Philadelphia Gay News Vol. 33 No. 47
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
Nov. 20 - 26, 2009
Pa. House committee approves hate-crimes bill By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
SPINNING SOME SUPPORT: At least 300 people gathered at Voyeur Nov. 16 for a benefit party for legendary local DJ Reenie Kane (right), pictured with her longtime partner Adele Landini and one of the party organizers, Dan Contarino. Kane, who’s been a constant presence in the LGBT nightlife scene for the past three decades, suffered a heart attack after her DJ work for last month’s Indigo Ball and needs to undergo heart-rehab outpatient sessions that are not covered by her insurance. Her story prompted an outpouring of support from the local LGBT community: Contarino said the event surpassed its fundraising goal of $5,000, with $2,000 alone being garnered through a silent auction that featured items donated by more than 120 individuals and businesses. Photo: Scott A. Drake
A committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to approve legislation this week that would reinstate LGBT protections in the state’s hate-crimes law. The measure, introduced by Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-153rd Dist.) in March, was passed out of the Judiciary Committee in an 18-8 vote Nov. 17. The bill would incorporate sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as gender, ancestry and mental and physical disability, as protected classes under the Ethnic Intimidation Act. The state legislature approved such a measure in 2002, but following a suit from antigay organization Repent America, the
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter made headlines earlier this year when he announced that he was switching the “R” after his name to a “D,” and he was again in the headlines late last month when he declared that he had also shifted his position on an LGBT issue that has beleaguered the community for more than a decade. Specter was one of 86 senators who voted in favor of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which bans same-sex couples from receiving federal marriage benefits afforded to heterosexual married couples, but recently announced that he is now in favor of repealing the bill. Specter, who’s served for nearly 30 years in the Senate, said that 13 years ago he was in a “more traditional” mindset and, since then, has progressed on his views on
in an apparent attempt to derail the bill, including a proposal that would extend hate-crimes protections to military veterans and one that would include victims who were targeted for their “political ideology or affiliation.” “The amendments were disingenuous in intent,” said Steve Glassman, chair of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. “Each was designed to undermine support for the bill by appearing to be supportive of additional protected classes, but with no statistical basis. They were designed to undermine the ability of the law to be effective.” All amendments were defeated by a bipartisan vote, which Shapiro said he was “pleased with.” See HATE CRIMES, Page 15
Nation’s oldest LGBT paper among shuttered publications
Specter advocates for DOMA repeal, other LGBT initiatives By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
Commonwealth Court in 2007 overturned the law on a technicality. The court ruled, and the state Supreme Court upheld last year, that the process by which the bill was adopted — by attaching it as an amendment to an agricultural bill — was unconstitutional. This week’s committee vote saw support from both sides of the aisle, with 14 of 15 Democratic committee members and four of 11 Republicans voting for the bill. Democrat Joseph Petrarca (55th Dist.) voted against the measure, while Republicans Glen Grell (R-87th Dist.), Kate Harper (61st Dist.), Bernie O’Neill (29th Dist.) and Mike Vereb (150th Dist.) cast votes in favor of it. Prior to the vote, Rep. Ron Marscio (R-105th Dist.) introduced a series of amendments
By Jen Colletta and Sarah Blazucki PGN Staff
U.S. SEN. ARLEN SPECTER
DOMA, just as the rest of the country has gradually become more open to marriage equality. “With the passage of time, we’ve had half a dozen states take the initiative on samesex marriage and the idea of domestic partnerships and civil unions have certainly increased,” he said during an interview in PGN’s office last week. “President Clinton put it very well when he said that the issue has been evolving, and that pretty much summarizes my views, too. At the time that DOMA passed, it passed 86-14, and not many bills pass in the Senate with 86 votes. There was a very different mood in the country when that bill was passed, a very different mood.” Specter said the best strategy to overturn DOMA is a combination of efforts on both See SPECTER, Page 17
The nation’s largest LGBT newspaper publisher shut down this week, taking with it the oldest gay paper in the country and several other LGBT publications. Window/Unite Media LLC announced Monday that it was closing down and immediately ceasing operations of its six subsidiaries, including the Washington Blade, which has served the D.C. community for 40 years. In addition to the Blade, Window also owned the 20-year-old Southern Voice, the South Florida Blade, David Atlanta, 411 Magazine and Houston Voice, which two years ago ceased printing and transitioned to an online publication. Employees at the publications were notified of the closing when they arrived at work Monday morning. At the Southern Voice in Atlanta, editor Laura Douglas-Brown told the Associated Press that the locks on the office doors had
Related editorial, editorial cartoon Pages 10-11 and Mark My Words
been changed and a short note posted on the door, signed by Window chief operating officer Michael Kitchens and chief financial officer Steve Myers, notifying employees that Window had closed and instructing them to return later in the week to collect See WINDOW/UNITE, Page 7
PARTING SHOT: William Way LGBT Community Center board members and staff gather on the lobby steps for a final group picture during Tuesday’s farewell party and salute to exiting executive director ’Dolph Ward Goldenburg. About 100 people attended the tribute, which included food, music, awards and testimonials. Story and more photos on Page 5. Photo: Scott A. Drake
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Regional
News Briefing
Outgoing center director honored
Sapphire hosts fall fundraiser
By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer After a brief board meeting, the William Way LGBT Community Center bid farewell to executive director ’Dolph Ward Goldenburg at a Nov. 18 reception. Goldenburg, who has led the center for the past six years, is relocating to Atlanta to be with his partner, Frank, and has accepted a position as executive director of the Living Room, an organization that provides services for people living with HIV/AIDS. Board co-chair Emilie Carr welcomed the 100 or so well-wishers, including state Sen. Larry Farnese (D-1st Dist.), board cochair David Michelson, treasurer Judge Ann Butchart and at-large member Eric Ashton. At the reception, Farnese hailed the recent passage of hate-crimes legislation by the House Judiciary committee, then presented a Senate citation recognizing Goldenburg for six years of distinguished service at the center. PGN publisher Mark Segal presented Goldenburg and the center with a $25,000 check from The Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund for the center’s LGBT Senior Research Planning Program. “This is the beginning of a project that Perry Monastero, ’Dolph Goldenburg and I have been working on, and I’m thrilled that the governor has taken an interest,” Segal said. Segal also presented the center with a rare copy of the first issue of Bachelor magazine, from 1937, for the center’s archives. The issue of Bachelor, an early gay magazine published in Philadelphia, was donated by Tom Brennan, manager of Philly AIDS Thrift. Carr and Michelson presented Goldenburg with a framed piece of the center ’s Philadelphia Room floor, while Butchart called Goldenburg “very tall in his heart.” “I’m very grateful,” she said about work-
ing with the director over the years. “I’ll miss him terribly, but no one could leave us in a stronger place.” Following the board speeches, cabaret performer Tom Wilson Weinberg paid a rousing poetic tribute to Goldenburg. Goldenburg briefly took the stage and was visibly moved by the words of his colleagues. “I can honestly say I’m truly overwhelmed,” he said. The evening ended with a performance by Philadelphia Voices of Pride, who opened with a rendition of “Georgia.” Earlier in the evening, Butchart gave a quick report on the center’s finances. This year’s Indigo Ball netted $115,000 compared to $50,000 last year. Interim executive director Laurie Ward said donations for Indigo Ball are continuing to come in, with one major donation expected by January. Butchart also reported the center has set up a transitional fund to get through the next six to eight months while candidates for Goldenburg’s successor are interviewed. Goldenburg reported that center occupancy is at 86 percent due to the recession forcing some tenants to fold. The outgoing director also reported center usage is up due to exhibitions, programming and other free events, and that the facility is doing a better job of tracking visitors. He added that this could be the first year in which the number of visitors tops 70,000. The center’s membership is down by 2 percent, from 1,084 households last year to 1,060 this year. Cornerstone memberships also decreased 2 percent, from 81 households last year to 79. The center reported a total income of $42,961.26 for October, much less than the anticipated $92,254. Ward attributed the difference to the still-incoming donations for Indigo Ball.
Expenses for the month totaled $43,533.10, which was $11,160.90 less than expected. Marketing and membership outreach expenses were less than anticipated but are expected to increase over the next few months. Personnel and building expenses were also lower than expected. The center ended the month with a deficit of $571.84. For more information, visit www.waygay.org. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@ epgn.com.
LGBT grantmaking organization Sapphire Fund will host a fall fundraising event from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 20 at Philadelphia Home Art Garden, 1225 Walnut St. Sapphire will announce its 2009-2010 beneficiaries during the event, which will feature cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. For more information, call (267) 5142088.
Award for LGBT student leaders National LGBT student organization Campus Pride is calling for submissions for its Voice and Action National Leadership Award. The award recognizes undergraduate college students who are working for positive change for the LGBT community. Eligible students must be enrolled at an accredited institution and be in good academic standing. Applications, which can be found at www.campuspride.org, are due Dec. 4.
Dance party for local organizations Local performance favorites Dirk Allen, Glenn Syskes and Dave Rumsey will take the stage as the blue-wigged trio Azure, Perriwinkle and Cobalt for “Blue Redo Reprise: Let ‘em eat Cake!” from 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Nov. 28 at the Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. The dance party will raise funds for Mazzoni Center and Sapphire Fund, as well as celebrate the 50th birthday of two of the hosts. DJ Susan Morabito and light technician Liz Liguori will ensure partygoers are out on the dance floor the whole night, and The Smoke, Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative will also take the stage for a dance performance. Tickets to the party, formerly the official Blue Ball closing party, are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at www.mazzonicenter.org or at Philadelphia Home Art Garden, 1225 Walnut St., or Matthew Izzo, 151 N. Third St.
Discussion on Obama’s LGBT progress The American Anthropologic Association will host “Hope is Not Photos: Scott A. Drake
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Health study looks at local trans community
Triangle Medical General Practice Progressive HIV Care
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
Philadelphia Health Management Corporation ARK ATKINS DO released a study last week — just OHN EL OSSI PA C ahead of the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20 — that details the specialized health needs faced by the local transgender community and sheds light on how many of those needs are not being met. 253 S. 10th St. The city’s Office of HIV First Floor Planning completed a report in 2006 that dedicated one section Philadelphia to the impact of the disease on the transgender community, but a wider assessment of the local trans population had not been conducted since the mid-’90s. “Nothing had been done in a number of years that really gave a broader picture of discrimination, healthcare accesses, experience with healthcare providers, and pulled all of that into a wider picture,” PHMC research associate Lee Carson said. PHMC met with a group of local transgender individuals and service providers in September 2007, and the working group recommended the agency use the $14,000 it had available from state funding through the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement Program to employ a needs-assessment of the community. PAGE 15 “For the first time in about a dozen years, we have an assessment of the needs of transgender and gender-variant individuals in Philadelphia,” said Gloria Casarez, the city’s director of LGBT affairs. “It shows us that there is still a lot of work to be done throughout various sectors. The report affirms the need for inclusive policies, the need for additional data collection and highlights key areas of concern for this population of people.” Carson conducted several focus groups last year with 22 transgender individuals and used their insight to create a survey that was distributed at nine local organizations: ActionAIDS, AIDS Services in Asian Communities, The Attic Youth Center, The COLOURS Organization, Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, Mazzoni Center, Safeguards, Trans Masculine Advocacy Pick us up on the street. Network and the William Way Spring Cleaning In a club. In a bookstore. At the gym. On line.. LGBT Community Center. and Maintenance The survey garnered responses
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from 127 individuals, the majority of whom were African-American transwomen ages 18-24. Carson said these demographics do not necessarily provide an accurate representation of the entire transgender community. “The organizations that we had helping us tap into a large transwomen of color population,” Carson said. “We were hoping we would have more diversity in our sample, but it is a convenient sample, so that does limit the generalizability of your findings.” Of the respondents, 37 percent had obtained at least a highschool diploma or GED, with 13 percent having gone on to earn a bachelor’s degree and 15 percent having attended some college courses. Despite the educational level, however, the majority of the respondents — 39 percent — earn less than $10,000 annually.
“The report affirms the need for inclusive policies, the need for additional data collection and highlights key areas of concern for this population of people.” GLORIA CASAREZ, Philadelphia Director of LGBT Affairs The majority — approximately 30 percent — of respondents indicated they were currently unemployed. More than 30 percent of participants said they had been previously denied equal treatment or service in a work setting, and 25 percent had been verbally harassed or disrespected at a job. “A lot of trans people are just not able to get in the front door,” Carson said. “There are a lot of barriers that exist.” The dearth of steady employment and income could be having an impact on the health of the trans community, Carson said, noting that approximately 27 percent of respondents have no health insurance. “Particularly for those people who are taking hormones, it’s very important that they’re followed by healthcare providers,” Carson said. “Regardless of gender iden-
tity, there are so many issues not related to transitioning that our bodies experience and not having health insurance and access to healthcare can open people up to so many other conditions that can get worse if they’re not being watched by a provider.” While 68 percent of participants who’d reported taking estrogen or testosterone in the previous two years had obtained the hormones through a medical provider, about 40 percent also got the drugs from a friend, 23 percent ordered them online and 9 percent obtained them from someone they didn’t know well. In terms of health conditions the community currently faces, approximately 26 percent responded they were HIV-positive and the majority of participants had reported being tested for the disease within the past six months. Approximately 12 percent of the respondents have hepatitis C and 10 percent reported having been diagnosed with high blood pressure. About 58 percent of participants reported smoking cigarettes within the past two years, although 17 percent of those no longer smoke. Participants reported using marijuana at a higher rate than any other substance; approximately 57 percent of respondents said they smoked marijuana more than five times over the past two years, which was higher than alcohol, which 50 percent of respondents used more that five times in the same period. About 22 percent of participants used cocaine, 19 percent used crack and 12 percent had taken ecstasy more than five times since 2007. Additionally, 4 percent reported using poppers, 3 percent reported using heroin, 3 percent reported using cough syrup (to get high) and 2 percent reported using crystal methamphetamine more than five times in the past two years. While Carson noted that many of the survey respondents have medical conditions or are at-risk for certain conditions, many of those who have sought assistance at healthcare providers reported having negative experiences. Seventeen percent of participants said they’d been denied equal treatment or service at a doctor’s office, hospital or emerSee TRANS HEALTH, Page 18
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
National WINDOW/UNITE From Page 1 their belongings. Douglas-Brown told AP that employees had been told the publications would be sold and that the closings were a “complete shock.” Kevin Naff, editor of the Blade, said the publication’s approximately 20 employees learned of the closing from Kitchens and Myers, who were waiting for them at the office on Monday. Naff said the move wasn’t a “complete surprise,” but “the abruptness of it was what was surprising.” Naff said the employees have not been able to gain access to the offices and that if they’d had “any inkling” of the closure, they would have taken steps to retrieve the newspaper’s extensive archives, which contain thousands of stories, for preservation. Window purchased the Blade from former publisher Don Michaels in May 2001. Window’s majority stakeholder, Avalon Equity Partners, was reported to have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week — which, unlike Chapter 11 bankruptcy, shuts a company down and allows it to liquidate its assets — although no record of the company’s filing has been located. Jane Limprecht, public information officer for the Executive Office for the United States Trustees, said, “We have not found a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing under the name Window Media in the public record of the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York,” where Avalon is based. Michael Stamler, director of the U.S. Small Business Association’s press office, said the agency “[has] not heard that [a bankruptcy filing] has occurred.” Avalon, headed by David Unger, was licensed as a Small Business Investment Company by the SBA in 2000 and, since then, had generated $20.4 million in private investments and garnered $39.4 million in loans that were backed by the SBA. Stamler said the security agreement Avalon made with the SBA was signed by Ben Brandes, a former partner with Avalon. David Unger, reached on Wednesday, refused to comment for this story. According to PGN research, Unger is associated with Knight Libertas LLC, an investment-services organization. Additionally, an anonymous source told PGN that Unger “was very clear that he was out of the media world.” The SBA requires SBICs to maintain a certain amount of private assets and had set Avalon’s level at $20 million, which it began dipping below in 2007, creating what the SBA refers to as a “capital impairment.” The SBA sued Avalon last year and the company went into receivership with the SBA in August 2008. According to the SBA, Avalon invested
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Media Trail more than $7 million in Window, which the agency said this week it does not anticipate being able to recover from the company. According to Stamler, the SBA did not make the decision to shutter the publications. “SBA has not been a part of any decision to sell, to not sell or to close these newspapers,” he said. Stamler noted that the agency did support Window’s efforts to sell the publications, soliciting offers and passing on bids for Southern Voice and the Blade to Window. Naff told PGN that Blade staffers made a bid over the summer to purchase the publication but never received a response. Nicholas Benton, publisher of the Falls Church News-Press in Virginia, said the SBA notified him in September that a bid made by his company, Benton Communications Inc., to purchase the Blade had been selected. “I made the bid and it was the winning bid,” he told PGN, noting that he couldn’t disclose how much he offered for the publication because he hasn’t “actually terminated the process yet.” Benton said the sale had not been finalized and he’d had communication with SBA officials in regard to the purchase as recently as Nov. 6. “As I understood, the process going forward was for [Window] to file for bankruptcy and my purchase sale agreement — which hadn’t yet been signed, but I had assumed that both sides had essentially been in agreement — would be rolled into that,” he said. Benton said he was given no notification that Window was going to shut down. “This came as a surprise. I found out along with everyone else,” he said. Naff said the full staff at the Blade met Tuesday to plan for a new venture, which is expected to hit the streets Nov. 20. The paper will not be able to use the name “Blade,” but Naff could not disclose the new title. The publication, which has garnered start-up capital from former Blade employees and outside sources, will be employeeowned. Naff said this week’s meeting even drew interest from non-employees who stopped by to offer resources and office space. “What’s really promising is the reaction from the community here,” Naff said, noting that people “from all walks of life” who’ve expressed interest in getting involved will help bring in a “diverse pool of new voices.” Naff noted the paper will launch less than two weeks before the D.C. Council is set to vote on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, an issue he said will be extensively cov-
Openly gay mayor elected in Florida
ered, as well as ongoing federal legislation, like the scheduled markup of the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act. Southern Voice founder and former publisher Chris Cash posted a note on the paper’s Facebook page Monday night expressing an interest in meeting with supporters to discuss “what can be done to fill this gap.” Michaels noted that in the Blade’s 40 years in operation, its staff was able to establish integral connections between the LGBT community and elected officials, which he said contributed to the paper’s venerable reputation. “Its impact was substantial,” said Michaels, who began as the publication’s first paid employee in 1977 and eventually progressed to its managing editor and then publisher. “When I joined the paper, I was impressed with the sense of purpose and continuity that had been established, and it made me want to stay on and build that. Its location in the seat of national government enabled the Blade to tap a wealth of social and political resources to establish a first-class reporting effort for both local and national issues.” Michaels said he had mixed feelings when he sold the paper to Window. “We talked to people who criticized [Window] and others who praised them. But their stated intentions were good,” he said. “I do regret that they quickly got rid of most of the staff they inherited, which I feel robbed the organization of an institutional memory.” While he wasn’t privy to the “internal workings” of the publication after the sale, Michaels asserted that he doesn’t “buy into the idea that the Blade was a victim of the current bad economic climate for print media,” adding: “It’s obvious there was some pretty bad management at some level.” Naff said the Blade, which most recently had a weekly circulation of approximately 23,000 and drew 250,000 visitors per month to its Web site, had been turning a profit. “There was no need for [the closing],” Naff said, noting that employees at the new publication will be launching their own investigation into Window’s closure. “The Blade was a robust, profitable business. It was making money. It really stings. The Blade and Southern Voice got brought down by forces outside of our control.” ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn. com.
GayPolitics.com reports Broward County, Fla., became one of the largest jurisdictions in the United States to be governed by an openly gay elected official when County Commissioner Ken Keechl was elected mayor Nov. 17. Dan Pinello, past chairman of the LGBT caucus of the American Political Science Association, said the election was significant because of the politics of the area. “That’s progress where there’s a lot needed.” Pinello said. “In places like Florida or Texas, it is comparatively monumental.”
Ala. legislator attempts to block same-sex benefits Montgomery’s NBC 12 WSFA.com reports an Alabama legislator has drafted a bill that would stop the state’s public universities from offering employee benefits to same-sex couples. The bill, drafted by Republican Rep. DuWayne Bridges of Valley, would prohibit public universities from receiving state funds if they offer benefits to samesex partners. His bill is aimed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, which provide benefits for domestic partners of faculty and staff. A UAB spokesperson said UAB needs to offer the benefits to be competitive.
Hate crimes against gays up in Calif. M e rc u r y N e w s . c o m r e p o r t s t h e California Attorney General’s office said that more gay and Jewish people were the victims of hate crimes last year, even though the overall number of bias-related crimes declined slightly. A report released Nov. 13 showed that 1,397 crimes were motivated by racial, religious and other forms of bias in 2008, a 2-percent drop from a year earlier. More than half were based on a victim’s race or ethnicity and, of these, the vast majority were directed against black people. Hate crimes based on religious bias were the second-most common. In 2008, there were 184 assaults, threats and other crimes directed at Jews, a 37percent increase from the year before. Incidents targeting gays and lesbians rose by 28 percent, from 344 to 440. ■ — Larry Nichols
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Philly rises again in LGBT tourism ranking By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
Dining Guide...next week in
In the past several years, Philadelphia has gone from a city that wasn’t on the radar for LGBT tourists to one now poised to break the top-10 list of most popular LGBT destinations. LGBT market-research agency Community Marketing Inc. released its 14th-annual LGBT Tourism Study earlier this month, with Philadelphia ranking 11th in a list of top-25 most-visited LGBT destinations for both leisure and business in the nation. New York City, San Francisco and Las Vegas took the top three spots, respectively. Philadelphia came in at number 13 in 2008, after having debuted on the list at 16 in 2006 and maintaining that spot the following year. “This is terrific. Just a couple of years ago we weren’t even in the top 20,” said Jeff Guaracino, vice president of communications for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. The data was collected through an online survey that was filled out by 4,500 respondents. Survey participants were asked in which cities they spent at least one night in a hotel in the previous 12 months for either leisure or business. Philadelphia came in at number 19 on the list of leisure destinations in 2006 and 2007, and at 16 in 2008 and 2009. “The rankings usually don’t change much year to year but we do see people go up and down slowly over time, and Philadelphia is definitely one of the real winners,” said David Paisley, senior research director at CMI. “Philadelphia’s been slowly moving up and has really stood out for this.” Survey respondents were asked to fill in the name of a city they thought has excelled in its LGBT outreach. Philadelphia came in fourth on this list, behind Las Vegas, San Francisco and Fort Lauderdale. While the city garnered the third spot in this category last year, Paisley said it’s “very impressive” that Philadelphia ranked as high as it did, especially in the company of more traditional LGBT tourist destinations. “New York has been number-one on the list of top leisure and business travel destinations for forever, but it turns out that people think that Philadelphia is actually doing
a much better job than New York in reaching out to LGBT tourists,” Paisley said. Tami Sortman, president of the Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus, credited the continuing partnership among the city agencies and her organization for the higher ranking. “The Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus is elated over the new findings that just came out, that Philadelphia is now rated 11th in the top 25 LGBT travel destinations,” she said. “This is due to the ongoing efforts of GPTMC and the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau working extremely hard to penetrate this lucrative market of gay and lesbian travelers.” Added Sortman: “We are working hard to make it into the top 10: Philadelphia has more now to offer the gay and lesbian traveler than ever before.” Guaracino said he thinks GPTMC’s ongoing “Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay” LGBT tourism campaign has had a significant impact on attracting LGBT visitors. He credited last year’s launch of the “We Your People” initiative, an advertising campaign that depicts reallife LGBT Philadelphians, with communicating the city’s vibrant LGBT presence to potential tourists. Besides the specific LGBT outreach, Guaracino noted that the city included LGBT-focused messages in its mainstream tourism campaign “With Love,” launched this past summer, which he said have helped show visitors and residents that the LGBT community is an integral part of the city. “This sends huge signals not just to gay and lesbian travelers who are reading gay media or who are in the subways or reading mainstream magazines where they see these advertisements, but also to the overall population that Philadelphia remains on the vanguard of inclusion and diversity,” he said. Guaracino added he believes Philadelphia will soon be a top-10 LGBT destination. “I absolutely think that’ll happen. And it’s because there are so many of us who are working so hard year-round to make that happen.” ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 9
FIGHTing to remember By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
When supporters of Philadelphia FIGHT come together next month for the local HIV/AIDS service organization’s annual fundraising gala, they’ll do more than reflect on the agency’s good work. This time, they’re also going to remember what — and whom — they’re fighting for. F I G H T w i l l h o s t t h e We Remember Gala from 6-8:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ Hamilton Building, 128 N. Broad St., to raise money for its Jonathan Lax Immune Disorders Treatment Center, which provides primarycare services to the HIV/AIDS community. Although the agency, which is entering its 20th year of operation, has staged a gala for the Lax Center since its inception in 1997, this year it returns to its roots to remember AIDS victims and raise public consciousness about the disease’s continuing scourge. “HIV is still going on in 2009,” said Mark Seaman, FIGHT director of development. “I think people tend to forget this, especially those in the younger generations who are in their 20s and 30s and who may not have suffered as great a loss as people in older generations. Thankfully, people are now living longer and healthier, but I think everyone needs to be reminded that this is still having an impact.” Added Jane Shull, FIGHT executive director, “We’ve been dealing with this epidemic for many, many years, and I think people do forget how far we’ve come. We thought that this would be a way of reminding people of that, as well as of all those that we’ve lost. We want to show how far we’ve come but at the same time talk about why we need to continue all the services that we have so other people can continue to benefit from them.” During the event, FIGHT will display panels of the AIDS
Memorial Quilt that commemorate those killed by the disease. The panels are on loan from AIDS Fund, which had hoped to feature them at this year’s AIDS Walk but couldn’t due to rain. FIGHT will also present its annual Jonathan Lax Award to John S. James, founder and publisher of AIDS Treatment News. “ATN is a pretty interesting publication that’s been out since the late ’80s and provides a medical perspective on HIV to people who are living with HIV,” Seaman said. “It helps to get them to understand some of the science behind it and the research going on, so it’s not geared toward medical providers but the patients, which is really important.” Shull said James has had a “remarkable career,” one she said is worthy of the Lax Award and recognition from the entire HIV/ AIDS community. “He was one of the first activists to come forward in the early stages of the AIDS epidemic,” she said. “What was striking about AIDS Treatment News from its very beginning was how comprehensive and accurate it was, even at a time when people didn’t know too much. That was a time before the crash course in science really happened for a lot of AIDS activists, and John was always so accurate and so clear with his information. He’s kept that up for more than 20 years and is still spending all of his time making sure people have the best information possible.” The gala will also feature a silent auction, live music and appearances by Miss Philadelphia Ryann Richardson and a City Hall politico. Seaman said the organization is expecting about 200 guests and hoping to raise $50,000. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (215) 985-4448. ■
Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
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PAGE 10
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Editorial
Local papers take a hit This week, LGBT media has taken a beating. Monday’s news that Window Media had closed, taking with it the Washington Blade and Atlanta’s Southern Voice, shocked many. At both publications — 40 and 20 years old, respectively — employees were taken off guard by the announcement. It wasn’t so much the news itself, as employees knew the parent company was trying to sell the publications, but the suddenness of the closure. In Atlanta, a note on the door greeted employees, stating they could retrieve their personal belongings on Wednesday. In Washington, D.C., the CFO and COO of Window Media met with staff to break the news. The other publications involved were David magazine, 411 and the South Florida Blade, as well as the online-only Houston Voice. While it’s true that LGBT media outlets, like nongay media, have been undergoing significant changes since the advent of the Internet, this downfall smacks of mismanagement at the top levels. Reportedly, Avalon Equity Group invested $7 million into Window Media — a figure the Small Business Administration does not expect to recover. There are other murky details in the collapse. For instance, at the meeting on Monday with Blade staffers, the Window CFO and COO seemed to indicate the shutdown was not their decision, and resulted because the parent company was in receivership and Window was filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. However, the SBA denied having any part in the shutdown, and no one has been able to find a bankruptcy filing — including the SBA, Department of Justice staff, (former) Blade reporters and PGN. So far, the COO and CFO of Window Media have not disclosed their role in the shutdown, Avalon Equity Group founder David Unger isn’t talking and the staffs don’t know what really happened. In D.C., the employees are doubly pissed, as they had put in a viable bid for the paper over the summer — and never heard back. Their other concern is for the archives and computer files housed at the office. If they had known of an impending shutdown, they would have ensured the information would be transferred and saved. Presently, no one is sure who actually has ownership of the data (or they aren’t talking), and no one knows what will happen to the files. Certainly, as mainstream media has become more inclusive of LGBT issues, the demand for gay media has changed. No longer is the local gay paper the only source of LGBT news. As sexual minorities come out online and in mainstream media, the source of LGBT information is diffused. And that’s a good thing. But it’s still the local LGBT paper that will cover the smaller happenings that impact the lives of the community in depth. ■
Glenn Lash (glennlash@yahoo.com)
Creep of the Week
D’Anne Witkowski
Maggie Gallagher What happened in Maine was sad. What makes it even worse is Maggie Gallagher’s gloating. Gallagher is president of the National Organization for Marriage. NOM is pretty proud of itself for Maine, considering they contributed nearly $2 million to repeal the law that made marriage equality a reality there. In a Nov. 5 column, Gallagher sang the praises of the antigay right and denigrated the pro-equality No on 1 campaign. “Here’s the first thing this victory means: The $4 million spent to pass gay marriage in Maine was wasted,” she wrote. That’s easy for her to say. In reality, the issue is far more complex. Andrew Sullivan said it best in a Nov. 4 Daily Dish post. “The [No on 1] campaign organization, by all accounts, was superb. The money was there. The enthusiasm was there. The turnout was spectacular in an off-year,” he wrote. So why didn’t we win? Fear. The antigay folks, Sullivan wrote, “play straight to heterosexuals whose personal comfort with gay people is fine but who sure don’t want their kids to turn out that way. One way to prevent kids turning out that way, the
equality opponents argue, is to ensure that they never hear of gay people, except in a marginalized, scary, alien fashion. And this referendum was clearly a vote in which the desire to keep gay people invisible trumped the urge to treat them equally.” So should we give up hope? No, Sullivan says. “In my view, the desperate nature of the current tactics against us, the blatant use of fear around children (which both worries parents and also stigmatizes gay people in one deft swoop) are signs that what we are demanding truly, truly matters.” But that’s not how Gallagher sees it. “Even Americans in liberal states do not believe that two guys pledged to a gay union are a marriage,” she wrote. “Politicians can pass a bill saying a chicken is a duck and that doesn’t make it true. Truth matters.” First of all, I don’t see what turducken has to do with marriage, gay or straight. Secondly, truth matters, does it? Funny, because truth wasn’t a big concern for the Yes on 1 folks. “Vote yes on 1 to prevent homosexual marriage from being pushed on Maine children,” their TV ads warned, as if marriage equality meant inevitable gay arranged marriages for Maine children. In fact, every single
one of their TV ads focused on kids and schools as though the real issue being voted on was whether to turn every public school in the state into a Homosexual Learning Academy. “We do not believe gay marriage is a civil right; we think it is a civil wrong,” Gallagher wrote. “And we do not appreciate the increasingly intense efforts to punish people who disagree with gay marriage as if we were racists, bigots, discriminators or haters.” Oh, quit your whining. If you don’t want to be seen as a bigot, then don’t be a bigot. If you “don’t appreciate” people calling you a “discriminator” after you strip them of their rights, then don’t fuck with their rights. To deny gay and lesbian people the right to marry is discrimination. You won the right to discriminate, plain and simple. At least have the nerve to own it. ■ D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world, she reviews rock ’n’ roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Mark My Words
Mark Segal
What the closure of the Blade, Southern Voice means to LGBT media For those of us in LGBT media, it was a sad week. Our brothers and sisters who work in a variety of LGBT newspapers run by Window Media showed up at their offices Monday and discovered that their publications had closed, including Washington Blade, Atlanta’s Southern Voice, David magazine, 411 magazine and South Florida Blade. That alone is a lot of employees, but in recent months the same company also closed down Genre magazine and the online-only Houston Voice, and it or members of its management had connections with HX, which also folded. To say this is the biggest failure in LGBTmedia history is an understatement. That said, what does it say about LGBT media? The short answer: nothing. While media outlets in general are going through changes, there are some basic publishing lessons that can be learned from this, and in some ways it even makes LGBT media stronger. The first rule of local LGBT publishing is to remain relevant in your community. And the way to do that is not to be afraid of taking positions and allowing free discussion in your publication — even if it opposes your position. Don’t sugarcoat the news. If an LGBT organization is not doing it’s job or something is not on the up and up, its the media’s job to expose it. Make local news your priority, news that only you will be publishing. And don’t be afraid of controversy. Remember the basics of news in every story: who, what, when, where and why. Now to the business side. If you do your journalism correctly, you will be relevant, trusted and a necessity to your community. That brings readers, which brings advertisers, which pays the bills. Your first line of advertisers should be the community itself, which should support its publication of record. Next are the gay-friendly and non-gay businesses in gay neighborhoods and the non-gay businesses frequented by the LGBT community. And once that is in line, it should cover your bottom line. Any national advertising that comes your way is the cream of the business. Of course, you still need basic business practices
and leadership to bring it together. Here’s a possible example of how the above rules applied to the Washington Blade. Window Media and their other partners began their course of destruction when Chris Crane discredited and cheapened what was one of the nation’s leading LGBT publications (he even included a “Bitch Session” column and hired a former escort as a political columnist). That led to a decline in advertising, which resulted in cutting ad rates to undercut competition. At the same time, David Unger, head of Window, went on a publication-buying spree with money guaranteed by the Small Business Administration. They had a sinking ship and went further in debt. When Crane was let go/resigned, the Blade began to regain its stature but, still under Unger’s leadership it continued to buy other publications and cut benefits. Various business arrangements with other publications, such as HX, entered the Blade world. Who owned what became blurred. Lack of trust from readers and advertisers, a possible fight among partners and an ensuing host of lawsuits spelled the end. This cocktail of failure was about Window and Window alone. It affects the employees of those publications and the cities they serve, but not any other local publications anywhere in the nation. And there’s going to be a happy ending. Already the former staff of the Blade is forming a new publication for D.C. It will rise like a phoenix, with other LGBT media around the nation in full support. Likewise, it seems one of the Window executives is forming a new publication to serve the area previously covered by the South Florida Blade. This all shows growth in gay media. After you take care of your local base, there’s more good news for LGBT media at the national level. Rivendell Media CEO Todd Evans tells me that his national sales to local LGBT media for December appear to be the strongest of recent years and he predicts even higher sales in 2010. Media, whether it be newspapers, TV, radio, movies, magazines or the Internet, continuously evolves. Our job in media — gay and non-gay — is to continue to evolve and serve our communities. If we do that, keeping an eye on change, we’ll remain relevant and an asset to our communities. ■ Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com.
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.
PAGE 11
Street Talk Is it appropriate for an archdiocese to fund an antigay-marriage referendum?
Mai Diaz salesperson Camden, N.J.
Chetra Kem student Pennsauken, N.J.
“No, that’s going too far. They shouldn’t be able to tell someone how to live their life. I’m a straight person. I wouldn’t want to be told I have to date another woman. No one has the right to do something like that.”
“Let the church do its thing, and just ignore it. I really don’t care what the Catholic Church has to say. It doesn’t have any meaning to me. I have a live-and-let-live attitude.”
Jasmine Marrone server North Philadelphia
Jesika Moore chef Ticonderoga, N.Y.
“No, it’s not their business. That’s an issue between consenting adults. It’s of no concern to the Catholic Church. They should stick to [issues like] affordable housing, abolishing the death penalty, universal healthcare and food pantries.”
“They do have the right, just like I have rights as a lesbian. Church leaders can express their opinions. I just don’t happen to agree with their beliefs. And I think they’re alienating a lot of their followers.”
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 12
Ira Sheres, DMD ~ Now Accepting New Patients ~
Adoption Corner
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Scott A. Drake
• General and Specialized Dentistry • Cosmetic Dentistry • Early Morning and Evening Hours • Education
brand dog toys. Updates In the past month, several Adoption Corner animals have been fostered, adopted or sent to obedience training. Duchess was returned to PAWS from her foster family because of her exuberance. She has just returned from seven weeks of obedience training and has settled down considerably. If you are interested in adopting her or giving her a foster home, contact PAWS directly.
Cornell University, B.S., 1986 U of P School of Dental Medicine, DMD, 1990 Temple University, Residency in Prosthodontics, 1992
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Dr. Ira Sheres (right) with his life partner and their children
248 S. 21st Street • Phila, PA 19103 Call 215-546-6111
Located Near Rittenhouse Square General & Aesthetic Dentistry Now Accepting New Patients Early Morning Appointments Available 248 South 21st St., Phila, PA 19103
215.732.3350
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Or in a club. At the train station. In a bookstore. At the gym. At a coffee shop. In a restaurant.
Jeffrey L. Eiberson, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist Gay Men’s Groups
focusing on intimacy issues. Please call for further information. 1326 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-546-1767
PHILLIP R. REEVES, MD
PSYCHIATRY FOR LGBT COMMUNITY PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND PSYCH0THERAPY
History: Nemo was reluctantly surrendered to PAWS near the end of summer because his owner could no longer take care of him. Nemo is a very affectionate lap cat who would love spending the winter curled up on someone’s lap in front of a TV or in a reading chair. He is quiet, affectionate and friendly and is good with other cats. Nemo is fine being left alone during the day and enjoys greeting people at the door. He loves attention and a good head scratching but does not require extensive playtime. Fundraising and donations PAWS has collected over $110,000 in donations from the Oct. 31 Mutt Strut at FDR Park in South Philadelphia — and funds are still being received. Money from the Mutt Strut goes
toward operating costs at the Arch Street facility and costs associated with pet adoptions at PetSmart, 2360 W. Oregon Ave. and 7422 Bustleton Ave., and PETCO, 9717 Roosevelt Blvd. Pins for PAWS will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at Laurel Lanes, 2825 Route 73 S., Maple Shade, N.J. This event will raise money for the additional clinic space PAWS desperately needs to continue caring for abandoned and surrendered animals. Cost is $15 per person or $60 per lane and prepaid reservations are recommended due to limited lane availability. Calendars are now available at PAWS and through the PAWS Web site. There is a cat version and a dog version and both have volunteer, fostering and adopting information, lifesaving tips and a pet story, in addition to the wonderful photos of rescue animals. Calendars are $15 each. The PAWS wish list is a regular part of operations and many items are needed to maintain quality care. Please consider donating one or more of the following: towels, fleece blankets, bleach, paper towels, heavyduty trash bags, canned kitten food, non-clumping clay cat litter, kitten and cat toys and Kong
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Name: Nemo Age: 4 years Sex: Male (neutered) Health: Good, though slightly overweight; up-to-date shots Other information: Nemo has been micro-chipped. The H u m a n e S o c i e t y, A n i m a l Control or any area shelter or vet that has microchip-scanning technology can identify him.
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DUCHESS (TOP) AND FANDANGO Fandango has found a foster home, but is still hoping to have a permanent home for the holidays. A full list of animals available for fostering or adopting, as well as guidelines, can be found on the PAWS Web site. ■ The Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society is dedicated to promoting the public welfare and saving the lives of Philadelphia’s homeless, abandoned and unwanted animals and has a nokill policy. PAWS 100 N. Second St. (215) 238-9901 Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. www.phillypaws.org
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 13
www.dignityphila.org Facebook – Dignity Philadelphia Join us at St. Luke & the Epiphany Church 330 S. 13th Street, between Spruce and Pine streets, Philadelphia, PA
Sunday Mass at 7:00 p.m.
Communion in the form of Consecrated bread, wine and grape juice. Gluten-free communion available upon request.
First Bap tist Ch u r c h SERVICES: Wednesdays Noontime Sundays 11a.m.
Contemporary Service: Last Sunday of month 17TH & SANSOM STREETS PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103
215.563.3853
Rev. Dr. Peter C. Wool www.fbcphila1698.org
CONGREGATION BETH AHAVAH
at Rodeph Shalom
A GLBT synagogue welcoming people of all gender and sexual identities since 1975
JOIN US TWICE MONTHLY FOR SHABBAT SERVICES AT 8:00 PM Coffee, cake & conversation at the oneg following services
Saturday, December 12, 7:00 PM. Annual Chanukah Party! We’re having a Latke Cook-Off, so bring your pre-cooked latkes and we’ll warm them up to see who wins the title of Latke Chef of 5770! RSVP to bethahavah@rodephshalom.org or 215-923-2003 by December 9. Friday, December 18, 8:00 PM. Beth Ahavah Shabbat Services officiated by Rabbi Sue LeviElwell. Please join us for this special Shabbat evening followed by a sumptuous oneg (social hour). Thursday, December 24, 7:00 PM. Annual Erev Christmas Food Fress at Charles Plaza, 234-236 N.10th Street (SW corner 10th and Vine) in Chinatown. $30 per person includes tax and gratuity (check/money order payable to “Congregation Rodeph Shalom”). Free parking available at NW corner 10th and Vine in orange-painted area. RSVP to bethahavah@rodephshalom.org or 215-923-2003 by December 16. Beth Ahavah and Rodeph Shalom are affiliated in spirit and share a sacred home. In July 2007 Beth Ahavah affiliated with Rodeph Shalom. Beth Ahavah retains its congregational status within the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and proudly offers its congregation dual membership at both synagogues.
Visit www.bethahavah.org for additional information, programming and directions
615 North Broad Street, Phila., PA 19123-2495 Phone: 215.923.2003 E-mail: BethAhavah@rodephshalom.org
Free secure parking: Cross Spring Garden at 13th St., left at next light, Mt. Vernon St. Parking lot entrance on left.
• Recreation • Youth • Religion • Professional groups
Meeting Place
• Recovery
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A bulletin board for support groups and other organizations.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 14
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Temple students shed light on gay Asian community By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer A trio of Temple University students organized a panel discussion earlier this month to promote awareness and visibility of the unique issues that the LGBT Asian community faces. Temple University’s Tyler School of Art hosted “Gays, Greeks and GayAsians” Nov. 5, spearheaded by Temple students Nicholas Deroose, Tyrone Penserga and Alex Buligon and which also featured Ron Sy, executive director of AIDS Services in Asian Communities. Deroose, a junior at Temple and the founder of Queer Philadelphia Asians, said he started thinking about hosting the discussion this past summer in order to shed light on the oft-overlooked experiences of LGBT Asians.
“Although we had a lot of coming-out events on campus with people sharing their stories, we haven’t been able to really hear about the coming-out experience from the Asian perspective,” he said. “I think it’s different for all cultures, and it’s important for all people to tell their stories from their own perspectives so that people who are coming out are able to relate.” Deroose, who moved to Philadelphia from Singapore last year, noted that the Asian community’s “tried and tested method of silence when it comes to topics on sex and sexuality” further motivated him to create an event that gave a voice to the population. Deroose spoke with Penserga, a junior and a senator on the university’s student government, who was eager to bring his own experiences to the table.
Penserga is a native of the Philippines who lived in Florida before moving to Philadelphia. “In the Philippines, if you say you’re gay, the word is even said very differently than it is here,” he said. “Gay men are only expected to be dance instructors or work in hair salons, and while there are some similarities in the stereotypes in this country too, it’s a lot stronger at home.” During the panel discussion, Penserga spoke about his experience of coming out to his single mother and said that, while he was glad he took that step, disclosing his orientation to the rest of his extended family is not an option right now. “She was crying and everything like I expected, but one of the things that she was so upset about, and that I actually found kind of funny, was that she felt she was no longer a part of this
community that I was in, but we worked through that,” Penserga said. “I’m not out to the rest of my family, though, because they’re extremely, extremely religious and mostly it’s because I’m protecting my mom. I don’t want the rain of shame and disgust to fall on my mother.” Buligon, a senior, brought a rather different perspective to the discussion. When he arrived at Temple, Buligon, who is heterosexual, acknowledges he had a homophobic mindset, which he said may have been fueled by the atmosphere in the sports environment in which he grew up. “I would say I was kind of discriminatory, and I did use really bad terms for gay people sometimes,” Buligon said. “But once I met Nick and Tyrone, I saw that they’re normal people, just like me, and that I had no reason to be hateful.”
Buligon, who is Asian American, spoke about the strong expectations of masculinity that Asian males often face, and detailed how his college experience has helped reshape some of his long-held beliefs. Buligon is president of the Delta Chi Psi fraternity at Temple and said he hopes his strong support for the LGBT community will help to dispel some of the pervasive homophobia in the Greek communities. The discussion only drew a crowd of around 20, but Deroose noted that inclement weather and the ongoing SEPTA strike probably had an effect on the turnout. Deroose said he’s hoping to continue the discussion about the LGBT Asian experience throughout the school year, and is anticipating another forum that will draw participation from parents and families of LGBT Asians. ■
Kennel Clubbers to restart the party By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Former patrons of a nowdefunct Gayborhood hotspot will relive the ’80s on one of the biggest party nights of the year. Hundreds of LGBTs and allies
are expected on Thanksgiving eve for the first Kennel Club reunion, 9 p.m. Nov. 25 at J.D. McGillicuddy’s, 421 N. Seventh St. Kennel Club, previously located at 1215 Walnut St., was a mainstay in the LGBT bar scene
from 1983-88. “That was the first place I ever saw two guys kiss,” said reunion organizer Sharon Moss. “I grew up in the Far Northeast, and that area was just not mixed at all and you couldn’t really be openly gay. But at Kennel Club, you
could just be who you wanted to be and nobody bothered you.” Moss said the club offered more diversity than other local bars and that the patrons mixed well. “There was a good mix of everyone — gay, straight, tranny — you name it and someone was there. But nobody was segregated into different sections. Everyone just hung out together.” Kennel Club mainly attracted members of the local arts community, who were fans of alternative music by then-underground bands like The Cure and Sisters of Mercy, which other LGBT and mainstream bars typically didn’t play. “These were people who were really passionate about music,” Moss said. “They cared what the place played and really knew their music, and Kennel Club understood that.” The club hosted live performances by artists who are now well-known, such as singer and spoken-word artist Henry Rollins; musician Angie Bowie, ex-wife of David; and British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik. Moss said Kennel Club’s popular video lounge was also the first in the area to show Michael Jackson’s famed “Thriller.” Moss recently launched a Facebook group to bring together former Kennel Club patrons and
said the response she saw — the group now has more than 300 members — prompted her to organize the reunion. “We were out putting up posters in stores about the reunion and everyone was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re having this,’” she said. “I got the sense that a lot of people had been waiting for something like this.” DJ Chip Dish, one of the original DJs, will provide the music for the reunion, which Moss said will take on a “hedonistic, carnival-type atmosphere.” She expects to see Kennel Club supporters from throughout the region, with some coming from as far away as California. “I can’t believe all the positive feedback I’m getting about it,” Moss said. “I’ve gotten so many e-mails with people thanking me and saying that this has reminded them so much of their youth and the great times they used to have at Kennel Club. It takes people down memory lane and back to a time when we were younger and everything was green and we were just having a good time.” The cover charge for the reunion is $10. For more information, visit the Kennel Club reunion page on Facebook. ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
HATE CRIMES From Page 1 “This issue crosses party lines and is something that should not continue to be demagogued for political purposes, but rather supported, because it is the right thing to do,” he said. Added Jake Kaskey, policy and programs director for Equality Advocates Pennsylvania: “Today’s bipartisan vote shows that protecting each and every Pennsylvanian, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, but rather a moral imperative for our entire commonwealth. Thousands of LGBT Pennsylvanians thank those elected officials that stood up against violence motivated by hate.” Glassman noted the debate before the vote centered on the contention by opponents that the bill would infringe on First Amendment rights, a sentiment he’s said has been widely promulgated by antigay activists. “The debate always offered by opponents of this legislation has to do with the claim, the false claim, that it will inhibit free speech,” he said. “What truly inhibits the exercise of free speech is hate crimes themselves. Hate crimes are designated to intimidate an entire group of people and prevent them from fully participating in the democratic process. If particular groups
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
weren’t being targeted for egregious crimes, there would be no need for hate-crimes legislation, and this was recognized on behalf of people of color and people of different ethnic backgrounds. This bill recognizes that additional protected classes in our contemporary world carry with them additional risks for victimization.” Shapiro said an ongoing “process of education” is required to show legislators and their constituents the real goal of the bill. “The First Amendment still protects free speech in this country, of course,” Shapiro said. “What this bill says is that if you commit a specific underlying crime and you have to have the requisite malicious intent, then you can be charged with a hate crime. It’s a two-part test, and I think the members of the committee clearly understood that.” Shapiro said the bill is expected to come to the House floor early next year. Glassman noted the original 2002 measure won a majority in both the House and Senate that were, at that time, both Republican-controlled, and said he anticipates a similarly strong response when the bill makes it to the House floor. “Even though there are many new members of the House, there is still an overriding support for this kind of legislation,” he said. State Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-39th Dist.) introduced a similar bill in
the Senate in February, which has eight cosponsors and is presently in the Judiciary Committee. Lynn Zeitlin, executive director of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, said she is eager for bipartisan support in the Senate. “We’re hoping that given the bipartisanship we saw in the committee vote and that we expect to see on the House floor, that it will
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convince the Senate that this is the time to do this,” she said. “We’re very confident about passage in the House this session and are hopeful that the Senate will follow the House’s lead. The clear bipartisanship of this vote showed that Pennsylvanians really care about protecting people from the most heinous crimes.” The House bill currently has 41
cosponsors, and Shapiro said he’s been “impressed with the support” from legislators throughout Pennsylvania. “The time has come to pass this hate-crimes legislation, and I’m very proud to be leading this effort.” ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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International News Irish gays concerned about discrimination A nationwide survey of LGBT people in Ireland found that their top concerns are equality in the workplace, antigay violence and bullying. The National Gay and Lesbian Foundation surveyed 1,100 sexual minorities to ask their priorities. The research, titled “Burning Issues,” found that the most important thing for respondents was being able to work somewhere where they could be open about their sexuality or sexual identity without facing discrimination. The second-most important issue was homophobic violence. This ranked at 8.2 on a scale with one being least important and 10 being the most important. Young gay and bisexual men rated this as their top concern. Transgender respondents said their top priority was workplace equality, ranking access to health services as their second-most important concern. Marriage equality was ranked at number three for gay people, while support for younger people and those coming out followed. In a section allowing
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Larry Nichols
respondents to give qualitative answers, far more were concerned with equal marriage rights than civil partnerships. They also raised the issues of lesbian and gay parenting rights and support services for those living outside Dublin.
Buenos Aires grants first gay marriage Two men were granted a marriage license in Argentina’s capital on Nov. 16, breaking ground in Latin America, where no country has previously allowed gay marriage. Jose Maria Di Bello and his partner Alex Freyre won the right to marry when a judge recently ruled a ban on gay marriage violates Argentina’s constitution. “On Dec. 1 we will become man and man,” said Di Bello, welling up with tears as a city clerk gave him the paperwork. Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri said the city would not appeal, effectively inviting other same-sex couples to pursue their rights in court as well. “We have to live with and accept this reality: The world is moving in this direction,” Macri said Nov. 13, adding it is important for
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officials to “safeguard the right of each person to freely choose with whom they want to form a couple and be happy.” Freyre, 39, executive director of the Buenos Aires AIDS Foundation, and Di Bello, 41, an executive with the Argentine Red Cross, sued after being denied a license in April. Their request was granted by Judge Gabriela Seijas, who said laws limiting marriage to “a man and a woman” violate constitutional rights of equality. Currently no country in Latin America allows gay marriage, though some jurisdictions allow gay partners to form civil unions with many of the same rights. Seijas’ ruling sets no precedent beyond this case, but other gays and lesbians can cite it and hope for positive results in court if their requests for marriage licenses are denied. Buenos Aires in 2002 became the first city in Latin America to allow same-sex civil unions, and Mexico City followed in 2007. Uruguay has legalized civil unions nationwide. The men – both HIV positive – plan to marry on World AIDS Day at the same civil registry in the capital’s Palermo neighborhood. They said marriage – and not just a civil union – is important to
them because they want a shared health-insurance policy and inheritance rights, among other things married couples enjoy.
Indian voters allow ‘third gender’ option The Electoral Commission of India decided to give recognition on voter forms to those who see themselves as neither male nor female. Some trans people, known as eunuchs or hijiras in India, had abstained from voting because they did not have a box to check. India allows people to select “E” for eunuch on passports and some government forms, but the recent move gives them legal recognition on electoral forms. They will now be able to choose “other” as their gender when voting. India is thought to have around 1 million hijiras. Although they were traditionally surrounded by superstition and myth from their role of guarding the emperor’s wives, modern society has been less tolerant of them. Many are shunned by their families and struggle to obtain conventional jobs, instead turning to begging and prostitution to earn a living.
Antigay artist’s concerts canceled A string of concerts by Jamaican reggae star Beenie Man have been canceled after organizers faced a wave of protest from gay-rights groups. The singer was due to play the Big Day Out festival, which is held in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, Australia, and in the New Zealand city of Auckland. Gay-rights groups had petitioned festival organizers to drop him, saying his songs incited violence. Man, whose real name is Anthony Moses Davis, has a number of songs advocating the murder of lesbians and gays. A statement from Big Day Out confirmed his appearances had been canceled because they would “mar” the event for many participants. “Although aware of the controversial nature of Beenie Man and his previous lyrics that have caused offense with the gay and lesbian and wider community, the producers understood that the artist had renounced these sentiments and no longer expresses those views,” the statement read. “Notwithstanding claims of a commitment to the Reggae Compassionate Act, which he signed in 2007, and a promise of adherence to peaceful and humanistic values for the dates here by Beenie Man, the depth of feeling and hurt amongst these groups has convinced us that for us to proceed with his Big Day Out appearances was, and would continue to be, divisive amongst our audience members and would mar the enjoyment of the event for many. For this reason we have decided not to proceed.” According to gay U.K. group OutRage!, Man later denied signing the act and denounced it. Peter Tatchell, who had urged festival organizers to drop him, said: “These concert cancellations will hit Beenie Man hard in the pocket. He has lost tens of thousands of dollars. The success of this campaign sends a warning message to all murder-music artists: Inciting homophobic violence will cost you money.” ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
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SPECTER From Page 1 legislative and judicial fronts, which are both currently being employed. The Respect for Marriage Act, a bill to repeal DOMA, was introduced in September in the House but has not yet surfaced in the Senate. Specter said he would cosponsor such a bill if and when it is introduced and “would consider” taking the lead on it. Although he is now an advocate for DOMA’s repeal, he did not proffer his personal views on same-sex marriage, stating that if there was a push to legalize such unions in Pennsylvania, he’d “say that it’s a matter for the state legislature.” Specter, who initially announced his support for DOMA’s repeal on the Senate floor in late October and followed up with a posting on his Twitter page and an op-ed piece in Huffington Post, is facing a challenge from U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak (D-7th Dist.) in April’s primary. But the senator said his reversal on DOMA was not motivated by the upcoming election, and to those who contend that, he said he’d “point to my long record” of voting with the LGBT community. Specter served as a cosponsor of the bill to include the LGBT community in the federal hatecrimes law since its inception in 1997. The measure, which had long been pioneered in the Senate by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, passed both houses of Congress last month and was summarily signed into law by President Obama, which Specter said was a “terrific development.” “It was a very emotional afternoon at the White House when the president signed it,” said Specter, whom Obama recognized during the signing reception. “So many people had tears in their eyes. It was very emotional.” Specter has also been a longtime opponent of the military’s policy banning openly gay servicemembers, voting against the original enactment of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 1993. Although legislation to repeal the policy has never been introduced in the Senate, he said he would support such a bill. “It was supposed to be introduced by [Sen.] Kristen Gillibrand [D-N.Y.], and I told her I’d cosponsor it, but she hasn’t introduced it yet,” Specter said. “When someone takes stewardship over a bill as she did, you should wait for her to move on it
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
and not try to step over her.” Last week, openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank advocated attaching an amendment to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to the 2011 Defense Authorization legislation. While Specter would cosponsor a stand-alone version if it is introduced in the Senate, he said Frank’s suggestion may have a better chance at passage. “I think the better strategy would be the one that Frank suggested,” Specter said. “If you have it as a stand-alone bill, it’s going to be filibustered for sure. But if you attach it as an amendment — that’s what was successful with the hate-crimes amendment — I think that’d be best.” Specter has been a cosponsor of the Employment NonDiscrimination Act, which would
“I’ve long believed in civil rights, and gay and lesbian rights are part of civil rights.” ARLEN SPECTER, U.S. Senator ban discrimination against LGBT individuals in the workplace, since 1999 and said he thinks the chances of passing the bill in this session are “excellent.” The senator recently signed on as cosponsor of two other federal bills to expand LGBT rights: the Uniting American Families Act, which would provide foreign same-sex partners of U.S.
citizens the same rights as heterosexual spouses, and the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, a bill to extend domesticpartner benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees. On the healthcare front, the House recently passed a healthcare-reform bill that included several provisions of benefit to the LGBT community, such as a stipulation that would eliminate the income taxes that same-sex domestic partners pay on their shared health benefits that married couples do not face, and another that would allow those with HIV to be eligible for Medicare earlier in their illnesses. The provisions are not currently included in the Senate version, but Specter said they “sound like the sort of things I would support” as amendments to the Senate bill, adding he needed to review the text. Specter, 79, said his recent return to the Democratic Party — which had long been encouraged by Vice President Joe Biden “on train rides for the better part of three decades,” President Obama and Gov. Ed Rendell — came shortly after the passage of another wide-ranging piece of legislation. “The critical moment came with the stimulus package. I looked at it as this country was moving toward a depression, and I felt the bill had to be passed. When I voted for that, it was just not tolerated in the party. At that moment I had become a supporter of the Obama agenda and I’d been called a RINO [Republican in Name Only] for years because on so many matters I’d voted with the Democratic side.” Specter, whose grandfather
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was a member of the only Jewish family in his hometown in the Ukraine, also grew up in the only Jewish family in Russell, Kan., which he said has given him some insight into the discrimination LGBT people face. “I know what it’s like to be a minority. I know what it’s like to be the object of insults and derision, and that’s one of the reasons I became a lawyer — to protect my civil rights,” Specter said. “I’ve long believed in civil rights, and gay and lesbian rights are part of civil rights.” Specter has had two bouts with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, most recently last year, and is currently
in remission, but said he doesn’t have plans to retire any time soon. “I’d consider retirement when I felt I was no longer able to make a significant contribution to the Senate. I play squash and I lift weights every day. When the age question comes up, I always quote the baseball player Satchel Paige: ‘If you didn’t know your age, how old would you think you were?’ I think I’d say 37, and I’d only pick 37 because I don’t think people would believe 17.” ■
Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
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NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
TRANS HEALTH From Page 6 gency room, and 14 percent had been verbally harassed or disrespected in the same settings. Many of the participants in the focus groups reported their healthcare providers do not understand what it means to be transgender or gender-variant; many continued to call them by their birth names, and one transman reported being sexually assaulted by his physician. Carson said he learned that some transgender individuals striving to be accepted as part of the mainstream community are hesitant to receive care at an LGBT medical provider. “Some people said that they didn’t want to go to an LGBT health center so they may go to other places, but the downside there is that these folks are probably not as competent around trans issues and say things and do things that are offensive and can turn them off toward ever coming back,” Carson said. The report includes numerous structural recommendations, such as the actual enforcement of the city’s Department of Behavioral Health’s trans-inclusive nondiscrimination policy, and other governmental and institutional shifts that need to be made to help level the playing field for the transgender community. “Trans people are still being discriminated against,” Carson said. “Policies may be in place at the administrative level, but they’re not being operationalized properly and no one’s there making sure that they’re operationalized.” Carson said many of the focusgroup participants also testified that they felt marginalized from the wider sexual-minority community, which he said reveals the need for increased education and awareness among local LGBs. Though the study had limitations, Carson said he was interested in employing further research on health and social disparities facing the transgender community. “We wanted people to realize what the experiences of these people are and then we hope to further build on that,” he said. “I also see this paper as an educational tool for the trans community themselves to know what exists for them and what their rights are.” ■ Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
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STILL
A departure from the ordinary
Ani DiFranco
Detour
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RIGHTEOUS
Indie folk icon returns to Philly By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer Ani DiFranco has a lot to show for her 20 years as a singer-songwriter and all-around bisexual/feminist/indie icon. There are the 17 studio albums (not to mention almost as many live albums, the EPs and the retrospective), the poetry books and her successful record label, Righteous Babe. Her career has pretty much become a blueprint for artists who want to make a living making music while maintaining control of their career and artistic destiny. But DiFranco was never one to waste a moment patting herself on the back about it. She’d much rather keep moving forward. This year finds DiFranco, as always, hard at work, still performing behind her 2008 album “Red Letter Year” and recording a new album in her new home base of New Orleans. The pace of her work is even more impressive consid-
ering DiFranco had a child in 2007 and married producer Mike Napolitano earlier this year. During a break from the sessions for her new album, DiFranco talked to PGN about how much has changed in her life over the last few years, and how much has stayed the same. PGN: Are you recording for a new album? AD: I’m slowly plugging away at a new record in between being a mom and being a mom. I’m just taking it one track at a time. PGN: Is it just you that relocated to New Orleans or is Righteous Babe based there now as well? AD: Just me. Righteous Babe is still in Buffalo. PGN: Did relocating to New Orleans have any effect on the way you write music or record?
AD: Yes, but it’s a little more personal than that. I relocated here because I fell in love with a New Orleans dude. He also happens to be an amazing record producer. Lucky for me. For the past few years, I’ve done all my recording at home with him. That last record I put out, “Red Letter Year,” the sound of it has a lot to do with his production and studio skills. That’s been a great blessing for my recording. Also, in a more peripheral sense, being down here, surrounded by amazing musicians and a profound musical culture, means I have access to all that. I invited a lot of Louisiana musicians onto my last record. The record benefits from that presence as well. PGN: Listening to “Red Letter Year,” it sounds more textured that previous efforts. Did you play around more with the production and instrumentation? AD: One thing is I’ve got this great band going on right now and my team is stronger than it has ever been. Another thing
that contributed to “Red Letter Year” was taking a little more time. I took two years from beginning to end on that project. I had a baby in the middle, so that’s what protracted the process so much. But in the end, having to take so much time away from the record in the middle afforded a lot of perspectives and time to come up with more ideas and realize them. PGN: Did taking that long a break have the effect of, when you came back, you looked at what you had done and thought, “I really need to change a lot of this.” AD: Oh yeah. Making a record, you sort of go into a recording studio, you spend these long hours, you get totally inside it and you really have no idea what you’re doing — if it’s right or wrong, left or right, up or down. Usually I do this process so fast and furiously that my perspective comes after release dates. Then there’s the record in its little plastic box and I go, “Whoa, that song is too slow. And this song should have blah, blah, blah ... ” To
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
do that before the record release, this is my new discovery. It’s really helpful. PGN: Did you have any apprehensions about operating out of New Orleans considering that the city still bears a lot of the scars from Hurricane Katrina? AD: No. I relocated before Katrina. I love this place, even in its battered state. PGN: Is there any chance of seeing any New Orleans-based artists surfacing on Righteous Babe? AD: Jeez. I don’t know. It could happen. There’s nothing in the works. We do have a lot of great new releases. There’s an Erin McKeown record out now. Anais Mitchell is putting out a very ambitious folk opera this winter on Righteous Babe. It’s something I’ve participated in. That’s an exciting release coming up for us. But no New Orleans project just yet. PGN: Does being married give you any fresh insights into the fight to legalize gay marriage? AD: No: I think that anybody that wants to get married should get married. I’ve always thought that. PGN: Has becoming a mother changed your views about religion and spirituality? AD: I think of religion as very separate from spirituality. So I guess my views on organized religion are much the same as they always were. I guess maybe my spirituality has shifted and probably deepened through the whole process of pregnancy and childbirth, and now parenting. It would be hard to quantify in a few words. It did refresh my perspective on things like patriarchy. I know for most people that word doesn’t come up when they refer to spirituality, but for me there’s a strong connection being female and being a part of that whole feminine lifecycle. It’s hard to say quickly and concisely, but it made me freshly aware that a balance of power between the genders is essential for things like peace on Earth and healing all of our social diseases. There’s a lack of balance in human society with patriarchy being the mean standard for the whole planet. There’s an essential resonance that occurs in nature between the genders, and if it’s not resonating then there’s an imbalance that
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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occurs and it’s manifested in many, many ways. I don’t know. I think that becoming a mother puts me back in touch with the absence of the feminine in our way of thinking and living. PGN: Do you still consider yourself an atheist? AD: Uh. Well. Let’s see. What does atheist mean? It means that I don’t believe in a God sitting on a cloud? Then, yes. Definitely. I believe that all living earthly things contain the divine. We are the divine. Is that atheist? I don’t know how atheist is defined right now. I don’t believe in God, a patriarch looking down on us. I think that the universal consciousness is contained within every part of the universe. That’s kind of where I come from. PGN: Having participated in the Democratic National Convention in 2008, do you have any opinion about how the Democrats and President Obama have conducted themselves since taking office? AD: I sort of see Obama as a very good, very thoughtful man trying to do what’s right. I see a lot of people building roadblocks all around him in Washington, D.C., impeding progress. America, we’re very much a culture of celebrity now. I think a lot of people wanted Obama the Superhero to swoop down and save us all from ourselves. There’s been a sense of disillusionment and criticism of Obama on the left echoing the right. For me, that’s a very un-democratic response to how slow and painstaking change is. I think that it’s not Obama’s responsibility to save us all. We have to do it together. That’s how democracy works. I would love it if my fellow citizens focused more on their Congress people, their senators and trying to get them behind things like healthcare. I would like it if we could focus more on ourselves and the work we can do in our
Photo (bottom): Jason Hickerson
community. I think that Obama could and would be doing a lot more if he had more help. What I’m really interested in now is capitalizing momentum of his election. I think he re-energized a lot of people into just being aware of themselves as citizens. I think if we could continue that trend away from consumer-dom back into citizenship, and invest ourselves beyond the act of voting, then we could really start to create that change together that we are so seeking. PGN: Does motherhood make you more or less inclined to be as politically active as you have been in the past? AD: I was the same person with or with-
out the baby. Motherhood is maybe when some people awaken, but I think that this is not the case for me. I have a baby but that’s not the be-all and end-all of my perspective, life and thinking now. I was always very politically aware and active. That hasn’t changed at all. That was always a big part of my work and still is. ■
DiFranco performs at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St. For more information, visit www.righteousbabe.com or call (215) 627-1332. Larry Nichols can larry@epgn.com.
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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CDs Stars in their eyes AFI Crash Love DGC/ Interscope The musicians of AFI have already proven themselves as superior to the majority of their punk-ish brethren, with breakthrough albums like 2003’s “Sing the Sorrow” and 2006’s “Decemberunderground.” So it’s no surprise their latest effort, “Crash Love,” remains true to the polished goth- and newwave-influenced sound that has served them well. But somehow the results aren’t as earth-shattering. Make no mistake: “Crash Love” is a solid album, with vocalist Davey Havok still belting out dramatic wails and guitarist Jade Puget whipping out intricate and melodic textures. The band comes together in grand bombastic and brooding fashion on tracks like “Torch Song,” “OK I Feel Better Now” and “Beautiful Thieves.” But something is missing. “Sing the Sorrow” had an anthemic and aggressive urgency that is hard to find on “Crash Love.” Tracks such as “Sacrilege” and “Cold Hands” come close but don’t hit the heights fans have come to expect. “Decemberunderground” had an exploratory vibe, with lots of electronic elements augmenting AFI’s sound. Sadly, there is little of that on this effort. Still meat-and-potatoes AFI is better than no AFI at all. The band swings in rocking fashion on the catchy “Too Shy to Scream.” “Veronica Sawyer Smokes” is a jangly piece of pop punk guaranteed to be blaring from the ear buds of teenage girls who wear fishnets and combat boots. “Crash Love” is a good record for AFI fans to sink their fangs into, but let’s hope the band gets its sense of adventure back on the next album.
Help Wanted
Jeffree Star Beauty Killer Popsicle Records Out model, makeup artist,
DJ and performer Star runs the gamut of styles on his first fulllength album. The foundation of “Beauty Killer” is rooted firmly in synth-pop but Star isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of the genre to take it to some pleasantly ridiculous and dark places. Most artists in this genre are good for a song or two before they run out of inspiration or ideas, but Star manages to keep things interesting and, more importantly, entertaining throughout his clubby genderbending adventures. For every naughty but bubblegum song like “Bitch, Please!” and “Get Physical,” there are full-on raging rock tracks like “Fame & Riches, Rehab Bitches” and “Love Rhymes With Fuck You,” where Star is often snarling with the venom of a teenager whose mother threw out his favorite Nine Inch Nails T-shirt. Who knew pissed-off and dance beats worked so well together? Star also does a great job of blending hard beats with overtly gay lyrics that are campy and bleak at the same time. Songs like the moody “God Hates Your Outfit,” the funky “Party Crasher” and the rocking “Louis Vuitton Body Bag” ooze with ominous and infectious curiosity. In contrast, tracks such as “Electric Sugar Pop” and “Lollipop Luxury” veer in a more celebratory and decadent direction, not unlike the offerings of Gwen Stefani and Goldfrapp. With explicit lyrics (he seems to be getting fucked a lot in the choruses of most of the songs) and a wild aesthetic, “Beauty Killer” probably won’t be a big mainstream hit, but Star has more than enough juice to become a monster underground sensation. Robbie Williams Reality Killed the Video Star Virgin Records Don’t let the title fool you and don’t you dare lament for Williams. He is a huge, filthyrich pop star everywhere else in See CDs, Page 32
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Offline
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Bruce Yelk
Get your holiday good deeds (and drinking) on As the holidays close in with lightning speed, many will begin annual charitable work and assorted good deeds. This year, the LGBT community in Philadelphia has gotten a jumpstart on doing good, and I want to take a moment to thank everyone who participated in the Smile Happy Hour at Tavern on Camac, 243 S. Camac St., on Nov. 5 to benefit Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance’s Pie in the Sky fundraiser. With your help, Nightlifegay.com far surpassed its goal of selling 50 pies. Each pie sold provides six meals during the holidays for individuals in the Philadelphia region served by MANNA who are suffering from HIV/AIDS and other lifethreatening illnesses. Now, let’s get to this week’s featured events. Nightlifegay.com will ring in the holiday season when the PINK Pub Crawl returns on Thanksgiving eve, Nov. 25. Beginning at 9 p.m., crawlers will assemble at Stir Lounge, 1705 Chancellor St., for the first stop. At 10:30, the PINK Pub Crawl will head to Q Lounge, 1234 Locust St. Revelers will celebrate at Q until 11:30, then move on to Woody’s, 202 S. 13th St. After an hour at Woody’s. At 12:30 a.m., the crawl will head across 13th Street for the evening’s final stop, at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. Tickets for the PINK Pub Crawl are $20 for those wearing one prominent pink piece of clothing, such as a shirt, pants, a jacket or even a boa. For those not in pink, tickets are $30 per person. A ticket is good for a free drink at each of the first three stops, free admission to a private entrance of Woody’s dance floor and free admission to Voyeur. All together, it’s a $45 value. Sponsors include P.I.N.K. Vodka (www.pinkspirits.com), 12th Street Gym (www.12thstreetgym. com) and GunnerWorld.com. For more information, visit www.
nightlifegay.com. While the PINK Pub Crawl benefits you pre-Thanksgiving, Blue Redo Reprise will help you blow off steam after the big day. Beginning at 8 p.m. Nov. 28, the Blue Redo Galz — Azure, Perriwinkle and Cobalt — will bring back one of the community’s most beloved events of the past 15 years at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St. Formerly the Official Closing Party of Blue Ball Weekend, Blue Redo Reprise will feature New York City’s legendary DJ Susan Morabito and lights by Liz Ligouri. Cover for the event is $20 in advance and $25 at the door, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Mazzoni Center and Sapphire Fund. Guests can purchase passes online at MazzoniCenter.org, or at PHAG (1225 Walnut St.) and Matthew Izzo (151 N. Third St.). For more information, visit MazzoniCenter.org. After a few days of recovery following the big holiday weekend, make sure to stop by Tavern on Camac from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 3 as Wayne Bowman hosts his annual holiday toy drive to benefit the children served by the AIDS Coalition of South Jersey. In conjunction with Smile Happy Hour, this annual favorite features drink specials and other surprises. As with each Smile Happy Hour, there is no cover charge. Visit nightlifegay.com for more information. For those in search of an edgier evening filled with live music, look no further than Q Lounge as Derek Nickerson and Luke Dow host the first-ever am:fm Rock Party on Nov. 30. This brand-new monthly party will feature live music from a local band and rock music by DJ RNG. On offer will be drink specials, CD giveaways and gift certificates. Follow the am:fm Rock Party on Twitter at twitter. com/amfmph. That’s all for this installment. Check back in two weeks for my 2009 LGBT Holiday Event Guide. Send questions or comments to Bruce@nightlifegay. com. ’Til next time, get offline and see what your community has to offer! ■
MISREPRESENT HIMSELF? DID YOUR CARPENTER
��������������� PGN LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Family Portraits Philadelphia is a city of firsts: We established the first public school in the American colonies, erected the first brick house in America, wrote the first published treatise against slavery, held the first World’s Fair and printed the first successful women’s magazine. Longtime community activist Michael LoFurno is a man of firsts as well. He was a founding member of the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Community Center, the Humboldt Society and the Spartan Wrestling Club of Philadelphia. Of the Spartans, he was also the first member. Philadelphia also established America’s first botanical gardens, which is right up LoFurno’s alley; he’s also an award-winning landscape architect. PGN: So, what are your roots so to speak? ML: I grew up in Delaware County, the Drexel Hill area. I have one brother; he’s a little bit younger than me. My parents were schoolteachers, but my mother became a full-time mother once I was born. She taught elementary school and my father was a high-school math teacher. PGN: Did any of his math prowess rub off on you? ML: Uh, not really. I was more into art. I liked science as well. PGN: What was your favorite class or teacher? ML: I guess it was art class, though the teacher was mostly absent. [Laughs.] Which I think ultimately was a good thing. It gave us a chance to do our own thing. It was great to have all of the supplies and be able to create what you wanted to without imposed boundaries. PGN: What were you like as a kid? ML: When I wasn’t drawing, I was outside. I was very involved
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Suzi Nash in the Boy Scouts. I was a Scout until I was about 21. Camping every weekend really got me interested in plants and animals and all that good stuff. I loved nature and the arts and architecture, so when the time came to pick a career, landscape architecture was the perfect fit. I got a degree in the field at Penn State. PGN: So the Scouts really had an influence on your life? ML: Yeah, they really did. As a kid, I had no idea of the gay issues they had. Actually, I don’t think they surfaced until much later on. Near the end, I was involved in leadership positions and traveling around doing some high-level leadership training when things started getting heated. I had some friends persuade me to take my organizational skills and transfer them to working with the LGBT community. PGN: What was your favorite merit badge that you earned? ML: Well, the worst was Life Saving. It was the most challenging and it took me two tries, but at some point I just became comfortable in the water and, after that, they couldn’t keep me out. I went on to earn every water-sport badge there was — sail-boating, swimming, diving, all of it! PGN: It must have been hurtful when the Supreme Court handed down the decision that the Scouts could legally expel someone just for being gay. ML: Well, that was after I’d left. When I was there, you didn’t talk about it, but there was no explicit mandate saying that you couldn’t be gay, or atheist for that matter. In fact, I had a lot of memorable experiences in the Scouts. I knew a lot of guys in top-paid Scout positions who were gay; it just generally was not talked about. PGN: Kind of like the church.
ML: Yes. Fortunately, the Girl Scouts seem to be much more tolerant. PGN: What was your favorite toy as a kid? ML: I really liked Matchbox cars. I also loved to build forts out of scrap wood and things we found in the woods. I also had a sandbox for a very long time — probably longer than most kids — and I used to build these elaborate landscapes in it. PGN: Tell me about coming out. ML: I had both a girlfriend and a boyfriend at the same time when I was at Penn State. When I was 19, I had my first sexual experiences in the same month with each. I was a late bloomer and it was all new to me. I didn’t consider myself bisexual: I was just sexual. By the time I got out of school, I got involved with the LGBT community and knew that I was gay. PGN: So that was in the heyday of the gay movement? ML: Yes, a lot of the stuff was happening in the background for me. I knew who Harvey Milk was, but didn’t know much about it until I moved downtown. PGN: So were you a party boy? ML: Well, I like to think I was well-rounded. Yes, I did the party thing: We used to go to Equus every weekend and watch movies there on Tuesday nights. But I also participated in a lot of things outside the clubs. PGN: What were some of the organizations you were involved with? ML: I helped found the Humboldt Society, which is now the oldest gay and lesbian natural-history society in the U.S. I’m still involved with them. We also started REASON, a gay atheists’ group — the name was a play off of Dignity and Integrity
MICHAEL LOFURNO Photo: Suzi Nash — and I did some work for the Gay and Lesbian Task Force. I helped them with graphic design and things. Then I got involved with Bill Way, who was trying to get a community center started. I had a degree in design and planning so the community center was a natural fit. I was involved with that for 10 years. I really liked the idea of building a place where people my age, who were just coming out, could have a safe place to go to. It was a great experience. I don’t want to be dramatic, but as a young guy, I got to meet a whole bunch of — what to me at the time were — elders: Walter Lear and Marge McCann, Ada Bello. They were not the kind of people I would have encountered hanging around the bar at Equus. It was a whole intergenerational thing that happened there that was really important. There were a lot of women on the board at the time too; in fact, more women than men. You got a whole different perspective on things from people who were older and many times wiser. Bill Way worked very hard trying to establish what the center would be about and Walter Lear and I worked hard on finding the location. We used to meet in Bill’s apartment, but fortunately, we found a spot on Quince Street. When we opened as the Penguin Place, I threw myself into the place, volunteering 20-25 hours a week. I pretty much got to run the place. In fact, I was there so often, people would tease me about being the penguin!
PGN: So William Way is a continuation of Penguin Place? ML: Well, it technically has always been the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Philadelphia Inc., but that was cumbersome to say, so we just called it Penguin Place, which was more user-friendly. What is now called William Way is still GLCCP Inc. PGN: I remember going to the Penguin Place when it was on Camac Street when I first came out. ML: Our idea was always to have a welcoming place for people in a prominent, accessible location. Unfortunately, back then, many people were used to being in places that were very clandestine, dark with no markings and boarded-up windows, so no one could see who was inside. One of the things I insisted on when we moved to Camac was having glass doors with the big penguin logo painted on them. I didn’t want it to look like some secret spot. We also started a lot of programs that continue to this day, like the art gallery. PGN: How was coming out to the family? ML: It wasn’t easy and it’s still not. My brother was fine with it, but my parents were/are very religious and it played a factor. Although, once my brother got married and had a kid, it took the pressure off a bit. The family name would continue. PGN: Tell me about landscaping.
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ML: As I said, it was my major. A company that I’d interned with invited me to work with them after I graduated and I worked with them for 17 years. I’m nothing if not persistent. At one point, the company had almost 50 employees and I like to think that I had something to do with making the company a place that did quality work and was good to the employees. [Laughs.] A lot of the experience I had working with mostly lesbians on the board at Penguin Place turned me into a hybrid with a half-lesbian, halfQuaker mentality that helped me create a work environment that was very democratic. PGN: Lots of processing? ML: Exactly! I also have a license in professional planning and processing is a big part of that, but the women helped me take it to a new level. We went to great lengths to make sure everyone’s opinion was included and that we all felt good about the decisions that were being made. A lot of the landscape work I did was planning for public spaces, so we had to have a lot of meetings with community input, which is important and makes the group stronger. But there comes a time as an executive where you have to, as Walter used to say, “You have to fish or cut bait.” So my work at Penguin Place strengthened my professional work and helped strike a nice balance. Later, I started my own company, Composite Inc., which I’m still running. PGN: I’m also an atheist, and I find the fact that religion seems to be infiltrating politics unnerving. Even the most liberal of politicians feel they have to bless everyone at the end of a speech. ML: I’m a card-carrying atheist and it’s true that religion is starting to permeate every part of our society. A lot of people are afraid to use the A-word. When Obama mentioned nonbelievers in his inauguration address, that was pretty big because most people don’t even want to acknowledge us. Most people want to feel comfortable to have something to hang their hat on whether they really believe or not, which I
PGN
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
feel is dishonest. I think for my parents, coming out was one thing, but I think me rejecting all the things I’d been raised with was as distressing as me coming out. One of the reasons that we started REASON was because at the start of the AIDS crisis, there were so many people who wanted to lend a religious bent to it. Whether it was the folks saying it was a punishment from God, or the people holding candlelight vigils saying prayers for people and professing that we were all God’s children. We were standing there saying, “You know, this has nothing to do with religion. It’s about viruses and nutrition and science and microbes. It has nothing to do with God.” It seemed that people were clinging to the same religions that shunned them, so we started our group for people who had different perspectives to be able to speak out. I think it’s important for people who don’t believe God exists to be able to say it aloud. It’s odd; I still open the paper and there are pages of religious organizations listed in the PGN. It’s illogical to me. I think the whole gay-marriage thing is crazy as well. I remember during the ’70s houses of three or four people who would live together and be committed to each other, especially groups of women who lived and loved together in West Philly and Mt. Airy. They didn’t need someone to come in and say, “You must choose this person and forsake all others.” I understand the rights thing, but personally I don’t think married people should get any special benefits, straight or gay. We should be counted as individuals. I write paychecks every week and have to make certain deductions depending on whether someone is married or not. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s a bunch of Judeo/Christian stuff that we’ve inherited. I think it’s crazy when there are far more important things that we should be worried about, like the holes in the ozone layer and the destruction of our lands. PGN: Changing direction, tell
me about the Spartans. ML: When we were starting Penguin Place, we spoke with a lot of different organizations to get them involved. I met with Rick Van Tassel, Dennis Spillman and John Necci and we spoke about creating an umbrella group for Philadelphia sports teams that went on to become Team Philadelphia. We met at Penguin Place and I attended the first meeting. I’d never done any wrestling or any organized sports, but they seemed like great guys and I was the first to join the Spartans at the meeting. I’m member No. 1 and the longest continuous member! I’ve been wrestling ever since. I got to compete in the Gay Games in 1994 with them. It was a fantastic experience. PGN: Something memorable from a match? ML: When I was at the Gay Games, I got a really bad shot to the eye and had to go to the hospital. I had a big black eye as a souvenir. PGN: I understand you’ve had some personal physical challenges. ML: I had a stroke a few years ago. It was life altering, but so was turning 50! There’s a compassion you develop for other people as you get older. It’s one of the reasons it’s so important that we get younger people to interact with seniors. Not that I’m that old, but I’m at the point where I do have knowledge to impart. When I was in my 20s, we all hung around people the same age. We were clones. You’d meet someone older and be like, “Oh my God, is he still alive? He’s 40!” I was lucky in that getting involved in Penguin Place allowed me to interact with people who were twice my age or three times my age. I met people from a whole cross-section of society. It’s the way communities should be. Hopefully we can get more young people involved in the future. ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portraits,” write to: Family Portraits, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 or portraits05@aol.com.
E-mail us: pgn@epgn.com
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Q Puzzle Gender Benders Across
1. They call balls 5. Hosp. workers 9. What comes out of your head 14. The Oscars, e.g. 15. Morales of “La Bamba” 16. Shoots in the mouth, at the dentist’s office 17. Hurler Hershiser 18. Spilled the beans 19. Biathlete, for one 20. Jude in “I’m Not There” 23. Straight-laced 24. Audio systems, for short 25. She sprang from the head of Zeus 28. Tupperware sound 30. Chinese tea 33. In order 34. Christmas song 36. Patriot Allen 38. Davidson of “The Crying Game” 39. Hilary of “Boys Don’t Cry” 41. Linda of “The Year of Living Dangerously” 42. “SNL”’s Cheri 44. Hawaiian feast 45. Switch suffix 46. Ship letters 47. Tin Woodman’s concern 49. “Oh What a Beautiful ___ ” 51. Opposite of ’neath 52. Water color 53. “Kitten” in “Breakfast on Pluto” 59. “One of Ours” novelist Cather 60. “Fancy” singer McEntire 61. Debtor’s slips 63. Had oral sex at home? 64. Moola
65. George Takei’s role on “Star Trek” 66. Gave up 67. Sapphic poems 68. Word with fruit or family
Down
1. Tognazzi of “La Cage aux Folles” 2. Composer Shaiman 3. Type of bargain 4. Sailor’s tool? 5. Heather’s mommies, e.g. 6. Sacred song 7. “Peter Pan” pooch 8. Talk with one’s hands 9. Like a muscle Mary 10. Put them up to fight 11. Send off 12. Aid’s partner 13. Ukr. or Lith., once 21. Directional ending 22. Nonrecreational mouth-to-mouth 25. Firm-fleshed fruit 26. Where to find nipples 27. Sean of “Will & Grace” 28. Humdinger 29. Humerus neighbor 30. Produce in a hurry, with “out” 31. Vietnam capital 32. Playwright Chekhov
35. Mail carriers at Hogwarts 37. Niles Crane, for example 40. Edible fruits from China 43. Wilde country 48. William Tell’s canton 50. Sharer’s word 51. Stan’s straight man 52. Stroll along 53. Quote an authority 54. “ ___ Three Lives” 55. Jason went cruising in this 56. Have an opening for 57. “The Children’s ___ ” 58. Christmas season 59. Female who can’t ask or tell 62. Boy in a Johnny Cash song
SOLUTION
Saturday & Sunday Vegan Brunch 218 S. 16th St., Phila. 215-732-8888
www.milahvegetarian.com
BYOB Gift Cards Available
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
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Win a weekend for two in the Gayborhood! and thousands of dollars worth of other prizes!
*Package includes two nights at The Independent Philadelphia with light breakfast, two 3-day passes to 12th Street Gym, $100 gift certificate for dinner at Knock and two 1-hour massages at Value Massage
• Naked Chocolate: $20.00 Gift Cert. • Brew HaHa!: Free Breakfast for 10 • Venture Inn: Two $50 Gift Certs. • Flavor of Philly: Two Flavor of Philly Food Tours • Philadelphia Cinema Alliance: 10 Passes to Philadelphia Cinefest, 10 passes to Philadelphia QFest • Ritz 5 Theatre: 4 Free Passes to Ritz 5 • 15-Minute Workout: 6 Free Classes • Mixto: Two $50 Gift Certs. • Danny’s: Gift Cert. • Philadelphia Theatre Company: Two Complimentary Tickets • Absolute Abstract: One Art Block • Fusion: One 5 Group Cross-Training Sessions or Personal Coaching Session or Nutrition Counseling • Rapunzel’s Beauty Salon: $25 Haircut, $10 Eyebrow Wax • Spruce Street Video: 30 Rentals, 20 Rentals • Uncle’s Upstairs Inn: One Night Stay • Q Lounge: Brunch for 2 • Tommy D’s Café: 2 Brunches • Andre Richard Salon: Free Haircut (3) • Cut: Hair and Skin Studio: $70 Gift Cert. • 12th Street Gym: 3-Month Gym Membership • Soleil: 3-Month Tanning Membership • Lion’s Mane: Gift Cert. • Spring Mill Cafe: Gift Cert. • Charlie Salon: Gift Cert. • Mango Moon: Gift Cert. • Chabaa: Gift Prize drawing will be held on Dec. 12. Cert. • Qdoba Mexican Grill: (10) Free Entrée Tickets • Sage Massage Therapy: One-Hour Massage
Thank you to our growing list of prize donors: MANGOMOON
Bellezza DermaCenter MedSpa Clinic
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Tickets can be purchased at Giovanni’s Room at 345 S. 12th St., Philadelphia, Pa. during regular business hours, author events, book signings or any special events held at the store.
A special thanks to our ticket and media sponsors:
For more information, stop by Giovanni’s Room. To support the raffle through sales or prize donations, contact Scott at scott@epgn.com or 267-736-6743.
Scott Drake Photography
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Leather Lookout Jim Kiley-Zufelt Jump-start your holidays in many fun ways The holiday season is busy every year, but for most people things don’t start up until
Thanksgiving. Not in the Philly leather community! Here, the calendar shifts into high gear around Halloween and goes at full steam until the end of January. So fasten your seatbelts, kids: There’s a lot going on! Philadelphia Leather Pride Night
There’s no doubt about it: Philly Leather Pride Night was a smashing success. On Nov. 7, Voyeur Nightclub was packed with at least 200 leathermen and women from all over the Delaware Valley and beyond for a night of entertainment and fundraising. They raised an astounding $10,698 for three charities: the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago ($8,755 from the door and the live auction); the Leather Heart Foundation here in Philly ($1,348 from the silent auction); and By the Grace of George in New York City ($595 from raffle ticket sales). Producer Cowboi Jen and her team of hardworking volunteers
ebrate their 35th anniversary with Tri-Cen XIX, their signature weekend event. Featuring nonstop cocktail parties, crazy people games, mouth-watering meals and mayhem, Tri-Cen is famous for way more than just the Mummers Parade. This year the event will play host to the quarterly Atlantic Motorcycle Coordinating Council meeting, which means the town will be crawling with leathermen from 25 clubs up and down the East Coast. Fresh meat! See www. philadelphiansmc.org for more information.
should be very proud. They really knocked this one out of the park! Philadelphia Leather Weekend at The Bike Stop There was no Mr. and Ms. Philadelphia Leather contest this year, but that didn’t stop The Bike Stop from putting together a great weekend of community celebrations Nov. 12-15. With Fetish Feud on Thursday, a Liberty Bears social on Friday, a Philadelphians MC social and Kinky Karnival on Saturday and, last but not least, a Keystone boys of Leather social on Sunday, there truly was something for everybody during a jampacked weekend of fun. The crowd at the Kinky Karnival surpassed all expectations and helped Philadelphians MC raise over $1,400 for Mazzoni Center’s Winter Coat and Holiday Toy Drive. And don’t believe the rumors on Facebook: It’s true The Bike Stop is being sold, but it is not turning into a sushi restaurant! (How do these things get started?) The Bike Stop isn’t going anywhere — it’s just changing ownership. Memorial for Mr. Marcus The Bike Stop will host a memorial celebrating the life of Marcus Hernandez, noted leather columnist for San Francisco’s Bay Area Reporter and IML judge emeritus, from 4-6 p.m. Nov. 21. Hernandez died last month at the age of 77. Donations in Mr. Marcus’ memory will be collected for the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco to support the archiving of Marcus’ incredible collection of almost 40 years’ worth of community photos and memorabilia. The memorial will be hosted by MidAtlantic Leatherwoman 2009 Cowboi Jen and Ms. World Leather 2004 Pandora. Fists of Fury Ever wonder why, half the time you walk into The Bike Stop, all the screens are tuned to UFC, King of the Cage or some other mixed-martial-arts competition? It’s not hard to figure out: The guys are muscular and covered with tattoos, lots of them wear little spandex shorts that leave
UPCOMING EVENTS COME ONE, COME ALL!: Ryan and John were there to welcome you to the Kinky Karnival on Nov. 14 at The Bike Stop. Photo: Jim Kiley-Zufelt
nothing to the imagination, and while they’re beating the bloody crap out of each other, they’re rolling around on the floor with their legs locked around each others’ waists. Nice! I could watch that stuff for hours. Yes, they’re amazing athletes and the competition is fierce and exciting. But you’d have to be blind not to realize that it looks like the roughest gay porn ever put on film. It’s so hot, you don’t even notice they’re not naked. Want to meet a couple of MMA professionals up close and personal? MMA pros Eddie Alvarez and Wilson Reis will sign autographs from 2-6 p.m. Nov. 21 at Fists of Fury in the Neshaminy Mall, Bensalem. The store carries all kinds of gear and apparel for MMA and boxing, plus fitness equipment and nutrition supplements. Yes, the storeowners know MMA has a big gay following. Thank God they’re cool with it! Just keep the staring, gawking and stalking to a minimum, guys. We want them to like us, not lock their legs around our waists and beat the bloody crap out of us. I think ... Tri-Cen XIX and Philadelphians MC 35th Anniversary On New Year’s weekend, Philadelphians MC will cel-
— Diabolique Ball: 9 p.m. Nov. 21 at Shampoo, 417 N. Eighth St. This year’s theme: Steam punk! (future-retro-techno). $60 at the door. — Santa Saturday: 1-6 p.m. Nov. 28 at Club Paradise, 101 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park. $15 at the door. — Liberty Bears Meeting and Social: 6-10 p.m. Dec. 5 at The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St.; meeting from 5-6 p.m., social from 6-10 p.m. — Bike Stop Holiday Decorating Party: 2-6 p.m. Dec. 6 at The Bike Stop. — Philadelphians MC Living Nativity: 3 p.m. Dec. 6 during the Bike Stop Holiday Decorating Party. Check out last year’s video at www.philadelphiansmc.org. (What new farm animals will be in the cast this year, I wonder?) — WOOF! Philly: 5 p.m. every Sunday, 1416 Chancellor St. until further notice. See www.woofphilly.com for DJ and dancer schedules. — Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend: It’s right around the corner: Jan. 15-18, 2010, in Washington, D.C., hosted by Centaur MC. Theme this year is “The Skin UR In.” See www. leatherweekend.org for details. ■ Questions? Comments? Favorite nativity farm animals? Contact Jim at LeatherLookout@gmail. com.
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Happy Hour Mon.-Fri. 5:30 - 7:30
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Rainbow Award Best Bar and Bartender 2008, 2009 Fox Philly Best Gay and Lesbian Bar 2008, 2009
Happy Hour prices for all Eagles games Happy hour Mon.-Thur. 5-7, Brunch Saturday & Sunday 11-3
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Diversions
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Your guide to arts and entertainment
Theater
Angels in America BCKSEET Productions presents Tony Kushner’s Tony and Pulitzer awardwinning plays about the impact of AIDS on the national culture, through Nov. 28 at The Red Room at Society Hill Playhouse, 507 S. Eighth St.; (215) 923-0210.
DeKalb St., Norristown; (610) 279-1013.
and Ledisi perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 20 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
The Light in the Piazza Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the love story set in Italy, through Dec. 6 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; (215) 985-0420.
PVOP: Music For a While Philadelphia Voices of Pride performs at 8 p.m. Nov. 21 at The Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany, 330 S. 13th St.; www.pvop.org.
of photography and the Philadelphia art scene, through Jan. 31, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Diana: A Celebration The National Constitution Center presents an exhibition exploring Diana’s childhood, her Oliver! engagement to Prince Walnut Street Theatre Charles, their royal presents one of the world’s wedding and Diana’s Boom most beloved musicals, Christine Havrilla Band life and work as a global Flashpoint Theatre through Jan. 10, 825 The out singer-songwriter humanitarian, through Dec. Company presents the story Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550. and her band perform at 7 31, 525 Arch St.; (866) of a biologist and a lab p.m. Nov. 22 at World Cafe 917-1787. assistant who inadvertently On Golden Pond Live, 3025 Walnut St.; change the course of Act II Playhouse presents (215) 222-1400. Annual Holiday Show humanity, through Nov. the now-classic drama, ArtStar Gallery hosts an 21 at Second Stage at the through Dec. 13, 56 E. Flyleaf exhibition of handmade Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Butler Ave., Ambler; (215) The Christian alt-rock band ornaments and holiday St.; (215) 665-9720. 654-1011. performs at 8 p.m. Nov. cards by select artists, 21 at TLA, 334 South St.; through Dec. 31, 623 N. The Elaborate Entrance Rabbit Hole (215) 922-1011. Second St.; (215) 238of Chad Deity The Arden Theatre presents 1557. InterAct Theatre the story of a family in Deadmau5 presents this 2008 Latino MIRTH AND MUSIC: Out acoustic duo Sweet Namaste crisis, facing the challenges The electro-dance DJ Kaleidoscope Playwrighting Awardteams up with out comedian Jackie Monahan (picof surviving great loss performs at 9 p.m. Nov. Edge Gallery presents winning production set in tured) to perform, 8:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at Puck, Printers and making a life with 22 at TLA, 334 South St.; an exhibition featuring the world of professional Alley, Doylestown. Sweet Namaste, consisting of the family that remains, (215) 922-1011. Philadelphia artist Tom wrestling and hip-hop, singer-songwriter Sue Bailey and instrumentalist through Dec. 20, 40 N. Hlas and North Carolina through Nov. 22 at The Robin Cohen, continue to tour behind its self-titled Second St.; (215) 922N’dambi artist Robert Langford, debut CD. Monahan has been making a splash on Philadelphia Shakespeare 1122. The neo-soul singer through Nov. 29, 72 N. the New York City comedy scene and as a member Theatre, 2111 Sansom St.; performs at 8 p.m. Nov. 24 Second St.; (215) 413of the Lesbians of Laughter Tour with her quirky and (215) 568-8079. Red, White & Tuna at World Cafe Live, 3025 7072. disarming brand of comedy. She’s also a featured Walnut Street Theatre Walnut St.; (215) 222performer on Here TV’s “One Night Stand Up Part 2” The :nv:s:ble Play presents two comic 1400. special for Logo and on Here’s “Hot Gay Comics.” For Lace in Translation Philadelphia Theatre masters bringing to life more information, call (215) 348-9000. The Design Center at Workshop presents the 24 characters from Tuna, Philadelphia University world premiere of the story Texas, from Nov. 24-Jan. presents a new exhibition of people trying to hang on 3 at Independence Studio The Philadelphia of contemporary work Body Worlds 2 & The in the workplace, through on 3, 825 Walnut St.; (215) Orchestra presents a Catie Curtis inspired by historic lace, Brain Dec. 13 at Walnut Street harrowing symphonic 574-3550. The out singer-songwriter through April 3, 4200 The Franklin Institute Theatre’s Studio 5, 825 journey containing some performs at 7:30 p.m. Nov. Henry Ave.; (215) 951presents an eye-opening Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550. Waiting for Godot of the most scintillating 22 at World Cafe Live, 2860. journey through the inner instrumental effects of Amaryllis Theatre 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222- workings of the human Irving Berlin’s White Mahler’s output, 2 p.m. Company presents the 1400. Paperboy with body through a broad Christmas Nov. 20 and 8 p.m. 21 at landmark drama centering Pedestals collection of authentic The classic holiday Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, around two men waiting for The Four Bitchin’ AxD Gallery presents human specimens, through tradition comes to the stage someone or something that 240 S. Broad St.; (215) Babes sculpture and works on Feb. 20, 222 N. 20th St.; as a brand-new musical, 790-5847. may never arrive, through Join this “fabulous female paper by James Groody, (215) 448-1200. Nov. 24-29 at Kimmel’s Nov. 22 at The Playground folkestra” for a hilarious through Dec. 5, 265 S. 10th Academy of Music, 240 S. at the Adrienne, 2030 Chamber Music musical journey, 8 p.m. St.; (215) 627-6250. Common Ground: Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. Sansom St.; (215) 564Concert Nov. 20 at The Colonial Eight Philadelphia The Philadelphia Orchestra 2431. Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Ragas and Rajas: Photographers in the The Life of John Henry presents a wide range of Phoenixville; (610) 917Musical Imagery of 1960s and 1970s One of the most famous ensembles and musical 0223. Courtly India The Philadelphia Museum American folk tales comes styles, 3 p.m. Nov. 22 The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an to life in a world-premiere at Kimmel’s Perelman Sexy Soul Tour of Art presents a diverse Mahler’s Seventh exhibition examining a drama, through Nov. 29 Theater, 240 S. Broad selection of paintings and Eric Benet, Mint Condition critical period for the art Symphony at Centre Theater, 208 St.; (215) 790-5847.
Music other
Music classical
Exhibits
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Diversions, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147; fax them to (215) 925-6437; or e-mail them to diversions@epgn. com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.
sculptures from across the subcontinent, through Feb. 28, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 7638100. Transplant James Oliver Gallery presents an exhibition of works by painter Ron Johnson and sculptor
Steven Earl Weber, through Nov. 21, 723 Chestnut St., fourth floor; (215) 9231242.
20-21 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St.; (215) 893-7902.
Yo Misma Fui Mi Ruta (I Was My Own Route) The Leeway Foundation hosts an exhibition of works by four artists, all previous recipients of Leeway grants, which includes photographs, paintings, prints, video and installation pieces, by appointment through Dec. 18, 1315 Walnut St., Suite 832; (215) 545-4078.
Dance
BalletX: Fall Series BalletX opens its third season at 8 p.m. Nov. 20 and 21 and 2 p.m. Nov. 21 and 22 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St.; (215) 546-7824.
Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company The Kimmel Center presents this spirited ensemble at 3 p.m. Nov. 22 Stravinsky’s The Rake’s at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, Progress 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. The Curtis Opera Theatre presents the story of Tom Rakewell, whose reckless decisions pull him deeper and deeper into trouble, James and the Giant while the “help” offered by Peach the sinister Nick Shadow The 1996 children’s film seems only to make things is screened at 2 p.m. worse, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. Nov. 21 at The Colonial
Opera
PGN
Film
Pick
Quince Productions presents a one-night-only cabaret featuring out singer Peter Andrew Danzig and Aimée Robidoux — who were hits at Quince’s “Full House: A Series of Cabarets” in June — at 7 p.m. Nov. 22 at Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St. The evening begins with Danzig’s “Reflections and Renditions,” a collection of classic covers and folkpop renditions. Robidoux follows with “Vision of Love,” a girl’s journey through love told with pop songs from Carole King to Heart to Gnarls Barkley. For more information, visit www.tinangel.com or call (215) 928-0770.
Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 9170223. Anatomy of a Murder The 1959 drama starring Jimmy Stewart is screened at 2 p.m. Nov. 22 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 917-0223. Bruno The outrageously gay persona created by Sasha Baron Cohen hits the screen at 8 p.m. Nov. 23 at Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483. The Wizard of Oz Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents the classic film at this sing-along event, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 24 at 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr; (610) 527-9898.
Books
Read-a-thon Nearly 20 LGBT authors
PAGE 31
including Steve Berman, S. Renee Bess, Perry Brass, Tim Brough, Victoria A. Brownworth, Rob Byrnes, David Carter, Mark Hardy, Ken Harvey, Bill Konigsberg, Livia Lllewellyn, Malinda Lo, Bobbi Marolt, Mark Merlis, Thom Nickles, Radclyffe, Paul Russell, Scott Sherman and Bob Smith — will read from their works, answer questions and sign books in a 50/50 benefit for the Lambda Literary Foundation and Giovanni’s Room, at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; (215) 923-2960. Torah Queeries panel discussion The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College is hosting a panel discussion with local contributors to the new book, including co-editor Rabbi Joshua Lesser, at 7 p.m. Nov. 22 at the LGBT Center on Penn’s Campus, 3907 Spruce St.;
(215) 576-0800.
Cabaret
Eddie Sarfaty The out comedian and author performs a comedy show at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at Harlans at The Nevermore, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; (215) 862-5225.
Etc.
Thunder From Down Under The famous male revue from Australia hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; (215) 2575808. Jim Bruer The outrageous comedy show gets it twisted at 8 p.m. Nov. 25 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 5727650. ■
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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CDs From Page 22
Queer TV you can always see: One Life to Live
Look for Kyle and Fish. Monday-Friday, 2 p.m. on ABC. Ellen
NBC. The Rachel Maddow Show
Monday-Friday, 9 p.m. on MSNBC.
Monday-Friday, 3 p.m. on
the industrialized world except the U.S.A. Part of Williams’ sonic charm (and most likely his Achilles’ heel to American stardom) is his willingness to explore a number of different pop landscapes most of his mainstream male contemporaries wouldn’t touch. Also, you get the sense he’s doing exactly what he wants to do without pandering to any particular audience. Williams lays down a Beatlesesque groove on “Morning Son” and “Superblind.” He gets his Elton John fix on pianodriven songs like “Blasphemy” and “You Know Me.” Rufus Wainwright is probably stewing over the fact that he didn’t write a song like string-drenched “Somewhere.” Or maybe he did and we didn’t notice. Meanwhile, “Reality” offers lushly orchestrated retro-pop and a modern-pop groove. “Bodies” and “Do You Mind?” are radio-ready rock tracks. Williams’ mid-range voice is the only thing keeping “Last Days of Disco” from being a Depeche Mode song. Williams Suze Orman Show If you are lucky enough to have finances, this out money expert is talking to you. 9 p.m. on CNBC.
A FIERCE THANKSGIVING: Pop/R&B diva Beyoncé (center) makes two high-profile appearances on ABC TV this week. First, she appears on the 2009 American Music Awards at 8 p.m. Nov. 22 along with Mary J. Blige and Lady Gaga. Then, on Thanksgiving, she stars in her own concert special, “I Am ... Yours” at 9 p.m. Photo: ABC/Craig Sjodin
worth watching: FRIDAY Stud Finder Don’t get too excited. It’s a homeimprovement show. 9 p.m. on the DIY Network. The Click List: The Best in Short Film Seek out the next Bryan Singer
with this fresh batch of the best in new short films. 10 p.m. on Logo. SATURDAY Bisexual Girls Five very different British women and the important men and women in their lives are introduced in this series. 8 p.m. on Logo.
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
cops a club-ready techno groove on “Difficult for Weirdos.” “Reality” probably won’t change his fortunes in the States much, but it’s still an ambitious, damned good pop record for anyone who cares to pay attention. Space Cowboy Digital Rock Star Red One/ Cherry Tree/ Interscope French DJ, producer and singer Space Cowboy is ready for his closeup after making a number of guest appearances and remixes on songs for Lady Gaga. He’s also created remixes for a range of artists including Fergie, Paul McCartney and Marilyn Manson, but we suspect Miss Gaga’s rapid ascension to pop stardom is the driving force behind this record. With “Digital Rock Star,”we understand why Space Cowboy and Lady Gaga have each other on speed dial: They share a brash electro-pop sensibility. But it also becomes quickly apparent that Gaga is the more-
refined talent, who crafts better hooks and commands more attention. Space Cowboy is better off when his guest vocalists (of which there are many) do most of the heavy lifting, especially on the propulsive “My Egyptian Lover” featuring Nadia Oh. The pulsing groove of “Devastated,” featuring Chantelle Paige, and the swaggering “I Came 2 Party,” with Cinema Bizarre, also make good use of imported vocal talent. Things don’t come across as well when Space Cowboy rides solo. For one, he saturates his voice with so much autotune (think Eifel 65 circa 1999), it could be anyone in the vocal booth, talented or not, and have the exact same result. It’s fine as a garnish but when it’s the main course, it wears out its welcome fast on songs such as the smarmy “Boyfriends Hate Me” and the way-too-up-tempo “I Want You Back.” Not a bad effort, but if Lady Gaga ever stops returning Space Cowboy’s phone calls, he’s in trouble. ■ Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
Week 10 of this competition kicks off. 8 p.m. on ABC.
co-stars as Barb. 8 p.m. on CBS.
How I Met Your Mother Openly gay Neil Patrick Harris stars as Barney and this week is a sequel to “Slapsgiving.” 8 p.m. on CBS.
Glee Out actress Jane Lynch stars in this musical high-school comedy. This week, Kurt gives Rachel a makeover. 9 p.m. on Fox.
The Wanda Sykes Show We watched. We liked. The out comedian pours guests a drink and sees what happens. There are The Decorating Adventures of Ambrose Price some skits and drag queens too. The design guru shows you how 11 p.m. on Fox. to liven up the ol’ abode. 10 p.m. on Logo. Saturday Night Live The Dave Matthews Band performs and Joseph Gordon Levitt TUESDAY V hosts. 11:30 p.m. on NBC. The battle against media-savvy aliens continues. 8 p.m. on ABC. SUNDAY The Amazing Race So You Think You Can Dance Gay brothers Sam and Dan are Contestants dance for the chance still in this race and traveling to to earn reality-show glory. 8 p.m. Prague. 8 p.m. on CBS. on Fox. American Music Awards Dancing with the Stars Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Adam Lambert, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Catch the live results show. 9 p.m. on ABC. Rihanna and Carrie Underwood will appear. 8 p.m. on ABC. Melrose Place Heather Locklear is back. 9 p.m. Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew Gay cast member, writer-director on CW. Duncan Roy, battles his addiction to porn. 10:30 p.m. on VH1. WEDNESDAY The New Adventures of Old Christine MONDAY Out comedian Wanda Sykes Dancing with the Stars
Modern Family This new sitcom features a gay couple with an adopted daughter. 9 p.m. on ABC. Top Chef Contestants put their culinary skills to the test. 10 p.m. on Bravo. THURSDAY Survivor: Samoa Watch for lesbian contestant Shambo. 8 p.m. on CBS. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang star in this classic holiday special. 8 p.m. on ABC. Paul McCartney: “Good Evening New York City” The former Beatle and solo superstar’s 2009 concert. 10 p.m. on ABC.
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 33
Scott A. Drake Photography
www.scottdrakephotos.com scottdrakephotos@gmail.com 267.736.6743
PGN
Pretty Great Newspaper
Send Meeting Place submissions to pgn@epgn.com or fax (215) 925-6437 PGN Meeting Place, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 Meeting Place is a public service. Submissions must include a phone number for publication.
Complete Meeting Place listings of all Parent/Family, Professional, Recovery, Recreation, Religion, Sports, Men, Women, Trans, Youth groups can be found online @ www.phliagaynews.com and www.epgn.com
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 34
Meeting Place A community bulletin board of activities, facilities and organizations
Community centers ■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held from 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday through Friday. See the Youth section for more events. 255 S. 16th St.; (215) 545-4331 ■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St.; (215) 898-5044; center@dolphin.upenn.edu, Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. ■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; (215) 348-0558 ext. 65; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. ■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; (215) 732-2220; www.waygay.org. Peer counseling: Monday through Friday, 6-9 p.m. Library hours: Mondays 3-9 p.m., Tuesdays 3-6 p.m., Wednesdays 3-9 p.m., Thursdays 3-9 p.m., Fridays 3-9 p.m., Saturdays noon-6 p.m., Sundays noon-6 p.m. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.; Volunteer Velada, third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.
Health Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 166 W. Lehigh Ave.; (215) 763-8870 ext. 6000. AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., suite 205; (2215) 536-2424. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; (215) 851-1822 or (866) 222-3871. Spanish/English. HIV testing Free, anonymous testing and counseling is offered from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment at AIDS Resource, 520 W. Fourth St., suite 2A, Williamsport; (570) 322-8448.
Key numbers
HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; (215) 685-1803. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications, confidential HIV testing available at 17 MacDade Blvd., suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; (610) 586-9077. Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 1201 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-0652. www. mazzonicenter.org. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; (215) 985-9206.
Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: (215) 686-2555 ■ Mazzoni Center: (215) 563-0652; www. mazzonicenter.org
■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: (856) 933-9500 ext. 221
■ Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine: (215) 563-0658
■ AIDS Library: (215) 985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: (215) 592-1513
■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): (215) 572-1833
■ AIDS Treatment hot line: (215) 5452212
■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: (215) 686-4670
■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: (215) 685-1633
■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: (215) 772-2000
■ Equality Advocates Pennsylvania: (215) 731-1447; (866) LGBTLAW ■ Equality Forum: (215) 732-3378 ■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: (215) 732-TALK ■ Mayor’s liaison to LGBT communities: Gloria Casarez, (215) 686-2194; Gloria.
Meets at 6 p.m. every Monday at St. Luke and the Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; (215) 386-1981; www.critpath.org/actup. Delaware Valley Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Seeks activists and supporters of church-state separation. Holds monthly meetings and events; (856) 863-3061; www.dvau.org. Equality Advocates Philadelphia Holds a volunteer night second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m., 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605; (215) 731-1447; www.equalitypa.org. Green Party of Philadelphia Holds general meetings fourth Tuesday of each month (except April) at 6:30 p.m., 4134 Lancaster Ave.; (215) 243-7103; www.gpop.org. Log Cabin Republican Club of Philadelphia Meets at 7 p.m. third Wednesday of the month at the William Way Community Center; (215) 465-5677; www.phillylogcabin.org. Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club Meets seasonally; (215) 760-7184; www.libertycity. org.
Arts
Gay Men’s Book Discussion Group Meets at 6:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month at the Independence Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, 18 S. Seventh St.; (215) 685-1633. Library Book Club Meets to discuss a new book at 7 p.m. on third Wednesday of the month at the William Way Center. New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus Chorus rehearses at 7:30 p.m. Mondays in Princeton, N.J.; (609) 675-1998. Open-mic night An amateur poetry, music and storytelling event sponsored by The Pride Center of New Jersey, meets at 8 p.m. every third Friday at the George Street Playhouse, 1470 Jersey Ave., North Brunswick, N.J.; (732) 846-0715. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus Chorus rehearses from 7-9:30 p.m. Wednesdays; (215) 731-9230; auditions@pgmc.org. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Opera Club Meets to share and listen to recordings at 6:30 p.m. on last Saturday of the month; (215) 224-6995. Philadelphia Voices of Pride Philadelphia’s first mixed GLBT chorus rehearses at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the William Way Center; (888) 505-7464; www.pvop.org. Queer Writer’s Collective Workshop and discussion group meets 4-6 p.m. on fourth Saturday of the month at the William Way Center. Women’s Book Group Meets first Thursday of the month at 6:45 p.m. at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; brassygrrl@hotmail.com.
■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Chief Inspector James Tiano: (215) 685-3655 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: (215) 494-LGBT; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: (215) 875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: (717) 920-9537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: (215) 732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)
Activities for sexual-minority seniors are held every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the William Way Center. PhilaVentures Philadelphia’s GLBT outdoor group meets for a hike in Wissahickon Valley Park on Sundays at 2 p.m. at Borders Books, Music and Café, 8701 Germantown Ave.; (215) 271-8822.
A group open to all bisexual, bi-curious and bifriendly people and their partners has meetings at 7:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at The Pride Center of New Jersey. Boomers and Beyond A support and event programming group for sexualminority seniors meets at 7:30 p.m. every first and third Monday at The Pride Center of New Jersey.
Rainbow Room A meeting/activity night held for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth and their friends Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m. at the Rainbow Room of Planned Parenthood in Doylestown; (215) 348-0558.
Global A political, community and social group that also works to promote Bordentown as a gay-friendly community meets on the first Saturday of the month at Firehouse Gallery, 8 Walnut St., Bordentown, N.J.; jerseyglobal@yahoo.com.
Sports Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club
Delaware Pride Meets at 7 p.m. on first Thursday of the month at the United Church of Christ, 300 E. Main St., Newark, Del.; (800) 292-0429.
Meets for Tuesday and Thursday practice at Greene Field, Howell Street and Moore Road, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League GLBT softball league serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Games are played Sundays, beginning in April, in Fairmount Park; (215) 4622575; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners Running club meets Saturday mornings at 9:30 for a run and brunch. Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www.frontrunnersphila.org.
Delaware Valley Pink Pistols For LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for self-defense; meets at 2 p.m. on third Saturday of the month at Classic Indoor Range, 1310 Industrial Blvd., Southhampton; (267) 386-8907; www.pinkpistols.org. Friday Feast and Fun Dinner hosted by St. John’s Lutheran Church at 6:30 p.m. second Friday of the month, 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; (215) 576-8008.
Gay and Lesbian Bowling League Bowls at 8 p.m. Thursdays in the Norristown area; call Doug Schneidig; (716) 864-4393.
Haverford College’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance Open meetings 10-11 p.m. Mondays in the lounge in Jones Basement at Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave.; (610) 896-4938.
Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club GLBT and allied soccer club; practices Saturdays 10 a.m.-noon and Wednesdays 6-8 p.m. at Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park;www.falcons-soccer.org.
Latina/o Virtual Community Local listserv offers various information and resources; (215) 808-2493; Zorros_mail@yahoo. com; LatinPhillyLGBT@yahoogroups.com.
Philadelphia Fins Swim Team Male and female swimmers meet at 7 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays in Center City; (610) 564-6661; www.philadelphia-fins. org.
Lesbians and Gay Men of New Brunswick A social, educational and potluck group meets at 8 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at The Pride Center of New Jersey.
Philadelphia Gay Bowling League Meets 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays September through April at Brunswick Zone, 1328 Delsea Drive, Deptford, N.J.; (856) 889-1434; www. philagaybowling.com. Philadelphia Gay Flag Football New group forming. Contact Jered at gayflagfootball@gmail.com or (214) 770-5373. Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club Team seeks players; all skill levels welcome; (215) 913-7531; info@phillygryphons.org. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association Meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday at William Way Center; into@plta.us. Philadelphia Phoenix Women’s football team seeks players; (267) 6799535; www.philadelphiaphoenix.org. Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; (917) 656-1936; phury@gayhockey.org.
LGBTQ and Friends Activity Group Meets at 7 p.m. on third Friday of the month to plan outings and potlucks at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County. Long Yang Club Philadelphia Social organization for gay Asians and their friends holds monthly socials; P.O. Box 401, Philadelphia, Pa. 19105; www.longyangclub.org/philadelphia. Metropolitan Community Church Christian education program is held Wednesdays from 6-10 p.m. at the William Way Center. Our Night Out A casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, allied communities, friends and colleagues meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, send e-mail to OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; PhillyGayCalendar.com/org/OurNightOut. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice Offered from 5-8 p.m. on third Wednesday of the month; (215) 238-6333.
Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley Motorcycle club meets regularly; (215) 836-0440; www.groups.yahoo.com/group/rainbowridersdv/.
Philadelphia Prime Timers Club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; (610) 344-0853; www. primetimersphiladelphia.org.
Rainbow Rollers Gay and lesbian bowling league meets 9 p.m. on Tuesdays September-April at Laurel Lanes, 2825 Rte. 73 South, Maple Shade, N.J.; (856) 778-7467.
Philadelphians MC Club for leather men and women meets 7:30 p.m. first and third Mondays of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; (215) 627-1662.
Gay Bridge Club Non-beginners group meets Monday afternoons at the William Way Center; (215) 985-4835.
South Jersey Gay Bowling League Gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7 p.m. on Fridays September-April at Laurel Lanes, 2825 Rte. 73 South, Maple Shade, N.J.; (856) 778-7467.
Philly Paw Pals Gay and lesbian dog owners and their dogs meet on first Saturday of the month at a dog park; (215) 6185290; PhillyPawPals@aol.com.
Gay-friendly Scrabble Club Meets from 6-11 p.m. in the P.I.C. Building, 42nd and Locust streets; (215) 382-0789.
Spartan Wrestling Club The gay wresting team meets from 7-9 p.m. Mondays at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; (215) 732-4545; www.phillyspartans.com.
Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL affiliated; private; weekly HF nets, monthly newsletter, e-mail server; (302) 539-2392; www. rara.org.
Team NJ Meets at 7:30 p.m. third Thursday of the month at the Pride Center of New Jersey; (908) 234-1481.
Rock ’n’ Roll Queer Bar Party A party for gay and lesbian rockers with host Psydde Delicious starts at 10 p.m. every second Wednesday at N. 3rd, Third and Brown streets; (215) 413-3666.
Recreation
■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: (215) 587-9377
■ The COLOURS Organization Inc. 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; (215) 4960330.
Activism/Politics ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power)
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Diversity Dancers Ballroom dancers meet the first Sunday of the month for tea dance and lessons. Other events scheduled throughout the year; (215) 922-2129; DiversityDancers@aol.com.
Gay and Lesbian Scrabble Players in the tri-state area gather for socializing and friendly/competitive games; ScrabbleGroup@excite. com. Gay Opera Guys of Philly New group for opera appreciation meets last Sunday of the month at 2:30 p.m. in Roxborough/Andorra area; (215) 483-1032. Humboldt Society: Lesbian and Gay Naturalists Meets second Thursday of the month at the William Way Center; (215) 985-1456; www.humboldtsociety. org.
Team Philadelphia Meets at 8 p.m. second Wednesday of the month at the William Way Center; www.teamphiladelphia.org. Women’s Table Tennis New group forming. Interested women are encouraged to e-mail michelesimone19144@yahoo. com.
Etc.
Indepedence Squares GLBT square dance club, modern Western square dancing. Monthly open house. Tuesday classes in the fall; Lutheran Church, 2111 Sansom St.; (215) 7355812; www.independencesquares.org.
AIDS Law Project Provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/ AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing; 1211 Chestnut St., suite 600; (215) 5879377; www.aidslawpa.org.
Male Oenophile Group Male group forming to discuss, appreciate and taste various wines. Will meet once a month to investigate the nuances and glories of the fermented grape. Call (267) 230-6750 for more information.
BiUnity Philadelphia area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month at the William Way Center; www.biunity.org.
Mornings OUT LGBT Senior Social
BiZone
Silver Foxes Social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older meets from 3-5 p.m. on fourth Sunday of the month at the William Way Center. Stonewall Model Railroad Club Meets monthly; (215) 769-4230; k3k@yahoo.com. Temple University Lambda Alliance Meets from 7-8 p.m. on Thursdays at The Village outside the Lambda office, SAC 205, 1755 N. 13th St. Trenton Gay and Lesbian Civic Association Meets at 7 p.m. on third Wednesday of the month at the Mill Hill Saloon, 300 S. Broad St., Trenton, N.J.; (609) 396-9788. Thirsty Third Tuesdays Collingswood Out in the Neighborhood meets at 7 p.m. on third Tuesday of the month for coffee, dessert and conversation at Three Beans, 40 N. Haddon Ave., Haddonfield N.J.; (215) 439-8337.
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Classifieds With Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services and Personals
Realtors: Home prices to rise 4 percent in 2010 By Alex Veiga The Associated Press SAN DIEGO — Home prices are expected to grow modestly next year and sales will keep rising as the housing market continues to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression, the National Association of Realtors said last Friday. Home resales are projected to total 5.7 million next year, up from an estimated 5 million this year. Prices will climb about 4 percent after a projected decline of 13 percent this year, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the trade association. “Going into 2010, I anticipate that prices will also begin stabilizing or begin to modestly improve,” Yun told the audience at the association’s annual
conference and expo in San Diego. That should help ease buyers’ anxiety. “I don’t think the fear factor will be at play in 2010,” Yun said. The housing market’s rebound has been aided by an aggressive federal intervention to lower mortgage rates and bring more buyers into the market. Home resales rose in September to the highest level in more than two years, something Yun said shows buyers are eager to get back into the market. A federal tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers has helped stoke sales this year. The incentive was set to expire at the end of this month, but the NAR and other housing groups successfully lobbied to get the credit extended.
Now buyers can claim the credit if they sign a contract by April 30 and close the deal by the end of June. Lawmakers also expanded the program to include a $6,500 credit for existing homeowners who have lived in their current residence for at least five years. First-time buyers accounted for a record 47 percent of home sales this year, up from 41 percent last year, the trade group said. That surge helped drive traffic for real-estate agents like Jan McGill of Omaha, Neb., and the extension makes her more optimistic about business next year. “I’ve got to be positive,” McGill said. Yun estimated around 2-million people took advantage of the tax credit this year and projects it will continue to lift the market.
However, some housing analysts said the NAR’s forecast was overly optimistic, as it was during the housing bubble. Economists like Patrick Newport argue the tax credit has already enticed many buyers who otherwise would have waited until next year. “It induced first-time homebuyers who were going to buy a home in 2010 to buy in 2009 because they thought it wasn’t going to be extended,” said Newport, an economist at IHS Global Insight. Newport is projecting home prices will fall between 3-5 percent next year and that sales of existing homes will be flat, at best. “I don’t think that second tax credit is going to create a lot of new homebuyers,” he said. But Yun supports his case by
pointing to data from 2000, prior to the housing boom, when 11million renters had the income necessary to buy a median-priced home. This year, he said, there are 16-million renters in that position. “This clearly shows that there’s potential pent-up demand that could be tapped,” he said. His forecast calls for sales of newly built homes to surge by about 38 percent from 2009 levels. That translates to about 549,000 homes, still well below historical trends. Yun also sees the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage creeping up to 5.8 percent by the end of 2010 from about 5 percent today. Foreclosures, meanwhile, should peak in the first half of the year, he said. ■
Location! Location! Location! This week’s featured property
Beds: 7 Baths: 2.2 Square footage: 2,577 Age of property: 83 Cost: $425,000 Realtor: Andrew J. Mariano Real-estate co.: RE/Max Preferrred Phone: 610-325-4100 Direct: 610-789-0982 E-mail: andy@andymariano.com Web site: www.gayparealtor.com
Custom built Mediterranean-style home. True 3-story 7-bedroom house with 2 working fireplaces, 185-year-old-plus ornate mantle, family room, 2-plus car garage, heated front porch and much more. Awesome location!
Check your ad
PLACING ADS Using voicemail? Please be sure to have the following information ready when you call: • Your ad copy • The type of style you want • Desired abbreviations • American Express, Discover, MasterCard or VISA information • Your name and mailing
Ardmore, PA
address • Daytime telephone number Having all this information ready will speed your order and help to avoid errors. Phone calls can only be returned during business hours. For more information, see the coupon page in this section.
Philadelphia Gay News assumes responsibility for errors in classified ads only when notified by noon the Tuesday after the ad first appears. To receive credit for errors, please notify PGN by then. Credit only will be extended in the form of additional advertising space. Any cash refunds, for any reason, are subject to a $10 service charge. PGN will publish no classified ad — in any category — that contains sexually explicit language. Obviously excluded are traditional four-letter words that relate to sexual activity. Other words may be excluded at the discretion of the publisher, who reserves the right to edit or rewrite any ad that, in his opinion, violates this policy or its intent.
CLASSIFIEDS
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NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Real Estate REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
GREAT BUILDING IN GAYBORHOOD GREAT INVESTMENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY NEAR 11TH & LOCUST, $599K Come see this wonderful bldg w/2 spacious rental apartments and large commercial space on 1st floor. In the heart of Center City. Currently a doctor’s office, zoned C-1. Could be made into condos or large single dwelling. Great condition, price, location. Call for appointment. JULIE WELKER COLDWELL BANKER WELKER REAL ESTATE 215-235-7800 _______________________________33-52
PETIT CHATEAU FOR SALE ONLY 159K Unique 3br/1 Ba. In South Philly. Everything New! Victorian Details and custom restoration. Walk to Cafes! Realtor.com MLS # 5532838. For Appt 215-285-1419. _______________________________33-47 WOODED LAND & FARMS Riverfront & Ponds “Garage Sale” List Over 20 properties that must be sold now! Discounts as much as 50%. CALL NOW! 800-229-7843 www.LandandCamps.com _______________________________33-47 A Bank Repo! 4Br 3Ba $205/Mo! More Homes from $199/Mo! 5% down 15 years @ 8% APR. For listings 800-546-8656 ext R944 _______________________________33-47
VENTNOR, NJ, FACING THE BAY House and Adjacent Lot (inground swimming pool). 1st floor 3 bedrooms, bath, living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room and deck. 2nd floor 2 bedrooms, bath, efficiency kitchen, living room, dining area and deck. Central Air. Corner Property. Call 215 468 9166 evenings only. $675,000.00. Also property for rent1500.00 month plus utilities. _______________________________33-52
SALE
Now Leasing at
SALE
SALE
Rivercove
REAL ESTATE
SALE
REAL ESTATE
SALE
Over The Top Gorgeous! 31 Cameo Drive - Cherry Hill, NJ
Open House Sunday Dec 6, 1p-3p Siena’s 1st resale of this Pond & Spitz Custom Contemporary Single uniquely built w/1ST Floor Master Suite; Granite EIK; FP in LR; Hardwoods; Ceramic Tile; Custom Lighting & WTs; Study/4th Bdrm; 2 bdrms up; full fin bsmt w/3 storage areas; built-in/walk-in cedar closet; deck. MLS# 5609851
PGN
... an Active Adult Community
Find your new home from your cell phone... Text the name JODI to 87778
Offered at $549,900
Jodi Schwarzl
Sales Associate Licensed in NJ & PA Direct 215 275-7301
Cherry Hill Home Marketing Center 1401 Route 70 East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Office 856 428-8000 x179 Fax 856 429-7342
An independently owned and operated member of the Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.
Consider Packer Park for your next home? Luxury suburban living -- just minutes from the city • Maintenance free, carefree lifestyle • With access to the acclaimed River Winds Community Center. Two state of the art gymnasiums, two swimming pools, indoor walking-running track, outdoor trails
• In-unit Bosch washer and dryer • Located within the desirable River Winds Adult Community • Optional secure underground parking and so much more...
For more information or to schedule a personal tour of our exclusive property please call 856-589-4001 Grove Avenue, West Deptford, NJ Visit us on the web: www.rivercoveapartments.com
Suburbs in the City
PREMIER RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY Convenient to Sports Complex,International Airport, FDR Park, Walt Whitman Bridge & Much More. Safe, Beautiful, Welcoming, Convenient We have a Wide Variety of Sales & Rentals Something to fit any need
215 551 5100 bc@CapozziRealEstate.com
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NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
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CLASSIFIEDS
REAL ESTATE
SALE
REAL ESTATE
SALE
REAL ESTATE
SALE
REAL ESTATE
SALE
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Washington Township Office ����������� 5070 Route 42 Turnersville, NJ�08012 ����
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GREAT BUILDING GAYBORHOOD GREAT INVESTMENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
NEAR 11TH & LOCUST, $599K
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Come see this wonderful bldg w/2 spacious rental apartments and large commercial space on 1st floor. In the heart of Center City. Currently a doctor’s office, zoned C-1. Could be used made into condo’s or large single dwelling. Great condition, price, location. Call for appointment.
JULIE WELKER
COLDWELL BANKER WELKER REAL ESTATE
215-235-7800
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Office: 856.227.1950 ext. 124 Cell: 609.221.1196 www.conradkuhn.com Realtor856@aol.com
SWARTHMORE
$449,500
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This lovely Arts & Crafts home is in pristine condition. 3 bedrooms, 2.1 baths, new kitchen, central air, hardwood floors, fireplace, garage, separate entrance to office and more! Call for your appointment.
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Conrad Kuhn
Broker/Sales Rep. Since 1987 NJAR Circle of Excellence Sales Award 1991- 2007 Weichert President’s & Ambassador’s Clubs
Office: 856.227.1950 ext. 124 Cell: 609.221.1196 www.conradkuhn.com Realtor856@aol.com
Services Directory
satellite TV, heat and hot water, all included.
Open
WashingtonYou Township pay; gas Office cooking and electric. Subway 42 door. $1,200 / month. and 5070 bus atRoute the front 215-416-5545. Available May 2008. This is a Turnersville, NJ 08012 Houses Sunday Nov. 22, 2009 _______________________________32-18 5 bedroom, 2 Baths Bank Repo only $45,000!
Noon - 1:00 PMfrom $199/month! 5% down, 20 Payments ����������� ��������� _______________________________32-16 927 Spruce St. Unit #3. Very large townhouse style bi����� Bedroom Bank foreclosure only $207/month! level condo with 3 bedrooms, 234 baths, oors, skyline bedroom,wood 2 bath fl home only $238/month! 5% down, 20 years @8% apr! For listings views, possible deck and parking�������������������������������� ...............only $399,000 ��������������������
Art Museum Area-- off 26th St. (800 N. �������������������������������� _______________________________32-16 Bambrey, 19130) Corner quiet Large �������������������������������� 927 Spruce St. house Uniton#1F. Jr. one bed room, street, close to public transportation. Newly ������������������������� one bath, totally rehabbed condo with low fees and taxes. renovated, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, hardwood ___________________________________ floors, AC, laundry, deck, PARKING, wired.now ����������������� Parking available. Reduced only .................$199,900 ���������������� $1600+ call 215-990-4850. Go to kratzworks. Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split com for pix. level home 1:30 - 2:30 PMwith 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 Lovely 3 W/D, bd. 1upper ba. fully furnished home in _______________________________33-20 full baths, and lower decks, use of beautiful secluded gay court. 2 blocks to ���������������� kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 927 Spruce St. Unit 1R. One bedroom, one ba. newly beach, jitney at corner. Long season-12,500. Two bedroom split-level apartment on second min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least rehabbed rear garden area. Low fees Rent andis $600 + floor of row homecondo. at 20th andPrivate Christian streets. reasonably neat and employed. _______________________________32-17 LR, kitchen/dining, bath,available. small foyer. On-street Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. taxes. Parking Priced1/3 toutils. SELL Reduced now only . parking, pets okay. Utilities separate. $875+two _______________________________33-19 Lg. twhnse, 3 BR, 2.5 BA. No pets or smoking. ..............................................................................$199,900 months deposit. Scott 267.736.6743. NE Phila. house to share. $350/mo. Call Jim, _______________________________32-19 _______________________________33-18 215-821-1062. 927 Spruce St. Unit #2F. Large one bedroom, one ����������������� _______________________________33-18 selection�������������� of affordable rentals. Full/partial 1 bath BR apts. avail. facing Various choices. $750 rehab to Bestwith south unit. Total wood floors, deluxe weeks. Call for free brochure. Open daily. $1000/mo. Call soon, 215-901-0041. Beach blk. Share lovely 3 BR house w/senior Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102 Online kitchen. Super low fees and taxes. Parking available ............ _______________________________33-21 citizen. Full house privileges. Must be employed. $950/mo. Call Jim$249,000 at 609-458-3711 .....................................................................now �������������������� _______________________________32-16 eld, Debordieu, The 3 room apartment, living room, kitchen, bath, to discuss details. Jewels of the South Carolina Coast. House/ and bedroom (all Large rooms) 2nd floor, _______________________________33-19 Search all Philadelphia area listingsShare @ www.thephillyrealtors.com condo Beach start cable. here! 2rentals. BR apt. Uppervacations Darby, W/D, private entrance. $1000.00 month, includes www.lachicotte.com. For availability call 1$350. Call 610-352-1188. utilities. Call 215 686-3431 or 215-468-9166 Dan Tobey _______________________________33-21 _______________________________32-16 evenings. The Curtis Center Roommate wanted to share home in Norris170 W. Independence Mall , Suite L-44 _______________________________33-24 town. $600/mo. + half utils. Ref. req. Must love Philadelphia, PA 19106 ������������������ cats. call 610-270-0288. No drugs. 215.546.2700 Business • 267.238.1061 Direct Entire 3rd floor apartment for rent has large _______________________________33-21 215.432.7151 Cell • 215.546.7728 Fax eat-in kitchen with ice maker, built in micro, dtobey@cbpref.com d/w, garb disp. lots of counter and storage. hall �������� closet, very large living room, rent includes all channel Tevo. bathroom has a washer/dryer, � another hall closet and two bedrooms with more
������
REAL ESTATE
RENT
12TH & DICKINSON AREA Furnished Townhouse for rent: 3 levels. Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2 bedrooms , bath. Very Unique. 1500. mo plus util. (negotiable). Call 215 468-9166 after 6 pm. or 215 686 3431 daytime. _______________________________33-48 MANAYUNK APTS 1 BR 1BA $900 + utils 1 BR 1.5 BA $1200 + utils 1 BR 1.5 BA $1225 + utils EADEH.COM or 610-647-1776 PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS _______________________________33-49 OLD CITY APT 1 BR 1 BA $1000 + utils EADEH.COM or 610-647-1776 _______________________________33-49 WILLOW GROVE Lg 1 BR effi ciency, 1make BA, basement storage, Mystery shoppers, up to $150 a day. W/D, walkingshoppers distance needed to Septatorail and retail bus, Undercover judge shopping and mall. $750/mo. Experience 215-659-1060. and dining establishemnts. not _______________________________33-48 required. 877-280-7603. _______________________________33-19 WEST MT. AIRY Pensioner, inn, 9 AM-1 Large, brightGM 1 BR, HW609-287-8779 flrs, gas F/P, patio, dog PM only. run, laundry facil. $875/mo. incl. utils. Avail. _______________________________33-19 immed. 215-233-5303 for appointment. �������������������������� _______________________________33-47 No exp. necessary, WEST will MT. train. AIRY PT or FT. SJ shoreorarea. Call 609-645-2010. Sale lease partially renovated warehouse _______________________________33-19 for commercial use. 5000 SF. 215-233-5303 Travel, Travel, Travel! $500 Sign-on and for appointment. $500 Performance bonuses. Seeking Sharp _______________________________33-47 Guys/Gals, Blue Jean Environment, Music MT. AIRY BUSINESS DIST. Lovers Welcome! Janelle #888-375-9795 3500 sq. ft. corner. 215-233-5303 for appt. Start Today! _______________________________33-47 _______________________________33-18 SPRING CITY, CHESTER CO. Earn Part-time, home-based Internet business. Small studio apt. for or rent. $550/mo. $300 se$500-$1000/month more. Flexible hours. curity. Non smoking. Beautiful country setting. Training provided. No selling required. FREE Call 702-277-6864. details. www.K348.com _______________________________33-49 _______________________________33-18 RITTENHOUSE SQUARE AREA ������������������������ “ONE BEDROOM @$54K $995annually - Small including but well Avg. Pay $21/hour or located, with a great viewPaid of St. MarksVacafrom Federal Benefits and OT. Training. your Hot Water & Heat are tions.French PT/FT windows. 1-866-945-0341. included. Two Months Free on 15 month lease. _______________________________33-18 Call now! (215)546-1424. ���������������� National Company Hiring 18-30 Sharp People. _______________________________33-49 AbleSOUTH to Start Today. & Lodging PHILLYTransportation 10XX MORRIS ST. Furnished. NO EXPERIENCE Beautiful main st. home. 2 BR,Necessary. brand newPaid kit, Training. 18+ 866-734-5216. new H/W Over floors, refrig., W/D, large yard. No _______________________________33-18 pets or smoking. $1200/mo. Spectrum Realty, 215-389-2222. _______________________________33-47
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Drive the $700-$80 Problem. Call Now _______ Over 18? Travel a Business 2wks Pa Provided _______ Now Hirin EXPRES Equipme Insuranc be 22Yrs 863-4009 _______ Mailing B plies furn Now! 1-8 _______ “Can Yo Training Trackhoe QUALIFY 6497. _______ NOW AVA $18-$20/ ING, FE 1-800-91 _______
Seeking part-tim
ROOMMATES
The Philadelphia Gay News is seeking a part editorial you will perform PGN WILLintern, NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DIS-a variety of editorial staff. Duties might TINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS.include SUCH writing s NOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. event listings, research, factTHANK checking, ling, YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. projects.
___________________________________ Intern(s)GREATER may also the opportunity (dep NEhave PHILA. and your journalistic skills) attend split local events Have own bedroom in atobeautiful level home 2 gay men.and House is 4 BR,articles. 2 etc.) andwith write news features full baths, W/D, upper and lower decks, use of Intern(s) should be highly motivated kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 with str journalistic background is preferred min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least but not r have theneat ability to stay focused while workin reasonably and employed. Rent is $600 + 1/3 utils.be Contact at 215-698-0215. must able Dave to meet deadlines both on a dail _______________________________33-49 Thisw/2 is an (academic credit Daddy BRunpaid sks M/F. internship 69th. 610-352-1188. per week. _______________________________34-02 HIPSTER VEGETARIAN HOUSEMATE Skills: “Wanted. Poly/bi musician seeks to share Computer procient. (Prefer Word, e-mail, NJ home. 1 br avail,lg house, private yard, Photoshop a plus.) wireless. Artsy, veggie, non-smoking space. Organized, oriented 5 mins from NJT, 15detail mins from PATCO. $625. rebr2@comcast.net Solid written“and verbal communications s _______________________________33-48 Team player HAMILTON/TRENTON GAY HOME SHARE Please send résumé, cover letter Share nice 4 bedroom home with 2 gay men.and three $500. per month includes Editor, all utilities,Philadelphia full house Sarah Blazucki, Gay privileges, off street parking. PA Cable, wireless Philadelphia, 19147. Or e-mail, internet. Choose furnished or unfurnished room. Garage available for rent if you have storage needs. No smoking inside - outside o.k. Security deposit and reference please. 609-954-8763. _______________________________33-50 ���������� 2001 Toyota Celica GTS $2500! 2 door,custom Wishing made orange exterior, black interior, 96500 adore. W miles, 6 speed manual, 4 cyl. Contact info: loving, st
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CLASSIFIEDS
HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY
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HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
LIGHTING SALES POSITION Looking for someone who is well-organized, highly personable and professional, with an eye for design and attention to detail for an entry level position at one of Philadelphia’s premier lighting showrooms. People skills a must, design / architecture background a plus. Job is in Ardmore PA. Please send resume to info@rittenhouseelectric.com _______________________________33-49
Driver CDL-A: OTR Dry Van & Flatbed Positions Available. Great Pay, Benefits, Equipment. 1-Day Orientation. TWIC Card Holders Preferred. Class A-CDL, 22 YO, 1 yr. exp. Western Express 888-801-5295 _______________________________33-47 Driver: COMPANY DRIVERS average $800+ per week. Immediate Benefits. Great Equipment. CDL-A with 1 year experience, 23 yoa. Call NFI Sunday or anytime: 877-888-8476. www.nficareers.com _______________________________33-47
Tired of Living Pay to Pay? Drive the Big Rigs 35 Driver Trainees Needed $700 to $800 Week. No CDL, No Problem. No Credit, No Problem. Start ASAP. Call 800-961-4319. _______________________________33-47 COLONIAL LIFE Seeking licensed Life & Health agents to market voluntary employee benefit programs to employers. Register for our Informational Event. Call Trivonne Gilliam, 856-482-0218, ext.223. _______________________________33-47
SERVICES DIRECTORY
this space: only $25 per week*
Your ad dollars go further when you target your audience *when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today!
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NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
CLASSIFIEDS
HELP WANTED
Placing Classifieds Liner Ads
HELP WANTED
Adver tising Sales Representative PGN, one of the country's most award-winning Gay and Lesbian publications, is looking for a special candidate to fill this position in our advertising sales department. Applicants should have previous advertising sales experience, preferably in a similar environment. You should have a strong work ethic, good communication skills (both written and verbal), and an aggressive desire to sell advertising in this very special niche market. Most important, you should aspire to become an integral part of our successful sales team. We offer a competitive salary plus bonus, as well as Health Insurance. Applicants should call Greg Dennis at 215-6258501, ext. 219. Email resume to greg@epgn.com or send resume to: PGN, 505 S. 4th St., Phila. PA. 19147 Attn.: Greg Dennis EOE
In Person: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, By Phone or on the Web: 24 Hours, 7 Days
Deadline for Line Advertising is Friday at 3 p.m. for the following Friday’s issue. You may place your ad via our secure voicemail system, fax or e-mail at any time, or on our Web site. Please have the following information ready to place your ad:
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All classified advertising must be in our office by 3 p.m. Friday for the next Friday’s paper. Ads arriving after that time will be held for the next available issue. PGN reserves the right to edit or rewrite ads as needed, to refuse any ad for any reason and to determine the final classification. Ads determined to be in bad taste, directed to or from persons under the legal age of consent or containing racially or sexually discriminatory language will be refused. We need your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number on the insertion order form for you ad. This information is confidential and will not appear in the paper. Any ads received without full information will be destroyed. Sexually explicit language will be edited or refused at the discretion of the management.
PAYMENT AND PLACEMENT
Classified ads may placed online or by mail, fax, e-mail or in person at the PGN offices at 505 S. Fourth St., Phila. Phone, fax and e-mail orders are accepted with credit/debit cards only. A $10 minimum applies to all charges. If you are paying in person with cash, please have the exact change as we cannot make change at the office. All ads must be prepaid for their entire run. NO EXCEPTIONS! DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL; IT’S NOT SAFE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED.
TERM DISCOUNTS - BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ISSUES PREPAID 4 weeks, 5% • 8 weeks, 10% • 16 weeks, 15% • 26 weeks, 20%
CANCELLATION POLICY All PGN Classified ads are cancelable and refundable except for “FRIENDS” ads. Deadline for cancellation is 3 p.m. Friday. The balance will be credited to your credit/debit card. Checks take two weeks to process. The date of the first issue the ad appeared in, along with the classification, your name, address and daytime phone number is required to cancel your ad.
PGN now offers FREE online classifieds. Go to www.philagaynews.com for the details. You can also place your print ad through the Web site - it’s fast and easy!
Classifieds Liner Insertion Order
Select the TYPE STYLE you want from the examples below, and begin each line under the arrow to the left of the letter representing that style. Write to the end of the line (hyphenate words correctly. Do not stop at any other arrow, as each arrow represents a starting point. Allow one block for each letter, number, punctuation mark and space. Be sure to skip a space between words. PHONE NUMBER MUST INCLUDE AREA CODE. Be sure to circle one of the classifications and compute the cost of your ad. Liner advertising is on a PREPAY BASIS ONLY, and payment must accompany this form. PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL. Type STYLE A Type STYLE B TYPE STYLE C
A
B
HEADLINE (24 SPACES PER LINE) FREE WHEN PLACED ONLINE 40 spaces Per Line 36 spaces Per Line 24 SPACES PER LINE
7 point 7 point 7 POINT
C
NAME ADDRESS CITY PHONE
PLEASE PRINT STATE
ZIP
AMEX • MASTERCARD • VISA • DISCOVER CARD NUMBER EXPIRATION SIGNATURE NAME ON CARD # # #
“A” LINES @ $5.50 - $ “B” LINES @ $7.50 - $ “C” LINES @ $10.00 - $ BOX YOUR AD $5.00 SUBTOTAL NUMBER OF WEEKS X SUBTOTAL % TERM DISCOUNT AD TOTAL TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED
CLASSIFICATION (CIRCLE ONE) REAL ESTATE FOR SALE • REAL ESTATE FOR RENT • ROOMMATES • SEASONAL RENTALS • SERVICES • FINANCIAL SERVICES HELP WANTED • JOBS WANTED • BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES • FOR SALE • AUTOMOTIVE • AUCTIONS • TRAVEL RESORTS ADOPTION • PERSONALS • FRIENDS MEN • FRIENDS BISEXUAL • FRIENDS TV/TS • FRIENDS WOMEN
Return form and payment to: Masco Communications 505 S. Fourth St., Phila., PA 19147 or fax: 215-925-6437 or email: don@epgn.com
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NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIEDS
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SERVICES DIRECTORY ����������������
PAGE 108
PAGE 108 CLASSIFIEDS
W m APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008 CLASSIFIEDS
Want to let mom, dad all Yourand ad dollars go further when your youof target your audience exs know you’re tying the knot?
Is it time to look for a new doctor?
this space: only $25 per week*
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*when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks
Is it time to look for a new doctor?
Is it time to look for a ������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������� new doctor?
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today! FOR SALE
ADOPTION
Is Limescale Clogging your Appliances, spotting dishes, leaving residue? HYDROCARE Solves ALL of this and MORE! No Salts. No Magnets. Easily Clips to Main Water Pipe. Maintenance Free. Guaranteed! The Hard Water Solution 1-888-721-0129 www.goodwater411.com _______________________________33-47 Metal XB Standing Seam Roofing,18” W. 24 Ga. Kynar paint, M. Bronze, Reg. Price $1.61, Close-out “AS IS” price NOW $.96 SQ FT www. abmartin.net 800-373-3703. _______________________________33-47
ADOPT Childless loving woman (teacher) wishes to adopt a newborn. Financially secure home with close extended family. Legal/Confidential. Expenses paid. Please call Denise: 1-866-2014602 Pin#0196. _______________________________33-47 ADOPT A truly loving married couple wishes to adopt your newborn into a home filled with warmth, happiness, security, and endless love. Expenses Paid. Please contact Jessica and Terence at 800-556-1129. _______________________________33-47 Adoption: Loving parents and their 9 year old adopted daughter would love a baby brother or sister. Stay at home mom, professional dad. Expenses paid. Please call Becky/ Mike 800-472-1835. _______________________________33-47
SERVICES ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE From Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Computers, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 866-858-2121 www.CenturaOnline.com _______________________________33-47 AIRLINES ARE HIRING Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified -Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (888)349-5387. _______________________________33-47
BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES ALL CASH VENDING! Do you earn $800 in a day? Your own local candy route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy All for $9,995. 1-800-460-4027. _______________________________33-47 Insurance Agency for Sale. Affiliated with major national carrier. A great business opportunity! Upcoming Webinar November 12th. Please send inquires to: agencyforsalePA@aol.com or Fax: 866-296-7535. _______________________________33-47
o Electronic PGN: www.epgn.com
BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES
BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES
ADULT VIDEO & TOY STORE FOR SALE WITH 8 VIDEO BOOTHS. LOCATED IN STRATFORD, NJ. Send us your FOR MORE INFORMATION
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in wedding/civil union/ commitment edit ceremony Buy Police Impounds! 02 Honda Civic $950! 99 o Toyota Corolla $500! 99 Nissan Altima $900! announcement Hondas, Chevys, Jeeps & More! For listings Reach800-546-5204 Overext40,000 40,000 Readers Weekly Weekly For For As As Little Little As As $25.00 $25.00 A A Week. Week. Reach Over Readers ���������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������������� 3553. (21 and we’ll share it _______________________________33-47 with the City of Brotherly Love. AUTOS
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CALL TED 215-694-0060
PAGE PAGE110 110 PAGE 48 CLASSIFIEDS PAGE 110
LEGAL NOTICE
PAGE 110
CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008 CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS
LEGALHEALTH & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS
APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008
James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE Disability Consultant
James JamesM. M.Quesenberry, Quesenberry,MA, MA,CRC, CRC,CVE CVE Disability Consultant James M. Quesenberry, MA, Disability Consultant CRC, CVE Disability Consultant
James JamesM. M.Quesenberry, Quesenberry,MA, MA,CRC, CRC,CVE CVE Disability DisabilityConsultant Consultant
Social Security Disability Claims Appeals
Social SocialSecurity SecurityDisability Disability Social Security Disability Claims Appeals Claims Appeals Claims Appeals 215-629-0585 215-629-0585 215-629-0585
Social Social Security SecurityDisability Disability Claims Appeals Claims Appeals
215-629-0585 Suite 202 Oxford Valley Rd. Fairless Hills, PA 19030
APRIL APRIL25 25--MAY MAY1,1,2008 2008 NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
Suite Suite202 202 Suite 202 Rd. Oxford Valley Oxford Valley Rd. Oxford Valley Rd. Fairless Hills, PA Fairless Hills, PA19030 19030 Fairless Hills, PA 19030
215-629-0585 215-629-0585
Suite Suite202 202 Oxford OxfordValley ValleyRd. Rd. Fairless FairlessHills, Hills,PA PA19030 19030
PROVIDING DIRECT LEGAL SERVICES, EDUCATION & POLICY REFORM FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY. FREE LEGAL HOTLINE (215) 731-1477
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A www.equalitypa.org Terence S. Brady, Esq. Legal Representation In New Jersey Drunk Driving, Speeding, All TraďŹƒc Cases, Family Matters, Divorce, Visitation, Custody Criminal Matters, Real Estate Purchases, Foreclosures
Mt. Holly, N.J. 609 504 6310
Gay is our middle name.Reach Over 40,000 Reach Readers Over 40,000 Readers Weekly As Little As $25.00 Week. Weekly For As Little For As $25.00 A Week. Call A 215-625-8501 Toda
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
CLASSIFIEDS
PAGE 106
HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY
Family owned and operated. Residential and commercial electricians. Licensed and insured.
Radio dispatched crews. Emergency service available. All credit cards accepted. 30 years of industry experience.
215-722-2988
PAGE 49
• Custom Kitchens & Baths • Complete Home Remodeling • Interior/Exterior
877-K-Ridge-1 www.kridge1.com info@kridge1.com
LAUTERBORN ELECTRIC 100 to 400 AMP services House re-wiring Recessed and track lighting Troubleshooting For all your electrical needs call:
(215) 425-6693 (215) 688-8472
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Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today!
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS ADULT PERSONALS
PAGE 50
PAGE 54
FRIENDS
MEN
LOOKING FOR ROMANCE Attractive GWM, warm, sensitive, caring, 48 y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for other GWM, 30-50, who is also in good shape. I live in NE Phila. I’m looking for guys who are also sensitive, caring with a fun personality. If this sounds interesting to you feel free to call me, David, 215-698-0215. ������� _______________________________33-48
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������������������� 6’, 165 lbs., 60 year old Master, greek active, Attractive GWM, warm, sensitive, caring, 48 french requires obedient slave for y.o. withpassive a smooth gymnast build looking training, S&M, B/D, W/S, Limits respected other GWM, 30-50, who isetc. also in good shape. and Assistant Master wanted. I liveexpanded. in NE Phila. I’m looking for guys whoCall are Dave at 215-729-6670, day or evening. also sensitive, caring with a fun personality. If _______________________________33-48 this sounds interesting to you feel free to call GWM, Italian, top or bottom, 7” cut. Also into me, David, 215-698-0215. assplay, toys & water sports. Bi, straight, out _______________________________33-28 of towners welcome. Day or night. Call Jeff at 215-850-7900. _______________________________33-47 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 6’, 165 lbs., 60 year old Master, greek active, 11 PM. french passive requires obedient slave for _______________________________33-48 training, S&M, B/D, W/S, etc. Limits respected Slim, in shape GWM, 45 into safe J/O and and expanded. Assistant Master wanted. Call ass-play, also am top/bottom. Central NJ area. Dave at 215-729-6670, day or evening. 908-397-7194. _______________________________33-48 _______________________________33-51 Xdress sex party.SEEKING CD house orgy every Sat. nite. in GWM couple ISO younger GWMs 18-40 yrs. for WM late 50’s seeks men, Latinos 1 on 1 and group sex.friendship Stockings,& pantyhose, & Mexicans a +, for fun. Enjoy etc. Starts Sat. Call856-547-4163. Sat. 7-8 PM 856arts, travel9&PM outdoors. No 910-8303, ask for Mark. calls after 11. _______________________________33-24 _______________________________34-02 GWM, Italian, topSPECIAL or bottom,FRIEND 7” cut. Also into SEEKS assplay,male toysseeks & water sports. Bi, straight, out Bi/gay special friend. Perfer Ch. of towners welcome. DayNo or calls night.after Call22 Jeff at Hill, Roxboro, Myk. area. PM. 215-850-7900. Karl, 215-984-8881. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________33-50
Erotic Dungeon Master
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS FRIENDS
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������� Are You ������� Ready to Enter the Web’s Biggest and Best Adult Shopping Site?
���� ���� Toys & Novelites Lubes & Lotions DVD’s Apparel Fun & Games WM 60, 5’7’ 155, bottom, nice looking, discreet, GWM seeks new friends. 610-352-1188. Bachelor & Bachelorette Gifts fit, hot, seeks top men only for relationship in _______________________________33-21 NE. 215-264-1058Costumes LM. & Holiday ������������� Items
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Shuttle service within city limits, personal _______________________________33-19 All Transactions Safe and Discrete WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot shopping, help with bags, companion service, lite cooking, dog walking & house sitting, any action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after reasonable request. 215-205-5453. Refs. avail. 11 PM. Reasonable rates! _______________________________33-19 _______________________________33-18 ������������ 60 y.o., 5’7”, 160, 7” crossdresser looking for You: big equipment! Me: real nice white butt. casual sex. Northern suburbs. 215-538-2040 215-732-2108, 8-11 PM. ask for Zeta. _______________________________33-20 _______________________________33-21
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Let my strong hands release all your tensions. FULLBODY • SENSUAL • EROTIC “Ask about my specials” Have car and will travel City/Suburbs/Jersey Shore/Hotels
Reservation deadline is (215)465-2427 Friday, 3pm, prior to issue to appear. Camera ready �������� ��������� ads must arrive by noon on ��������������� Monday prior to issue.
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G-01 G-01 G-01
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009
G-02 G-02 G-02
Display Advertising Deadlines CERTIFIED
THE XXL SOURCE FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS
Strong Hands
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Reservation deadline Dominic: 215-910-9601 Visit my website: is Friday, 3pm, prior to issue to appear. Camera ready ads must 7 Handsome Certified arrive by noon on Make waves. Therapist prior to issue. 6’, Monday 195 lbs, Muscle Clean, discreet, CC location.
D-1
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Write a letter.
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Call 215-432-6030 PGN deadlines are B-7
strictly followed.
PGN
MODELS
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Sensual Full Body Massage & More
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PAGE 51
MASSAGE
MASSAGE
FRIENDS
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS ADULT PERSONALS
ESCORTS
Massage & More Handsome Certified Therapist
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G-02 B-7 B-7 B-7
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
COLOR
THE REGION’S LEADING BMW DEALERSHIP FROM DOWNINGTOWN TO DOWNTOWN
FULL PAGE BMW COLOR
Regina M Longo Client Advisor Devon Hill BMW Direct 484-654-1226 Email rlongo@devonhill.com
NOV. 20 - 26, 2009