Bask in the summer sun with The Best Damn Newsletter in New Jersey!TM In living color and with more content online at issuu.com/gaamc/docs!
CHALLENGE T he New sl etter of the Gay Act iv is t Allian ce in Morris Cou n t y S e r v i ng New Jer sey’ s G LBTI Commu n it ies Con t in u ou s ly S in c e 1 9 7 2 V o lu m e 40 , I ssu e 6, S u m m e r 2 0 14
Summer Somebody by Sherri Rase This is going to be one long, hot summer. Whether or not you believe campaigns are beginning for the White House in 2016, there is a wave of change sweeping the nation. Whether you believe it is good depends upon where your interests reside. Recently, Eric Cantor lost his Republican primary in Virginia to political newcomer and economics professor Dave Brat of Randolph-Macon College. Professor Brat is a Tea Party darling and if you watch the Sunday morning quarterbacking of the PoliSci set, you saw Donna Brazile weigh in on how Cantor lost touch with his voter base. Confident in his place as heir-apparent to Speaker of the House when John Boehner stepped down, Cantor spent more money on steakhouses than his opponent had in his war chest according to experts. Cantor had big money ads that were made on his behalf by organizations that had supported him in the past, but the ultra-conservative Tea Party made political hay with their grassroots activism. A bemused Professor Brat finds himself squaring off in November with Democratic candidate Jack Trammell, an associate professor in sociology, also at Randolph-Macon College. These two candidates each have an uphill battle, establishing name recognition and platforms, and differentiating themselves among the public as to whom will work harder and toward what.
The catastrophic upset of Eric Cantor is not an isolated instance. Will the Tea Party split off from the GOP, who touted their Big Tent as being all inclusive? What about the handful of people who are socially progressive and financially conservative? Is there a party that strikes a balance even while striking a blow for the status quo? Time will tell, so educate yourself on the issues and know how, where, and when to vote. Voting is one of the most cherished and hard-fought rights we have in the United States and voting rights are still being challenged. Your summer homework is to learn who are the movers and shakers in your district from ward leader to dog catcher. These are the school board members and mayors of tomorrow and that’s where political careers begin. Get involved with the people locally who stand for your issues. LGBT people want Equality, but we also want our local governments to live within their means as we do. We want fair taxation and equal representation, and we won’t get them until we’re willing to fight for them. A recent meme on Facebook attributed the following quote to Lily Tomlin: "I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." Ms. Tomlin is somebody; I am somebody; you are somebody. It’s high time we did something about it.
Inside Challenge Challenge Information .................................... page GAAMC Events.............................................. page What's happening at our Monday meetings Bulletin Board.............................................. page Upcoming Pride Events................................... page This Month's Contributors ............................... page Gleanings.................................................... page Q-munity Calendar........................................ page
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Three Myths About Bisexuality, Debunked by Science ................................ page Good Eats! Recipes ..................................... page Board Minutes for May 2014...........................page Dancing To Architecture ................................ page Music reviews and news with a queer ear The Little Box of Concerts ............................. page GAAMC Information ...................................... page
Inside Challenge Online More Dancing to Architecture™ ~ E x p a n d e d Little Box of Concerts™
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Page 2 CHALLENGE Volume 40, Number 6 Summer 2014 ISSN 0277-1675 Staff Editor .....................Allen Neuner Assistant Editor ............. Bill Stella Advertising Manager ............. open Circulation Manager ............. open List Manager ............ Allen Neuner Submissions The deadline for all articles, inserts, and advertisements is the fifteenth of the previous month. All submissions must be provided as electronic files. Email submi ssions to Challenge @ GAAMC.org. Ad Rates Single issue: Full page, $125.00; Half page, $85.00; Quarter page, $45.00; Business card, $25.00. For multi-issue rates, contact the Editor at Challenge @ GAAMC.org. GAAMC members may place one free classified ad per month, of no more than 200 characters in length. Change of Address Please let us know your new address! All address changes should be sent to the List Manager at ChangeAddress@GAAMC.org. Challenge is © 2014 by the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County, a 501(c)3 taxexempt not-for-profit corporation. All rights reserved. All articles reflect the views of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of GAAMC, its officers, or executive board. All copyrights revert to the original contributors upon publication. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the contributor. All articles, contributions, and advertisements are printed at the discretion of the Editor and/or GAAMC Executive Board.
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GAAMC Events for July/August 2014 Discussion Groups
OpenTalk: A regular weekly discussion group, open to all. 7:00, in the Library. Moderators: Elias (Jul 28; Aug 4; Gordon (Jul 7,28; Aug 18); Kerry (Jul 14, 28; Aug 11); Liz (Jul 21, 28; Aug 25); Sherri (Jul 28). NOTE: Discussion group does not meet on Film Festival nights.
Main Events
All start at 8:00 unless otherwise noted. July 7: Ice Cream Social GAAMC’s summer favorite takes the stage to cool us off after the heat of Pride Season! You’re still remembering the sparkle of fireworks, so come share some tasty treats with friends of long standing and friends you’ve just met! July 14: Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter has been matching pets and their loved ones for a number of years. Many of your GAAMC friends have gotten forever friends from there and you could be next! Abby Berenbak and volunteers from Mount Pleasant speak to the importance of having another presence in your life. Bring any friends who may be considering adding a fur person to their family! July 21: Grease is the Word! Some of us saw the movie Grease (some of us many times) in the movie theatre, back in the day, and it was the epitome of the cultural return to what some thought of as a great time for music and a simpler way of life. Times were still complicated back then, as they are now, but there was still fun to be had! Join us for our Summer Sing-a-long and bring your friends! July28: Wo/Men's Only Spaces! Tonight is a night when the women and men do not share space with one another for discussions ranging from delicate to rough. Past conversations have included health and wellness, physical and verbal abuse, bullying, where to find the best cuppa in New Jersey, where's the best diner, and more! Are you hungry for conversation? Then GAAMC is the place for YOU! August 4, August 11, August 18: As of press time, listings were not available for these dates. Check out GAAMC.org for the most up-todate information on what's gonna be happenin' on Mondays in August! August 15: Challenge Deadline Every GAAMC member can submit content to keep our Challenge "The Best Damn Newsletter in New Jersey! TM " All submissions go to Allen the Editor at Challenge@GAAMC.org. August 25: Summer Members Market! Visit our vendors and start your holiday shopping early, or get something nice for yourself just in time for Labor Day. There will be jewelry, photographs, books, and objets d'art, something for every palate and price range!
Coming next month! September 1: Labor Day Social and Barbecue Where has the time all gone to? Wasn't it only yesterday when we had our Memorial Day Cookout, and Jersey Pride and other statewide pride events? Oh, well, time for our annual bookend social of the summer season. You know the drill: we provide the meat, the buns, the condiments, and the utensils. You bring a favorite cookout side dish or desert (enough for at least 6 people). We all have a great time! NOTE: All events are subject to change without notice. Check out GAAMC.org for up-to-date information on allupcoming events!
Summer 2014
CHALLENGE
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Bulletin Board It's been ten years in the making, and now it's finaly here! It's Staten Island's PrideFest, and their tenth annual event promises to be its biggest and best ever! Your friends at the Staten Island LGBT Community Center invite you to join them at their new location, the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens, on July 12th for a day celebrating diversity and community, with live music, artists, craft vendors, food trucks, drag performers, and activities for the whole family — and it's ALL FREE! Plus there will be a 5K PrideFest Run/Walk around the Snug Harbor campus, and an interfaith community non-denominational service. The fun starts at 9 a.m. and goes on until 5 p.m. For more i n f o r m a t i o n , o r t o r e g i s t e r, g o t o www.silgbtcenter.org/pride, and check them out at facebook.com/SIPrideFest. Batten down the hatches — that roar you hear is coming from the bears, taking over the shore for a hot and fun weekend August 15 to 17! Yes, the Asbury Park Bear Weekend is back! There'll be events all three days, including Bear Bingo, a morning Bear Bike Ride through the city, a Saturday night barbecue, a pool party at Hotel Tides, and a Sunday evening tea dance at Paradise. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to AsburyParkBearWeekend.com. Growls and woofs to ya! It's summertime, and there's music in the air when the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus lifts their voices in song! Their next concert, the Third Annual Summer Sing, takes place on August 18, starting at 7:30, in the Nassau Prebyterian Church in Princeton. Admission is free, so what are you waiting for? For more info, email membership@njgmc.org, or call 732-579-8449. Mark your calendars! August 23 at 2 p.m. is the date and time for the fourth annual Joey Tolino Memorial Fundraiser, being held at BowlRite Lanes in Union City. Your tax-deductible $30 donation to New Jersey Buddies gets you three games of bowling, plus a tricky tray, a 50/50, and more! For m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t R a y Wa l s h a t ray@NJBuddies.org, or the Gay and Lesbian Bowlers of
Buddy, can you spare an ad?
Business card ads start at just $25. Discounts for repeat appearances. Contact Ye Editor at Challenge @GAAMC.org
Hudson County at GLBHCInfo@gmail.com. They only come out at night? Well, they do, starting at 8 p.m. on September 6! That's when the eleventh annual Gay Day Six Flags takes place! After the park closes, the GLBT community, with their families and friends, takes over the park exclusively! Enjoy such sensational rides as the all new Zumanjaro with its 415-foot drop (the world's tallest!) and old favorites like Kingda Ka and Congo Rapids. There will be food and live entertainment! For more information or tickets, go to www.gaysixflags.com.
UPCOMING PRIDE EVENTS July 20 th : Newark Pride Festival, Newark, NJ; NewarkLGBTQCenter.org August 2 nd : Jersey City LGBTQ Pride Festival, noon, Jersey City, NJ; HudsonPride.org/events/jc-pride-2014
This Month's Contributors Samantha Joel, M.A. is a Ph.D. candidate in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto. Her research examines how people make decisions about their romantic relationships. For example, what sort of factors do people take into consideration when they try to decide whether to pursue a potential date, invest in a new relationship, or break up with a romantic partner? By studying how people navigate these relationship turning points, Samantha hopes to uncover useful decision strategies that will ultimately lead to happier, healthier relationships. (page 10) Chef Liz Slicer is a member of GAAMC's Board of Trustees and a longtime member of GAAMC. She is famous at our socials for her knack at carving up cakes and pies so that the maximum number of people can have slices for dessert! (page 11) Bill Realman Stella writes Dancing To Architecture because writing about music is dancing to architecture. Bill hosted the eclectic pop music radio show Highest Common Denominator, and seeks sponsors to revive it. To have Bill write, DJ, or promote for you, contact bearealman at gmail, and visit Bill's online 'zines and blogsite http://HowToFindTheBestMusic.blogspot.com/. Comments, suggestions, and fan mail are also welcome. (page 12)
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Gleanings
Queer news from around the world President Obama has directed his staff to draft an executive order that would ban LGBT workplace discrimination among federal contractors. The White House has also scheduled a meeting with gay rights activists to discuss moving forward on barring workplace discrimination and providing benefits for same-sex couples. The meeting will focus on the fallout from the Supreme Court's decision in United States v Windsor. (BuzzFeed)
are: an order that Ohio recognize all out-of-state gay marriages (currently on hold); recognition of same-sex marriages on Ohio death certificates; an order that Kentucky recognize all out-of-state gay marriages; an order overturning Michigan's statewide gay-marriage ban; and an order for Tennessee to recognize three same-sex marriages while a lawsuit against the state makes its way through the courts. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis)
The Supreme Court denied without comment a request Two major LGBT legal groups announced they don’t support from the National Organization for Marriage to prevent the current version of the Employment Non-Discrimination same-sex couples from marrying in Oregon. The anti-LGBT Act pending before Congress because of the bill’s religious group, which has filed an appeal of a exemption. The National Center for May ruling striking down the state's marLesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Marriage Equality Statuses riage ban, sought to prevent the issuCenter said they don’t support ENDA (by state/territory) ance of licenses until the matter is debecause the religious exemption is cided. Hundreds of same-sex couples greater than it is under Title VII of the Full marriage equality: have wed in Oregon since the ruling took Civil Rights Act of 1964 for other classiCalifornia * Connecticut * Delaware effect May 19th. (BuzzFeed) fications of people. Shannon Minter, District of Columbia * Hawaii * Illinois legal director for the National Center Iowa * Maine * Maryland The Department of Health and Human for Lesbian Rights, said the religious Services struck down a Medicare policy Massachusetts * Minnesota exemption must be more narrow if his banning coverage of gender reassignorganization is to continue backing New Hampshire * New Jersey ment surgery, allowing transgender ENDA. “We strongly oppose any religNew Mexico * New York * Oregon beneficiaries to seek coverage for the ious exemption in ENDA or any other Pennsylvania * Rhode Island procedure for the first time. An indefederal, state, or local nonVermont * Washington pendent panel within the Department discrimination law that is broader than invalidated the decades-old policy, reathe religious exemption that already soning that the surgery is now safe and Ban struck down, appeal pending: exists under federal civil rights laws,” Arkansas * Idaho * Indiana no longer experimental. A challenge to Minter said. (Washington Blade) Kentucky * Michigan * Oklahoma the coverage ban was filed last year on Tennessee * Texas * Utah * Virginia behalf of Denee Mallon, 74, a transgenIowa Governor Terry Branstad (R) Wisconsin der woman and Army veteran who was signed Senate File 2297, which revises denied Medicare coverage for gender a 16-year-old state law against having reassignment surgery. Meanwhile, the Ban currently challenged in court: sexual contact with another person Office of Personnel Management has without disclosing one's HIV status. The Alabama * Alaska * Arizona issued guidelines allowing insurance bill modernizes one of the harshest Colorado * Florida * Georgia companies administering Federal Emsuch laws in the nation, resulting in up Kansas * Louisiana * Missouri ployees Health Benefit plans to offer to 25 years imprisonment for so much Mississippi * Montana * Nebraska coverage to transgender people seeking as exposing another person to saliva Nevada * North CarolinaA transition-related care. (Washington without first disclosing HIV status. OpNorth Dakota * Ohio * Puerto Rico Blade; BuzzFeed) ponents of the law said it criminalized South Carolina * South Dakota people with HIV, deepened a stigma West Virginia * Wyoming The Department of Labor has not proagainst people with the virus, and disvided comprehensive answers about couraged people who have been exprotections against transgender federal Ban in place, no action: posed to the virus from getting tested contractors, two years after the Equal and learning their status, thereby deAmerican Samoa * Guam Employment Opportunity Commission laying vital treatment. The new law Northern Mariana Islands ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act takes the emphasis off of people speU.S. Virgin Islands protects transgender workers from discifically with HIV, the virus that causes crimination. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez has repeatedly AIDS, focusing instead more generally on infectious diseases. stated that a review is underway, but a Freedom of Informa- It also creates a tiered system of sentencing and removes tion Act request in April for records pertaining to the review Iowans with previous convictions under the law from the produced no relevant documents. (BuzzFeed) state sex offender registry. In a related issue, Iowa's Supreme Court reversed the conviction of a man sentenced The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced that it to 25 years' imprisonment under the old law. The Court rewould hear arguments in marriage equality cases from Ken- manded the case to a district court on the basis that his tucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee in a single session on trial counsel was ineffective because it submitted a guilty August 6th. The Circuit Court has scheduled arguments in plea not based on the facts about HIV. (The Des Moines Regfive unique cases, all of which deal with whether statewide ister; Washington Blade) gay marriage bans violates the Constitution. The five cases
Summer 2014
CHALLENGE
New York residents looking to amend the gender on their birth certificates no longer need to provide proof of genderreassignment surgery. Under guidelines released by the state Department of Health, residents need to produce only a notarized affidavit from a doctor confirming treatment for gender dysphoria. "This will ensure that transgender people can obtain accurate birth certificates that reflect who they are," Michael Silverman, executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, said in a statement. However, New York City residents must still provide proof of surgery. (BuzzFeed) A federal judge in Wisconsin struck down the state's marriage equality ban, following a string of similar decisions in other states. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled that Wisconsin's ban violated the Constitution's equal-protection clause. Crabb did not issue an injunction to stop the enforcement of the ban, leaving some ambiguity as to whether the ban can continue. Judge Crabb placed a hold on her ruling until the case is resolved by a federal appeals court. State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has asserted that such marriages which have taken place in the state are not legally valid. (Metro Weekly (DC); BuzzFeed; Advocate.com) An Alabama ban on what the state refers to as "deviate sexual intercourse" has been struck down by a state appeals court. The state had continued to enforce the ban, which includes consensual intercourse between same-sex persons, despite a 2003 Supreme Court ruling that set a precedent invalidating such bans. The appeal was brought by a man who faced up to a year in prison and fines of up to $2,000 after admitting to consensual sex with a man. (Gay Star News) Nebraska's Supreme Court has told a lesbian couple that they may not divorce. Bonnie Nichols and her long-time partner married in 2009 in Iowa. Nichols filed for a divorce in 2013, but a judge in Lancaster County said the state could not grant a divorce, as that would be recognizing the marriage. Nichols was given 15 days to file an amended complaint, but at the time said she would lose the ability to refile if she didn’t. Following Nichols’ appeal, the Supreme Court said that because she appealed from a conditional order, and not a final judgement, the court lacked jurisdiction. (PinkNews.co.uk) A married couple in Texas cannot legally adopt the twin boys whom they biologically fathered through a surrogate mother, a judge has ruled. The birth certificates of the twins, born in April, list the surrogate mother, but not their biological fathers. "A family court, I guess I expected them to be looking out for the best interests of our kids. We walked out away that day and it wasn't in the best interests of our kids," said Joe Riggs, who is one of the fathers. (Gay Star News) Nearly 500,000 residents of India listed themselves as "third gender" in the country's recent census, which marked the first time that the option was included on the census. About 55,000 citizens in the group were younger than 6 years and roughly 46% said they were literate. Activists speculate that the true number of transgender Indians is
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higher than reported. (Gay Star News) Russian authorities detained several people who took part in two LGBT rights demonstrations on May 31st in Moscow. Police arrested two advocates during what was described as an “unsanctioned gay pride demonstration” outside Moscow City Hall. Svetlana Zakharova of the Russian LGBT Network said that another pro-gay demonstration took place in Moscow’s Gorky Park later in the day. She said authorities began to arrest those who had planned to take part in the protest against a Russian law that bans the promotion of so-called gay propaganda to minors as they left a nearby subway station, adding that those who were detained included “a girl with a painted beard.” (Washington Blade) Thousands of people participated in Cyprus’ first LGBT Pride parade on May 31 that took place in Nicosia, the country’s capital. Costas Gavrielides, president of ACCEPT-LGBT Cyprus, a Cypriot advocacy group, said that he and other organizers expected only 300 people would attend the parade in Nicosia. He said roughly 4,000 people marched, with another 1,000 attending a post-parade event. Former Cypriot President George Vassiliou and Parliamentarian Stella Kyriakides are among those who attended the parade. Gavrielides said diplomats from the U.S. and other countries also supported the march. (Washington Blade) A British judge has ruled that a Catholic couple from Slovakia cannot challenge the adoption of two of their children by a same-sex couple on the grounds that it would mean the “children will not be able to be brought up in the Catholic faith.” “The parents’ views, whether religious, cultural, secular, or social, are entitled to respect but cannot be determinative,” wrote Sir James Munby, president of the family division of the High Court of England and Wales, in a decision published on May 23rd. The parents lost custody of the children, who court documents refer to as S and J, after social workers had spent more than a year working with the family over reports of abuse and neglect. (BuzzFeed) Slovakia's parliament adopted a constitutional amendment banning the recognition of LGBT marriages, with 102 of 128 members voting in favor of the ban. The vote makes Slovakia the seventh European Union state to ban marriage equality and the third to do so since 2012. The ban was included in a legislative package that seeks to reform the judiciary. "It was really a surprise," Martin Macko of the Slovakian LGBT rights organization Inakost said. "It never was on the agenda of the ruling party. … Conservatives tried to adopt this amendment before, but it never received too much support." (Washington Blade) Luxembourg legislators approved a bill to grant marriage equality and adoption rights to LGBT couples. Parliamentarians passed the bill by a 56-4 vote after a five-year effort to bring marriage equality to the European country, which recently elected its first openly gay prime minister, Xavier Bettel. (The Independent (London))
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Ju ly / Au g u s t 2014 Q- m u n it y Calen d ar Recurri n g Con t act I n form at i on
* Hackensack Peer Support Groups: 800-508-7577; www.njbuddies.org † Pride Center, Highland Park: 732-846-2232; www.pridecenter.org ‡ Hudson Pride Connections Center, Jersey City: 201-963-4779; HudsonPride.org λ LGBT Center Rainbow Lounge, Princeton: www.princeton.edu/lgbt ♦ North Jersey PrimeTimers: www.meetup.com/North-Jersey-Primetimers Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm - HIV testing, Morristown; 973-889-6802 9:00 am to 1:00 pm - HIV testing, Asbury Park; 800-947-0020 10:00 am to 5:00 pm - HiTOPS Health Center, Princeton; www.hitops.org; 609-683-5155 x 211 Project Access syringe exchange program, Newark; variable hours; njcri.org; 973-558-5054 Project Access drop-in center, Newark; variable hours; njcri.org Tuesday - Saturday Project WOW! youth center, Newark; variable hours; njcri.org; 973-412-7080 Every Sunday 10:45 am - MCC of Christ the Liberator, Highland Park; tombohache10 @ gmail.com Noon - St. Francis of Assisi Church, Glen Ridge; 973-731-7765; stfrancisnj.org 2:30 pm - Liberation in Truth Unity Fellowship Church, Newark; 973-621-2100 5:30 pm - Central Jersey Rainbows Bowling League, Bradley Beach; CJRBowling @ gmail.com Every Monday 10:30 am - The Wellness Community, Newark; 973-565-0300; info @ hyacinth.org 5:00 pm - CSA produce pickup, Jersey City ‡ 7:00 pm - GAAMC, Morris Township (see page 2) 7:00 pm - Bowling, Union; merenl @ comcast.net 7:00 pm - S.E.L.F. HIV Men’s support group, Hackensack * 7:30 pm - New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus choir practice, Princeton; 609-396-7774; www.njgmc.org 8:00 pm - Bowling, Green Brook; qcrollers @ aol.com Every Tuesday 12:30 pm - The Wellness Community, Newark; 973-565-0300; info @hyacinth.org 4:00 pm - Treatment Adherence Support Group, Jersey City; 201-432-1134; info @hyacinth.org 6:30 pm - TransView, Jersey City ‡ 7:00 pm - NA Group, Jersey City ‡ 7:30 pm - Tuesday Night Lesbian Connection, Bound Brook; 908-791-3764
JULY 01 Tue 7:30 pm - LGBT Fellowship, Belleville; 973-751-0616 7:30 pm - ComeOUT & Play, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - NJ Women Coming Out Support, Highland Park † 02 Wed 7:30 pm - Gay Dad’s discussion group, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - Jersey Boys of Leather, Highland Park † 03 Thu 7:00 pm - Coffee Night, Edison; njlgh.onefireplace.com 7:30 pm - PCNJ Marketing Committee, Highland Park †
7:30 pm - Men’s HIV support group, Asbury Park; 732-7755084; apstillpoz @ yahoo.com 7:30 pm - Positive Yoga, Oradell * 8:45 pm - Bowling, Belleville; 973-256-5936; NJGLB @ aol.com 9:00 pm - Bowling, Jersey City; 201-933-6028; JoeyNJ @ aol.com 9:15 pm - Bowling, Edison; 732-548-4550; cnjgbl @ yahoo.com Every Wednesday 10:30 am - The Wellness Community, Jersey City; 201-432-1134; info @hyacinth.org 2:30 pm - RU Pride, Newark; 973-353-5716 6:00 pm - Positive People peer support group, Hackensack * 6:00 pm - SAGE, Jersey City ‡ 6:00 pm - "With These Hands" crochet and kitting circle, Newark; 973-424-9555; NewarkLGBTQCenter.org 7:30 pm - Men’s Living Out group, Highland Park; njwarrior @ aol.com † 7:30 pm - Gay Men’s Coming Out group, Highland Park; njwarrior@aol.com † Every Thursday 4:00 pm - True Colors drop-in center, Newark; 973-424-9555; newarklgbtqcenter.org 6:00 pm - Our Youth weekly support group, Jersey City; www.myspacenj.org 6:00 pm - Ties Like Mine, Jersey City ‡ 6:00 pm - JC LGBT Fitness Explosion, Jersey City ‡ 6:30 pm - Double Jeopardy peer support group, Hackensack * 6:30 pm - Hudson Men of Pride, Jersey City ‡ 7:00 pm - Sexual Assault Survivor Support, Princeton; www.hitops.org 7:30 pm - Rainbows on Cleveland Street, Orange; 973-256-5936; rbowsoncleveland @ aol.com 7:30 pm - Writers group, Highland Park † Every Friday 3:00 pm - Youth Connect, Jersey City ‡ 3:00 pm - WAVE Youth, Ocean Grove; 732-455-3373; qspot.org 6:15 pm - Gay Men's AA, Ocean Grove; 732-455-3373; qspot.org
04 Fri 7:00 pm - Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack * 9:00 pm - Karaoke, Highland Park † 05 Sat 1:00 pm - Women of Pride, Jersey City ‡ 2:30 pm - First and Third for GLBTI youth, Princeton; 609-683-5155; www.HiTOPS.org 06 Sun Noon - Pool Party, Millstone; njlgh.onefireplace.com 2:00 pm - Central NJ Rope Share, Highland Park † 4:00 pm - Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-509-0118; Dignitymetronj @ msn.com 6:30 pm - Gay Men’s Opera Club; 732-249-9034; hagol @ msn.com
Summer 2014 07 Mon
2:00 pm - HPCC Bi-Lingual Spanish Group, Jersey City ‡
7:00 pm - Support Group for Lesbians with Cancer, New Brunswick; 732-235-6781; slirzero @ umdnj.edu 7:00 pm - Lesbian Hot Topics, Ocean; schiffman @ rocketmail.com 7:30 pm - Spanish speaking social/support group, Highland Park† 08 Tue 7:30 pm - Pride Center Board Meeting, Highland Park † 09 Wed 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 7:30 am 6:30 pm
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Driving Range, Willowbrook ♦ Youth Caucus, Newark; 973-424-9555 Living Out Women, Highland Park † North Jersey Prime Timers' monthly meetup, Little Falls ♦
10 Thu 7:00 pm - Under the Rainbow, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - PFLAG of North Jersey, South Orange; 908-789-7489; pflagwaver @ aol.com 7:30 pm - Alternate Thursdays, Montclair; kjdinkin @ comcast.net 7:30 pm - Kollege of Kink, Highland Park † 8:00 pm - Booked for Supper, Highland Park † 11 Fri 4:00 pm - SPECTRUM youth drop-in, Newark; NewarkLGBTQCenter.org 7:30 pm - Rock Band/Guitar Hero, Highland Park † 12 Sat 9:00 am - Staten Island Pridefest, New York (see page 3) 12:30 pm - IPG Gender Spectrum Support Group for Youth & Parents, Jersey City ‡ 1:00 pm - Youth Drop-In, Highland Park † 7:00 pm - Men's Potluck Dinner & Movie Night, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - Dignity New Brunswick gay Catholic liturgy; 732-968-9263; dignitynb @ earthlink.net 13 Sun 3:00 pm - Deathtrap, New Hope, PA ♦ 4:00 pm - Out Pagan Discussion Group, Highland Park † 6:00 pm - Gay Men’s Classical Song Club, Kingston; pbrown02 @ worldnet.att.net 14 Mon
2:00 pm - HPCC Bi-Lingual Spanish Group, Jersey City ‡
6:30 pm - HIV Testing, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Morris County, Mendham; 973-727-5288; pflag.morris @ verizon.net 7:30 pm - PFLAG, Princeton; 609-663-5155; www.pflagprinceton.org 15 Tue 7:30 pm - ComeOUT & Play, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - Lesbian Alliance of Princeton; 609-924-8174; Loisj @ msn.com 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Hunterdon County, Flemington; 908-752-1370; pflaghc @ yahoo.com 7:30 pm - Caregiver Support Group, Highland Park † 8:00 pm - PFLAG of Bergen County, Paramus; 201-287-0318; www.bergenpflag.org 8:00 pm - NJ Women, Secaucus; info @ njwomen.org
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16 Wed 5:00 pm - SoMa Youth Caucus, Maplewood; info@gardenstateequality.org 7:30 pm - United in Grace discussion/support group, Jersey City; 201-946-0650; greg.perez @ comcast.net 7:30 pm - Board Meeting, Edison; njlgh.onefireplace.com 8:30 pm - Bowling, Boonton ♦ 17 Thu 6:00 pm - New Volunteer Orientation, Jersey City ‡ 7:00 pm - GAAMC board meeting, Morristown All GAAMC members are invited to attend. 7:00 pm - GLSEN Training, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - NJ Women Coming Out Support Group, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Northwest NJ, Sparta; 973-729-9909 7:30 pm - Volunteer Group Meeting, Jersey City ‡ 18 Fri 7:00 pm - Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack * 7:30 pm - Dignity New Brunswick social; 732-968-9263; dignitynb @ earthlink.net 8:00 pm - Out of the Box open mic night, Highland Park (Sign-up begins 7:30); outoftheboxinfo @ mac.com 19 Sat 1:00 pm - Women of Pride, Jersey City ‡ 2:30 pm - First and Third for GLBTI youth, Princeton; 609-683-5155; www.HiTOPS.org 7:00 pm - Rainbow Bowling, Bradley Beach; 732-774-4540 7:00 pm - NJ Gay Film Society & Potluck Dinner Club, location TBA; gayfilms @ bigfoot.com 7:00 pm - Diversity Game Night, Highland Park † 20 Sun 9:00 am - Whitewater rafting, Dingman's Ferry, PA ♦ 4:00 pm - Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-509-0118; Dignitymetronj @ msn.com 4:00 pm - TrueSelves trans support group, Highland Park † 21 Mon 7:00 pm - Support Group for Lesbians with Cancer, New Brunswick; 732-235-6781; slirzero @ umdnj.edu 7:30 pm - Spanish speaking social/support group, Highland Park† 22 Tue 7:00 pm - Stonewall Democrats, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - Donald's Events, Highland Park † 8:00 pm - Men's Social, Highland Park † 23 Wed 7:30 pm - Living Out Women, Highland Park † 24 Thu 7:00 pm - Under the Rainbow, Highland Park † 25 Fri 10:30 am - LGBT Task Force, Highland Park † 4:00 pm - SPECTRUM youth drop-in, Newark; 973-424-9555; NewarkLGBTQCenter.org 7:30 pm - Living Soulfully, Highland Park † 26 Sat 1:00 pm - Youth Drop-In, Highland Park †
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26 Sat 7:00 pm - Gay Bowling, Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park; 732-776-6160 27 Sun 3:00 pm - The Lavender Cinema Club, Highland Park † 28 Mon
2:00 pm - HPCC Bi-Lingual Spanish Group, Jersey City ‡
6:30 pm - Dinner, Millburn ♦
AUGUST 01 Fri 7:00 pm - Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack * 9:00 pm - Karaoke, Highland Park † 02 Sat
Noon - 2014 Jersey City Pride Festival, Jersey City ‡ (see page 3)
1:00 pm - Women of Pride, Jersey City ‡ 2:30 pm - First and Third for GLBTI youth, Princeton; 609-683-5155; www.HiTOPS.org 8:00 pm - Dance for Equality, South Orange; www.northjerseypride.org
10 Sun 4:00 pm - Out Pagan Discussion Group, Highland Park † 6:00 pm - Gay Men’s Classical Song Club, Kingston; pbrown02 @ att.net 11 Mon
2:00 pm - HPCC Bi-Lingual Spanish Group, Jersey City ‡
6:30 pm - HIV Testing, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Morris County, Mendham; 973-727-5288; pflag.morris @ verizon.net 7:30 pm - PFLAG, Princeton; 609-663-5155; www.pflagprinceton.org 12 Tue 7:30 pm - Pride Center Board Meeting, Highland Park † 13 Wed 3:30 pm - Driving Range, Willowbrook ♦ 4:30 pm - Youth Caucus, Newark; 973-424-9555 7:30 am - Living Out Women, Highland Park † 6:30 pm - North Jersey Prime Timers' monthly meetup, Little Falls ♦
03 Sun 2:00 pm - Central NJ Rope Share, Highland Park † 4:00 pm - Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-509-0118; Dignitymetronj @ msn.com 6:30 pm - Gay Men’s Opera Club; 732-249-9034; hagol @ msn.com
14 Thu 7:00 pm - Under the Rainbow, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - PFLAG of North Jersey, South Orange; 908-789-748 pflagwaver @ aol.com 7:30 pm - Alternate Thursdays, Montclair; kjdinkin @ comcast.net 7:30 pm - Kollege of Kink, Highland Park † 8:00 pm - Booked for Supper, Highland Park †
04 Mon 7:00 pm - Support Group for Lesbians with Cancer, New Brunswick; 732-235-6781; slirzero @ umdnj.edu 7:00 pm - Lesbian Hot Topics, Ocean; schiffman @ rocketmail.com 7:30 pm - Spanish speaking social/support group, Highland Park†
15 Fri All Day - Bear Weekend, Asbury Park (see page 3) 7:00 pm - Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack * 7:30 pm - Dignity New Brunswick social; 732-968-9263; dignitynb @ earthlink.net 8:00 pm - Out of the Box open mic night, Highland Park (Sign-up begins 7:30); outoftheboxinfo @ mac.com
05 Tue 7:30 pm - LGBT Fellowship, Belleville; 973-751-0616 7:30 pm - ComeOUT & Play, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - NJ Women Coming Out Support, Highland Park †
16 Sat All Day - Bear Weekend, Asbury Park (see page 3) 1:00 pm - Women of Pride, Jersey City ‡ 2:30 pm - First and Third for GLBTI youth, Princeton; 609-683-5155; www.HiTOPS.org 4:00 pm - Equality Walk, Montclair (see page 3) 7:00 pm - Rainbow Bowling, Bradley Beach; 732-774-4540 7:00 pm - NJ Gay Film Society & Potluck Dinner Club, location TBA; gayfilms @ bigfoot.com 7:00 pm - Diversity Game Night, Highland Park †
06 Wed 7:30 pm - Gay Dad’s discussion group, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - Jersey Boys of Leather, Highland Park † 07 Thu 7:00 pm - Coffee Night, Edison; njlgh.onefireplace.com 7:30 pm - PCNJ Marketing Committee, Highland Park † 08 Fri 4:00 pm - SPECTRUM youth drop-in, Newark; NewarkLGBTQCenter.org 7:30 pm - Rock Band/Guitar Hero, Highland Park † 09 Sat 1:00 pm - Youth Drop-In, Highland Park † 7:00 pm - Men's Potluck Dinner & Movie Night, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - Dignity New Brunswick gay Catholic liturgy; 732-968-9263; dignitynb @ earthlink.net 7:30 pm - Havdalah & potluck dinner, Metuchen; njlgh.onefireplace.com
17 Sun All Day - Bear Weekend, Asbury Park (see page 3) 4:00 pm - Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-509-0118; Dignitymetronj @ msn.com 4:00 pm - TrueSelves trans support group, Highland Park † 18 Mon 7:00 pm - Support Group for Lesbians with Cancer, New Brunswick; 732-235-6781; slirzero @ umdnj.edu 7:30 pm - Spanish speaking social/support group, Highland Park† 7:30 pm - Third Annual Summer Sing, Princeton (see page 3)
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19 Tue 7:30 pm - ComeOUT & Play, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - Lesbian Alliance of Princeton; 609-924-8174; Loisj @ msn.com 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Hunterdon County, Flemington; 908-752-1370; pflaghc @ yahoo.com 7:30 pm - Caregiver Support Group, Highland Park † 8:00 pm - PFLAG of Bergen County, Paramus; 201-287-0318; www.bergenpflag.org 8:00 pm - NJ Women, Secaucus; info @ njwomen.org
23 Sat 1:00 pm - Youth Drop-In, Highland Park † 2:00 pm - Fourth Annual Joey Tolino Memorial Fundraiser, Union City (see page 3) 7:00 pm - Gay Bowling, Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park; 732-776-6160
20 Wed 5:00 pm - SoMa Youth Caucus, Maplewood; info@gardenstateequality.org 7:30 pm - United in Grace discussion/support group, Jersey City; 201-946-0650; greg.perez @ comcast.net 8:30 pm - Bowling, Boonton ♦
25 Mon
21 Thu 6:00 pm - New Volunteer Orientation, Jersey City ‡ 7:00 pm - GAAMC board meeting, Morristown All GAAMC members are invited to attend. 7:00 pm - GLSEN Training, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - NJ Women Coming Out Support Group, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Northwest NJ, Sparta; 973-729-9909 7:30 pm - Volunteer Group Meeting, Jersey City ‡ 22 Fri 10:30 am - LGBT Task Force, Highland Park † 4:00 pm - SPECTRUM youth drop-in, Newark; 973-424-9555; NewarkLGBTQCenter.org 7:30 pm - Living Soulfully, Highland Park †
24 Sun 3:00 pm - The Lavender Cinema Club, Highland Park † 3:00 pm - Bob C's cook-out ♦ 2:00 pm - HPCC Bi-Lingual Spanish Group, Jersey City ‡
6:30 pm - Dinner, Milburn ♦ 26 Tue 7:00 pm - Stonewall Democrats, Highland Park † 7:30 pm - Donald's Events, Highland Park † 8:00 pm - Men's Social, Highland Park † 27 Wed 7:30 pm - Living Out Women, Highland Park † 28 Thu 7:00 pm - Under the Rainbow, Highland Park † 30 Sat 1:00 pm - Women of Pride, Jersey City ‡ 31 Sun 3:00 pm - Ain't Misbehavin, New Hope, PA ♦
KEVIN P. SUSZKO, PC Certified Public Accountant
T AX PLANNING & PREPARATION F INANCIAL P LANNING A C COUN T ING SERV I CE S D AY & EV ENI NG AP POI NTM EN T S O FFICES IN NEW JERSEY & NYC Phone: 973–376–4121 P. O. Box 701 Short Hills, NJ 07078 Email: KPSCPA@GMAIL.COM
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Three Myths About Bisexuality, Debunked by Science by Samantha Joel, M.A.
Bisexuality is the tendency to be sexually attracted to both men and women. To some, this may sound like a superpower doubling one's romantic options (and odds). But in real life, bisexuality can be an awkward identity to have, creating a challenge truly fitting in with either the “straight" or LGBT communities. But most important, bisexuality tends to be quite misunderstood. Myths and stereotypes about bisexuality abound, some even contradicting one another. Straight and LGBT people alike can hold such stereotypes, compounding the difficulties bisexual people can have fitting in. Luckily, an increasing number of researchers have been producing research improving our understanding of bisexuality. Here are three examples of how science has worked to combat misconceptions about bisexuality: Myth 1: "There's no such thing as bisexuality" This is especially laughable. How can you tell a group of individuals that they don’t exist? But the idea that all people have to be either straight or gay is pervasive and persistent, especially when it comes to men. Frustratingly, even within the most LGBT-friendly circles, you encounter the idea that “there’s no such thing as a bisexual man.” Researchers have quite clearly laid this myth to rest with a study recently published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior1. Researchers recruited straight, gay, and bisexual men, and exposed them to a variety of erotic film clips. Not only were participants asked to rate their subjective feelings of arousal in response to the clips, they were also connected to physiological equipment that measured changes in genital arousal. As would be expected, heterosexual men responded with much more subjective and genital arousal to films containing women rather than men, and vice versa for gay men. However, bisexual men were aroused relatively similarly by videos of both men and women. They were also more aroused by bisexual clips—for example, two men and one woman—than were the other two groups. Importantly, these differences were in both their reported arousal and the objective measurement of their genital arousal. It is clear from this study that these individuals were not “pretending” to be bisexual. Myth 2: "Bisexuality is just a phase" With this myth, bisexuality is represented as a state of experimentation or confusion—stereotypically experienced during the college years—that occurs before a person settles on their “true” identity. Lisa Diamond has conducted some very sophisticated work on this topic, in which she examined the sexual identities of women over long periods of time. In a paper published in Developmental Psychology2, she reports on a sample of
women she followed over a period of 10 years. Her results clearly showed that bisexuality was not a transitional period: Very few women who had identified as bisexual in adolescence changed their identity to either straight or lesbian by the end of the study—only 8% of that group did so. Rather, bisexual women were consistently sexually fluid over time, maintaining attractions to both genders, to varying degrees, over the course of a decade. Myth 3: "Bisexual people can’t be faithful to their partners" This myth—arguably the most pernicious one—stems from the assumption that one partner can not fully satisfy a person who is attracted to both genders. Sooner or later, other people assume, they’ll yearn for someone of the gender that their partner is not. In studies, people tend to perceive bisexual individuals as being more likely to cheat on partners than heterosexual, gay, or lesbian individuals3. In reality, a great many bisexual individuals have happily monogamous relationships; for example, by the end of Diamond’s 10-year study2, 89% of bisexual women were in monogamous, long-term relationships. Further, research suggests that bisexual individuals who do desire multiple sexual partners may typically achieve this goal by negotiating open relationships with their partners, not by sneaking around behind their partners’ backs4. I could find no research supporting the idea that bisexuals are any less faithful, or less honest, with their partners than people of other sexual orientations. Insights on Identity The growing field of research on bisexuality is promising, in that it counteracts many myths and misconceptions while also providing some interesting insights into sexuality in general. Unlike pop culture sources, these scientific studies suggest that bisexuality is a relatively stable, consistent sexual identity. We still need more research to better understand the ways in which bisexuality is similar to monosexual (heterosexual, gay, lesbian) identities, as well as the ways in which it might be unique. Editor's Note: This article was originally written for Science of Relationships, a website about the psychology of relationships that is written by active researchers and professors in the field. 1. Rosenthal, A. M., Sylvia, D., Safron, A., & Bailey, J. M. (2012). The male bisexuality debate revisited: Some bisexual men have bisexual arousal patterns. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 41, 35-147. 2. Diamond, L. M. (2008). Female bisexuality from adolescence to adulthood: Results from a 10-year longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 44, 5-14. 3. Spalding, L. R., & Peplau, L. A. (1997). The unfaithful lover: heterosexuals’ perceptions of bisexuals and their relationships. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 611-625. 4. McLean, K. (2004). Negotiating (non) monogamy: Bisexuality and intimate relationships. Journal of Bisexuality, 4, 83-97.
Summer 2014
Good Eats!
A recipe from the kitchen of Chef Liz Slicer Editor's Note: For those of you who were unable to attend Liz' cooking demonstration last month, she has graciously provided her recipe so you can try this at home. I have to admit, I never cared much for stuffed cabbage until I tried one of the ones Liz made. Absolutely delicious!
Stuffed Cabbage 1 large head green cabbage 1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef 1 small can sauerkraut 1 large can Hunt's tomato sauce 1 cup of rice (white or brown) 3 strips of lean bacon 1 large onion 1 clove garlic 1 bunch of parsley 1 large egg 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, if needed Spices & seasonings (see recipe text for suggestions) Parboil head of cabbage after removing center core with sharp knife, being careful not to cut through leaves. Separate leaves while boiling using a roasting fork. Remove leaves from pot and allow to cool. Remove hard center ridge of each leaf to make them easier to roll. Put ridges aside. Prepare rice according to directions.
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GAAMC Board of Trustees May 15, 2014 Meeting Minutes Attendance Voting Trustees: DeLeeuw, Grifone, Gygax, Rase, Sauer, Suiter Non-Voting Attendees: Allen Neuner The meeting began at 7:05 pm. I. Adoption of minutes: The minutes of the February meeting were approved unanimously (moved, Sauer; seconded, Suiter). II.Old Business: GAAMC Outings: Joe reported that the trip to the LGBT museum in NYC will take place in the near future. He will keep us informed. III.New Business: Macy's Shop for a Cause: Cards will be at the front desk. Announcements will be made at meetings, on the webside, and on Facebook. IV. Reports: President: Sherri Rase — Written report on file. Treasurer: John DeLeeuw — Written report on file. Challenge: Allen Neuner — June issue goes to printer May 26, stuffing on May 27. Next issue is July/August: Summer issue.A motion to add the following organizations to the mailing list was made and approved unanimously: Newark LGBTQ Community Center, North Jersey Pride, Q-spot, and Jersey Shore LGBT Community Center (moved, Sauer; seconded, Grifone). Programs: Sherri Rase — Written report on file. Discussion Group Resources: Gordon Sauer — Written report on file. Development Committee: Written report on file. Pride Events: Mickey Suiter — Written report on file.
Chop up bacon into small pieces and brown. Set aside bacon to cool and break into smaller pieces to add to mixture. Brown chopped onion and garlic in the bacon grease; use olive oil if there is not enough grease to brown.
V. Save These Dates: May 19, Film Festival, "What the Bleep" May 26, Memorial Day Social June 1, Jersey Pride June 8, North Jersey Pride
Combine bacon, onion, garlic, meat, rice, egg, parsley, and any seasonings you choose (salt and pepper, ground marjoram, ground thyme, ground allspice).
VII.Adjournment: Motion to adjourn passed unanimously (moved, Grifone; seconded, Sauer).
Form this mixture into loose rolls in the cooled leaves. Tuck edges into ends of rolls. Place in a greased casserole into which is added the tomato sauce, sauerkraut, and water to cover. (I also use Greek Seasoning by Cavender and Lawry's Seasoned Salt, along with a tea ball of caraway seeds to flavor the tomato sauce.) If there is extra cabbage left, cut into chunks along with the cabbage leaf ridges and add to top. If there is extra meat, form into meat balls and add to top of dish. Bake at 325 degrees for about two hours, or until browned and tender.
VI. Ideas & Suggestions: Gordon suggested a summer outing to the 9/11 Memorial.
The meeting adjourned at 7:52 pm.
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Dancing To Architecture™ Music Reviews & News with a Queer Ear by Bill Realman Stella You want fun? Q ◂
Cinco De Wavo, T h e Wa v o s ’
new 5 song EP, is fun brought to you by a trio of original New Wave electronic rockers. These former band members of The Privates found moderate success in the late ‘70s with songs like “You Got Me Breakin’ Apart” and the not-Ray Charles’ “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (The links go to video of The Privates’ appearances on The Uncle Floyd Show, the local New Jersey cult TV show now acknowledged as a predecessor of everything from The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson to Talk Soup.) L a t e r, T h e Wa v o s ’ keyboards wizard, New Jersey-born Gordon Smith chose to cover “Lawnchairs” - originally by one of my obscure 80s faves Our Daughter’s Wedding - with his previous band Rubberlegs. “Lawnchairs” featured the Out-for-1980 lyric “She’s a boy that we like and he’s gonna go far.” Members of each of these bands were among the many contributors to a long period in American Pop music when Gay musicians producied large amounts of the sounds people were partying to on dance floors and listening to over airwaves. Gay musicians were a huge influence on the era, but it was loooong before Out Gay musicians were able to be matter of fact about who they are. Cinco De Wavo is like an AV EPK - an audio visual electronic press kit - for this newly revived band of New Wave survivors, The Wavos. When they aren’t playing originals, they can be found performing their “ever-popular ’80s ‘new wave-o’ dance parties”. But the five originals on Cinco De Wavo reach back further, to their ‘70s roots. “(We’re Gonna Have A) Dance Party” assuredly starts the set. To party, you needn’t listen hard to catch every one of the lyrics sung at hyperspeed, in a pre-Rap style. But while you’re partying, your remaining synapses might recognize elements of it anyway. Whether you’re under the influence or not, you can pick out flavors, as you would in a smoothie, and can tell they're blending the melodic simplicity and playfulness of The B-52s, the obscure Jersey band Blotto (best known for their summertime hit “I Wanna Be A Lifeguard”), and a turnaround that evokes Wild Cherry’s one-hit wonder “Play That Funky Music (White Boy)” and its turnaround “Lay down the boogie and play that funky music till you die”. The rest of the set draws on a multitude of influences from their era, from the Reggae-cum-Talking Heads styled “Tourist” to the slow Dance Rock ballad "If Just For A Moment"
to “Building A New D r e a m ” ’ s Cars/Devo hybrid, to the best of all possible mindless happy endings, “It’s Your Birthday”. T h e Wa v o s a l s o lavished attention on impressive, top n o t c h a l b u m The CD art on The Wavos' Cinco De Wavo graphics credited to the renowned George DuBose. They’re bright, eye-catching and clear. The yin yang image incorporated into the band name logo expands and mutates to effectively overtake the often-overlooked CD art. The Wavos won’t exactly shift the ground under you, but they will get you moving. And one song short of a six-pack, Cinco De Wavo delivers an unexpectedly fresh spin on well-worn grooves. Cinco De Wavo officially comes out on July 5. You can order it and learn more at TheWavos.com. Q ◂various ~Soul'd
Out: Black Music Month Sampler, Vol.4
June is not just Pride Month for the BGLT-Qmunity — It's also Black Music Month! In celebration, The Concord Music Group offer a complimentary download of a fabulous compilation. Out Gay musicians included are Dave Koz, a "smooth" jazz composer/performer, with fellow saxophonists Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot off their recent Summer Horns album. And the inimitable, Tony winning Kinky Boots star Billy Porter, from his new album of Broadway classics, Billy's Back On Broadway, takes us to church on "Luck Be A Lady," with its introductory verse restored. It's free to all comers willing to provide an email address. GET IT HERE: http://www.concordblackmusicmonth.com/ Other greats, past and present, include tracks by Diane Reeves featuring Gregory Porter; Mindi Abair feat. Trombone Shorty; Isaac Hayes; Al Jarreau feat. Kelly Price; N'dambi leads off with "The World Is A Beat'; Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Keb' Mo and the Rebirth Brass Band are "Born Under A Bad Sign", Cannonball Adderly, Nat Adderly and Yusef Lateef serenade all the "Gemini's"; Kris Bowers is "Waking the Neighbors," and more. It's music with style and of course... SOUL!
Dancing To Architecture and Media Outage ©2014 Bill Stella. All ©, ® & ™ items included for review purposes are ©, ® & ™ their respective owners. The stylized Q indicates albums by (or significantly contributed to by) Out Bisexuals, Gay Men, Lesbians and Transgendered persons. GAAMC is pronounced "GAY-mick".
T H E L I T T L E B O X O F C ONC E RTS ™ IS ON VACATION! BUT THAT SHOULD NOT STOP YOU! SEE SOME LIVE MUSIC AND, AS ALWAYS: GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!
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Q ◂ About that Billy Porter album…
Over here on the right is the cover art for Billy's Back On Broadway, with the man evoking Sammy Davis Jr. Fact is, that's the effect he was going for. He says the title is an homage to Davis' "Sammy's Back On Broadway". Porter also reveals that, when considering which songs to choose, “The canon of great Broadway songs is so vast, and I have so many favorites that the only way I could narrow them down was to choose a theme.” That focus is on songs of inspiration, empowerment and hope. His renditions include the Sammy Davis Jr. hit "I've Gotta Be Me'', "I Am Changing" from Dreamgirls, and "Don't Rain on My Parade." Porter includes one song to reinterpret from his show Kinky Boots, Cyndi Lauper's "I'm Not My Father's Son", then Porter duets with Lauper on a mash-up of "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Get Happy." It has been a thrill to watch a young performer since his days over a decade ago as an OutMusic nominee, go on to sing the definitive version of John Bucchino's classic "Grateful" and reach the heights of Broadway as a mature and fully realized musical artist. Now Porter brings to life his and producer Rob Mounsey's visions of paradigms of the American Songbook. Last minute addition: Y'all really MUST read what Mr Porter has to say about his career and how early on his keepers tried to keep him in the closet. On his blog: http://BillyPorter.com/oh - m y - h ow - t h i n gs- h a ve - c h a n ge d/ Q ◂ Great
Caesar ~ Great Caesar
The band that brought you "Don't Ask Me Why" has a brand new EP. It starts with "Still Love," a gentle, intimate song, sung as if it were lying in bed next to you. The horns that enter at precisely the 2 minute mark are like a bliss-inspiring finger running softly over your skin, like, and the sounds, the feelings grow, swell ever more blissful, bolstered by happy to be with you drums, until, 3 minutes in, voices appear and join you in a bolt of joy, then lays back into a warm, reverberent afterglow. It's a real good song. More romantic goodness comes by way of "Holiday," bathed in the light, sweet awareness of every sensation sensed in the presense of one's love. It stays acoustic and pastoral though lyrics like these: "Your hand in mine / Oh, how divine if we could greet the day / Under the Milky Way // Your rosy cheek / My lips would seek if we could steal away / Go on a holiday" Then it turns away from that to romp as if teasing us to chase it, for an extend couple of minutes of earthy jamming with an overlay of sunshine dappled guitar soloing. "Bury Me" stakes its place among dramatic performances balanced by enough discipline to sidestep the cliche of becoming overwrought. With few lyrics, each iteration of them adds a new turn at finding meaning. A scream is heard just above a whisper. A saxophone solo that in any other band's hands would be notated lazily but honestly with "Sax: Play atonal" written between non-musical brackets, to span the required number of bars. Instead Stephen Chen injects melodic muscle, sacrificing no listenability in the name of wild expressiveness. "Bury Me" ain't no throwaway. For the non-completists among you, "Don't Ask Me Why" appears here as well. Such great songs deserve to be owned, and the band has put t o g e t h e r a q u a l i t y, inexpensive package so as to make us all fans, as we know we want to be!
It's all available to listen to at their Bandcamp page http://greatcaesar.bandcamp.com/album/great-caesar-ep Q ◂ Bob Mould
~ Beauty & Ruin
What can I tell you? It's another album packed with Loud Rock treasures from Mould, a man at another peak in his crea t i v i t y. H i s range is remarkable, spanning from sounds very much in the Mould mold to an I'm-not
-kidding-but-the-Mouldshown-here-is music video made for Funny Or Die, to promote his lead single "I Don't Know You Any More". Q ◂ Freddy Freeman ~
Raise It Up … is not yet released! But you can hear "Fallen Angel" from it now, at YouTube. I'd like to hear from YOU what you think. Is this an exciting new direction for Freddy? Or what? Tell me. My email address, as always, is in the Contributors box on page 3.
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GAY ACTIVIST ALLIANCE IN MORRIS COUNTY
Officers President (President@GAAMC.org) — Sherri Rase VP Community Services (Info@GAAMC.org) — Gordon Sauer VP Operations (Operations@GAAMC.org) — Mickey Suiter Secretary (Secretary@GAAMC.org) — Ron Kennedy Treasurer (Treasurer@GAAMC.org) — John DeLeeuw Trustees Kerry Dinkin, Marty Grifone, Joe Gygax, Frank Lucek, Rich Schaublin, Liz Slicer Committee Chairs & Functional Officers Challenge Editor — Allen Neuner (Challenge@GAAMC.org) Discussion Group Resources — Gordon Sauer (Discussions@GAAMC.org) GAAMC Outings — Open Information — Andy Skurna (FreeLibrary@GAAMC.org) Membership — Open Pride Events — Mickey Suiter Pride Guide — Andy Skurna (PrideGuide@GAAMC.org) Programs — Sherri Rase (Programs@GAAMC.org) Publicity — Open Socials — John DeLeeuw (Socials@GAAMC.org) Webmaster — Andy Skurna (Webmaster@GAAMC.org)
GAAMC, the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County, has served New Jersey’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and intersexed communities since 1972. GAAMC is a notfor-profit volunteer-run organization that provides social, educational, and outreach programs. GAAMC also offers opportunities for individuals to become politically active on issues related to the GLBTI communities. Our intent is to maintain a positive, healthy, respectful, and supportive environment in a safe space. Meetings are held every Monday evening at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ (near the Morris Museum). Discussion groups usually meet from 7:00 to 8:00. The evening's program usually starts shortly after 8:00. Refreshments are available. For program information, check our homepage at www.GAAMC.org. Members and non-members are always welcome. Annual membership dues are: Regular, $40/single, $70/couple; Students/Seniors, $30/single, $60/couple. Those looking to help out at GAAMC can contact Gordon Sauer at Info@GAAMC.org. How to reach GAAMC Mail: PO Box 137, Convent Station, NJ 07961 Telephone: 973-285-1595 Email: info@gaamc.org Home page: www.GAAMC.org Mail List: groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/gaamc Facebook: www.facebook.com/gaamc Challenge online edition: issuu.com/gaamc/docs
PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS! July 14th
July 28th
August 25th
How Can You Resist?
Separate Discussions
To Market, To Market!
See "GAAMC Events", page 2, for more details!