consultant and training director before he retired in December 2006. David Kalinowski, president of Dignity/Philadelphia, said Schott’s long-term commitment to his work was also evident in his involvement with Dignity. Schott spent time as a board member of the national organization and served as president of the local chapter from 1989-91 and also from 2005-06, amassing a long string of accomplishments. Schott created the Deo Gratias Award to recognize local Dignity members for their outstanding service to the organization; initiated the chapter’s Rite of Holy Union for same-sex couples; spearheaded the group’s Emmaus

Outreach program, which provided resources for the sick and homebound; and instituted “Gay and Lesbian Catholics Claiming Their Birthright,” an educational program designed as a response to the antigay 1986 proclamation by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He also served as Dignity’s international liaison, a position that Kalinowksi said Schott used to strengthen Dignity’s role in the international Catholic community. “Scotty was the one who stayed in touch with all of the Catholic organizations throughout the world,” Kalinowski said. “He had contacts in England, Australia, all over the world. He was the person that kept Dignity within the United States connected with people all over the world.” Kalinowski noted that Schott was an effortless leader who was well-known within the Dignity community for his “parliamentary skills” and ability to successfully run a meeting. “He knew ‘Robert’s Rules of Order’ like the back of his hand,” Kalinowski said. Roberts said her brother’s communication skills also extended into his personal life. “He knew about everything; there wasn’t a topic that you could bring up with him that he couldn’t discuss,” Roberts said. “He could talk about just anything, and would always bring his humor into the conversation.” Kalinowski also praised Schott’s innate ability to hold an enlightening discussion.

“When you had a conversation with Scotty, it was always very stimulating. He’d make you think of things that you wouldn’t normally think about,” he said. “And he could have a very, very deep conversation with you, but at the end of it would always have something humorous to say to sum it up. You could always get a good laugh out of a conversation with him.” Kalinowski said Schott was also an avid train buff who would “travel to anywhere by train. He could tell you what any kind of locomotive was, whether it was a steam engine or something else.” Although Schott chose a career in personnel management, Roberts said her brother also had a ﬂair for art, having drawn numerous professional-caliber architectural designs, and was a skilled harmonica player. “I used to say when we were younger that God gave him all the gifts,” she said. “As I’ve aged, I see that we make our own gifts, which is what he did.” Besides Roberts, Schott is survived by another sister, Nancy McGuckian; brothers Kenneth and Dennis Schott; several nieces and nephews; and many friends. Friends and family will host a memorial service to celebrate Schott’s life at 1:30 p.m. June 13 in the main sanctuary of The Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany, 330 S. 13th St. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.

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LGBT communities from around the region will participate in the 18th-annual LGBTI Pride Celebration from noon-7 p.m. June 7 at Ocean and Fifth avenues in Asbury Park, N.J. Hundreds of marchers will participate in the annual parade,

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

and more than 100 vendors and artisans will take part in the festival, which will feature entertainment by Evelyn “Champagne” King, the Cliks and Kinsey Sicks. Also during the weekend, The ShowRoom, an independent theater at 708 Cookman Ave. in Asbury Park, will feature the ﬁrst screening of LGBT-themed movie “Outrage” in the state. The theater will show the 90-minute documentary that examines closeted American politicians at 9 p.m. June 5 and 4 p.m. June 7. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.

theshowroomap.com or call (732) 502-0472. For more information about the Pride celebration, visit www. jerseypride.org. — Jen Colletta

AIDS Law Project holds fundraiser The 10th-annual fundraiser for the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania will feature the screening of “Born Reckless,” starring acclaimed actor Mamie Van Doren. The fundraiser will be held at 6 p.m. June 12 on the 11th floor of the Wanamaker Building, Juniper Street between Chestnut and Market. “We look to this event to fill the gaps in our funding brought on by the economy,” said Ronda B. Goldfein, executive director of the Law Project. “It’s incredibly important that folks come out to support us.” She said the Law Project is the nation’s only public-interest law firm providing free legal services to people with HIV/AIDS. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, and can be purchased at www.aidslawpa.org or by calling (215) 587-9377.

Marcavage files federal suit Michael A. Marcavage, director of Repent America, an anti-LGBT Christian group, has ﬁled a federal lawsuit against the Philadelphia Police Department for allegedly violating his constitutional rights at four LGBT-related events in the city. A named defendant in the lawsuit is Capt. William V. Fisher of the department’s Civil Affairs Division, who allegedly “tore” a video camera from Marcavage’s hands last month during an LGBT march sponsored by Equality Forum. Other incidents cited in Marcavage’s lawsuit, which was ﬁled June 2, allegedly took place at the LGBT Pride Parade and Festival in June 2007 and June 2008, and at a Proposition 8 demonstration near City Hall in November 2008. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno. The city has not yet responded to the complaint. ■ — Timothy Cwiek

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

International News Cleric calls for eradication of homosexuality A radical Shiite cleric has called for the “depravity” of homosexuality to be eradicated, but his spokesperson later said the remark should not be taken as a fatwa to kill gays. Moqtada Sadr made the statement on May 28 during a seminar of clerics, police and tribal leaders. There has been growing antigay violence in Iraq. In April, another Shiite cleric, Sattar al-Battat, repeatedly condemned homosexuality during Friday prayers, saying Islam prohibits homosexuality. Homosexual acts are punishable by up to seven years in prison in Iraq. The following week, the bodies of two gay men were found in Baghdad’s Shiite slum of Sadr City. Several days later, a third man, also believed to be gay, was found dead on the outskirts of Sadr City. Amnesty International said that in addition to the violence in Sadr City, 25 suspected gays had been killed in recent months in Baghdad. A group calling itself “Brigades of the Righteous” has posted signs around Sadr City listing the names of alleged homosexuals and threatening to kill them. Moqtada Sadr’s spokesperson on May 29 said the cleric’s call for the eradication of homosexuality was not an endorsement of the violence. “Al-Sadr rejects this type of violence,” said Sheikh Wadea alAtabi. “And anyone who commits violence [against gays] will not be considered as being one of us. The only remedy to stop [homosexuality] is through preaching and guidance. There is no other way to put an end to it.”

PAGE 15

Larry Nichols

will retire in November. Brunne, 55, has a 3-year-old son with her partner Gunilla Linden, who is a priest. She has been praised for her natural authority, enthusiasm and sense of humor. “I am happy and very proud to be part of a church that encourages people to make their own decisions,” she said following her appointment. “Diversity is a big wealth.” A gender-neutral marriage law in Sweden came into force on May 1, meaning gay couples can now marry in the country in religious or civil ceremonies. However, they cannot yet get married in church ceremonies. The Lutheran Church, which was the state church until 2000, has said that while it supports the new law, it will not formally decide whether to perform gay-marriage ceremonies until October.

Spain: Judges must marry gays The Spanish Supreme Court has ruled that judges in lower courts or in local town halls must marry gay and lesbian couples. A magistrate in Sagunto, Valencia, had presented an appeal to the Supreme Court saying

he did not want to carry out a same-sex ceremony on religious grounds. However, the General Council for Judicial Power, the body that oversees the judiciary in Spain, has already ruled that judges cannot refuse. In addition, the Supreme Court ruled that members of the judiciary are subject to antidiscrimination laws in the same way as everyone else. Spain legalized gay marriage in 2005.

Honduran trans abuse draws ire Human Rights Watch released a report May 29 calling on Honduran police to stop abusing transgender citizens. According to the group, transgender people are reporting repeated rapes, beatings, extortion and arbitrary arrests by officers. At least 17 transgender Hondurans have been murdered since 2004, yet none of the killings have led to prosecution. Juliana Cano Nieto, LGBT researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the state is “failing See INTERNATIONAL, Page 17

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Sweden appoints lesbian bishop The Church of Sweden has appointed a lesbian as the Lutheran bishop of Stockholm. Eva Brunne, who is in a registered partnership, is believed to be the world’s first lesbian bishop. She won the post by 413 votes against 365 votes and will succeed Bishop Caroline Krook, who

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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

www.philagaynews.com and www.epgn.com

PGN

JUNE 5 - 21 11,-2009 MARCH 27, 2008 that the mayor of the Athens suburb INTERNATIONAL

of Kessariani has agreed to perform From Page 15 the ceremony. “I have noat objection to celebrating miserably” protecting even resithis union so long as dents’ most basic rights.the law is respected,” Mayor Tzokas “The police haveSpyros an obligation said. to protect people and to investiIt violence, is uncertain whether gate no matter who the the government will recognize the victims are,” she said. marriage. Some reports show that police The Greek government is stand by while trans peoplecivilare preparing to introduce attacked in the streets. partnership legislation later this year, When confronted abusgranting legal rights on to such unmarried es, officers tonot vague couples. But,refer it has saidlanguage if samein Lawwould on Police and Social sexthe couples be included.

Affairs to protect morality and guard against “public scandal” and Gay“who men jailed into those go against modesty” justify their actions or inaction. Morocco Similar policies in other Latin American countries like Colombia Thebeen Moroccan Association for have overturned after courts Human Rights, along with Human deemed them too broad. Rights Watch, has launched a Despite this, Honduras has petition following the imprisonment signed on to international docuof six men foranhomosexuality. ment condemning human-rights Moroccan police arrested the men abuses based on sexual orientation in November 2007 after a video and genderonidentity, and the councirculated the Internet showing try is hosting meeta private party the in annual Ksar-el-Kbir, ing of Organization American Morocco, that the pressof claimed was States. The theme for this year’s a gay-marriage ceremony. meeting “Toward penal a Culture of The is country’s code Non-Violence.” criminalizes sexual conduct between members of the same sex. Despite the fact that the video showed no evidence of sexual acts, the six men were convicted of committing “lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex” and sentenced to Bombayfour Dost, first and between andIndia’s 10 months in only gay magazine, has returned to prison. newsstands. The Moroccan Association for

Indian gay magazine returns

The English-language magazine was forced out of print in 2002 when it ran out of money. It has now secured funding from the United Nations Development Program for the next three years, although the first issue will be a limited run of just 1,500 copies. According to editor-at-large Nitin Karani, social change has meant it can now be sold in major bookstores, rather than being wrapped in brown paper and only available from roadside sellers. “India’s gay community is still illegal, but it is more confident and happier than ever before,” Karani said. “We’re not constantly beating our breasts over discrimination and marginalization.” The semi-annual glossy contains just one shot of Mr. Gay India in swimming trunks, alongside book and art reviews and reporting on gay-rights issues. The magazine’s official launch party was attended by Bollywood star Celina Jaitley, a former beauty queen who is one of India’s most famous gay-rights advocates. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS Human Rights and Human Rights Watch are petitioning the Moroccan government for a fair trial for the men and to protect their right to privacy. The groups are asking supporters to show their opposition to Moroccan authorities by sending an e-mail to petitionmaroc@hrw.org.

Cartoons draw Russian ire Protestant groups in Moscow are trying to shut down a cartoon channel because they claim it promotes homosexuality and religious intolerance. Channel 2x2 broadcasts Western cartoons like “South Park,” which some believe promotes “homosexual propaganda.” Vitaly Vlasenki, a spokesperson for The Consultative Council of the Heads of Protestant Churches in Russia, said the group had sent a letter to Prosecutor General Yury Chaika on March 12 accusing the network of promoting “cruelty, violence, homosexual propaganda, religious hatred and intolerance.” Yekaterina Doglosheveva, head of corporate affairs for Prof-Media, dismissed the criticism from the religious group. “The Federal Culture and Cinematography Agency may be able to control the activities of our channel, but the Protestants cannot,” Doglosheveva said. Channel 2x2, which also broadcasts “The Simpsons,” has

PGN

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built a cult following in Russia despite gaining just 1.9 percent of the audience share in February. MTV in Russia also shows “South Park,” but has yet to receive any criticism from the Protestant group.

Trans meeting set for Berlin It was announced March 14 that the second meeting of the European Transgender Council will be held this year in Germany. The council, comprised of Transgender Europe, the Transgender Network Berlin and TransInterQueer Berlin, will meet May 2-4 in Berlin. Their last event was held in Vienna in 2005. Representatives from international activist groups and experts such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are expected to attend the event and share their experiences in the eld of human rights and transgender-related work. The results of the Study of the Lives of Transgender people In Europe, conducted by Press for Change (U.K.), will be revealed, which polled more than 2,000 transgender people. Berlin has a diverse transgender scene, and Wigstoeckel Transgender United is set to organize the city council’s ofcial show and party for the event. �

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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

A departure from the ordinary

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JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

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Gay adoption in the spotlight of new play By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer “It is territory that has not been covered as far as I know in theater, and certainly not motion pictures or television,” said actor Ames Adamson. “It’s just too touchy.” It’s also very timely. At a time when individual states are resurging as cultural and political battlegrounds over gay marriage and adoption, the time seems especially right for InterAct Theatre Company’s production of “Little Lamb.” The new drama centers on Denny and José (played by Adamson and Frank X), a white/ Latino mixed-race gay couple who decide to adopt an AfricanAmerican baby girl and start a family. Complications arise when an unexpected visit from the birth mother challenges the validity of the adoption and threatens their newfound happiness. Adamson said the couple’s struggles in the play are a reﬂection of issues and feelings many gays and lesbians have regarding the recent political victories and

losses that have occurred around the country. “Of course the subject never goes out of timeliness in the LGBT community and other people as well who are interested in that,” Adamson said. “One of the lines I say is, ‘I’m here doing a job nobody wants to do, adopting a child nobody wants. And I’ve fought hard to have the job that I want and have the community I want and I still can’t raise a family and marry the man that I love.’ That line means a little bit more to me as a gay person today. The fact is, we’re lucky in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and a few other places in the country, but there are plenty of states where the remote possibility of a gay couple adopting is out of the question and there’s only a handful of states where civil unions are recognized. Fewer still where marriage is considered legal or possible.” Michael Whistler, the playwright behind “Little Lamb,” added that the changing political landscape for gays and lesbians affected elements of the play. “In many states, gay couples

cannot adopt as a couple,” he said. “They adopt as a single parent. In Pennsylvania, it has changed in the last two years. So that removed the city from the play that we were working on. So we don’t actually state a state. The laws that are in [the play] are existent in several states, but not in Pennsylvania.” Whistler said that in his research for the play, he found the majority of gay adoptions usually don’t have the kinds of conﬂicts seen in “Little Lamb.” “I interviewed a number of gay couples that had adopted about forming their families,” he said. “I also talked with straight couples that adopted. I’m very happy to say there are a lot of protections in place for gay couples. Ninety-nine percent of the couples that I talked to told me wonderful stories of creating a family. Of course, as a playwright, I was looking for the one story that wasn’t that. The facts of this play are based on two different disrupted adoptions that I was aware of. The birth mother returns and there’s a legal snafu that gives her a tie to actually make a claim on the baby. In the

play, the birth mother comes into an adoption counseling session and basically waives her right to make a decision. She basically says, ‘You decide.’ There are a number of young mothers who do that: who simply don’t want to think about or make a decision. At that point, the adoption counselor makes the decision.” The conﬂicts in “Little Lamb” draw not only from issues of sexual orientation, but also race and religion when the birth mother voices her newly found opinions about the adoption. “In the earlier scenes of the play, when she speaks to the counselor and they talk about Denny and José, she goes with that decision,” Whistler said. “She has a change of heart later on in the play. She has a conversion and she comes back to confront the couple and the adoption social worker aided by a member of her church.” Caught between the birth mother and gay couple is Cathy (played by Kaci M. Fannin), the adoption agent who placed the baby with the couple and is forced to choose between her progressive values,

her heritage and her beliefs. “Cathy is trying to make it all work,” Whistler said. “I wanted to take a look at a progressive Christian, someone who is trying to straddle the fence of finding a way to live in a world where they have progressive values in the face of a changing Christian church. She’s a pragmatist. She’s trying to make the adoption work and put everything together. It doesn’t always fit.” Whistler said that he did a lot of work balancing out the sexual orientation and racial issues in “Little Lamb.” “It’s a trans-racial adoption and it’s a shared family that is being created,” he said. “I did a lot of work talking to trans-racial families. That’s the first act. The issues of race definitely come back and bite the characters in the butt in the second act. I wanted to look at that as evenly and as passionately as I look at the issues of the gay couple and sexuality.” Whistler added that even though the characters are at odds with See LITTLE LAMB, Page 20

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LITTLE LAMB From Page 19 each other, it doesn’t necessarily make one side more of the “bad guy” than the other. “I would consider all the characters sympathetic characters,” he said. “That is important to me. One of the things that I really want to look at in this play is the role of faith in our society today. I can’t do that without having people of faith on stage and whose voices I support. So everyone in this play is trying to do good in this world.” Whistler also said it was important for him to capture an authentic relationship between Denny and José. “As a playwright, that’s very much my mission statement,” he said. “I want to be able to write the stories of gay men with honor, dignity, humor and humanity. One of the things that I don’t see as a gay

man and as a playwright on stage is a mature relationship between two men. One of the things that I really wanted to create in this was that: two men that have a life together, who know how to deal with each other and are not perfect, but have a relationship that can weather some phenomenal storms. Ames and Frank are just beautiful. They have such warmth for each other and sensitivity, which is what makes a true relationship on stage.” Adamson said that Denny and José deﬁnitely live up to Whistler’s vision for realistic gay characters. “With any relationship, there’s not going to be a united front all the time,” he said of Denny and José’s relationship. “We come together, we separate and we have our doubts. There is conﬂict and that’s a really good thing. It shows a gay couple in a wonderful real light. It’s not all peaches and roses and fabulousity [sic]. There are

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

Left: “LITTLE LAMB” PLAYWRIGHT MICHAEL WHISTLER (FROM LEFT) AND ACTORS FRANK X AND AMES ADAMSON; Right: WHISTLER Photos: Seth Rozin/Courtesy of InterAct Theatre Company

warts and bumps and problems. We’re not always in synch. Part of Denny’s problem is that he’s a little overconﬁdent. On one hand, that’s a bad thing. On the other hand, he just says, ‘If I set my mind to it, I can have it. I can do it. It will be.’ That could be a character ﬂaw but, on the other hand, it could be a positive thing to have that kind of attitude.” Adamson added he hopes

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viewers, no matter what side of the issue they fall on, will be able to see them in a positive light. “They’re just a couple of guys who love each other who are being battered down by a system and by ingrained prejudice against the idea of an interracial and gay couple adopting a black child,” Adamson said. “If they shed a tear for Denny and for José, then that’s a good thing. I don’t know if I’ve done my job but it makes me feel good. It’s up to each audience member to determine what the play is about and take away what they want from it.” One effect “Little Lamb” already has had: Some of the performers are thinking about how gay adoption might factor into their own lives. “I’ve thought about it,” Adamson responded when asked if he’d ever consider adopting. “There were a lot of wild similarities between [me and] the character I portray and his partner. I am originally from St. Louis and this character is from Atlanta. So they’re both sort of Southern. The character’s lover is named José and so is mine. It’s kind of freaky, funny and exciting all at once. The problem is that I’m an actor and my income is never steady. I travel a lot, so it makes it really hard to consider that. My partner and I have talked about it. My partner happens to have been

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adopted. He’s Puerto Rican and he was adopted by a Caucasian upper-crusty New Jersey family. He’s always had the sense of wanting to give that back in some way. But right now, with the state of my career, it would be unfair — not to me so much, but to a child.” Whistler wouldn’t say whether he would want to adopt — and had a good reason. “I have a wonderful partner of 20 years and I am not about to answer that and have him read my answer in the paper,” he said. “But I will say that the play has changed my views on it. I know that a lot of doors are open to me and a lot of protections are in place for me that I didn’t know about. I’ve also met a number of wonderful families through this, and that has really changed my view on it.” InterAct Theatre Company presents “Little Lamb” through June 28 at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. InterAct also hosts several post-performance discussions on Sundays featuring invited scholars, community leaders and artists to encourage further discussion. The June 7 performance will feature a postshow discussion featuring Mark Isaksen and Daniel Walth, a couple whose adoption process closely mirrored that of Denny and José. The June 14 performance features Dr. Salman Akhtar, psychiatry professor at Jefferson University. The June 21 performance features Abby Ruder, a marriage and family therapist specializing in adoption information and support services, who advised the playwright during the script development. For more information, visit www.InterActTheatre.org or call (215) 568-8079. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.

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Multimedia show explores man behind the fairy tales By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer The darker side of the world of author Hans Christian Andersen comes to life with the East Coast premiere of “The Andersen Project,” a one-man show/ multimedia production running June 11-13 at the Merriam Theater. Written by openly gay Quebec City-based writer, director and actor Robert Lepage, “The Andersen Project” is inspired by two of Andersen’s stories: “The Dryad” and “The Shadow.” Yves Jacques, an openly gay award-winning stage and ﬁlm actor, performs all the characters in the show, some representing Andersen at different stages in his life. “I play two major characters,” Jacques said: “a French-Canadian who is very naïve and comes to Paris for the ﬁrst time. Then I’m playing

this director of the Paris Opera who is a darker character. It’s all about loneliness and wanting to do new things. That’s what Robert wants to tell with Andersen’s own life. He was a lonely guy and he wanted to be approved away from home. I think it’s a lot about Robert’s own feelings.” Jacques said Lepage uses those two stories to shine a light on the darker and little-known side of life of the 19th-century author best known for writing children’s stories like “The Little Mermaid” and “The Ugly Duckling.” “As Robert would say, Andersen would put a lot of himself in these stories,” Jacques said. “‘The Dryad’ is Andersen. Andersen is a kind of dryad who wants to go to Paris and see this beautiful city and the world exhibition. He’s naïve and thinks the world is better away from home and that is not always

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true. ‘The Shadow’ would be the dark side because Andersen would have problems in his own life being approved in Denmark. He would knock on theater doors to try to write for theater and nobody would like him. He was some kind of a shadow in the Copenhagen neighborhoods.” Jacques added that because Andersen was bisexual, the production also explores questions of sexuality and the solitude that comes with fame. “Robert had to tell Andersen’s sexuality because he wanted everyone to know,” he said. “The Queen of Denmark wanted Robert Lepage to write a theater play about Andersen. But Robert didn’t want to do it until he found that Andersen had a dark side and he wanted to be approved away from his home. He was very interested and thought it was very interesting that this guy would write for children and never liked children. He actually had a notebook that would mark the times that he would masturbate, while he Team Philadelphia presents a week+ of sports showcasing the Philadelphia LGBT Community. For further info: www. phillysportsweek.info

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was this kind of beautiful ﬁgure doing Molière, so I was very happy being a writer for children. At the to meet [Lepage] and work with time, he had this weird sexual life. him.” “The Andersen Project” runs June He would never have any love affair with anyone and he never had 11-13 at the Merriam Theater, 250 any sexual activity with any human S. Broad St. For more information beings. He wasn’t living a normal or tickets, visit www.kimmelcenter. life for someone who would writes org or call (215) 790-5847. ■ for children.” Jacques said he’s privileged to Larry Nichols can be reached at work on a production like “The larry@epgn.com. Andersen Project” for Lepage — who has also directed tours for Peter Gabriel and created shows for Cirque du Soleil — and enjoys the challenge of performing outside the conﬁnes of traditional theater. “It makes you better as an actor to experience this new way of doing theater,” he said. “It’s very modern. I’m more from a classical way YVES JACQUES IN “THE ANDERSEN PROJECT” Photo: Em Valette of acting. I’ve been Saturday June 13 Get Ready for Gay Games VIII Martial Arts Event

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Out Online

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

Jason Villemez

Come out for community and country My father, grandfather and sister all had successful careers in the military, and aside from the constant relocation, I found growing up in a Navy family overwhelmingly positive. My sister attended the U.S. Naval Academy and, after hearing about her experiences, all of which came at the expense of the U.S. Navy, I thought it might be a good college for me too. I readied my application and attended a weeklong intensive seminar for interested

Offline

high-school seniors. My best friends and I all began to seek nominations from Congressmembers and senators, a requirement for entry. I didn’t have the dream of ﬂying jets or becoming a Marine after graduating the Academy, but I still wanted to attend. The resources, quality of education and overall experience seemed too good to pass up. Perhaps the realist in me always knew I’d never send in the application, but I didn’t make the actual decision not to apply until the fall, when I had to admit to myself that the military wouldn’t take kindly to my type. Staying closeted didn’t seem like a good idea and, even today, there are no other options for gays in the military. Being able to come out meant my military

aspirations couldn’t. Fortunately, I saved myself from the fate so many other gay Americans have to endure. I used to joke to myself whenever someone brought up the prospect of a military draft that I’d be exempt, free from the anxiety and fear of being called. But there isn’t much to laugh about anymore. We’ve all seen numerous stories. I read one about an Arabic-speaking linguist who was irreplaceable due to his expertise, yet forced out because of a revealing Internet chat. Coupled with the fact that he was well-liked by other soldiers and many of them knew he was gay, it simply doesn’t make sense anymore. Regardless of the arguments we hear from political and military leadership, “Don’t

Ask, Don’t Tell” needs to end. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s site, www. sldn.org, is an excellent place to learn about gays in the military and help change the issue for the better. There are numerous stories and news articles, legal advice for LGBT servicemembers, YouTube videos and links to social-networking groups, as well as sections on current legislation and how to help out. Now, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act sits before the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, which would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Along with learning about the legislation, viewers can also learn details on how to visit and lobby members of Congress, write effective letters and participate in local events. And,

on every page of the site sits a running counter of discharges since President Obama took ofﬁce. It’s at 224 people as I write this. Considering that countries like Romania, the Philippines and Bermuda, which has a reputation as a homophobic country, allow gay people to serve in their militaries, ours has no excuse. Now that the issue is really heating up, it’s important to be able to discuss and debate with people who might not know the real effects it has on not just the LGBT community, but the quality of the military as well. Coming out for one’s self and one’s country should no longer be mutually exclusive. ■ Contact Jason with feedback at outonline@gmail.com.

Bruce Yelk

Taking Pride at annual festival Anyone who has visited Philly will tell you that the residents have a lot of pride. We take pride in our history, our professional sports teams and our local cuisine. Philadelphians have the sort of unwavering, unﬂinching and uncompromising pride that gives the city its unique heritage and character. The spirit of pride is particularly pervasive within the local LGBT community. Since becoming the ﬁrst U.S. city to stage a demonstration for equal rights on Independence Mall in 1965, Philadelphia has been ahead of the curve. On June 14, we have the chance to celebrate our community’s past, present and future during Gay Pride. Below are my top picks for how to spend your day. In my opinion, there is no better time to get “out” and cel-

ebrate. — One-Mile Run/Walk for Pride: Our local LGBT running group, the Front Runners, will celebrate Gay Pride and Team Philadelphia’s Sports Week with a raucous and outrageous 1-mile run through the streets of Center City. Beginning at 13th and Locust at 11:45 a.m., participants will be timed on the course, with awards given to the top three male and female finishers. The entry fee is $20 in advance and $25 on race day. For more information on this fun and fit event, visit www. phillysportsweek.info. — Gay Pride Parade: Immediately after the Frontrunners christen the route, Philly Pride Presents will initiate the “official” pride festivities with its annual parade. Beginning at 13th and Locust, the parade heads southeast to 12th and Pine, then north to Market Street. At 12th and Market, the parade continues east to Penn’s Landing. This year’s theme is “A More Perfect Day,” so it should be interesting

to see how parade participants work that concept into their ﬂoats and diversions. For more information on the parade route, check out www.phillypride.org. — Festival at Penn’s Landing: As the parade is winding down, the Pride Festival will be heating up. From noon6 p.m., over 120 community groups more than vendors will entertain thousands of festivalgoers at Penn’s Landing. Always a popular event, the festival is only $10 per person. Tickets will be sold at the entrance. A list of all exhibitors is available online at www.phillypride.org. — Triumphant Pride at Mad River: I’m thrilled to be hosting the third annual Triumphant Pride with Nightlifegay.com. This year’s event will take place at Mad River, 126 Chestnut St. — only one block from Penn’s Landing. Starting at 4 p.m., guests will be treated to discount drinks and, most importantly, air conditioning. Following an afternoon in the hot summer sun on Penn’s Landing, there’s

no better remedy than a cold beer and some ﬁerce AC. For more information, visit www. nightlifegay.com. — Pride 101: Following a long day bouncing around Penn’s Landing and Old City, you’ll have a chance to relax and decompress at the last 101 event before its summer break. 101 has been going strong and Pride 101 will surely give it a proper sendoff. The party is at O.N.E. on Rittenhouse Square, 121 S. 19th St., from 7 p.m.-midnight. It is a perfect way to cap off a funﬁlled Pride weekend. To sign up for the guest list or learn more, visit www.nightlifegay.com/ Pride.html. So there you have it — my recommendations for a phenomenal Gay Pride on Sunday, June 14. From the looks of it, it might be advisable to take June 15 off of work ... I’m just saying. Before signing off, I want to add a quick plug for all the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fans among us. On June 5, Paradise in

Asbury Park, N.J., plays host to Bebe Zahara Benet. The winner of season one of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Zahara Benet will perform a few numbers and meet her fans throughout the evening. Cover is only $10 after 9:30 p.m., with the event starting promptly at 10. Visit www.paradisenj.com for more information. If you can’t make it to Asbury Park to see Zahara Benet, you can get your “Drag Race” fix during Fierce Fridays at Albert’s Second Story, 3180 Grant Ave., at 9 p.m. June 5. Hosted by Steven Andrade, the world’s premier Cher impersonator, and featuring “Drag Race” finalists Tammie Brown and Victoria Pork Chop Parker, this is guaranteed to be an entertaining evening. Call (267) 339-1579 for more information. That’s it for this week. ’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.

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Family Portraits There’s more than meets the naked eye when you delve into the alliterative Robert Randolph. On any given day, the affectionate confectioner can be found creating creamy concoctions for patrons of the Gayborhood as lead chocolatier at Naked Chocolate Café, 1317 Walnut St. — a job he loves, loves, loves. “I love having people come in to taste my creations, and I do like that people are calling me ‘Mr. Naked Chocolate.’” But Randolph, a Point Breeze native, is much more than just a sweet young thing. In his 30 years, he has been a dancer, actor, pastry chef, notary, realestate agent and published author. PGN: You are one creative guy! RR: [Laughs.] Yes, I come from a creative family. My mother runs a dance and performance school. I have ﬁve siblings — two sisters and three brothers — and we all performed together. PGN: Where did you go to school? RR: I attended the University of the Arts to study dance and then decided to branch out creatively and went to Community College of Philadelphia to study liberal arts and English literature. After that, I went to the University of

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

Suzi Nash the Arts, where I graduated from their baking and pastry program.

mission: The center has helped thousands of kids.

PGN: How did you start cooking? RR: I was always in the kitchen, ever since I was a kid. I spent a lot of time there with my mother and grandmother and I learned a lot of their techniques, and then I started making my own barbecue sauce and roasting chicken and making the holiday meals. I liked to play around with food a lot, making batters or breaking open crabs, using my hands a lot.

PGN: And your father, is he a dancer? RR: [Laughs.] No, he’s an HVAC engineer. He’s the cofounder of the school, though. He and my mother started the center in 1984 with nothing but a vision and a lot of willpower. The motto they believe in is, “Children are the bridge to the future and we must be the support beams for the bridge.” The students all call him “Mr. Al.”

PGN: Tell me about your mother. RR: She’s an amazing person: I credit everything I am to her. She founded the Point Breeze Performing Arts Center. What’s amazing about the center is that it’s not just a dance school. The mission statement reads, in part: “To use the performing arts as a social action strategy that cultivates talent and revitalizes communities. Our goal is to help children and youth become not just better artists, but also better people and better community members. Our programs are geared toward building conﬁdence, self-esteem and discipline and cultivating citizenship.” She lives that

PGN: What did you like to do with your siblings? RR: Well, we were in rehearsal most of the time. We performed as a dance group originally called Positively to the Point. As soon as we ﬁnished schoolwork, we would have rehearsals pretty much six days a week.

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PGN: So you were like the dance version of the Partridge family. What were the benefits of it? RR: Oh, we got to see the world! We’ve been to South America, Europe, Australia. I got to perform for Aborigines in Australia. At the time, it was eye-opening to see and hear so many different types of people — Asians and black people and white people all with Australian accents. It was the first time I realized what a huge rainbow the world is. PGN: What types of dance did you perform? RR: We do, and did, quite a bit: everything from tap to African to hip-hop to modern jazz and ballet. PGN: And you’re an author? RR: Yes, I enjoy writing and am trying to pursue a career in fiction, in addition to my chocolate making. I have a book called, “My Sugar Daddy Ain’t So Sweet,” which was published in 2005 under my pen name, Robert Leslie. We sent out 2,000 copies and it sold out in two weeks. Unfortunately, the publishing company, like so many businesses recently, hit hard times and had to fold. PGN: Did you ever write a letter to Santa? RR: Yes, I wished and wished and wished for a Voltron set.

ROBERT RANDOLPH Photo: Suzi Nash

Voltrans were toys that were the precursors to Power Rangers or Transformers. I wrote to Santa and that year I got them, so it worked! PGN: How did you end up in chocolate? RR: It’s quite funny. My original desire was to go into pastries. I attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia to learn how to construct pastries. I needed to get credit in a course called Chocolates and Candy, but it wasn’t open at the time, so I was able to do an independent study and Tom Block, the owner of Naked Chocolate, offered to teach me about chocolate. I fell in love with it and, after graduation, I came to work with him. PGN: What makes working with chocolate interesting? RR: Chocolate can be ﬁckle. It works at its own pace and you need to work with it or it will work against you. Time is of the essence with this medium. There’s also something sexy about it because it’s slow and has a shine and can cover just about anything. PGN: What’s the wildest combo

you’ve made? RR: The most unusual is chocolate-covered bacon. People think it sounds awful, but it’s actually quite tasty because of the saltiness. They complement each other very well. PGN: If you could disappear for three days, where would you go? RR: I just returned from my disappearing act. I went to Paris. I love Paris in the springtime. Cheap wine, great cafés, lots of relaxation. PGN: Isn’t that a song? RR: “I Love Paris in the Springtime”? Yes, I like that song too. But I like the song “April in Paris” by Thelonious Monk even better. PGN: Favorite day of the week? RR: That would have to be Thursday, because it’s the precursor to the weekend. On Thursdays, you know that you only have one more day and then you’re good to go! PGN: If you could go back in time, what era would you choose to visit? RR: Circa Studio 54 in the ’70s. It seems like it was a lot of fun.

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

PGN: Strange item from your childhood bedroom? RR: Well, it would have to be the Michael Jackson doll and the Miss Piggy doll I stole from my sister. Uh, I still have them now ... PGN: Speaking of stealing your sister’s dolls, how was coming out? RR: I think because of the creative world we lived in, it was never a problem. My parents always stressed that it was important to be myself. At the same time, we were taught that as inner-city youths, and especially as African Americans, we represented more than ourselves. They wanted us to be ambassadors for not just ourselves and our family, but for our community. So I was taught

Q Puzzle Damaged Goodies Across

1. Vowels of Sappho 5. City where they sing “Hello, Dalai”? 10. Razor feature 14. Blackball 15. Made easier to bear 16. Province of Spain 17. Antifur org. 18. Bikini not just for women 19. Like fine wine 20. Global gaydom? 23. Don Juan and Casanova 24. “Odd Girl Out” author 26. Come together 27. Line of Todd Oldham dresses? 30. Christopher of “Superman” 31. Shark foe in “West Side Story” 32. Dame Edna 35. VCR remote button 36. Once more 38. Dress with a flared bottom 39. Quick tug 40. Milk money?

SOLUTION

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

to be proud of myself, and that included all parts of me. And most of my friends and peers were fellow dancers, so there were a lot of openly gay people around me. PGN: You’re around the smell of chocolate every day. Name three other scents you love. RR: I love the smell of lemons. I love the smell of hydrangeas and lilacs and I love the smell of strawberries cooking. PGN: Any distinguishing marks? RR: When I was 16, I got a tattoo. I got in so much trouble for it. My best friend at the time and I had the same name, so we got matching tattoos. Fortunately, even though people called me Bobby at the time, I took into consideration that I might not want to be Bobby all my life, so I 43. Maugham’s “Cakes and ___ “ 44. “Guys and Dolls” co-creator Burrows 45. Messing around the “Will & Grace” set 48. Women’s patriotic org. 51. Be in a bee 55. Simpson trial judge Lance 56. Communion need at Metropolitan Community Church 59. Grazing land 60. Fingers that stimulate? 63. Quote as a reference 64. What you shoot in the air 65. Stats on a stallion 66. Lorca’s eight 67. “Pardon me” 68. Cancun coin

Down

1. Medium skill 2. 1939 Cukor movie 3. Couple in the back seat? 4. Drummers beat them 5. Heads up 6. Condoms, in slang 7. Dating from 8. Ward of “Once and Again” 9. Speak off the cuff 10. Noble in government, once 11. Last name in out talk-show

had Robert put on my right arm. PGN: My first crush was ... RR: Intense. He ended up being my first experience. It was a challenge to myself. I knew what I wanted and made it happen. I can be a bit of a vixen. PGN: Best karaoke song? RR: “Do That to Me One More Time” by Captain and Tennille. PGN: Any hobbies? RR: I collect soil from places I’ve traveled. PGN: Last time you cried? RR: Coming back from Paris. I was watching the in-flight movies and they were entertaining, but they were all so tragic! I watched “Marley & Me” and Will Smith’s “Seven Pounds.” I was weeping in my seat. hosts 12. Double-checks 13. Split one in the locker room 21. Give the slip to 22. One way to have one’s meat 23. Indian leader 25. It holds your head up 27. Lend a hand 28. Buffalo’s lake 29. “Death in Venice” author Thomas 33. Weathercock 34. Rowlands of “An Early Frost” 37. Become frayed 39. Versatile vehicle 41. “Uh-oh!” of the Bard’s day 42. Dramatist Henrik 45. Music of the the Village People 46. Moral code 47. Telephone location 48. Restaurant chain owner Gary 49. “Ragged Dick” writer Horatio 50. More ready to get plucked 52. Skip a syllable 53. Yorkshire city 54. Wonder Woman weapon 57. Leaky tire sound 58. Maupin setting for tales 61. Corp. bigshot 62. Keystone lawman

PAGE 29

PGN: Single? RR: No, I have a partner, Chad. We met online. I was sleepless in Philadelphia, and came across his photo. I pursued him and we had our ﬁrst date and have been together ever since. It’s been ﬁve-and-a-half years. PGN: Who would you like to sit next to at a dinner party? RR: Singer, songwriter, pianist and civil-rights activist Nina Simone. She was such a passionate person. I don’t think she got as much credit as she should have. People are still sampling her work today. She was not a very censored person: She would just say what was on her mind, and she made some songs that were shocking choices at the time. Songs like “Four Women,” “Sinnerman” and “To be Young, Gifted and Black.”

She started out playing classical piano and had her concert debut when she was 12. During the performance, her parents, who were sitting in the front row, were moved to the back of the hall to make way for white people. She refused to play until her parents were moved back to the front. Her memory of the incident is what got her involved in the civil-rights movement. PGN: Life motto? RR: I’ll give you something from my book and that is, “Free ain’t free.” Meaning that you have to work for everything you get. It’s worked so far for me. ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portraits,” write to: Family Portraits, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 or portraits05@aol.com.

PAGE 30

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

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Best Sellers Information is courtesy of Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; (215) 923-2960; www. giovannisroom.com. Ten-percent off most hardcover in-store sales. DVDS GAY 1. “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom,” directed by Patrick Ian Polik (2008, 101 min., $24.95 DVD). “Noah’s Arc” is back, and you’re invited to the big wedding! But can Noah and Wade really pull it off? Will Ricky’s sexcapades get the better of him? Can Chance and Eddie stay together? And can Alex stay sane? Get set for a wild wedding weekend of love, laughs, sex and some serious drama. 2. “Gods of Football: The Making of the 2009 Calendar,” directed by Grant Carroll (2009, 80 min., $24.95 DVD). Forty-five of Australia’s sexiest Rugby League and Australian Rules footballers were invited to tastefully “bare it all” and model for the “2009 Gods of Football Calendar” to raise awareness and funds for breastcancer research. 3. “The Lair: Season 2,” directed by Fred Olen Ray (2007, 229 min., $29.95 DVD). A supernatural thriller with an eye for the erotic, “The Lair” boldly goes where few shows of its type have ever dared. 4. “Finding Me,” directed by Roger S. Omeus Jr. (2008, 115 min., $19.95 DVD). A fresh, new indie film about a young gay black man’s journey of self-discovery, affirmation and love. 5. “Another Gay Sequel,” directed by Todd Stephens (2008, 97 min., $24.95). Packed with celebrity cameos and total gross-out humor, this outrageous follow-up to “Another Gay Movie” centers around the Spring Break adventures of Andy, Nico, Jarod and Griff when they enter the Ft. Lauderdale “Gays Gone Wild” contest (a contest to see who gets laid the most). 6. “Between Love and Goodbye,” directed by Casper Andreas (2008, 87 min., $19.95 DVD). The perfect couple falls headlong into possessiveness, jealousy and rage — trapped in the tangled emotions found in that space between love and goodbye. 7. “Mulligans,” directed by Chip Hale (2008, 90 min., $24.95 DVD). Sweet, smart and funny, “Mulligans” is more than a poignant family drama, more than a comingout movie. 8. “Wrangler: Anatomy of an

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

Icon,” directed by Jeffrey Schwarz (2008, 82 min., $19.95 DVD). Before Jeff Stryker and Michael Lucas, Jack Wrangler was the No. 1 name in gay porn and his wild, unpredictable career and life is recounted in this can’t-miss documentary. LESBIAN 1. “Finn’s Girl,” directed by Dominique Cardona and Laurie Colbert (2007, 88 min., $24.95 DVD). Finn is a doctor running a clinic and a single lesbian reentering the dating scene. Meanwhile, 11year-old Zelly’s testing her preteen limits and Finn’s patience daily. But when controversy erupts over the clinic and Finn’s life is threatened, “family” takes on a whole new meaning. 2. “Exes and Ohs: The Complete First Season,” various directors (2007, 132 min., $19.95 DVD). Michelle Paradise stars as Jennifer, a documentary filmmaker with a vivid fantasy life and a floundering career. Jennifer wants to find Ms. Right ... but first she must navigate the rules of lesbian life, most of which she learns the hard way. 3. “Watermelon Woman,” directed by Cheryl Dunye (1997, 90 min., $19.95 DVD). Cheryl, a young black woman, is making a documentary about an obscure black actress from the 1930s. Just as she discovers that the actress had a white lesbian lover, Cheryl meets the girl of her own dreams. 4. “Stranger Inside,” directed by Cheryl Dunye (2001, 96 min.,

$9.95 DVD). Treasure Lee, a young African American, has just been transferred to the women’s state prison. There, she schemes to meet the incarcerated mother who gave her up years ago. But when she connects with Brownie, a seasoned convict and “lifer,” Treasure finds the path to reconciliation both twisted and dangerous. 5. “Four Minutes,” directed by Chris Klaus (2007, 112 min., $24.95). Jenny, a musical prodigy, finds herself behind bars for murder, but one person wants to help her out — Traude, the 80-year-old piano instructor who has taught at the prison for years. 6. “Girl + Girl: Classic Lesbian Short Films,” various directors (2006, 88 min., $19.95 DVD). This wonderfully entertaining batch of lesbian short films showcases longunavailable film-festival favorites and pioneering works. 7. “She Likes Girls 3,” various directors (2008, 92 min., $24.95). The girls who like the girls are back in this jam-packed installment of the most popular lesbian-shorts DVD series of all time. 8. “Kate Clinton: 25th Anniversary Tour,” directed by Andrea Meyerson (2007, 65 min., $19.95 DVD). Celebrating a quarter-century of being queer, Kate’s Silver Anniversary Tour isn’t just stellar political satire and witty one-liners, it’s a chance for celebrities the likes of Lily Tomlin, Melissa Etheridge and Billie Jean King to pay cameo tributes to a pioneer of comedy.

PAGE 31

BOOKS LESBIAN 1. “Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire,” by Lisa Diamond (Harvard University Press, 333 pp., $17.95 pb). The book raises fundamental questions about women’s sexuality. Diamond’s comprehensive analysis of the scientific evidence illuminates the interconnections of love, sex and sexual identity in women’s lives. Her analysis of sexual fluidity is both original and compelling. 2. “Sea Hawk,” by Brenda Adcock (Yellow Rose Books, 212 pp., $15.95 pb). Dr. Julia Blanchard, a marine archaeologist, is so consumed excavating the remains of a 19th-century ship that she finds herself separated from her boat and adrift on the vast Atlantic Ocean. Her rescue at sea leads her to the ship’s true identity. 3. “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic,” by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books, 232 pp., $13.95 pb). Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and funny, readers are drawn into a daughter’s complex yearning for her father. Apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned “fun home,” the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. 4. “Justice for All,” by Radclyffe (Bold Strokes, 309 pp., $16.95 pb). As part of an operation to expose organized crime, Dellon Mitchell goes undercover with a young

woman posing as her lover. Before long, she and her team unwittingly become targets. 5. “The Little Stranger,” by Sarah Waters (Riverhead Hardcover, 480 pp., $26.95 hb). A sinister ancestral hoe in an advanced state of decay, a family terrorized by its own history and a narrator drawn into these orbits dominate this creepy novel from Waters. 6. “Stone Gods,” by Jeanette Winterson (Mariner Books, 206 pp., $13.95 pb). Billie Crusoe and the renegade robo-sapian Spike have been assigned to colonize a new blue planet. But when a technical maneuver intended to make it inhabitable backﬁres, Billie and Spike’s ﬂight to the future becomes a surprising return to the distant past. 7. “The Lies that Bind,” by Susan X Meagher (Brisk Press, 329 pp., $16 pb). Erin Delancy, a young physician, moves back to her small town in New Hampshire to take over for her mentor. Katie Quinn seems to be the antithesis of the placid doctor. Falling in love is often the end of the story, but there are myriad complications in this small town that work against their living happily ever after. 8. “One Last Kiss,” by Mary Wilbon (Kensington, 294 pp., $15 pb). Election season in New Jersey brings out more than dirty politics in Wilbon’s edgy, amusing second mystery to feature African-American lesbian private See BEST SELLERS, Page 32

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

From Page 31 investigator Cassandra Slick, a former Newark cop, and her white partner, philanthropist Laura Charles. 9. “Consequences,” by Skyy (King’s Crossing, 304 pp., $15.95 pb). School’s back in and there’s a lot of unﬁnished business to handle.

As Lena prepares for her wedding day, she can’t help but think about Denise, her sexy b-ball roommate, who almost stole her away. GAY 1. “The Passing Game: Queering Jewish American Culture,” by Warren Hoffman (Syracuse University Press, 206 pp., $24.95 hb). “His probing readings not only

bring fresh insights to these works, but also invite readers to rethink how gender and sexuality are engaged, even as they are disguised or obscured, in modern Jewish culture generally,” said Jeffrey Shandler, Jewish studies professor at Rutgers University. 2. “False Colors,” by Alex Beecroft (Running Press, 333 pp., $12.95 pb). With the arrival of his

former captain — and lover — on the scene of the disastrous mission, Alﬁe is torn between the security of his past and the uncertain promise of a future with the straight-laced John. 3. “Straight Lies,” by Rob Byrnes (Kensington, 288 pp., $15 pb). Chase LaMarca and Grant Lambert get information that gay icon Romeo Romero is actually straight, but their incompetent associate loses the incriminating videotape in a cab. Before LaMarca and Lambert can retrieve the tape, it falls into the hands of tabloid reporter Ian Hadley, who has blackmail on his mind, too. 4. “Transgressions,” by Erastes (Running Press, 381 pp., $12.95 pb). The fair David is drawn to his father’s new apprentice. And though his father treats them both as if they

Books: Cheap, easy and there in the morning

were brothers, David’s feelings toward the shy Jonathan develop as they hide their growing physical relationship. That is, until the fateful moment when local gossips force David’s father to banish him to protect the family name. 5. “Blind Fall,” by Christopher Rice (Pocket Books, 302 pp., $15 pb). Rice delivers the gripping story of an Iraq War vet seeking redemption and revenge when one of his fellow Marines is brutally murdered. 6. “Between Men 2: Original Fiction by Today’s Best Gay Writers,” edited by Richard Canning (Alyson Books, 288 pp., $15.95 pb). There’s something for everyone. Moving beyond tales of coming-out stories, “Between Men 2” is filled with the stories of men with something revelatory to say about the gay experience and, moreover, the human experience. 7. “Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction,” edited by Timothy Lambert (Cleis Press, 268 pp., $14.95 pb). For all those who think love has gone the way of the eighttrack tape comes a collection of new gay fiction designed to reignite their belief in love and romance. 8. “Best Gay Love Stories 2010,” edited by Brad Nichols (Alyson Press, 288 pp., $15.95 pb). Everybody needs a little love in his or her life, so whether you’re missing your special someone or just want a reminder of why you fell in love in the first place, this collection is filled with stories that reflect the many faces of love, and what makes it worthwhile. 9. “The Unfinished Poems,” by C.P. Cavafy (Knopf, 121 pp., $30 hb). Powerfully moving, searching and wise, Cavafy’s poetry and the brilliant stories he tells make the historical personal. ■

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JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

worth watching:

Q on the tube:

FRIDAY My Own Private Idaho Gus Van Sant’s ﬁlm follows Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves), two gay hustlers, as they travel to Idaho and Italy in search of Mike’s mother. 8:30 a.m. on Logo.

SUNDAY The Tony Awards Gay actor Neil Patrick Harris hosts the gayest awards show on TV. Among the nominees, the very gay “Billy Elliot: The Musical,” as well as “Equus” and “Hair.” 8 p.m. on CBS.

Baby Mama Tina Fey stars as a career woman looking for a surrogate to carry her baby and ﬁnds Amy Poehler. Queerly hilarious. 9 p.m. on HBO Signature.

True Blood The ﬁnal episodes of last season are re-run as a lead-in to the second-season premiere next Sunday. 8 p.m. on HBO.

SATURDAY Groomer Has It Tonight, the groomers bond with Bassett hounds during an obedience class. 9 p.m. on Animal Planet. Beverly Hills Groomer Last year’s groomer of the year, Artist Knox, takes on gay Olympian Greg Louganis. 10 p.m. on Animal Planet. Pushing Daisies Lila Robinson, a beautiful grifter from Emerson’s past, resurfaces, revealing a painful secret that Emerson has kept hidden all these years. Now on the lam for murder, Lila promises Emerson a quid pro quo if he clears her name. 10 p.m. on ABC.

MONDAY The Closer Season premiere. Kyra Sedgwick returns to investigate the killings of a family with a secret. 9 p.m. on TNT. Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Season premiere. 10 p.m. on Bravo. Weeds Season premiere. Mary-Louise Parker is everybody’s favorite dealer. 10 p.m. on Showtime. Nurse Jackie Series premiere. Emmy-winner Edie Falco returns to the small screen as an acid-tongued nurse in this biting comedy. 10:30 p.m. on Showtime.

TUESDAY Mental Annabella Sciorra and Chris Vance star in this medical drama set in L.A. With Marisa Ramirez as Dr. Chloe Artis, a young lesbian doctor. 9 p.m. on Fox. WEDNESDAY New Adventures of Old Christine With lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes. 8 p.m. on CBS. The Goode Family This animated series features a politically correct family of ultragreen-conscious vegans. 9 p.m. on ABC. Top Chef Masters Series premiere. The 24 chefs compete for charity. Because the summer cannot go by without a gay cooking show. 10 p.m. on Bravo. THURSDAY So You Think You Can Dance? Hotties and notties, queers and non-queers compete to see who is the best dancer. 8 p.m. on Fox. The Fashion Show Designer Isaac Mizrahi hosts. Tonight, the designers return to high school. 10 p.m. on Bravo. ■

Queer TV you can always see: The Young & The Restless Y&R’s only gay character, Rafe Torres (Yani Gellman), hasn’t been on screen in more than two weeks. Y&R sources say the storyline is “still ongoing” and plans to introduce a love interest for Rafe. Monday-Friday, 12:30 p.m. on CBS. As the World Turns Luke and Noah moved to the back burner after they were rescued from the Zs. But now a third gay man is coming to Oakdale to heat things up for the gay duo. Monday-Friday, 2 p.m. on CBS. Guiding Light Now that Rafe is home, Natalia is trying to find a way to tell him about Olivia. Meanwhile, the court made it a condition of her son’s parole that he have a man in his life — and Frank stepped up. MondayFriday, 10 a.m. on CBS. Ellen Monday-Friday, 3 p.m. on NBC. The Rachel Maddow Show Maddow trounces all. Monday-Friday, 9 p.m. on MSNBC.

PAGE 33

BROADWAY’S BIGGEST NIGHT: Out actor and all-around funny guy Neil Patrick Harris hosts the 63rd annual Tony Awards, the most anticipated evening in American theater, live from Radio City Music Hall in New York, at 8 p.m. June 7 on CBS. Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS

Personalizing dissent for the cameras By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing. Hundreds were killed and thousands injured; thousands more were jailed, some for years. Many journalists, myself among them, felt Tiananmen as intensely personal. The quelling of dissent always chills writers; Tiananmen was as dramatically public a shutdown of dissent as had ever been witnessed on TV. TV and print journalists in 1989 spoke about how Tiananmen made us think about how vital reporting is, particularly in giving visibility to those who would otherwise have no voice. During Tiananmen, I was in California working on an investigative series for the Philadelphia Inquirer on how pesticide poisoning was killing the children of farm workers. For weeks, I drove hundreds of miles from tiny farm hub to tiny farm hub and then back to Fresno to sleep. The work was harrowing; the victims made invisible by poverty and immigrant status. Before I left for Fresno, I had spent some time with a fellow journalist who was a reporter for Time, assigned to Beijing. He left for Beijing as I left for the Central Valley. Some stories change our lives, are indelible. Yet while stories like Tiananmen headline the evening news, others get less visibility. No one televised the 4-year-old girl who died of pesticide-induced cancer. Or the boy born without arms and legs because his mother was repeatedly sprayed with pesticides while she was pregnant, working in the fields. Or the mother who had lost three of her 10 children to cancer because she too had to work the fields during her pregnancies. Those memories of 20 years ago surfaced this week as the anniversary neared. I remember my friend calling me from Beijing, cataloguing the day’s events. We were covering very different stories, but we were doing the same thing: uncovering truths no one wanted to acknowledge. Across the U.S., there were protests last week as the California Supreme Court decision on Proposition 8 came down. The ruling let the voter-adopted amendment to the California constitution stand, while also validating the marriages of 18,000 same-sex couples. It was headline news, but not for long. LGBT people are — as the ruling affirmed — still second-class citizens, just like those farm workers and their children or the protesters in Tiananmen Square. Dissent is provocative: The image of the man standing down the tanks at Tiananmen is seared into collective memory. He risked — and probably lost — his life to dissent. Hundreds of Chinese were imprisoned for simply talking to the press about their status. The farm workers who talked to me risked their livelihood — the only thing they had left. And LGBT protesters still put their jobs and homes and families on the line to come out publicly. Homosexuality was decriminalized in China a decade ago and removed from the list of mental illnesses in 2001. Still, coverage of LGBT issues or programs with LGBT themes is banned. In 2004, the Chinese government banned all homosexuality from the airwaves as “against the code of healthy living.” Films addressing gay or lesbian issues have also been banned, like Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” the popular Chinese gay film “Lan Yu” and “Butterfly,” about Chinese lesbians. Twenty years ago, Tiananmen seemed like an historical moment made for TV, replete with high drama and, inevitably, bloodshed. If there is a legacy of Tiananmen, it is that the whole world is watching, sometimes. If we want the world to witness our suffering, then we need to get the cameras on ourselves. If no one speaks out, no one will know our outrage — whether we are a Chinese student, an immigrant farm worker or a queer American. ■

PAGE 34

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

Diversions

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

Your guide to arts and entertainment

Theater

Katie Sawicki The out singer-songwriter performs at 7 p.m. June 6 at Tin Angel, 20 N. Second St.; (215) 928-0770.

The Andersen Project The boundary-pushing one-man show inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s stories and starring out French-Canadian actor Yves Jacques runs at 8 p.m. June 11-13 at the Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.

New Kids on the Block The reunited boy band performs at 8 p.m. June 6 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; (856) 3651300.

Camelot Plays & Players presents the classic musical through June 6, 1714 Delancey Place; (215) 735-0630. Grey Gardens Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the eccentric lives of the reclusive Little Edie Beale and her mother Edith Bouvier Beale, the cousin and aunt of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, respectively, through June 28 at Suzanne Roberts Theater, 480 S. Broad St.; (215) 985-0420. 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.

Bjorn Again The ABBA tribute band performs at 3 and 7:30 p.m. June 7 at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; (215) 257-5808.

SOUNDS GOOD TO US: Show up early for No Doubt’s big comeback tour at 7 p.m. June 11 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J. Not because you want to get as close as possible to get your ska on with Gwen Stefani (who thankfully has taken a break from her pop solo efforts) and company. It’s because you don’t want to miss opening act The Sounds (pictured). Paramore is on the bill as well, but it’s The Sounds that truly own our hearts, with their Swedish-bred brand of electro-rock and their kick-ass new album, “Crossing The Rubicon.” Being fronted by riveting bi singer Maja Ivarsson doesn’t hurt either. For more information or tickets, call (856) 365-1300.

a villainous Indian, through June 20, 810 N. Whitford Road, Lionville; (610) 3637075.

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 Hedgerow Theatre presents Hysteria the popular murder farce, The Wilma Theater presents through June 7, 64 Rose a madcap comedy full of Valley Road, Media; (610) mistaken identities, missing 565-4211. clothing and dazzling surprises set in 1938 The Producers London, through June 14, The Walnut Street Theatre 265 S. Broad St.; (215) presents an all-new 546-7824. production of Mel Brooks’ Tony Award-winning Little Mary Sunshine musical, through July 19, Barley Sheaf Players 825 Walnut St.; (215) 574presents the silly and 3550. wonderful musical with a little bit of everything: Respect: A Musical Colorado Rangers, a Journey of Women stalwart captain, a chorus of Act II Playhouse presents simpering school girls and a high-energy celebration

of just how much women have changed using the best songs of the past 100 years, through June 28, 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler; (215) 654-0200. The Seafarer Arden Theatre Company presents Broadway’s Tony Award-nominated hit about a collection of misﬁts on Christmas Eve in Ireland, through June 14 on the F. Otto Haas Stage, 40 N. Second St.; (215) 922-1122. 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.

Thoroughly Modern Millie The Media Theater presents the Tony Award-winning 1920s musical romp, through June 7, 104 E. State St.; (610) 891-0100.

Music classical

Thibaudet Plays Ravel The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Charles Dutoit leading a program of changing musical times, threaded with dancing, at 8 p.m. June 6 and 2 p.m. June 7 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. Bruckner Mass in E Minor The Philadelphia Singers present Anton Bruckner’s masterpiece, at 8 p.m. June

11 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.

Music other

The Brave and the Bold The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus will honor centuries of social activists in annual Pride concert, which will feature a guest performance by the Kardon Chorale of the Kardon Institute for Arts Therapy, 8 p.m. June 6 at Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2110 Chestnut St.; (215) 731-9230. Jane’s Addiction and Nine Inch Nails The alt-rock superstars perform at 7 p.m. June 5 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; (856) 365-1300.

Phish The jam band performs at 8 p.m. June 7 at Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, N.J.; (856) 365-1300. PJ Harvey The alt-rock heroine performs 8 p.m. June 7 at The Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 9225483. Swing Out Sister The jazzy-pop band performs 7 p.m. June 7 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400. Mary Gauthier The out singer-songwriter performs 7:30 p.m. June 7 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400. Melissa Ferrick The out musician performs 7 p.m. June 8 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400. S.M.V. Acclaimed bassists Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten perform at 8 p.m. June 10 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 5727650.

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

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 diversions@epgn. com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.

Exhibits

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. Folk Art The Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College presents an installation focusing on examples from Dr. David Bronstein’s collection of Pennsylvania and Northeast Folk Art and artifacts, through Aug. 29, 601 E. Main St., Collegeville; (610) 4093500.

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

through July 18, 265 S. 10th St.; (215) 627-6250. Pickles and Pop The Clay Studio presents the latest works from artist Melissa Mytty, through June 28, 137 N. Second St.; (215) 925-3453. Pulp Function Fred Beans Gallery at 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. What Were They Thinking: 160 Years of Bad Taste Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts presents an exhibition of styles that were the height of fashion at some point in recent history,

through Nov. 8 at The Carriage House Gallery at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May, N.J.; (609) 884-5404.

Opera

The Rape of Lucretia The Opera Company of Philadelphia presents the ancient Roman tale and acclaimed chamber opera, through June 14 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. Simon Boccanegra Amici Opera Company presents Verdi’s opera fully staged at 2:30 p.m. June 7 at Dock Wood Community Center, 275 Dock Drive, Lansdale; (215) 224-0257.

Dance

La Sylphide The Pennsylvania Ballet presents the story of a

PGN

young Scottish farmer who abandons his bride-to-be for a beautiful sylph, thus angering the witch who heralds his demise, through June 13 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. nEW Festival The “dance-driven and artist-fueled” program that supports choreographic research and development runs through June 7 at UArts Dance Theatre at The Drake, 1512 Spruce St.; (215) 359-7775.

Film

Black Devil Doll The exploitation ﬁlm featuring the occult, forbidden sex and unspeakable violence, makes its Philadelphia premiere at 7 and 9:30 p.m. June 6 at the 941 Theater,

Pick

Invasive Species The NEXUS co-operative at the Community Arts Center presents an experimental group exhibition through June 19, 414 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford; (610) 5661713. New Abstractions Edge Gallery presents an exhibition featuring the work of modernist painter Robert Langford, through June 28, 72 N. Second St.; (215) 413-7072. New Works The Clay Studio presents an exhibition by artist Rebecca Chappell, through June 28, 137 N. Second St.; (215) 925-3453. Outgrowths AxD Gallery presents a solo sculpture exhibition by artist Carey Netherton,

1812 Productions has decided to really get into the spirit of its new cabaret show about wedded bliss. “Let Pretend We’re Married,” starring Tony Braithwaite and Jennifer Childs (pictured), features original material and classic cuts from Burns and Allen to The Bickersons, through June 14 at The Independence Foundation Black Box at The Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St. As an added bonus, opposite- and same-sex couples can renew their vows during the show. (And who knows, maybe the “pretend” won’t be for much longer or the “marriage” part won’t require a road trip.) Couples have their choice of theme: traditional, Las Vegas or Hawaiian, and a chuppa for Jewish couples. Braithwaite, newly ordained through the Universal Life Church online ministry, will ofﬁciate. Couples interested in renewing their vows can contact 1812 Productions’ administrative ofﬁce for details at (215) 592-9560. Photo: John Flak

PAGE 35

941 Front St.; (215) 2351385. The Three Stooges Two shorts and a feature of the classic comedy trio are screened at 2 p.m. June 7 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 917-0223. Gran Torino The 2008 drama is screened at 8 p.m. June 9 at The Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483.

Books

David Bergman The editor of “Gay American Autobiography: Writings from Whitman to Sedaris” hosts a reading at 5:30 p.m. June 6 at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; (215) 923-2960.

Seth and Adrian Tomine The cartoonist and illustrator, known for their work in “The New Yorker,” host a reading at 7:30 p.m. June 9 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; (215) 6865322.

Etc.

Kathy Griffin The comedian performs at 8 and 11 p.m. June 5-6 at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; (609) 317-1000. Cheech and Chong The stoner comedians perform at 8 p.m. June 6 at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; (609) 317-1000. ■

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

PAGE 36

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 3-9 p.m., Tuesdays 3-6 p.m., Wednesdays 3-9 p.m., Thursdays 3-9 p.m., Fridays 3-9 p.m., Saturdays noon-6 p.m., Sundays 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.

■ Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine: (215) 563-0658

■ 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

■ Equality Forum: (215) 732-3378 ■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: (215) 732-TALK ■ Mayor’s liaison to LGBT communities:

■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, self-employed and business owners meets monthly in a different location throughout the city, invites speakers on various topics, partners with other nonprofits and maintains a Web site where everyone is invited to sign up for e-mail notices for activities and events.; www.gppn.org. ■ Independence Business Alliance The Philadelphia chapter of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development and educational opportunities. Holds monthly networking events; (215) 7014760; P.O. Box 12647, Philadelphia, Pa. 19129; www.independencebusinessalliance.com. Monthly Brown Bag forums for LGBT business owners at noon on third Thursdays at the William Way Center. ■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgjaphiladephia.org. ■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus A regional organization dedicated to promoting gay and lesbian tourism to the Greater Philadelphia Region, holds meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; 304 S. 12th St.; (215) 840-6141; www. gayphiladelphia.org. ■ Philly OutGoing Professionals Social group for gay, lesbian and bisexual professionals meets for social and cultural activities; (856) 857-9283; popnews19@yahoo.com.

■ 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)

12-step programs and support groups Adult Children of Alcoholics

Meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays at the William Way Center. ■ Rainbow Adult Children of Alcoholics and Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 7 p.m. Saturdays at Limestone Presbyterian Church, 3201 Limestone Road, Wilmington, Del.; (302) 456-9129. ■

Al-Anon

Gay Al-Anon meets at 8 p.m. Fridays at St. Andrew’s Church, 50 York St., Lambertville, N.J.; (215) 986-1029. ■ Meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the William Way Center. ■

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Acceptance meets at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays at Episcopal Church, 22nd and Spruce streets. ■ Beginnings meets at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at 1201 Locust St.; (215) 563-0663 ext. 282. ■ Community meets at 8 p.m. on Thursdays at Holy Communion Church, 2111 Sansom St. Gay and lesbian but all are welcome. ■ GLBT Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 7 p.m. on Sundays and 8 p.m. on Wednesdays at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 100 W. Windsor St., Reading; (484) 529-9504. ■ Living In Sobriety meets at 10 a.m. Mondays through Fridays and 11 a.m. Sundays at the William Way Center. ■ Night Owl meets at 11:30 p.m. Sunday through Saturday at the William Way Center. ■ Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Beginners meeting meets at 7:30 p.m. Mondays at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2212 Spruce St. ■ Sober and Gay meets at 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday at the William Way Center. ■ Stepping Stone meets at 2:30 p.m. Mondays at the Mazzoni Center. ■ Ties That Bind Us is a12-step Alcoholics Anonymous meeting for the BDSM, leather and alternative sexuality community. Meetings are held from 7:30-9 p.m. in South Philadelphia. For location, call (800) 581-7883. ■ Way Gay Young Peoples meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the William Way Center. ■

Branch of the the Free Library, 18 S. Seventh St.; (215) 685-1633. ■ A support group for HIV-positive men and women meets from 1:30-3 p.m. at BEBASHI — Transition to Hope, 1217 Spring Garden St., first floor; (215) 769-3561. ■ Encuentros Positivos, a group for HIV-positive Latino men who have sex with men, meets on first and third Tuesday of the month at 1205 Chestnut St.; (215) 985-3382. ■ “Feast Incarnate,” a weekly ministry for people affected by HIV/AIDS, begins at 5 p.m. at University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St. Bible study follows at 6 p.m.; (215) 387-2885. ■ A support group for people recently diagnosed with HIV/AIDS will meet from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Mazzoni Center. ■ Youth Outreach Adolescent Community Awareness Program’s Voice It Sistah, a support group for HIV-positive women, meets at 11 a.m. every first and third Tuesday at YOACAP, 1207 Chestnut St., Suite 315; (215) 851-1898.

Wednesdays:

A support group for HIV-positive women will meet from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Arch Street United Methodist Church, 55 N. Broad St.; (215) 387-6055. ■ AIDS Services in Asian Communities’ weekly volunteer work group will meet from 6-8 p.m. at 340 N. 12th St., Suite 205; (215) 563-2424. ■ Project Teach, a peer-education and empowerment program for people living with HIV/ AIDS, will meet from 3-5 p.m. at Philadelphia Fight, 1233 Locust St. ■ Positive Effect, for HIV-positive people 18 and over, meets from 5-7 p.m. at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St., Camden, N.J.; (856) 963-2432. ■

Thursdays:

A support group for HIV-positive men and women will meet from 6-8 p.m. at BEBASHI — Transition to Hope, 1217 Spring Garden St.; (215) 769-3561. ■ Diversity, an HIV/AIDS support group for all infected or affected, meets from 7-9 p.m. at Arch Street United Methodist Church, 55. N. Broad St.; call Zak, (215) 848-4380, or Paul, (215) 307-0347. ■

Saturdays:

AIDS Delaware’s You’re Not Alone youth support group meets at 11 a.m. at AIDS Delaware, 100 W. 10th St., Suite 315, Wilmington; a social session will follow at 12:30 p.m.; (302) 652-6776. ■

Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA)

■

Emotional Support

■

Meets at 7 p.m. on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the William Way Center.

■

Healing After Loss has monthly activities in South Jersey and surrounding area; www.lsn. southjersey.com. ■ Pink and Blues is a free depression and bipolar support group for sexual minorities and meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at St. Luke and The Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; (215) 627-0424. ■ Pink and Blues Main Line, a peer-run mental health support group, meets 6 p.m. Thursdays at Bryn Mawr Consumer Center, 1001 W. Lancaster Ave.; (610) 527-1511. ■ Survivors of Suicide Inc. meets at 7:30 p.m. on ﬁrst Tuesday of the month at 3535 Market St., Room 2037; (215) 545-2242; www.phillysos. tripod.com. ■ Survivors of Suicide Inc., Chester County meets at 7:30 p.m. on second Wednesday of the month at Paoli Memorial Hospital, Willistown Room, Medical Ofﬁce Building; (215) 545-2242; www. phillysos.tripod.com. ■

Meetings are at 2 p.m. Sunday through Saturday and at 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the William Way Center.

Overeaters Anonymous (OA)

Open meeting, Tuesdays, beginners meet at 5:30 p.m., regular meeting at 6 p.m. at Hahnemann University Hospital, 245 N. 15th St., third ﬂoor, room 3208; call Troy, (215) 514-3065.

S.A.R.A.

Substance Abuse – Risk Assessment; day and evening hours; (215) 563-0663 ext. 282. ■

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous

Mondays, 7 p.m. at the William Way Center. ■ Mondays, 7:30 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 20 N. Route 9, Marmora, N.J.; (609) 675-1998. ■ Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. at All Saints Church, 18 Olive Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.; (302) 542-3279. ■ Fridays, 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean View Lodge, Metropolitan Community Church, 521 Glade Road, Rehoboth Beach, Del.; (302) 945-5982. ■ Saturdays, 8:30 p.m. at the William Way Center. ■

HIV/AIDS

Strength In Numbers Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ SINPhiladelphia. ■

■ Mazzoni Center: (215) 563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org

■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): (215) 572-1833

■ Equality Advocates Pennsylvania: (215) 731-1447; (866) LGBTLAW

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia GALLOP holds board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; GALLOP also provides a free referral service; (215) 627-9090; www.galloplaw.org.

Gloria Casarez, (215) 686-2194; Gloria. Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: (215) 686-2555

■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: (215) 5921513

■ The COLOURS Organization Inc. 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; (215) 4960330.

Professional groups

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

Meeting Place rotates listings on a four week schedule.

Mondays:

Positive Brothers, a support group for men of color living with HIV/AIDS, meets from 6:308:30 p.m. at 112 N. Broad St., 11th ﬂoor; (215) 496-0330.

SEPCADD

■ Safe space to meet and discuss substance abuse problems with ofﬁce in William Way Center; (215) 340-9995.

Smoking Cessation

■

Tuesdays:

AIDS Services in Asian Community offers safer-sex and HIV/AIDS information at 10 a.m. on second Tuesday of the month at the Independence

■

FreshOUT!, Mazzoni Center’s free quitsmoking program, hosts individual sessions, classes and support groups and offers Nicotine Replacement Therapy (patches, gum and lozenges); (215) 563-0652 ext. 228 or e-mail quitsmoking@mazzonienter.org. ■

Send submissions to pgn@epgn.com or 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. Complete Meeting Place listings of all Parent/Family, Professional, Recovery, Recreation, Religion, Sports, Men, Women, Trans, Youth groups can be found online @ www.phliagaynews.com and www.epgn.com

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

PAGE 37

Classifieds

With Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services and Personals

Foreclosed homes a problem in hurricane season By Tamara Lush The Associated Press LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — Mike Manikchand points toward his neighbors — a half-dozen empty, foreclosed-upon homes, sitting on weed-strewn yards — and he wonders: What will happen if a hurricane slams into southwest Florida this year? His simple answer: “A lot of these places will get destroyed.” Unoccupied, these homes would be defenseless in a storm; there will be no one to put up shutters, batten down garage doors and otherwise secure them. But that’s not all. Nearby homes and their residents would also be at risk from wind-propelled debris. Lehigh Acres and other communities at the epicenter of the nation’s housing crisis are coming to realize that this year’s hurricane season, which began June 1, represents yet another pitfall. Hurricanes could make hazards of thousands of foreclosed-upon houses, and their diminished value could decrease even more. “Here’s your choice,” said Julie Rochman, president of the Tampa-

based Institute for Business and Home Safety. “Spend a little bit of time and money to secure the properties to withstand wind and water, or not do the right thing and have the homes become damaged and valued less.” The Associated Press Economic Stress Index — a month-by-month analysis of foreclosure, bankruptcy and unemployment rates in more than 3,000 U.S. counties — conﬁrms that some of the areas most likely to be struck by a hurricane are suffering the most in this recession. In March, there were 281,691 homes in foreclosure in Florida and coastal counties in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Lee County, where Manikchand lives, is among the hardest-hit counties in the country. A 22-year-old pharmacy student, he took advantage of a dismal housing market and bought a foreclosed duplex for $36,000. In coming months, he and millions of others along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts will dutifully track tropical weather forecasts and stockpile batteries, ﬂashlights and tins of

tuna, hoping that hurricanes blow harmlessly out to sea. But who will secure all the foreclosed homes if a storm does approach? No one really knows. In some cases, a propertymanagement company hired by the bank could do the work. Or it could be a real-estate agent, a homeowners’ association or even resourceful neighbors who clear debris from yards and board windows. Yet no state laws mandate who prepares buildings before a hurricane; even ofﬁcials from the Florida Division of Emergency Management say that securing foreclosures isn’t a concern. Quick evacuation will be the priority, not securing vacant homes, if a major storm looms, others say. But shutterless homes can be a major safety hazard in a hurricane. And a region full of destroyed or heavily damaged homes would depress realestate values even further. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters have projected a near-normal year for hurricanes. They predicted nine to 14 named tropical storms, including four to seven hurricanes. One to three

of the hurricanes are expected to be major. Randall Webster, director of the Horry County Emergency Management Department in South Carolina, said if a storm does hit, properties in foreclosure could slow recovery if the county can’t immediately ﬁnd the owner, “especially if it were in a neighborhood where others around it were taking care of business and this one gets in rough shape,” he said. The issue of who cares for vacant homes during a time of crisis seems simple: The legal owner is responsible for securing the property. But communities are already struggling to get banks to mow lawns, much less put up hurricane shutters — if they weren’t swiped from the foreclosed home along with appliances, copper wiring and air conditioners. If the bank hasn’t yet taken the title of a home, the property is in a kind of limbo, and local ofﬁcials or homeowners’ associations may have no legal right to trespass and secure it. And many hard-hit counties don’t have the money or manpower to do it.

There are some places that are trying to board up windows and batten down garage doors, although largely to stave off crime. Wellington, in Palm Beach County, has gone to court to receive the legal OK to board up homes. And in Cape Coral, city officials have passed an ordinance that requires the owner of a foreclosed home to pay $150 to register the address and provide a contact number for the person who will maintain the property. Some banks say they have a plan for hurricanes; JP Morgan Chase says it will use property management companies and bank field employees to make sure properties are stormready. And if the homes are damaged or destroyed during a storm, said Michael Fusco, a spokesperson for JP Morgan Chase, the bank “acts just like a homeowner” and will file an insurance claim. But one real-estate agent in the Fort Myers area said the process of putting the maintenance work out to bid and then getting approval from the bank that owns the property might not be workable as a storm bears down. ■

Location! Location! Location! This week’s featured property

2034 Chancellor, Thomas Hockley House Beds: 2 Baths: 2 Cost: $3,250 monthly rental Realtor: Kenny Carroll Real estate co: Kenneth Carroll Real Estate Phone: 610-827-9214 Web site: www.KennyCarroll.com

Check your ad

PLACING ADS Using voicemail? Please be sure to have the following information ready when you call: • Your ad copy • The type of style you want • Desired abbreviations • American Express, Discover, MasterCard or VISA information • Your name and mailing

Rittenhouse Square: 21st and Locust Streets. Very large, elegant apartment in lovely Victorian building. Central air, separate entrance into sunlit foyer, double parlor with ﬁreplace, den, new fully equipped gourmet eat-in kitchen including commercial dual-fuel range, refrigerator/freezer, washer/dryer, dishwasher and garbage disposal. Huge walk-in closets. Parking available.

address • Daytime telephone number Having all this information ready will speed your order and help to avoid errors. Phone calls can only be returned during business hours. For more information, see the coupon page in this section.

Philadelphia Gay News assumes responsibility for errors in classified ads only when notified by noon the Tuesday after the ad first appears. To receive credit for errors, please notify PGN by then. Credit only will be extended in the form of additional advertising space. Any cash refunds, for any reason, are subject to a $10 service charge. PGN will publish no classified ad — in any category — that contains sexually explicit language. Obviously excluded are traditional four-letter words that relate to sexual activity. Other words may be excluded at the discretion of the publisher, who reserves the right to edit or rewrite any ad that, in his opinion, violates this policy or its intent.

CLASSIFIEDS

PAGE 38

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

Placing Classiﬁeds Liner Ads In Person: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, By Phone or on the Web: 24 Hours, 7 Days

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:

YOUR AD COPY • YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS • DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER • CREDIT CARD INFORMATION PHONE: 215-625-8501 ext. 200 OR 215-451-6182 (DIRECT) • FAX: 215-925-6437 • E-MAIL: don@epgn.com GENERAL INFORMATION

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.

PAYMENT AND PLACEMENT

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.

TERM DISCOUNTS - BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ISSUES PREPAID 4 weeks, 5% • 8 weeks, 10% • 16 weeks, 15% • 26 weeks, 20%

CANCELLATION POLICY 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.

Classiﬁeds Liner Insertion Order

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 Type STYLE B TYPE STYLE C

HEADLINE (24 SPACES PER LINE) FREE WHEN PLACED ONLINE 40 spaces Per Line 36 spaces Per Line 24 SPACES PER LINE

7 point 7 point 7 POINT

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 - $ BOX YOUR AD $5.00 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

PGN now offers

FREE online classifieds. Go to www.philagaynews.com for the details. You can also place your print ad through the Web site it’s fast and easy!

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

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

Real Estate

REAL ESTATE

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 _______________________________33-23 COTTAGE IN SPECTACULAR SETTING ON FRENCH CREEK Year around or week-end retreat $399,000. Call Annie Bentley, Realtor at 610.608.5090. James A. Cochrane, Inc. 610.469.6100. _______________________________33-23

SALE BY OWNER, WILMINGTON, DE Designer high-end condo in DE. STUNNING-FURNISHED Condo in Wilmington. Low taxes and condo fee-2br/2 bath- newly renovated. Balcony, Pool, Fitness Ctr, Community Ctr -MUST SEE- Call Ann at 267-251-9261. $135,000. _______________________________33-26 Potter County- 11 acres bordering State Forest in Keating Twp. 20 minutes from Coudersport. Wooded, View, Electric, Perc, $51,500. Owner ﬁnancing. 814-435-2570 or shawn@sylvanglen.com _______________________________33-23

FREE LIST Of North Carolina waterfront and water access homesites, real bargains available. No reasonable offer refused, Bank ﬁnancing. 1-800-566-5263. _______________________________33-23 NEW Single-Family homes in active adult (55 plus) community in historic Smyrna, Delaware, near Beach and Bays. From $99,000. 302-6595800 or see www.bonayrehomes.com _______________________________33-23 BUYING OR SELLING CONTACT RICKY FLITZ PATRIOTS REALTY INC 267 709 2505. _______________________________33-23

SALE

PAGE 39

CLASSIFIEDS

SALE

REAL ESTATE

SALE

REAL ESTATE

SALE

For Sale – The Stouch Tavern 1785. Well established historic tavern located in the quaint village of Womelsdorf, Berks County, PA. Turnkey operation with business, real estate, and “HR” liquor license included. Possibilities galore, including B & B conversion!! $495,000.00 For Sale – The Naomi Hotel. Own a piece of history with this 200+ year old property overlooking the Schuylkill River in Robeson Twp., Berks County, PA. Once a respite for workers along the old Schuylkill Canal; this property oﬀers many conversion options for the investor. Zoned village-commercial. Real estate, 1.53 acres, “H” liquor license oﬀered. $369,900.00 Contact – Rae Wheelan, NAI Keystone Commercial & Industrial, LLC for your personal tour. rwheelan@naikeystone.com • 610-370-8514 www.naikeystone.com

PGN

E-mail us: pgn@epgn.com

1608 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19103

AVENUE OF THE ARTS 250 S. 13th Street- 1 br, doorman building, hw fl, tenant occupied $230,000 Kera Ritter 1326 SPRUCE ST (Center City One)-2br, 2 bth, 29th fl views $435,000 Tom Gangemi OLD CITY 244-48 N. 3rd, UNIT 3B – Corner unit condo, parking included $225,000 Kera Ritter GERMANTOWN 502 W. Harvey St- Large home, 4br Twin , 2.5 baths, hw floors, servant’s stairs, porch, yard $249,000 Janis Dubin

www.philarealtyexchange.com

RITTENHOUSE 2025 CHANCELLOR ST-(Wanamaker House) 3 br, 2.5 bth townhouse comes w/rooftop pool, fitness, deeded parking, hw fl, recessed light, stainless steel appliances and 24hr doorman, plus much, much more, $795,000 Alison Ermilio 226 W. RITTENHOUSE SQ -2 br/den. 2 bth, newly renovated, with park view, $895,000 Tom Gangemi 401 S. 17th St-401 S. 17th: Quaint space, great location, new kitchen, commercial on 1st floor. $499,900. Kera Ritter SOUTH PHILADELPHIA 1904 S. 9th St- 2br home in Bella Vista w/ large living room, $139,900 John Perno

FOR RENT

NEW LISTING- THE PHEONIX Various, one and two bedroom condos available for rent in Logan Square. You can live, rent and play in the Phoenix building, while enjoying all the amenities that the Phoenix has to offer. OPEN HOUSE EVERY SUN-MON, 12:00-3:00pm, Call Tom Gangemi 484-654-6117or email tomjgangemi@aol.com for an appt and more info. PHOENIX-UNIT#619-Large 1br/1bth 100sq ft, gorgeous views of Love Park and City Hall $2170 Tom Gangemi 2025 CHANCELLOR ST--(Wanamaker House) 3 br, 2.5 bth townhouse comes w/rooftop pool, fitness, deeded parking, hw fl, recessed light, stainless steel appliances and 24hr doorman, plus much, much more $3750 Alison Ermilio 1608 SPRUCE ST-Spacious Commercial Office Space on 2nd Floor, Kit, Storage in bsmt, $2000MO 240 S. 13TH ST-. Sunny studio, new kitchen, hardwood floors, $1000 INCLUDES HEAT-Kera Ritter 2314 REED ST- 6brm house $1800 MO Janis Dunis 3512 BARING ST – Studio, utilities included in rent starting at $900 MO Kera Ritter 1513 S. 31ST-Ultra Modern 1 BR, 1 BA with deck in Gray’s Ferry. Avail May 1 - $575 MO no pets Janis Dubin 250 S. 13TH -1 bedroom. Hw/fl, pets ok, heat included. Avail August 1. $1200 MO Kera Ritter 502 W. HARVEY ST-4br Twin w/ porch, yard avail July 1 $1800 MO Janis Dubin

CAREER OPPORTUNITY FOR FULL TIME SALES AGENT- FOR INTERVIEW CALL OFFICE SPECIALIZING IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT-CONDOS AND APARTMENTS 2-10 UNITS WE ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME, OUR NEW SALES ASSOCIATE, EDDIE WRIGHT.

Online. Anytime.

WWW.EPGN.COM

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�� Corners of Routes 390 & 447 • Candensis, PA �� 18325 ��

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Areas include Shawnee, Camel Back, �� Mt. Airy�� Casino and Rainbow Mt.

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E-mail us: pgn@epgn.com ��

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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

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Ofﬁce: 856.227.1950 ext. 124 Cell: 609.221.1196 ��. Furness Flats. Large 2 bed, 1 bath. last �� www.conradkuhn.com unit left in this highly desirable Realtor856@aol.com building. Close to all Center City

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satellite TV, heat and hot water, all included. Hospitals. Low�� fees andWashington taxes ................................�� Township You pay; gas Office cooking and electric. Subway 5070 42Unique and bus atRoute the front door. $1,200 / month. �� “George T.215-416-5545. Sale Condo” Garden Available May 2008. This is a Turnersville, NJ 08012 level 1 bd, 1 ba. unit w/ private entrance.. Low fees & Tax �� Abatement. Lowest price 1 bd. in _______________________________32-18 area ........................��. 5 bedroom, 2 Baths Bank Repo only $45,000! �� Payments from $199/month! 5% down, 20 �� 20 Lakeview Rd., Lambertville, New Jersey �� _______________________________32-16 �� 3 Bedroom Bank foreclosure only $207/month! ��. New open style 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo �� 4 bedroom, 2 bath home only $238/month! �� with low�� taxes and condo fees. Great small pet friendly building. 5% down, 20 years @8% apr! For listings �� .........................................................................�� Art Museum Area-off 26th St. (800 N. �� _______________________________32-16 �� Bambrey, 19130)�� Corner house on quiet �� Old Swedes Court. New Listing Large 3 street, close to public transportation. Newly �� Bedroom 2.5 Bath2 baths, with Garage, deck and hardwood floors. �� renovated, 2 bedrooms, hardwood roof ___________________________________ �� floors, laundry, deck, PARKING, wired. Village �� LowAC, association fees in Queen ....................�� $1600+ �� call 215-990-4850. Go to kratzworks. Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split �� levelupdate home with42bd. gay men. House 4 BR, 2 com for pix. ��. NEW LISTING. Large 2 ba. withishome Lovely 3 W/D, bd. 1upper ba. fully furnished in �� full baths, and lower decks, use of _______________________________33-20 huge garden and wonderfully roof deck with city skyline views. 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. _______________________________32-19 215-821-1062. _______________________________33-18 �� _______________________________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. waterfall, 20’ X 36’ pool. Fully funished 3 _______________________________33-20

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CLASSIFIEDS

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

REAL ESTATE

SALE

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SALE

No Matter... �� 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 shoppers needed to judge retail $700-$800 per week, Beneﬁts, No CDL, No ��

and dining establishemnts. Experience not required. 877-280-7603. _______________________________33-19 Pensioner, GM inn, 609-287-8779 9 AM-1 PM only. _______________________________33-19 �� No exp. necessary, will train. PT or FT. SJ shore area. Call 609-645-2010. _______________________________33-19 Travel, Travel, Travel! $500 Sign-on and $500 Performance bonuses. Seeking Sharp Guys/Gals, Blue Jean Environment, Music Lovers Welcome! Janelle #888-375-9795 Start Today! _______________________________33-18 Part-time, home-based Internet business. Earn $500-$1000/month or more. Flexible hours. Training provided. No selling required. FREE details. www.K348.com _______________________________33-18 �� Avg. Pay $21/hour or $54K annually including Federal Beneﬁts and OT. Paid Training. Vacations. PT/FT 1-866-945-0341. _______________________________33-18 �� National Company Hiring 18-30 Sharp People. Able to Start Today. Transportation & Lodging Furnished. NO EXPERIENCE Necessary. Paid Training. Over 18+ 866-734-5216. _______________________________33-18

Problem. No Credit, No Problem. GIT-R-DONE Call Now! 1-800-961-4319. _______________________________33-18 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. _______________________________33-18 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. _______________________________33-18 Mailing Brochures! Weekly pay + Bonus. Supplies furnished. Guaranteed Opportunity. Call Now! 1-800-307-7131. _______________________________33-18 “Can You Dig It?” Heavy Equipment 3wk Training Program. Backhoes, Bulldozers, Trackhoes. Local job placement asst. COULD QUALIFY FOR GI/VA BENEFITS. 866-3626497. _______________________________33-18 NOW AVAILABLE! 2009 POST OFFICE JOBS. $18-$20/hr. NO EXPERIENCE, PAID TRAINING, FED BENEFITS, VACATIONS. CALL 1-800-910-9941 TODAY! Ref #PA09. _______________________________33-18

1102 Eldridge Ave. Haddon Township, NJ 08107 $ 289,900

A wonderful residence for any professional cook or somebody that just loves the art.

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. 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. 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.

5070 Route 42 Turnersville, 08012 This is an unpaid internship (academic credit available),NJ 15-20 hours per week. (856) 227-1950

Skills: cient.Nichols (Prefer Word, In-Design, Excel. Computer Call pro Mark fore-mail, more information: Photoshop a plus.) Oﬃce: 856-227-1950 Organized, detail oriented Cell:communications 856-275-4173 Solid written and verbal 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.

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REAL ESTATE

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�� 2001 Toyota Celica GTS $2500! 2 door,custom made orange exterior, black interior, 96500 miles, 6 speed manual, 4 cyl. Contact info: corysmoore@gmail.com or call at (208) 977-9080. _______________________________33-18 ��

�� Wishing to adopt newborn to nurture and adore. Will provide your baby with warm, loving, stable home. You will be treated with respect/ conﬁdentiality. Expenses Paid. Please call Glenna 1-866-535-8080. _______________________________33-18 ��

Services Directory

�� 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. _______________________________33-18 �� Buy Soma, Ultram, Fioricet, Prozac, Buspar $71.99/90 $107/180 Quantities. PRICE INCLUDES PRESCRIPTION! Over 200 meds $25 Coupon. Mention Offer: #21A31. 1-888531-6744. tri-pharmacy.info _______________________________33-18 �� Call today for your Medicare approved Power Wheelchairs & Scooters. ABSOLUTELY NO COST TO YOU if qualiﬁed! ELDERKARE MEDICAL SUPPLIES 1-888-54-ELDER(35337) _______________________________33-18 �� Limited Offer! Power Wheel Chairs & Scooters ACT NOW: 1-800-719-0024. _______________________________33-17 �� Kayak Pools looking for Demo Homesites to display new maintenance free Kayak Pools. Save thousands of $$. Unique opportunity! 100% ﬁnancing available. 1-877-499-POOL. _______________________________33-18 �� 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 _______________________________33-18

How You...

��

Look at it...

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 _______________________________33-18 �� 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. _______________________________33-18 �� Commercial Ofﬁce Cleaning. Operate a Business that YOU own! Since 1984, as low as $1500 down, Equipment, Support, Customers. Phone: 717-260-3678. _______________________________33-16

You Can Always Trust ��

�� Painting and paper hanging, reasonable prices. 45 yrs experience. Neat and clean work. Sonny, 215-888-1099. _______________________________33-18 �� From Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Computers, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualiﬁed. Call 866-858-2121 www.CenturaOnline.com _______________________________33-18 �� 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

PGN

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

PAGE 41

CLASSIFIEDS

REAL ESTATE

SALE

Open Houses Sunday June 7, 2009 Noon - 1:00 250 S. 13th Unit 1D “New Lsiting” Lenox Condo” Deluxe one bd, 1 ba. New kitchen and bath. Wood ﬂoors..................................... ................................................................Low price....$235,000.00 1222 Spruce St. Unit 3. New open style 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo with low taxes and condo fees. Great small pet friendly building. ...................................................................................$350,000.00 1:30 - 2:30 2118 Montrose St. New Listing. Totally rehabbed extra large 2 bd. 2 1/2 ba. w/ wood ﬂoor, garnite & S/S deluxe kitchen. landscaped garden. Roof deck. A must see..............$325,000.00 416 S 10th St. NEW LISTING. Large update 4 bd. 2 ba. with huge garden and wonderfully roof deck with city skyline views... ...................................................................................$800,000.00

Search all Philadelphia area listings @ www.thephillyrealtors.com Dan Tobey

The Curtis Center 170 W. Independence Mall , Suite L-44 Philadelphia, PA 19106

215.546.2700 Business • 267.238.1061 Direct 215.432.7151 Cell • 215.546.7728 Fax dtobey@cbpref.com

VACATION RENTALS

Studio Condo Ogunquit, Maine

Sleeps 4, pool, ocean view, full kitchen, dining area, deck. Close to Marginal way and centrally located. $850+tax a week. Available various weeks in July and August.

Contact Larry 610-453-3555

SECLUDED BUCKS SPREAD Super-private 5 1/2 acres with views, stream, waterfall, 20’ X 36’ pool. Fully funished 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 4 TVs, 1 flat screen, DSL, stereo, grand piano, eat-in kitchen. Vine-covered dining deck. $5000 per month. June to Sept. billwrite@aol.com _______________________________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 _______________________________33-23 North Wildwood, NJ FLORENTINE MOTEL Beach/Boardwalk Block, Heated Pools, Efficiency/ motel units refrigerator, elevator. Color Brochure/ specials 609-522-4075 Dept.105 www.florentinemotel.com _______________________________33-23 A GREAT VACATION VALUE!! Clean, Safe, & only a tank away. America’s Greatest FAMILY Resort Ocean City, NJ (800) 786-8884 or visit our website www.AcademyRealEstate.com _______________________________33-23

REAL ESTATE

RENT

GUEST HOUSE ON ESTATE Upper Dublin (Ambler). Newly remodeled, 3 BR, 2.5 BA, hdwd flrs., C/A, pool, glamorous kitchen overlooks formal gardens. $1800/mo. 215-542-5642. _______________________________33-25 3 RM. APT. IN NEW REHAB. VICTORIAN 11’ clg, 6 windows in combined LR & bed. New tile bath, sep. kitchen, walk-in closets, storage & laundry in bsmt. $600. 215-844-8118 _______________________________33-23 STUDIO & ONE BEDROOM APTS. Rittenhouse Square Area! $795-$995. Call (215)546-1424 Great Location, close to restaurants, stores, etc. Why not be near the Square this summer? _______________________________33-23 CHARMING 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT Light filled second floor apartment in private home located in Morrisville, Pa. Minutes to Rt. 1, 95 and the train station. Be in New York and Philadelphia in no time. Not to mention a lovely 20 minute drive along the river to New Hope. Includes storage, private laundry with washer/dryer and off street parking. No pets/ no smoking. $925 plus electric. Call 215-8023550 for appointment. _______________________________33-25 NORTHERN LIBERTIES 2 BR, 2 BA bi lvl apt. LR, formal DR w/crystal chandelier, stainlees kit w/G/D, microwave, tile floor, tile bath w/laundry, oak hdwd flrs. 2nd fl. 2 BR w/tile bath between, deck off 2nd BR, pine floors. C/A. Radiator heat incl. in rent. $1600/mo. Call 215-351-7514. _______________________________33-23

HELP WANTED

ROOMMATES PGN WILL NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DISTINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS. SUCH NOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. ___________________________________ GREATER NE PHILA. Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 full baths, W/D, upper and lower decks, use of kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. _______________________________33-24 OVERBROOK PARK/CITY LINE Share house, furn. BR, cable, W/D, A/C. Avail. now. $450/mo. incl. utils. 215-850-7900. _______________________________33-23 NEWARK, DE GAY/STRAIGHT HOUSE Rm in 6 bd castle $500 incl uti.l 3 cats. 302438-5037 Reduced rent for housework/elder care. _______________________________33-23

REAL ESTATE

RENT

12TH & DICKINSON ST. 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 AVENUE OF THE ARTS 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. _______________________________33-24

POST OFFICE NOW HIRING! Avg. Pay $21/hour or $54K annually including Federal Beneﬁts and OT. Paid Training. Vacations. PT/FT 1-866-945-0341. _______________________________33-23 $12.00 GUARANTEED For every envelope stuffed with our sales material plus a free sign on bonus. FREE 24 hour information 1-866-526-0078. _______________________________33-23 Pickup truck & Commercial truck drivers needed. Deliver RV trailers and commercial trucks and buses to all 48 states and Canada. Log on to www.RVdeliveryjobs.com _______________________________33-23

HELP WANTED

SERVICES

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. _______________________________33-23 Earn up to $500 weekly assembling our angel pins. No experience required. Call 413-3030474 or visit www.angelpin.net _______________________________33-23 34 Driver Trainees Needed. Werner Enterprises. Drive the BIG Rigs. No CDL, No Problem. No Credit, No Problem. $700-$800/week +Benefits Call Now! 1-800-961-4319. _______________________________33-23 WANTED: LIFE AGENTS! Earn up to $500 a day -Great Agent BenefitsCommissions paid daily- Liberal Underwriting -Leads, Leads, Leads, LIFE INSURANCE, LICENSE REQUIRED. Call 1-888-713-6020. _______________________________33-23 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. _______________________________33-23 Driver CDL-A. OTR Dry Van Drivers! WESTERN EXPRESS offers Professional Equipment, 1-Day Orientation. Great Hometime & Benefits. Class-A CDL, 22 YO Required 866-863-4009 _______________________________33-23 NOW AVAILABLE! 2009 POST OFFICE JOBS. $18-$20/hr. NO EXPERIENCE, PAID TRAINING, FED BENEFITS, VACATIONS. CALL 1-800-910-9941 TODAY! Ref #PA09. _______________________________33-23

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 _______________________________33-23 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. _______________________________33-23 ELECTRICAL SERVICES Andy’s Electrical service has been servicing Montgomery County and all adjacent cities, counties and buroughs for 12 yrs. w/top-notch craftmanship and budget friendly pricing. Call me for a free estimate or to chat about a project you are thinking about doing. ~master licensed/ fully insured~ ANDY 484-614-4358 REFERENCES CAN BE PROVIDED. _______________________________33-23

Alexander Inn

Hotel desk clerk for full or part time. Must have prior hotel experience with references. Good salary plus bonus pkg. Apply in person or call days. Call John 215-923-3535 Let’s Talk!

CASHIERS + CLEANERS

Full or Part time All shifts available Apply in Person Sansom St. Gym 2020 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19103

PGN

Gay is our middle name.

FOR SALE ONLINE PHARMACY Buy Soma, Ultram, Fioricet, Prozac, Buspar $71.99/90 $107/180 Quantities. PRICE INCLUDES PRESCRIPTION! Over 200 meds $25 Coupon. Mention Offer:# 21A31. 1-888531-6744. tri-pharmacy.info _______________________________33-23 Metal Rooﬁng and Siding: Buy Direct, We manufacture and cut to your length, also a large supplier of Pole Building material 1-800373-3703 www.abmartin.net _______________________________33-23

BUSINESS

OPPORTUNITIES ANGUARD 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. _______________________________33-22 ALL CASH VENDING! 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. _______________________________33-23

FINANCIAL

SERVICES

Settle IRS Back Taxes for less than you owe! If you quailify we can: Stop wage garnishments. Remove bank levies, tax levies, property seizures. Stop payment plans that get you nowhere. Settle state and business payroll tax problems. Eliminate penalties, interest charges & tax liens. If you owe over $15,000 in back taxes, call now! Free consultation! No Obligation! Conﬁdential! American Tax Relief 1-800-317-9712. _______________________________33-23 Buried in Credit Card Debt? Balances never seem to go down? Only making the minimum payments? We can get you out of debt in months instead of years. We can save you thousands of dollars. We can help you avoid bankruptcy. Not a high-priced consolidation loan or one of those consumer credit counseling programs. Call for your FREE consultation! Credit Card Relief 1-866-475-5959. _______________________________33-23

LEGAL NOTICE Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord wants to put money back in your wallet! Treasury is seeking the owners of over $1 billion in unclaimed property. Search www.patreasury.org. You could have money waiting for you! _______________________________33-23

CLASSIFIEDS

PAGE 42

AUCTIONS GRAND OPENING AUCTION Waterfront Developed Lots, 6 Sell Absolute, Lake View Lots, Interior Lots; Edgewater Development, Lancaster, SC; 6-13-09. Iron Horse Auction, SCAL3936, 800-997-2248, www.ironhorseauction.com _______________________________33-23 OCEANFRONT REAL ESTATE AUCTION Oceanfront Island on the Atlantic at Shallotte Inlet, Oceanfront Homesites, Waterway Homesites; Brunswick County,NC; 6-20-09. Iron Horse Auction, NCAL3936, 800-997-2248, www.ironhorseauction.com _______________________________33-23

�� Want to let Dave’s K-9 College Start your pet on the right “paw” where your pet goes to school

Certiﬁed Dog Trainer Contact Dave

215-698-0215 or

215-205-7700

ADOPTION

��

A childless-married couple seeks to adopt & share our lives with a newborn. Fulltime mom & devoted dad. Financially-stable, expensespaid. Call Lorraine & Vic 877-212-2651. _______________________________33-23

AUTOS 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 _______________________________33-23 GREAT DEAL! 1963 Chevrolet Corvette clear title, $3900, 8cyl. exterior black, interior red, manual transmission, 48000 miles, call me 206-203-1273 or e-mail me martinporetti@gmail.com _______________________________33-23

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

MAY 1 - 7, 2009

Does Your Man’s Cooking Leave You Feeling

Unsatisfied?

mom, dad and all of your exs know you’re tying the knot?

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

SERVICES DIRECTORY

Does Your Man’s Cooking Leave You Feeling

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this space: only $25 per week*

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DINING GUIDE

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DINING GUIDE

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*when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks

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Send us your wedding/civil union/ commitment ceremony �� announcement �� and we’ll share it �� with the City of Brotherly Love. ��

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PAGE 110 PAGE PAGE JUNE 5110 - 11, 2009 PAGE110 110 PAGE 110

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APRIL -- MAY 1, 2008 2008 APRIL2525 25- MAY MAY 2008 PAGE 43 APRIL 1,1,2008

PAGE 106

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

CLASSIFIEDS

Terence S. Brady, Esq. Legal Representation In New Jersey Drunk Driving, Speeding, All Traﬃc Cases, Family Matters, Divorce, Visitation, Custody Criminal Matters, Real Estate Purchases, MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2008 Foreclosures

Mt. Holly, N.J. 609 504 6310

William A. Torchia, Esquire Attorney-at-Law

Estate & Tax Planning

GENERAL PRACTICE FOR THE COMMUNITY ��

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�� 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 CLASSIFIEDS

215-735-1006

1900 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.amysteermman.com

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215-546-1950 (Voice)

215-546-8801 (Fax)

James M. M.SPACE Quesenberry, MA, CRC,CVE CVE THIS ISMA, YOURS James Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE CRC,

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Only $25.00* SocialPer Security Disability Week! Security Disability Social Disability

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Attorneys-at-Law

Disability Consultant James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE Disability Consultant Consultant Disability Consultant

Social Security Disability Claims Appeals Appeals Claims Appeals Claims Appeals That’s Less Than

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GENERAL PRACTICE FOR THE COMMUNITY • Estate Administration • Wills, Living Wills, Trusts • Powers of Attorney

• Domestic Relations • Incorporation • Adoption • Criminal • Name Change • Immigration

• Property Agreements Guardianships APRIL 25 -••MAY 1, 2008 • Accidents Real Estate

215-546-1950 (Voice) �

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Bar Association Serving Southeastern PA., South Jersey; and Delaware. Organized to promote civil and human rights. GALLOP Referral Service provides free referrals to attorneys sensitive to the needs of the community For info or a referral, call 215-627-9090 P.O. Box 58279, Penn Center Station, Phila., PA 19102 www.galloplaw.org

• WILLS & ESTATES • • DISCRIMINATION • • SMALL BUSINESS • • DIVORCE • James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE • EMPLOYMENT • Consultant •Disability REAL ESTATE • • CIVIL ACTIONS • • AUTO ACCIDENTS • Social Security Disability • POWER OF ATTORNEY • Claims PARTNERS Appeals • • DOMESTIC

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forme

PRO LEG E PO FO C

FREE

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Financial Advice for the GLBT Community

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Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia

MINSTER & FACCIOLO, LLC

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PARTNERS IN LAW PARTNERS IN LIFE

this space: only $25 per week*

APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008

Charles S. Frazier, Esq. Attorney at Law

• General Practice • Wills and Trusts • Living Wills • Powers of Attorney • Cohabitation Agreements

Wayne, PA (610) 687-4077 cstar1@verizon.net

THIS SPACE IS YOURS Only $25.00* Per Week!

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*8 Week Minimum

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3000 Market Street Suite 201 Philadelphia, PA 19104 (215) 243-3450

PAGE 44

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

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PAGE 106

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Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today!

APRIL - MAY JUNE 525- 11, 20091, 2008

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS

HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY

PAGE PAGE107 45

G.I. CONTRACTORS Complete start to finish contractors:

Electrical • Plumbing Carpentry • Ceramic Tile Siding • Rooﬁng • Decks DJK Rooﬁng Kitchens & Baths

24 hour emergency service 15 West Walnut Ave Insured with certiﬁ ed technicans Westmont, NJ 08108 State License 267-240-7535 (856) 869-4300 215-917-6328 # 13VH01175500 job too small! Fax (856) No 869-9680 Bonded

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Licensed & Insured

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Ofﬁce: (215) 336-0156

• Installation

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Residential & Commercial

RESTORATION CONSTRUCTION INC. • KITCHENS, BATHS • REMODELS • CUSTOM CABINETRY • DESIGN SERVICES • PRACTICING GREEN CONSTRUCTION General Contractors Licensed, Insured, References PO Box 359 Broomall, PA 610-353-2018 gjennings@randcinc.com

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PAGE PAGE 108 46

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS/THE PLAYGROUND

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APRIL JUNE 25 - MAY 1, 2008 5 - 11, 2009

FRIENDS

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Is it time to look for a new doctor? CLASSIFIEDS

MEN Want to let mom, dad and all of your exs know you’re tying the knot? FRIENDS

APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008

Want to let mom, dad and all of your �� exs know Wa you’re m tying the a knot? o Send us your wedding/civil union/ ex

PAGE 108

Is it time to look for a new doctor? ��

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commitment ceremony announcement and we’ll share it with the City of Brotherly Love.

E-mail information to editor@epgn.com or fax us at (215) 925-6437.

_______________________________33-28

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009

THE PLAYGROUND

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PAGE 48

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

JUNE 5 - 11, 2009