pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Vol. 42 No. 46 Nov. 16-22, 2018
Family Portrait: Judy Bridges PAGE 23
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Trans issues are the focus for this publisher
ACLU pushes for trans awareness PAGE 5
OURSpace opens for transgender community
PAGE 21
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Another Mazzoni CEO out — what’s next? By Kristen Demilio and Adriana Fraser
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER: A fundraiser for My Brother’s House, a nonprofit organization that works towards housing homeless LGBT veterans, was held Nov. 11 at Toasted Walnut. Veteran and LGBT liaison to the Sheriff’s Office Dante Austin (left), veteran and MBH board member Sherry Banks, MBH CEO Dr. Remolia Simpson, board member Eunika Kent and veteran Sasha Mala were among the attendees who enjoyed light fare and entertainment. Austin was recognized for his advocacy. For more, go to mbhouse.org. Photo: Scott A. Drake
GALAEI to host week of events for Trans Awareness Week By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com In recognition of Trans Awareness Week, which begins on Nov. 15 and runs through Nov. 20, GALAEI’s Trans Equity Project will address issues plaguing the community including homelessness, poverty and the threat of violence and harm. “No matter where you go in the country, it’s the same script but a different cast when it comes to issues affecting the trans community,” said Milan Sherry, coordinator of the Trans Equity Project. “It seems like some people in the city may have become stagnant when it comes to certain trans causes because of how progressive Philadelphia is, but we should continually be aware of the fact that the work is far from done.” Trans Awareness Week is a weeklong celebration leading up to the Transgender
Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20. The week brings awareness to the challenges trans, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary people face in living their lives. GALAEI’s Trans Equity Project will host a week of events to “remind people what we’re still fighting for,” said Sherry. The Human Rights Campaign reported last year that at least 102 transgender people were victims of fatal violence. Eighty-seven of them were transgender people of color. In 2017, 28 trans murders were reported, making it the deadliest year recorded by HRC since it began tracking the death tolls in 2013. This year, at least 22 trans murders nationwide have been reported so far. The Trans Equity Project is a peerbased support program for trans-identified people ages 16 and older. The program — formally known as the Trans Health PAGE 12 Information Project
Yet another shakeup in the leadership of Mazzoni Center again raises questions about the organization’s future direction as it grapples with developing a new management model. On Monday, CEO Lydia Gonzalez Sciarrino announced her resignation after seven months. COO Ron Powers also resigned after more than 20 years in his position. He declined a request for comment. Gonzalez Sciarrino was hired after a five-month nationwide process involving an executive-search firm at the behest of the board of directors, now consisting of 12 members (at the time of Gonzalez Sciarrino’s hiring, there were 17 members.) She offered her resignation on Oct. 23. It was accepted by the board “after we heard her reasons for leaving,” Chris Pope, the head of the board of directors, told PGN. “She was clear with us that Mazzoni Center needed new leadership to be able to move forward,” he added. Gonzalez Sciarrino is the third CEO in under two years. At the time her hiring was announced in March, she was attacked on social media by Mazzoni Center employees and others demanding her resignation, at least partly due to her non-LGBT status. The co-founders of the Black and Brown Workers Cooperative (BBWC), who say they PAGE 18 represent nearly 400 workers in Philadelphia, told PGN in a statement
Appeals court hears arguments in grade school same-sex rape case By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Attorneys for a Philadelphia student who was raped inside a public elementary school urged a three-judge appellate panel this week to let the student’s case against the school district move forward even though his mother allegedly missed a deadline by nearly two years to file a complaint. The student, identified in court papers as N.B., was raped at the William C. Bryant Elementary School in West Philadelphia in October 2011. Prior to the rape, N.B. had been subjected to ongoing, pervasive bullying by some classmates who perceived him to be gender-nonconforming, according to court records. On Oct. 25, 2011, while N.B. was inside a restroom, two classmates held him while a third classmate penetrated him anally with his penis. The assailants threatened to kill N.B. if he told anyone about the incident. But N.B. eventually told his mother, who promptly withdrew him from the school, according to court records. On Jan. 7, 2014, N.B.’s mother filed an administrative complaint on behalf of N.B. with the Pennsylvania Human Relations
Commission. She alleged violations of the state Human Relations Act by school-district officials due to N.B.’s sex and race. However, the PHRC dismissed the complaint on the basis that PHRC complaints must be filed within 180 days of the last discriminatory act being alleged. N.B.’s mother didn’t file the PHRC complaint until 787 days after the last discriminatory act, according to court records. N.B.’s mother subsequently filed suit against the school district in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, seeking an unspecified amount of monetary damages along with attorneys’ fees and court costs. But on Aug. 27, 2017, Judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson dismissed the suit, citing the missed PHRC deadline. N.B.’s mother filed an appeal with Commonwealth Court, which held oral arguments in Center City on Nov. 13. Commonwealth Court Judges Eileen Ceisler, Dan Pellegrini and Robert Simpson must decide whether to allow the civil lawsuit filed by N.B.’s mother to move forward despite her filing the earlier PHRC administrative complaint after the deadline. Bruce P. Merenstein, an attorney for the PAGE 2 school district, argued
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Resource listings Legal resources • ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215-592-1513; aclupa.org • AIDS Law Project of PA: 215-587-9377; aidslawpa.org • AIDS Law Project of South Jersey: 856-784-8532; aidslawsnj.org/ • Equality PA: equalitypa. org; 215-731-1447
• Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations — Rue Landau: 215-686-4670 • Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-7603686; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com • SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-920-9537
• Office of LGBT Affairs — Amber Hikes: 215-686-0330; amber.hikes@phila.gov
Community centers • The Attic Youth Center; 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331, atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. • LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania; 3907 Spruce
St.; 215-898-5044, center@dolphin.upenn.edu.
• Rainbow Room: Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center
Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065, rainbowroom@ppbucks.org.
• William Way LGBT Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220, www.waygay.org.
Health and HIV testing • Action Wellness: 1216 Arch St.; 215981-0088, actionwellness.org • AIDS Healthcare Foundation: 1211 Chestnut St. #405 215971-2804; HIVcare.org • AIDS Library: 1233 Locust St.; aidslibrary.org/ • AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800-6626080 • Bebashi-Transition to Hope: 1235
Spring Garden St.; 215769-3561; bebashi.org • COLOURS: coloursorganization.org, 215832-0100 • Congreso de Latinos Unidos; 216 W. Somerset St.; 215-7638870 • GALAEI: 149 W. Susquehanna Ave.; 267-457-3912, galaei. org. Spanish/English • Health Center No. 2: 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1821
• Mazzoni Center: 1348 Bainbridge St.; 215-563-0652, mazzonicenter.org • Philadelphia FIGHT: 1233 Locust St.; 215-985-4448, fight.org • Washington West Project of Mazzoni Center: 1201 Locust St.; 215985-9206 • Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207
Other
LAWSUIT from page 1
that no unusual circumstance prevented N.B.’s mother from filing a timely PHRC complaint. “The trial court [MassiahJackson] absolutely got it right,” Merenstein told the panel. He also told the judges they didn’t have legal authority to waive the PHRC deadline requirement for N.B.’s mother. David B. Berney, an attorney for N.B., argued that N.B. suffers from “emotional scars” due to his experience at Bryant Elementary School and shouldn’t be subjected to more suffering because his mother wasn’t “vigilant” in adhering to PHRC’s deadline. In addition to being raped, N.B. routinely had slurs hurled at him and was physically assaulted at the school. The slurs included “faggot,” “bitch,” “pussy” and “nigga.” N.B. identifies as heterosexual, but on one occasion bulliers forced him to view a homoerotic video, according to court records. Berney also reminded the judges that as a minor, N.B. is unable to file a complaint with PHRC on his own. “N.B. is legally incapable of filing a [PHRC] complaint because he’s under the age of 18,” Berney told the panel. “Only an individual over the age of 18 is entitled to bring a claim and to be sued.” Moreover, Berney said that allowing the lawsuit filed by N.B.’s mother to move forward would be consistent with the state Human Relations Act’s goal of eradicating discrimination throughout Pennsylvania in an effective manner rather than penalizing a minor due to a technicality. Pellegrini, one of the panel judges, appeared sympathetic to N.B.’s plight. “The facts of the case are horrific — where a 9-year-old is raped in the bathroom [of an elementary school],” Pellegrini told Berney. Pellegrini noted that N.B. is permitted to file a federal lawsuit against the school district when he turns 18. Berney replied that federal lawsuits tend to be more expensive than state lawsuits. Berney also said
it’s in the public interest to ensure that the state Human Relations Act covers student-on-student bullying if a protected class is targeted. The school district contends the state Human Relations Act doesn’t cover student-on-student bullying. However, it remains unclear whether the three-judge panel will rule on that issue. The 30-minute court proceeding was focused on the narrow issue of whether the lawsuit filed by N.B.’s mother should have been dismissed due to the missed PHRC deadline. Amanda Wible, a plaintiff in a separate case, also alleges violations of the state Human Relations Act by the Philadelphia school district due to student-on-student bullying. No deadline dispute is involved in Wible’s case. A Philadelphia judge sided with Wible in May and awarded her $500,000 in damages. But the school district recently filed an appeal in Commonwealth Court. Oral arguments in that dispute hadn’t been scheduled as of presstime. After the hearing, Berney said he’s “cautiously optimistic” that N.B. will receive a favorable ruling. He said N.B. currently attends a Philadelphia public high school. Berney didn’t know N.B.’s exact age but said he’s younger than 18. Berney also said N.B.’s mother filed a complaint with PHRC as soon as she realized it was possible to do so. Justin F. Robinette, a local civil rights attorney, attended oral arguments. Outside the courtroom, he expressed doubt the judges will grant Berney’s request. “Lawsuits get tossed all the time because filing deadlines were missed,” Robinette told PGN. “The judges clearly seemed concerned about the egregious harm that N.B. allegedly suffered at Bryant Elementary School. However, the degree of harm being alleged typically doesn’t help get around a missed deadline. If there was an unusual circumstance that prevented N.B.’s mother from filing a timely PHRC complaint, I think the judges would be more inclined to grant Mr. Berney’s request.” n
Berney said that allowing the lawsuit filed by N.B.’s mother to move forward would be consistent with the state Human Relations Act’s goal of eradicating discrimination throughout Pennsylvania in an effective manner rather than penalizing a minor due to a technicality.
• Independence Branch Library Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection: 215-685-1633 • Independence Business Alliance; 215-557-0190, IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com
• LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK • PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833 • Philly Pride Presents: 215-875-9288
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ACLU: Educating public on trans issues a priority By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com Democrats took control of the U.S. House of Representatives with a 32-seat majority during the general election last week — a victory that will “win protections for transgender people on a broader scale in the long-term,” according to a local transgender advocate. “Candidates who ran on platforms supporting the LGBTQ community have succeeded in electoral politics and I think that success will have a positive impact on LGBTQ people,” said Naiymah Sanchez, the transgender-advocacy coordinator of the Pennsylvania ACLU. Sanchez, a trans woman, said incoming Democratic representatives have pledged “to do something about making sure that we have equal protections not only in Pennsylvania but across the country.” LGBTQ protections are under attack and “now is the time to actively work to make sure the Equality Act is passed,” she added. Rob Thorton —a senior investment operations analyst at Vanguard and a new DVLF board member who is a part of the TransMasculine Advocacy Network — said that the most important thing allies and supporters of the trans community can do “is show up.” “The most marginalized trans individuals
are the youth,” he said. “They are the ones who are still grappling with their transition. The government is sending a clear indication that they are not affirming. Donating time and money towards efforts that help trans individuals are what’s needed.” In what could be a seminal case, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly upheld the nondiscrimination protections for trans people in public spaces, in place since 2016 in an Election-Day ballot question.
“The most important thing allies and supporters of the trans community can do is show up.” According to the Human Rights Campaign, it was the first time gender-identity nondiscrimination protections were on a statewide ballot independent of protections based on sexual orientation. The support by Massachusetts voters to uphold the protections of trans people and the Democratic control of the House represents a critical step in pursuing nationwide protections for the trans people and the LGBTQ commu-
nity, Sanchez said. Education is a top priority for people outside the community, Sanchez said. “There’s so much ignorance that is attached to my community and specifically to the trans community. This ignorance comes from generational teachings of these stereotypes and stigmas that are attached to the community.” To that end, the ACLU of Pennsylvania recently organized the South Eastern PA Trans Leadership Academy for community members and organizational leaders to advocate for the rights of trans Pennsylvanians. Twenty-six participants attended the day-long event that included a workshop for faith-based leaders, a trans leaders’ panel, a storytelling workshop and a workshop on understanding the lawmaking process. Richard Buttacavoli, president of the Montgomery County LGBT Business Council, attended to “increase LGBTQ cultural competency” and was there “as a cisgendered white male to hear the experiences” of trans community members. Buttacavoli said he shared what he learned with school-board officials during a Colonial School District policy meeting. The district is looking to implement trans-inclusive language into policies and regulations. n
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Community dinners welcome all for Thanksgiving By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com Area residents in need of Thanksgiving plans or food for the day can take advantage of the free community dinners and food drives happening throughout the city. The Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs and the William Way LGBT Community Center are partnering to host a community Thanksgiving potluck dinner Nov. 22 from 1-3:00 p.m. at the center, 1315 Spruce St., for anyone without a place to go for the holiday. Participants are encouraged to bring a meal to share. Across the city, other organizations are providing free meals to people and families in need. The Attic Youth Center will host a pre-Thanksgiving dinner at 5 p.m. Nov. 20 for Attic Youth and other community members. Staff and volunteers will provide dinner at the center, 255 S. 16th St. Rock Ministries of Philadelphia — a youth-centered program at the Calvary Chapel of Kensington — will host its annual Thanksgiving community meal from noon-4:00 p.m. at 2755 Kensington Ave. The day will feature food, live music and entertainment for children. The Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, an organization that has serviced the city’s homeless for 130 years, will hold a Thanksgiving food drive — at their main location at 302 N. 13 St. — that will feed nearly 5,700 people in need. The Urban Affairs Coalition will be giving away 2,000 baskets with Thanksgiving food at the Brown’s Family ShopRite on 24th Street and Oregon Ave. According to its website, each basket can feed a family of six.
Helping Hands Philadelphia is organizing its 3rd annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, which will provide more than 200 families in Philadelphia with a turkey dinner. Below, a list of restaurants in the city that will be open Nov. 22 and will have Thanksgiving Day menu options: London Grill, open 2-7 p.m. 2301 Fairmount Ave. Urban Farmer, open 4-9 p.m. 1850 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Bank & Bourbon, open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 1200 Market St. Square 1682, open 4-9 p.m. 121 S17th St. Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, open noon-9:00 p.m. 1426-1428 Chestnut St. Scarpetta, open 2-7:30 p.m. 210 W. Rittenhouse Square The Plough & The Stars, open 12-8:15 p.m. 123 Chestnut St. P.J. Clarke’s, open 1-8:00 p.m. 601 Walnut St. Fogo de Chao, open 11a.m.-9:00 p.m. 1337 Chestnut St. Davio’s, open 11 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. 111 S. 17th St.
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Looking at the link between mental health and HIV By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com The prevalence of mental-health issues in people living with HIV often goes unnoticed or untreated and the impact is resulting in a lower quality of life for those affected, said a Penn Medicine behavioral-health expert. Dr. Donna Coviello, organizer of the Penn Mental Health HIV/ AIDS Research Center Community Advisory Board, cited a need to educate frontline workers in behavioral health about how mental health affects every stage of HIV diagnosis and treatment. “Oftentimes, HIV and mental health go hand-in-hand. Like many chronic illnesses, HIV can lead to depression, anxiety and other severe psychotic disorders. People may get treated for their HIV, but their mental-health disorders are not diagnosed or not treated due to stigma or lack of integration of services,” Coviello said. Front-line workers in behavioral health will get a crash-course on the intersections of mental health and HIV at the Connecting the Dots II: Understanding the Intersection of HIV and Mental Health symposium on Nov. 16. The one-day conference — presented by the Penn Mental Health HIV/AIDS Research Center Community Advisory Board — will help psychologists, counselors, social workers, case managers, nurses and crisis workers to better understand the impact HIV has on behavioral health. The World Health Organization reported in 2016 that only 38 percent of national HIV program managers said they provided mental-health screenings in HIV care settings, while 43 percent reported not providing any kind of mental-health screening or treatment for people with HIV. The impact of undiagnosed mental disorders can affect the intake of medication for those diagnosed with HIV. If one suffers from clinical depression, for example, they’re more likely not to take HIV medication or any other medications, Coviello added. The Connecting the Dots symposium will address specific ways to integrate mental-health care into an HIV patient’s treatment. Front-line workers will learn about linking mental-health patients to HIV services. n
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Medicare Open Enrollment is here — do you have the right coverage? One may have noticed recently an abundance of ads from TV to billboards for Medicare Advantage plans. This signals that Medicare Open Enrollment is upon us. From Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, all Medicare beneficiaries have the opportunity to decide which type of healthcare coverage they want for 2019. For many, this can be a daunting task given that there are more than 25 (yes, 25!) Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and prescription-drug plans to choose from in Philadelphia alone. But having some information and knowing where to get help can make this process a little easier to handle. Mariel What exactly is Medicare Open Enrollment? It’s the time when beneficiaries can decide whether they are going to join a Medicare prescription-drug plan if they had not done so during their initial enrollment into Medicare. They can change their drug plan, too. Beneficiaries can also change or enroll into a Medicare Advantage plan. These are private plans that offer all the services
that Original Medicare A and B provide (i.e., hospital services, doctor visits), but might also include additional benefits such as vision and dental services. Most often, these plans have prescription coverage included. But do not be lured by marketing. It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of original Medicare compared to a private Medicare Advantage plan. Any plan changes made during Open Enrollment take effect Jan. 1. What kind of action does a beneficiary have to take? For those already enrolled into these types of plans, they Lorenz should have received a notice in early October of the pending changes in coverage for 2019. It is important to remember that plans do change from year to year, so even if a beneficiary is happy with a current plan, a change could mean higher costs or new restrictions in 2019. If a member is OK with the changes, then he/she does nothing and keeps his/her current plan. But it might be worthwhile to explore other plans available in the market.
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Consider the following: Cost. Does the plan have a monthly premium? Is there a deductible to pay for health services or for prescription coverage? This defines what a member would have to pay before the plan starts paying for the service. What are the co-pays for services that a beneficiary might utilize most often, such as seeing a primary doctor, a specialist, lab work, physical therapy or medical equipment? Most Medicare beneficiaries are on a fixed income. Even though one cannot always predict future healthcare costs, it is worth considering the expenses that will accumulate from the services one already uses. Coverage. When deciding on drug coverage, consider whether all the prescriptions are on the formulary. Does the plan require a prior authorization for a medication before it is dispensed? If considering a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, which preventative dental or vision services are offered? What about more comprehensive dental services such as cavity fillings? Some MA plans also offer wellness benefits like discount gym memberships or nutritional counseling.
Convenience. When evaluating MA plans, beneficiaries should ensure that their health providers are in the plan’s network. MA plans have a group of contracted providers and it is in a member’s best interest to stay within that network to avoid higher costs or potentially risk not having that service covered. Beneficiaries can also contact CARIE, the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly at 215545-5728. Our advocates are available to help answer questions related to Medicare, Open Enrollment and programs that help pay for Medicare’s out-of-pocket costs. Beneficiaries can also contact APPRISE, Pennsylvania’s Medicare healthcare counseling program at 1-800-783-7067. Medicare.gov also offers tools to help consumers compare coverage options and plans. These programs are available for free with the goal of helping beneficiaries make informed choices for their future healthcare coverage. n Mariel Lorenz is the CARIE LINE Supervisor at the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE).
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A new transgender safe haven By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com
journey to recovery, but it doesn’t provide her with a space to be around other transgender people who understand the issues Transgender, non-binary, gender-non- she faces. “I don’t feel out of the ordinary at conforming people and those questioning their identity are now being connected [OURSpace] like I do when I’m at my with job opportunities and access to critical intensive outpatient program. I’m used to resources and services at Mazzoni Center’s my own kind — that’s all I know. I don’t feel normal being around straight people new weekly meet-up group. OURSpace is a community drop-in or if I’m in spaces where I don’t see any space where participants convene every of the girls,” Richardson said. Richardson added that she hopes the Wednesday from 5-8 p.m. The meetings features art-therapy sessions, creative-writ- space will connect her with resources ing exercises, one-on-one peer support and “like finding a part-time job and stable an advice hour. Community members can housing.” She currently lives at the LGBTQ also obtain SEPTA transportation passes, food and wigs as well as clothing from the Home for Hope, a 14-bedroom recovery house and shelter in North Philadelphia for homeless LGBTQ residents. She said she is currently out of work and is focusing on getting her life back on track while she’s in recovery. D a n i e l l e Shade, another OURSpace participant, is a transgender woman who is homeless and attended the MARIAH DAMICO (FROM LEFT), T. EDWARDS AND FRIEDA meeting to get RICHARDSON MAKING VISION BOARDS AT OURSPACE a meal and take MEETING ON NOV. 7. Photo: Adriana Fraser advantage of the free clothing and “Clothing Closet.” Local businesses, such wigs. Like Richardson, she also lives in as Philly AIDS Thrift, are now donating the LGBTQ Home for Hope and said she clothing to the center for anyone who may has been in and out of shelters for a numbe facing homelessness. OURSpace partic- ber of years. “The space provides a place where I can ipants can also be connected to Mazzoni Center’s health and wellness resources and come and get the things I need. Most girls don’t have access to basic necessities, recieve legal-services referrals. The group’s meeting Nov. 7 at the so this is a good place to come for that,” center focused on art therapy and was Shade said. Tatyana Woodard, the community-enintended to provide a healing space for members. Ten participants created vision gagement specialist and coordinator of boards — a collage of images and affir- OURSpace, facilitates the weekly group mations of one’s dreams and desires — along with Jordan Brown. Both women and discussed each member’s plans for are trans and say they find it fulfilling to provide a safe haven for other trans-identhe future. Frieda Richardson, who attended the tifying people. “This is my first job in a long time session, pasted pictures of smiling women onto her board, which represented “what and working with my people makes it a person in recovery would look like,” she even better,” Brown said. “It’s a good said. Richardson is nearly a month clean. feeling to be able to come into work and “Getting involved in more activities like not worry about who’s looking at you or this can be very therapeutic. This keeps who’s saying something about you. I get me busy and not focused on wanting to to do meaningful work by supporting my community.” use,” she said. Brown said she’s had difficulty securing Richardson joined the group in search of more trans-affirming support programs. full-time employment and OUR Way — She said her intensive outpatient program, the parent program of OURSpace — proStop and Surrender, is helping her on her vided her with a “more reliable employ-
ment opportunity.” Woodard said OUR Way offers trans people and other community members yearlong paid internships. Woodard created the group after spending four months collecting data from transgender and gender-nonconforming community members on the resources and services they needed. Woodard and her team connected with trans women who are sex workers on Old York Road in North Philadelphia to conduct research. “The feedback we’ve gotten directly from the community paved the way for OURSpace to be a thing. People needed a place that not only provided them with adequate healthcare or condoms, but there was also a need for things like clothing, wigs and help with legal services that may be costly,” Woodard said. On Oct. 31, OURSpace hosted a free legal-name and gender-marker change clinic. Mazzoni Center’s legal-services team part-
nered with OURSpace to help participants navigate the legal-name-change process and change gender markers on licenses and state IDs. The center helped cover the cost for those seeking immediate gender-marker changes. Lynette Jones has been coming to OURSpace for three weeks. She said she originally came to the group for the free clothes but kept coming back because “it’s peaceful and a nice getaway.” Jones added that “it’s nice to know that there are people who care. It’s my people here and it’s nice to not have to fake the funk or be someone you’re not.” n OURSpace will take part in Mazzoni Center’s Trans Awareness Week, Nov. 13-17, with a drop-in movie night screening of “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson” 5-8 p.m. Nov. 14. For more information on OURSpace and Trans Awareness Week, visit www. mazzonicenter.org.
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
EDITORIAL PGN EDITORIAL
Creep of the Week
D’Anne Witkowski
Keep MA safe
Editorial
Social media and public officials It’s always great when an appointed official wants to let you know their position on any given issue. And they should be appreciative when people take note. Regarding our article on Mazzoni Center, Amber Hikes, the executive director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBT affairs, had opinions on the resignation of its executive director, Lydia Gonzalez Sciarrino, and posted those opinions on social media. When we called her for a clarification and asked whether she was representing her own views or the views in her capacity as a representative for the mayor, she stated: “This is a trip. It’s weird that it’s a slow day at PGN, especially with everything going on, but I’ll give you a quote to explain what’s going on.” You can read her quote(s) in the article, but the issue boils down to whether a non-LGBT person can run an organization that serves primarily LGBT people. That’s a fair point to debate, but is her view personal or administration policy? While almost everybody in our community has a position on Mazzoni Center, Hikes has a responsibility, as someone who represents an administration that could affect Mazzoni Center and its clients, to make clear statements that can lead to the easing of tensions and possibly allow her to be a fair broker in calming the storm. She injected herself into this latest firestorm, as she has with others on social media. Maybe instead of asking why someone noticed her statements, she might be clear in clarifying whether those statements are personal or represent the Kenney administration when they are made. City officials, especially appointees, should be secure and comfortable with doing that, and appreciate that the public expects and deserves transparency. Right before presstime, Hikes did clarify that the statements are “on my personal Facebook so yes, I’m speaking personally.” n
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.
In Massachusetts, transgender people were on the ballot. More specifically, the question of whether or not transgender people deserve the protections granted to them under law in the state. According to the Washington Post, “At stake is a 2-year-old Massachusetts law protecting transgender people from discrimination in public places, including restaurants, stores, hospitals, libraries and gyms.” Now, I don’t need to tell you that minority rights should never be on the ballot. It was wrong to let the majority vote on marriage rights for same-sex couples, for example. It is incredibly damaging to have the voting majority debating whether or not your family is legitimate or if the love you feel for your partner is “real” or if you’re just a weirdo pervert. Which is exactly what is happening in Massachusetts right now, with people voting on whether or not transgender people are allowed to participate in public life. [Ed.: Voters overwhelmingly passed the measure to protect trans rights.] If you are cisgender, then you probably have never had to think twice about what to do when you’re, say, at the grocery store and have to pee. You go into whichever restroom corresponds with your gender identity, and then what happens behind the stall doors is your business. But if you’re trans or gender-queer or just gender-nonconforming, it’s not that easy. There are lots of misconceptions about what it means to be transgender. Hence all of the “bathroom bills” that have popped up across the country under the guise of keeping women and girls safe from “men in dresses.” Let me just point out how disingenuous it is that those who claim to want to protect women from harm are the same people who are so quick to paint women who come forward with their experiences of being sexually assaulted as liars who are hurting poor, innocent men. I don’t buy for a second that people who push anti-trans bills care about anything other than hurting trans people. The group that tried to repeal the protections calls itself Keep MA Safe,
and its logo is particularly revealing. It depicts a stick figure with a women’s-room symbol on one side of a divide and a stick figure without a skirt on the other side standing on a toilet peeking over the divide. Their TV spot is even worse, depicting a man lurking in a bathroom stall and peering out at a young women getting dressed while a voiceover warns that “convicted sex offenders” would basically be commandeering all toilets from here on out. Anyway, the message is clear: the “Bathroom and Locker Room Law” as KMAS calls it, will allow creeps to prey on women in these public spaces and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Most egregious is an image on their website of a frightened girl looking out from a stall door. A beefy hand is planted next to her head, clearly indicating she’s cornered and about to be assaulted. This is, plainly, sick. Because sexual assault against children is something that actually happens and the people who are demonizing trans folks are actually putting children in more danger by diverting resources and attention from actual threats. It’s never been easy to be trans, but today’s climate is particularly awful. For one thing, under President Obama, protections for trans people were written into law. Many trans people came out once they had the law on their side. But now the president himself demonizes trans people and those who find the whole “transgender thing” confusing or icky or wrong are steadily chipping away at those protections. And yet trans people who are out can’t exactly go back into hiding. They are left exposed and targeted from the very top of the government on down. We have many other wins to celebrate besides Massachusetts before taking a quick break so that we’re refreshed and energized for 2020 — because fascism isn’t going to fight itself. n
The group that tried to repeal the protections calls itself Keep MA Safe, and its logo is particularly revealing. It depicts a stick figure with a women’s-room symbol on one side of a divide and a stick figure without a skirt on the other side standing on a toilet peeking over the divide.
D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.
OP-ED PGN
Far-right video game spreads hate If you want to know what the far right that supports President Trump thinks of you, they want you dead. You think I’m kidding. Well, from those wonderful folks at Pink News comes a report on a new video game that does just that. According to Pink News, “White supremacist Christopher Cantwell, a prominent far-right figure who attended the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017, released independent game ‘Angry Goy II.’ The theme of the game is “left-wing terrorists” who are “mongrels and degenerates. [and] have KIDNAPPED the president! And THEIR President must be saved — but there is hope!” And the people who will save America from these left-wingers are “white Christians.” Of course, the enemy is ethnic minorities, journalists, LGBT people and Jewish people. And guess
Transmissions
what? You can even break into a gay club and kill with the weapons of your choice — guns or knives. Of course, the stereotype of each group is exaggerated. For LGBT people, the gay club has posters in support NAMBLA, the pedophile organization, and another reading: “children welcome.” Think this is all just a joke? Let me remind you of Pulse nightclub, where a man literally went into a club and killed the gays. And you might ask, “Who would promote such a game?” Those far-right websites that Donald Trump loves to support and quote. And as of this writing, the game was still available on YouTube. n
Mark My Words
Mark Segal
Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. You can follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter.com/PhilaGayNews.
Gwendolyn Ann Smith
Marching into the future Regardless of the final outcome of the mid-term elections, the administration has made it clear that they wish to erase transgender people from all federal protections, and have even presumably made overtures to the United Nations to attempt to remove gender from its human-rights documents. The courts, particularly with the new, more conservative Supreme Court, are poised to do great damage to LGBT and other rights, particularly with a possible crop of so-called “religious-freedom” cases on the horizon. Meanwhile, we’re seeing an increase in attacks against transgender people in general, both over the usual “bathroom” specters as well as newer threats, such as the “rapid-onset gender dysphoria” theory and other recent attempts to harm young transgender and nonbinary people. To put it bluntly, we have a lot of work ahead, and it’s not going to be easy work at that. It will be incumbent upon all of us who are able to stand up and be visible and to speak out for our rights in a hostile time. It’s going to be a monumental challenge, and we may face some very bleak times and terrible losses along the way. We will need to come together more than we have before. We will need our allies, and they will need us. Our strength will come from our numbers as well as the love and hope we can provide to each other. Any victories we gain will be hardwon. Indeed, I would liken the situ-
ation to a siege. Our best hope is to hold on to some of what we have and outlast those who choose to stand against us. Those of us who’ve been in the fight for transgender rights for the long haul, well, we may be proud of all we’ve accomplished, but we know the cost. For me, it is an aching wound to watch things I had at least a small hand in get swept to the floor, knowing that it’s back to the fight after a decade of relative success. You see, I have a historical perspective in mind. When I first came into my own as a young, trans woman, it was the tail end of George H.W. Bush’s presidency and still within the era where the notion of transgender rights was a bit of a fever dream. There were still areas where anti-LGBT “cross-dressing laws” remained on the books, though they weren’t much enforced. You also wouldn’t find anyone enforcing any pro-transgender laws then, either. Such things were still a long way from existing. It would still be years before transgender people would lobby Congress en masse for the first time, and transgender people were still busy trying to even get recognized as part of gayand lesbian-rights battles. The decades before that were even harsher. Those cross-dressing laws were used to jail LGBT people, and few could even dare to dream of any laws to protect them if they were ever
outed as trans. Accessing care itself was a Herculean task. We lived in the shadows. There are some important things, however, that we did not have then that we do today. For one, as we have grown in prominence, we have discovered our past. We have reclaimed our lost history and know our heroes of days gone by. This is important: Knowing where we come from aids us in our future, and being aware of who we were affords us the ability to know who we are. Secondly, we know what is possible. Those of us in the past may have only assumed that there wasn’t any higher we could reach. Today we know better. The transgender community is also one with its aspirational figures in the media, in politics, in sports — in all sorts of fields. Once again, we know what can be, and know that we are not limited. Finally, and most importantly, we have each other. In decades past, transgender people did not get much of an opportunity to seek each other out. In many cases, it was highly discouraged by gatekeepers who might refuse us care for doing so. Today, a click of a mouse can connect us across the world, allowing for new avenues of support and education for our community. This is where our strength truly is. As long as we have each other, we cannot really be stopped. n Gwen Smith’s TARDIS is disguised as a 1964 Rambler. You’ll find her at www.gwensmith.com
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
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Street Talk What are your thoughts about the election results? “It’s phenomenal that so many women and LGBT people were elected to public office. And it’s fantastic that Democrats took back the House. But I’m disappointed that we didn’t have an Arthur Bacon overwhelming blue music composer wave. I do believe Gayborhood we’re getting closer to unseating Trump. Ultimately, my strong desire is for Trump to leave office.”
"There were some good things about the election. But we're still stuck with Donald Trump. At his core, he's a wicked person. We can all hope that maybe he'll try to work with the new Congress. He said he's willing to work with Nancy Pelosi. But I think that might be another
“It’s a mixed bag. At least the House is becoming blue. But the Senate will remain red. We’re not where we ought to be. But we’re making progress. We’re stepping in the right direction. I am concerned that Trump will become more defensive and lash out at people even more.”
Gemma Bacon student Gayborhood
one of his lies."
Lauren Ettlinger consumer-education manager Society Hill
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
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PGN TRANS WEEK from page 1 executive director, said it’s important for before the name and mission changed in City Council members to work with trans 2017 — was created in 2003 as the only people and advocates who have “direct program in the city managed by trans peo- experience working in the community ple and specifically for trans people. The mobilizing and organizing and seeing firstwork, Sherry said, was geared towards hand what are the needs of the people. individuals living and impacted by HIV. There are folks that get involved in the The program now focuses on social-justice politics and policies without knowing the direct impact that it will have for the most advocacy for the trans community. In May, the program’s funding was cut marginalized people.� The week begins with an opening recepand reduced the hours of two full-time employees to part-time status and elim- tion dinner followed by a trans-youth panel inated their health benefits. In January, 5-8 p.m. Nov. 15. Sherry noted the imporGALAEI received a $25,000 grant from tance of starting off the week with hearing the Walter E. Hearing Fund. GALAEI about the experiences of trans-identifying posted on its Facebook page May 25 that youth living in the city. She said the goal “due to the change of scope from the pri- of the panel is to help bridge the generamary funder, our sustaining support for the tional gap between older and younger trans Trans Equity Project was cut in half. The people. “Oftentimes, youth feel like they’re GALAEI Board’s spirited efforts thus far have fallen short of the amount needed to silenced by older members of the community. I know avoid the reduction that trans youth are of hours and accesmore than capable sibility of the Trans “We are very intentional of knowing what Equity Project.� about how we mobilize their needs are and Sherry said when be able to commuthe Trans Equity and organize. We’re in nicate those needs. Project lost its It’s very important, funding, the com- tune with the community especially during a munity stepped in and what they really need time like this in our with donations from current political clifundraisers to help to live their full lives.� mate, that we center with the loss of funds. She added that, fortunately, the bud- and support our trans youth because a lot get cut did not affect the services and events of these policies that are trying to be implemented are going to affect them in the long the program provides to the community. “For us, this isn’t just a job. As a black, run,� Sherry said. The week continues with trans cinema trans woman, I’m not exempt from being targeted, assaulted or murdered. Our work movie screening of “Holiday Heart� on isn’t done when we leave for the day. We Nov. 16 from 5-8 p.m.; “Everything Starts are very intentional about how we mobilize with a Dream� dreamcatcher-making party and organize. We’re in tune with the com- Nov. 18 from 5-8 p.m.; a clothing drive on munity and what they really need to live Nov. 19 for 5-8 p.m. On Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Trans Equity Project their full lives,� she added. Christian Lovehall recently stepped will host a silent march from Dilworth Park down as a coordinator of the TEP to work to the William Way LGBT Community as a community liaison for Councilwoman Center where participants can take part in Helen Gym. Francisco Cortes, GALAEI’s the center’s TDOR memorial service. n
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
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Weighing words of wisdom: Part 2 When I was growing up, my parents had one of those wall sayings you get from the Hallmark store tacked up in the house that read: “Raising kids is like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree.” At the time, I attributed it to corny parent humor; yet, lo and behold, a few decades later, I find myself appreciating its truth. Ashlee and I have been inundated with parenting advice since Jackson arrived but, like my parents’ sign suggested, no number of tips and tricks can really make the nonsensical process of childrearing much easier. What works for some may not work for others. And when you find something that does work, it seems like by the next week, a new strategy is needed. We’ve appreciated (most) of the well-intentioned advice we’ve gotten but, in these first three months, we’ve already found that the best parenting lessons Jen come from just doing. (‘Forget the chores’.) This was one piece of advice we’ve largely taken to heart. Right before Jackson was born, we had everything in order: The house had been scrubbed, the lawn mowed and all the dining room table held was a “Welcome Jackson” sign ready to be affixed to the wall. Within a few days of his arrival, I looked at the dining room table and saw that it housed a portable napper stained with spit-up, a half-used pack of diapers, a few gift bags of baby clothes covered in tissue paper that had been shredded by the dog, a tube of diaper-rash cream missing its cap, a onesie covered in a questionable substance and one sock. Recently, while Ashlee was changing the baby’s diaper, she left him uncovered for a moment and off he went — spraying pee in her face, somehow on his own face, the walls, his clothes, his blankets and our couch. The arms of our couch are now routinely draped in dirty bibs and burp cloths, Jackson’s activity mat takes up residence on our coffee table and there’s a steady line of half-filled bottles crowding our kitchen counters waiting their turn to be washed. Prior to Aug. 7, all of this would have made my eye twitch. But today, mess is just par for the course. In the beginning, we both tried keeping up with the dishes and making sure the hyperactive dog got the same number of walks she used to, but we’ve had to be intentional about pausing and realizing things aren’t going to be the same now. The dishes will get done and the dog can amuse herself; if we have five minutes of peace and quiet, we’ve started training ourselves to acknowledge that it should be spent doing something enjoyable. ‘Breast is best’ Among the decisions facing new moth-
ers is breast or bottle. We had been warned by some mom friends that the “breast is best” advocates can be a bit harsh, which we already observed in doing some research in online forums. While there’s no doubt about the benefits of breastmilk, we took a wait-and-see approach. At the hospital, we consulted with lactation specialists, who coached us through different positions and tips to help the baby “latch,” which, as Ashlee can attest, is certainly no easy feat. After hours of trying that led to Jackson, and Ashlee, crying, we opted to give him some of the formula that came pre-stocked in our baby cart (empty it when you leave, folks — you’ll thank yourself later when you get your hospital bill!) One lactation consultant not-so-subtly cautioned us that the baby should only get breastmilk, formula “sabotage.” Colletta calling However, it often takes several days for a new mom’s milk to come in and, with a 5-pound baby, we weren’t comfortable just relying on the fat stores the consultants said Jackson could survive off of until then, so we supplemented with formula. Ashlee used a breast pump to speed up the process and, after many unsuccessful attempts to latch at home, made the decision to abandon traditional breastfeeding to exclusively pump and bottlefeed with the breastmilk. For six weeks, she pumped every two hours, and every four at night, which was harrowing for her. She said avoiding the stress of his not latching made it worth it; plus, as a same-sex couple used to doing things equitably, that we could both feed him was a plus. There’s a lot of guilt and pressure surrounding breastfeeding and, for new parents — especially moms who’ve just given birth and may be experiencing a rollercoaster ride of hormones — the pressure is the last thing that’s needed. What is productive, we found, is ignoring the noise and trusting ourselves. ‘Trial and error’ A number of people warned us that finding out what works for your newborn is a true case of trial and error, and we couldn’t agree more — a reality that did
Family Forward
help us feel slightly more confident as we have progressed through this process. Babies unfortunately don’t come with manuals, so knowing that other parents often don’t have the foggiest idea what in the actual hell they’re doing, gave us a level of comfort and the motivation to try out different approaches. For instance, we’ve changed up our sleeping patterns more times than I can count. First, we split the evening into shifts, taking him to another part of the house so one of us could sleep for a couple of hours. Then, we transferred Jackson to our room and alternated getting up each time he cried to feed him. Lately, we’ve been getting up, taking him to his room and trying to rock him back to sleep before offering to feed him in an attempt to start easing him into sleeping through the night. (For anyone keeping score, he did his very first full night of sleep on Halloween! Alas, it was a one-time thing … ) Next will come moving him to his crib, which we’ve heard can be a tedious step filled with fits and starts. Feeding has also been a merry-go-round of different options. After the breastmilk, we moved to a name brand (which we’d gotten scores of free samples for in the mail). Long nights of Jackson grunting, trying to pass gas, prompted us to move to
a “gentle” version of that same product. With no improvement, it was on to prune juice to help him go to the bathroom. That made things worse, so the prune juice was out and the gas drops were in — as was a store-brand formula from a bulk wholesaler because formula is not cheap! Sometimes after we feed him, we hold him upright as long as we can to help with the acid reflux he has while other times he seems to appreciate lying on his side. We’ve even had to experiment with diapers. Jackson unfortunately can’t tell us when it’s time to move up to the next
size in diapers, so we’ve had to play it by ear and have learned to look for the tell-tale pee spots on his clothes (we learned that one the hard way when our own clothes kept getting soaked from him sitting on our laps). However, he’s growing so fast that we accumulated a massive stock of unopened diapers from our baby shower — fortunately we learned that Target and other stores let you exchange unopened diapers for a different size. Score! Once daycare started in late October, our routine became even more laden with trial-and-error approaches. Daycare asks for advanced supplies of formulas, diapers and wipes. In the days leading up to his start date, we were trying to track his diaper usage and calculate how many ounces of formula he was averaging before scrapping that meticulous approach and getting all of his goods in bulk. At first, we were excited to dress him in cute outfits each day, but lost socks and ruined outfits quickly showed us that was naïve, so it’s onesies and pants with footies on them for him now. We’ve had to experiment each day with his feeding times to ensure we’re not dropping off a screaming, hungry baby, and have also gone back and forth about whether waking him from his post-daycare nap will help with overnight sleeping or not. (Jury’s still out on that one.) As much as we’re figuring things out, we try to remind ourselves that Jackson is, too. He’s only been on this earth for just over three months, so he’s finding his way as well — learning by trial and error that if he cries at a certain octave, he gets picked up; if he spits out his pacifier, he may not get it back and if he smiles at his parents, we’ll melt and smile back. Meanwhile, all we can do is bumble along behind him and enjoy the ride. n
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
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exclusive interview — one that was conducted with no further action until Mazzoni Center meets their conditions. “We expect to engage in escalating actions against in early April, just days after Gonzalez Sciarrino took pre-conditions. “We are spending so much time addressing the crises Mazzoni leadership until our demands are met,” said over as CEO. “The days of people who are not from our communities coming in to take up a considerable that we haven’t had a chance to sit back, put the blueprint Muhammad. The BBWC did not respond to repeated requests for amount of power in our communities is over,” said BBWC on the table, and say, ‘OK, these are the chips that are movcomment for this article. cofounder Shani Akilah. “A white, straight cis woman is ing to create the final product,’” she said. Gonzalez Sciarrino denied that not fit to lead Mazzoni, no matter how much expesocial-media pressure forced her to resign, rience she claims to have,” said Akilah. “The one citing an incident that happened Aug. 20, thing she does not have and will never be able to the same day she fired Kay Martinez, have is lived experience.” Mazzoni Center’s first director of diverPope responded to the social-media campaigns, sity, equity and inclusion. An estimated 50 telling PGN at the time that Gonzalez Sciarrino “is people participated in a walk-out to procommitted to the LGBT community and she’s fully test the firing, including Amber Hikes, the aligned with the mission of Mazzoni Center.” executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Seven months later, the board has determined that LGBT Affairs. no single individual can lead Mazzoni Center, Pope That evening, Gonzalez Sciarrino got in said. “I think we needed to go through this process her car and almost immediately saw a mesto learn that.” sage that she had low pressure in her tires. A replacement search is not yet underway She stopped at a gas station and found one because the search process will be revamped and of the caps had been removed from a back at the moment, it’s not clear what will definitively tire. She filled it and began driving again. A come next, Pope said, adding that the collaborasubsequent message inside her vehicle inditive-leadership model buys the time to accomplish cated that all the tires had “very low presthose goals. sure.” After taking the car back to the deal“Because we’re not going to be looking for a ership, Gonzalez Sciarrino was told that the specific CEO leader, we might be looking for one air was manually removed from the tires. or multiple positions — or none at all, because we A PGN reporter read a copy of the intermay find that the folks who are leading now really nal incident report detailing the events do fit what we need to do.” and corroborated the account with a witA new leadership committee, led by co-chairs ness. Gonzalez Sciarrino stopped driving David Davis, both current board members, will to work and started walking, changing her make decisions around the search process and route every day. serve in an advisory role around the new collaboShe expressed concern for her own perrative-leadership model. sonal safety, and said Nov. 14 would be The three new leaders are Medical Director her last day at the office. She will work Dr. Nancy Brisbon, Care Services Director Alicia Manley and Chief Financial Officer Racquel Assaye. A FACEBOOK POST FROM NEFERTARI SLOAN, SENIOR HEALTH AND remotely until Dec. 28, she told PGN. “By bringing this to light, I am hoping In a joint statement to PGN, the Interim SEXUALITY EDUCATOR AT MAZZONI CENTER that if anyone thought to cause harm at Leadership Team said changes “will be made to Gonzalez Sciarrino said she resigned because she does Mazzoni Center, think about it — don’t.” Mazzoni Center’s organizational structure that will Hikes expressed cautious optimism about the new leadclearly delineate roles and reporting relationships, mak- not want her presence to detract from the vital mission of Mazzoni Center. ership structure at Mazzoni Center, adding that “lived ing this transition easier.” “The very reason I took this job eight months ago is the experience” qualifies a leader for an organization that deals The statement noted that Mazzoni Center continues to meet or exceed “our contract goals and outcomes relat- reason I feel I need to step aside today,” she said. “Mazzoni with marginalized communities. “I think that personal, lived experience with those ing to federal, state and city funding,” citing “a sound Center saves lives. People in this community depend on Mazzoni Center’s stability, on it being a safe place. If oth- communities is essential to be able to serve them approfinancial environment.” But the resignation of Gonzalez Sciarrino represents ers will not step aside and let progress happen, then I have priately,” she told PGN. “In the same way that I think yet another setback as the organization tries to stabilize to because at some point in time, somebody has to, because it is appropriate for a black person to lead Black Lives Matter, it is appropriate for a woman to lead the National I cannot imagine a future without Mazzoni Center.” following a series of scandals. The outgoing CEO expressed concern about how the Organization of Women, I think it’s appropriate for an Last year, Mazzoni Center was plagued by published reports of systemic racism, mismanagement and dys- tumult affects the organization in ways not immediately LGBT person to lead an LGBTQ center.” Mayor Jim Kenney weighed in on Tuesday, telling KYW function. In April 2017, Robert Winn resigned as med- visible. “As CEO, I am looking at the bigger picture. I am con- the joint leadership taking over Mazzoni Center means ical director amid charges of sexual misconduct. CEO Nurit Shein was asked by the board of directors to resign cerned about those people in the community who have “more oversight and more to carry the workload.” Mazzoni Center, which turns 40 next year, is a comlater that month, following accusations of delayed supported us for years — and whose financial and community support we need in years to come — and those prehensive LGBT-focused health center based in South action on Winn’s alleged misconduct. Stephen Glassman stepped in to fill the interim are the individuals who are paying close attention to what Philadelphia. The center has 35,000 clients and an annual CEO job in July 2017. During his tenure until March, is happening in the organization. They are, little by little, budget of $16.5 million, $6 million of which is comprised of he hired consultants with far-right ties to discourage without anybody noticing, walking away — they are start- federal grants. The balance comes from revenue generated through the health center and private-development funding. employees from unionizing, which sparked another con- ing to back off.” Right now, the turmoil within the organization “makes Gonzalez Sciarrino said Mazzoni Center needs a plan — troversy. Last September, Mazzoni Center employees voted 51-34 to unionize, organizing under the Service people with the means to contribute to us rethink that, and not just for three months down the line or even three years. I don’t want them to go,” she said. “There needs to be a strategic, long-term plan for this orgaEmployees International Union (the SEIU). In April, Abdul-Aliy Muhammad, cofounder of BBWC nization,” she said. The wave of crisis is preventing Mazzoni Center from “What do you want to be when you grow up?” n moving forward, Gonzalez Sciarrino told PGN in an and a former Mazzoni Center staffer, and Akilah threatened MAZZONI from page 1
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entertainment Publishing house spotlights trans issues By Thom Cardwell PGN Contributor A new book coming out for Trans Awareness Week is looking to answer and ask questions about what it means to be trans. Brynn Tannehill’s myth-busting “trans 101” guide covers the topics at the center of the national debate relating to transgender people across all aspects of life, from bathrooms to pronouns, in an effort to combat the intolerance, misunderstanding, prejudice, discrimination and exclusion of transgender people deserving of full rights and recognition. “When I was about 13 in 1988, and starting to get inklings of gender dysphoria, I lacked the right words to express what I was feeling,” said Brynn Tannehill, a leading transgender activist and essayist. Tannehill is also a graduate of US Naval Academy, a military veteran, former Navy pilot, wife, parent of three and now author of “Everything You Ever Wanted to
this week, is poised to become a bestseller among the titles published by Jessica Kingsley Publishing, the UK-based transgender-friendly imprint with a branch in Philadelphia. JKP was motivated to publish books on gender diversity to fill an obvious void within the industry. “We recognized a special need and we sought to address that need,” explained David Corey, JKP’s vice president of sales and marketing. Besides Tannehill’s guide, JKP is releasing 10 more titles by the end of 2019 dedicated to gender diversity, including children’s transgender stories (about a transgender fox, Vincent the Vixen), teen-surv i v a l guides, p a r enting transgender children, transgender
people in the workplace and professional counseling for transgender people of all ages and needs. JKP has a staff-relationship coordinator who reaches out to organizations on the front lines of advocacy for
Know About Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask)”. “Instead, I asked my mother what it would mean if my brother or I were gay. ‘I’d rather you were dead,’ she replied curtly.” No wonder that Tannehill’s groundbreaking “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask),” officially released
the transgender community, Corey said. Its local office, for example, coordinates with Mazzoni Center and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. For Tannehill, another part of that outreach is educating and informing the public. With 250 essays to her credit in HuffPost, The Advocate and OutServe, to name a few, she said she was inspired by readers to write a guide. “I never started out to write a book when I began writing. I did it because so much of what you could read about transgender people on the internet was biased, wrong or just deliberately h a t e f u l ,” Ta n n e h i l l said. “You also see very few transgender people given the opportunity to write a b o u t transgender issues on a big stage” that JKP afforded her. In her reade r- f r i e n d l y guide, she argues in her myth-busting approach to informing and educating the public that “gender stereotypes aren’t hard and fast rules that define gender. What is wrong with stay-at-home dads or women fighter pilots in the military?” Tannehill asks.
AUTHOR BRYNN TANNEHILL
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“There is so much bad information out there, and it is being pushed very hard by organizations like the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Alliance Defending Freedom and the Heritage Foundation,” Tannehill said. “Collectively, they have millions of dollars to have people on their staffs produce deceptive or false
information.” On the Trump-led war against transgender people, Tannehill anticipates that it will be “a long, uncertain fight for transgender people, and it will get worse before it starts to get better.” n
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PROFILE PGN
Family Portrait
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Suzi Nash
Judy Bridges: a life opened When Judy Bridges told her co-workers about her transition at her job in a manufacturing plant, the response was eye-opening in that no one batted an eye. Since then, Judy has joined the board of Live Open — an LGBT employee-resource group at Saint-Gobain, a company that “encourages employees and supporters of the LGBTQ community to be fully open and honest about who they are as individuals.” PGN: Tell me about your beginnings. JB: I was born in an itty-bitty suburb called Thousand Oaks in California. This was back in the ’60s. We were your quintessential atomic family. I grew up in a scientific household. My father was, and still is, a researcher, so I grew up in the sciences, engineering. My childhood in Thousand Oaks was interesting because we were so far out, literally in a field. You had a lot of freedom to just do things and explore on your own. I loved going to the library. At the library, you could read about everything. Unfortunately, as a curious child reading so much, I also learned a lot about how I was different and what that might mean to society. And I got a good idea of how society treats people who are different. So even at age 6, through this information, you learn certain things about society’s expectations regarding gender and how one has to carry oneself to survive. PGN: Indeed! So bookworm, what was a book that you read over and over? JB: There are two. As a child there was Roald Dahl, “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” It gave me a lifelong love of reading. Then there’s just the whole idea of owning one’s own chocolate factory and being in control of your own destiny. As for a book that I continue to reread now, it would be “Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury. Every time I read it, I find something different, especially now as an older parent, having a small boy I find a lot of parallels as to how the father felt — wanting to participate in the exuberance of a lot of things but not feeling that it was appropriate because you’re a certain age. Which brings me to something very important to me; a beacon when I finally decided to transition. At the time, I was with another company and I was traveling all over the world all the time. There were some shakeups at the company and I came home without a job. Max was 4 at the time. I was really depressed and he came up to me and gave me the biggest hug ever and said, “Now you can spend time with me.” That makes you think about being a parent and what it means to participate in your child’s life. You have all these expectations from your child — you want them to be loving and caring. You want them to be a learner and to have empathy for others and you have to be a role model for your child. It became very clear in that moment that the
only way I could do that authentically was to transition. And that’s what I did. And I have to say my life is so much better now. PGN: When did you first realize that you were, as I read, “uncomfortable in your own skin”? JB: Oh God, before I was 6. PGN: Hmm, I’m thinking of when you realized what it was. Like I knew the feelings I had long before I knew what they were or meant. JB: I’d say I was in high school. I would go to the library and look it up. I knew I was transgender but didn’t know how to go about it and be safe. That was the ’70s, early ’80s when HIV/AIDS were coming into public view as the gay plague. But things crystallized for me when I read Kate Bornstein’s “Gender Outlaw.” That was the seminal book for me. I read that and I couldn’t believe how accurately she described everything that I felt. PGN: A lot of trans people I know go through a time where they think they might be gay or lesbian before figuring things out. JB: I didn’t go through that, but I was told it many times. It’s surprising, because you reach out to the lesbian and gay community and are met with, ‘Oh, you’re just confused. You don’t really know what you are.’ PGN: You mentioned your son. Were you married at some point? JB: I’ve been married for 30 years. I have to say that I’m probably the luckiest person in the world to find a partner who understands and has been supportive through all the ups and downs. PGN: When did you first speak to her about your feelings? JB: [Laughing] Well, we got married and she knew there was something different about me but she liked that. About five years into the marriage, I told her. As you can imagine she took time to think. And in the end, she came back to me and sat me down, looked at me and said, “So you made me wear the wedding dress!” And at that point, everything was fine. PGN: Tell me a little about what you do now. JB: I work for Saint-Gobain in a manufacturing plant. Right now I’m in a division that makes drywall. I manage a team of engineers and it’s a lot of fun. Because it’s such an international company, my team is made up of people from Romania, France, a person from Russia, Egypt — all over the place and I get to see all different outlooks on the world. PGN: Tell me how the coming-out weekend came about? JB: [Laughing] It took a lot of planning. I did a lot of groundwork to get people to know and
understand what was happening. Friday we had an announcement made about what was going to happen so that people would have the weekend to process it. We had resources available for people to ask questions if they wanted. Of course, over the weekend, I was a nervous wreck. I was a mess.Then on Monday, I came into work and it was business as usual. I was greeted warmly and professionally and it’s been that way ever since. I am indebted to my coworkers at that plant. Because of the way I was supported, I didn’t miss a beat. It went extremely smoothly and was never an issue at all. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of helping a couple of other facilities with employees who have transitioned as well. They had similar success stories. PGN: That’s wonderful. JB: Yes, prior to that I was living two lives and I’ll tell you what, it is hard to keep track of both. I’d been living as Judy in the house since the ’90s and around 2011 was when I
sonal and professional. So many things fall into perspective; you’re more confident at work, you’re more engaged in everything you do, instead of worrying, “Am I still wearing something I had on last night or did I get all the makeup off? Now there’s an alignment and confidence like never before. PGN: What’s the significance of the name Judy? JB: Oh, wow. When I was a child and would have dreams, people in my dream would call me Judy. So when I chose Judy, it was to honor the dreams of that child. I’ll be very honest with you: there were times when I never thought that I would be able to live my true life. And it’s just … well, choosing that name was a way of honoring that dream that I had even at a young age. PGN: How did you get involved with Live Open? JB: After I came out at Saint-Gobain, I was asked to join the board of Live Open in order to provide a trans voice. The board members are absolutely amazing — we have every letter in the rainbow represented and since we can bring our authentic selves to the table, we’re able to have these open and frank conversations. I look forward to every conference call or board meeting — there’s always so much to learn. PGN: Now for some random questions. A favorite movie line? JB: It’s from the character Karen Richards in “All About Eve.” She says, “That cynicism that you refer to I acquired the day I discovered I was different from little boys.”
PGN: I can see why that would resonate. You work in a plant, which I’d imagine is noisy. What are your three favorite sounds? JB: The first would be Photo: Suzi Nash hearing my child singing in the bathtub, the other would first started going out of the house. A lot of be hearing grass being mowed. There’s a my family knew, but it’s a slow process. smell of freshly cut grass that’s associated with that sound and I’m immediately transPGN: It must be terrifying having to go out ported to a green baseball field. The final and be afraid that someone might recognize sound that I like to hear is the clicking of you on top of the fear of violence that could my heels on tile. If you talk to my friends, be directed toward you. you’ll find that I’m very partial to wearing JB: Absolutely, and that’s one of the things high heels and that sound is a reminder that is so incredible about being able to bring to me of how far I’ve come and what I’ve your authentic self to your full life — peraccomplished in my life. n
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PGN ART
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
Artists and life partners find ‘Synergy’ with joint exhibition
event and travel photography
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Out Philadelphia artists and life partners Nancy Neill and Chris Cox are collaborating on a joint exhibition of their works. Muse Gallery is presenting “SYNERGY/Contemporary Landscapes,” a collection combining their paintings to create an effect that is greater together than the works on their own. Here, they contribute landscapes they have encountered in their travels across the world. While they share a studio, their individual works have more differences than similarities both in materials and how they bring their visions to bear. “We have very different styles,” Neill said. “We’re both very contemporary and abstract. But my work is on paper. It’s oil and pastel done in layers. Chris works on canvas.” “I also add lots of layers and texture to my work,” Cox said. “We were at the gallery last Friday for the opening, and it was interesting how many people came in and said that the paintings really worked together.” “I tend to paint in much deeper and more
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Image: Nancy Neill
strong colors while Chris tends to use more muted colors,” Neill said. “You see that difference when you look at the show.” Not to say that the two never influence each other’s work. The close proximity of their creative work environment means they do affect each other’s creative process in some way. “We look at each other’s work as we are doing it to some degree, but we are doing different things,” Neill said. “My inspiration [for this exhibition] seems to be an amalgamation of places that I’ve been. I spend a lot of time in urban environments, so you tend to see more urban scenes mixed with natural elements. It evokes memories of my past. We each have our own voices, but we do influence each other somewhat. We see a lot of art together and talk about it. Maybe in some ways we influence each other, but it’s interactive.” n
Muse Gallery presents “SYNERGY/ Contemporary Landscapes,” through Dec. 2, 52 N. Second St. For more information, visit www.musegalleryphCOVE Image: Chris Cox iladelphia.com or call 215-627-5310.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS
New unscripted music series is, at best, uninspiring
DANCING IN THE DARK: Gloriously moody electronic-music stalwarts VNV Nation are back in the U.S. supporting their latest album, “Noire,” performing 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St. For more information or tickets, call 215-232-2100.
Theater & Arts Photo: Greg Gayne/Netflix
By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com I wish there were some redeeming quality to be found in Netflix’s first ‘unscripted’ music series, “Westside.” But this show is just agonizingly awful. The show, the brainchild of out co-creator, cast member and performer Sean Patrick Murray, follows nine young artists, Murray included, struggling to break through the music industry in Los Angeles. All of these artists are young, photogenic and bursting at the seams with overwrought desperation, clichéd sad backstories and the fatalistic belief that this is their last shot to make it and their artistic lives are over if they don’t. Los Angeles itself is seemingly cast as a lurking menace in dark foreboding noirish tones and slow-moving, predatory, panoramic sweeps — whether it’s night or day — as if to say that this is the only place on Earth where the dreams of the young and pretty go to get chewed up and spit out. Leading the charge with supreme narcissistic confidence and relentless ambition is Murray, who over the course of an interview is never, ever, ever not selling and talking up the show like a time-share salesman. “The process of creating an ensemble is kind of an art within itself,” Murray said about how he chose the talent for the show. “I’m from the East Coast and I have a strong network of friends who are artists there. My husband and I ended up moving to the West Coast and it takes a while to kind of find a new village of people you love and trust to work with.” Murray insists on making these artists live together and collaborate on music that, for most of them, is outside their artistic wheelhouses — as if this were scientifically proven to make them better artists. Why is a country artist collaborating on music with a budding R&B diva? Who the hell knows? The results are collaborative musical numbers that are abysmal, making everyone involved looking like players in a third-rate pop act. The sad
part is, a lot of these performers (R&B singer Arika Gluck and funky pop/rocker Austin Kolbe, especially) are talented enough on their own that they really don’t need to be a part of this sad-ass reality TV circus. Another infuriating part of this show is that Murray makes these artists engage in inane workshops and exercises seemingly just to relive parts of their past to make them cry or lash out in front of their peers. This is not “Fame,” and Murray is definitely no Debbie Allen. The show also veers into some pretty irresponsible territory as one of the cast members, already an obvious alcoholic, is shown using cocaine. Really? “Less Than Zero,” much? If you could take the worst parts and instincts of reality TV shows like “Making The Band,” “The Real World” and “American Idol,” the result would be “Westside.” Not that Murray sees any similarities or even any faults with the show. He sees it as a logical step toward bigger things for himself and the cast. “What is so unique about ‘Westside’ is it’s truly a documentary musical that follows the story of a group of people putting on a live show. Netflix is giving us a platform to document it with original music. Without comparing it to another show, I think we are celebrating our lives through our own voices and original music. I want to continue to create projects and opportunities for myself and other people. My hope for all these cast members is that they create more opportunities to showcase more of their talents. I hope that anyone who loves any show that deals with music will be a fan of our show as well.” Some of the talent featured on “Westside” deserves a lot better than what this show has to offer. If that is what people have to go through in order to find an audience, it is no wonder why the music industry is in the shape it’s in. n Westside is available on Netflix. For more information, visit https://www.netflix.com/title/80201862.
Arte Povera: Homage to Amalfi ’68 Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition recreating one artist’s reactionary exhibition against minimalism and pop art, through July, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. The Best of English Baroque The Philadelphia Orchestra performs acclaimed French conductor Emmanuelle Haïm, Nov. 16-18 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 300 S. Broad St.; 215-893-1999.
ballet, Nov. 2324 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 300 S. Broad St.; 215893-1999. Fabulous Fashion: From Dior’s New Look to Now Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring the drama and glamour of some of the most creative feminine fashions ever designed, through March 3, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. Kevin Hart The comedian performs 7 p.m. Nov. 24 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 215389-9543.
Between Nature and Abstraction: Edwin Dickinson and Friends Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring the works of the modern American painter through Feb. 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100.
Larry Fink: The Boxing Photographs Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of photographs highlighting the athletic world of boxing through Jan. 1, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100.
Copland Appalachian Spring The Philadelphia Orchestra performs a new interpretation of the chamber
Little Ladies: Victorian Fashion Dolls and the Feminine Ideal Philadelphia Museum of
Art presents an exhibition exploring the influence of Miss Fanchon, the ultimate toy for privileged girls in the 1860s-70s‘, through March 3, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Mimi Imfurst Presents Drag Diva Brunch Mimi Imfurst, Bev, Vinchelle, Sutton Fearce and special guests perform, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 17 at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.; 215-606-6555. PHILADANCO “Choreographers on the Move” The acclaimed Philadelphia dance company performs a show featuring works from longtime PHILADANCO resident choreographers Milton Myers and Christopher Huggins, Nov. 1618 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 300 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Broadway Philadelphia presents the classic children’s tale about a mysterious candy maker’s secret empire, through Nov. 18 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-893-1999. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical Walnut Street Theatre presents the musical based on the beloved children’s book, through Jan. 6, 825 Walnut St.; 215574-3550. The Rock School Presents Nutcracker 1776 The Rock School for Dance Education presents their revolutionary take on Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, Nov. 23-24 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-8931999. Sasheer Zamata The comedian and actor seen on “Saturday Night Live” performs, through Nov. 17 at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.; 215-606-6555. Warplay Azuka Theatre Company presents a production reimagining the close relationship between Achilles and Patroclus in a poetic, radical and shockingly funny light, through Nov.
Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.
PGN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS
8 p.m. Nov. 18 at Franky Bradley’s, 1320 Chancellor St.; 215-735-0735. Drag-a-rama The monthly drag extravaganza returns 9 p.m. Nov. 19 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. Amateur Drag Attack: Black Friday Edition Drag performers compete for glory, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Nov. 23 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675.
Outta Town LAUGH ’TIL IT HURTS: Out performer and raconteur Tom Wilson Weinberg returns with another edition of “Cabaret Vérité VIII: Truth Be Told,” an evening of songs, comedy and resistance featuring appearances by Cookie DiOrio, Andrew Boyask, Messapotamia Lefae, John Jarboe, Amber Hikes, Mr. Maryruth Stine, Chris Bartlett and Meg Rider, 8 p.m. Nov. 17 at The William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. For more information, call 215-732-2220.
18, 1700 Sansom St.; 215-563-1100. WINTER WONDERETTES The throwback holiday show takes the audience back to the 1968 Harper’s Hardware Christmas Party for an evening of songs and humor, through Dec. 30 at Walnut Street Theatre’s Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Wizard of Oz Media Theatre presents the classic musical about Dorothy and adventures in a strange land, through Jan. 13, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. Yael Bartana: And Europe Will Be Stunned Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition blurring fact and fiction, with the artist reimagining historical narratives to spur a dialogue
about urgent social and geopolitical issues of our time, through Jan. 1, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100.
Music Philly Loves Animals II: A Pink Floyd Tribute The tribute band performs, 8 p.m. Nov. 16 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215222-1400. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong The psychedelic funk band performs, 8 p.m. Nov. 16-17 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-922-1011. B.A.P The South Korean K-Pop boy band performs 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at The Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888. The Struts The rock band performs, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 19 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-9221011.
Nightlife Bisexual/ Pansexual Speed Dating 20s, 30s and 40s All genders attracted to more than one gender are welcome, 6:45 p.m. Nov. 16 at Stir Lounge, 1705 Chancellor St.; 215732-2700. Ninth Annual Beauty Ball An amateur drag party for charity with music by DJ Carl Michaels, 8 p.m. Nov. 17 at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 Saint James St.; 215735-5772. Fan Queen A drag/glam/queer dance party, 11 p.m.3 a.m. Nov. 17 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. Muppet Pleasure Island Dark Side Burlesque presents its new show,
The Purple Madness Prince Experience The Prince tribute group performs 8 p.m. Nov. 16 at The Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 202-730-3331. Stephen Marley The reggae singer performs acoustically, 8 p.m. Nov. 16 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215572-7650. The Fog The classic horror film is screened 9:45 p.m. Nov. 16 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. Beatles vs. Stones A Beatles tribute band faces off against a Rolling Stones tribute band for bragging rights, 8 p.m. Nov. 17 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650. The Last Starfighter The sci-fi film is screened 1:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. n
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
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The bisexual done right in new Hulu series By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor
felt deeply humiliating and personal, like, ‘the bedwetter Desiree Akhavan’. I guess I wanted to make something that chased why.” Bisexuals everywhere will be glad she did. “The Bisexual” is funny, wry, poignant, sad, honest and revelatory. The series is written and directed by Akhavan, who also stars as Leila, the eponymous bisexual of the title. Leila has been in a 10-year lesbian relationship with Sadie (played by the always-spectacular Maxine Peake). But when Sadie proposes marriage, Leila proposes a break. Hilarity, pathos and lots of questioning ensue.
Bisexuality has been a trope on TV for decades, and not a good one. For years both lesbians and bisexual women have watched with dismay as bisexuality or lesbianism in a TV character was erased. Most often a lesbian character suddenly begins an affair with a man, as did Bianca Montgomery’s female partners on “All My Children.” Or a bisexual character enters a long-term relationship with a woman, as Dr. Callie Torres did on “Grey’s Anatomy,” and her bisexuality is erased. Or a bisexual character enters into a long-term relationship with a man after a bad relationship with a woman, and bisexuality is deemed a stepping-stone to heterosexuality, as happened to Angela Montenegro on “Bones.” Or bisexuality is a stand-in for “will have sex with anyone indiscriminately,” as with Ilana Wexler on “Broad City.” Or a bisexual character has sex with multiple partners, like Thirteen did on MAXINE PEAKE (LEFT) AND DESIREE AKHAVAN “House” — after Photo: Sister Pictures she was diagnosed with a terminal ill Akhavan’s acting is superb and her ness, she is branded a slut and bisexualLeila is hyper-realistic as she attempts to ity is pathologized. navigate her own desires. Leila’s unsure TV does bisexuality a lot, and nearly she even has desires for men — she is always gets it wrong. unwilling to forgo considering men as Enter Hulu’s new dramedy series, sexual partners when she’s never had “The Bisexual,” about a bisexual charsex with one. acter finding her bisexual self. Written Leila finds a roommate, Gabe (Brian for British television, the series debuted Gleeson), and bounces all her frusin October and begins streaming on trations off her bestie, Deniz (Saskia Hulu Nov. 16. Chana), whose deadpan responses to “The Bisexual” gets bisexuality right. Leila are fabulous. In a BFI (British Film Institute) panel Awkward and utterly unsure how to discussion on the series, available on approach or deal with men as sexual creaYouTube, the show’s creator, filmmaker tures, Leila is woefully and delightfully Desiree Akhavan (The Miseducation of inept — which is Akhavan putting the Cameron Post), who is openly bisexual, kabosh on the trope of the hyper-sexual explained she made the series in part to address her own sexuality and how it was bisexual who’s a walking Kama Sutra. In one scene, Leila attempts to masturportrayed and described. bate a man who is clearly in distress at Akhavan said “bisexual” had become her clumsiness. She explains that she’s a descriptive that made her feel uncomnew to all of this and says, matter-offortable, particularly when she was introfactly and not a little clinically, that duced on panels like that at the BFI. she’ll just give him oral sex instead, “I was always introduced as ‘the implying it will be better. He disbebisexual filmmaker’, ‘the bisexual lieves her, as do we, but she’s deterwriter’,” Akhavan said, adding that she mined and the camera focuses on his wouldn’t have been bothered by being worried face as she slips utterly unsexdescribed as a lesbian. “But for some ily to the floor. reason, when I heard it [bisexual], it just PAGE 30
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
PGN
Food and Drink Directory LovasH Indian
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THANKS FOR MAKING IT A IHOP DAY
The holidays are on the way and we’ve got something special for you.
PGN gift guides, holiday entertainment and survival tips will be online and in print for a special issues on Nov. 23.
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
SERVICES & HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY
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PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
Gabe, bisexuality “makes you feel like your genitals have no allegiance.” These intentionally comic scenes run Akhavan the writer also pokes fun at counterpoint to the deeply emotional other real-life tropes. In the first episode, scenes between Leila and Sadie, who also run a business together, and thus must nav- in an ironic foreshadowing, Leila is at a club getting drunk with some lesbian igate the rupture that is painful and angry on a daily. It was an interview about that business and whether the couple would have children that had prompted Sadie’s proposal and Leila’s anxiety attack. Leila’s younger than Sadie and suddenly felt trapped. She’d never contemplated the world outside Sadie. Now faced with BRIAN GLEESON (LEFT) AND DESIREE AKHAVAN monogamous lesbiPhoto: Sister Pictures anism as her future, friends who are discussing sexual tourshe finds herself unsure and unready. ism and says, “I’m pretty sure bisexual The devastating aspects of the ity is a myth — that it was created by “break,” as Leila keeps referring to ad executives to sell flavored vodka.” it, are not lost on the viewer. After 10 One of her friends retorts, “Has anyone years, Sadie was sure she and Leila ever actually met a bisexual?” were a forever pairing. But maybe so In a different scene, when one of was Leila. And that is one of the many the younger characters tells Leila that things “The Bisexual” tries to unpack: she is also “queer,” Leila eye-rolls her Can a bisexual be faithful in a relationand says, “Everyone under 25 thinks ship with a person of one gender when/ they’re queer.” n if her desire runs to both? As Leila tells BISEXUAL from page 27
Q Puzzle Just Desserts Across
Eating Out Should Be Fun! Read PGN’s food reviews every second and fourth week of the month
- and check out our archive of past reviews on epgn.com.
• Cosmetic dentistry • Crowns • Implants • Veneers • Whitening
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1 Get off the breast 5 Ejaculation of concern 9 Travels with one’s first mate 14 “At Wit’s End” author Bombeck 15 Farm erection 16 High marks 17 Tempt with desserts? 19 Bryant, who was publicly got a dessert in the face in 1977 20 Peter Pears, for one 21 Holes that spelunkers enter 23 Santa’s got a long one 26 “Tell me ___ haven’t heard!” 27 Color of a lime on a dessert? 32 Nero’s heart 34 Booty 35 Determined to 36 Cut 38 Leather community, e.g. 41 Former CBS anchor Roger 42 Take the top off 44 Mauresmo’s do-overs 46 Dorm VIPs 47 Shrimp served in a flour shell? 51 Lawn party rental 52 “Now and ___”
53 More like a Susan Feniger recipe 56 Part of a Buddhist title 60 Orange beverage in ads by Anita that was boycotted by the gay community 61 Devout lawyer that worked for homophobe Trump? 64 Song from Sondheim’s “Passion” 65 “Spamalot” writer Eric 66 Small dot of land 67 Occasional cross-dresser Milton 68 Monika Treut’s refusal 69 Nair rival
Down
1 Had body fluid running down the face 2 Great Lakes city 3 Sherman Hemsley religious sitcom 4 Seaport of Pasolini’s land 5 JFK’s branch 6 Stashed away 7 Jackie’s designer 8 “The Rocky ___ Picture Show” 9 Galindo and Mattis 10 Uncle Henry’s wife 11 Prefix that
means “queer” 12 Where director yell “Cut!” 13 9-digit ID org. 18 Princess with fins 22 Canadian prov. 24 James VI, e.g. 25 Norse bolt maker 27 Cukor’s “What ___ Hollywood” 28 Not straight 29 Batmobile maneuver 30 Common mixer 31 Targets of men who make passes 32 Finishing stroke 33 Prefix with science 37 Type of error 39 Ginsberg’s kind of poet 40 Cut glass
43 Come before someone else comes 45 Like a nocturnal emission? 48 Prefix that may have sex 49 Pinch-hit 50 “I have a headache tonight...” med 53 Maupin’s “___ of You” 54 Tying-up place 55 Sally in space 57 Give the slip to 58 Ready and willing partner 59 “Yeah, sure” 60 Triangular sail 62 Larry Kramer, for one 63 Number of gay men under a centurion?
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 16-22, 2018
Classifieds All real-estate advertising is subject to Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). PGN will not knowingly accept any realestate advertising that is in violation of any applicable law.
PGN does not accept advertising that is unlawful, false, misleading, harmful, threatening, abusive, invasive of another’s privacy, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful or racially or otherwise objectionable, including without limitation material of any kind or nature that encourages conduct that could constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, provincial, national or international law or regulation, or encourage the use of controlled substances.
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HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Help Wanted HANDYMAN/HOUSEKEEPER Newly moved in, I need assistance with setup and light cleaning/yard work on monthly basis. Valid ID and 3 references. Non smoker. Fairmount section. 215-845-5117. _____________________________________________42-51 Part tme position availabe for cleaner/cashier. Will interview on the spot. Looking for somone who is self motvated. Adonis Theater 2026 Sansom St. Interviews from 9 to 2. _____________________________________________42-47
Getting married?
Wanted to Buy FREON R12 WANTED: CERTIFIED BUYER will PAY CA$H for R12 cylinders or cases of cans. (312) 291-9169; www. refrigerantfinders.com ________________________________________42-45
For Sale Extensive Garbo collection for sale. Center City. Call 215546-2468 Sunday only. ________________________________________42-47
PGN Friends Men WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. ________________________________________42-46
Transgender Dating Transgender single woman wanted. Date/LTR for single Italian man. No internet. 609-618-5238. ________________________________________42-48
If you are celebrating an anniversary, engagement, wedding, adoption or other life event, we would be happy to help you announce it to the community. Send your contact information and a brief description of the event to editor@epgn.com.
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