Najlepszy Cholerni Biuletyn w New Jersey! ®
CONTESTER Das Rundschreiben des Homosexuell Aktivist Allianz in Morris County - Bedienend die Gemeinden HLBTI von New Jersey immerfort seit 1972
Libro 38, Número 3, Abril 2012
Why We Are Here by Mickey Suiter
At the beginning of each year the Board of Trustees of GAAMC gets together for a day-long retreat at which we try to set the tone for the coming year and decide what we should concentrate on. This usually involves discussions of ideas for programs, outreach, activism and entertainment. This year we approached our retreat a bit differently. We spent most of the day discussing just one question — Why are we here? Everything else flows from the answer to that one question. I thought back to the beginning of GAAMC. The four founders each had their own personal reasons for wanting a local gay organization, but one basic idea we had in common was this — we wanted a place where we could be ourselves, a place to hang out with our friends and meet new people. And we wanted that for others in the LGBT community (a term that hadn’t been coined yet). In other words, to use another newer term, a safe space. And besides all of the programs and activities that GAAMC has offered for the past forty years, what we continue to provide above all else is a place for LGBT people to be themselves, to be comfortable with other members of the community.
See You in September! The Ruby Ball will be held Sunday evening, September 30th, starting with a cocktail hour reception at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner, entertainment, and a few surprises at 6:00 p.m. Mark your calendars now and save the date! Keep an eye on future issues of Challenge for more details as they develop!
So we’re going to work on making Monday nights a more comfortable place to just be. If you’re not interested in participating in Open Talk, that’s fine. You don’t have to. If you’re not interested in a particular program, that’s okay, too. You can still come and hang out with us. We’re making use of the room to the left of the front desk, the one you pass through to get to the kitchen, as a place to just relax and be yourself. For the last few weeks we’ve set up a table or two in that room and provided some quiet music to make it a comfortable atmosphere. A member said to me recently, “Sometimes I just have to get out of the house and be around gay people.” We all feel that at times and filling that need is GAAMC’s primary purpose. All of the other things we do build on that. So if there’s anything you think we can do to make GAAMC a warmer, more welcoming space, please let us know. Above all, we want GAAMC to be a place where you can be comfortable. So come home to GAAMC — whether you want to participate in Open Talk and the evening’s program or just hang out, that’s what we’re here for.
Inside Challenge Challenge Information.... ................................ page 2 GAAMC Events.............................................. page 2 Bulletin Board .............................................. page 3 The Little Box of Concerts............................... page 3 Gleanings: Queer news from around the world .... page 4 Dancing to Architecture: music reviews............. page 5 Calendar ..................................................... page 7 PCNJ Male Erotic Art Exhibit/Sale......................... page 9 10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked, part 9................. page 11 Poetry: REF-RANT....................................... page 12 The Rambling Rapporteur .............................. page 12 GAAMC Board Mini-Minutes, February 2011 ........ page 13 This Month's Contributors............................... page 13 GAAMC Information...................................... page 14
Page 2 CHALLENGE April 2012 CHALLENGE Volume 38, Number 3 April 2012 ISSN 0277-1675 Staff Editor .....................Allen Neuner Assistant Editor ............. Bill Stella Advertising Manager ............. open Circulation Manager ............. open List Manager ................ Sue Harris Submissions The deadline for all articles, inserts, and advertisements is the fifteenth of the previous month. All submissions must be provided as electronic files. E-mail submissions 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 © 2012-2013 by the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt 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.
GAAMC Events for April 2012 Discussion Groups OpenTalk: A regular weekly discussion group, open to all. Moderators: Sherri (Apr. 9); Kerry (Apr. 16); Gordon (Apr. 23, 30). 7:00, Library; on Film Festival nights, discussion follows the film. NOTE: No discussion on April 2. Main Events [All start at 8:00 unless otherwise noted.] April 2: It's The Rocky Horror Picture Show – The Sing Along! No Fooling! (That was yesterday!) Sing along with (and, if you wish, dress like) Brad, Janet, Rocky, Dr Frank-N-Furter, Magenta, Columbia, Eddie & the other "house guests". We'll provide lyric 'cheat-sheets'! Witty banter and back talk encouraged. (NO tossing of rice, water guns, etc.) Let your inner Little Monster out for a fun time! April 9: Open Talk – Extra Large! Tonight, Open Talk is extra long to cover those topics that require more thought. And tonight we debut our Aristophanes Café, and Sherri will be the didaskalos or leader for the evening! April 16: Tech Talk. E-reader or not e-reader? Whether to retain the musty, fusty print version of the latest novel or go completely paper free, save a tree, electronically. Our Techsome Twosome, Andy Skurna and Sherri Rase, will discuss a variety of these hand-helds, their pros and cons, and the apps that love them. April 23: Pastabilities! Come out for this year's edition of our famed pasta dinner fundraiser! The members of the GAAMC Board of Trustees will be your hosts, servers and chefs, offering you a variety of Italian dishes: pastas, sauces, salads, breads, and amazing desserts! Admission for tonight is $10 for all attendees. Mangia! April 30: Planning Your Financial Future. William Timpson, CFP® and member of Pride Planners, will host an evening discussing LGBT Life Planning and Financial Planning. He will cover unique financial and legal issues and obstacles encountered by same-sex married and unmarried couples and discuss potential solutions. Topics can cover any facet of finances (estate planning, taxes, asset titling, benefits, etc.) but will focus upon areas of interest expressed by participants. Coming in May! May 7: A Look Back at Voting Rights. Flex your activism muscles and get ready! New Jersey’s deadline for you to be registered to vote in the June 5 Primary is May 15. What do you need to know to cast your vote? Come discuss with us, ten days before this important deadline. We’ll cover a brief history of voting rights in the US and how to cast the vote that’s right for you. May 14: Defend Yourself! Self-defense tips and tricks, presented by Iris and Ray of LA Boxing of Florham Park. [All programs and discussion groups are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, go to GAAMC.org] GAAMC Tip of the Month GAAMC is not just for LGBTI people. We have straight members, and many more straight supporters. Don't assume because someone attends one of our events, or marches with us, or is seen in a photo, or posts a comment to our Facebook group, that he or she is L, G, B, T, or I.
April 2012 CHALLENGE Page 3
Bulletin Board The Princeton University Players invite you to see Princeton Cares, a benefit concert for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, on March 30th and 31st at 11 pm. This cabaret-style benefit concert, presented by Theatre Intime at the Hamilton Murray Theatre, features Princeton students and special guests. All proceeds go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. For more information, check out Theatre Intime on Facebook. RU Pride at Rutgers-Newark University announces its 4th Annual Drag Show, which will take place on Tuesday, April 17 at 8pm in the Essex Room of the Paul Robeson Campus Center. This year, they are trying something new — two categories in which students, faculty, staff, and the Newark community can be a part of! The first category is a competition for groups of two or more, with each group showcasing a drag performance to be judged on song originality, performance creativity, costume, interaction with judges and audience, and overall performance, and the winning group receiving a grand prize. The second category, which is not part of the competition, is for single performers presenting a song of their choice. For more information, or to enter, contact Donovan Linder at RUPrideNewark @ gmail.com. The Pride Center of New Jersey will be hosting two events on Saturday, April 21st. The first is an exhibit and sale of male erotic art, held from 1 to 5 pm at the Pride Center in Highland Park. (For more information, see article, page 9.) The Pride Center's popular Spring Clubfest event takes place from 8 pm to midnight that evening at The Club in Woodbridge. The event features live music and comedy, a raffle, a singles mixer, henna art, tarot readings, a variety of games and sports, and much more! Admission is only $5 for members and $10 for non-members. For more information go to www.pridecenter.org.
The New Jersey AIDS Walk 2012 will be taking place Sunday, May 6th, at 11:30 a.m. Like last year, the AIDS Walk will take place in seven different locations throughout the state: Asbury Park; Atlantic City; Morristown; New Brunswick; Newark; Pennsauken; and Ridgewood. For more information, send an email to ray @ njbuddies.org.
On Sunday, May 20th, GAAMC member Paul Greenberg will be participating in the 2012 AIDS Walkathon in New York City for the benefit of GMHC and other tri-state AIDS service organizations. Paul, for whom this will be his 19th Walkathon, will again be a Star Walker, joining the team from Hyacinth AIDS Foundation in New Brunswick. Paul is seeking donations at this time to meet his personal goal of $3000. Donations can be made online at www.aidswalk.net, or by check, payable to AWNY and sent to Pual at 185 English Place, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. The deadline for donations is Friday, May 18th. Activities, tours, hikes, picnics, trips, dinners, socials… It’s all on GayOutdoors.org (GO), an online national webbased organization for guys to plan events and participate in those scheduled gatherings. Online membership is free, but there is an annual fee to have access to post or host events. In the NJ/PA/NY area, GAAMC member Ed Schell has posted plans for an April tour of the battleship Intrepid and lunch. Any questions regarding the locally hosted events? Contact Ed at sche357 @ aol.com. SAGE Hudson County (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders), an affiliate of the national SAGE organization based in New York, has begun weekly meetings at Hudson Pride Connections Center in Jersey City. SAGE Hudson County seeks to build community, provide social avenues, and shift the aging paradigm within the 50+ LGBTQ population. SAGE Hudson County meets every Monday from 6 to 8 pm, and snacks are provided. For more information, contact Gene Aguirre at 201-963-4779, ext. 411, or email gene @ hudsonpride.org.
Emily Kubin has created a program, Emily's Hats for Hope Initiative, to knit hats for the homeless. Emily, along with a volunteer crew of knitters and crocheters, makes the hats, which she then takes to the soup kitchen at Church o f t h e Re d e e m e r i n M o r r i s t o w n . Vo l u n t e e r knitters/crocheters are always welcome to join in! Donations of yarn, or of money to purchase yarn, are also welcome. For more information, check out Emily's Facebook page www.facebook.com/Emilys-Hats-For-Hope-Initiative.
THE LITTLE BOX OF CONCERTS ™ OF MONTREAL
Friday & Saturday March 30 & 31
Webster Hall 125 E. 11th St NYC, NY April 2 Union Transfer Philadelphia, PA
"Frontman Kevin Barnes —dressed in drag with a flowered beret atop his head—and scores of masked luchadores engaged in choreographed wrestling matches, while silverwinged butterfly-like creatures proudly displayed their plumage and encased Barnes as spandexwearing dancers hid behind an assortment of masks. [It] was the epicenter of crazy... If this were a lesser band, you could write off the stage production as a distraction. But as Of Montreal has displayed over the course of ten studio albums, style and substance can coexist, and even complement each other."
WILD FLAG
Sunday, April 1 Webster Hall 125 E. 11th St, NYC, NY Tuesday, April 3 Trocadero Philadelphia, PA
OCCUPY / AUDIFY New Brunswick NJ
Weekly Saturday Events 2 pm at the fountain, corner BLOWOFF w/ of George St & Livingston Av. BOB MOULD & Youth Take a Stand for Justice. "We will learn and teach songs RICHARD MOREL, DJs together and perform them on Friday April 6, the street… 11:30pm around the issues of the Highline Ballroom Trayvon Martin killing and the 431 W. 16th St detention and possible NYC, NY deportation of NJ youth blowoff.us for info Jordana Judith Vera Serna. Song suggestions on these themes welcome." DAR WILLIAMS Some possible selections: Saturday, May 5 Blessed Are Those Who Struggle; The Skirball Center Strange Fruit; at NYU (Four Dead in) Ohio; 566 LaGuardia Deportees Place Details subject to change. NYC, NY Contact Robert Colby-Witanek 212-998-4941 & NJ Youth United Against War and Imperialism via Facebook for up-to-date info.
Page 4 CHALLENGE April 2012
Gleanings
Queer news from around the world Former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi was convicted of hate crimes, witness tampering, and other charges stemming from a video he took of Tyler Clementi, his roommate, kissing another man in their dorm room. Clementi committed suicide shortly after the video was taken. (The New York Times) Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D) signed legislation giving same-sex couples the right to marry. The law's opponents have already begun a drive to repeal the measure, and the outcome could hinge on voter turnout this November. African-American votes could be affected by President Barack Obama's position on the issue, according to one Marylander. (Washington Blade) Baltimore County, MD, the site of a vicious anti-trans attack caught on video last year, has passed a wide-ranging anti-discrimination measure aimed at curbing discrimination based on gender identity. In addition to employment and housing, the new law applies to public accommodations, which has been a contentious issue in such efforts. (Salon.com) Sam Taylor earned praise from military superiors while serving in Iraq, but they didn’t know that Sam’s decision to present herself as a male was only to enable her to serve in the Army and earn money for college. While gays and lesbians have won the right to serve openly in the armed forces, transgender troops may not. Now home and out of the military, Sam has reverted to presenting as the woman she knows herself to be, and she’s studying to become an Episcopal priest. (The Chapel Hill News, NC) Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced new federal rules that make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in determining eligibility for federally funded housing. Donovan spoke in Detroit at a White House conference on LGBT homelessness. (The Washington Post) The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal brought by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) over campaign reporting requirements in Maine. The Court upheld Maine’s political action committee laws that NOM said were vague and overly broad. NOM, which donated $1.9 million to help repeal Maine’s same-sex marriage law in 2009, said that releasing its donor list would stymie free speech and subject donors to harassment. But the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld Maine laws that apply to political action committees, as well as a still-challenged ballot question committee requirement that would require the disclosure of NOM’s donor list. (Bangor Daily News)
Maine advocates of same-sex marriage turned in more than enough signatures to move ahead with a citizens initiative that would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in Maine, the Secretary of State's Office ruled. More than 85,000 voter signatures were declared valid; at least 57,277 valid signatures were needed for the bill to get to the Legislature. Lawmakers now will be presented with a citizens initiative proposing the legalization of gay marriage in Maine. They may pass the bill as proposed, but they likely will send it to voters in November. Advocates of same-sex marriage, who lost in 2009 in a 53-47 percent vote, say enough Mainers have changed their minds that the measure will pass this time. (Portland Press Herald) Dallas County District Judge Tonya Parker (see photo, below left), the first openly LGBT person elected judge in Dallas County and the first openly LGBT African-American elected official in the state’s history, said that she doesn’t — and won’t — conduct marriage ceremonies until same-sex couples can legally wed in the state. "I have the power to perform marriage ceremonies," she says, adding, "I don't." Parker refers couples to other judges to perform the ceremonies because “it’s kind of oxymoronic for me to perform ceremonies that can’t be performed for me, so I'm not going to do it.” (Dallas Voice; NBCDFW.com) Lawyers representing opponents of marriage equality in California have exercised an option to seek a broader hearing of the federal Proposition 8 case at the appellate court level rather than appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court right away. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit earlier ruled that Proposition 8, which ended marriage rights for same-sex couples, was unconstitutional. (San Jose Mercury News) Clear majorities in recent polls conducted in three states said they support marriage rights for same-sex couples. A Field Poll in California found 59% support marriage equality, and a Quinnipiac Poll found 57% of New Jersey voters now support allowing same-sex couples to marry. Also, a poll conducted by Elon University found 54% of North Carolina residents opposed to Amendment One, a statewide ballot initiative that would change the state constitution to prohibit marriage for same-sex couples. (PoliticalWire.com; WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC) President Barack Obama's re-election campaign in North Carolina has issued a statement critical of a ballot initiative that would amend the state constitution to ban marriage for same-sex couples. "The record is clear that the president has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples. ... That's what the (continued on page 10)
April 2012 CHALLENGE Page 5
Dancing To Architecture™
Music Reviews & News with a Queer ear by Bill Realman Stella It's never been easier to hear an album while you're reading about it than the free stream at ReubenButchart.bandcamp.com of Nameless And Awake. Please go listen to it now if you have web access. While you're at it, don't hesitate to buy it, if you like. I rarely make that call in print, but this is an extraordinary item, with value one can hold in one's hands. The CD is held snug within the flyleaf of a high-quality, limited edition, hardbound 32 page artbook with John William Carroll's poems typeset and 13 original illustrations by Reuben Butchart. The artbook version of the album includes high quality digital downloads, all for $18. Bandcamp also offers the digital version alone. Nameless And Awake is also available at Amazon.com.
Q Reuben Butchart and The Millworkers ~ Nameless And Awake: 8 Poems by John William Carroll
Last issue I was proud to present Reuben Butchart's story behind his adaptation of poems by John William Carroll into a music and art album in collaboration with an eclectic chamber orchestra at Robert Wilson's Watermill Center. It gives me great joy to return to Nameless And Awake this month, just as it does every time I return to listen to it. Nameless and Awake is a rich experience from beginning to end. It offers an immediate pleasure, soft but not without texture, velvety. But it is also a quilt of many patterns and layers, a warmth to lie cuddled with, a new friend to trek through new places with and discover as much about each other as one does the story of the travels. One loses track of time during the longer songs, as each rich experience reveals itself. The story within the title track, "Nameless and Awake," is golden; the song's piano figure has insinuated itself into my brain. "All The Shoes He Ever Wore" is vibrant and bracing: "Lots of room in here. Good, cause I'm still growing. Apparently, my dancing days ain't done" indeed. And then the epic "Reflections at the Beaver Pond"… Naturalism and magical realism vie for dominance within "Reflections at the Beaver Pond," a glorious, compact symphony. The Millworkers' talents are finely woven here, their expressiveness, their nimble, resilient turns to subtle new shades, as dappled as the forest and fields in the story in the song, places, carries, moves the mind's eye to each wild, essential spot visited outside. Contrastingly, I'd love to add the shorter songs to heavy airplay on the pop music radio station of my dreams. The gentle seduction of "If He'll Come" remains my favorite piece on Nameless And Awake, in large part because Carroll's lyric-cum-poem is the richest, most deliciously erotic man-to-man language I've experienced in a song in years. If He'll Come My heart will wink him single when a close kiss doubles his nose. I'll trace the blood map on his forearm, the blue root on the side of his foot, and learn him sooner than the way home — if he'll come.
it's as brave and honorable an epitaph as a death can be. As unblinking as its subject, The Millworkers combine a low, flutelike "faux clarinet" with the insinuating, encompassing whir of caressed waterglass instruments and a gently supportive cello, like loving relatives watching over a loved one's passing. A stable arpeggiated piano lies upon this foundation, giving fair comfort to the hover of Reuben's sung melody. "The Gull and I" has a unique beauty. A lovely performance-and-then-some video is at Vimeo.com/5625999 The exuberance of "Versos Sencillos de Jose Marti" connects the poet Carroll with his translation of the poet Jose' Marti', and the love that passes across languages and geography and eras for the beauty and richness of the land. The wealth of experience freely available within Nameless And Awake reminds one of all that is truly valuable.
Julia Nunes ~ Settle Down
Her friendly voice and ukelele produce the majority of what you'll hear on Settle Down, Julia Nunes' astonishing new album of strong songs and sure steps. You will want to sing along, dance a little jig, wrestle with the urge to take up the ukelele, and take faith that the art of songwriting is alive and well. When she chooses to harmonize with herself or to sing as part of a chorus of voices, without exception a glorious burst of buoyant energy billows between one ears. Nunes maintains a deft balance between several contrasts: very short / full-length songs, happiness/ pain, and best of all between simple and full arrangements. Her light touch results in big rewards. Songs with few instruments and a plethora of voices ("Lookout For Yourself," "Odd", "He Is Mad", "Maybe I Will") work perfectly well. Characteristically, the album concludes with "Waiting," accomplished with only voices and ukelele, and it comes across as all the song needs. She definitely has a Lesbian fanbase and the attention of Lesbianfocused websites like After Ellen and Autostraddle. She's frequently dubbed "hot" but we're in gay-vague territory here. One song about the pain of leaving a loved one ("Balloons") may be directed at a girlfriend, but does "girl" sung once in a lyric rule out that it may refer to a younger loved one like a daughter? I'll honor her fanbase with an honorary Q here — this time. But if I'm wrong, let me know. At deadline, the full album streams for free at Mashable.com. An Editorial Aside: I wish more musicians would follow Nunes' lead and focus less on trying to fill up every space on their records with the results of their latest experiments in noodling around the studio, and focus more on composing songs they also can feel confident about presenting to the world with just their singing and a single instrument accompaniment. Not everyone is The Beatles (nor Radiohead, for that matter). That is, just because one is able to experiment and come up with something halfway listenable, that doesn't mean one should settle for unleashing a track on the world that is only halfway listenable. Better a clean, uncomplicated songbirth than a messed up, pretense that's DOA.
Q Magnetic Fields ~ Love At The Bottom Of The Sea
You will LOVE Love At The Bottom Of The Sea. In uncountable ways, Stephen Merritt and Company will have the glee jelly squishing around your joy centers. It has synth-pop. It has gay abandon. It has hold-on-toyour-heaving-heart hooks. It has more happy, or snarky, or clever, or blatantly honest remarks, japes, and asides I'll muzzle in his smells: rounded up in efficient miles per gallon than… It has no warm bread and scrubbed potatoes – comparison. It also has all that with 15 songs in under 40 and pry a penny from each dimple, minutes. Instead of trying to "tell you about it," I'll list its chin or chalice of his chest, song titles. They tell a great story. with a tongue suppler than thumbs — 1. God Wants Us To Wait If he'll come. 2. Andrew In Drag [I can't wait for you to hear this!] 3. Your Girlfriend's Face I'll hang him on my neck and strum him 4. Born For Love like a lyre – fretting the knobs of his nape – 5. I'd Go Anywhere With Hugh tune his shoulders and his back. 6. Infatuation (With Your Gyration) I'll make a minikin music 7. The Only Boy In Town to sit inside his ear and hum — 8. The Machine In Your Head if he'll come. 9. Goin' Back To The Country 10. I've Run Away To Join The Fairies © 2011 John William Carroll 11. The Horrible Party 12. My Husband's Pied-A-Terre The poignancy of "The Gull and I" derives 13. I Don't Like Your Tone from observation so untarnished by the delicacy 14. Quick! that acknowledging a death usually demands 15. All She Cares About Is Mariachi that it may at first seem cold, insensitive, but Nameless And Awake cover art (continued on next page) by Reuben Butchart
Page 6 CHALLENGE April 2012 Q Freddy Freeman ~ songs in raw form at YouTube
A rough synopsis of Freddy Freeman and how I've skated around the edges of his music career: I was there at the start, at his first performance at an OutMusic Open Mic. He sang "Looking For an Echo", and on that basis I was one of five people there who gave him feedback with about as strong a response as mine: "So when is your album coming out?" Together, OutMusic members were an essential part of supporting Freeman to produce a CD he hadn't begun to record when he walked into that open mic. Around that time, Freeman's connection to the Bear community of Gay Men evolved into Bearapalooza — his idea for a series of shows to give something back to Bear culture and support Bear musicians. Dozens of concerts under the name have brought together thousands of listeners, putting Bear-identified musicians and their friends on stages across the U.S. I've been at two of these celebrations of community, at CBGB Gallery and at the LGBT Center in NYC. A Bearapalooza tour or two, numerous Bearapalooza events, a number of dance remixes, and some producer gigs have followed, but… No new albums from Freeman since 2006. I feel a kind of proprietary interest in Freddy since I was there near the beginning of his musical journey, but the truth is we're friends only as much as the situation calls for. Still, after admitting I'm powerless, with no money to invest, no likelihood of being a producer myself, and only an infrequent conversational relationship over the years, I no less wish I could do something to help him put new music out for us all to enjoy. The good news is that Freddy has placed some of his new songs in raw form on YouTube and Facebook. Two of them, "Nothing I Can Do" and "God In," are lovely as-is. With a minimum of refinement I can imagine them on an unplugged collection of his latest compositions. I've been mulling over a notion for months now, a notion I've vented to a few friends, one I think I more than hinted at with a comment to the post of "God In" on Facebook. Here's what I can do: My open request to Mr Freddy Freeman: Record your songs, sir, just like you present them on the videos. Record "Nothing I Can Do" with just your voice and your acoustic guitar. Record "God In" with just your voice and your piano. Record a take of each one that is good enough to meet your professional standards, and is as simple as the "raw," "demo" versions we can hear on YouTube. Don't over-sing, don't over-produce, don't over-think. (Refer to the tracks mentioned in my review of Julia Nunes' Settle Down for examples.) We don't need a band, we don't need to capture Bearapalooza in a bottle. We, your audience, don't need to hear more than to hear you. Please. Thank you. Q At deadline:
Jay Brannan has just released a breathtaking new album, Rob Me Blind. See my posts at facebook.com /billstella for initial reactions. More next issue.
Q Adam Lambert ~ Trespassing
AfterElton.com contributor Brian Jeurgens recently wrote about Lambert's' forthcoming album: "The title track, 'Trespassing', produced by Pharell Williams, is a funk-driven track that took me completely by surprise in the wake of the album's first single, the more emo-adjacent power ballad 'Better Than I Know Myself'." He also wrote: "Later, Adam played 'Shady' for us — a track… he co-wrote with Out pop performer Sam Sparro. It's a dancy, upbeat track [in] contrast to [songs] that are earnest discussions of love, communication ('Broken English'), and even navigating gay romance ('Outlaws of Love'). Adam took a moment between songs to pause and point out, 'This is for us, it's for our community.'" Because he mentioned community I mistakenly believed I'd find some in the article's comments. Silly me. Once I glanced at the two snarky remarks (out of six), I was committed to leave my own comment. You won't have to go to AfterElton.com to read it: "I've heard from plenty of Gay male musicians that Gay men don't seem to support Gay men's music, especially indie artists, with anywhere near the fervor and passion that women support Lesbian artists. (Not knocking Lesbian artists, nor Divas even.) I can think of plenty of Gay (and Bisexual) men who've produced great music in the last decade or so but remain ignored. Some bands that aren't together anymore (Y'all, The Bobbleheads, Girl Friday) got stuck unable to grow audiences despite damned good albums and performances. "Just off the top of my head I can name many solo artists still producing amazing music despite a dearth of attention relative to their talent: Reuben Butchart, Dudley Saunders, Robert German, Juha, Jay Brannan, Martin Swinger. Even artists that do get attention from the Gay press, like Pansy Division and Magnetic Fields, rarely attract Gay male fans in droves. And yet, Reuben Butchart, Jay Brannan and Magnetic Fields have just released albums definitely headed for my Best of 2012 list; Martin Swinger's "Moon" was near the top of my 2011 list. … "Lambert seems to have to jump extra hurdles to be as good as some mythic creature too many men compare him to. He's done a damn good job of being himself, maneuvering through mainstream marketing moves and societal pressures. You'd think that alone would justify your support, or curtail the snarky remarks at least." Expect Trespassing to arrive in May. Q Sinead O'Connor ~ How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? redux
Living with O'Connor's new album for the last month motivates me to add more praise: She has learned how to just be herself, and She. Is. Awesome. I swoon over the deepthroated rise of her voice on "The Wolf Is Getting Married". (Plus I have an excuse to display a different cover than last issue.) You'll need a new link to see video from O'Connor's amazing performance on the Graham Norton Show: http://youtu.be/KOqLRwJ3RB0 Dancing To Architecture™ contents ©2012 Bill Stella. ©, ® & ™ items included in the column for review purposes are ©, ® & ™ their respective owners. The stylized Q indicates albums by (or substantially contributed to by) Out Bisexuals, Gay Men, Lesbians and Transgendered persons.
April 2012 CHALLENGE Page 7
April 2012 Calendar
Recurring Contact Information
* Hackensack Peer Support Groups: 800-508-7577; www.njbuddies.org † Pride Center, Highland Park: 732-846-2232; www.pridecenter.org ‡ Hudson Pride Connections Center: 201-963-4779; HudsonPride.org λ LGBT Center Rainbow Lounge, Princeton: www.princeton.edu/lgbt Monday – Friday 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 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm - The Daily Grind, Princetonλ Every Monday 10:30 am - The Wellness Community, Newark; 973-565-0300; info @ hyacinth.org 6:00 pm - SAGE Hudson County, Jersey City‡ 7:00 pm - GAAMC, Morristown (see page 2) 7:00 pm - Bowling, Union; merenl @ comcast.net 7:30 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 7:30 pm - Overeaters Anonymous, Highland Park† 7:30 pm - Stitch n B*tch, Highland Park† 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 6:00 pm - Transview, Jersey City‡ 7:30 pm - Tuesday Night Lesbian Connection, Bound Brook; 908-791-3764 7:30 pm - Men’s HIV support group, Asbury Park; 732-775-5084; 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; 01 Sun 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 02 Mon Noon - What Does Passover Have to Do with Being Queer?, Princetonλ 4:30 pm - Queering the Air: A National Perspective on Heteronormativity in Academia, Princetonλ 7:00 pm - Support Group for Lesbians with Cancer, New Brunswick; 732-235-6781; slirzero @ umdnj.edu 8:00 pm - Young Men's Social Network, Highland Park† 03 Tue 6:00 pm - Gay Pride Business Network, New Brunswick; www.gpbn.net 7:30 pm - LGBT Fellowship, Belleville; 973-751-0616 7:30 pm - ComeOUT & Play, Highland Park† 04 Wed 5:00 pm - Hudson County HIV/AIDS Services Planning Council, Jersey City‡ 7:30 pm - Gay Dad’s discussion group, Highland Park†
201-432-1134; info @ hyacinth.org 1:00 pm - "Generation Q", WRSU 88.7 FM; wrsu.org 2:30 pm - RU Pride, Newark; rupridenewark @ gmail.com 6:00 pm - Positive People peer support group, Hackensack* 7:30 pm - Men’s Living Out group, Highland Park; njwarrior @ aol.com† 7:30 pm - Gay Men’s Coming Out group, Highland Park; pdumpert @ gmail.com† 7:30 pm - Living Out Women, Highland Park† Every Thursday 6:00 pm - Our Youth weekly support group, Jersey City; www.myspacenj.org 6:30 pm - Double Jeopardy peer support group, Hackensack* 6:30 pm - M-POWER men's group, 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‡ 3:30 pm - After School HangOUT, Highland Park† Every Sunday 10:45 am - MCC of Christ the Liberator, Highland Park; mccliberator @ excite.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 9:00 pm - Knowing Is Key variety show & trivia, River Edge; 201-342-6410; www.clubfeathers.com*
05 Thu 2:00 pm - 12 Angry Men, New Brunswick; www.meetup.com/North-Jersey-Primetimers 7:30 pm - Coffee Night, Edison; njlgh.onefireplace.com 7:30 pm - Gay Educators Group, Highland Park† 06 Fri 7:00 pm - Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack* 8:00 pm - Karaoke, Highland Park† 8:00 pm - Queer Seder, Princetonλ 07 Sat 2:30 pm - First and Third for GLBTI youth, Princeton; 609-683-5155; www.HiTOPS.org 7:00 pm - Women's Night, Highland Park† 08 Sun 6:00 pm - Gay Men’s Classical Song Club, Kingston; pbrown02 @ worldnet.att.net 09 Mon 6:30 pm - HIV Testing, Highland Park† 7:00 pm - NY Life Employment Seminar, Highland Park† 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Morris County, Mendham; 973-727-5288; pflag.morris @ verizon.net
Page 8 CHALLENGE April 2012 09 Mon 7:30 pm - PFLAG, Princeton; 609-663-5155; www.pflagprinceton.org 10 Tue 7:00 pm - Bisexual, Bicurious, and Allies Support Group, Highland Park† 7:30 pm - PCNJ Board of Trustees meeting, Highland Park† 7:30 pm - Yoga for Men, Highland Park† 8:00 pm - Men's Social Night, Highland Park† 11 Wed 6:00 pm - Gay Pride Business Network, Asbury Park; www.gpbn.net 6:00 pm - Queering the Color Line family dinner, Princetonλ 6:00 pm - Booked for Supper, Highland Park† 6:30 pm - North Jersey Prime Timers' monthly meetup, Little Falls; www.meetup.com/North-Jersey-Primetimers 9:00 pm - What the Rabbis Think: A Panel Discussion on Judaism and Homosexuality, Princetonλ 12 Thu 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 - Straight Spouse Discussion Group, Highland Park† 13 Fri 7:30 pm - United People Positive, Highland Park† 7:30 pm - Come As You Are, Highland Park† 8:00 pm - The Unfortunates, location TBA; www.meetup.com/North-Jersey-Primetimers 14 Sat 1:00 pm - Youth Drop-In, Highland Park† 7:00 pm - Movie Social, Highland Park† 7:30 pm - Dignity New Brunswick gay Catholic liturgy; 732-968-9263; dignitynb @ earthlink.net 15 Sun 4:00 pm - Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-509-0118; Dignitymetronj @ msn.com 4:00 pm - TrueSelves trans support group, Highland Park† 4:30 pm - Torah Queeries, Highland Park† 16 Mon 7:00 pm - Support Group for Lesbians with Cancer, New Brunswick; 732-235-6781; slirzero @ umdnj.edu 7:30 pm - Talk with author Jay Michaelson, Highland Park; njlgh.onefireplace.com 8:00 pm - Young Men's Social Network, Highland Park† 17 Tue 7:00 pm - ComeOUT & Play, Highland Park† 7:00 pm - Triangle Circle Players, 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 8:00 pm - PFLAG of Bergen County, Paramus; 201-287-0318; www.bergenpflag.org 8:00 pm - NJ Women, Secaucus; info @ njwomen.org 8:00 pm - RU Pride Drag Show, Newark (see "Bulletin Board", pg. 3) 18 Wed 7:30 pm - United in Grace discussion/support group, Jersey City; 201-946-0650; greg.perez @ comcast.net
19 Thu 6:00 pm - 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 20 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 21 Sat 1:00 pm - Male Erotic Art Exhibit/Sale, Highland Park† (see article, pg. 9) 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 - Games Night + Dessert, Highland Park† 7:00 pm - LYC-NJ Social, Highland Park† 8:00 pm - Clubfest, Woodbridge† (see "Bulletin Board", pg. 3) 22 Sun
11:30 am - Trip to National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia; njlgh.onefireplace.com 23 Mon 4:30 pm - A Conversation with Gautam Raghavan, LGBT Liaison at the White House, Princetonλ 24 Tue 3:00 pm - Health Drop-In Hours, Princetonλ 7:00 pm - Bisexual, Bicurious, and Allies Support Group, Highland Park† 7:30 pm - Yoga for Men, Highland Park† 7:30 pm - Stonewall Democrats, Highland Park† 8:00 pm - Men's Social, Highland Park† 25 Wed 6:00 pm - Gay Pride Business Network, Asbury Park; 6:30 pm - Quarterly Business Meeting, Wayne; www.meetup.com/North-Jersey-Primetimers www.gpbn.net 7:30 pm - Havurah board meeting, Edison; njlgh.onefireplace.com 26 Thu 7:30 pm - United People Positive, Highland Park† 27 Fri 1:00 pm - Women With Voices, Jersey City‡ 7:30 pm - Come As You Are, Highland Park† 8:00 pm - Shabbat service, Highland Park; njlgh.onefireplace.com 28 Sat 1:00 pm - Youth Drop-In, Highland Park† 2:00 pm - Youth Support Group, Highland Park† 4:30 pm - Under the Rainbow, Highland Park† 7:00 pm - Gay Bowling, Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park; 732-776-6160 7:00 pm - Men's Potluck Dinner, Highland Park† 29 Sun 1:00 pm - Name a Lamb, Millstone; njlgh.onefireplace.com
D i d Yo u S p o t t h e A p r i l F o o l i s h n e s s ?
On our front page you'll find "The Best Damn Newsletter in New Jersey" in Polish; "Challenge" in French; "The Newsletter of the Gay Activist Alliance in New Jersey - Continuously Serving the GLBTI Community since 1972" in German; and the volume/issue/date in Spanish. On page 12 is the "Rambling Rapporteur". And on the back page, there are foolish captions for the Coming Attractions.
April 2012 CHALLENGE Page 9
NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Discover what’s inside Friday, April 20 at 8:00
Audra McDonald
with the New Jersey Symphony Chamber Orchestra Andy Einhorn, conductor ;OL MV\Y [PTL ;VU` (^HYK ^PUULY IYPUNZ HU L]LUPUN KL]V[LK [V [OL )YVHK^H` HUK /VSS`^VVK ZVUNIVVRZ Tickets: $25–$110
PCNJ Male Erotic Art Exhibit/Sale by Anthony Giordano
With a history that ranges from earliest recorded time to the present, male erotic art has alternately been exhibited or hidden, celebrated or prosecuted, bought or burned. The Men’s Guild of the Pride Center of New Jersey is proud to present a male erotic art exhibit and sale on April 21, 2012, from 1 to 5 pm. No one under 18 will be admitted. One of the featured artists is Tai Lin who recently won Best In Show in “Naked in New Hope 2011” sponsored by the New Hope Sidetracks Art Gallery. Trained at the National Academy of Fine Arts, the Art Student League, and Fashion Institute of Technology, he has had exhibits at such prestigious galleries as the Casa Frela Gallery in Harlem, Windham Fine Arts Gallery in Windham, NY, and the National Academy Museum in NYC. His works are also included in Stripped and Dirty Little Drawings, both published by Bruno Gmunder. He is included in the book 100 Artists of the Male Figure edited by E. Gibbons. Four examples of his work appear clockwise below: Journey, Native-Spirit-Web, Dark Cloud, and Male Nude.
Sunday, April 29 at 3:00
Cameron Carpenter, organ
The New Yorker ZH`Z ¸ÅHTIV`HU[ WYLZLU[H[PVU NVLZ OHUK PU OHUK ^P[O \UX\LZ[PVULK ]PY[\VZP[`¹ ^OLU [OPZ @V\;\IL VYNHU ZLUZH[PVU WLYMVYTZ H YLWLY[VPYL YHUNPUN MYVT )HJO [V ;OL )LH[SLZ Tickets: $25–$40
Friday, May 4 at 7:30
Out, Loud and Proud VI* Curated and hosted by Pandora Scooter
3L[»Z [HSR HIV\[ ZL_ 7HUKVYH :JVV[LY OVZ[Z H WYV]VJH[P]L UL^ JVSSLJ[PVU VM ^VYKZTP[OZ ^OV JVSSLJ[P]LS` YLWYLZLU[ all VYPLU[H[PVUZ Tickets: $16
Saturday, May 5 at 7:30
Newark is Burning II:
Walking for Tens*
+YLZZ \W HUK HJ[ V\[ ^OLU H KHaaSPUN SPUL \W VM [HSLU[ MYVT [OL -LKLYH[PVU VM /V\ZLZ ¸)HSS :JLUL¹ IYPUNZ HU L]LUPUN VM L_JP[PUN JOVYLVNYHWO` HUK NVYNLV\Z NSHT Tickets: $28
* Part of NJPAC’s Work! LGBT Festival. Contains adult/mature content and language. No discounts for this engagement.
1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722) Groups of 10 or more: 1-973-297-5804
njpac.org
One Center Street, Newark, NJ
In addition to Tai Lin, nine other contemporary artists (Brian Bednarek, Rob Clarke, JC Etheredge, E. Gibbons, Dan Kollar, Michael Mitchell, Joseph Modica, Tom Muscatello, and Frank Sheehan) will follow in the footsteps of the ancient Greek Onesimos and the modern Mapplethorpe and exhibit their work on the male nude figure. The $5 admission fee will include light refreshments, a chance to meet the artists, and a sketching class from 3 to 4 pm (male model). The Pride Center is located at 85 Raritan Ave, Suite 100 in Highland Park. 732-846-2232; www.pridecenter.org
Page 10 CHALLENGE April 2012
Gleanings
(continued from page 4) North Carolina ballot initiative would do … and that's why the president does not support it," the statement said. (Associated Press) Only 38% of Iowa adults say they want the state Legislature to begin an effort to amend the state constitution to end marriage rights for same-sex couples, according to a new poll from the Des Moines Register. The Iowa Senate, which is under Democratic control, has blocked such legislation from being considered. (The Des Moines Register) New Hampshire lawmakers rejected legislation that would have ended legal marriage for same-sex couples. The 202133 vote was bipartisan, with 109 Republicans voting to retain the state’s current marriage law. Republican legislators who spoke in favor of leaving marriage rights intact cast the issue in terms of personal liberty and limited government intrusion into private lives. (Concord Monitor) A campaign to add support for marriage equality to the Democratic Party platform has gained the support of 22 members of the U.S. Senate. While the campaign has gained other high-profile supporters, it’s unclear whether the issue will make it into the party platform, which has traditionally opposed anti-LGBT initiatives while stopping short of offering outright support for LGBT causes such as marriage equality. (Washington Blade)
pose homosexuality, is being sued by the LGBT rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda. The lawsuit, which was filed in a federal court in Massachusetts, claims Lively’s activities contributed to the arrest, torture and murder of gay men and lesbians in Uganda. The group’s leader, Frank Mugisha, said gays and lesbians were largely tolerated in Uganda before Lively and others began pressing public officials to crack down. (The New York Times) Tennessee's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which would have banned discussions of homosexuality in sex education classes taught from kindergarten to eighth grade, has been shelved after lawmakers discovered there is no sex education curriculum at those grade levels in the state, according to the measure's original sponsor, Representative Bill Dunn (R). Governor Bill Haslam (R) had been openly critical of the bill. (The Tennessean, Nashville)
This Just In:
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that same-sex marriages are not a human right. Their decision shreds the claim by some government ministers that gay marriage is a universal human right and that same-sex couples have a right to marry because their mutual commitment is just as strong as that of husbands and wives. The ruling was made following a case involving a lesbian couple in a civil partnership who complained the French courts would not allow them to adopt a child as a couple. The ruling also says that if gay couples are allowed to marry, any church that offers weddings will be guilty of discrimination if it declines to marry same-sex couples. (The Daily Mail, London)
The Obama administration, in a meeting with LGBT groups, rejected calls for a blanket hold on decisions regarding whether to grant green cards to foreign nationals in samesex relationships with U.S. citizens. Without green cards, foreigners run afoul of federal law if they try to hold jobs. Advocates say green card decisions should be delayed while the courts determine the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which blocks gays and lesbians in the U.S. from sponsoring their same-sex partners and spouses for naturalization. (Advocate.com)
Dozens of young Iraqi men and boys suspected of being gay have been murdered in recent weeks, as news reports describe some being found with their skulls crushed by cement blocks. So far the attacks appear to target young men who dress in a style known in Iraq as “emo.” Iraqi officials say they are unsure what groups are behind the killing spree, but the government itself has said emo youths are a menace, and has labeled their style of dress “Satanic.” “It’s a clear war on sexual minorities on Iraq. They are refusing to admit it,” said Ali Hili, a London-based gay Iraqi activist who claims that as many as 750 gay Iraqis have been murdered during the past six years. (The New York Times) Scott Lively, an American anti-gay activist who traveled to Uganda and other countries urging political leaders to op-
The Idaho Senate passed a measure to toughen anti-bullying policy in Idaho public schools. Senator Nicole LeFavour's (D) bill mandates a more active and consistent role in stopping bullying from the state's 115 school districts, requiring educators to undergo professional development and to intervene if they witness a student being harassed. (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls)
The Supreme Court denied review in a case brought by Christian student groups against San Diego State University, declining consideration of the question of whether colleges can require student groups to adhere to religious nondiscrimination policies in their membership decisions. The Alliance Defense Fund had asked the court to consider whether a university can allow student groups to have membership requirements based on nonreligious beliefs but not religious ones -- a characterization of the policy that the university had argued was inaccurate. (Metro Weekly, DC) Michael Fitzgerald, a lawyer and former prosecutor, this week became the fourth openly LGBT American to receive a lifetime appointment as a federal judge, and the first to serve outside of New York. Fitzgerald will serve on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. (Washington Blade) Christine Quinn, the openly lesbian speaker of the New York City Council, is set to marry her partner, Kim Catullo, on May 19 in Manhattan. The couple recently sent "save the date" cards to friends and family. (New York Post)
PERSONALS I'd like to thank Mr. Mark Ritzenhein of Michigan for his many thoughtful, outrageous and funny remarks posted at the "Gay Thinkers" Yahoo Group over the years. We never met, but I got to know you. I will miss you. — Bill Stella
April 2012 CHALLENGE Page 11
10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked
By Evelyn Schlatter and Robert Steinback Myth #9: No One Is Born Gay (ninth in a series of ten)
Ever since born-again singer and orange juice pitchwoman Anita Bryant helped kick off the contemporary anti-gay movement more than 30 years ago, hard-line elements of the religious right have been searching for ways to demonize homosexuals — or, at a minimum, to find arguments that will prevent their normalization in society. For the former Florida beauty queen and her Save Our Children group, it was the alleged plans of gays and lesbians to “recruit” in schools that provided the fodder for their crusade. But in addition to hawking that myth, the legions of anti-gay activists who followed have added a panoply of others, ranging from the extremely doubtful claim that homosexuality is a choice, to unalloyed lies like the claims that gays molest children far more than heterosexuals or that hate crime laws will lead to the legalization of bestiality and necrophilia. These fairy tales are important to the anti-gay right because they form the basis of its claim that homosexuality is a social evil that must be suppressed — an opinion rejected by virtually all relevant medical and scientific authorities. They also almost certainly contribute to hate crime violence directed at homosexuals, who are more targeted for such attacks than any other minority in America. What follows [is one of] 10 key myths propagated by the anti-gay movement, along with the truth behind the propaganda.
MYTH #9: No one is born a homosexual. THE ARGUMENT: Anti-gay activists keenly oppose the granting of “special” civil rights protections to homosexuals similar to those afforded black Americans and other minorities. But if people are born gay — in the same way people have no choice as to whether they are black or white — discrimination against homosexuals would be vastly more difficult to justify. Thus, anti-gay forces insist that sexual orientation is a behavior that can be changed, not an immutable characteristic. THE FACTS: Modern science cannot state conclusively what causes sexual orientation, but a great many studies suggest that it is the result of biological and environmental forces, not a personal “choice.” One of the more recent is a 2008 Swedish study of twins (the world’s largest twin study) that appeared in The Archives of Sexual Behavior and concluded that “[h]omosexual behaviour is largely shaped by genetics and random environmental factors.” Dr. Qazi Rahman, study co-author and a leading scientist on human sexual orientation, said: “This study puts cold water on any concerns that we are looking for a single ‘gay gene’ or a single environmental variable which could be used to ‘select out’ homosexuality — the factors which influence sexual orientation are complex. And we are not simply talking about homosexuality here — heterosexual behaviour is also influenced by a mixture of genetic and environmental factors.” The American Psychological Association (APA) acknowledges that despite much research into the possible genetic, hormonal, social and cultural influences on sexual orientation,
no evidence has emerged that would allow scientists to pinpoint the precise causes of sexual orientation. Still, the APA concludes that “most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation.” In October 2010, Kansas State University family studies professor Walter Schumm said he was about to release a study showing that gay parents produced far more gay children than heterosexual parents. He told a reporter that he was “trying to prove [homosexuality is] not 100% genetic.” But critics suggested that his data did not prove that, and, in any event, virtually no scientists have suggested that homosexuality is caused only by genes. (Reprinted, with permission, from Intelligence Report, Winter 2010, produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center. www.splcenter.org)
KEVIN P. SUSZKO, PC Certified Public Accountant
-TAX PLANNING & PREPARATION -FINANCIAL PLANNING -ACCOUNTING SERVICES -DAY & EVENING APPOINTMENTS -OFFICES IN NEW JERSEY & NYC Phone: 973–376–4121 P. O. Box 701 Short Hills, NJ 07078 E-Mail: KPSCPA@GMAIL.COM
Page 12 CHALLENGE April 2012
REF-RANT
by Tony Puma
FINANCIAL LIFE PLANNING FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES
Do I want to vote in a referendum to set gays free? I’ll go out and beat the drum To let me, be me.
Let us help you lead the life you want…
It’s the “Gay Marriage Stupid.” That’s the battle cry. With the political-class, being insipid and turning a blind-eye.
How? • By working with you to define who you are as a couple, and where you want to go, and • By streamlining financial and life strategies that enable you to get there.
They’ll let the people vote and divide them once again. Hatred at the polls, please note: that bell cannot be un-rung.
Why us? • We understand the unique financial and legal issues faced by gay and lesbian couples and specialize in finding solutions to your needs.
We “band of brothers” will, with this “Chris Christie-play.” Be in the battle still for a legal marriage gay.
Analysis & Advice Regarding: -Income, expense and saving -Retirement funding -Asset sharing and protection -Risk review and analysis -Estate and tax planning -Wealth management
We need no ballot for a basic right. “To overcome”, shall be it long into the night. We implore and are good citizens all this Albatross must be shed. So we can celebrate in a Wedding Hall, “With this ring I thee wed.”
William G. Timpson, CFP® Financial Focus, LLC 70 South Orange Ave, Suite 245 Livingston, NJ 07039 973.533.0666 wgtimpson@financial-focus.net
©TP/MMXII
The Rambling Rapporteur
This month's question: What do you think about GAAMC celebrating its 40th anniversary this year? It's wonderful news! Being around for 40 years and still the place most newly-out and new-to-the-area people are told to go to first — there's no better praise than that! You go, girls! — D. Vandergelder, Whippany
GAAMC? I thought they disbanded years ago. All you hear about these days is Garden State Equality and the Pride Center. Anyway…If they're holding a party, and if the price is right, and if my schedule is free that day, I might go. But red is so not my color! — R. deBris, Dover
Has it only been 40 years? I thought they had been in business, like, forever. And isn't everyone, like, in their 60's? I never see anyone my age there, no matter how often I go. — A. Warbucks, Troy Hills
What does GAAMC stand for? Oh, it does? Well, you're a sweet young man. Tell me, have you accepted Jesus as your personal saviour? You can turn away from this wicked lifestyle if you believe strongly enough. Hallelujah! — D. Van Cartier, Morristown
April 2012 CHALLENGE Page 13
GAAMC Board Mini-Minutes, February 16, 2012 Atttendance Voting Trustees: DeLeeuw, Dinkin, Kennedy, Rubin, Sauer, Skurna, Suiter, Vasios Non-Voting Attendees: Allen Neuner The meeting began at 7:28 pm. I. Adoption of minutes: The minutes of January 19, 2011, were adopted unanimously (moved, Skurna; seconded, Dinkin). II. Old Business: Insurance: John DiPace, from State Farm, presented an insurance proposal for GAAMC. John provided detailed answers to Board questions. The Board asked John to provide price information for Directors and Officers insurance. 40th Anniversary: No news. The next meeting will be either March 3rd or March 10th. Committee Chairs: Mickey submitted a list of 2012 committee chair assignments. A motion to approve the list passed unanimously (moved, Sauer; seconded, Dinkin). III. New Business: Membership/Attendance: A concern was expressed about membership and attendance. Suggestions were made about improving numbers. Monday night: Discussion of events of 1/16/12 meeting, with an emphasis on appropriate dispute resolution. IV. Reports: President: Mickey Suiter reported that GAAMC was invited to have a table at Clubfest on April 21st. Mickey will attend; Gordon will try to attend. Treasurer: Andy Skurna — written report (on file). Secretary: Gordon Sauer defined the minutes as a record of what was discussed at the board meeting, no more and no less. VP Operations: Bill Stella — no report. Challenge: Allen Neuner — The April issue will be stuffed and mailed on March 27th. The next deadline is March 15th for the April issue. Allen asked the Board and committee chairs to encourage people to advertise in Challenge.
Member Services/Front Desk: Allen Neuner — no report. Programs: Sherri Rase — no report. Sherri will submit a list of programs for the March Challenge and the website. Public Relations: Andy Skurna — See "Activism" below. Volunteerism: Sherri Rase — No report. Discussion Group Resources: Gordon Sauer — written report (on file). Gordon reminded the Board that on movie nights there is no Open Talk. The person presenting the movie will lead any post-movie discussion unless they find another facilitator. Socials: Charlie Murphy — no report. VP Community Services: Kerry Dinkin — Kerry discussed a call from a woman whose brother committed suicide and possible police anti-GLBT bias. Burlington County College has invited GAAMC to have a table at their GLBT Awareness Month celebration on April 16th. Activism: Andy Skurna — written report (on file). Fundraising: Andy Skurna — Andy suggested we have a Pastabilities fundraiser on April 23rd. Pride Guide: Andy Skurna — Andy is making contacts and building an advertising list. Membership: Andy Skurna — no report. Speakers' Bureau: Chris Selitto — no report. Webmaster: Andy Skurna — written report (on file). Archives: Mickey Suiter — no report. Information: Mitch Rubin — Mitch is in the process of reinstating some dropped subscriptions. V. Save These Dates: March 15: next Board meeting. VI. Ideas & Suggestions: Andy will put an announcement of the Pastabiities fundraiser on Facebook with a "donation/RSVP" button. VII. Adjournment: Motion to adjourn passed unanimously (moved, Dinkin; seconded, Vasios). The meeting adjourned at 9:32 pm.
This Month's Contributors Anthony Giordano is a writer, actor, and filmmaker. His play Drama Club has been done in over twenty states. His play Tap Dreams, which has been performed in England, Australia, South Africa, and the United States, was turned into a feature film. His young adult novel, Another Boring Summer…Again is published by Cacoethes Publishing and is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. He has appeared in numerous independent films and off-Broadway shows. He can be reached at either www.giordanoswritings.com or www.giordanoworks.com. (pg. 9) Tony Puma: A career in sales/marketing/advertising and public relations influences his poetry style: less abstract and more to-the-point. Degrees from New York University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. A member of various poetry groups including Italian-American Writers Association, Red Wheel Barrow Poets, Paulinskill Poetry Project, Poets House (NYC), South Mountain Poets, and Hudson Valley Poets-on-theLoose. A view of life through the prism of poetry; seeing,
hearing, and feeling, trying to capture emotions and relate them via words. (pg. 12) Evelyn Schlatter and Robert Steinback are researchers and authors in the field of sexuality and civil rights whose articles have frequently appeared in Intelligence Report, the newsletter of the Southern Poverty Law Center. (pg. 11) Bill Realman Stella writes Dancing to Architecture because writing about music is like that. He hosted the eclectic pop music show Highest Common Denominator in his mind for twenty years before getting it on the radio for six, and will host it again. Bill has collected music since age 4, when for each song he'd hear on the radio, he'd ask his mom "Do they have a record?" Making a record good enough to share is still a small miracle. If you'd like Bill to write, DJ, or promote for you, get in touch. Comments and suggestions also welcome. Visit http://HowToFindTheBestMusic.blogspot.com or write bearealman @ gmail.com. (pg. 5)
Page 14 CHALLENGE April 2012
GAY ACTIVIST ALLIANCE IN MORRIS COUNTY
Officers President (President @ GAAMC.org) — Mickey Suiter VP Community Services (Info @ GAAMC.org) — Kerry Dinkin VP Operations — Bill Realman Stella Secretary (Secretary @ GAAMC.org) — Gordon Sauer Treasurer (Treasurer @ GAAMC.org) — Andy Skurna Trustees John DeLeeuw, Ron Kennedy, Claire Pompei, Mitch Rubin, Alexa Vasios Trustees Emeriti Sue Harris, Sherri Rase, Robin Schneider, Mark Wydner Committee Chairs Activism — Gordon Sauer (Activism @ GAAMC.org) Archives — Mickey Suiter (Archives @ GAAMC.org) Discussion Group Resources — Gordon Sauer (Discussions @ GAAMC.org) Fundraising — Andy Skurna (Fundraising @ GAAMC.org) Information — Mitch Rubin (FreeLibrary @ GAAMC.org) Member Services/Front Desk — Allen Neuner Membership — Andy Skurna (Memberships @ GAAMC.org) Pride Guide — Andy Skurna (PrideGuide @ GAAMC.org) Programs — Sherri Rase (Programs @ GAAMC.org) Public Relations — Sherri Rase (Info @ GAAMC.org) Socials — Charlie Murphy (Socials @ GAAMC.org) Speakers Bureau — Chris Selitto (SpeakersBureau @ GAAMC.org) Volunteerism — Sherri Rase (Volunteer @ GAAMC.org) Webmaster (inc. Facebook, Issuu, Yahoo!) — 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, call our information line or check our homepage (see below). Members and nonmembers from any locale 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 the Volunteer Coordinator, Sherri Rase, at Volunteer @ GAAMC.org. How to reach GAAMC Mail: PO Box 137, Convent Station, NJ 07961 Telephone: 973-285-1595 E-Mail: info @ gaamc.org Home page: http://www.gaamc.org Mail List: http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/gaamc Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gaamc Challenge online edition: issuu.com/gaamc
PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS! April 9th
April 16th
April 23rd
Great Big Gay Stuff!
Gay Techie Stuff!
Stuff Your Gay Face!
See "GAAMC Events", page 2, for more details!