pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Vol. 42 No. 49 Dec. 7-13, 2018
Family Portrait: Emily Pratt in the first position
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
DVLF serves up ‘TOY’ on a silver anniversary platter
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“Confessions of a Mormon Boy” can be heard (and seen) in New Hope
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Out candidates run for Common Pleas Court By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com
AQUA MEN: Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Philadelphia Fins Aquatics Club are past presidents John Culhane (from left), Brian Cahill, Anh Dang, Bob Breitel, Hanxiang Zeng and Tim Laskey. Almost 100 people turned out for the dinner and dancing event held Nov. 30 at William Way LGBT Community Center. For more information on the Fins, go to philadelphiafins.org. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Mazzoni Center board president calls it quits By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com After a series of resignations and terminations, Mazzoni Center announced that the president of its board of directors has resigned. Chris Pope will be stepping down as the center’s board president on Dec. 28, according to a Mazzoni Center statement Nov. 29. Pope, who has filled the position since last November, said he is stepping aside to “turn my focus to my family,” according to a statement released by him. Pope, the work-program manager at Wells Fargo Bank, joined the center’s board in 2013 as secretary. “I have been committed to Mazzoni Center for several years and worked with leadership to guide the organization through a difficult period,” Pope said. “Now with an interim leadership team in place, I decided to step aside. I have complete confidence in Mazzoni Center’s board and the organization’s leadership and look forward to continuing to support both.” Larry Benjamin, communications director at Mazzoni Center, said Pope’s resignation was “a logical follow-up
to the retirement of five legacy board members in October.” Benjamin added that Pope will remain as “a non-voting advisor to the board to ensure a smooth transition of leadership at both the board and the organizational level.” Nu’Rodney Prad, the board’s vice president, will serve as acting president, according to a statement released by the board’s executive committee. Pope “has helped to lead the organization through a very difficult time period and we are extremely grateful for his service to Mazzoni Center,” the statement said. The news follows the resignations of the nonprofit’s CEO Lydia Sciarrino Gonzalez and COO Ron Powers on Nov. 12. They will also remain in their positions until Dec. 28. A three-person group — the Interim Leadership Team — will lead the organization until Mazzoni Center determines a permanent leadership solution. The leadership team, comprised of Chief Financial Officer Racquel Assaye, Chief Medical Officer Nancy Brisbon and interim COO Alecia Manley, will officially assume leadership of the organization Dec. 3. n
Three openly LGBT candidates have announced runs for 10-year judgeships on the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, which rules on civil, criminal and family matters. Henry Sias, Tiffany Palmer and Wade Albert are running as Democrats in the May 21 primary. A primary win would ensure a follow-up victory in the Nov. 5 general election because the city is overwhelmingly Democratic. The court currently has 93 judges. Currently, there are six vacancies, but others may arise as 11 incumbents whose terms expire in January 2020 decide whether or not to seek another term by running in the May primary. Candidates must file nominating petitions signed by at least 1,000 registered Democratic voters in Philadelphia by March 12 in order to have their name appear on the ballot for the primary. Henry Sias, 42, is a trans man and civil-rights attorney based in South Philadelphia. He was unsuccessful in his 2017 bid for a seat on the court but made a strong showing and is trying again. “If successful, my campaign will make history,” Sias told PGN. “There has never been an out trans man who has won an election to state or federal government in America, to my knowledge — let alone a trans man who became a Philadelphia judge. I’m running to demonstrate that
Philadelphia’s court system is a resource for everyone, including people from historically disenfranchised groups like the transgender community.” Sias is a 2005 graduate of Yale Law School who served as a law clerk for several well-known judges, including Pennsylvania Supreme Court Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan. Between 2007-08, he was employed at the Center City law firm Blank Rome, specializing in white-collar criminal law, general commercial litigation, mass torts and political asylum. Sias and his wife Carey Ann Sias own a home in the Italian Market area. “Carey’s support has been instrumental in my career and I really appreciate her love and patience as I campaign again,” Sias said. In August 2011, Sias cofounded Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, a nonprofit legalaid organizaSherrie Cohen tion informally makes third known as the council bid Expungement PAGE 7 Project. The project has performed thousands of free criminal expungements for low-income Philadelphians, including within the LGBT community. In April 2017, after an PAGE 6
Local Catholics disappointed in Pope By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor Pope Francis, once seen as opening the door to gay priests with a 2013 statement to the press, seems to have changed his mind. When asked about gay priests then, Francis said in a groundbreaking statement, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” A new book, “La Forza della Vocazione” (“The Strength of Vocation”), written by Spanish missionary priest Fernando Prado and based on interviews with Francis, has the pope taking a different tack and tone. In the book, Pope Francis declares that homo-
sexuality in priests is a cause for grave concern within the Church. “The issue of homosexuality is a very serious issue that must be adequately discerned from the beginning with the candidates,” Francis told Prado when discussing potential applicants for the priesthood. “The Strength of Vocation” debuted on Dec. 3, in multiple languages, but it was early excerpts in Italy’s Corriere Della Sera newspaper that made headlines around the world and shocked a number of LGBTQ Catholics on the first Sunday in Advent. In the excerpts, the pope referred to homosexuality in seminaries, convents and monasteries as “a very serious question. In our societies, it PAGE 6
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
Resource listings Legal resources • ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215-592-1513; aclupa.org • AIDS Law Project of PA: 215-587-9377; aidslawpa.org • AIDS Law Project of South Jersey: 856-784-8532; aidslawsnj.org/ • Equality PA: equalitypa. org; 215-731-1447
• Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations — Rue Landau: 215-686-4670 • Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-7603686; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com • SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-920-9537
• Office of LGBT Affairs — Amber Hikes: 215-686-0330; amber.hikes@phila.gov
Community centers • The Attic Youth Center; 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331, atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. • LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania; 3907 Spruce
St.; 215-898-5044, center@dolphin.upenn.edu.
• Rainbow Room: Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center
Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065, rainbowroom@ppbucks.org.
• William Way LGBT Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220, www.waygay.org.
Health and HIV testing • Action Wellness: 1216 Arch St.; 215981-0088, actionwellness.org • AIDS Healthcare Foundation: 1211 Chestnut St. #405 215971-2804; HIVcare.org • AIDS Library: 1233 Locust St.; aidslibrary.org/ • AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800-6626080 • Bebashi-Transition to Hope: 1235
Spring Garden St.; 215769-3561; bebashi.org • COLOURS: coloursorganization.org, 215832-0100 • Congreso de Latinos Unidos; 216 W. Somerset St.; 215-7638870 • GALAEI: 149 W. Susquehanna Ave.; 267-457-3912, galaei. org. Spanish/English • Health Center No. 2: 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1821
• Mazzoni Center: 1348 Bainbridge St.; 215-563-0652, mazzonicenter.org • Philadelphia FIGHT: 1233 Locust St.; 215-985-4448, fight.org • Washington West Project of Mazzoni Center: 1201 Locust St.; 215985-9206 • Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207
Other • Independence Branch Library Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection: 215-685-1633 • Independence Business Alliance; 215-557-0190, IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com
• LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK • PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833 • Philly Pride Presents: 215-875-9288
DVLF celebrates 25 years By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund is looking to continue to fund programs and services for the LGBTQ community with its annual holiday toy-giving event, TOY, which doubles as a celebration of the organization’s 25th anniversary. DVLF has provided financial support to LGBTQ-serving organizations throughout the city and has been said to be crucial in helping emerging nonprofits in the community to grow and achieve sustainability. “TOY: The Silver Jubilee,” to be held Dec. 15 at the Arts Ballroom in the Gayborhood, will be DVLF’s biggest fundraising event of the year. The grant-giving organization is looking to raise $75,000 to help fund the operations of DVLF, which administers about $50,000 a year in grants from its endowment fund to meet the emerging needs of the LGBTQ community, said Juan Franco, DVLF’s executive director. “The funds will also support our general operations such as being one of the four organizational collaborators leading the LGBTQ Leadership Pipeline program,” Franco said. “The city’s program focuses on recruiting and increasing the number of people of color, trans individuals, youth and elders serving as board members at a Philadelphia LGBTQ nonprofit organization.” DVLF was founded in 1993 after co-founder John Cunningham considered developing a partnership between the LGBTQ community and The Philadelphia Foundation— the oldest community foundation in the country that serves the five counties of the Greater Philadelphia area. The partnership was intended to expand funding to address the quality-of-life issues for the community beyond HIV/ AIDS treatment. In its first three years, DVLF distributed more than $250,000 in grants. In addition to annual grantmaking, DVLF developed a community endowment to fund projects in accordance with the wishes of donors. The LGBT Elder Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for services for older LGBT adults, received funding from DVLF in 2013 and 2017. David Griffin, LEI’s director of programs and outreach, said as a smaller agency, “we’re not getting money from the state or from the city. For us, it’s been helpful to have community foundations support the work that we’re doing.” The DVLF grants helped to fund LEI’s strategic-planning initiative as well as its community-forum series on isolationism faced by aging LGBT adults. Griffin said the discussions resulted in a fair that connected older adults with volunteer opportunities at local aging-services organizations. “We were able to help some of those people overcome their isolation issues and connect them with community members to
build up their support networks,” he added. TOY, which launched in 2006, is DVLF’s annual holiday fundraiser where attendees are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy, which, in the past, has been given to patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. This year, toy donations will be given to Action Wellness, a nonprofit service organization that assists people living with chronic diseases to sustain and enhance their quality of life. Guests can also donate monetary donations in lieu of toys that will be donated to Action Wellness to purchase toys, Franco said. “This year’s TOY is a special version of our annual fundraiser. All attendees will be helping us to continue our legacy by amplifying our efforts to empower and advance the LGBTQ community through grant-making, scholarships, advocacy, community leadership development and education,” he said. The anniversary celebration will also recognize DVLF’s 2018-2019 LGBTQ Emerging Needs grant recipients: Till Arts Project; Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus; Qunify; Einstein Health’s Pride Clinic; William Way LGBT Community Center; Philadelphia Futures; GALAEI; Valley Youth House and Siloam Wellness. Each grantee will receive a grant award in the amount of $2,500 or $5,000. Kahari McKie, coordinator of Valley Youth House’s Pride Program — the longest-running housing program for LGBTQ youth in Philadelphia — said the $5,000 grant will go to supporting the newly established Pride Program Task Force. The group is a collection of LGBTQ young adults who have experienced housing instability. Sarina DiBianca, executive director of Siloam Wellness, an organization that provides “integrative mind, body and spirit services” for those living with HIV/AIDS, said she was “humbled” to be a recipient. “It’s incredible to have an organization that provides support to all individuals to be their true, authentic selves,” DiBianca said. Neha Ghosh, co-founder of the LGBTQ social community group Qunify, said the grant will help continue the group’s mission to “create completely inclusive and accessible spaces and events for all queer people.” “TOY: The Silver Jubilee” will also feature a performance by out comedian Matteo Lane, a silent auction and music provided by DJ Carl Michaels. The evening will be hosted by Raymond Smeriglio, the Philadelphia Eagles pregame host. For the first time, DVLF will host a TOY afterparty at Voyeur Nightclub where admission is free for TOY attendees. n TOY: The Silver Jubilee” will take place 7:30-10:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at The Arts Ballroom, 1324 Locust St, followed by the TOY afterparty at 10:30 p.m. at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James St. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.dvlf.org/toy.
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“Because Trump is so ghastly, it’s easy to soften the focus on Bush 41. But that is not the way history is told, nor should be written.” ~ Remembering George H.W. Bush, page 12
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21 — Feature: “Confessions of a Mormon Boy” 23 — Family Portrait 25 — Scene in Philly 26 — Out & About 29 — Q Puzzle
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LOCAL PGN
News Briefing Newtown Township approves antidiscrimination measure Newtown Township’s board of supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance to protect LGBTQ individuals on issues of housing, employment public and accommodations. The ordinance was approved with a 4-0 vote, with one supervisor not in attendance. The measure was modeled on the anti-discrimination ordinance enacted in Doylestown last year, and is part of a trend of Pennsylvania municipalities enacting LGBTQ antibias policies in the absence of a statewide law. A Human Relations Commission will be set up in Newtown Township to settle issues on a municipal level without having to go to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
Mazzoni Center’s inaugural Trans Awareness Ball OUR Way, Mazzoni Center’s transgender health and wellness program, will host the inaugural Trans Awareness Ball Dec. 15 as a continued celebration of the “remembrance, resistance and resilience” of trans people. The “Mobwives”-themed ball — presented by legendary ballroom housemothers Erica Kane Lanvin, Sexy Lexy Balenciaga and east coast mother Tatyana Escada — welcomes community members to walk, or compete, in more than 10 runway categories. Some of the categories include: “Performance: La Bella Mafia,” a performance inspired by rapper Lil Kim’s album “La Bella Mafia;” “Best Dressed: The Cotton Club,” in which participants dress in 1920s-inspired attire and “Realness: The Hit Women,” a competition that includes participants wearing all black and a fedora hat while incorporating the transgender flag into their performance. Participants can win a cash prize for each category, ranging from $100 to $800. “Trans Awareness Ball: Mobwives” will be held 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 15 at 1336 Spring Garden St. For more information on the categories, visit www.mazzonicenter. org/transgender-awareness-ball-categories.
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
Qunify’s discussion on queer activism Qunifiy, an LGBTQ social community, will host the latest installment of its “Our Stories” discussion series Dec. 15 focusing on stories of local queer activism. The event, which will take place 2-4 p.m. at the Lutheran Settlement House at 1340 Frankford Ave., will feature local LGBTQ activists and the stories of how they became involved in their work. Speakers will also address the challenges of activism within the LGBTQ community. Guests are encouraged to participate in a group discussion on the different aspects of social-justice activism and how to join activist movements. “Our Stories” is an all-ages, alcohol-free event. Admission is free.
Handel’s Messiah at Rittenhouse Voices of Pride will perform Handel’s Messiah 8-10 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Rittenhouse Square. Artistic director Daniel Schwartz will conduct the seasonal celebration, featuring Prometheus Orchestra. Selections include “And He Shall Purify,” “He Trusted” and the beloved “Hallelujah Chorus.” The Messiah was first performed in 1742 in the United Kingdom, the adopted home of German-born Georg Friedrich Handel. The premiere in Dublin drew such a large crowd that ladies were advised to leave the hoops in their skirts at home. While tickets will be available for purchase at the door, attendees can avoid the long line by purchasing in advance through Brown Paper Tickets. General-admission tickets cost $25, with student tickets available at $10 with a valid student ID.
The Attic’s winter-supply drive The Attic Youth Center is hosting its annual winter-clothing drive for the center’s members who are in need of warm clothing. The center is looking for donations of new coats, scarves, hats, socks and gloves for ages 14-23. All items should be adult sizes. Donations can be dropped off at The Attic, 255 S. 16 St., by Dec. 21. For more information on the clothing drive, contact Alyssa Mutryn at alyssa@ atticyouthcenter.org.
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Thinking Queerly
Kristina Furia
Thinking Queerly explores the psychological and social experiences of being LGBT in America and sheds light on the importance of LGBT community members prioritizing their mental health.
LOCAL PGN
CANDIDATES from page 1
extensive vetting process, Sias received a “recommended” rating from the Philadelphia Bar Association to serve as a Common Pleas Court judge. Sias told PGN he’s excited about the prospect of serving as a judge. “As a new judge, I’d obviously want to continue to learn from my fellow judges,” he said. “I’ve had the honor to clerk with two judges on this court, and so I already know the inner workings relatively well.” This past August, Sias was appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to serve on the 40-member Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, which has already held its first meeting. Tiffany Palmer, 47, is an open lesbian who’s practiced law for 20 years, primarily in the field of LGBT civil rights. “I’ve represented the rights of more than 1,000 LGBTQ families over the past 20 years,” Palmer said. Between 2000-03, she served as legal director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights. The center now operates as Mazzoni Legal Services. Palmer lives in East Mount Airy with her wife Lee Carpenter, a law professor at Temple’s Beasley School of Law, and their daughter Ellie. The couple has been together for 18 years. “I believe in equal justice and fairness for everyone,” Palmer said. “That has been has the foundation of my 20-year legal career. As a parent of a young daughter, I want her to grow up in a country where her government is true to these values.” Palmer also pointed to the current polit-
POPE from page 1
Only in Online and in print every second Friday.
even seems homosexuality is fashionable. And this mentality, in some way, also influences the life of the Church,” Francis tells Prado. “This is something I am concerned about, because perhaps at one time it did not receive much attention,” Francis said. Michael Rocks, president of Dignity Philadelphia, the LGBTQ Catholic organization, said he was disturbed by the Pope’s latest comments. “It’s very disappointing,” Rocks said. For more than 20 years, the Catholic priesthood has been viewed as an increasingly gay profession, making the pope’s comments all the more insulting, and, as Rocks suggested, evidence of Francis’s own “heterosexual machismo.” In November 2000, Father Paul Shaughnessy wrote a paper titled, “The Gay Priest Problem.” The article begins by citing a report that day in the Kansas City Star newspaper that hundreds of Catholic priests had died or were dying of AIDS, and that secret was hiding another: a gay priesthood. The essay details how the priesthood was now perceived — with AIDS cases among priests as the metric — to be at
ical climate throughout the country. “The 2016 election of Donald Trump really was a call to action for progressives around the country. The way in which the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court was conducted and the #MeToo movement were a call to action for female candidates.” Palmer said she’d like to serve on Philadelphia Family Court, a division of Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. “I have the most experience in Family Division and would hope to be assigned there, if elected. I have 20 years’ trial experience in family court. Philadelphia’s families deserve judges with extensive experience and compassion for the diverse populations that come before it.” Wade Albert, 36, is an openly gay attorney at Sobol Law Group who lives with his partner Peter Vasquez in the Graduate Hospital area. Vasquez is an obstetrician-gynecologist based at the University of Pennsylvania hospital. Albert has been active with numerous community groups. “I’ve always been a community-minded person,” he said. “I was the head of the Center City Residents’ Association for a year and a half. I also served as chair of the endorsement committee of Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club for four years. I’ve been an advocate for LGBT equality for about 15 years.” Albert said he’s skilled at resolving conflicts. “I’m a problem solver and I think there’s a role for that in the courts — whether it’s settling cases on the civil side or at looking to see how we can
improve the delivery of criminal justice. We need courts to focus on treatment and recovery — and not just giving people who are involved in nonviolent drug crimes long prison sentences.” Albert expressed optimism about the May primary. “I’m in this for the long haul. I’m not a novice to politics. I’m looking forward to making it to the finish line and getting past the finish line.” He said numerous people have offered to help with his campaign. “It’s overwhelming the number of people who’ve come forward to help me with petitions, canvassing, those kinds of things. One of the advantages of helping candidates in the past — I have a lot of friends and broad support from neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.” Albert also said he has a lot to offer the court. “I’d bring [to the court] a very deep experience in many areas of the law. I started out doing civil litigation. My specialty is employment law and I handle discrimination cases [at Sobol Law Group]. I’ve also handled pro-bono criminal and family-law cases. I’ve filed 120 expungement [of criminal records] petitions for clients for free.” Maida R. Milone, president and CEO of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, said the nonprofit is monitoring the candidacies of Sias, Palmer and Albert. “Our organization has always supported diversity on the bench,” Milone said. “We look forward to following the campaigns of the three out LGBT individuals running for the bench in Philadelphia.” n
least half a “gay profession.” That is not a picture of the priesthood Pope Francis wants promoted. We “have to urge homosexual priests, and men and women of religion, to live celibacy with integrity, and above all, that they be impeccably responsible, trying to never scandalize either their communities or the faithful holy people of God,” Francis said. “It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life rather than to live a double life.” Yet as Rocks noted, the pope makes no mention of heterosexual sexual behavior and its impact on the same vows of celibacy. As for the double life Francis alludes to for gay priests, a documentary on priests living clandestinely in heterosexual relationships was shown on Italian TV last month and Pope Francis intends to consider allowing some priests to marry. Francis has long said he appreciates the discipline of celibacy, but that it can change given it is discipline, not doctrine. Except for gay priests. In 2016, the Vatican reaffirmed banning gay men from Holy Orders. Francis is quoted in the book as saying, “It can happen that at the time perhaps they didn’t exhibit [that tendency], but
later on it comes out. In consecrated and priestly life, there’s no room for that kind of affection. Therefore, the Church recommends that people with that kind of ingrained tendency should not be accepted into the ministry or consecrated life. The ministry or the consecrated life is not his place.” Rocks called the double standard troubling and inconsistent with the call to the priesthood. “Isn’t it a gift that a chaste holy gay person brings to the setting?” Rocks queried. “I myself lived as a gay man in the clergy,” Rocks said. What worries Rocks about the pope’s rhetoric on gay priests is that it will force people to keep their gayness hidden and, Rocks said, that will be harmful and cause “psychological problems.” In August, noted Jesuit theologian Father James Martin authored a piece in “America Magazine” about “The Witch Hunt for Gay Priests,” writing, “The intensity of hate and level of anger directed at gay priests are unprecedented in my memory.” PGN reached out to the Philadelphia Archdiocese for comment, but at press time, calls to Communications Director Kenneth Gavin had not been returned. n
LOCAL PGN
Sherrie Cohen runs for city council for the third time By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com Sherrie Cohen, the daughter of the late Philadelphia Councilman David Cohen and an out lesbian, has declared her candidacy for an at-large seat on the city council because “it’s past time for our community to be represented,” she said. Cohen, who ran for an at-large Philadelphia City Council seat in 2011 and again in 2015, said the “third time is going to be the charm.” “There has been no openly LGBT person elected to city council. I tremendously appreciate our allies on city council, but it’s crucial to have someone from our community there,” Cohen said. “I believe we must be at the policy table when decisions are being made that impact our community, and I believe that every decision does — whether it’s about housing, education, jobs or healthcare.” Cohen comes from a history of family members dedicated to public service. Her father served as a city councilman for 29 years. Her mother, Florence Cohen, was head of the New Democratic Coalition of Philadelphia from 1969-1972 and served as her husband’s chief of staff from 19801996. Mark Cohen, her brother, was the state representative of the 202nd District from 19742016 and now serves as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas in the city. In 2011, Cohen was narrowly edged out of securing one of the top five Democratic at-large seats, coming in sixth place with 9 percent of the votes (43,690 votes). In 2015, Cohen came in eighth place with 7.1 percent of votes (45,847 votes). During her second run for city council, Cohen was the only non-incumbent and LGBT candidate to be endorsed by the Democratic City Committee. City Council consists of 10 members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. At-large members are elected to serve the city as a whole, compared with members who are elected to serve a specific district. The five at-large candidates receiving the most votes earn the seats. Cohen’s third attempt at run-
ning is an effort to “build bridges among communities so we can embrace our common ground and build stronger coalitions,” she said. “When we come together, we can really make change.” Cohen said her main priorities include finding solutions for the unemployment crisis facing transgender people of color, which she noted is five times the unemployment rate of the general U.S. population. “I’d like to work toward a citywide employment initiative for transgender and gender non-conforming people. I’d like to help increase education and more help so folks can access PrEP, as well as seek to create more housing for queer youth on the street,” she added. Cohen, who is a tenants’-rights attorney, added that other priorities include focusing on the displacement of longtime residents in neighborhoods caused by gentrification and high eviction rates. She also is looking to end the racial bias in policing, prosecution and incarceration. “I believe that one of our major problems is that poor and working people are disempowered in our city. I’m looking to engage with as many people from as many neighborhoods throughout the city as possible. We need candidates and officials who prioritize the needs of the poor and working people and candidates who speak to these concerns,” she said. Abdul-Aliy Muhammad, co-founder of the Black and Brown Workers Cooperative — a direct action social-justice group that claim to represent more than 400 workers in Philadelphia — will join Cohen’s team as her campaign manager. Cohen said the two are working with other activists to create a campaign platform that addresses the needs of the community with an emphasis on developing “a grassroots participatory campaign” strategy. “I call myself a ‘movement candidate.’ When I talk about coming together, I talk about the participation of movements in our city, whether it’s racial justice or educational justice. We need that inside-outside approach where we build strong bridges and have people in city council who are accountable to these movements.” n
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY AMY F. STEERMAN Attorney at Law
Concentrating in Planning for Lesbian and Gay Couples • Probate • Wills • Living Wills • Powers of Attorney
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
LOCAL PGN
Obituary Arthur Martin-Chester dies, of Men of All Colors Together By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor Arthur “Art” Martin-Chester, beloved husband of Stevie Martin-Chester, has died after a year-long battle with lung cancer. He died Nov. 30, just a month after his 74th birthday. An iconic figure in the Philadelphia LGBTQ community, Art Martin-Chester had been a longtime leader at Men of All Colors Together Philadelphia (MACT) as well as the National Association of Black and White Men Together (NABWMT). With his husband, Art had been a voice and force against racial discrimination in the LGBTQ community for more than 25 years. MACT-Philadelphia was established in 1981 as one of 10 national chapters of the San Francisco-based NABWMT, which advocates for diversity, equality and justice in LGBTQ communities. NABWMT also was developed as a support group for gay men in interracial relationships.
According to the LGBTQmunity Center of Montgomery County, at which he had been a board member, Arthur Chester met Stevie Martin at Metropolitan Community Church of New Haven, Conn., in 1992. Their love affair and romantic partnership became the pivot for their activism. As an interracial couple, they fought discrimination within the gay community. In 1993, the couple moved to Norristown, Pa., and on May 14, 1994, had a spectacular wedding on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The wedding was officiated by Rev. Troy Perry, founder of Metropolitan Community Church. At that time Art and Stevie changed their last names to the hyphenated Martin-Chester. Gary Hines, MACT’s membership development chair, who had known Art for years, spoke of him with sadness at his passing and expressed respect for his activist life. Hines said he had known Art “over many, many years” and that Art had done an immense amount of work with and for MACT among other groups and causes. “Art was one of the faces of the 90s and 2000s,” Hines said, referencing the long fight to fully integrate Philadelphia’s gay bars, adding that Art and Stevie were the long-time faces of interracial gay activism
in Philadelphia. “He was everywhere,” Hines said, noting that Art was always deeply engaged in social and activist work in some part of the community, including MACT, Metropolitan Community Church and the William Way LGBT Community Center. “He was a leader in so many different initiatives. He was just always there, always part of the current [political] action.” Hines said it was only over the past year of his illness that Art had been forced to scale back his activist work, just as MACT was becoming more political as a reaction to Donald Trump’s presidency. In 2013, Art and Stevie were part of an activist action in Montgomery County, getting a marriage license when D. Bruce Hanes, Montgomery County Register of Wills, was providing them to same-sex couples and then-Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane declined to fight it. The couple were married at the Montgomery County Courthouse on August 11, 2013, two years before same-sex marriage was legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court. At the 2017 Outfest, Art and Stevie were dressed in matched hot pink hats and T-shirts when WHYY reporter Shai Ben-
Yaacov spoke to them. They spoke about their transgressive marriage. “We were No. 15 to get married,” Stevie remembered. “When we first got together 25 years ago, we always said we would marry. As you see, we dress alike. We hold hands everywhere, we hug and kiss everywhere, and people ask us, ‘Why do you do that?’ I said, ‘We’re Americans. It’s our right to do that.’” Art told Ben-Yaacov that the couple had never tried to hide their sexual orientation and “People see that we are who we are and they feel a positivity,” he said. In addition to his husband, Art is survived by his three children and their spouses: Eric Chester (Jennifer), Greg Chester (Jessica), and Jennifer Hatcher (Council) and his grandchildren Talia, Miles, Joseph, Bishop, Maison, and Adelaide. He is also survived by his siblings and their spouses, Richard Chester (Janet), David Chester (Cathy), Claudia Freeman (Dana), Timothy Chester (Sharon), and Karen Sova (John) and by his nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are invited to his Memorial Service 2 PM Saturday, December 15, 2018 at Whosoever Metropolitan Community Church, 3637 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Interment was private. n
INTERNATIONAL PGN
International European court: Russia’s ban on LGBT rallies violates rights The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a ban on LGBT rallies in Russia violates the human rights of those wishing to march. The court based in Strasbourg, France, called Nov. 27 on Russia to introduce “systemic measures” to remedy the violations of the European Convention of Human Rights, to which Russia is a signatory. Russian authorities have been putting obstacles on LGBT rallies for years, turning down LGBT permit requests. The court said Russia’s refusal to hold public LGBT events couldn’t be justified by public disorder concerns and breached the rights to freedom of assembly and “not to be discriminated against.” In a perceived bid to legalize a permanent ban on gay rights gatherings, in 2011 Russia adopted legislation on “gay propaganda” that outlaws LGBT gatherings near children.
President signs transgender identity law in Chile Chile’s president has signed a law that lets people over the age of 14 change their name and gender in official records.
Media Trail School blocks Chick-fil-A as dining option, cites values WKYT reports students at a private university in New Jersey can eat more chicken as long as it’s not Chick-fil-A. Rider University removed the restaurant from a survey of dining options “based on the company’s record widely perceived to be in opposition to the LGBTQ community.” The fast-food chain was included in previous surveys. Chick-fil-A says it has supported Christian values. Its corporate purpose is ``To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.’’ Rider says it understands some may view the decision as a ``form of exclusion.’’ But the school says it wanted to be ``faithful to our values of inclusion.’’ The university plans to hold a campus
Center-right President Sebastian Pinera says the measure signed Nov. 28 will help overcome “painful, discriminatory experiences.” But he says a full solution to discrimination against transgender people “requires a cultural change, which has to be in the soul, in the heart of all Chileans.” The measure will take effect after rules to implement it are drafted. Congress passed the measure in September after a five-year political battle. The law makes it possible to modify birth certificates through a simple process at the civil registry. Those between the ages of 14 and 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian, along with consent granted by a family court.
Alleged Canadian serial killer won’t stand trial until 2020 A Canadian man facing murder charges in the deaths of eight men with ties to Toronto’s gay village won’t stand trial until January 2020. Bruce McArthur said little in a brief court appearance Nov. 30 and avoided looking at the family members of his alleged victims. Early this year, police found the remains of seven of the men in large planters at a property where the 67-year-old McArthur worked as a landscaper. The remains of the eighth alleged victim were found in a ravine behind the same property in midtown Toronto. The prosecution said it was ready to start the trial next September, but the defense said it wouldn’t be available until January. The trial was then scheduled to begin on Jan. 6, 2020. n — Compiled by Larry Nichols
forum so that all voices can be heard. Chick-fil-A has not returned a message seeking comment.
First drag show at Utah State University draws large crowd The Daily Herald reports the first-ever drag show at the traditionally conservative Utah State University drew a large and supportive crowd to cheer on 10 drag performers in an event that organizers said marks real progress on LGBTQ issues. The recent show was held as part of a discussion about drag culture and the LGBTQ community. Performers danced and sang and also answered questions about what taking part in the show meant to them. Tyler Jones, who performed as “Anya Bacon,” said it was a moving experience to hear the warm response from the 1,000 people in attendance. Jones cried backstage afterward. Hannah McDonald, one of the organizers, said it was amazing to see the passion and love on display. n
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
event and travel photography
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
EDITORIAL PGN EDITORIAL
Creep of the Week
D’Anne Witkowski
Peter LaBarbera
Editorial
Is the pope a homophobe? LGBTQ Catholics and allies are reacting harshly to comments by Pope Francis in a forthcoming Spanish-language book about religious vocations. The big question is, why? The pope, an Argentinian, was elected in 2013. That same year, during a flight back to Rome, the pontiff told reporters that while homosexual acts are sinful, being inherently homosexual is not. “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” This comment was isolated as an indication that Francis would be a more tolerant pope than any in recent history. But in that same impromptu press meeting, the pope also said that while women should play a greater role in the Church, there is no room in the priesthood for them. “That door is closed.” For practicing LGBTQ Catholics who had hope for a more progressive Church, it is unclear why this pope would be fundamentally different from any other in past centuries. What is interpreted as Francis’ liberal politics ultimately is tempered by his own equally intolerant comments and a lack of action to counter the more virulent conservative current running through the Vatican. This pope has a penchant for saying one thing and then immediately saying the opposite. To wit, he told Vatican journalists the year of his ascension that gay clergymen should not be “marginalized” but “must be integrated into society.” That remark was followed by a condemnation of gay lobbies, lumped in with Masonic and “greedy” lobbies, whatever that means: “The problem is not having this orientation,” he said. “We must be brothers. The problem is lobbying by this orientation, or lobbies of greedy people, political lobbies, Masonic lobbies, so many lobbies. This is the worse problem.” It seems sisters and gender-variant people are not part of the pope’s worldview. Is that really surprising? You don’t have to look as far as Rome to find homophobia in the Catholic Church. Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput told a synod, or an assembly of the clergy, in Rome this past October that references to LGBTQ people should not exist in church documents. Why? Because one’s “sexual appetites” do not define who they are, he said. Chaput is part of the conservative Catholic wing within the church that blames homosexuals for sexual abuse within the priesthood. Neither the pope nor his immediate representatives disavowed Chaput’s statements, which means Philadelphia’s archbishop speaks as a sanctioned representative of the Vatican. For LGBTQ Catholics shocked by the pope’s most recent comments that homosexuality is becoming a “fashionable” lifestyle that negatively influences the Church, rest assured that this is just business as usual. n
OMG, you will never believe this but Peter LaBarbera is in jail. Just kidding, kind of. For those of you familiar with LaBarbera, the specter behind Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, you’d be forgiven for assuming that he was in jail for hate-criming someone — probably a transgender teenager wanting to attend prom or something. In reality, LaBarbera is merely in Facebook jail. (But, then again, aren’t we all?) LaBarbera is super upset about his 30-day suspension from Facebook after posting photos of Alex Jacob’s post top surgery along with an invitation to the AFTAH banquet, promising that AFTAH would help stop “transgender insanity” and “gender deviance and body mutilation.” “The picture is from the Twitter feed of Alex, a beautiful young woman who had her healthy breasts surgically removed two years ago in her tragic quest to identify as a man,” LaBarbera writes. A couple of things. First, whether or not LaBarbera thinks pre-op Alex is “beautiful” is irrelevant. Note to LaBarbera: Alex’s body isn’t, wasn’t, and never will be your business. The only thing “tragic” about this whole thing is LaBarbera’s obsession with LGBTQ people and his commitment to hating them. Second, LaBarbera links to Alex’s Twitter feed and so I went to check it out and OH MY GOD ALEX HAS THE CUTEST CORGI PUPPY NAMED CHARLOTTE SORRY I AM LITERALLY DEAD FROM ACUTE CUTENESS! (OK, so I’m not literally dead, I’m figuratively dead.) But Alex’s Twitter isn’t all cute puppies. It’s got a fair share of trans realness, too. “Sometimes i have these lil moments where i look in the mirror n see the way a shirt falls over my flat chest n get so ecstatic,” Alex tweets. “it’s been over 2 yrs since top surgery & it’s easy to forget about the pain i felt pre-op but I don’t think I’ll ever stop having these moments of pure joy n comfort in my own body.” Pure joy and comfort, huh? That’s a lot different than the “tragic quest” LaBarbera depicted. The “pain” Alex is referring to isn’t physical pain, but emotional pain. It’s a pain that cisgender people don’t, and probably can’t, fully understand. And it’s why LaBarbera’s insistence that people like Alex are damaged and sick is so appalling. Trans people have higher rates of suicide precisely because of the kind of societal pressure rejection LaBarbera traffics in. Not that anyone needs to tell Alex that. “Transphobes will treat trans people like freaks & deny us basic human rights only to later use our high suicide rates as
proof that we don’t deserve validation & support,” Jacobs said. It’s a vicious circle, and one that literally costs lives. So LaBarbera can spare me his sob story about his cyber exile. “To tell you the truth,” LaBarbera writes, “I can’t even keep track anymore of how many times I or AFTAH have been ‘jailed’ or unpublished by these leftist ‘Tech Totalitarians’ in the last few years.” For someone who claims to be a purveyor of “truth,” LaBarbera sure lies a lot. But in this case, I believe him. He probably can’t keep track of all of the times he’s faced consequences for advocating hate against LGBTQ people. However, the number of times he has either faced no consequences or has even benefitted from peddling hate is far, far greater. “I don’t have any answers on how to combat this escalating corporate speech control, which is far more menacing than the government ‘hate crime’ laws conservatives feared for so many years,” he writes. If LaBarbera thinks it’s tough to be a right-wing bigot online he should try being, say, any woman with an opinion on Twitter. Women online get rape and death threats for posting things like, “I really loved the all-female Ghostbusters reboot!” And even when the accounts of those threats are reported, they often don’t get put into Facebook or Twitter “jail.” They just hang out there, unchecked, just like sexism and misogyny IRL. LaBarbera will not be deterred, however. “We must never, ever, ever give in to this radical, anti-God LGBTQueer sex-andgender revolution and its apologists,” he writes. “Their agenda harms children, and we cannot let them silence us. Hopefully reason and sanity will prevail over the growing ‘LGBTyranny’ that threatens our cherished freedoms as Americans.” Ah, yes. Our cherished freedoms to post super shitty things about people on Facebook. Like the founding fathers intended. “Keep on fighting,” LaBarbera writes. And the truth is, LaBarbera truly is fighting the good fight. He’s just on the wrong side. Oh, and his Twitter feed has no cute Corgi puppies AT ALL. Complete waste. n D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.
OP-ED PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
The warriors fighting AIDS Last week for World AIDS Day, Penn me inspiration on what to say. They did Medicine honored me with its Red Ribbon not disappoint. Pioneer Award. Truth is, it really hadn’t My turn came after Bob Schoenberg, dawned on me, why me? who created the LGBT When notified about it a month Center at The University of prior and asked if I’d accept, it Pennsylvania, introduced wasn’t an issue why. After all, me. He started out by saying, it’s Penn Medicine Center for “When I heard that a white, AIDS Research — one of the Jewish gay guy was getting premier centers in the world the Pioneer Award, I thought for HIV/AIDS research. So it that was great, since I thought wasn’t the institution, but rather it was me.” Great opening and if I was deserving of the recoga big laugh, but those words nition since most of my activity spoke volumes and I’m sure he on the issue was in the past. chose them well. And at that Penn is in the current battle. point, I knew what I should There is a whole new world say. of HIV/AIDS services, educaThanking those who pretion treatments and research, sented the award, I mused how most of which I am not I was, then leaned Mark Segal perplexed involved with, so the mystery to back on what I had heard from me just grew. other speakers. At the presentation, I was fully unpre“Many of you today told us that our pared and thought that I’d speak off the goal is zero AIDS patients, and you have cuff instead of having any prepared notes. the resources that will get us to that At these events, you hope to be among point. I come from a time when there the first speakers since you don’t want were zero resources and we had only our anyone to use similar material that you community to rely on. There was a time intend to speak on. But last week, I was when Philadelphia Gay News was called happy just to sit there listening to the ‘Philadelphia AIDS News,’ since that literother speakers in hopes they would give ally was the only story in our community.”
Mark My Words
Op-Ed
Street Talk Then I looked around and saw in the audience people who I personally consider pioneers and said, “Want to meet pioneers? There’s Chris Bartlett, who fought to have safe needle exchanges. There’s Tyrone Smith, who screamed and yelled about the plight that AIDS was having on people of color. There’s Jane Shull, who created one of the first AIDS organization for and about people with AIDS. Heshie Zinman, one of the first fundraisers fighting to raise a few dollars. … “Today, HIV/AIDS is a multi-billion dollar service, education and research engine that literally has changed the world of social services, treatment and research.” I ended my acceptance speech with, “I recall when AIDS was a death sentence. Thanks to you and the pioneers in this room, it’s now a one-pill-a-day disease. And, if we all work together, we will get to zero. I know that, since I know these pioneers and what they did to get us to where we are today — on the precipice of a cure. n Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s mostaward-winning commentator in LGBT media. You can follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ MarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter.com/ PhilaGayNews.
Robyn Ryan
Conversion therapy hurts trans women too: A trans survivor speaks out I was racing my motorcycle down I-95 in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2007 as words and statements from years of conversion therapy repeated in my thoughts. Sinner. Sexual deviant. Doomed to hell. You’re not a woman; you weren’t born one and you’ll never be one. I hit the throttle. My bag shifted and I reached back to steady it. The next thing I remember is lying on the side of the road and praying for death. Although I survived the accident, I committed myself to another three years of conversion therapy, hoping to change not my sexual orientation but my gender identity. Following recovery, I believed surviving the motorcycle accident was God’s way of giving me a second chance at living as the man members at my church wanted me to be. I did not want to risk losing this faith community who provided more support than my family growing up. The fact that large numbers of trans individuals are and have been subjected to conversion therapy is often a surprise to people. Most often, the stories shared on television and in the media focus on conversion therapy attempts to change sexual orientation. But conversion therapy can be
just as dangerous when targeted toward one’s gender identity. I know: It nearly cost me my life. For as long as I can remember, I always identified and felt like a woman. But I also knew I needed to stifle those feelings to maintain respect from my church community. I loved and feared losing that community, and I desperately wanted to get rid of those feelings for the sake of my faith. Nine years earlier, I joined Urban Hope Community Church in Kensington, where rumors of me being a “sexual deviant” spread among church members, simply because I identified as a transgender woman. According to the pastor, I was doomed to Hell. He told me that my gender was a lifestyle choice, not who I was. To maintain my membership in the church, I agreed to participate in conversion therapy at Harvest USA — a local ministry of the now defunct Exodus International — whose purpose is to “transform the lives of those affected by sexual sin.” Sometimes called “ex-gay” or “reparative therapy,” conversion therapy attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. According to the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Born Perfect Campaign, conver-
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sion therapy can happen anywhere, in any part of the country, and in any setting — from a therapist’s office to a church group. When I proved resistant to the efforts of Harvest USA, church leaders at Urban Hope urged me to join Setting Captives Free, an online sexual addicts group for men. It seemed odd for me to join this group as I was not struggling with sex addiction, nor did I identify as a man. Like Harvest USA, Setting Captives Free told me my transgender identity was on par with pedophilia and murder. I was told that God did not design me to be a woman, so I needed to “stop pretending” I was one. They further counseled me to stop my “irrational thinking” and to destroy all relationships, group affiliations and material possessions that were attached to my life as a woman. There were times when members from both of these groups came to my home and bagged up hundreds of dollars worth of women’s clothing and accessories I owned, often ending their visits by praying over me. But taking away my things couldn’t and didn’t change who I am. And while these experiences have scarred me emotionally, I finally found the PAGE 12 strength to walk away
What's your opinion of the presidency of George H.W. Bush? “He was just a oneterm president. His presidency didn’t have much of an impact. How much can you accomPatrick Cummings plish in graphic designer four years? Germantown He promised not to raise taxes but he reneged on that promise. I don’t hold that against him, because that’s what politicians do. But it obviously didn’t help him get reelected.” "He managed to navigate difficult international conflicts with skill. But I didn't care for his domestic Rebekah Femia policies. I property manager was furious Pennsport when he nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. The hearings set a dangerous precedent that allowed Brett Kavanaugh to get confirmed." “I don’t think his presidency was as bad as his son’s. I’ll give him that much. But I didn’t agree with most of his Mary Mulligan policies. cook His foreign Germantown policies were too imperialistic for me to agree with. He also did nothing to help with the AIDS crisis. He missed a real opportunity to help save lives that were lost in the epidemic.”
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
Body U
Megan Niño
News Analysis
George H. W. Bush remembered By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor
Looking to get in shape, shed a few pounds or just prioritize self-care? Body U answers your exercise questions to help you be your best you.
George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, died on Nov. 30, just hours before the start of World AIDS Day. He was 94. Bush is being viewed through the lens of the current virulently homophobic, transphobic, misogynist and racist administration as one of the last “moderate” Republicans: A man who would cross the aisle as a brave bipartisan and indeed did so to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016 because of his grave fears about Donald Trump’s candidacy. Bush is known for his landmark 1990 legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act, which changed lives literally overnight and was the first law of its kind in the world. In recent years Bush has been known mostly for his deep love for Barbara, his wife of 73 years who died in April, his wild socks and his friendship and philanthropic work with former president Bill Clinton. Bush is not so much being remembered for allowing people with AIDS to die, for the Willie Horton race-baiting ad that fomented the waves of GOP racism we have today, for vetoing the 1990 Civil Rights Act, for a series of covert wars from Panama to Grenada to Somalia, for instigating the war on women and women’s bodily autonomy, for replacing one of the greatest Supreme Court justices in American history, Thurgood Marshall, with one of the worst, Clarence Thomas, or for the first war on Iraq, which would lead his son, George W. Bush, to “finish the job” by going back — where America still is today, nearly 20 years later. In the way of American politics, the further one is from one’s former political position at the time of death, the higher the likelihood of hagiography. Bush 41 has his own icon on Twitter
and is being lauded throughout the country as a kind and generous man and a picture of civility. The videos shown of Bush 41 over the days since his death are those of his valor in the military, his love affair with his wife and his love for his children and grandchildren. But I and thousands of others who were AIDS activists in the late ’80s and early ’90s remember a very different Bush 41. We remember the man who continued the silence on AIDS begun by Ronald Reagan, for whom Bush had been vice president for eight years, while thousands were dying. We remember Bush 41, whose face had supplanted Reagan’s on our protest signs with the accusation MURDERER writ large across them. We remember the ACT-UP “ashes action” on Oct. 11, 1992, on an unnaturally warm day in D.C., where the cremated remains of people with AIDS were thrown onto the White House lawn after a march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Philadelphia ACT UP was there — a big black banner with a pink triangle on it signaling our presence. Others carried banners that read SILENCE = DEATH. Many wore T-shirts with pink triangles on them. Still others — this was before the AIDS quilt — wore T-shirts with the faces of their lost loved ones on them. People carried urns and other receptacles, signs with the names of those who had died. It was eerily quiet given the thousands who were there, with a mournful drumbeat along the walk on the Capitol grounds, as people moved toward the Washington monument chanting “Bush and Quayle belong in jail/150,000 dead.” When only the beautiful and loving moments of a life are shown, it’s easy to get misty-eyed over the loss. The lens through which we’ve viewed Bush 41 elides all the discomfiting
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from those that denied my existence as a transgender woman. Now working with counselors who align themselves with a number of major medical and mental health organizations that have denounced conversion therapy as harmful and ineffective, I understand how my time at Urban Hope, Harvest USA and Setting Captives Free was neither therapeutic, helpful or calming. I know I am not alone in my conversion therapy experience, as nearly 700,000 people in the United States have been through these discredited practices, and many will still undergo them. According to UCLA’s Williams Institute, an estimated 20,000 LGBTQ youth between the ages of 13 and 17 will undergo conversion therapy from a licensed health care professional before turning 18.
parts: The debate in which he asserted that people with AIDS were responsible for their own deaths because of their “behavior;” The Willie Horton ad that pre-dated Trump’s racism by nearly 30 years, but gave birth to the thuggification of black lives; the long, deliberate series of actions from Bush’s years as vice president through his own presidency that demonized women for attempting to control their own bodily autonomy. As head of both the RNC and the CIA, Bush had a breadth of power over the vision of the Republican Party that no one, with the possible exception of Reagan himself, has had before or since. Because Trump is so ghastly, it’s easy to soften the focus on Bush 41. But that is not the way history is told, nor should be written. The charm of a beloved grandfather sitting in a wheelchair petting his service dog, Sully, is not the same aura as that under which we lived during the 12 long years of Reagan-Bush. Laud the civility of the latter years of Bush 41 if you must — certainly he did good philanthropic work with Clinton. But there was no civility in that impatient comment about people with AIDS. Nor was there civility in Bush’s looking at his watch during the final debate with the much younger and more charismatic Bill Clinton. No one wants to speak ill of the dead, but we must remember that history is a record of what happened. Under Bush’s years, that history included the deaths of 150,000 Americans — mostly gay men and poor black people. George H. W. Bush loved his wife, his family and his friends. But we will never know how many lives would have been saved if he had treated people with AIDS and their families with the same compassion with which he viewed his own. n
But it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s comforting to know that 14 states and the District of Columbia now have laws prohibiting conversion therapy for minors. But the fact that the majority of states do not have laws explicitly banning the practice demonstrates just how much work there needs to be done. My experience is just one of the many stories we don’t hear from transgender survivors of conversion therapy. Now in the process of healing, I don’t want my life to be spent in hate, remorse or turmoil. Looking back, I see myself as a living testament to the determination and power to live and be authentic in my identity as a transgender woman. I am Robyn. And I am a survivor. n Robyn Ryan is a transgender-rights advocate and public speaker currently living in Philadelphia.
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
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Decency without the upbringing Given my current back injury rendering together, however he was not a drug dealer. me unable to go to the gym, I find myself Her analysis was not a judgment of characdiving deep into this topic of decency with- ter based on even a single interaction. He out the upbringing. was a new friend, after all. Her A recent meme with a picanalysis was pure racism. And ture of Tom Hardy shaking yet through this, I learned how a homeless man’s hand says, to treat people. “I was raised to treat the janHow many times do we itor with the same respect as hear, “Did your parents teach the president.” And as honoryou anything about X, Y, or able as that is, I find it very Z?” or “My parents taught challenging to understand how me to be this or that.” I’d someone like me would be wager you’ve heard that quite able to think the same without a few times in your life, and a proper upbringing. while I’m incredibly happy I suppose I remember being to hear that you were taught taught in school to “do unto decency, I’m also incredibly others as you would have them happy to inform you that you do unto you,” but that quickly can learn it without having faded once my father married Johnathan a corresponding upbringing. a woman with two of the most Decency and life lessons are Gilmore not isolated to the way your disrespectful young white sons I’ve ever met. These guys parents raised you, and while encouraged fighting, bullied me constantly, it most definitely may be a contributing stole from friends and neighbors and treated variable, decency is a humanist quality that life and people with utmost disrespect. can be learned in many ways. They were, in my opinion, the result of a So perhaps the golden rule I learned in failed economy, a failed education system second grade stuck with me: Perhaps by and poor parenting — like many children being treated horribly by those I trusted, in rural America. and seeing those I liked treated poorly, I The alternative to my father’s world was was able to discern what is decent and what my mother’s. While she did seem to have is not. But with that said, the indecency friends with a bit of decency, my desire to be of those in our country cannot solely be anything like her God-fearing, invisible-man blamed on their upbringings, especially worshipers dwindled enormously once I with the technology we have access to. knew my place as a homosexual among the No, indecency is a choice after a certain holy. They showed no decency to me, but age, so choose wisely. n through this, I learned what it meant. I remember bringing over a friend who Johnathan Gilmore is formerly enlisted combat happened to be Mexican. My mother called Marine deployed to Afghanistan who writes about me into her room and demanded that I masculinity, veteran awareness and LGBT issues. Gilmore graduated from Cornell University with a never bring a drug dealer over to her house degree in communications. Read more on his blog: again. In her defense, we did smoke weed https://jtg237.wixsite.com/johnathan.
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FINANCES PGN
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How to improve your credit score Q: I’m a gay man in my 40s and I have struggled with credit card debt for years. Now that I’m making a decent income, I’m determined to get on a better path going into 2019. Can you please offer me some advice? A: I’m sure other readers may have similar concerns, and I think it’s great that you’re making a commitment to take some positive steps to improve your situation going into the New Year. Here are some thoughts to get you started. Yes, you CAN get out of debt
cards (or worse, being unable to make the minimum payments), and borrowing from one lender to pay another. If you find that you’re overextended, don’t panic. There are a number of steps you can follow to eliminate that debt and get yourself back on track. Working your way out of debt will, of course, require you to adjust your spending habits and perhaps be more judicious in your spending. Debt assessment at a glance
Out Money
In America today, carrying some debt is unavoidable, and even desirable, for most households. But between mortgages, car payments and credit cards, many Americans find themselves over their heads — unable to dig out from under a growing debt burden that consumes an ever-growing portion of their resources. The average U.S. household owes $16,748 in credit card debt, according to a 2016 study of American household credit card debt published on Nerdwallet.com. The study was based on an analysis of Federal Reserve statistics and other government data and represents the average balance of households that carry debt. Credit card companies have made running up that balance deceptively convenient. What’s lost when you’re on that spending spree is the realization that paying off your debt can be costly, in terms of both cash on hand and your overall financial health. Assessing your debt
How much debt is too much? The figure varies from person to person, but in general, if more than 20% of your take-home pay goes to finance non-housing debt, or if your rent or mortgage payments exceed 30% of your monthly take-home pay, you may be overextended. Other signs of overextension include not knowing how much you owe, constantly paying the minimum balance due on credit
Jeremy Gussick
Here’s how you can build a clear picture of your debt situation: • List all of your credit cards and how much you pay to them each month; • List all of your fixed loans (such as car loans and student
loans); • List all the annual expenses you pay off with regular monthly payments (such as insurance); • List your monthly mortgage or rent payment. Once you are done, add them all up. That’s your total monthly debt load. Begin With a Budget
The first step in eliminating debt is to figure out where your money goes. This will enable you to see where your debt is coming from and, perhaps, help you to free up some cash to put toward debt. Track your expenses for one month by writing down what you spend. You might consider keeping your ATM withdrawal slips and writing each expense on them until the money is gone. Hang on to receipts from credit card transactions and add them to the total. At the end of the month, total up your expenses and break them down into two categories: Essential, including fixed expenses such as mortgage/rent, food, utilities, and non-essential, including entertainment and meals out. Analyze your expenses to see where your spending can be reduced. Perhaps you can cut back on food expenses by bringing lunch to work instead of eating out each day. You might
be able to reduce transportation costs by taking public transportation instead of parking your car at a pricey downtown garage. Even utility costs can be reduced by turning lights off, making fewer long-distance calls, or turning the thermostat down a few degrees in winter. The goal is to reduce current spending so that you won’t need to add to your debt and to free up as much cash as possible to cut down existing debt. Three steps to reduce debt Once you’ve got your budget settled, you can begin to attack your existing debt with the following steps. 1. Pay off high-rate debt first. The higher your interest rate, the more you pay. Begin with your highest-rate credit cards and eliminate the balance as aggressively as possible. For example, assume you have two separate $2,000 balances, one charging 20% interest, the other 8%, on which you can pay a total of 6% per month. If you were to pay 4% per month on the higher-rate card and 2% on the lower-rate card (which is typically the minimum monthly payment), you would pay $961 less in interest and make 18 fewer monthly payments overall than you would if you allocated 3% to each balance. 2. Transfer high-rate debt to lower-rate cards. Consolidating credit card debts to a single, lower-rate card saves more than postage and paperwork. It also saves in interest costs over the life of the loan. Comparison shop for the best rates, and beware of “teaser” rates that start low, say, at 6%, then jump to much higher rates after the introductory period ends. You can find lists of low-rate cards online from sites such as CardTrak.com and Bankrate. com. If you can only find a card with a low introductory rate, maximize the value of that low-interest period. By paying off your balance aggressively, you will reduce the balance more quickly than you will when the rate goes up. You can also contact your current credit card companies to inquire about consolidation and lower rates. Competition in the industry is fierce, and many companies are willing to lower their rates to keep their customers. Even a percentage point or two
can make a difference with a sizable balance. 3. Borrow only for the long term. The best use of debt is to finance things that will gain in value, such as a home, an education or big- ticket necessities, like a washing machine or a computer, that will still be around when the debt is paid off. Avoid using your credit card for concert tickets, vacation expenses or meals out. By the time the balance is gone, you’ll have paid far more than the cost of these items and have nothing but memories to show for it. By analyzing your spending, controlling expenses and establishing a plan, you can reduce -- and perhaps eliminate -- your debt, leaving you with more money to save today and a better outlook for your financial future. n Jeremy R. Gussick is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional affiliated with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer.* Jeremy specializes in the financial planning and retirement income needs of the LGBT community and was recently named a 2018 FIVE STAR Wealth Manager as mentioned in Philadelphia Magazine.** He is active with several LGBT organizations in the Philadelphia region, including DVLF (Delaware Valley Legacy Fund) and the Independence Business Alliance (IBA), the Philadelphia Region’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce. OutMoney appears monthly. If you have a question for Jeremy, you can contact him via email at jeremy.gussick@lpl.com. Jeremy R. Gussick is a Registered Representative with, and securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. This article was prepared with the assistance of DST Systems Inc. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor. Please consult me if you have any questions. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly. All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. © 2018 DST Systems, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited, except by permission. All rights reserved. Not responsible for any errors or omissions. *As reported by Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2018, based on total revenues. **Award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients such as credentials, experience, and assets under management among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of 2018 Five Star Wealth Managers.
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entertainment ‘Confessional’ one-man show comes to New Hope By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com A gripping and poignant story of conversion therapy, excommunication, divorce, prostitution and drugs comes to New Hope when Steven Fales performs his long-running one-man show “Confessions of a Mormon Boy” on Dec. 8. The show, a true story about Fales’ struggle to find a middle ground between the extremes of being a perfect Mormon from Utah and the perfect rent boy in Manhattan, was an off-Broadway hit and has received international acclaim for nearly two decades. Fales said that when he had the first public reading of the play in Salt Lake City in 2001, he had no idea it would be as successful as it has been. “I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said about his humble beginnings with the show. “All I knew was that I had a story and I was compelled to tell it. That it continues to endure has been a surprise. “My original director told me in 2013 that he always knew this piece would endure. There’s a timelessness to the piece and the themes are still timely. I’m lucky to still be in a position physically to tell the story.” Despite the serious themes the show explores, it also has quite a bit of humor throughout that buoys his story,
Dining Out Family Portrait Out & About
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Fales said. “I knew I was taking on some heavy issues,” he said. “Early on, I took a stand-up comedy class just to heighten my comic voice. One of the fun things about ‘Confessions’ is that you will laugh all through the very intense things like the spiritual abuse, the excommunications, losing everything, losing your kids and then descending into the underworld of prostitution and drugs. “It’s heavy stuff, but we try to keep our sense of humor and that sense of humor has helped to keep me afloat until I could really get the therapy and the help that I needed. My writing was always ahead of my healing, but humor got me by until I could really tackle some deep wounds.” With issues like conversion therapy making headlines and films like “Boy Erased” bringing renewed attention to these issues, Fales said viewers will definitely notice parallels, but there’s freshness to his experiences. “I’ve added some nuances to the story that I’m really excited to be able to tell,” he said. “I’m hoping that ‘Boy Erased’ opens the door more for my point of view.” “My experiences are in ‘Confessions’ and I think these stories are all relevant and ready to be told. I did see ‘Boy Erased’ and I read the book [written by Garrard Conley]. I think he’s an extraordinary voice for this conversation, especially with conversion therapy being on the docket for the GOP platform. All these stories are really to attack the quackery that has been going on for so long.” And what if you’re not Mormon? “It’s not just a Mormon thing,” Fales said.
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Queerbaiting on TV PAGE 27
“People who grew up Methodist or Lutheran who see the show think, ‘Did you steal my journals to write this?’ I’ve had Jews thank me for helping them come out to their rabbi.” Fales believes that many people also can relate to the outcast feeling that the show’s character experiences. “The thing about the show is that I also take on myself. It’s becoming about how I learned to start growing up. That’s a universal story. How do I stop playing the victim even though I’ve been a victim? I stopped playing it and I reclaimed myself.” The success of “Confessions of Mormon Boy” has allowed Fales the opportunity to write and perform companion pieces to the story (“Missionary Position” and “Prodigal Dad”). But Fales said he plans to put these stories aside soon and perform works outside his Mormon experiences. “There’s so much on the other side of ‘Mormon Boy,’” he said. “I have about two years to wrap the ‘Mormon Boy’ experience up. I have plays and musicals in development that aren’t so Mormon-centric that I’m really excited to get to. “I will always be a solo performer. I’ve been in some comedy clubs lately working on a piece that is just standup called ‘When All Else Fales.’ It’s not so much about being Mormon — it’s about being human.” n Steven Fales performs “Confessions of a Mormon Boy,” 8 p.m. Dec. 8 at The Rrazz Room, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope. For more information, call 888-596-1027 or visit https://mormonboyoffbroadway.com/.
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Family Portrait
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Suzi Nash
Emily Pratt: On her toes ’Tis the season to be jolly. I don’t know about you, but I love the sounds and smells of the season. I get excited the first time I see the twinkling lights go up at Dilworth Plaza and as I walk through the Christmas Village. Catching the “Charlie Brown” soundtrack as I flip through the dials also gets me in the spirit. I even get a few flutters seeing the promos for the Nutcracker at the Academy of Music. It’s become a yearly tradition to start the season by watching the amazing dancers from the Pennsylvania Ballet fly through the air with their annual spectacular performance. I’ve had the pleasure to profile many of them here in this column. This year I got some fun inside information from the ballet’s company manager, Emily Pratt. PGN: When did you come out? EP: When I was in high school, I was totally boy crazy. When they heard I was going to Smith College, all my friends were like, “Emily, you know there are no boys there, right?” And I said it would be fine — I could just go to Amherst or UMass to meet guys. But as soon as I got to Smith, I was like, “Well, this is different. OK then.” I immediately decided I needed to kiss a girl before Thanksgiving break. I created a mandate for myself. So I did, and I liked it. It wasn’t until sophomore year when I realized, “Oh, this is not just a college exploration, I think this is a real thing. This is me.” PGN: What school did you go to? EP: I went to Smith College — the gayest of the gay. It was great. PGN: Isn’t there an acronym for girls experimenting in college? EP: S.L.U.G.: Smith Lesbian Until Graduation. That was not me. I stuck with it. PGN: Were there any signs looking back? EP: Totally — all the girls at summer camp. At the time, I just wanted to be their “best friend,” and in retrospect I was completely in love. PGN: What was you family’s reaction? EP: I’m super lucky. When I came home on break, instead of talking about boys I had crushes on, I was talking about girls, and my parents didn’t skip a beat. They were super chill. PGN: What was the hardest part? EP: Coming out to my grandparents and extended family was a little trickier. Even when I had a significant girlfriend, my grandmother would still refer to her as my “friend.” It was not a battle that I was going to fight. There was also a wedding — My dad’s family was from Georgia and they’re pretty conservative. I remember everyone asking, “So, Emily, do you have a boyfriend?” and I was like, “Um, no.” I didn’t lie, but I wasn’t exactly open. Mainly
because, one, that was not the context in which I wanted to come out to everyone. And two, I didn’t want the wedding to be about me. It was someone else’s big day and I didn’t want to distract from that. But before the next wedding, I called everyone in advance and told them. With each person there was a beat of silence, and then, “OK” and we moved on.
of toilets! We had them stored up to the ceiling and in tractor-trailers. We had them in the parking lot, you name it. We had so many that by the end we were selling them to contractors for $40 apiece just to get rid of them. Some of your readers are probably using toilets that came from the Loews Hotel and they don’t know it.
PGN: You volunteered with AmeriCorps. EP: I started in 2009 when I graduated. It was the start of the recession, and we were all like, “What are we going to do?” I knew that I wanted to give back to the community and do some service work. Since I knew I wasn’t going to get a job in my field, I joined the National Civilian Community Coalition. We got set up with other young people and went around the country doing service projects.
PGN: That’s funny. How did you transition to the PA Ballet? EP: I wanted to get back into the arts and was getting burned out working in Kensington. I applied for a job with the ballet that I was totally unqualified for, and weirdly, I got it. I’ve now been there for almost five years.
PGN: What was a favorite spot? EP: New Orleans. It’s one of my favorite cities. It’s so beautiful, fun and full of music, life, culture, amazingness and food. We also were in Baton Rouge — where I started working for Habitat for Humanity — and then back on the coast planting trees outside Fresno. We painted a community center in the Sierra Nevada foothills that’s probably in the middle of the fires right now. But the best part is that we were in New Orleans the year they won the Super Bowl.
PGN: What are your duties? EP: As company manager, I handle a lot of the logistics including negotiating and issuing contracts and arranging the transportation and accommodations for artistic guests. I’m the interface between the dancers and their union;
The Nutcracker …” And, the lovely ladies at the trust will write back saying, “OK,” or they could say, “No.” Even though we’ve been doing Balanchine’s Nutcracker for about 50 years, the trust reserves the right to send someone to teach and re-stage everything to make sure nothing is amiss. PGN: Yikes, you do have a lot on your plate. Do you watch the show or have you had your fill? EP: I am at most performances. But this year, I vow not to go to all 28 performances. There’s a certain energy you expend for Nutcracker season and I’m trying to make it last. But I always remind myself that it’s exciting for the people coming to the theatre, whether it’s a tradition and they come every year or it’s their first time ever seeing a ballet. There’s an amazing parade of patrons in the lobby. I love seeing everyone dressed up and full of joy about seeing the show. For so many people, the Nutcracker is the first ballet they ever saw, or what inspired their desire to be a dancer or discover an interest in the arts. I have to remember that even though I see it multiple times, they only see it once. We love being a part of the holiday season.
PGN: Are you from Philly? EP: I’m from Princeton, but we never really came to Philly. It wasn’t until I moved here in 2010 that I got to know the city. And I’ve been in love with it ever since!
PGN: What do you do outside the Academy? EP: I have my own shameless plug now: I’ve decided that ballet is not for my body anymore, but I still like to move. I’ve recently been taking classes at a yoga studio in Brewerytown called the Yoga and Movement Sanctuary. It’s an amazing place for all kinds of different movement. I’ve also been going to Urban Movement Arts in Rittenhouse and taking Afro-House dance classes and waacking, dance hall, swing dance and Lindy hop. I’m trying to get everyone I know to come.
PGN: What brought you here? EP: After the first year with AmeriCorps, the economy was still terrible and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I signed up for another year, but stationary, so they put me with Habitat in Philly. It was more administrative support and I was in charge of helping open up the first ReStore. PGN: I love the ReStore! Shameless plug: It’s a great place to get everything from furniture to doorknobs to paint — all super cheap, while supporting a good cause. EP: Thank you! It’s awesome. It’s now on Washington Avenue, but we opened the first one which, at the time, was in Kensington. It was exciting to be part of the project from the ground up. I worked there for a few years managing donations. PGN: What was the oddest donation you received? EP: Oh, so many. One that comes to mind was when the Loews Philadelphia Hotel decided to remodel its bathrooms. They took out all of these relatively new toilets and donated them to us. Hundreds and hundreds
they all are members of AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists). I work on the payroll and budgets. I work with the contracts, too. For example, we’re able to start The Nutcracker — oh my God, we’re about to start The Nutcracker — we’re about to do George Balanchine’s Nutcracker. Balanchine is dead, but there is The Balanchine Trust in New York. Every company that wants to do his version has to write a letter, “Dear Balanchine Trust, we would like to license
PGN: Partner? EP: Nope, and I’m happily available to be distracted during Nutcracker.
Photo: Suzi Nash
PGN: Noted! What’s your favorite part of the performance? EP: I love “Snow and Flowers.” It’s elegant with all of the women moving in sync making exquisite patterns and creating beautiful shapes. Dew Drop is such a beautiful role and I love the music. The whole number hits all my pleasure buttons. n
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS
Cattiness and a queer Queen make ‘The Favourite’ fun By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor
themed concert, through Dec. 22 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 300 S. Broad St.; 215-893-1999. A Raisin In the Sun African American Arts Alliance presents the classic production about a black family’s experiences in Chicago, Dec. 7-8 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215-898-3900.
being proper. The games of love and revenge that take place — including blackmail — are actually quite cruel, but also darkly funny. (A clever running gag has Abigail being literally pushed around by Harley). Lady Sarah insists that she loves Queen Anne because she can tell her highness when her makeup makes her look like a badger. “I will not lie to you. That is love,” she explains. They also bond while taking a mud bath together. However, Lady Sarah is trying to
Equal parts sumptuousness and debauchery, “The Favourite” is a deliciously bitchy and humorous film involving same-sex love and revenge in 18th Century England. The film, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Lobster”), and written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, opens Dec. 7 at the Landmark Ritz Five. Like other films directed by Lanthimos, “The Favourite” is about power and its abuses. This story of royal intrigue pivots on the rivalry and jealousy that arises when a love triangle of sorts develops among the three lead female characters. Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman) is the often-ill ruler of England. She can’t eat sugar and suffers from a bad case of gout. She is child-like, both in neediness and, some might say, in her intelligence. She has Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) han- RACHEL WEISZ (LEFT) AND OLIVIA COLEMAN dling her affairs of state, which Photo: Fox Searchlight. include making unpopular decisions about taxing landowners to raise get Queen Anne to remove Abigail from money to fight a war in France. When Sarah’s cousin, Abigail (Emma the household in order to maintain her own Stone), a Lady who has lost her station in life, favored position. Likewise, Abigail contrives arrives one day seeking employment, she gets marriage to Masham (Joe Alwyn), in order a job in the scullery. Abigail meets Queen to secure a title and remain in the household. Anne when she craftily gets by a guard and Whether her sexual desires are more for applies a salve to the Queen’s bad legs. The Queen Anne or for Masham (or both or neiQueen is impressed and gives Abigail more ther) is left for viewers to puzzle out. responsibility. Abigail, pleased with her new The film may not work as an allegory (the role, remains loyal to Sarah — especially way some of the director’s work does) but when Harley (Nicholas Hoult), the leader of nevermind. The costumes are fabulous, and the opposition party, tries to get Abigail to the film features stunning art direction and set design. Some scenes are shot entirely in help him in court affairs. The rivalry and jealousy arises after Abigail candlelight, while others employ a wide-angle unexpectedly spies the physically intimate lens to distort the image. The cinematography relationship between Queen Anne and Lady is exquisite as characters are followed down Sarah. Suddenly, Abigail, whom Sarah long hallways or into huge rooms. Every shot describes as “too kind for her own good,” is is like a painting come to life. The period scheming to get what she wants. She makes music adds to the wonderfulness. it her mission to find opportunities to provide But it is the plot and the acting that make companionship and physical comfort to the “The Favourite” so enjoyable. The dialogue Queen in order to curry her favor. Of course, is often arch and witty, with some terrific as this happens, Sarah is taken aback, most put-downs and wry innuendos. Lady Sarah is notably when Anne insists to Sarah about especially tart-tongued, and Weisz is marvelously feisty in the role. Weisz is hilarious in Abigail, “I like her tongue inside me.” Part of the joy of the film is the salty lan- her physical moments, too. A dance sequence guage, some of it anachronistic. (e.g., one that features moves both funnier and far character is described as “cuntstruck,” a term removed from the typical 18th Century ball is that didn’t exist for at least another century.) the film’s comic highlight. But it is also amusing to see these bewigged Likewise, Stone is delightful as the conBrits behaving badly. A throwaway gag has a niving Abigail. Stone is a master of withbunch of men pelting a naked man with fruit ering looks, most notably in an outrato almost everyone’s amusement. As Sarah geous sequence involving her in bed with and Abigail bond on the shooting range, Masham one night. there are some humorous incidents that result And hail to the Queen: Coleman is terrific involving gunplay. Moreover, each of the as the incredibly insecure royal. The actress female leads has a scene where she vomits, has a skill for making her character honorable and horrible often at the same time. albeit comically. “The Favourite” is not concerned with “The Favourite” is decadent fun. n
A DYNAMIC ACOUSTIC DUO: Friends and out folk singersongwriters Cheryl Wheeler and Patty Larkin (pictured) are teaming up for an evening of music, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville. For more information or tickets, call 215-257-5808.
Theater & Arts Arte Povera: Homage to Amalfi ’68 Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition recreating one artist’s reaction against minimalism and pop art, through July, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Between Nature and Abstraction: Edwin Dickinson and Friends Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring the works of the modern American painter through Feb. 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Caleb Teicher & Company Dance Affiliates and the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the jazz and swinginfluenced dance troupe making its Philadelphia debut, Dec. 1415 at Zellerbach
Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215898-3900. A Christmas Carol Walnut Street Theatre presents Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale, through Dec. 23, at WST for Kids, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Fabulous Fashion: From Dior’s New Look to Now Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring the drama and glamour of some of the most creative feminine fashions ever designed, through March 3, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Larry Fink: The Boxing Photographs Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of photographs highlighting the athletic world of boxing through Jan. 1, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.
Little Ladies: Victorian Fashion Dolls and the Feminine Ideal Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring the influence of Miss Fanchon, the ultimate toy for privileged girls in the 1860s-70s, through March 3, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. Mimi Imfurst Presents Drag Diva Brunch Mimi Imfurst, Bev, Vinchelle, Sutton Fearce and special guests perform, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 7 at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.; 215-606-6555. A Philly POPS Christmas The Philly POPS performs an all-new holiday-
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical Walnut Street Theatre presents the musical based on the beloved children’s book, through Jan. 6, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Sinbad The comedian performs 8 p.m. Dec. 8 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-5727650. This Is The Week That Is 1812 Productions presents its annual politically charged and satirical comedy show, through Jan. 6 at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St.; 215592-9560. WINTER WONDERETTES The throwback holiday show transports the audience to the 1968 Harper’s Hardware Christmas Party for an evening of songs and humor, through Dec. 30 at Walnut
Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.
PGN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS
A Soulful Christmas An evening of gospel Christmas music, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 300 S. Broad St.; 215-893-1999. Ghost The gothic-hard rock band performs 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at The Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets; 610352-2887.
STOCKING STUFFERS: The Skivvies, the scantily-clad comedy-music duo featuring Lauren Molina and out actor Nick Cearley, bring their new holiday show “I Touch My Elf” to town for what is sure t be a wild set of performances, through Dec. 8 at the Kimmel Center’s SEI Innovation Studio, 300 S. Broad St. For more information, visit www. theskivviesnyc.com.
Street Theater’s Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St.; 215574-3550. Wizard of Oz Media Theatre presents the classic musical about Dorothy and her adventures in a strange land, through Jan. 13, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. Yael Bartana: And Europe Will Be Stunned Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition blurring fact and fiction, with the artist reimagining historical narratives to spur a dialogue about urgent social and geopolitical issues of our time, through Jan. 1, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Yannick Conducts Messiah The Philadelphia Orchestra performs a classical holiday concert, through
Dec. 8 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 300 S. Broad St.; 215893-1999.
Music Mavis Staples The R&B singer performs, 8 p.m. Dec. 7 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Get the Led Out The Led Zeppelin tribute band performs, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at Franklin Music Hall, 421 N. Seventh St.; 215627-1332. Ministry The industrial rock band performs 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at The Franklin Music Hall, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000. Maxwell The neo-soul singer brings his 50 Intimate Nights Tour to Philly, 8 p.m. Dec. 8 at The Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets; 610352-2887.
Nightlife Nitty Gritty: ‘60s Dance Party Cut a rug to the classic dance songs of Little Richard and The Supremes, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 7 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-9649675. That Show! A comedy, improv, burlesque and drag show, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Franky Bradley’s, 1320 Chancellor St.; 215735-0735. Aunt Mary and Pat Drag performers deck the halls, 7-10 p.m. Dec. 13 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. Nice and Naughty A holiday-themed night of fun, 8:3010:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. Devil Drag A drag nightmare before Christmas, 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Dec. 14 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675.
Outta Town Craig Ferguson The comedian and talk show host performs 9 p.m. Dec. 7
at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. The Changeling The classic horrorthriller film is screened 9:45 p.m. Dec. 7 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. Home Alone The classic holiday film is screened 1:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-1228. Steven Fales: Confessions of a Mormon Boy The out performer brings his one-man show to the area, 8 p.m. Dec. 8 at The Rrazz Room, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope; 888596-1027. Tony Orlando & Dawn Holiday Show The singer performs, 9 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Grunge Fest Tribute bands perform the music of Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots, 8 p.m. Dec. 14 at The Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 202-730-3331. Shawn Ryan: Mistle-Ho! The out performer brings his holidaythemed music and comedy show to New Hope, 8 p.m. Dec. 14 at The Rrazz Room, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope; 888596-1027. n
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
27
Queerbaiting: TV’s trap to lure gay viewers By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor
ing a gay character sexually assault a straight one, as Joaquin does with Archie, just to reel in viewers. This just reinforces negative stereotypes of gays as hypersexual beings who put their own desires above all else. The temptation to queerbait is high, particularly among series with high sexual drama among the characters, which “Riverdale” has, and that are seeking out that all-important 18-30 demographic —
Television is “telling more LGBTQ stories than ever,” as noted by GLAAD in its “Where We Are On TV Report 2018,” issued in October. While this is technically accurate, the question becomes: What stories are being told and are they stories that elevate the queer community, or just stories that drop in LGBTQ characters to meet some unstated diversity quota and lure gay viewers? In recent weeks, there have been numerous complaints on social media about “Riverdale,” the CW’s drama derived from the old Archie comics series. That issue is the queerbaiting of viewers with promos suggesting sexcapades between Archie and Joaquin with a RIVERDALE’S JOAQUIN (ROB RACO) KISSES steamy kiss. ARCHIE (KJ APA) Joaquin is gay. which includes many LGBTQ people. Archie is not. But those promos! For But it’s a form of casual homophobia to regular viewers, questions — and eyeput your central straight character in a brows — were raised. Was Archie bi non-consensual kiss with your second-tier and just coming out? Had he been in gay character, rather than put that gay the closet all this time (“Riverdale” is in character in his own gay storyline. its third season) and had Joaquin’s kiss This is why the GLAAD report doesn’t finally drawn him out? tell the whole story. There may be five Not only did the episode itself reveal LGBTQ characters on “Riverdale,” but that Archie is still straight, but also the are there five LGBTQ storylines? There kiss was non-consensual, with Joaquin most definitely are not. forcing himself on Archie. “You,” the hot new psychological What a way to use your queer characthriller on Lifetime which Stephen King ters and abuse your queer viewers. has touted as spectacular, also used “Riverdale” is just the most recent queerbaiting in its promos, repeatedly offender, but it’s more unnecessary than showing the central character of Beck in a in other series because the show has five clinch with her bestie, Peach. But viewers queer characters. Five. Three gay men, a waiting for Beck to have an affair with lesbian and a bisexual woman. Peach were disappointed. Although Peach Plus, “Riverdale” has done this was in love with Beck, no relationship before, in the first season with Betty beyond their friendship ever developed and Veronica, who also aren’t gay. Yes, between them. That promo was an imageveryone likes to see girls kissing. No, ined scene, not one that ever transpired series don’t need to play to straight between the two women, despite every male audiences by having the straight effort from Peach. girls play-lesbian kissing. Katy Perry, Lifetime was also using Peach – sit down. played by Shay Mitchell, who had pre Where are the lesbian storylines viously starred as the lesbian character on “Riverdale” for characters Cheryl of Emily on “Pretty Little Liars” — for Blossom and Toni Topaz? They are both their queerbaiting. This was even more in the main cast. Why not focus on their of a lure for viewers yearning to see lesbian life together instead of queerMitchell in another series. That promo baiting with Betty and Veronica, straight kept coming with additional tidbits. characters who, like Archie, have only Beck’s boyfriend Joe found dozens of ever been and will ever be straight? photos on Peach’s More concerning is “Riverdale” havPAGE 29
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
PGN
Savona is Main Line magnificence By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com
care of and treated like cherished friends in an upscale setting. On a recent evening, the yellow fin tuna The restaurant Savona is tucked away crudo ($17) started the dining experience in the shadowy hills along the Main Line off in fine fashion. While elegant and rich, — so off the beaten track that unless you the tuna was also quite delicate on the palknow exactly where you’re heading, you ate. A bold and almost floral dish, it wasn’t overwhelmed with seasoning, allowing the may not find it. But, its somewhat obscure location hasn’t bright freshness of the avocado and the stopped it from becoming one of the most cucumbers to appeal to the senses. The golden fried artichokes ($14) were popular and bustling, elegant Italian restauextremely fresh with a lightly fried crust rants in the area. that enhanced and didn’t dominate the flaIt’s not difficult to figure out why. From the moment they drop off their cars vors and textures of the dish. The ricotta crostini ($14), while part with the valet until the moment they take their leave pleasantly full, diners are taken of the antipasti menu, could easily qualify as a dessert. The wild-flower honey and the creaminess of the ricotta, when combined and spread on the toasted bread, had a light and irresistible cheesecake-like feel when all of the elements came together. Savona’s pasta definitely lives up to its stellar reputation. And, the shrimp fra diavolo ($26) is perYELLOW FIN TUNA CRUDO fection with (what
If you go Savona 100 Old Gulph Road www.savonarestaurant.com 610-520-1200
SHRIMP FRA DIAVOLO Photos: Dallyn Pavey Lunch Mon-Fri.: 11:30-2:30 p.m. Brunch Sunday: 10:30-2:30 p.m.
else?) house-made pasta, steeped in a spicy red sauce and studded with plump steamed shrimp. It is pure excellence. Save some room for dessert at Savona because even if their pastries don’t pique your interest, there is little chance you’ll be able to resist the house-spun gelato and sorbet. We fell under the spell of their Bailey’s Irish Cream flavored gelato and their blueberry apple sorbet. Both were immensely delicious, and in the case of the latter, bold
and colorful, in its own right. Someday you’ll want to rent out their impressive downstairs wine cellar and play high-stakes poker in it with your close-knit circle of friends, but until you hit the lottery, dinner there will have to suffice. This is the time of the year when eating out and trying to impress family and friends with your tastes in restaurants is a must. So fire up your GPS, put on your nicest casual duds and seek out Savona. n
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tation as female. Olivia, the best-known detective on computer of Beck nearly naked and TV, knows better and so does “SVU,” asleep, among other stalkery images. which had done a myriad of trans stoTrailers kept giving us flashes of Peach ries over 20 years. and Beck kissing and those half-naked photos. Yet the context of the trailers ver- These misgendering references continue back at the station, where other sus and what actually happened on the detectives continue to refer to the charshow were vastly different. So while Peach was a lesbian character acter, who goes by the name Tammy but has been hired to play Bobby counted among GLAAD’s statistics, she O’Rourke, a queer sex worker who has had no actual queer storyline. written a provocative memoir, “Blue Two more lesbian characters surfaced Baracuda,” as “he.” on TV just in the past couple of weeks, The murder is solved in the first 10 on ABC’s controversial sit-com “The Conners,” previously “Roseanne.” The queerbaiting storyline had Becky (Lecy Goranson) offering her unborn baby to a lesbian couple, after she decided she was too poor and too strung-out to raise the child herself. “THE CONNERS” BECKY (LECY GORANSON) BREAKS NEWS Bridgette TO BRIDGETTE (ALI LIEBEGOTT) AND MARIA (GINA BRILLON) (Ali Liebegott) and Maria (Gina Brillon) were old friends minutes of the show and is actually just the conduit for a larger story about of Becky’s from school. In a two-episode arc, Becky meets with the real author of the book, who is not Tammy, and that man’s experience of them and they agree to an open adoppedophile sexual abuse. The remainder tion. But Becky changes her mind after of the episode is quite powerful and stars a long talk with her sister, Darlene (Sara two powerhouse actors, Wallace Shawn Gilbert), who says the family will find a and Judd Hirsch. way to help her raise her child. But the series — the longest running In the episode’s final minutes, Becky prime-time drama on TV— faced immedelivers the news to Bridgette and Maria that she’s not giving them her baby. It’s a diate backlash on social media for this brisk conversation in which Becky seems casual transphobia, for which the producers apologized. oblivious to the anger on Bridgette’s Yet why murder a young trans face and the stunned hurt on Maria’s. woman to get to that larger story? The Yet the show plays that scene for laughs, murders of trans women of color who setting it in the restaurant where Becky are sex workers are brutally common is a waitress. She tells them they won’t and they are their own story. The killer, get her baby at their table, then jumps a married suburban dad, commits the up saying, “Don’t forget to tip!” to the murder when he discovers that the persounds of the laugh track. son he knew as Tammy was assigned This gutting moment for two lesbians male at birth. “I’m not gay!” the killer becomes a punch line. Neither Bridgette screams at the detectives. nor Maria is given a line to say – not of Using the murder of a young, Asian sorrow, outrage nor rebuke. They just sit there, riven, while the credits roll and gay trans woman as a sensational lead-in to a very different story for the season finale – viewers are left to wonder why they had and then misgendering her and muddling invested in this couple that has now been the story with trans erasure — is indicadispensed with. tive of the problem of queerbaiting. In the season finale of “Law & Order: Are these the storylines we’re searchSpecial Victims Unit,” something even ing for as we expand LGBTQ represenmore egregious occurs. The episode tation on TV, or are they just the same opens with the murder of a young, Asian tropes that have kept LGBTQ characters trans woman. But from the outset, the stereotyped and static? character is misgendered. Olivia Benson Queerbaiting takes different forms on (Mariska Hargitay) says of the young TV, all of them harmful. What viewers woman who we’ve seen give a reading still want, and must keep demanding, are at a bookstore from a book about being fully formed characters that aren’t queer a sex worker, “He isn’t a she,” making a tokens in a straight landscape. n reference to genitalia, rather than presen-
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
29
QUEERBAITING from page 27
Q Puzzle Here We Go Again Across
1 Bit of Byron’s work 6 REM gear 10 It is butt a sex toy 14 Song from Sondheim’s “Passion” 15 O.K. Corral gunfighter 16 Skye on screens 17 He plays Fernando Cienfuegos in “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” 19 Wilde country 20 Heath of “Brokeback Mountain” 21 Frida, before she married Diego 23 Rivera’s rivers 25 Frisbee, for one 26 Christine who plays Tanya in “MMHWGA” 30 Act parts at the Globe Theatre 34 McCormack of a recent reboot 35 “C’est si bon” singer 37 Klee contemporary 38 Broadway backer 40 Mountain top 41 River of Cocteau’s country 43 Understand, to Ginsberg 44 Began to share, with “up”
47 Infamous Idi 48 Obedient slave’s words 50 Amanda who plays Sophie in “MMHWGA” 52 Foursome after a desertion 54 Skidded on ice 55 Carol portrayer on “The Brady Bunch” 59 Etta James classic 63 Rob of “Brothers & Sisters” 64 He plays Harry in “MMHWGA” 66 Fanning of “3 Generations” 67 Do a nocturnal activity 68 Release from bondage 69 Ethnic acronym 70 Salty bodies 71 On one’s guard
Down
1 Apothecary item 2 Sea eagle 3 Comedian Foxx 4 Invoke Adler at mealtime? 5 Barely enter the Adonis Lounge, e.g. 6 Atmospheric prefix 7 PC alternatives 8 Got up in someone’s business 9 Lorca’s tongue 10 Brosnan who plays Sam in “MMHWGA” 11 Petty of “Orange Is the New Black”
12 Hospital division 13 Rowlands of “An Early Frost” 18 End of a Stein quote 22 Landau’s “Ed Wood” award 24 Imitate Brian Orser 26 Like suspicious eyes 27 Bill T. Jones’ partner Zane 28 King’s foe in “Battle of the Sexes” 29 “The Borgias” actor Jeremy 31 Watts in King Kong’s hand 32 Bert’s roomie 33 Shoot your wad 36 Where fruits hang 39 French department 42 Queue by a glory
hole? 45 Diana’s sons 46 McDermott of “Steel Magnolias” 49 Meryl, who plays Donna in “MMHWGA” 51 Like a restless sleep 53 Carol’s opening 55 Followed Earhart’s example 56 Cross-dresser in a Kinks song 57 Mail carriers at Hogwarts 58 “East of Eden” director Kazan 60 Painting and such, to da Vinci 61 Direction from The Naked Chef 62 She and she or he and he 65 “___ De-Lovely”
Hall.
30
Classifieds House Share
City of Philadelphia Public Notice City Hearing of Philadelphia
Friends Men
NEAR DEPTFORD MALL Shared home. Private BR, bath, sitting room w/TV, fully furnished. Clean clean home. Call for info and price. Albert, 856-469-5728. _____________________________________________42-51 POTTSTOWN RENTAL 3BD 1.5BA Victorian with master suite laundry and 2nd floor sunroom/study. Large eat-in kitchen dining room family room and parlor with wet bar. Backyard with patio and off-street parking. Front porch overlooks historic neighborhood. Walk to restaurants, brew pub, theater, farmer’s market, local parks and bike trails. 1500/month. Tenant pays electric oil lawn care and snow removal. Call Matt Green at Glocker Realty 610-310-4252 Google MLS 7255899 ________________________________________42-51
Help Wanted HANDYMAN/HOUSEKEEPER Newly moved in, I need assistance with setup and light cleaning/yard work on monthly basis. Valid ID and 3 references. Non smoker. Fairmount section. 215-845-5117. _____________________________________________42-51
Wanted to Buy
Michael D Chief Cler
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. ________________________________________42-52 Nicks BUTTNAked Christmas party sat DEC 15th 9 pm until...in Cherry Hill nj Nudity required thong or jockstrap expecting a big turnout come help me spread some holiday cheer! Guys! Looking for those nasty boys into GRP play all are welcomed to join in on the fun contact me nick for further details!!! Nick 609 254 1398 Anything goes guys spread the word bring friends! ________________________________________42-48 Early 50s Caucasian male seeking Caucasian male, 30s to 60s favored. A few extra pounds, physically busy, busy, busy. Weekend fun, LTR hopes. Drug, alcohol, and disease free and firm. LEOs very completely entirely warmly welcome. Se habla simple Spanish. Please respond In writing at first, until acquainted. D. Kane, 310 N. 3rd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101. ________________________________________42-48
Public Hearing Notice
The Committee on Public Health and Human Services of the Council of the City of Philadelph hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, December 12, 2018, at 10:00 AM, in Room 400, City Hall, The Committee on Public Health and Human Services of the Council of the City of Philadelphia will testimony on the hold following item:on Wednesday, December 12, 2018, at 10:00 AM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear a Public Hearing 180785
testimony on the following item:
Resolution authorizing the Committee on Health and Human Services t
Resolution authorizing thehealth Committee on Health and Services toofhold 180785 hearings on environmental disparities andHuman the impact pollutants in hearings on environmental health disparities and the impact of pollutants in at-risk neighborhoods. neighborhoods.
Immediately following public a ameeting Committee on Public Health and Immediatelythe following the hearing, public hearing, meeting of of the the Committee on Public Health and Human Services, open toServices, the public, will be held to consider the action to be taken on the above listed item. open to the public, will be held to consider the action to be taken on the above listed item.
Transgender Dating
Copies of the foregoing are available in theOffice Office of of the Chief Clerk of Clerk the Council, 402, City Room 40 Copies of the foregoing item are item available in the the Chief of Room the Council, Hall. Hall. for single Transgender single woman wanted. Date/LTR Italian man. No internet. 609-618-5238. ________________________________________42-49
Michael Decker Michael Decker Chief Clerk
FREON R12 WANTED: CERTIFIED BUYER will PAY CA$H for R12 cylinders or cases of cans. (312) 291-9169; www. refrigerantfinders.com ________________________________________42-49
Chief Clerk
Services AIRLINES ARE HIRING – Get FAA approved hands on Aviation training. Financial aid for qualified students – Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 877-207-0345. ________________________________________42-49
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Dec. 7-13, 2018
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