PHI LADELPHIA GAY NEWS

est. 1976 HONESTY . INTEGRITY . PROFESSIONALISM

November 29-December 1, 2019 V ol. 43 N o. 48 pgn

W O R L D A I D S D AY How PGN covered AIDS in the first year PAG E 1 9

Petition opposes appointment of LGBTQ- Suit says

progressive priest as Philly archbishop pharmacy
violated HIV-
positive trans
woman’s privacy
TIMOTHY CWIEK
timothy@epgn.com

A West Philadelphia pharmacy alleged-

ly violated a trans woman’s HIV-privacy
rights when delivering drugs to the mail-
room of an apartment building she resides
in, according to a lawsuit filed this week.
The 16-page lawsuit was filed on behalf
of “Jane Doe” on Nov. 25 in Philadelphia
Common Pleas Court. As of presstime,
it hadn’t been assigned to a judge. A jury
trial hasn’t been requested.
A manager of the store, who identi-
fied himself as “Randy,”
told PGN he would have no page 24

LAURA SMYTHE
laura@epgn.com
An online petition aiming to block the ap-
pointment of a priest with progressive views
about the LGBTQ community as Philadel-
phia’s new archbishop has received more than
3,600 signatures.
The petition, which went up last week, tack-
les the potential appointment of Father James
Martin, a Plymouth Meeting native who is
speculated to be in consideration as Arch-
bishop Charles Chaput’s replacement. Cha-
put, who has been archbishop for eight years,
announced his resignation to Pope Francis in
September as his 75th birthday crept up on
him — an offer that church law mandates.
The potential successor, who hasn’t been
formally announced, is a Jesuit priest who
authored the 2017 book “Building a Bridge:
How the Catholic Church and the LGBT
Community Can Enter into a Relationship
of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity.” In
2016 during the aftermath of the mass shoot-
ing at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando,
Martin posted a video to Facebook expressing
his support for the queer community, prompt-
ing criticism from conservative Catholics. He
said in his response that he was “disappointed
that more Catholic leaders did not offer sup-
port to the LGBT community.”
“Sign this petition and tell the papal nuncio,
Archbishop Pierre, who is reported to be col-
lecting references on Fr. Martin, that his ap-
pointment would be intolerable,” the Change.
org document started by Donna Bethell reads.
“Tell him we want worthy shepherds who will
be leaders in teaching and practicing the full-
ness of Catholicism, not more men who will
obfuscate and obscure and avoid the inconve-
nient truths.”
Martin has contributed work regarding his
progressive religious stances to media out-
lets including The Huffington Post, NPR and
Time magazine. In September, he traveled to
the Vatican to speak with Pope Francis about
providing pastoral care for LGBTQ Catho-
lics.
“One of the highlights of my life. I felt
encouraged, consoled and in-
spired by the Holy Father to- page 23
Philadelphia
receives
perfect score
in HRC’s MEI
VICTORIA A. BROWNWORTH
PGN Contributor
The Human Rights Campaign has
created a series of indexes and reports
on the status of LGBTQ equality in the
U.S. The latest, the Municipal Equality
Index (MEI), details the rankings of cit-
ies in all 50 states. Philadelphia landed a
perfect score. Using metrics in five main
areas with subsets within those five areas,
HRC ranks how well a city is doing for its
LGBTQ citizens, with the
top score being 100. page 24

PA G E 8 PA G E 2 PA G E 4

PENN RECEIVES $100,000 FOR
HIV-PREVENTION STUDY
Penn Nursing — ranked as the best nursing school in the
world — has received a $100,000 grant from the Robert I.
Jacobs Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation for HIV research.
PHILADLEPHIA FIGHT HOSTS WORLD NJ IMPLEMENTS LGBT-FRIENDLY
AIDS DAY PRAYER BREAKFAST POLICE DIRECTIVE
Health services organization Philadelphia FIGHT will New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal last week
hold its 11th-annual World AIDS Day Prayer Breakfast on announced an LGBTQ-equality directive that applies to all
Nov. 30. state, county and local law enforcement agencies.
2 LOCAL
RESOURCE LISTINGS
LEGAL RESOURCES
PHILADELPHIA COMMISSION ON
HUMAN RELATIONS —
Rue Landau
215-686-4670
PHILADELPHIA POLICE
LIAISON COMMITTEE
215-760-3686
ppd.lgbt@gmail.com
SPARC — STATEWIDE
PENNSYLVANIA RIGHTS COALITION
717-920-9537
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
OFFICE OF LGBT AFFAIRS —
EVAN THORNBURG
215-686-0330
evan.thornburg@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. Cour t St., Doylestown
215-957-7981 ext. 9065
rainbowroom@ppbucks.org
WILLIAM WAY
LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER
1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220
www.waygay.org
H E A LT H A N D H I V T E S T I N G
ACTION WELLNESS
1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088 ac-
tionwellness.org
AIDS TREATMENT FACT LINE
800-662-6080
AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
1211 Chestnut St. #405
215-971-2804; HIVcare.org
AIDS LIBRARY
1233 Locust St, aidslibrar y.org
COLOURS
coloursorganization.org
215-832-0100
BEBASHI-TRANSITION TO HOPE
1235 Spring Garden St
215-769-3561; bebashi.org
CONGRESO DE LATINOS UNIDOS
216 W. Somerset St
215-763-8870
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.; 215-985-9206
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, independence-
businessalliance.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
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
Philadelphia FIGHT to
host 11th-annual World
AIDS Day Prayer Breakfast
LAURA SMYTHE
laura@epgn.com
Health services organiza-
tion Philadelphia FIGHT will
hold its 11th-annual World
AIDS Day Prayer Breakfast
on Nov. 30.
About 300 people from the
city’s various faith commu-
nities are expected to gather
to remember those who have
died from HIV/AIDS and “of-
fer hope and healing for those
who are living with” the dis-
ease, according to a release.
The event will take place
8-10:30 a.m. at the Double-
Tree by Hilton in Center City.
The prayer breakfast aims
to get faith communities more
involved in fighting HIV/
AIDS and combat the stigma
that surrounds the disease,
including the misconception
that it only affects the LGBTQ
population, said Dr. Calenthia
Dowdy, director of faith initia-
tives at Philadelphia FIGHT.
“The prayer breakfast mes-
sage is [to] keep educating D R . C A L E N T H I A D O W D Y AT A P R E V I O U S P H I L A D E L -
about the realities to get rid P H I A F I G H T W O R L D A I D S D A Y P R A Y E R B R E A K FA S T .
of stigma, but also on World Photo: Cour tesy Chip Alfred
AIDS Day, the idea is to cel-
ebrate all the advances, the nice. Where else would those folks have met
medication and to celebrate those who are and talked?’”
still with us because of those advances in Patricia A. Davenport, bishop of the
medication,” she added. Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod and the
According to the Philadelphia Department first African-American woman to hold the
of Public Health, approximately 19,500 position in the country’s Evangelical Lu-
Philadelphia residents have been diagnosed theran Church, is slated to be the keynote
with HIV/AIDS. The city’s infection rate is speaker. She will join Dr. Frank James, pres-
five times the national average. ident and professor of historical theology at
Dowdy, who has worked at Philadelphia Missio Seminary, and Dr. Ronald Matthews,
FIGHT for six years, said the breakfast is Eastern University president. Jazz vocalist
a meeting place that facilitates connection and instrumentalist Ruth Naomi Floyd will
between LGBTQ people of faith who attend provide a musical call to prayer.
and more conservative folks. The prayer breakfast builds on a stig-
In past years at the event, Dowdy recon- ma-addressing curriculum Dowdy facilitates
nected with a man living with HIV who she at Philadelphia FIGHT. Faithful TEACH —
worked with at a teenagers’ group home which stands for treatment, education, ac-
during her 20s when he was just 13-years- tivism and combating HIV — is a six-week
old. She also witnessed an elderly church course geared toward faith leaders that fo-
woman connect with an approximately cuses on the science surrounding HIV/AIDS
40-year-old man living with HIV about his and addresses misconceptions about the dis-
experience. ease. Thirteen cohorts have graduated the
“He’s telling her, ‘I’ve been living with program, Dowdy said, with about 20 people
HIV for 15 years, and she looked at him, in each class.
and she said, ‘Really? You look great, you
The initiative is part of what she views as
look healthy.’ They continued this conversa- “a better response” to HIV/AIDS by faith
tion while going through the line and they communities since the 1980s and early
ended up exchanging contact info because 1990s.
she wanted to keep in touch with him just “With education and with time and a lot
to learn more, to hear more of his story and of patience, we have come a long way,”
maybe even invite him to come and share Dowdy said. “Now, there is still lots of work
some things at her church,” Dowdy told to be done, but we’re definitely not where
PGN. “I just thought, ‘Wow, that was real we were.” n
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
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 4 REGIONAL
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019

pgn
New Jersey implements LGBT-friendly
police directive
Publisher TIMOTHY CWIEK
timothy@epgn.com
Mark Segal (ext. 204)
mark@epgn.com
New Jersey Attorney Gener-
al Gurbir S. Grewal last week
Office Manager/
Distribution announced an LGBTQ-equality
directive that applies to all state,
Don Pignolet (ext. 200) county and local law enforcement
don@epgn.com
agencies. Every law enforcement
officer in New Jersey must be
Editor
trained on the new guidelines —
Jess Bryant (ext. 206) stemming from a report by the
editor@epgn.com
Transgender Equality Task Force
— by June 1. All 21 county pros-
Staff Writers ecutors must educate the public
Laura Smythe (ext. 215) about the guidelines, and by Dec.
laura@epgn.com 31, 2020, they must report to the
Larry Nichols (ext. 213) attorney general’s office on their
larry@epgn.com public education efforts.
Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) The directive requires police
timothy@epgn.com officers to address people by the
name and pronouns correspond-
Photographer ing to their gender identity, even
Kelly Burkhardt if that name isn’t on official re-
burkhardtkelly@gmail.com cords and forbids officers from
publicly disclosing a person’s should never require transgender, nonbi- dle a trans detainee’s request for medical
Art Director sexual orientation or gender assigned at nary, and gender-nonconforming individ- attention with the same urgency afforded
birth unless the person consents to the dis- uals to remove appearance-related items, to a cisgender detainee. Law enforcement
Sean Dorn (ext. 211)
sean@epgn.com closure or the disclosure is necessary for a including prosthetics, bras, clothes, under- officers should treat prescription hormones
“proper law enforcement purpose.” garments, wigs, chest binders or cosmetic like any other prescription medication nec-
“As a general rule,” officers should treat items during a search unless all individu- essary for an individual’s health and well-
Graphic Artist a person based on their gender identity als — regardless of gender — would be being and document the circumstances of

R
Ash Cheshire (ext. 210) regardless of gender assigned at birth, ac-
ash@epgn.com cording to the directive.
Police officers should promptly respond
Advertising Sales to calls for help, regardless of the actual or
perceived LGBTQ status of the 911 caller.
Joe Bean (ext. 219)
joe@epgn.com Officers should refrain from profiling trans
people as suspected criminals. And trans
Prab Sandhu (ext. 212)
prab@epgn.com detainees shouldn’t be subjected to invasive
body searches, according to the directive.
“A police officer may not consider a per-
National Advertising
son’s [LGBTQ status] as a factor in decid-
Rivendell Media: ing whether that person may be involved
212-242-6863
in criminal activity, or in deciding how to
treat that person, except when an officer is
pursuing specific leads in an ongoing crim-
Phone: 215-625-8501 PGN inal investigation or is trying to determine
Fax: 215-925-6437 505 S. Fourth St. whether an individual matches the descrip-
E-mail: pgn@epgn.com Philadelphia, PA
Web: www.epgn.com 19147-1506 tion in a [reported crime],” the directive
states. “Law enforcement officers shall not
Philadelphia Gay News inquire about details of a person’s sexual
is a member of: practices, genitalia, or anatomy, unless do-
The Associated Press
Pennsylvania Newspaper ing so is necessary to the ongoing criminal
Association investigation — or the individual raises the
Suburban Newspapers
of America issue without prompting by the officer, and
the officer’s inquiries are tailored to ensure
The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned the individual’s safety and dignity during a
“Editorial” col­umn. Opinions expressed in bylined col-
umns, stories and letters to the editor are those of the law enforcement interaction.”
writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Additionally, trans detainees should be
PGN. The appearance of names or pictorial represen-
tations in PGN does not necessarily indicate the sexual searched in a manner similar to cisgender
orientation of that named or pictured person or persons. detainees. “In those cases where only a fe-
Copyright © 1976 - 2019 Copyright(s) in all materials male officer can search a cisgender woman,
in these pages are either owned or licensed by Masco and only a male officer can search a cisgen-
Communications Inc. or its subsidiaries or affiliate compa-
nies (Philadelphia Gay News, PGN, and its WWW sites.) der man, then it is also the case that only
All other reproduction, distribution, retransmission, mod-
a female officer can search a transgender
ification, public display, and public performance of our
materials is prohibited without the prior written consent woman and only a male officer can search a
of Masco Communications. To obtain such consent, email
pgn@epgn.com. Published by Masco Communications Inc. transgender man,” the directive states.
© 1976-2019 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-515 Moreover, law enforcement officers
required to remove such items during that
search, according to the directive.
Regarding detention in police stations,
“a transgender woman shall be housed
with other women, unless she requests
otherwise, and a transgender man shall be
housed with other men, unless he requests
otherwise. [Individuals shall be permitted]
to use restrooms consistent with their gen-
der identity or expression, regardless of the
gender that individual was assigned at birth
and/or their anatomical characteristics,” the
directive states.
The directive says that searches of nonbi-
nary or gender-nonconforming individuals
require an officer to ask the individual their
preference with respect to the gender of
the searching officer and perform searches
in accordance with that preference where
possible. “Any search that is not conducted
in accordance with the individual’s stated
preference must, where practicable, be re-
viewed and approved by a supervisor. The
denial shall be documented in writing,” the
directive states.
An officer should transport nonbinary ar-
restees with arrestees of the gender that is
safest for them, taking into account which
gender that individual expresses to be saf-
est for them. A similar practice goes for the
detention of nonbinary folks. Individuals
should be detained with those of the gender
that is safest for them, taking into account
which gender they express to be safest for
them.
Essential in the directive is the require-
ment of law enforcement officers to han-
any medical treatment pursuant to applica-
ble policies and procedures, according to
the directive.
Lt. John Hayes of the New Jersey State
Police summarized the new guidelines on
YouTube. “No officer can ever harass or
discriminate against anyone based on their
[LGBT status],” Hayes said. “It’s that sim-
ple. No officer can stop, search or detain
anyone for being gay, for being transgen-
der or for being gender nonconforming.
And every officer must take your request
for help seriously — no matter your sexu-
ality or gender identity, because we protect
LGBTQ people just like we protect every-
one else.”
Grewal said the new directive will im-
prove relations between police and the
LGBTQ community.
“No one should be afraid about interact-
ing with police because of their sexual ori-
entation or their gender identity,” said Gre-
wal, in a press release. “That is why our law
enforcement community, which proudly
includes LGBTQ officers among our ranks,
is committed to building trust with our
LGBTQ residents. Building on the extraor-
dinary work of law enforcement agencies
across this country and right here in New
Jersey, we’re ensuring that our officers will
act in ways that promote the dignity and
safety of LGBTQ individuals, whether they
are victims, witnesses, suspects, arrestees,
or other members of the public. Only by
having the trust of our diverse communities
can we fulfill our mission of protecting all
New Jersey residents.” n
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
PGN
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6 REGIONAL
New Jersey Assembly passes ban on LGBT-panic defense
TIMOTHY CWIEK
timothy@epgn.com
On Nov. 25, the New Jersey General As-
sembly unanimously passed legislation to
ban the use of an LGBT-panic defense to
get a reduced penalty for committing a ho-
micide in the state. The vote was 72-0, with
eight legislators absent. The Garden State is
now poised to become the ninth state in the
nation to pass such legislation.
“We’re very happy with the outcome of
today’s vote in the state Assembly,” said Jon
Oliveira, a spokesperson for Garden State
Equality. “But we’re not taking anything for
granted. We’re going to continue to work
with our partners in the state Senate to get
this bill over the finish line. We want to get
this on the governor’s desk as soon as pos-
sible.”
A spokesperson for New Jersey Gov. Phil
Murphy said the governor doesn’t comment
on pending legislation. But LGBT advocates
say he’s expected to sign the legislation if it
reaches his desk.
Assembly Bill 1796 was introduced into
the Assembly on Jan. 9, 2018, and referred
to the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee. Af-
ter a public hearing, the six-member com-
mittee unanimously approved the bill on
Nov. 18.
The legislation would prevent a defendant
from trying to reduce a murder charge to a
charge of manslaughter committed in the
70-19-1105476_PECO_LIHEAP_10.125x5.6_4C_r0.indd 1
heat of passion because it was provoked by
the victim’s actual or perceived LGBT sta-
tus.
Under current law, a homicide that would
otherwise be murder is reduced to man-
slaughter if the jury finds that the crime was
committed “in the heat of passion resulting
from a reasonable provocation.”
In New Jersey, murder is a crime of the
first degree, punishable by a term of im-
prisonment ranging from 30 years to life. A
provoked heat-of-passion manslaughter is a
crime of the second degree punishable by
5-10 years imprisonment. There is no death
penalty in New Jersey.
Christian Fuscarino, executive director of
Garden State Equality, praised the bill’s pas-
sage in the Assembly. “No one should ever
be excused from murder because their vic-
tim is gay or transgender, and New Jersey
must send an unequivocal message that we
fully value the lives and dignity of LGBTQ
people,” Fuscarino said, in a press release.
“The Assembly’s vote today to advance a
ban on the gay and trans ‘panic’ defense
is a significant step forward. But at a time
when LGBTQ people — especially trans-
gender Americans — have been victim to an
increasing number of hate crimes, we must
ensure that this legislation quickly moves
through the Senate so Governor Murphy can
sign it into law.”
The next step is for the bill to receive a
public hearing in the state Senate Judiciary
Photo by Nicholas Swatz
Committee. State Sen. Nicholas P. Scutari
(D-Middlesex), chair of the state Senate Ju-
diciary Committee, couldn’t be reached for
comment regarding when a hearing will be
scheduled.
State Sen. Joseph A. Lagana (D-Bergen,
Passaic) introduced the Senate version of the
bill on May 31, 2018. State Sen. Vin Gopal
(D-Ocean) is also a primary Senate sponsor
of the bill, and they’re working to get a vote
scheduled in the state Senate Judiciary Com-
mittee.
In an email, Lagana blasted the LGBT-pan-
ic defense. “The gay or trans ‘panic’ defense
is a vile legal strategy used to lessen the pun-
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Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
ishment for violent and hateful offenses,”
Lagana said. “It should never be permitted
in any court. I am fully committed to pass-
ing this legislation, which was originally
championed [in 2014] by my running mate,
former Assemblyman Tim Eustace, with the
amendments made in the Assembly.”
Gopal echoed those sentiments. “I am so
pleased to see the Assembly pass today’s im-
portant vote to protect LGBTQ New Jersey-
ans,” Gopal said, in a press release. “Senator
Lagana and I urge the Senate to pass this
bill before 2020. We have reached out to the
Judiciary Chair to get it posted at the next
committee hearing.”
In 2019, at least 30 transgender Amer-
icans have been reported killed. The FBI
reports that hate crimes in New Jersey have
increased for the third consecutive year, with
LGBTQ people making up a disproportion-
ate amount of victims, according to a Gar-
den State Equality press release.
Gay and trans “panic” defenses have been
used to acquit dozens of murderers of their
crimes across the country. Even in instanc-
es where juries are instructed not to listen
to such a defense, the implicit homophobic
or transphobic bias of hearing the defense
at all can still influence the jury’s decision,
according to Garden State Equality’s press
release.
New York, Hawaii, California, Rhode Is-
land, Illinois, Maine, Nevada and Connecti-
cut have enacted similar legislation. n
10/28/19 3:20 PM
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
PGN
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8 LOCAL
Philadelphia Foundation
grants $100,000 to Penn
for HIV prevention study
VICTORIA A. BROWNWORTH
PGN Contributor
Penn Nursing — ranked as the best nurs-
ing school in the world — has received a
$100,000 grant from the Robert I. Jacobs
Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation for HIV
research. The grant is for an investigation led
by one of the top local experts in the field of
HIV research, Dr. José A. Bauermeister. Bau-
ermeister is a presidential professor of nurs-
ing and director of the Program on Sexuality,
Technology and Action Research (PSTAR) at
Penn Nursing. He also serves in the Nation-
al Institutes of Health on Sexual and Gender
Research.
At Penn Nursing, Bauermeister works with
students, colleagues and community partners
to identify innovative strategies on sexual
health promotion and intervention as part
of the PSTAR. The program offers research
opportunities to address LGBT health dispar-
ities as well as those for sexual and gender
minority (SGM) people.
Bauermeister also leads the Penn Center
scientific working group Leveraging Tech-
nology to Reduce HIV Disparities. This
group aims to speed up research into HIV
prevention and care by building a commu-
nity of researchers and scholars invested in
addressing HIV disparities.
The study to be funded by the Philadelphia
Foundation is concomitant with Bauermeis-
ter’s other work and is titled, “Youth-driven
Perspectives in HIV Biomedical Prevention
and Cure Research.”
Bauermeister has devoted much of his re-
search to issues related to minority youth and
HIV. His research “integrates perspectives
from public health, social science, medicine
and human sexuality to create interdisci-
plinary strategies to curtail HIV disparities
among sexual and gender minority adoles-
cents and young adults.”
In the new study, Bauermeister will focus
on Black and Latinx teens and young men.
Adolescents and young adults (ages 15-24),
particularly Black and Latinx gay, bisexu-
al and other men who have sex with men
(YGBMSM), are disproportionally infected
with HIV in the U.S.
“If we are to achieve the ‘Ending the HIV
Epidemic in the United States by 2030’ ini-
tiative goals,” Bauermeister said, “investment
in systems-level interventions, digital strat-
egies and biomedical technologies will be
necessary to optimize HIV prevention and
care delivery for sexual and gender minority
youth.”
Although daily oral Pre-Exposure Prophy-
laxis (PrEP) has been proven to be able to
eradicate HIV, the use of PrEP and adherence
to the regimen has been limited among this
group of teens and young men. Bauermeis-
ter’s investigation will highlight the need to
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
continue developing and promoting alterna-
tive biomedical HIV prevention strategies to
reach this group.
Bauermeister’s study seeks to highlight
sexual minority youths’ perspectives on the
design and delivery of next-generation HIV
prevention and cure biomedical products.
Key to this project is the integration of a team
of Philadelphia-area youth co-investigators
who will be hired and trained to participate
equitably with the Penn research team on this
initiative.
One area of expertise Bauermeister’s work
has focused on is large biomedical clinical
trials focused on developing new biomedical
HIV prevention technologies for use locally
and globally.
Bauermeister has described his work at
Penn Nursing in the context of the develop-
ment and use of PrEP, explaining that “devel-
oping and testing additional HIV prevention
technologies in the form of douches, vaginal
rings, gels, inserts and injectables and other
technologies could serve as prevention alter-
natives to barrier methods (e.g., condoms) or
systemic prophylaxis (daily oral-delivered
PrEP) for men and women around the globe.”
Bauermeister uses participation methods to
ensure that new biomedical HIV prevention
solutions being developed are ultimately ac-
ceptable and fit the lifestyles of those most
impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He
has worked on a series of trials that examine
how social and behavioral factors influence
the acceptability, tolerability and adherence
to new protocols. Currently, he serves as
Protocol Chair for DESIRE (Developing and
Evaluating Short-acting Innovations for Rec-
tal Use), a five-country protocol that system-
atically examines SGM youths’ preferences
in delivery options for new medications and
prophylaxis (fast-dissolving insert, supposi-
tory, douche) for the future delivery of drugs
to help prevent HIV/STI when engaging in
receptive anal sex. He also serves as protocol
chair of a novel Phase I clinical safety trial
examining the acceptability, tolerability and
safety profile of a PrEP douche among ado-
lescent and young adult men.
There are currently 1.1 million people with
HIV in the U.S., and the majority of new cas-
es of HIV are among gay men and men who
have sex with other men who are under the
age of 30. Examining what works and does
not work for these teens and men in terms
of prevention techniques and medications is
critical to minimizing the rate of new cases
of HIV.
“We thank Philadelphia Foundation for its
support of this important research,” said Bau-
ermeister. “Through this initiative, we will
ask Philadelphia youth to help create and an-
alyze the data and propose youth-driven pol-
icy recommendations for true social transfor-
mation within HIV biomedical research.” n
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
Philly releases youth
residential task force report
JESS BRYANT
jess@epgn.com
The City of Philadelphia released a report
Tuesday that outlines priorities for improv-
ing care for youth in residential placements.
The 19 recommendations, which detail how
to strategically reduce the number of youth
in residential facilities, were derived from
The Youth Residential Placement Task Force
that Philadelphia City Council established
about a year ago to work on the issue.
Mayor Jim Kenney, along with City Coun-
cilmembers Helen Gym and Kenyatta John-
son, Estelle-Richman, task force co-chair,
and Tyrone Jones, task force
member and representative of the
Young Adults Leadership Com-
mittee, introduced a plan that
intends to create community al-
ternatives to placements and en-
sure quality care when residential
placement is necessary.
City Council established the
task force following hearings
about abuse in residential place-
ments that impacted youth and
families in the child welfare,
juvenile justice and behavioral
health systems.
In a release, Gym spoke of
“sixteen-year-old David Hess,
who was murdered at the hands
of staffers entrusted with his
care,” adding, “I’m committed
to the next steps of this work:
strengthening city contracts and
state licensing to protect all of our kids. This
report should be a roadmap and a moral
charge for reform.”
Over the last year, the task force, com-
prised of advocates, city departments, the
School District of Philadelphia, City Coun-
cil, youth and parents, hosted public sessions
that 170 people attended. The group also
hosted leaders from other jurisdictions to
learn about methods for bringing youth clos-
er to home by locating community services.
“This report builds on the ongoing work
of City departments to reduce residential
placements and reflects how much more we
must do to keep kids safe,” Kenney said in a
release. “I want to recognize the young peo-
ple who told their stories and provided their
recommendations for this report. It takes
bravery and courage to speak up, and their
input has been truly invaluable.”
The task force’s vision includes providing
high-quality community-oriented services
during and after residential placement, the
City operating with increased transparency,
youth and families acting as policy-makers,
prioritizing educational success and work-
ing to eliminate racial, gender and LGBTQ-
GNC disparities in the residential placement
system.
Stephanie Haynes, a member of the task
force and executive director at Philadelphia
Family Pride said over the next year national
experts will work with local leaders to col-
LOCAL
lect data on Philadelphia’s LGBTQ-GNC
youth who are “system-involved,” to com-
plete a disparity analysis and quantify dis-
parity reductions. Using that data, Haynes
said the group will identify strategies to re-
duce those disparities.
A 2017 report from Chapin Hall at the
University of Chicago noted that LGBTQ
youth had a 120-percent-higher risk of ex-
periencing homelessness compared to young
people who identified as heterosexual and
cisgender. True Colors United reports that
LGBTQ youth make up an estimated 40 per-
cent of the youth homeless population, while
accounting for only 7 percent of the general
population. The nonprofit also reports that
99 percent of homelessness service provid-
ers report working with LGBTQ youth.
In Philadelphia, Catholic Social Services
lost a court battle this year requiring the
adoption agency to place youth with LGBTQ
families to continue receiving city funding.
Haynes said she met with a group of
LGBTQ youth advocates who relayed that
they wanted to feel protected and safe in their
living situations. She added, “I look forward
to continuing the work to make sure that the
report recommendations are implemented
and welcome any community feedback.”
About 800 young people live in residen-
tial housing facilities, mostly in areas sur-
rounding Philadelphia, and the majority
are teenagers of color, the task force report
stated. According to the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development and
the National Alliance to End Homelessness,
minorities are 1.5 times more likely to expe-
rience homelessness than white Americans.
Black Americans are three times more likely.
The rate of unsheltered homelessness among
Latinx individuals increased by 35 percent
in 2017, compared to a 6-percent increase in
the non-Latinx community.
“We owe it to our youth to make sure they
come out of the system better than they went
in, not worse,” Johnson said in a release.
“Youth residential placement should be safe,
supportive and rare.” n
9
S A L E S R E P R E S E N TAT I V E AT P G N
Philadelphia Gay News (PGN) currently has immediate opening for advertising
sales position available for an energetic, self-motivated individual with outstanding
communication skills.
Our ideal candidate must have polished sales skills with experience in lead genera-
tion and cold calling, combined with a track record of closing the sale.
Qualifications: * Two years minimum of successful sales experience, former print
and/or advertising sales are a plus * Strong verbal and writing skills * Excellent at
relationship building * Ability to work independently and part of a team * Knowl-
edge of local media market and LGBT community a plus * Computer literacy a
must
Salary/Benefits: Competitive Salary based on your past experience, plus commis-
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City of Philadelphia
Public Hearing Notice
The Committee on Public Safety of the Council of the City of
Philadelphia will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, December 9,
2019, at 1:00 PM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the
following items:
190109 Resolution authorizing Council’s Committee on Public
Safety to hold hearings to examine the state of
Philadelphia’s EMS system and the areas where
additional support is needed to ensure that the
Philadelphia Fire Department is equipped with the
necessary tools to perform their job.
Immediately following the public hearing, a meeting of the Committee
on Public Safety, open to the public, will be held to consider the action to
be taken on the above listed items.
Copies of the foregoing items are available in the Office of the Chief
Clerk of the Council, Room 402, City Hall.
Michael A. Decker
Chief Clerk
10 EDITORIAL
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019

EDITORIAL BY JESS BRYANT

gion according to Philadelphia’s 5.9 times more likely than white

WORLD AIDS DAY
World AIDS Day is Dec. 1, a devastating memory. I would
2019. Founded in 1988 as the first venture to say all LGBTQ people
global health day, World AIDS have stories of their own about
Day is a time for people to come the AIDS epidemic or have heard
together in the fight against HIV, stories about friends lost, funerals
support those living with HIV and attended, and the sheer number of
commemorate those who lost their obituaries published during that
lives from an AIDS-related illness. time. PGN’s pages were full of
The AIDS epidemic of the grief, confusion and memorials.
1980s and ’90s took countless gay The government was neglectful,
and trans lives. For many of those hospitals treated those with AIDs
who lived through it, the crisis is without humanity and mainstream
news publications wrote disparag-
ing headlines.
While those days are behind
us, by decades now, Philadel-
phia is still facing an HIV crisis.
Those who contracted the disease
during its early days are feeling
the effects of older medications
and concomitant diseases such as
multiple myeloma. An estimated
20,000 people are living with HIV
in the Greater Philadelphia Re-
Department of Health, and Phila-
delphians are being infected at a
rate five times the national aver-
age.
Statistics from AIDSvu show
that people of color are more af-
fected than white folks and that
sex between men still represents
the highest transmission category.
Black men are three times more
likely to be living with HIV than
white men, and Black women are
seven times more likely than white
women. Latino men are 2.7 times
more likely to live with HIV than
white men and Latina women are
women to live with an HIV diag-
nosis.
The HIV crisis has a new face.
While PrEP, pre-exposure pro-
phylaxis, and PEP, post-exposure
prophylaxis, are effective medi-
cations, access to those drugs and
other systemic factors, along with
racism, leads to folks of color be-
ing disproportionately affected by
HIV and even left behind in the
battle against the disease.
When we talk about HIV and its
transmission in 2019, we have to
acknowledge how racism has al-
lowed the epidemic to continue. n

CREEP OF THE WEEK BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI

ROD DREHER
Strike up the band and start the parade,
ladies and gentlemen and those who iden-
tify somewhere in between or beyond.
Chick-fil-A has gone gay! We’ve done it.
At long last, we’ve broken the anti-LGBTQ
spirit and will of Chick-fil-A’s philanthrop-
ic arm. From here on out Chick-fil-A will
only be donating to Homosexual Agenda,
a 501(c)(3) that seeks to make everybody
both transgender and/or lesbian, gay, bi
or pansexual. In addition, HA will ensure
that the only political figure children learn
about is Harvey Milk, though the idea
Abraham Lincoln was gay will be included
in the curriculum.
Wait a minute. I’m being told that I may
have my facts mixed up. It appears that the
so-called “homosexual agenda” is just a
general desire to be recognized and treated
as equal and worthy human beings and not
a 501(c)(3) organization. Oof. That’s going
to hurt me at tax time. Oh, and Chick-fil-A
hasn’t gone gay after all.
You can forgive me for thinking that
Chick-fil-A had done something very dras-
tic when it came to their charitable giving.
I’m old enough to remember when Chick-
fil-A gave money to anti-LGBTQ organi-
zations like the odious Family Research
Council. Progressives were angered while
anti-gay conservatives literally lined up
around the block to show their anti-LGBTQ
solidarity by buying and eating chicken
sandwiches with two pickles on a toasted
butter bun. I’m also old enough to remem-
ber that Chick-fil-A stopped giving money
to groups like FRC. That was in 2012.
Well lo and behold, Chick-fil-A has still
been giving money to the Fellowship of
Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army,
two groups that are against marriage equal-
ity and have been accused of discriminat-
ing against LGBTQ people in hiring. And
so Chick-fil-A received criticism from
LGBTQ people and allies. And now Chick-
fil-A has announced that it isn’t going to
give money to either group anymore. Co- you, Chick-fil-A. You had no reason to ca-
incidence? pitulate. You have successfully resisted the
Honestly, maybe? I mean, it’s possible mob for years, and built a booming busi-
that Chick-fil-A has been watching a lot of ness in spite of it! But capitulate you did.”
“Queer Eye” and has had a change of heart. I would like to take a moment to remind
But it’s also possible that they just decided everyone that Chick-fil-A is a fast-food
to put their money and focus somewhere restaurant, not the American Embassy, not
else? Regardless, people on the right are a hospital, not a military base. They sell
freaking out. sandwiches and fries. They don’t save lives
Rod Dreher, an editor at The American or protect this country.
Conservative, is one of them. He wrote a I am reminded of the, “Sir, this is an Ar- over and ruining our freedom and will nev-
piece titled “Chick-fil-A Surrenders To by’s” punchline used so often on Twitter. A er, ever leave me alone!”
LGBT Bullies” on The American Conser- great example is its use by Alexandra Petri Employee: “Sir, this is a Chick-fil-A.
vative website which began with, “This is a (follow her at @petridishes) as a response And you need to leave.” n
sad day. Even though Chick-fil-A is hugely to a Brett Kavanaugh quote regarding his
profitable, it still capitulated to progressive insane behavior before the Senate. D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and
bullies.” I propose that we use, “This is a Chick- comedian living in Michigan with her wife
Dreher is, of course, entitled to his feel- fil-A” in response to the crazy ramblings of and son. She has been writing about LGBT
ings so if he wants to feel sad then I won’t folks like Dreher. politics for over a decade. Follow her on
try to diminish that. But I have a problem Dreher: “The homosexuals are taking Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.
with the insinuation that a “hugely profit-
able” company is exempt from public pres-
sure or just basic decency due to its wealth.
I also don’t appreciate being called a bully
simply for insisting on my full humanity
and refusing to capitulate to anyone who
sees me as less than. I also do not give a
pass to being anti-LGBTQ based on reli-
gion.
So apparently that means Dreher despis-
es me. I’ve got to give him some credit for
not hiding behind that “love the sinner hate
the sin” bulls--t. He’s just flat out, “I hate
you.” Cool cool.
“I despise the LGBT bullies, but I’m
not letting Chick-fil-A’s leadership off the
hook,” he writes, calling them “cowards”
and accusing them of “gutless surrender.”
“And it’s a lesson to all of us,” he warned.
“The LGBT lobby, and their progressive
allies, will never, ever leave you alone.
Never.”
Never ever ever? True. There is no
amount of discrimination and hatred that
we will or have to tolerate.
“Anyway,” Dreher continued, “shame on
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
OP-ED
11
MARK MY WORDS WITH MARK SEGAL

Ungraceful Chaput exit

The Vatican might have the
last laugh on homophobe and
pedophile protector Archbishop
Charles J. Chaput.
Chaput is one of the master-
minds who embarrassed the Pope
on his visit to Washington, D.C.,
by hoodwinking him into a meet-
ing with Kim Davis, the anti-gay
county clerk who refused to issue
marriage licenses to same-sex cou-
ples. The Vatican was so alarmed
by what Chaput and fellow bish-
ops connived that the Catholic church’s seat put out a state-
ment that the encounter with Davis was not an official meet-
ing.
Over the years, Chaput has left a trail of tears and pain
behind him — supporting child-abusing priests, firing les-
bian teachers, refusing communion to LGBT couples and
supporting a sort of Catholic conversion therapy, a pray-the-
gay-away ministry.
His lack of loyalty to the Pope has become what the mil-
itary would call insubordination. The current issue is his at-
tempt to influence the selection of his replacement, because
the Pope’s choices are not homophobic enough.
Word has leaked that on the list of potential candidates
is none other than Father James Martin SJ, who happens
to be the most outspoken voice in the church for creating
dialogue between the church hierarchy and its LGBT pa-
rishioners. A dialogue between the church and gay people,
what a radical idea. Jesus would be, well, appreciative. But
not Chaput and his friends.
They’ve started a Moveon.org petition titled: “Stop Ap-
pointment of Fr. James Martin, SJ, as Archbishop of Phil-
adelphia.”
The entire petition is based on Chaput’s writings against
Fr. James, and the petition, according to moveon.org, was
started by one of Chaput’s close friends, Donna Bethell. A
simple Google of their names shows the various projects
they’ve worked on together. They seem to be very fond of
each other.
Look, no one knows who the Pope will appoint, and
while it would be an honor for Philadelphia if he appointed
Fr. Martin, it is unlikely. So what is the point of the petition?
With this cheap and petty shot at the Pope, it’s a smoke-
screen so the public will not look at Chaput’s failures in
his tenure in Philadelphia. Closing schools, protecting abu-
sive priests, church attendance drastically down. The Pope
knows a change is needed in Philadelphia, one that will
bring people back to a church that teaches tolerance and
understanding — a united church, not a fractured church
which Chaput made with a tower of hate. I don’t dislike
Chaput. I pity him. His ungraceful parting gesture makes
him such a small man. n

OP-ED BY VICTORIA A. BROWNWORTH

Looking for an end to HIV/AIDS

World AIDS Day is always a grim me-
morial. The day marks another year of stul-
tifying numbers of people infected with
HIV/AIDS. Another year of stigma not yet
lifted and denialism still entrenched. An-
other year of surviving all those who did
not survive.
I lost a generation of friends, men who
were my age and a little older, who should
be in their 50s, 60s and 70s now. Men who
are long dead, their legacy a huge quilt, a
vibrant activism, and those of us who still
mourn, refusing to let their early deaths be
in vain.
Cheerful TV ads for Truvada for PrEP,
replete with handsome young gay men,
hip women of indeterminate sexual orien-
tation and beautiful trans women push a
message of AIDS as preventable and HIV
as manageable. You can, the ads suggest,
be young, sexually active and not fall prey
to HIV as long as you follow a few basic
steps. Everything we dreamed of in those
years when the epidemic raged unchecked
and the death notices were daily.
Yet following those PrEP steps and get-
ting those expensive PrEP drugs is not
as simple as the ads imply. While studies
now show that a PrEP regimen can actu-
ally eliminate transmis-
we
wanna
know Ending the stigma: Do you or someone you know use PReP or PEP?
Follow us on Instagram to be a part of our social polls and questions: @phillygaynews
sion, the trickle-down effect has yet to be
achieved in the U.S.
UNAIDS reports HIV/AIDS remains
a global pandemic. As of 2017, approx-
imately 36.9 million people are infected
with HIV globally. In 2018, approximately
43 percent are women — the highest per-
centage to date. There were about 940,000
deaths from AIDS in 2017.
The countries most impacted globally
are in Africa and Asia. In the U.S., 52
percent of new HIV infections are in the
South, 19 percent in the West, 16 percent
in the Northeast and 13 percent in the
Midwest. But cities throughout the U.S.
remain vectors for transmission, among
them, Philadelphia, which the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) ranks in the top 20
for new diagnoses, the only city other than
New York not in the South or Southwest.
The CDC reports over 1.1 million people
living with HIV in the U.S. in 2019, and of
those, one in seven is unaware they are in-
fected. According to the Philadelphia De-
partment of Health, there are 20,000 peo-
ple with HIV in the city. Drexel Medicine
reports that Philadelphia has a transmission
rate that is five times the national average.
The majority of those cases are among
gay men and men who have sex with other
men. But Black women and trans women
of all races are also disproportionately
represented among people with HIV, both
locally and in the U.S. People aged 20 to
24 have the highest incidence of new diag-
noses, with teens 13 to 19 being the group
with the next highest prevalence, people 25
to 44 next.
That data is reflected in Philadelphia’s
Kensington, Germantown and North Philly
neighborhoods where the opioid crisis is
at a peak. In those Philly neighborhoods,
rates of transmission remain much higher
than elsewhere in the city. AIDS advocates
in Philadelphia note that the opioid epi-
demic — a public health emergency, ac-
cording to the CDC — has propelled new
infections as addiction often leads to un-
safe survival sex, which can lead to HIV
infection.
More than 15,000 people die each year
of AIDS in the U.S. and since the dis-
ease was first discovered in 1981, nearly
700,000 people have died in the U.S. from
it.
I’ve been reporting on HIV/AIDS since
1983. I covered every major story in the
early years of the epidemic, and as the first
female journalist covering HIV/AIDS in
the U.S. for both the mainstream and gay
100% yes
press, I reported stories that might not have
reached the mainstream otherwise. I was
the first to write about women and AIDS,
to cover pediatric AIDS with a focus on
babies born to HIV-infected mothers and
kids like Ryan White, who had been in-
fected via tainted blood products. In my
columns for The Village Voice, The Advo-
cate, SPIN and POZ magazines, I reported
news from the front lines of the epidemic,
even as I was also an activist in ACT-UP
and being arrested at the White House and
various other venues around the country
during the fight to have HIV/AIDS named
and its victims acknowledged. And I wrote
obituaries — so many obituaries.
Decades later, we have the tools we ac-
tivists fought for, but never dreamed we’d
have — and yet we unable to stop new di-
agnoses. With PrEP, we could end AIDS in
a generation or even a decade, so why are
people still dying of AIDS in 2019?
That should be the question we strive to
answer between World AIDS Day 2019 and
World AIDS Day 2020. That is a question
we must demand an answer for as vocifer-
ously as we demanded money for research
and drugs in the not-so-distant past. Likely
a lack of access to medications, along with
classism, racism, homophobia, transphobia
and transmisogyny are part of the equation.
I dream of a day when World AIDS
Day is no longer needed, when there are
no more new infections, when HIV has
been eradicated. I also hope the activism
we birthed decades ago will continue to
save lives and continue to sound all the
necessary alarms until that day comes.
We owe it to our dead to keep fighting for
the living. n
14
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N AT I O N A L
New HRC report chronicles
anti-trans violence in 2019
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The Human Rights Campaign Foun-
“Our” dation released a new annual report out-
Family Plumber
lining the state of violence against trans
people in the United States based on data
for over 30 years from this year.
The Nov. 18 report “A National Epi-
demic: Fatal Anti-Transgender Violence
in the United States in 2019” came out
two days ahead of this year’s Transgen-
der Day of Remembrance, the 20th-annu-
al commemoration of trans people who
were murdered. The work also delves
into the social factors that can contribute
to fatal violence and calls for the expan-
sion of community-based initiatives to
combat the issue.
Trans women of color, particularly
folks who are Black, are ‘living in crisis,’
Human Rights Campaign President Al-
phonso David said in a statement.
“While the details of the cases docu-
mented in this report differ, the toxic in-
tersection of racism, sexism, transphobia
and easy access to guns conspire to deny
so many members of the transgender
and gender non-conforming community
access to housing, employment and oth-
er necessities to survive and thrive,” he
added. “Every one of these lives cut trag-
ically short reinforces the urgent need for
action on all fronts to end this epidemic
— from lawmakers and law enforcement,
to the media and our communities.”
At least 22 trans and gender non-con-
forming people have been killed in 2019,
the report states. Of the victims, 91 per-
cent were trans women of color, includ-
ing Philadelphia’s Tameka “Michelle”
Washington, who was shot to death in
May. The report also discovered 81 per-
cent were younger than 30 years old and
68 percent lived in the South.
As of last month, only 20 states and
Washington, D.C. have laws addressing
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
hate or bias crimes based on sexual
orientation and gender identity. Since
2013, 82 percent of trans people who
died from violence were killed in states
without gender-identity-inclusive hate
crimes protections in place at the time of
their death. More than half of the victims
in the same timeframe also died in a loca-
tion lacking adequate non-discrimination
protections for gender identity, the report
states.
Florida, Texas and Louisiana, in de-
scending order, clock in as the states with
the most instances of fatal anti-trans vi-
olence in the last six years, the Human
Rights Campaign found.
At six fatalities, Philadelphia ranks as
the city with the third-highest death rate
in the same period, tied with Cleveland
and trailing behind Baltimore, where
seven such deaths occurred. Ninety per-
cent of these incidents across the country
occurred in areas that had a poverty rate
above the 2018 U.S. average of 11.8 per-
cent.
Criminalization of sex work can also
exacerbate violence against the trans and
gender-nonconforming communities, es-
pecially trans women of color, the report
indicates. The 2015 U.S. Transgender
Survey found that nine in 10 trans peo-
ple engaging in sex work or suspected
of engaging in sex work reported being
harassed, attacked, sexually assaulted
or otherwise mistreated by law enforce-
ment.
The Human Rights Campaign Foun-
dation estimates that 13-36 percent of
victims of anti-trans violence since 2013
engaged in sex work at the time of their
death.
The foundation’s new report was re-
leased days after the Federal Bureau of
Investigation unveiled hate crime data
for 2018, which revealed a 34 percent
increase in violent hate-based attacks on
trans people from 2017-18. n
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
PGN
15

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16
photo journalism
Allentown’s LGBT center holds mortgage payoff ceremony
JESS BRYANT
jess@epgn.com
Allentown’s Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community
Center held a mortgage-payoff ceremony Nov. 20, to
celebrate being one of a small number of LGBT centers
that owns its building mortgage-free.
At the community center’s 2019 Fall Gala on Oct. 30,
Air Products offered a $25,000 challenge grant. Nine-
ty-three community members came together during a
15-minute donating blitz, facilitated by GiveLively, to
crowdfund the additional $25,000 necessary for the
Bradbury-Sullivan Center to pay off its mortgage. A live
display of donor gifts was on-screen, and each donor
contributed an average of $311.
About 50 people attended the mortgage-payoff event
held at the Bradbury-Sullivan Center last week. Speak-
ers included Denise Spivak, the CEO of CenterLink, the
community of LGBT centers, who flew in specifical-
ly to help mark the event; Laurie Hackett, director of
community relations at Air Products; Adrian Shanker,
executive director of Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Com-
munity Center; and Jeffrey Albert, president and CEO
of People First Federal Credit Union.
At the event, a large check was presented to Albert
and People First Credit Union, the mortgage servicer,
marking the end to mortgage payments.
According to the 2018 National LGBT Community
Center Report by the Movement Advancement Project,
less than 25 percent of LGBT centers in the U.S. own
their buildings. Even fewer are mortgage-free.
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PHOTO JOURNALISM
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
PHOTOS BY LBJ MEDIA
The Bradbury-Sullivan Center purchased its building
in 2015, achieving such a rarity in only four years.
Shanker said, “We are so appreciative of the support
from our community that made it possible for Brad-
bury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center to become
mortgage-free.”
Having the building’s mortgage paid off will allow
the Bradbury-Sullivan Center to funnel more resources
into the services it offers the region’s LGBTQ commu-
nity, like youth programming, hiring staff and doing
more social media and marketing outreach, Shanker
told PGN last month.
The executive director’s remarks at the ceremony in-
cluded an acknowledgment of Transgender Day of Re-
membrance and the 23 trans and gender-nonconforming
people who lost their lives due to anti-trans violence in
2019. Shanker also told a story familiar to many LGBT
folks.
“Earlier today, I received a phone call from a
court-appointed special advocate. She is working with a
15-year-old LGBT student from the Allentown School
District whose parents threw him out of the home when
he came out,” he said. “She called because she wanted
to know if there were any services we could offer that
would make this teenager’s life a little easier. I shared
with her that a full-third of our building is dedicated to
LGBT youth programs, offered every day after school.
I let her know that we have staff in our youth program
that can work with her client to help navigate him to
the support systems he needs. I let her know that we are
here to help.” n
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NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
COLUMN
17
MOMBIAN BY DANA RUDOLPH

Holiday Gift Guide to LGBTQ Children’s Books

It’s time for my annual gift guide to some ic and gently humorous illustrations. (Pub- ors in the Pride flag into a poem from parent support from his older sister and parents
of the year’s best LGBTQ-inclusive chil- lished in the last week of 2018, too late for to child, coupled with images of babies and when he tells them he’s not a girl. Sam and
dren’s picture books! There were happily my gift guide last year.) toddlers and sometimes their two moms or his family read as Latinx and they live in a
more books published this year than I can “My Two Moms and Me and My Two dads. “Yellow sunshine, smiles so bright. racially diverse neighborhood. A warm story
include here, so please visit mombian.com Dads and Me,” by Michael Joosten and il- I’ll hug you, kiss you, hold you tight,” says of sibling support and family love.
for a longer compilation. lustrator Izak Zenou (Doubleday), are board one spread. There’s a mention of “Pride Day The protagonist of “What Riley Wore,” by
books that depict the everyday lives of chil- fun,” but the sentiments extend far beyond a Elana K. Arnold and illustrator Linda Da-
Family and Relationships dren with same-sex parents. While they single day or month. vick (Simon & Schuster), loves to dress up in
“A Plan for Pops,” by Heather Smith and stick with a formula used in two previous “Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A ball gowns, hard hats, and bunny costumes.
illustrator Brooke Kerrigan (Orca Books), is LGBTQ-inclusive board book pairs (one Revolution,” by Rob Sanders and illustra- When another child asks, “Are you a girl or
the touching story of Lou, an overall-clad, by Lesléa Newman and the other by Stacey tor Jamey Christoph (Random House), uses a boy?” Riley simply answers, “Today I’m a
gender-ambiguous child who loves visiting Bromberg and Joe Taravella), they are up- the perspective of the Stonewall Inn itself to firefighter. And a dancer,” and several other
their grandfathers, beat and stylish. create a simple yet compelling story of the fanciful things. Arnold conveys a message
a biracial couple. “Family Is a Super- fateful night in 1969. of acceptance with-
Lou must figure power,” by Michael out raising issues
out how to help Dahl and illustrator Gender Identity of teasing or bul-
when one grandfa- Omar Lozano, shows and Expression lying — important
ther is confined to Wonder Woman, Su- “When Aiden Be- issues, but too of-
a wheelchair and perman, Batman, and came a Brother,” ten the only narra-
won’t leave his other DC Comics’ by Kyle Lukoff and tive about children
room. Evocative heroes, along with a illustrator Kaylani expressing gen-
prose and a big diverse group of ev- Juanita (Lee & Low), der creativity. The
dose of family love. eryday children and is a joyous tale about completely positive
Caldecott Hon- parents, demonstrat- a biracial (Black and approach here is re-
or and Ezra Jack ing aspects of the one South Asian) trans- freshing.
Keats Honor win- superpower that out- gender boy awaiting In “Ogilvy,” by
ner Bao Phi’s “My shines all others — the the birth of his new Deborah Under-
Footprints,” illus- power of family. A sibling. What sets wood and illustra-
trated by Basia two-dad family is in- this book apart from tor T. L. McBeth
Tran (Capstone), cluded. many others is that (Henry Holt), the
tells of a Vietnam- “You Began as a rather than Aiden’s titular and gen-
ese American girl Wish,” by Kim Berg- gender identity offer- der-ambiguous
who gets teased by man and illustrator Irit ing only challenges bunny moves to a
classmates about Pollak, offers a simple to be overcome, it is new town, where
her two moms and explanation of assisted instead a source of the other children
told to “go back where I come from.” She reproduction, inclusive of same-sex, trans- strength and wisdom say that bunnies
finds solace in imitating wild creatures and gender, and nonbinary parents. For 30 years, as he plans for being in sweaters must
her moms draw on their own cultural iden- Bergman, a licensed psychologist, has been a good brother. do certain things, while those in dresses do
tities (Vietnamese American and Hindu) to helping LGBTQ clients and others have In “They, She, He easy as ABC,” by Pura others. Ogilvy’s medium-length garment
help her pretend. A lyrical tale about finding children through assisted reproduction. She Belpré Honor Award winner Maya Gonza- confuses them. Ogilvy relabels the outfit at
strength in imagination, family, and heritage. has distilled her wealth of knowledge to cre- lez and Matthew Smith-Gonzalez (Reflec- will and plays accordingly, until one day the
“Ghost’s Journey: A Refugee Story,” by ate this melodic book appropriate for even tion Press), we meet an alphabet of friends, other bunnies demand a fixed choice. Ogilvy
Robin Stevenson (Rebel Mountain Press), is the very youngest children. mostly children of color, who use a variety convinces them that everyone benefits from
based on the true story of a same-sex cou- of pronouns and dance their way from A to wearing and doing what each chooses.
ple who fled from Indonesia to Canada from Pride Ze. The reader is then invited to “Join the “Jacob’s Room to Choose,” by Sarah
fear of persecution. Stevenson tells the tale Robin Stevenson’s “Pride Colors” board dance. There’s always room.” and Ian Hoffman and illustrator Chris Case
from the perspective of their cat, Ghost, and book (Orca) turns the meanings of the col- “Ho’onani Hula Warrior,” by Heather Gail (Magination Press), is a follow up to their
her thoughtful prose captures the family’s and illustrator Mika 2014 “Jacob’s New Dress.” When Jacob,
journey with just the right amount of detail Song, is based on in a dress, and his friend Sophie, in a but-
for young readers. the true story of a ton-down and khakis, get chased out of the
“I Am Perfectly Designed,” by Queer Eye Native Hawaiian boys’ and girls’ bathrooms, respectively,
star Karamo Brown and his grown son Ja- child who feels nei- their teacher leads a class discussion on gen-
son “Rachel” Brown, with illustrations by ther wahine (girl) or der expression. The children decide to cre-
Anoosha Syed, gives us a gentle yet affirm- kãne (boy) and who ate new signs indicating anyone can use any
ing conversation between a young Black wants to join the bathroom. The unfortunate reality is that not
boy and his father about their life together, school performance all schools will be as quick to make change
as they walk through their vibrant, multicul- of a traditional kãne — but this cheerful book offers a model to
tural, queer-inclusive neighborhood. hula chant. An em- follow.
“Maiden & Princess,” by Daniel Haack powering story of
and Isabel Galupo, with illustrations by a child navigating Across the Rainbow
Becca Human (Little Bee), tells of a maiden and finding strength Flamingo Rampant micropress published
who falls in love with a princess at a multi- in both gender and its third cohort of queer-inclusive, multira-
racial royal court. A welcome addition to the cultural identities. cial, and celebratory picture books, this time
genre of LGBTQ-inclusive fairy tales and In “Sam!,” by with the theme “Discovery.” Buy them as a
books about women in control of their lives Dani Gabriel and set at flamingorampant.com. n
and loves. illustrator Robert
“Love Makes a Family,” by Sophie Beer Liu-Trujillo (Penny Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher
(Dial Books), is a cheery board book in the Candy Books), a of Mombian (mombian.com), a GLAAD Me-
vein of many others that showcase family nine-year-old trans- dia Award-winning blog and resource direc-
diversity, but stands out for the fun, dynam- gender boy finds tory for LGBTQ parents.
18
LGBTQ Philly couple appears on ‘The Ellen Show’
LAURA SMYTHE
laura@epgn.com
Queer Philadelphia couple Kate Austin
and Sarah Sulsenti appeared on “The Ellen
Show” last week after asking the talk show
host in a viral tweet to attend their upcoming
wedding.
Austin’s social media post shows her re-
cently proposing to Sulsenti in front of the
Eiffel Tower with a caption asking Ellen
DeGeneres and model and author Chrissy
Teigen to attend the Philly duo’s wedding
because Austin’s parents won’t attend due to
her being gay.
“My parents aren’t going to attend my
wedding because they don’t like that I’m
gay! I need someone to walk me down the
aisle and someone else for a “father/daugh-
ter” dance,” the Nov. 5 tweet reads.
In turn, DeGeneres invited Austin and
Sulsenti on her show and further surprised
them by calling the two on stage. During
the appearance, Austin thanked DeGeneres
for having “paved the way for queer women
everywhere” to come out and said she oth-
erwise wouldn’t have had the courage to be
out and propose to Sulsenti.
“Everybody deserves love. That’s the
most important thing,” DeGeneres respond-
ed. “All that matters in this life is love and
the fact that some people don’t understand
that it’s just love, there’s nothing wrong with
it and the fact that your family doesn’t ac-
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
LGBT travel index puts
Sweden on top
Sweden has been named the most
LGBT-friendly country in the world for
travelers according to new research into gay
rights in 150 countries.
The LGBTQ+ Danger Index was creat-
ed by ranking the 150 most-visited coun-
tries using eight factors, including legalized
same-sex marriage, worker protection and
whether, based on Gallup poll findings, it is
a good place to live.
Canada ranked second-safest, followed by
Norway, Portugal and Belgium. The UK is
the sixth safest on the list, but the U.S. does
not make the top 20. The researchers, Amer-
ican couple Asher and Lyric Fergusson, who
blog about staying safe while traveling, said
one reason the U.S. is only at number 24 is
because gay rights vary from state to state.
Lyric Fergusson said: “There are no con-
LOCAL
K AT E A U S T I N A N D S A R A H S U L S E N T I O N “ T H E E L L E N S H O W ” N O V. 1 9 . P h o t o : e l l e n t u b e
cept it, I am so sorry.”
Austin, an LGBTQ social media influ-
encer, was the captain of the cheerleading
squad growing up and loved femme items
including makeup, high heels and princess
costumes, according to her personal website.
Stereotypes, misconceptions and a lack of
acceptance from her parents made it difficult
for her to come out. While her six siblings
are “absolutely phenomenal” with her be-
stitutional or broad protections for LGBTQ+
rights under federal law in the US. Also, in
some states, LGBTQ+ youth do not have
access to helpful information, because of
so-called ‘no-promo homo laws.” The U.S.
may have come far, but it has a long way to
go in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, especially
for young transgender people.”
The couple acknowledges that some of
the indicators they looked at, such as worker
protections and adoption recognition, do not
affect travelers directly, but point out that
rights enshrined in law are a good overall in-
dication of a country’s attitudes. Fergusson
said she and her husband were inspired to
compile the list to help the LGBT commu-
nity and raise awareness of the often horrific
treatment of LGBT people in many parts of
the world. They have also included tips from
gay, lesbian and trans bloggers.
They also pointed out that in some coun-
tries where homosexuality is not actual-
ly illegal, treatment of LGBT people is so
ing gay, her mom was “really terrible” and
“said everything you could think of under
the sun,” Austin said on “Ellen.”
“But coming out and owning it and grow-
ing over the last five years has been the great-
est gift,” she added. “I am so thankful that
I came out because it’s taught me courage
and owning who I am and it allowed me to
be my authentic self.”
DeGeneres, who came out in 1997 to an
bad that caution or complete avoidance is
advised. These countries include: China,
where certain groups and events have been
banned, and censorship laws have frequent-
ly been used to remove online LGBT con-
tent; Russia, where activists have died or
gone missing, and individuals who followed
Russian gay marriage laws to the letter have
been forced to flee the country; and Indo-
nesia, where LGBT rights are increasingly
considered a “moral threat” and homosex-
uality can result in public humiliation and
arrests.
Over 1,000 LGBTQ mem-
bers hold pride parade in
New Delhi
More than 1,000 members of the LGBTQ
community and their supporters marched
through New Delhi, Nov. 24 to celebrate
India’s sexual diversity, which they said is
progressing but still has a long way to go
to become a more accepting place for them.
Carrying rainbow flags, balloons and
placards and dancing to the beat of drums,
they demanded self-identification in any
gender for legal recognition rather than first
registering as a transgender and then provid-
ing proof of surgery to authorities, as sug-
gested by a government bill.
They said the bill, yet to be approved by
India’s Parliament, contradicts a landmark
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
audience of nearly 42 million people, then
surprised the couple with some of their
friends and family, who surrounded the
two as Sulsenti got down on one knee to
propose to Austin.
“I know you already proposed to me,
but of course you know I had to get my
piece in there because you deserve it and
there’s no better way to do it than in front
of our chosen family and, of course, our
biggest role model,” Sulsenti said. “The
way that you feel today is the way that you
make me feel every day and I can’t wait to
spend my life feeling that way.”
While DeGeneres said she won’t be able
to attend Sulsenti and Austin’s wedding,
she offered the couple a cardboard cutout
of herself as a stand-in — complete with
tissues to wipe away any wedding day
tears.
The Nov. 19 segment concluded with
the celebrity presenting Sulsenti and Aus-
tin a $25,000 check from photography
company Shutterfly to pay for an open bar
at the wedding.
She then addressed LGBTQ viewers
who similarly don’t have support from
their families.
“You are loved by so many people and
we love you for who you are exactly, so
know that,” DeGeneres said. “And any-
body struggling out there, just be proud of
you are and know that you’re going to find
a different family.” n
judgment by India’s top court last year strik-
ing down a colonial-era law that made gay
sex punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Vogue cover spotlights
Mexico’s muxe women
A culture of indigenous transgender wom-
en that has been part of southern Mexico’s
heritage for centuries is primed for global
fashion cachet thanks to one of the world’s
top style magazines.
For the first time in Vogue magazine’s
more than 120 years of publishing, an indig-
enous muxe will appear next month on the
cover of the glossy’s Mexican and British
editions.
Muxes, likely derived from the Spanish
word mujer meaning women, are indige-
nous transgender women who easily mix
gay men and women identities.
The cover photo features Estrella
Vazquez, a tall, 37-year-old indigenous
Zapotec muxe wearing a traditional huipil
garment with colorful flowers and holding a
pink fan in one hand.
The weaver and designer sees the cover as
a sign of receding bigotry in Mexico toward
muxes. Historically the country’s ingrained
Roman Catholic heritage has reinforced an-
ti-gay and anti-transgender prejudice. n
Reporting via Associated Press
 World AIDS Day 2019
TRANS POWER : PA G E 2 0
OUR HISTORY, OUR FUTURE
How PGN covered AIDS in the first year
JASON VILLEMEZ
PGN Contributor
For the first year of the AIDS crisis, 1981,
nobody knew what to call the disease. “Gay
cancer” was a commonly used term, but med-
ical professionals didn’t name it Acquired
Immuno Deficiency Syndrome until over a
year after the first media reports surfaced.
The playwright Eve Ensler once said, “Nam-
ing things, breaking through taboos and de-
nial is the most dangerous, terrifying, and
crucial work.” While AIDS remained name-
less, the government denied research funds
and the homophobic Moral Majority spouted
falsehoods, resources including PGN tried to
find the truth and share it with those affect-
ed. Here is a timeline of the AIDS articles
published in PGN during the first year of the
outbreak.
July 10, 1981: The first story on AIDS ap-
pears in PGN, written by J.R. Guthrie. The
disease is called “a rare and fatal form of can-
cer” with 41 known cases in New York and
California. Physicians are unable to diagnose
the illness, making it hard to track ex-
actly how many people are affected.
Oct. 30, 1981: A news blurb on Dr.
Dennis McShane, a member of the
American Association of Physicians
for Human Rights, claiming there is
no evidence of “gay cancer” and that
any associations between gays and the
illness are anecdotal, not pathological.
Dec. 25, 1981: A report on three
independent studies by the New En-
gland Journal of Medicine reveals
the disease leads to a breakdown of
the body’s lymphocytes (white blood
cells). One possible correlation be-
tween patients studied is the use of ni-
trites, otherwise known as “poppers,”
but there remains no explanation for
why the illness affects primarily gay
men.
April 2, 1982: A news brief on an
article in the Wall Street Journal that
reports the disease has been found in
nine women and 23 heterosexual men.
May 14, 1982: A follow up on the
“poppers controversy,” which states
that some activists do not want nitrites
banned because “far worse” substanc-
es would become popular, while some
San Francisco physicians want more
stringent regulation on nitrites.
May 28, 1982: An article on a Phila-
delphia study conducted by the Center
for Disease Control. Dr. John Hanra-
VISUAL GUIDE TO HIV CRISIS : PA G E 2 1
han interviewed people with Kaposi’s sarco-
ma and pneumocystis pneumonia as well as
a control group. His findings conclude that
men with the diseases had a greater amount
of sexual activity and drug use compared to
the control group.
June 25, 1982: An editorial titled “The
epidemic continues,” which lambasts main-
ACT UP AND ACTION WELLNESS SPEAK OUT :
HEADLINE, PGN, 1982
stream media for continuing to use phrases
such as “gay plague.” The Philadelphia In-
quirer is called out for headlines including
“Gay Plague has instilled fear of the un-
known,” and NBC is praised for its coverage
on “Today.”
July 9, 1982: One year after the first media
reports, PGN publishes a front-page, 4000-
PHOTO FROM PGN, 1982
PA G E 2 2
word special report on AIDS, written by Na-
than Fain. The report provides both the latest
medical information (including a debunking
of the “poppers controversy”), as well as an
analysis of mainstream press coverage.
By the time PGN ran the special report,
much was suspected about the causes
of the disease, though nothing was con-
crete. Even the name of the illness was
still undecided. The CDC had begun us-
ing AIDS, but other names including AID
(acquired immune deficiency), GRID
(gay-related immune deficiency), CAID
(community-acquired immune deficien-
cy), and ACID (acquired immune-defi-
ciency) were also used, not to mention the
metaphors like “gay plague” put forth by
both mainstream media and anti-gay con-
servatives.
Many experts quoted in PGN had hunch-
es that sexual activity and intravenous drug
use could be possible transmission routes.
But those facts were unverified, and oth-
er guesses for what caused the disease,
including poppers and fisting, were still
being posited. There were no hard
truths to come by. And even though
reports confirmed that AIDS had
also been contracted by heterosex-
ual men, women and children, it
still became known as a gay man’s
disease.
Nobody knew for certain that AIDS
was a virus or that it had found its
way to the U.S. as early as 1969. No-
body knew in 1981 that 42,000 peo-
ple were already living with HIV and
that number would more than double
in one year. Nobody knew the extent
to which the fearful would go to avoid
the infected at all costs, the extent to
which the homophobic would use
AIDS as a vehicle to tell gay people
they deserve to die.
For that first year, the disease was
a shifting puzzle, without shape and
with very few pieces to put in place.
After the special report, articles on
AIDS appeared regularly in PGN,
both on the disease itself and the ho-
mophobic backlash that it spurred.
Some weeks 75 percent of the paper’s
news stories were about the epidem-
ic. The reports and editorials in PGN,
urging people to remain hopeful while
also alerting them to the interference
of politics and religion, shed light
on an uncertain time for many. That
work continues today. n
20
POSITIVE THOUGHTS BY ORIOL R. GUTIERREZ JR.
Trans Power: The organizer of the first National Trans
Visibility March in D.C. urges action by HIV advocates
Marissa Miller was the lead organizer of
the first National Trans Visibility March in
Washington, D.C., which took place Saturday,
Sept. 28. Thousands attended the march down
Pennsylvania Avenue, which was preceded by
a rally at Freedom Plaza.
Miller is currently the CEO of Transsolu-
tions Consulting, a global resource center that
advocates for safety and universal health ac-
cess for transgender, gender-nonconforming
and nonbinary people across the country. For
more than a decade, she has worked in public
health with a focus on HIV.
As a Black transgender woman living
with HIV, Miller has both personal and
professional experience with the virus.
She has worked with such groups as
Howard Brown Health, AIDS United,
Positively Trans and the Transgender
Law Center.
Most recently, Miller was a program
coordinator in the leadership division
of the National Minority AIDS Council
(NMAC). She stepped away from that
role just before the 2019 march to focus
on planning the 2020 march.
How did the idea for the trans march
originate? In 2018, the Positive Wom-
en’s Network USA had its third Nation-
al Leadership Summit in Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina. There was tension be-
tween some cisgender women and some
trans women. It got rowdy, and it kind
of scared me because I’d never been in
a setting where people who were fight-
ing for the same cause were so able to let
words separate us.
As a result, Lynn Morrison, a trans advo-
cate from Atlanta, suggested during the
summit that we needed a trans march.
About six months after that, Dejanay
Stanton, a trans woman from Chicago,
was killed. She died three days before
she was supposed to start a class that me
and my business partner, Tatyana Moat-
on, who has a consulting business in Chicago,
were conducting. We were going to mentor 10
Black trans women from the sex industry.
Out of emotion — very disappointed at the
system and at myself for not getting to Dejan-
ay a little bit sooner — I posted on Facebook
that we should have a trans march in 2019.
The idea caught fire with tons of likes and
shares.
Why was 2019 the time for the march?
The Trump administration has made it abun-
dantly clear that trans, gender-nonconforming
and nonbinary people are not included in their
narrative of who we are as a country.
They’ve made it difficult for trans people to
access medical care. They’ve begun making it
possible for folks to tell us that we can’t have
jobs or access businesses and other services be-
cause we’re not really protected under the law.
I N T E RV I E W
We wanted to let them know that we have a
right to exist. They are trying to erase us, so
increasing the visibility of trans people right
now was important. If they were not going to
count us in the U.S. census, then at least they
were going to count us in the streets.
Tell us about the rally and the march. We
originally wanted the march to take place on
National Trans Visibility Day, which is Mar.
31. As a result of underestimating the costs
— as well as having the original date coincide
with April Fool’s Day — we delayed. In the
N AT I O N A L T R A N S V I S I B I L I T Y M A R C H I N D . C .
end, postponing the march helped us raise
additional funds and bring in support to
make it the best event that we could.
People from across the country attended
both the rally and the march. Our opening
reception was hosted the night before in
D.C. by the National LGBT Chamber of
Commerce, where we honored 16 advo-
cates at our Torch Awards.
One of the people we honored was ac-
tress and activist Angelica Ross (from
“Pose” on F.X.) for the work that she’s
done as founder and CEO of TransTech
Social Enterprises over the past decade,
including sponsoring our virtual march.
She wanted the trans march to reach ev-
erybody, so the virtual march made that
possible.
The day before the march, we held work-
shops for march participants at our offi-
cial hotel. Subjects ranged from financial
equity and social media to health and
wellness. They were designed to support
participants in their advocacy.
The rally motivated the participants to get
energized for taking our call to action to
the streets. In addition to several musical
performances, Angelica Ross and Lynn
Morrison were among the many amazing
speakers. The march itself saw thousands
of participants walk down Pennsylvania
Avenue, right past the Trump Hotel, all
the way up to the Capitol Building.
Photo by Daniel Swar t
Both at the rally and at the end of the
march, you urged participants to get in-
volved with the 2020 march. Why? The
2019 march was a great start for our trans
advocacy, but since 2020 is a crucial election
year, the next march will be even more im-
portant. Our community partners — such as
Rock the Vote, Human Rights Campaign and
GLAAD — as well as our trans march ambas-
sadors nationwide will be spreading the word
about the importance of voting in 2020. Get
out the vote efforts will be happening from
now through 2020, up to and including elec-
tion day. The details of the next march hav-
en’t been finalized, but we are confident it will
take place in September 2020.
In addition to the next march, please tell
us about your other efforts.
I left NMAC to focus on the next march, but
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
I am working on more projects. There is just
so much work to do when it comes to trans
advocacy in general. One of those projects is
working as a consultant to TransTech Social
Enterprises. I’ll be assisting Angelica Ross to
build their conference.
I’m also working with TransTech to develop
a safety device. For transgender, gender-non-
conforming and nonbinary people, the issue
of safety is a primary concern. We’re going
to pilot the device in 10 major U.S. cities. We
talk about HIV prevention and adherence to
treatment for the virus. We know that equity
and opportunity are part of the formula
for ending the HIV epidemic by 2030.
However, if we’re not safe, or don’t feel
safe, all the other discussions become
secondary.
The device is not an app on a smart-
phone. It is a separate device that can be
carried or worn discreetly. When activat-
ed, which will be as simple as pressing a
button, someone the device owner pre-
programmed into it will be notified that
their friend needs assistance.
One of the things that we realized from
having conversations about the device is
that we didn’t want it to police the peo-
ple who were using it. So that is why we
envision it as a buddy plan.
All the hate crimes and murders affect-
ing not only the trans community but
also the LGBT community at large have
made prioritizing safety a must.
You tested HIV positive in 1990. As a
long-term survivor, please share your
insights on living with the virus. After
I tested positive in the prison system, I just
laid in my cell. At that time, I didn’t have a
whole lot of information about HIV, and I
certainly didn’t think that I would be cele-
brating my 50th birthday in 2020. I thought
that I would be dead before I was 30.
Some of the cis-masculine individuals that
I had in my life back then were always
connected to HIV. They pushed me to be bet-
ter. They pushed me to embrace living with HIV
and to not let the virus tear me up.
Their encouragement led to my being put in po-
sitions of decision-making at the table. In turn,
that allowed me to have broader conversations
about transgender people and HIV.
From my perspective, leadership was never
about others following me. Leadership was
always about me taking people on a journey
with me.
My advice to folks living with HIV is to keep
living. Stay at the table — and if there is no ta-
ble, create a table. n
Oriol R. Gutierrez Jr. is the editor-in-chief of
POZ magazine. Find him on Twitter @oriol-
gutierrez. This column is a project of Plus,
Positively Aware, POZ, The Body and Q Syn-
dicate, the LGBT wire service.
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
W O R L D A I D S D AY
21

A Visual Guide to the HIV Crisis

SPOTLIGHT ON PHILADELPHIA

1,500, 000 people are living in Philadelphia,

Over 19, 000 of them live with HIV

Number of new
HIV diagnoses: Number of deaths of people with
HIV in Philly, 2017
2018

424
2017
284
495 282 TRANS PEOPLE
ARE LIVING WITH HIV
I N P H I L LY, 2 0 1 7

P E R C E N TAG E O F P E O P L E L I V I N G W I T H H I V
P E R C E N TAG E O F P E O P L E L I V I N G W I T H H I V
B Y R AC E / E T H N I C I T Y
B Y S E X A S S I G N E D AT B I R T H

28% FEMALE 72% MALE 63.9% BLACK 15.4% HISPANIC/LATINX 17.3% WHITE

(Strides are being made to more accurately account for trans, gender- The rate of Black males living with an HIV
nonconforming and nonbinar y people living with HIV*, *PDPH 2018) diagnosis is 3.1 times that of white males.

I N F O G R A P H I C C R E AT E D B Y A S H C H E S H I R E A L L D ATA S O U R C E D F R O M A I D S V U ( 2 0 1 7 ) & P D P H ( 2 0 1 8 )
22 COLUMN
Action Wellness works toward the next ‘AIDS-free’ generation
The Perinatal Program at Action Wellness
is a free and confidential prevention pro-
gram designed to reduce the risk of moth-
er-to-child transmission (MCT) in pregnant
women living with HIV. The program also
supports postpartum women living with HIV
in removing barriers to care and services to
ensure their babies have a healthy start in life.
Located at 36th and Market Streets in Univer-
sity City, the Perinatal Program is convenient
to public transportation and open to HIV+
expecting and postpartum women regardless
of income and insurance status.
The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention (CDC) now regards HIV as a chronic
Photo by Daniel Reche
condition; however, the prevalence of HIV
within the city of Philadelphia, particularly
among low income and minority residents, is
PREFERENCE BUTLER a stark reminder that the virus remains highly
Grants Manager, Action Wellness communicable. AIDSVu.org, an organi-
zation which tracks the impact of the HIV
This year, to commemorate World AIDS epidemic in local communities across the
Day, Action Wellness (formerly ActionAIDS), United States, reported that in 2017, women
a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization accounted for nearly 30 percent of the 19,000
serving individuals living with HIV and other Philadelphians living with diagnosed HIV.
serious chronic illnesses since 1986, wants Despite this, there are very few response
you to know about one of the many innovative programs within the city tailored to the needs
ways it is working to bring about the next of women living with HIV. Perinatal Pro-
“AIDS-free” generation in Philadelphia. gram Coordinator Sara Cifuentes notes that
Philadelphia needs Safehouse
JOSE MARCO Immigration issues are triggering HIV in-
ACT UP Philadelphia fections in migrant communities. The modes
of HIV transmission are the same, but the
On World AIDS Day 2019, ACT UP Phil- reasons are vastly different in 2019. AIDS
adelphia, the AIDS Coalition To Unleash activism must now challenge social injustice
Power, recognizes 31 years of direct action and systemic racism. Systemic racism must
and civil disobedience. ACT UP member- be dismantled, and injustice repaired.
ship reflects the AIDS epidemic. AIDS is a Two decades ago, ACT UP and allies
non-crisis crisis, now that the disease is im- fought for and won sterile syringe exchange.
pacting primarily Black and Brown people. During that period, half of all HIV infections
The majority of infections still come from were from people sharing syringes. In later
men having sex with men. Transmissions of years, only 5 percent of all HIV infections in
the virus are also generated by homeless- Philadelphia were due to sharing syringes. A
ness, poverty, addiction and stigma. These recent article reported 11,000 HIV infections
issues mirror reasons Black and Brown were averted by sterile syringe exchange,
people are disproportionately incarcerated which saved Philadelphia millions of dol-
— the only difference is that the racist war lars. Homelessness and a lack of safe spaces
on drugs caused those incarcerations. make people share needles, and now we see
Black and Brown trans women are being an alarming spike in HIV infections again.
murdered and brutally beaten; however, Fentanyl is an inexpensive synthetic opi-
trans women of color were the first to fight oid that has taken the place of heroin. It is
back, making Stonewall a riot and a legend powerful and unmeasured.
that gave birth to a movement. They deserve In Philadelphia, there have been over
respect and protection first. Cisgender gay 1,200 overdose deaths, with Black and
men maybe next. As a queer Afrolatinx man, Brown people disproportionately overdos-
I can be killed or beaten by police. I cannot ing. Fentanyl is now a nationwide problem
hide my skin color. Throughout my life, I with thousands of overdose deaths. It has
have been stopped and frisked. I have been been found in other drugs as well — co-
pulled over for no reason other than my skin caine, marijuana, K2 and crack cocaine.
color and driving at the same time. It is my To prevent overdose deaths, we need a
reality. safe consumption facility — a place where
Effective HIV medications were hard- people can use pre-obtained drugs while
fought for and won by ACT UP chapters monitored by medical professionals. If
and AIDS activists collectively across the overdose occurs, Naloxone can be adminis-
country, and we honor our roots. Systemic tered to reverse it immediately. People are
racism and homophobia are now fueling already reversing overdoses publicly. Why
the HIV epidemic in communities of color. not indoors? People using a safe facility
“Action Wellness is the only agency in the
city providing Perinatal Case Management
services to women who are both HIV+ and
pregnant. Since its inception, every single
client participating in our program has given
birth to an HIV-negative baby. We are experts
in what we do, because we care for those
who we serve.”
The Perinatal Program at Action Wellness
is staffed by friendly and knowledgeable
Perinatal Medical Case Managers (PMCMs)
who follow clients through the length of their
pregnancy and up to one year postpartum.
PMCMs are specially trained professionals
experienced in providing trauma-informed
care and linkages to pregnant and parenting
women with HIV. The program maintains
a diverse and multilingual staff to ensure
that all clients are assisted equitably. While
engaged in the program, clients are linked
to quality gynecologic/obstetric and HIV
specialty care, mental health services and
substance abuse treatment, as appropriate.
Clients are also supported in increasing
their medical adherence as a means of
achieving “viral suppression.” The CDC de-
fines viral suppression as having less than
200 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood
and notes the risk of transmission of the
will have onsite referrals
to detox and treatment
centers. Medical and
social service referrals
will be given to people
that often do not seek
those services due to
living with addiction and
the judgmental attitudes
of some providers.
A safe consumption
facility called Safe-
house was prepared
to offer these services
in Philadelphia. When
challenged in federal
court, the ruling was in
favor of Safehouse and
saving lives. After losing
the case, Trump attorney
William McSwain vowed
to arrest anyone using
Safehouse. That state-
ment personifies what
the war on drugs is — a miserable failure.
The war on drugs did not offer any support
or offer solutions; it did, however, mass
incarcerate Black and Latino people for
small amounts of drugs. It ruined lives and
communities, and McSwain wants to con-
tinue the failed policy by incarcerating even
more people. The U.S. government needs to
acknowledge the harm that was done by the
war on drugs and repair some of that harm
by offering safe consumption facilities.
With the money saved from the harm re-
duction measures and solutions provided by
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
virus during childbirth in women who have
achieved viral suppression is 1 percent or
less (https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/art/).
Also, clients of the program receive
a wide range of additional linkages to
services, which help to decrease instances
of food insecurity and enable attainment
of short-term employment and educational
goals. Through the program’s emergen-
cy assistance pantry, clients can obtain
basic emergency necessities such as infant
formula, diapers and other baby supplies
during times of hardship. After delivery and
through the first 12-months postpartum, co-
ordination of care continues for the family.
The Perinatal Program at Action Well-
ness continues to have positive results
among the growing number of women it
serves. Already this year, Perinatal Medical
Case Managers within the program have
helped more than 35 expecting moms in-
crease their wellness and deliver HIV-nega-
tive babies.
If you or someone you know is living
with HIV and expecting or has recently de-
livered a child, please contact Action Well-
ness today at 215-981-0088 to learn about
the many free and confidential services
available through the Perinatal Program. n
Safehouse, more affordable housing should
be provided using federal funds. Housing
is HIV prevention, and federal funding for
AIDS housing (HOPWA) has been slashed
under Trump.
Join ACT UP Philadelphia and allies to
deliver the “Golden Urn Award” to Federal
Attorney McSwain on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at
his office at Chestnut St. at 11 a.m.
We still have meetings every Monday
night at St. Luke’s Church, 330 S. 13th St.
at 6 p.m. Please join us! AIDS is not over
for anybody until it’s over for everybody. n
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
MEDIA TRAIL
Wyoming middle school sex-
ual orientation survey angers
some
The Jackson Hole News & Guide reported
a survey asking Wyoming middle school stu-
dents about their sexual orientation is anger-
ing some parents.
The survey went out to Jackson Hole Mid-
dle School students in October. It was part
of an effort to determine if the school should
have a gay-straight alliance or other support
for LGBTQ students.
Parent Mike Mielke says the questions were
inappropriate and school officials at least
should have told parents about the survey.
Principal Matt Hoelscher said he pulled the
survey after he found out about it. Hoelscher
says there are better ways to get such infor-
mation.
Hoelscher said the survey originated in
the school counseling office, which sought
to identify and reach out to marginalized stu-
dents.
School district sued over trans-
gender students treatment
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported a
mother is suing a Minnesota school district,
claiming it discriminated against her son be-
cause he’s transgender.
The lawsuit filed in Wright County alleges
Buffalo Community Middle School repeat-
edly isolated her son from his classmates,
limited his access to a suitable restroom and
PROGRESSIVE ARCHBISHOP
from page 1
day,” Martin tweeted about the meeting Sept.
30. “And his time with me, in the middle of a
busy day and a busy life, seems a clear sign of
his deep pastoral care for LGBT Catholics and
LGBT people worldwide.”
Last month, Chaput gave a speech in Rome
that “There is no such thing as an ‘LGBTQ
Catholic’ or a ‘transgender Catholic’ or a ‘het-
erosexual Catholic,’” PhillyVoice reported.
He has also been on record saying that queer
people can’t receive Holy Communion in the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia and that gay
folks aren’t permitted to join parish councils,
teach people of faith, serve as lectors or give
Communion.
In Sept. 19 commentary on CatholicPhilly,
Martin wrote that while he knows “same-sex
relations and same-sex marriage” are “imper-
missible” and “immoral” under church teach-
ing, he doesn’t focus on it because LGBTQ
Catholics repeatedly hear this.
“Indeed, often that is the only thing that
N AT I O N A L
23
removed him from physical education class-
es. Woods wanted to use the boys’ bathrooms
and locker rooms but was required to use a
single-occupancy restroom that he says was
difficult to get to between classes.
Matt Woods was 11 years old in September
2015 when he transitioned socially and adopt-
ed a new name. School officials have denied
the allegations in the lawsuit.
Matt’s mom, Helene Woods, said, “trans-
gender kids are just kids.” And, that denying
them access to the facilities that meet their
gender identity is harming them.
Alaska AG: Same-sex spouse
eligible for oil-wealth check
KTIV.com reported Alaska’s attorney
general said a woman who alleged she was
wrongly denied a check from the state’s oil-
wealth fund because of her same-sex marriage
is eligible.
Kevin Clarkson in a since-deleted tweet
called Denali Nicole Smith’s lawsuit “point-
less.” He says her application for the check is
listed as eligible but hasn’t been paid because
of an address issue.
Attached to Smith’s federal lawsuit is a
denial letter from the state that cites nullified
laws barring recognition of same-sex mar-
riage.
The lawsuit says Smith is an Alaska resi-
dent who has been living in Florida to accom-
pany her military wife. It claims Smith was
denied eligibility when she would have been
eligible had her spouse been a man. n
Reporting via Associated Press
they hear from their church,” he wrote. “What
Wishing Well B&B
I am trying to do instead is encourage Catho-
lics to see LGBT people as more than just sex-
ual beings, to see them in their totality, much
as Jesus saw people on the margins, people
who were also seen as ‘other’ in his time.”
144 Old York Road, New Hope
Martin’s post came on the heels of a similar
contribution penned by Chaput after Martin
spoke about his “Building a Bridge” book at
St. Joseph’s University. In it, Chaput called
the “bitter personal attacks” on Martin “inex-
~ Accommodating
cusable and unChristian.”
“A pattern of ambiguity in his teachings
wishes is our
specialty ~
tends to undermine his stated aims, alienat-
ing people from the very support they need
your hosts,
for authentic human flourishing,” Chaput
added. “Due to the confusion caused by his
statements and activities regarding same-sex
related (LGBT) issues, I find it necessary to
emphasize that Father Martin does not speak Scott and Micheal
with authority on behalf of the Church, and to
caution the faithful about some of his claims.”
Pope Francis ultimately decides whether wishingwellbnb.com
to accept Chaput’s resignation and on his
successor. n 267.736.6743
24 PGN
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019

HIV PRIVACY LAWSUIT “[Doe] hopes to move but as yet does

from page 1
comment regarding the litigation.
On previous occasions, the woman’s
prescription medicines from SunRay
Drugs on West Baltimore Avenue had
been wrapped in unmarked brown paper
bags. But on Nov. 27, 2018, a white Sun-
Ray Drugs bag that clearly identified Doe
and the medications she takes to treat HIV
and her gender transition was left in the
mail area of the building for other tenants
to see.
“Horrified that her privacy was violat-
ed and her prescription information was
visible to other tenants, Jane Doe imme-
diately contacted SunRay to complain.
She terminated service with SunRay and
switched all her prescriptions to a new
service,” according to the lawsuit.
The following day she contacted the
AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania,
which sent a cease and desist letter to
SunRay, demanding that the store stop
impermissibly disclosing patient names
and medications, according to the lawsuit.
Prior to the disclosure, Doe lived hap-
pily in the building for five years. But
after the alleged privacy breach, Doe’s
HIV status and gender history became a
subject of gossip among other tenants. On
one occasion, Doe overheard other ten-
ants in the laundry room discussing the
“drag queen with AIDS,” according to the
lawsuit.
“[Doe’s] previously friendly neighbors
became cold and distant, avoiding her in
elevators and common areas,” according
to the lawsuit.
Since the incident, Doe no longer so-
cializes in common areas of her apartment
complex. She enters the building from the
garage and goes directly to her apartment.
She has stopped attending the building’s
holiday parties, she uses the laundry room
late at night and she shops at a grocery
store further from home, according to the
lawsuit.
not have the money to cover relocation
expenses,” the suit states.
The suit accuses the pharmacy of negli-
gence and violating Doe’s privacy, which
is covered by the state’s HIV Privacy
Act and the standard legal safeguards for
health information. Doe is seeking dam-
ages in excess of $50,000, along with rea-
sonable attorneys’ fees.
Doe is represented by Ronda B. Gold-
fein and Adrian M. Lowe of the AIDS
Law Project of Pennsylvania and John J.
Grogan of the law firm Langer, Grogan
& Diver, who’s associated with the law
project.
In a related filing, Doe seeks the court’s
permission to pursue her claim under a
pseudonym. Lowe said some people sim-
ply would not pursue a claim if their iden-
tities were revealed in a lawsuit. “Sadly,
stigma, discrimination, and their devas-
tating consequences still exist,” he said.
“For some people, the desire to protect
their privacy can outweigh their desire for
justice.”
Lowe added: “HIV confidentiality is so
important. Once somebody has lost con-
trol over their private information, you
can’t put it back in the box, and the con-
sequences can be profound for people.” n

HRC MUNICIPAL INDEX
from page 1
The MEI is specific: It examines how
inclusive municipal laws, policies and
services are of LGBTQ people who live
and work there. Cities are rated based on
nondiscrimination laws, the municipality
as an employer, municipal services, law
enforcement and the city leadership’s
public position on equality. There are also
“bonus” areas for attention to the most
vulnerable within the LGBTQ communi-
ty, like youth and TGNC people.
The 2019 MEI is the seventh annual
edition, and it’s massive, rating a total of
506 cities on 49 different criteria from ev-
ery state in the nation.
The MEI demonstrates the ways that
many cities can, and do, support LGBTQ
people who live and work there, even
where states and the federal government
have failed to do so.
In Pennsylvania, HRC ranked 10 cit-
ies, and, along with Philadelphia, three
others received perfect scores. The low-
est-ranked was Harrisburg, at 69. Al-
lentown (100), Carlisle (86), Erie (75),
Harrisburg (69), New Hope (89), Phila-
delphia (100), Pittsburgh (100), Read-
ing (91), State College (100) and Wil-
kes-Barre (90). Lancaster was notably
not on the list.
HRC ranked 12 New Jersey cities: As-
bury Park (96), Elizabeth (71), Hoboken
(100), Jersey City (100), Lambertville
(86), Montclair (71), New Brunswick
(66), Newark (61), Ocean Grove (89), Pa-
terson (62), Princeton (100),Trenton (61)
and Woodbury (100). Atlantic City was
not included.
The first category listed in the rankings
is nondiscrimination laws, which eval- ment, transgender-inclusive healthcare LGBTQ elders, the homeless population
uates whether the city, county or state benefits and having a city contractor non- and people with HIV/AIDS.
prohibit discrimination based on sexual discrimination ordinance and inclusive The next area of concern is law enforce-
orientation and gender identity in areas of workplace. Bonus areas in this category ment, which can be complex with regard
employment, housing and public accom- include city employee domestic partner to LGBTQ people who are disproportion-
modations. The two bonus areas were benefits. ately targeted by police. Fair enforcement
single-occupancy all-gender facilities The next section, municipal services, of the law includes responsible reporting
and whether gay and trans youth were assesses the efforts of the city to ensure of hate crimes and engaging with the
protected from conversion therapy, some- LGBTQ constituents are included in city LGBTQ community in a thoughtful and
thing out Rep. Brian Sims (Dist. 182), services and programs. Additionally, this respectful way.
along with out Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta includes having a Human Rights Com- This category also looked at whether
(Dist. 181), is fighting for statewide mission, enforcement of rulings by the or not the city had a liaison or task force
The next category is the municipality Human Rights Commission and having to the police department for the LGBTQ
as an employer, with the areas addressed an LGBTQ liaison in the city’s executive community and whether they reported
being whether a municipality offers office, as Philadelphia has in the mayor’s hate crime statistics to the FBI. Again,
equivalent office. Philadelphia has an LGBTQ Police Liai-
benefits and The bo- son Committee.
protections nus areas in The final category is leadership on
to LGBTQ this section LGBTQ equality. This category measures
employ- focused on the city leadership’s commitment to in-
ees, awards measures clude the LGBTQ community fully and
contracts to for vulner- to advocate for equality. This included
fair-minded able groups leadership’s public position on LGBTQ
businesses, within the equality and leadership’s pro-equality
takes steps to L G B T Q legislation or policy efforts.
ensure an in- community: Bonus areas are whether there are
clusive work- anti-bully- openly LGBTQ elected or appointed
place and if ing preven- municipal leaders and whether a city
municipali- tion policy tests the limits of a restrictive state gov-
ties commit for LGBTQ ernment.
t h e m s e l ve s youth in city HRC also included a series of FAQs on
to treating services and pertinent issues, including “Working To-
L G B T Q other ser- ward a Fully Inclusive Municipal Work-
employees vices specific place,” “The Imperative for Responsible
equally. to LGBTQ Hate Crime Reporting,” “Addressing an
Other ar- youth as Epidemic of Anti-Transgender Violence:
eas consid- well as city What Cities Can Do” and “Addressing
ered in the services for the Unique Needs of LGBTQ Older Peo-
rankings are trans people. ple.”
nondiscrim- Also includ- The full index can be viewed on HRC’s
ination in Photo by Jean-Baptiste Burbaud ed are city website, where all the FAQs and HRC’S
city employ- services for other indexes can be read. n
Arts & Culture
Q PUZZLE : PA G E 3 2 COMIC :
F A M I LY P O R T R A I T Juan Franco: Long-time activist, full-time advocate
AIDS Quilt to blanket Philly for World AIDS Day
LARRY NICHOLS
larry@epgn.com
AIDS Fund Philadelphia is commemorat-
ing World AIDS Day by putting 20 blocks
of The AIDS Memorial Quilt on view Dec.
1, making it the largest display of the quilt
in the region.
World AIDS Day started in 1988 and
was the first-ever global health day. Held
on Dec. 1 each year, World AIDS Day is an
opportunity for people worldwide to unite in
the fight against HIV, show their support for
people living with HIV and commemorate
those we’ve lost.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt began in San
Francisco in 1987, created by The NAMES
Project with a single 3-foot by 6-foot
panel. It has since grown into a tapestry
that includes more than 49,000 panels from
every state in the country, created by friends,
lovers and family members of people who
succumbed to the virus. In 2001, the quilt’s
panels were moved from San Francisco to
Atlanta, Georgia.
Thousands of panels of The Quilt are
displayed annually throughout the United
States and world, serving as both a memo-
rial and a storyteller, visually documenting
the evolution of one of the nation’s strug-
gles with the disease.
On Nov. 20, House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi, Rep. John Lewis, and Rep. Barbara
Lee, joined other Congressional leaders,
along with executives from the National
AIDS Memorial, The NAMES Project
Foundation, Library of Congress and HIV/
AIDS organizations to announce that The
AIDS Memorial Quilt is moving from
Atlanta back to the San Francisco Bay
Area in early 2020 to its new permanent
home at The American Folklife Center at
the Library of Congress.
AIDS Fund provides emergency finan-
cial assistance to people living with HIV
in the Greater Philadelphia region, while
providing education and increasing public
awareness of HIV/AIDS issues.
Robb Reichard, AIDS Fund’s execu-
tive director, said that Philadelphia hosts
several viewings of the quilt every year, but
this display on World AIDS Day will be the
biggest of them all. A local affiliate for the
NAMES Project, AIDS Fund offers quilt
displays at various locations throughout the
year. Typically, Reichard said, the most sub-
“...IT’S NOT ONLY A MEMORIAL, BUT IT’S VERY MUCH A PIECE OF ART THAT USES FABRIC FOR A
SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE. IT APPEALS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS.”
PA G E 3 6 HOROSCOPES : PA G E 3 4
B OT TO M : P h o t o by Fr a n c e s S c h wa b e n l a n d
stantial show of the quilt is on the day of the
AIDS Walk, but it rained this year, making
this year’s World AIDS Day, home for the
largest display of the year.
“We usually have quilt displays through-
out the region, but usually they are one
block at various locations. This will be at
EVENTS : PA G E 3 1
TOP: Photo by Scott Drake
least 20 blocks,” said Reichard.
He added that folks from the com-
munity requested panels that are part of
Philadelphia’s history, and AIDS Fund was
able to secure those to show alongside the
20-block display. St. For more information, visit facebook.
Besides viewing, attendees will be able to
SCENE IN PHILLY : PA G E 2 8 pgn
PAG E 2 7
see a new panel for the quilt being created
live at the event, and anyone who wishes to
can create their addition and contribution to
the quilt.
“We will have blocks of fabric that peo-
ple will be able to memorialize a loved one
with,” Reichard said. “They can write a
name or a massage or whatever. Then we
will take those blocks of fabric and stitch
them together to make the quilt panel.”
Reichard said he hopes this display of the
quilt will bring together different genera-
tions of people who have been affected by
the AIDS crisis. People who lived through
the AIDS epidemic and the ‘90s have wit-
nessed the progress made in treatment over
the years but may not have been able to see
the quilt for a long time, he said.
“This is a good opportunity for them to
see the quilt again and remember those we
have lost.”
To bring in younger audiences, Reichard
said, “We’re doing outreach to local col-
leges, particularly colleges that may have an
art or textile focus that may have a specific
interest in the design, because the quilt is
the largest community art project in the
world. So it’s not only a memorial, but it’s
very much a piece of art that uses fabric for
a social justice issue. It appeals to a lot of
people for a lot of different reasons.”
Along with the quilt display, on the day
of the event, A Reading of Names will take
place to commemorate those who were lost
in the fight against AIDS. Also, regional
AIDS service providers will be on hand
with information, including Prevention Point
Philadelphia, Mazzoni Center and Bebashi.
For those interested in supporting AIDS
Fund all year long, the organization hosts
events and fundraisers this month and
throughout the year.
“We have our monthly Gay Bingo,
Saturday, Dec. 24. We are also in the midst
of our annual holiday toy drive for HIV-
infected children,” Reichard said. “That runs
until Dec. 24. Of course, in the spring, we’ll
have our Black Tie Gay Bingo on Mar. 23.
We always have stuff going on.” n
AIDS Fund commemorates World AIDS Day
with a display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt,
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 1 at Teller Auditorium at
Congregation Rodeph Shalom, 615 N Broad
com/AIDSWalkPhilly or aidsfundphilly.org.
26 PGN
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019

AT PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM FREE G

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NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
FAMILY PORTRAIT WITH SUZI NASH
Juan Franco: Long-time activist, full-time advocate
Several years ago, a friend of mine con-
tacted me on Christmas Eve and asked me if
there was any way I could pick up some toys
before the stores closed. He was working
with an organization that was helping a num-
ber of kids experiencing hardships — many
in situations preventing them from receiving
presents for Christmas that year. I used my
super shopping skills to get a big bagful of
things that were pretty cool without break-
ing my bank and asked where I should take
them. He gave me the address, and I went
over to the facility, expecting to hand the
goods over to an administrator or leave them
in the lobby. But as I walked in the door, a
young boy looked up at me. He yelled one
word at the top of his lungs, “Toys!” The
next thing I knew, a group of about 12 kids
swarmed me, smiles aglow, and the cheer
“Toys! Toys!” echoed through the lobby. I
hadn’t meant to disrupt things, but a woman
who worked there told me to hand them out,
that the kids could use enjoyment that day. I
opened the bag and started handing out gifts
as the kids clapped and gathered around. It
almost brought me to tears, and I knew just a
little of how Santa must feel. It was magi-
cal. I recaptured a little of that magic a few
years later when I went to my first DVLF
TOY Drive. There were enough toys to
stretch across the lobby, and I couldn’t help
but smile. I’m excited to participate again
this year as DVLF takes the event to a new
location, the African American Museum in
Philadelphia.
Juan Franco is the (relatively) new execu-
tive director of DVLF. A long-time activist,
Franco comes to the position having worked
at Temple University’s School of Social
Work on HIV prevention and communica-
tions strategies in underserved Latinx and
other diverse communities, as well as a nav-
igation specialist at the Mazzoni Center. As
co-chair of the Latinx Institute’s host com-
mittee for the National LGBTQ Task Force’s
“Creating Change” conference, he champi-
oned an ambassadors program that raised
funds to provide scholarships for attendees
from marginalized communities. Not one to
rest, he also used his many skills to work as
a congestive-heart-failure outreach worker as
well as a Spanish interpreter for patients at
Temple University Hospital. And when not
doing all that, he uses his spare time to take
photos of special moments throughout the
city for his Instagram account @Thatlittl-
emomentphoto. I found a brief hole in his
schedule to talk with him and find out even
more about the fabulous Mr. Franco.
So let’s start by telling me where you’re
from? Philly guy or transplant? I am a
transplant that moved here in January of
2011.
Can you tell me about your household
growing up? I grew up in a household with
my parents, Carmen and Javier, and two
PROFILE
older brothers, Marcos and Carlos. We are
all just over a year apart in age and are very
close. My family and I are from Colombia
and emigrated to the U.S. when I was three.
My brothers and I were born in the beautiful
city of Barranquilla on the Caribbean coast
of the country. During my childhood and
adolescence, my family moved around the
country for my father’s work. We lived in
Chicago, Fresno, Tampa and then finally in
Hartford, Connecticut.
What did he or does he do? He is an Epis-
copalian pastor, and my mother is a social
worker.
I see where you get your philanthropic
genes. Yes. We moved around a bit while
I was growing up, but I would describe my
“I CAME TO REALIZE THAT ‘GROWING
UP’ AND HAVING A CAREER IN A FIELD
THAT HELPED AND SERVED PEOPLE
AND COMMUNITY WOULD BE WHAT
WOULD BRING ME THE MOST
HAPPINESS AND LEAD TO LIVING A
FULFILLING LIFE.”
household as a pretty traditional Colombian
household where my brothers and I spoke
Spanish to my parents; actually, we still do.
That fostered very close and meaningful
bonds to both of my brothers. We grew up
spending our summer and winter breaks
with our family in Colombia. A fun fact
about life at the Franco Murillo household
is that my brothers and I all have ADHD
and were raised by patient parents who
spent countless hours supporting our learn-
ing process to make sure we were success-
ful in school, while also somehow manag-
ing our energetic ways, all while keeping
their cool — especially my mom.
That must have been a challenge with
three boys. What were you like as a
kid? I was a very energetic kid that en-
joyed playing outside with my brothers and
friends more than anything. [Laughing] I
was the type of kid who was very bouncy
and smiled all the time. I was very close
to my brothers, so naturally, unless I was
in school, you would find me with them.
You could say we are three peas in a pod! I
was also really good at math from an early
age and have memories of practicing and
division using flashcards with my dad and
brothers when I was in kindergarten and
first grade.
What did you want to be when you
grew up? I wanted to be a pilot, the kind
that flew commercial planes and fighter
jets. For many years, I would only ask
for planes for my birthday and Christmas
presents because of my wanting to become
a pilot. Sadly, in my early teen years, I
realized that this would likely not be my
career path. Unfortunately, because of my
poor eyesight, I need to we ar glasses or
contacts, so I wasn’t eligible to become a
pilot. But luckily, over the years, I came to
realize that “growing up” and having a ca-
reer in a field that helped and served people
and community would be what would bring
me the most happiness and lead to living a
fulfilling life.
That’s great that you were able to find
something that was an even higher
calling, so to speak. I know, it’s been
amazing.
Did you ever play any sports? If so,
what were your best and worst sports
moments? Absolutely. I played many
sports. My favorite ones to play growing up
were soccer, football and track, but I only
ran short distance races in track. My worst
moments were long-distance races because
I would get bored and forget that I was
being timed! And basketball
was tough too, because I
was typically the
shortest
27
person on the court so despite my desire to
play, my height really limited what I could
do on the court! Now as an adult, I still play
soccer with the Philly Falcons, the local
LGBTQ+ soccer club that has been around
as long as I’ve been alive.
What does DVLF do and stand for?
DVLF stands for the Delaware Valley Legacy
Fund. It has been the Philadelphia region’s
leading funder for the emerging needs of
the LGBTQ community since 1993 and has
given over $1 million in grants and schol-
arships. Guided by its mission to “serving
the greater Philadelphia regions LGBTQ+
community through philanthropy,” DVLF
continues to foster positive change through
its yearly grantmaking, scholarships, advo-
cacy, community leadership development and
education.
Tell me a little about this year’s TOY
Drive. Where is it being held, and
who benefits from the toys collected?
DVLF’s Holiday TOY Drive event is our
largest fundraiser, and this year it is on Dec.
14 from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. It’s going to take
place at the African American Museum in
Philadelphia (AAMP) over at 7th and Arch.
Our TOY event has become one of the top
premier holiday events, last year having
brought together more than 250 attendees.
It’s really where the community comes to-
gether to celebrate 26 years of empowering
and advancing the LGBTQ+ community. The
toys and donations made in lieu of bringing a
toy that we collect will be donated to Actions
Wellness to brighten up the lives of the chil-
dren and families they serve.
Who and what’s going to be at the event
this year? Special guests, musicians, DJ,
swag bag, etc. The theme for our TOY
Drive is Tinsel and ‘Tinis that is sure to cre-
ate a joyous and celebratory environment
while we celebrate the diversity
of our community at the
African American
Museum in
Phil-
page 35
28 S C E N E I N P H I L LY
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

W i l l i a m Way ’s D i r e c t o r o f P r o g r a m m i n g
Celena Morrison Ta t ya n a Wo o d a r d

AJ Scruggs Mx. D Underwood

NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
S C E N E I N P H I L LY
29

AT WILLIAM WAY LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER

PHOTOS BY KELLY BURKHARDT

Va l e n t i n a R o s a r i o O r g a n i z e r s Ta t ya n a Wo o d a r d , J o n i e c e G r e e r, A J S c r u g g s a n d D e j a Ly n n A l v a r e z

Fo o d by C h e f A r i q B a r r e t t ( i n r e d ) Mikah Thomas

J o n i e c e G r e e r a n d M i ya n n a B r o o k s A r t i s t A n aya R e C r u z
30 L I T E R AT U R E
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019

Out activist looks back and forward in new book

LARRY NICHOLS
larry@epgn.com
Karine Jean-Pierre is a unique voice in
the world of political analysis and activ-
ism — an openly gay woman of color
and Haitian immigrant who started from
humble beginnings and went on to serve
as the deputy campaign manager for both
Barack Obama’s and Martin O’Malley’s
presidential campaigns. Jean-Pierre is also
the chief public information officer for
the progressive political advocacy group,
Move On, and a regular contributor to
CNN and MSNBC.
In her newly released book, “Moving
Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work,
and the Promise of America,” Jean-Pierre
describes how she inadvertently came out
to her mother in high school, the life-af-
firming discovery of a mentor who was
living out and working in politics and her
relationship with her wife and adopted
daughter. Along the way, she offers in-
sights into the political and media ma-
chines, of which she witnessed the inner
workings.
PGN talked to Karine Jean-Pierre about
what gives her hope in these strange social
and political times.
Is it a challenge for people to separate
your personal story from your political
insights about the mess that is Amer-
ica? It’s so funny. People have done a
great job of talking about both components
of the book. It’s a two-parter where I talk
about a very personal story, my immigrant
story and how I got into politics. And then
also, people transition into the call for
action in the book as well. You have some
folks who, more than others, lean more
into the personal. It’s been pretty good, es-
pecially when you are doing a book event
and you have 45 minutes to talk a lot about
the book in general and what’s in there and
be more specific on the topics.
Given your experiences, are you more
hopeful or fearful about the political
landscape and the years ahead? I
think two things. I think that whoever the
Democratic nominee is, they have a big
job to do. They need to have a movement.
They need to inspire and be able to get
people out to vote, and that is not going
to be easy. They have to make sure they
get that done and get people engaged. But
at the same time, I also feel like in the
last three years, we’ve seen engagement
from people I’ve never seen before, which
makes me hopeful. For the Women’s
March, thousands of women descended on
D.C. to speak out after the inauguration
and the ugly rhetoric that we’ve seen since
day one of this administration. We saw
the Muslim ban and what happened there.
People were coming out organically to
airports, and lawyers were offering their
services for free. We saw the reaction to
the transgender ban. We saw the reaction
to and people coming out to stop the repeal
of ACA. We saw the reaction to the Fami-
lies Belong Together March. Women came
out and made their voices heard against
Brett Kavanaugh. The elections that we’ve
seen recently — Louisiana, Virginia and
Kentucky are now blue. The House was
turned back to Democrats. There are many
things that give me hope, but I do think that
we can’t sit on our laurels. If Donald Trump
gets reelected in 2020, I can’t even imagine
what happens to this country. Our democ-
racy is already being attacked. Our Consti-
tution is being stepped on every day by this
president. He does not respect the office that
he holds. If we don’t come out, I fear for the
direction this country is going to take.
Do you think new media bears any
responsibility for what the political
landscape has become? Mainstream
media has to be mindful that they have an
important role in the narrative that is being
put out there. We’re not living in normal
times. This is incredibly abnormal. You
can’t cover this president like he’s normal,
because he’s not. What ends up happening
in the media business, and I understand
this, you respect the office of the presiden-
cy. I get that because that is something that
has been done for decades upon decades.
But now you have a president that disre-
spects the media and calls them fake news
and controls that narrative all of the time.
The fact the there are no more press brief-
ings says something. In the past, whether
it was Republican or Democratic presi-
dent, the press secretary stood behind the
podium and took hard questions and had to
speak to the platform of the administration.
With Trump, there are no press briefings.
He stands on the south lawn controlling
the narrative and calling things fake news,
and you don’t really know what’s hap-
pening. This is the problem. Treating this
presidency like it’s normal when you have
a president that debases that office, that is
a difficult place for mainstream media to
be in. He puts journalists’ lives in danger
every day.
Do all the strides and gains Demo-
crats, women, people of color, LGBTQ
folks and others made in
the last three years mean
page 37
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T H E AT E R & A R T S
ANDY KINDLER
The comedian seen on Comedy Cen-
tral performs 8 p.m., Dec. 1 at Good
Good Comedy Theater, 215 N. 11th St.;
https://goodgoodcomedy.com.
BALLETX FALL SERIES 2019
The acclaimed dance company performs
two world premieres by choreographers
Matthew Neenan and Jo Strømgren,
Dec. 4-15 at Wilma Theater, 265 S.
Broad St.; 215-546-7824.
DESIGNS FOR DIFFERENT FUTURES
Philadelphia Museum of Art presents
an exhibition exploring visionary and
sometimes controversial designs that
promise to transform how we live, eat,
heal, travel and even love, in any num-
ber of possible futures, through March
8, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-
763-8100.
ELF: THE MUSICAL
Media Theatre Company presents the
stage adaptation of the holiday comedy
film, through Jan. 12, 104 E. State St.,
Media; 610-891-0100.
HERBERT FERBER: FORM INTO SPACE
Philadelphia Museum of Art presents
an exhibition featuring sculptures and
related drawings that Herbert Ferber
(1906-91) created during the 1950s —
the artist’s most creative period, through
Jan. 5, 26th Street and the Parkway;
215-763-8100.
KOGEI: ART CRAFT JAPAN
Philadelphia Museum of Art presents
an exhibition celebrating Japanese
kogei — one-of-a-kind, handcrafted ob-
jects made with traditional techniques
and natural materials, through summer
2020, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-
763-8100.
KULU MELE AFRICAN DANCE & DRUM
ENSEMBLE
Traditional West African dance and
drumming take center stage, 8 p.m. Nov.
30 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut
St.; 215-898-3900.
MADE BY HAND: CONTEMPORARY
KOREAN CRAFT
Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an
exhibition where artists find inspiration
in Korea’s acclaimed tradition of hand-
made objects and add their own visual
language to the rich mix of techniques,
materials and form, through Jan. 12,
26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-
8100.
MEAN GIRLS
The musical based on the hit comedy
film about a vicious high school clique,
through Dec. 1 at Kimmel’s Academy of
Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.
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.
EVENTS
THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY: LGBTQ
POLITICS AND THE RADICAL LEFT, 1969-
1999
William Way Community Center presents
an exhibit telling the hidden history of
LGBTQ politics and the radical left in the
three decades following Stonewall, through
Dec. 27, 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220.
NUTCRACKER 1776
The Rock School for Dance Education
brings a family-friendly, holiday classic to
life, Dec. 6-7 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680
Walnut St.; 215-898-3900.
OFF THE WALL: AMERICAN ART TO WEAR
Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an
exhibition of works by mixed-media art-
ists exploring non-traditional materials
and methods to create adventurous, deeply
imaginative works, through May 17, 2600
Benjamin Franklin Parkway; 215-763-
8100.
SHREK: THE MUSICAL
Walnut Street Theatre presents the stage ad-
aptation of the hit animated film about an
ogre on a quest to rescue a princess, through
Jan. 5, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550.
THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL
The musical based on the popular kids’
show takes the audience to Bikini Bottom,
Dec. 3-15 at Kimmel’s Forrest Theatre,
1114 Walnut St. St.; 215- 923-1515.
THIS IS THE WEEK THAT IS
1812 Productions presents the annual po-
litical satire stage show, Nov. 29-Jan. 5 at
Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey
Place; 215-592-9560.
A VERY DRAG DIVA CHRISTMAS BRUNCH
Mimi Imfurst and special guests deck the
halls with a drag show, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov.
30 at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.;
215-606-6555.
WEEDING OUT THE STONED
Comedians perform and the audience
guesses who isn’t stoned, 8:30 p.m. Nov.
29 at Good Good Comedy Theater, 215 N.
11th St.; https://goodgoodcomedy.com/
MUSIC
THE MACHINE
The Pink Floyd tribute band performs 8
p.m., Nov. 29 a Keswick Theatre, 291 N.
Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650.
BÉLA FLECK & THE FLECKTONES
The jazz/bluegrass band performs 7
p.m. Dec. 3 at the Kimmel Center’s Ver-
izon Hall, 300 S. Broad St.; 215-893-
1999.
CHRIS ISAAK
The singer performs 8 p.m. Dec. 3 at
Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick
Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650.
HAMMERS
OF THE
GODDESSES:
Lez Zeppelin, the all-female Led
Zeppelin tribute band, returns to
the area for what is sure to be a
thundering performance, 8 p.m.
Nov. 30 at The Queen, 500 N.
Market St., Wilmington, Del. For
more information or tickets, call
202-730-3331. .
Iconic singer and actress, Cher,
brings her “Here We Go Again”
world tour back to Philly for an
encore performance spanning
her long and impressive career of
hits 8 p.m. Dec. 6 at Wells Fargo
Center, 3601 S. Broad St. For
more information or tickets, call
215-389-9543.
HAVING ANOTHER ‘GO’ IN PHILLY
31
events
BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS
The classic jazz/rock group performs 8 p.m.
Dec. 5 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick
Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650.
LEANN RIMES
The country singer performs 8 p.m. Dec. 5
at Xcite Center, 2999 Street Road, Bensa-
lem; 888-588-7279.
PGMC: STARRY NIGHT
Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus performs a
holiday concert, Dec. 5-7 at Suzanne Rob-
erts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; 215-985-
0420.
CHER
The iconic singer and actress performs 8
p.m. Dec. 6 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S.
Broad St.; 215-389-9543.
BEATLES VS. STONES
Tribute bands, Abbey Road and Satisfac-
tion, perform a battle of the classic bands,
8 p.m. Dec. 6 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N.
Keswick Ave., Glenside; 215-572-7650.
NIGHTLIFE
THANK YULE FOR BEING A FRIEND! A
GOLDEN GIRLS HOLIDAY MUSICAL PAR-
ODY
Golden Gays NYC perform, 7 p.m. Dec. 6
at Franky Bradley’s, 1320 Chancellor St.;
215-735-0735.
BENDELACREME & JINKX MONSOON:
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS ATTEN-
TION
The two drag stars team up for the holi-
days, 8 p.m. Dec. 6 at Union Transfer, 1026
Spring Garden St.; 215-232-2100.
O U T TA T O W N
JONAS BROTHERS
The pop group performs 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29
at Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, Atlan-
tic City, NJ; 609-348-7200.
I’M SO FANCI FRIDAYS DRAG SHOW
Fanci By Design performs her monthly
drag show, 9 p.m. Nov. 29 at The Colonial
Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-
917-1228.
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
The classic comedy film is screened Nov.
29-30 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge
St., Phoenixville; 610-917-1228.
LEZ ZEPPELIN
The all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band
performs 8 p.m. Nov. 30 at The Queen, 500
N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 202-730-
3331.
GREMLINS
The holiday comedy horror film is screened
9:45 p.m. Dec. 6 at The Colonial Theatre,
227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-
1228.
32 Q PUZZLE
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019

Local author explores first

love amid AIDS in new novel
JASON VILLEMEZ knowledge in the early years. Until the
PGN Contributor disease affects them directly, none of the
characters know anything about it, and
“The Sun, the Earth, and the Moon” is there is no urgency or alarm. Once it hits
a book of endings and beginnings. The home, however, they desperately search
journey from adolescence into adulthood, for a cure. But as it was in real-life, their
the line between friendship and love, efforts yield nothing concrete. Unfortu-
the disparity of the world before and the nately for the men, there is no fantasy
world after AIDS. Larry Benjamin’s nov- to be found, no alternate world to be
el, set primarily in Philadelphia, is the purchased at any price.
story of Thomas, an African-American During the most significant moment of
17-year-old boy eager to begin college at turmoil, the characters indulge in some
Penn and escape the heterosexual panto- historically disproven conspiracy theories
mime forced on him by his parents. about the origin of AIDS. Although the
The day he arrives on campus, Thomas outburst feels out of place in an otherwise
meets his roommate, Dondi, a candid, noncontroversial story, such thinking was
hedonistic wild-child whose trust fund not uncommon among people at the time.
affords him anything he desires. The two Medical and government distrust was
quickly step into a friendship of excess. massive; rumors abounded. Perhaps more
Dondi serves as Thomas’ introduction frustrating was that once the disease took
both to gay life and to the high life, hold, there was no stopping it, no way to
treating him to nights out at the disco freeze time and wait for doctors and pol-
and thousand-dollar Piaget wristwatches. iticians to catch up. There was a before
Thomas, smitten by Dondi’s charms in and an after. And the after was impossi-
the bedroom and out, becomes willingly ble for many to survive.
swept up into the whirlwind. But as he is Benjamin’s novel, for all the highs
introduced to Dondi’s family and thrown and lows forced on the characters, is an
from party to party, he often struggles to enjoyable, easy read. The prose is clean

Q Puzzle 44 Sounded like a

pride of lions
straint on
10 Left the straight
35 Oral input
36 Way out
keep pace.
On his newfound life of luxury,
and direct. The scenes begin and end at
the right moments. Readers aren’t forced
46 “... to boldly go and narrow 39 Home for Troy Thomas comments, “Often that summer, to wade in sentimentality. Benjamin
GIANT ACTOR where ___ has gone 11 Adult film store Perry I would feel as if I’d stumbled into an knows when to focus on the minute de-
before ...” aisle 40 “A ___ help you F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.” While the tails and when to zoom out for a broader
Across 47 Chiding sound 12 Ancient harp are!” palatial mansions and lavish parties bring perspective. And although the narration is
1 Traci Des Jardins, 50 “I’m all ears” 13 Mary, of cosmet- 43 Dixie capital. to mind “The Great Gatsby,” Thomas from the adult Thomas’ view, he has the
for one 51 Big Gay ___, and ics 45 Salty tasting
5 Prodded, with
appears to be more from “The Catcher experience and hindsight to give us only
others 21 Meas. of a brag- Asian body in the Rye,” as a better adjusted, less what matters to his story and nothing
“on” 52 Sodom suffix gart? 47 Having a con-
10 Result of four blind Holden Caulfield. One scene in else. We’re free to journey with him
53 ‘50s idol Hunter 22 Pester nection particular, where Dondi’s father strokes from Philadelphia to Rhode Island, from
balls 54 More of the 25 Asian archipelago 48 End of the
14 What “let” means Thomas’ hair, echoes a moment from the Dondi to Matthew, from a naïve boy to a
quote 26 You must remem- quote
to Mauresmo 58 Pasta tubes ber this 49 Essential part of
Salinger novel between Caulfield and his man who finds the courage to love. It’s a
15 Hit the road 59 Assumption of 27 “Peter Pan” cross- cornholing? teacher, with a similar homoeroticism worthwhile trip. n
16 “Lord of the the virgin? dresser 54 Baldwin staffer and far more tenderness. Thomas navi-
Rings” singer 60 Takes to court 29 Whisper sweet 55 “Livin’ La ___ gates his new settings with curiosity, and Larry Benjamin is the director of commu-
17 Hurler Hershiser 62 “Got it” to Gins- nothings Loca” almost as quickly as he fell into Dondi’s nications at Mazzoni Center. To purchase
18 Opportunity for berg 31 Langston Hughes 56 Verb of Ver- orbit, begins to fall in love with Dondi’s “The Sun, the Earth, and the Moon,” visit
Glenn Burke 63 Greasy spoon, collection, with laine younger brother, Matthew. bit.ly/lbenjaminsun
19 Negative word, e.g. “The” 57 Fox’s cry But just as relationships solidify
for Gomer 64 Phallic fishes 32 Deejay Casey 58 Get up and go
20 Start of a quote
between Thomas and Matthew, and a
65 Phnom ___, Cam- 33 Nastily deroga- 61 Sound of an jealous Dondi with a whole host of men,
23 Head output bodia tory inflated doll leak
24 Gaza Stripper, their world, shielded by the privilege and
66 Avoid going ignorance that wealth affords, begins to
e.g. straight
25 With 37-Across, unravel.
67 Biters of Antony’s
source of the quote girlfriend If the first half the novel is a warm sur-
28 Chem. pollutant render to consequences, a willing escape
30 Rubbernecks Down into a lush and exciting life, the second
34 “Uh-oh!” to Shel- 1 Early man’s open- half is a battle to avoid it all, to evade the
ley ing inevitable reality of AIDS in the 1980s.
35 “Robin Hood: 2 Deli sandwich But it is right of Benjamin to let us know
Men in Tights,” for 3 “East of ___ “ the characters long before such specters
one 4 Sondheim musical
37 See 25-Across
cloud their lives. We get to know the men
5 Make heady in their happiness, before illness, and not
38 Goal on a hole 6 Judy Garland song
39 Like Harvey Milk just as patients and caregivers slave to
7 Kotter portrayer disease.
to Castro Street? Kaplan
41 “___ was saying How the characters handle themselves
8 She played Liane
...” d’Exelmans in “Gigi”
at the beginning of the AIDS crisis COVER ART FOR “THE SUN,
THE EARTH, AND THE MOON”
42 “Sure Feels Good 9 Try to put a re- rings true to the general public’s lack of
Anyway” singer
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
L I T E R AT U R E
33

Author talks sequel to queer

hit ‘Call Me by Your Name’
hopeless attempts by Elio to figure out what
he wanted from Oliver and how to go about
telling Oliver of his feelings for him. So, I
abandoned the project the first time, start-
ed it a second time, and a third, each time
proving a failure. I was basically rewriting
“Call Me.” Then, in the fall of 2016, I began
writing about a 50+-year-old man on a train
who meets a younger woman. I had no idea
where I was going with this until quite a few
pages later. I realized that this man was going
to meet his son in Rome. And then I had a
brainstorm [to make it Elio]. There was no
connection with the film. The only thing that
I borrowed and was inspired by from the film
was the father’s name. In “Call Me,” he is
COVER ART FOR “FIND ME” referred to as Prof. P. In the film, his name is
Samuel.
GARY M. KRAMER
PGN Contributor Can you talk about your approach to this
“sequel”? I appreciate that you make us
André Aciman, author of “Call Me by Your feel like Elio and Oliver by keeping us
Name,” achieved the kind of success most waiting and longing for reconnection. I
writers dream about. His first novel (after sev- drew my inspiration from the last pages of
eral nonfiction books) was a well-reviewed, “Call Me by Your Name.” I knew Elio and
award-winning, best-seller. Set in 1983 in Oliver had to meet 15 — and later 20 —
Italy, “Call Me,” depicted the heartbreaking years after their [initial] separation. I was
summer romance between the teenage Elio filling in the blanks left by the first novel.
and Oliver, a visiting American doctoral But I like the fact that this forces readers to
student. Ten years later, the book was made feel somewhat lost through the first-person
into a beloved, Oscar-winning film by out narrators. In feeling lost, yes, they feel the
gay director Luca Guadagnino. Aciman had a same enduring urgency to reconnect that both
cameo in the film as Mounir, one half of a gay Elio and Oliver do.
couple, but he let out gay filmmaker James
Ivory to pen the screenplay.
While the author has published three
“Find Me” is written in sections rather
than as a continuous narrative like your
AN INSPIRED BROADWAY EXTRAVAGANZA!
additional books since his breakout fiction other novels. Can you discuss penning
debut, his latest novel, “Find Me,” is the se- connecting stories that reflect and re-
quel to “Call Me.” It reunites Elio and Oliver fract one another? I like fragmentary takes
years after their relationship ended. Notably, on the lives of my characters, rather than a
however, the men do not meet until late in the full drawn-out chronicle. Fragments allow us
book. The first half of “Find Me” concerns to see very deeply into their lives without the
Samuel, Elio’s father, beginning a relation- necessity of having to draw out what appears
ship with Miranda, a young woman he meets in one fragment and attempting to reconnect
on a train in Italy. The second part of “Find it in one sequential narrative.
Me” is about Elio’s budding romance with
Michel, an older gentleman in France. And “Find Me” has each character, Sami,
the third part of the book has the married (to a Elio and Oliver, finding some new per-
woman) Oliver attending a going-away party son who impacts their lives and changes

©2019 VIacom International Inc. SpongeBob SquarePants

in New York City, where he is attracted to two them. Can you talk about this theme in
guests, Erica and Paul. How these characters your work, which echoes back to “Call
“find” and think about love forms the drama Me”? People not only change us — to
of each narrative. the extent that we do actually change at all
In advance of his appearance at the Free — but they make us like who we are. New TICKETS
Library of Philadelphia on Dec. 3, Aciman people bring new vistas, new landscapes,
START

created by Stephen Hillenburg.

discussed the impetus for his new book, its
structure, and themes in an email exchange.
When did the idea to do a sequel come
about? Did you feel pressure to pen a se- say. Elio and Oliver have not led happy lives;
quel given the legion of “Call Me” fans?
I had wanted to write about Elio and Oliver
as soon as I finished writing “Eight White
new adventures, new energy into our lives.
In some cases, we realize we’ve been dead AT $39!
Photo by Jeremy Daniel
precisely because someone brings us back
to life. “So, I’ve been dead all this time!” we
they liked who they were together. n
André Aciman discusses “Find Me” in con-
DEC 3–15
PRESENTED BY PROUD KIMMEL CENTER

Nights” [Aciman’s second novel] around versation with Gary M. Kramer at the Free SEASON SPONSOR

2009. I attempted something that felt like a Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street,
sequel, but then realized that I had no story to on Dec. 3 at 7:30 pm. For tickets and more FORREST THEATRE
information, visit: https://libwww.freelibrary.
tell since a greater part of the plot for “Call
Me by Your Name” was devoted to the near org/calendar/event/91560 TELECHARGE.COM OFFICIAL AIRLINE
34
BY INEZ CARVALHO
ARIES
(Mar. 21 - Apr. 20)
You have a fortuitous forecast
this week. On the second of the
month, Jupiter, the planet of
fortune and expansion, enters
the practical sign of Capricorn,
which is good news for anyone
trying to take care of business right now. Tuesday Dec.
3 should hold some good vibes for you with Mars and
Venus, both creating positive aspects with your sun
sign. The stars are giving you some extra attention this
week, and the spotlight is a natural place for any Aries,
even if to the chagrin of others.
TA U R U S
(Apr. 21 - May 21)
At the beginning of the week, it
will matter even more than usu-
al how you handle interperson-
al situations. People are going
to take your words to heart and
commit them to memory thanks
to the moon visiting your reputation sector; so, it’s an
excellent opportunity to leave a lasting positive im-
pression. Mercury is also in harmony with your sun
sign all week, making it the perfect time to study, fill
out applications or have lengthy discussions. Now is a
great time to emerge from your shell a little.
GEMINI
(May 22 - Jun. 21)
Your uniqueness and strange
sense of humor may come in
handy this week for a friend who
you may not even know is going
through something difficult. The
moon in Aquarius on Monday
will have you feeling like your mind is a series of turn-
ing gears. While you might feel a bit of excess energy,
turn it into something fun instead of being irritated by
it. By the middle of the week and into the weekend, a
neutral space for your sign will be reached. It’s a great
time to go with the flow, if you can.
CANCER
(Jun. 22 - Jul. 22)
Something clicks this week!
There is a lot of cosmic activity
in your chart, and it all appears
to be to your benefit. Recently
Neptune may have shown you
some memories or dreams that
helped you reconnect with your sentimental side in
a way that was radically vulnerable and healing. Re-
charge your batteries with that energy. Society at large
seems to value impersonal coldness, but that is not the
water sign way.
HOROSCOPES
LEO
(Jul. 23 - Aug. 22)
The whole week is harmonious
for your sun sign. Hopefully, you
can feel that positive energy, and it
wouldn’t hurt to use it for a bit of
self-promoting. Sunday and Mon-
day, your ruling planet will have a
friendly transit with Venus, which makes it an ideal time
to set some intentions and meditate on your philosophy.
Focus on appreciation, acceptance and creativity. Let go
of old judgments as the new year approaches.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23 - Sep. 23)
You may feel like a bumbling de-
tective in a comedy film of your
design, and to some extent, that
is true. But it’s also part of your
charm — no need to overthink
this week or give in to frustration
and despair. Mars, Venus and Mercury are all making
favorable transits with your sign. If you loosen your grip
a little and blow with the wind, your path will appear
before your feet. There are things you’ve secretly wanted
to quit and others you’ve secretly wanted to try for a long
time. Go for it.
LIBRA
(Sep. 24 - Oct. 23)
During the middle of the week,
you will be extra attractive to op-
portunities and others! With an
emphasis on manifestation and
aesthetic changes, now might be
a good time to treat yourself to a
haircut or new outfit, and do what makes you feel most
comfortable and confident. Lately, you’ve been very
frugal and pragmatic, which has benefited you in some
ways, but since you are the sign of balance, it’s best not
to stay tilted to one side for too long. Get creative; get
weird even.
SCORPIO
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)
You are finally feeling like your-
self. You and the planets have
been working together whether
you know it or not. Especially by
the end of the week, the Pisces
moon and Neptune turning direct
will have you in that intense witchy headspace you so
enjoy. Set aside some time to have a deep philosophical
one-on-one conversation with a friend you see eye to eye
with. However, also find some alone time and maybe do
a rewarding creative project.
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
S A G I T TA R I U S
(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21)
You may be receiving a bit of
static in certain aspects of life;
be sure to think realistically
and plan ahead. Sagittarius
season can have you ready to
run in any direction at any time,
but that will cause more problems than it solves. You
may also be particularly prone to following the sug-
gestions of others lately, and your heart is sometimes
trusting to a fault. Not everyone’s intentions are as
transparent as yours. Protect your truth, my friend.
CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)
Jupiter, the planet of good for-
tune and possibilities, enters
your sign on Dec. 2 and will
stay there for about one whole
year! That’s the kind of good
news that doesn’t come around
often. When Jupiter enters an Earth sign like yours,
it draws opportunity to you in an almost magnetic
fashion. Now is a good time to pursue your goals,
write a longterm to-do list and aim high. But han-
dle everything with a certain degree of that signature
Capricorn restraint.
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19)
A waxing crescent moon will
be in Aquarius on the first
and second of the new month,
which should give you a boost
in energy and awareness. Ve-
nus, Saturn and Pluto are all in
your 12th house right now — the house of our sub-
conscious and spiritual selves. This is a deeply re-
flective time. You may find yourself on the journey to
self-awareness and recognizing patterns in your life
— it will be best not to fixate on them any longer.
PISCES
(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20)
This season may, at times, seem
to slow down to a crawl for you.
But before you know it, it will
be in the rearview mirror. The
moon’s first quarter will occur
in your sign on Dec. 4, bringing
some recent ponderings into focus. Try to find simple
things that bring you joy. Now is not the time to stress
about your career, finances or material things. All of
that comes and goes anyway. Pay no mind to how oth-
ers are living their lives. I know you’ve heard it all be-
fore, but have you really, truly tried to listen.
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
FAMILY PORTRAIT
from page 27
adelphia, which, FYI was the first institution
built by a major United States city to house
and interpret the life and work of African
Americans. How beautiful is that? We’re
honored to be there. The event includes
an open bar with a specialty martini, hors
d ‘oeuvres, a silent auction, our 2019-20
LGBTQ+ Emerging Needs grant checks pre-
sentation, music by DJ Carl Michaels, who
has been making Philly’s LGBTQ+ commu-
nity dance for 20+ years, and access to the
museum’s gallery spaces for attendees to
celebrate the history, heritage and culture of
African Americans.
It sounds like it’s going to be another
exciting event. Back to you. When and
how did you meet your partner? My
partner Shawn and I met about a year and
three months ago at a social happy hour.
We’ve talked about the day we met several
times because although the encounter was
brief, we had a mutual sense of having a
sudden connection just after saying hello
that we confessed neither had felt before.
PGN
We exchanged numbers before he left to go
bowling with some friends, and he texted me
very early the following morning. After a few
texts, we agreed to meet for a drink a few
days later once he was back from a work trip.
[Laughing] We ended up going on three more
dates that same week!
What does he do? Shawn is the chief of
schools for the School District of Philadel-
phia. I could give you a long-winded descrip-
tion of what that means, but to keep it simple,
he’s basically the second in command of the
school district. I can honestly say that his
passion and tireless effort to ensure he does
everything he can to improve the educational
experiences for all students, and in particular
for Black and Brown students, is something
that I deeply admire about him.
What’s your favorite adventure with him?
It’s hard to think of just one adventure that
is my favorite adventure with him because
we are both wanderlusts when it comes to
traveling. With that said, I think my favorite
thing about our adventures is that we are both
always willing and ready to go on adventures.
Whether it be trips that were planned months
in advance or weekend trips that came to
fruition a day or two after it came to mind,
this freeness and willingness to travel is truly
something I cherish about us.
Now for some random questions: What
languages do you know how to speak? I
speak two: English and Spanish. It’s funny,
although most people know I was born in
Colombia, some people forget that my first
language is Spanish.
What’s your best or craziest travel
moment? One of my best and craziest
travel moments happened when I was on
a medical mission trip in Ecuador. While I
was traveling between mobile clinics, my
official travel documents were stolen. That
resulted in a lengthy immigration process
that extended my stay for an additional
month. Although I was experiencing incred-
ible anxiety, I decided to seek out volunteer
opportunities and was welcomed at the El
Eugenio Espejo Specialty Hospital depart-
ment of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.
While there, I observed various open-heart
surgeries and was given the incredible op-
portunity to use the clinical skills I learned
35
while working with the heart failure physi-
cians at Temple University Hospital to help
complete cardiac physical examinations. I’ll
forever cherish the incredible and humbling
experience, and will never forget the name
“Doctorcito Juancito” — this was the name
given to me by Carmen, a patient who was
admitted for treatment based on my assess-
ment.
If you had a late-night talk show, who
would you invite as your first three
guests? If they could be anyone, I would
invite John Legend, Freddie Mercury and
Beyonce.
What is your favorite item that you’ve
bought this year? This may seem like a
boring answer, but the new sectional sofa
Shawn and I got for the apartment we moved
into in August is my absolute favorite item
I’ve bought this year. It’s super comfy, and
our two pups love napping on it. It’s also
great for company because it seats five to six
people comfortably.
OK, I guess the after party is at your
house! n

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lansdownepresbyterianchurch.com/contact
36
Out director tackles Dupont poisoning in West Virginia
B I L L C A M P A N D M A R K R U F FA L O
I N “ D A R K W AT E R S ”
Cour tesy of Focus Features
COMIC
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
GARY M. KRAMER article, “The Lawyer Who Became way) especially — as well as people
PGN Contributor DuPont’s Worst Nightmare.” involved in the case, such as Wilbur,
The film unfolds straightforwardly. and Darlene Kiger (Mare Winning-
Out gay director Haynes creates a timeline, starting in ham), who face the glare of townsfolk
Todd Haynes’ new 1975, when some kids in Parkersburg that disapprove of suing the area’s top
film, “Dark Wa- go skinny-dipping in a toxic body of employer.
ters,” is a chilling water. Jumping ahead to 1998, Bilott, Sometimes the film’s tension feels
true story about the a corporate defense attorney, has just manipulative. Haynes uses music to
unprecedented legal been made partner at a Cincinnati telegraph the emotions, and there are
case Robert Bilott law firm. When Wilbur Tennant (Bill some didactic scenes — as when Bilott
(Mark Ruffalo) Camp), an acquaintance of Bilott’s has lunch with a chemical expert who
built against Du- grandmother, turns up at his firm, explains the harmful effects of C8, the
Pont for poisoning insisting that there is something wrong poison DuPont put in the Parkersburg
the residents of the with his cows. One hundred ninety water supply. A scene late in the film,
town of Parkers- of his animals have died on his land, where Bilott is paranoid about his suit
burg, West Virginia and, when Bilott visits Wilbur’s farm, and fears his car has been tampered
for decades. The is- he sees evidence of chemicals in the with, feels gratuitous.
sue-oriented drama, creek along the property. The water As the timeline in “Dark Waters”
which opened Nov. not only distorted the animals’ organs, extends more than a decade after
27 at the Landmark but it is causing irreversible damage to Wilbur’s initial meeting with Bilott,
Ritz Five and will humans as well. the film shows the impact of suing
open in additional Wilbur has a fair amount of righ- corporate America. Haynes emphasiz-
area theaters Dec. teous anger, and “Dark Waters” is es the value and importance of speak-
6, is based on the designed to make audiences angry ing truth against power, and that’s a
2016 New York too. Haynes’ filmmaking is efficient message most viewers will appreciate
Times Magazine and effective — some might say slick hearing. However clunky some of the
— in this regard. But storytelling is, this film is a clarion
the story is absorbing. call to fight against deceptive practic-
As Bilott learns more es. Watching Bilott’s obsession with
about DuPont’s efforts the case juxtaposed with Wilbur’s
to self-regulate their frustration provides audiences with
runoff from a local real heroes. Moreover, the parallels to
landfill into the Park- other real-life stories, from the Flint
ersburg water supply, water crisis to the Monsanto cancer
he also learns to think settlement, abound.
critically, connecting Haynes’s film, for all its but-
the dots between mon- ton-pushing moments, succeeds be-
ey, law and power. The cause it puts a human face on its char-
EPA is not monitoring acters. Not just Wilbur, or Bilott, but
the dangers. Bucky Bailey, who was born with one
He also gets a lesson nostril and a deformed face because
in fighting a war of his mother was a DuPont employee
attrition. Once Bilott working with dangerous chemicals
triggers discovery by while pregnant. Bucky gets a cameo in
suing DuPont, he is the film, and Haynes does not sensa-
buried under moun- tionalize the moment.
tains of paperwork. He As the driven Bilott, Mark Ruffalo,
hopes to find a smok- who also produced the film, infuses
ing gun — a needle in his character with indignation. Ruffalo
a haystack — that will conveys the stress and strain Bilott
prove Wilbur’s case feels with remarkable aplomb, and he
and DuPont’s corpo- makes Bilott’s despair palpable with
rate malfeasance. The each setback.
evidence he finds is In contrast, Anne Hathaway per-
not just overwhelming forms each of her impassioned speech-
but also horrifying. es as if she were campaigning for
Bilott’s speech, around an Oscar rather than defending her
the film’s midpoint, family.
lays out how the chem- In support, Bill Camp makes Wilbur
ical company know- a sympathetic figure, and Tim Robbins
ingly harmed their and Bill Pullman both have a few fine
employees and created scenes that will make viewers wish
a public health risk. they had more screen time.
“Dark Waters” “Dark Waters” takes a more conven-
ratchets up the tension tional approach to a topic Haynes cov-
as Bilott fights tena- ered in arguably his best film — his
ciously to prove his 1995 drama, “Safe,” about a woman
case. The ripple effects (Julianne Moore) who becomes envi-
are felt as his obses- ronmentally ill as a result of chemical
sions take a toll on sensitivity. Nevertheless, this new dra-
his family — his wife ma is a strong, important and engaging
Sarah (Anne Hatha- film. n
ELLNESS DIRECTORY
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com

JEAN-PIERRE BOOK
from page 30
PGN
37

ident and Republicans are Health and Wellness Directory

trying to rewrite and change
the rules in their favor? It
does make a difference. Can
you imagine if we didn’t get
the House in 2018 right now?
The fact that Democrats and
suburban moms and Indepen-
dents came out and voted for
Democrats — we’re now in an
impeachment inquiry. And we
do not know how this is going to
turn out. If you have said to me
in late May that in November,
less than 100 days before the
Iowa Caucus, that we would be
in an impeachment inquiry, I
would have said I don’t see that
happening. And look where we
are. We see poll numbers histor-
ically moving for support of im-
peachment. I’m not saying that’s
going to happen. We’ll see how
that’s going to play out. But I do
believe he will be impeached in
the House. The question is what
happens in the Senate? We have
to watch how this goes. Let the
people continue to speak. I think
Democrats in the House have to
continue to do the business of

Retirement is a Journey,
the people and put the facts out
and make it very clear that it’s

Not a Destination.
their constitutional duty, and this
not about politics. I think they’ve
done a really good job of doing
that. I think that everything that
has happened that was hopeful
and good in the last three years
has helped us. The Republi-
cans are changing the rules, but
there’s a fight. There’s a resis-
tance. People are stepping up.
Next year the decision that has
to be made is what direction do
you want to take the country in.
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38
Queer Philly artists stage satirical take on politics
CAMERON KELSALL
PGN Contributor
It’s a blustery Thursday afternoon in
South Philadelphia, and Justin Jain is
becoming Pete Buttigieg. The out actor
looks and sounds nothing like the openly
gay, dark-horse presidential candidate, but
he works prodigiously to adopt Buttigieg’s
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T H E AT E R
JUSTIN JAIN AS MELANIA TRUMP
Photo by Mark Gar vin
Midwestern mannerisms and homespun
charm. From behind a keyboard, Pax
Ressler coaches Jain through a musical
number that gently parodies Buttigieg’s ear-
nest demeanor and his blue-chip bona fides.
This is just another day at the office for the
folks behind “This Is The Week That Is.”
Now in its 14th year, “This Is The Week
That Is” satirizes politicians, celebrities
$2
$2
65
6
5,
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0
00
00
and everyone in between. The popular
revue, a brainchild of 1812 Productions
and its artistic director, Jennifer Childs,
has become a holiday tradition for many
Philadelphians. This year’s iteration runs
from Nov. 29 through Jan. 5 at Plays &
Players Theater. The performers and writ-
ing staff constantly refresh the material
based on the evolution of the news cycle,
so audiences can never be entirely sure
what they’ll see until they’re sitting in
their seats.
An impressive stable of local perform-
ers have passed the production over the
years, with many returning for multiple
iterations. Jain — a recent Barrymore
Award winner for his performance in
InterAct Theatre Company’s “The Great
Leap” — is in his fourth year. Out theater
artist Dan O’Neil is directing solo for the
first time, after spending several seasons
as either assistant director or co-director
to Childs. Ressler, a nonbinary compos-
er and performer, is the newbie musical
director: This is their first year with the
company.
Each artist brings their history to the
show.
“I’ve been seeing [“This Is The Week
That Is”] every year for a decade,” O’Neil
told PGN. “It’s always been a part of my
holiday tradition, and I’ve had friends who
have worked on it every year. So even
earlier versions of the show that I didn’t
work on have resonated with me, and I have
favorite parts and things I remember.”
Jain has seen the revue most years since
it launched in 2006. As a performer, he’s
embodied everyone from Kim Jong-un to
Melania Trump.
“It’s been nice to follow the progression
of the show,” Jain said. “To be a part of a
lineage is really exciting.”
Ressler had only seen one previous
iteration of “This Is The Week That Is,” so
coming on board as both a performer and
music director required them to jump off
the deep end with both feet.
“I knew very little about the process of
making the show,” they said. “I’m seeing
how the sausage gets made and learning a
lot.”
Making the sausage requires the per-
formers and writers to meticulously comb
newspapers and watch hours of punditry on
CNN and MSNBC. The process can be ex-
hausting, especially in times of turmoil and
upheaval. It also requires devising contin-
gency plans when something goes awry.
O’Neil described an instance during the
2015 production, which coincided with the
Republican presidential primary, when a
candidate’s sudden departure from the race
threw the material into chaos.
“We had Justin playing Bobby Jindal,
who dropped out of the race during tech,”
he said, referring to the point in the rehears-
al process when the show was in its final
stages before reaching an audience. “We
were like, ‘Oh, great! We need a new wig,
and we’re going to rewrite the whole thing.’
Justin ended up playing Rand Paul in that
Philadelphia Gay News . NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
sketch. It can be very stressful.”
“And it could totally happen again this
year,” Ressler added with a wry laugh.
The show’s set-up allows the creative
team to highlight the full range of stories
happening at any given time. The first act
features sketches, parodies and musical
numbers, while the second act is com-
prised almost entirely of a satirical news
broadcast. In the vein of a Trevor Noah or
Stephen Colbert, actor Sean Close sits be-
hind a desk and lampoons everything from
impeachment headlines to human interest
stories.
Balance is key, according to Jain.
“You find that a big heavy issue can work
in the news section, particularly when it’s
just Sean doing the news, he said. “It’s not
too different from SNL doing the news.
That space allows us a little more leeway
to go a bit farther and push the envelope.
You might find something small and light
in the news and try to make that shine a
little brighter. This year, we’re doing a big
spotted lanternfly sketch, which is really
exciting.”
As music director, Ressler’s job is to help
realize the ambitions of the writers and
performers, while working within a familiar
structure.
“It’s always a moving target,” they said.
“We have to insert our parody lyrics onto an
existing song, and we have to work within
an opening number that’s been done for 14
years now. Music is rigid, and what we want
to say is verbose. To fit what we want to say
into something you can count off in four is a
challenge, but it’s really satisfying when we
get it right.”
Even though audience members are satu-
rated in politics throughout their daily lives,
the performers hope this year’s show will
help them laugh about a somewhat stressful
topic.
“I feel more clearly and strongly every year
that I hope our work lets 200 strangers get in
a room together and laugh and think about
what is happening,” O’Neil said. “I think the
communal experience of watching the show
with a bunch of strangers is so powerful and
is a force for creating empathy.”
“We want people walking away entertained
and feeling the year is ending on a good
note, as opposed to jumping to the bad,” Jain
continued. “We don’t always take time to
celebrate what is truly bright. This year more
than other years, we’re really pointing signs
at coming together and reaching across the
aisle.”
“The community that people can expe-
rience together is maybe why it should be
a live theater piece, rather than something
you watch alone,” Ressler said. “Being in
the room together and creating a sense of
community as they watch the show is integral
to what we do.” n
“This Is The Week That Is” runs from Nov.
29 through Jan. 5, 2020, at Plays & Players
Theater. For tickets and information, visit
https://www.1812productions.org/this-is-
the-week-that-is-2019.
NOV. 29-DEC. 5 . epgn.com
PGN
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