Celebrate Thanksgiving with GAAMC! See Page 2!
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The Newsletter of the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County Serving New Jersey’s GLBTI Communities Since 1972 Volume 41, Issue 6, November 2015
Vote! Vote! Vote! by Sherri Rase “Remember, remember the 5th of November” is how the British nursery rhyme about Guy Fawkes begins. The plot to blow up Parliament with King James I and peers of the realm failed, but ever since the early part of November has lent itself to political matters. Here in the United States, Election Day is the Tuesday following the first Monday of November, and it’s my hope that everywhere thinking voters will turn out in record numbers.
a lot of ways to tamper with voting, but we can foil every one by being vigilant. Read your sample ballot carefully. It will have your polling place on it and you can make notes about the different candidates. Greet the poll workers -- they’ve got a l-o-n-g day with few breaks and it will lighten their day to see happy faces. Consider giving your neighbors a lift to the polling place, especially if they’re differently mobile; and in New Jersey, you can vote by mail for any reason. If you have difficulty leaving the house, make sure you request a ballot early on.
GAAMC recently hosted a “Vote Your Issues” program where we had Democrats and Republicans telling us their positions and plans for election. All of them agreed that since this is an off-cycle election, one that This cycle, let’s surprise the pundits and make this one doesn’t coincide with a gubernatorial or Presidential of the best turnouts in recent history! It’s important race, the turnout may be even less than the notorious- to prepare for what’s to come. Those in the State Asly low School Board elections. This means your vote sembly and State Senate now may have their eyes on has even greater impact -- and you have an unprece- higher office. We can encourage progressive reformdented opportunity to ers now, we can encourage make positive change! financially responsible ideaInside Challenge driven people now, and Challenge Information ........................... page 2 The entire Assembly in GAAMC Events for October ................... page 2 later on we’ll congratulate New Jersey is up for re- Gleanings -- Queer news from around ourselves when laws prothe world ............................................ page 3 election, and many of tecting our families and the those who represent us are November Q-munity Calendar – LGBT environment provide modevents in New Jersey ......................... page 5 out in force. Carefully read els for legislation nationthe materials that are find- New Jersey State Police Out, wide as often happens in Endanger Transgender Woman ......... page 7 ing their way into your New Jersey. Be proud! Get Bulletin Board ......................................... page 7 mailbox. Be sure you know OUT the Vote! GAAMC Board Meeting Minutes........... page 9 where your polling place is Letter to the Editor .................................. page 9 for this election. There are GAAMC Information ............................ page 10
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Volume 41, Number 6 November 2015 ISSN 0277-1675 Editor: Allen Neuner Assistant Editor Bill Stella Submissions The deadline for all articles, inserts, and advertisements is the 15th of the previous month. The staff requests that all submissions be provided as electronic files. E-mail all 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. GAAMC members may place one free classified ad per month, of no more than 200 characters in length. Challenge is © 2015 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 public ation. 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.
November 2015 : GAAMC Events for November 2015 .
Open Talk Discussion Group Weekly discussion group, open to all. Every Monday, 7:00, in the Library. Moderators: Gordon (Nov 2, 23);Liz (Nov 2); Kerry (Nov 16, 30); Nick (Nov 2). NOTE: Open Talk does not meet on Film Festival nights.
Weekly Programs
NOTE: Main meetings start at 8:00 unless otherwise stated. Discussion groups start at 7:00. November 2: – Extended Men’s/Women’s Discussion Groups GAAMC is splitting its usual Open Talk discussions to provide separate discussion spaces for men and for women. All are welcome to attend, and just like in Open Talk the topics will range all over the map! We’ll look forward to seeing you there! November 9: GAAMC Film Festival Three women at different points in their lives all decide to step out of their previous existence and take a chance on love. Kyle Schickner's film Steam, set in and around New Jersey, explores what love is like when we're young and when we're starting over as adults and seniors. What would you do for another chance at happiness? Come to the Film Festival and find out more about Steam! NOTE: This program will start promptly at 7:00. Current Events: Discussion of topics in the news. Topics are not chosen until the night the group meets. 7:00, in the Terrace Room. Moderator: Frank. November 16: Today is UNESCO’s International Day of Tolerance. In honor of this, Sherri will be leading a presentation/discussion on the aims of the United Nation in promoting toleration among its member nations and worldwide. November 23: GAAMC Gives Thanks It’s that time of the year again, when we overdose on turkey and pumpkin pies. But here at GAAMC, you get to do this with your family of choice! Except for the turkey, the rest of the feast is where we invite you to share your special Thanksgiving comestibles with your GAAMC family – at least enough for 6 to 8 people to share. To find out what we could use on the table, or let us know what you plan to bring, contact John at Socials@GAAMC.org. Hope to see you there! November 30: World AIDS Day Tonight we offer a presentation and discussion about World AIDS Day – its goals, its accomplishments, which areas still need work, and where efforts should be concentrated for right now. 20-Something: Monthly group for young members of the queer communities. 7:00, in the Dining Room. Moderator: Nick. Game Night tonight. December 7: GAAMC Member's Market - the Holiday Edition! Come visit GAAMC and get your holiday shopping done with many one-of-a-kind gifts from local artists and artisans! Rumor has it that authors may also be on hand autographing their works for that special someone in your life. Bring cash and make room for some beautiful things in your life and in the lives of those you love for holiday gifting! December 14: GAAMC Board Elections
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Gleanings Queer News from across the nation and around the world Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) sought, for the firsttime ever in the U.S. House of Representatives, to bring up a vote on comprehensive LGBT non-discrimination legislation. But his attempt was thwarted by a ruling that the measure wasn’t germane to the matter at hand. Polis, the most senior openly gay member of the U.S. House, offered up the Equality Act as an amendment during the House Committee on Education & the Workforce’s consideration of the Republican-crafted Protecting Local Business Act, which is anti-union legislation for small businesses. “It might be tempting to consider the issue of LGBT rights settled after the Supreme Court’s historic ruling on marriage equality earlier this year,” Polis said. “While that was an incredible victory for anyone in this country who values equality and individual freedom, marriage equality and full federal equality are two very different things.” Making the case the committee should be more focused on issues like equal pay and ensuring the right to collective bargaining, Polis cited continued discrimination faced by LGBT people throughout the country, saying it’s “not a theoretical concern.” After bringing up the amendment, Representative David Roe (R-TN) raised a point of order that the amendment wasn’t germane to the larger bill, an assertion with which Chairman John Kline (R-MN) agreed by ruling in favor of Representative Roe. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, sought to challenge that determination, but the committee tabled the appeal by voice vote. (Washington Blade) A group of 121 members of Congress are calling on the Social Security Administration (SSA) to lift penalties on gay couples who were overpaid benefits following the historic rulings from the Supreme Court on marriage. In a letter dated October 26, the lawmakers, all Democrats, led by gay Representative Mark Takano (D-CA) in the House and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in the Senate, call on SSA Acting Commissioner Carolyn Colvin and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to take action to administer benefits “fairly to all individuals.” “We are concerned to hear that, for some time after the Supreme Court’s Windsor decision, SSA continued to issue benefits to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients in samesex marriages as though these individuals were single, and that for some SSI recipients, SSA is still doing so,” the letter says. “Because benefits for unmarried individuals are higher than those for married individuals, SSA’s failure to update its policies resulted in overpayments.” According to the letter, the SSA sent out overpayment notices to recollect the money even though “they were overpaid due to SSA’s delayed implementation of the law.” According to their own statute and regulations, SSA is to avoid penalizing an individual for overpayment if the individual is without fault and if recovery of the overpayment would be against equity and good conscience. The letter calls on the Obama administration to “issue a blanket waiver for recovery of overpayment” so that couples who inadvertently continued to receive higher bene-
fits after the Supreme Court’s decisions against the Defense of Marriage Act would be able to keep that money automatically. (Washington Blade; Advocate.com) The State Department has a new interpretation of the word, ”spouse.” It now means partners of same-sex refugees. The government announced that refugees who are already qualified to enter the U.S. will now be permitted to apply to bring their same-sex partner along, even if they are not legally married. Under the new policy, all that is required is an Affidavit of Relationship, and evidence that the relationship has existed for at least one year overseas prior to the application, that the relationship is on-going, and legal marriage in the home country was not possible due to what the report calls "social and/or legal prohibitions." "This policy will help insure that people seeking protection in the U.S. don't have to choose between their safety and their loved ones," said Sharita Gruberg, Senior Policy Analyst for the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the D.C.-based Center for American Progress. The new policy only covers what the State Department calls “Process Priorities,” or P-3, which is the family reunification program for certain countries experiencing humanitarian crises. (Advocate.com) A new “religious freedom” bill in the Florida House of Representatives would allow hospitals to turn away LGBTI patients. Bill HB 401 seeks to provide “immunity from liability for a health care facility or health care provider that refuses to administer, recommend, or deliver medical treatments or procedures that would be contrary to religious or moral convictions or policies.” It also protects individuals, businesses with five or fewer owners, religious institutions and businesses operated by religious institutions, and adoption agencies. The bill does not specifically mention sexual orientation, but it is largely seen as a reaction to the Supreme Court’s June decision which legalized gay marriage nationwide. (Gay Star News) A gay man accused prison guards at Rikers Island Correctional Facility in New York City of harassing and beating him up when he visited his boyfriend, identified as PF, an inmate. Calling the attack “antigay”, Lambda Legal, amended their already existing complaint in a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on behalf of Thomas Hamm, who was “brutally attacked” when he visited his long-time partner at the facility. The lawsuit names the City of New York and New York City Department of Correction as defendants. According to Lambda Legal: Hamm greeted PF with a hug and a kiss, which along with hand-holding is allowed under current guidelines. Correction officers ordered the couple to stop their greeting and continued to harass them for the duration of the visit, calling them “faggots” while they held hands on the table, as heterosexual couples were doing. The were ordered to stop holding hands (continued on next page)
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before the visit was abruptly cut short. As Hamm was preparing to leave the facility, one of the corrections officers who had been harassing the couple said to him, “Fucking homosexual, who the fuck do you think you are?” and “You’ll burn in hell.” As Hamm tried to leave, the corrections officers grabbed him and viciously beat him, repeatedly punching and kicking him. His head was bleeding profusely when he begged the officers to stop. Hamm was then taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he was shackled to his bed overnight and diagnosed with facial fractures and head trauma. Upon his discharge from the hospital, corrections officers took Hamm back to Rikers, where he was given an order banning him from visiting the facility for 180 days. David B. Rankin, Lambda Legal’s co-counsel in the case, says Rikers Island is known for its terrible abuses of people in DOC custody and in this case, “Hamm was not even safe as a visitor.” (Gay Star News) Gay marriage was signed into law in Ireland, five months after the country’s historic referendum this past spring. “The Presidential Commission today signed the ‘Marriage Bill 2015’ into law,” the president’s office said in a statement. Ireland became the first country to legalize gay marriage by popular vote last May, with 62.1% in favor of the bill, which allows marriage between two people “without distinction as to their sex.” The Seanad passed the bill the week before the signing. All that is needed now is a commencement order from the justice minister and the first weddings could take place starting on November 13th. (Gay Star News) Honoring gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny, a memorial will be dedicated on November 11 in Washington DC at Congressional Cemetery as part of a Veterans Day service for LGBT veterans. In addition to a soon-to-be-installed headstone honoring Kameny and his role as a World War II combat veteran, the observance will honor the late Vietnam War veteran Leonard Matlovich. In 1975, with Kameny’s assistance, Matlovich became the first active duty military service member to challenge the military’s ban on gays. His decision to come out as gay following Kameny’s coaching is credited with launching the first formal fight against the longstanding ban on LGBT service members. At a site located just behind the memorial headstone and gravesite for Matlovich, the Kameny headstone will be installed along with a footstone bearing the expression Kameny coined in 1968, “Gay is Good”. Kameny served in the 58th Armored Infantry Battalion, 8th Armored Division, 9th Army in Germany before he was honorably discharged from the service in 1946. The DC Center for the LGBT Community announced that the dedication event will feature remarks by Gordon Tanner, the openly gay General Counsel for the U.S. Department of the Air Force. (Washington Blade) Maryland’s Court of Appeals has been asked to review a decision by lower courts denying legal parentage to a person who raised a child from birth with their same-sex spouse. The case, Conover v Conover, impacts thousands of children in Maryland born into families headed by same-sex couples. Baltimore-based FreeState Legal repre-
November 2015 sents Michael Conover, a transgender man who, before his transition, had a child with his female partner by artificial insemination. They married after marriage equality was legally recognized in Maryland, but the lower courts have refused to recognize Conover’s parentage of their child. As a result, Conover has been unable to see his child for more than two years. FreeState Legal’s deputy director and managing attorney Jer Welter said, “For marriage equality to have real meaning, the families formed by same-sex married couples must have the same legal protection as the families formed by opposite-sex couples.” The Court of Appeals is expected to decide whether to hear the case in the next two months. (Washington Blade) In Mississippi, four same-sex couples and two organizations, the Campaign for Southern Equality and the Family Equality Council, are challenging the state’s ban on adoption by same-sex couples, enacted in 2002. The US District Court in Mississippi is being asked to issue a preliminary injunctions preventing the state from enforcing the ban. on adoption by same-sex couples. The state of Mississippi is asking the court to dismiss the case, arguing the plaintiffs lack standing to challenge the ban and are unlikely to succeed in their case. Judge Daniel Porter Jordan III is scheduled to hear arguments from both sides November 6. The plaintiffs, who filed their suit in August, are represented by Roberta Kaplan, who has argued many marriage equality cases, including Windsor v. U.S., which resulted in the 2013 Supreme Court decision gutting the federal Defense of Marriage Act. (Advocate.com) The Obama administration filed a brief in support of Gavin Grimm, a transgender student who is challenging the Gloucester County, Virginia, school board’s controversial policy that prevents him from using the boys restroom or locker room. Attorneys with the Department of Education’s Office of the General Council and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division this past June filed a 40page brief with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, on behalf of Grimm, a student at Gloucester County High School, claiming the policy violates Title IX and the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. “As a result of such a policy, transgender students like G.G. are denied the ability to participate fully in and take advantage of their school’s educational programs,” it adds. The school board approved the controversial policy last December. Also last December, then-Attorney General Eric Holder said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans workplace discrimination based on gender identity. In 2012 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a landmark ruling that said employment discrimination based on gender identity amounts to sex discrimination under federal law. (Washington Blade) Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit against the State Department on behalf of Dana Alix Zzyym, an intersex person who was denied a passport because Zzyym does not identify as male or female. Zzyym, associate director of the U.S. affiliate of the Organisation Intersex International, applied for a passport in September 2014 in order (continued on page 8)
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November 2015 Q-munity Calendar Recurring Contact Information *Hackensack Peer Support Groups: 800-508-7577; njbuddies@aol.com †Pride Center Highland Park: 732-846-2232; www.pridecenter.org ‡Hudson Pride Connections Center: 201-963-4779; HudsonPride.org #Princeton University LGBT Center: www.princeton.edu/lgbt/programs 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 2:00 pm – The Daily Grind, Princeton# Project Access syringe exchange program, Newark; variable hours; njcri.org; 973-558-5054 Project Access drop-in center, Newark; variable hours;njcri.org
7:30 pm - Tuesday Night Lesbian Connection, Bound Brook; 908-791-3764 7:30 pm - Men’s HIV support group, Asbury Park; 732-7755084; apstillpoz @ yahoo.com 7:30 pm - Positive Yoga, Oradell * 8:00 pm – Primary Purpose book group, Ocean Grove; Qspot.org 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
Tuesday - Saturday Project WOW! youth center, Newark; variable hours; njcri.org; 973-412-7080
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 - "With These Hands" crochet and kitting circle, Newark; 973-424-9555; NewarkLGBTQCenter.org 6:00 pm - My Brother's Keeper game night, Newark; www,njcri.org 7:30 pm - Gay Men’s Coming Out group, Highland Park; njwarrior@aol.com †
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 12:30 pm – SOS group, Ocean Grove; Qspot.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 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 Noon - Men's support group, Newark; www.njcri.org 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 - SAGE, Jersey City ‡ 6:30 pm - TransView, Jersey City ‡ 01 Sun 2:00 pm – Central NJ Rope Share, Pride Center, Highland Park† 4:00 pm – Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-857-4040; Dignitymetronj@msn.com 6:30 pm – Gay Men’s Opera Club; 732-249-9034; hagol@msn.com 02 Mon 10:00 am -- Something Positive treatment adherence workshop, Newark; www.njcri.org 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 – Raices Latinas LGBT, Highland Park† 7:30 pm – TrueSelves trans support group, Highland Park† 03 Tue 5:30 pm – Hudson County HIV/AIDS Services Planning Council,
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 - LGBT Fitness Explosion, Jersey City ‡ 6:30 pm - Double Jeopardy peer support group, Hackensack* 6:30 pm – Men of Hudson 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 Every Saturday 7:00 - Project Wow! Kiki Function, Newark; www.njcri.org
Jersey City ‡ 7:30 pm – LGBT Fellowship, Belleville; 973-751-0616 04 Wed 6:30 pm - Positive People peer support group, Hackensack * 7:30 pm – Jersey Boys of Leather, Highland Park 05 Thu 7:00 pm –Coffee social, Edison; njlgh.onefireplace.com 7:30 pm – NJ Women Coming Out, Highland Park† 06 Fri 7:00 pm – Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack* 8:30 pm - Karaoke, Highland Park;† 07 Sat 1:00 pm – Women of Pride, Jersey City‡ 2:30 pm – First & Third for GLBTI Youth, Princeton; 609-683-
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5155; www.HiTOPS.org 8:00 pm – Mix Tape Time Machine Dance, Ocean Grove; Qspot.org 08 Sun 2:00 pm – Male Drawing Session, Highland Park † 6:00 pm – Gay Men’s Classical Song Club, Kingston; pbrown02@worldnet.att.net 09 Mon 7:30 pm – PFLAG of Morris County, Mendham; 973-543-7229; craig.bcc@verizon.net 7:30 pm – PFLAG, Princeton; 609-663-5155; www.pflagprinceton.org 10 Tue 7:30 pm – Pride Center Board Meeting, Highland Park † 11 Wed 7:00 pm – Book Club, Ocean Grove; Qspot.org 7:30 pm – Wednesday Night Women’s Hang Out, Highland Park † 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 – Kollege of Kink, Highland Park † 7:30 pm –In the Spirit; njlgh.onefireplace.com 8:00 pm – Booked for Supper, Highland Park† 13 Fri 1:00 pm -- Women's support group, Newark; www.njcri.org 4:00 pm -- SPECTRUM youth drop-in, Newark; NewarkLGBTQCenter.org 7:00 pm – Speaker Series: Public Benefits Lecture, Highland Park† 14 Sat 1:00 pm – Youth Drop-In, Highland Park† 7:00 pm – Men's 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; 973-837-4040; Dignitymetronj@msn.com 4:00 pm – TrueSelves trans support group, Highland Park † 16 Mon 7:00 pm -- Support Group for Lesbians with Cancer, New Brunswick; 732-235-6781; slirzero @ umdnj.edu 7:30 pm – Raices Latinas LGBT, Highland Park† 7:30 pm – GLBT Business Owners/Professionals Speed Networking, Highland Park† 17 Tue 7:30 pm – Caregivers Support Group, Highland Park † 7:30 pm – Lesbian Alliance of Princeton; 609-924-8174; Loisj@msn.com 7:30 pm – Come OUT & Play, Highland Park † 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
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18 Wed 6:30 pm - Positive People peer support group, Hackensack * 7:30 pm – NJ Havurah board meeting, Edison; njlgh.onefireplace.com 7:30 pm - United in Grace discussion/support group, Jersey City; 201-946-0650; greg.perez@comcast.net 19 Thu 7:00 pm – GAAMC board meeting, Morristown; all GAAMC members are invited to attend. 7:30 pm – Volunteer Group Meeting, Jersey City ‡ 7:30 pm – NJ Women Coming Out, 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 – NJ Havurah Shabbat; njlgh.onefireplace.com 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 21 Sat 1:00 pm – Women of Pride, Jersey City ‡ 2:00 pm – NJ Hypnokink, Highland Park† 2:30 pm – First & Third for GLBTI Youth, Princeton; 609-6835155; 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 22 Sun 1:30 pm – NJ Statewide Transgender Day of Remembrance, Princeton# 23 Mon 2:00 pm – HPCC Bi-Lingual Spanish Group, Jersey City ‡ 7:30 pm – NJ Rope Bite, Highland Park† 24 Tue 3:30 pm – Sexual Health Drop-In, Princeton# 8:30 pm – Men’s Social Night, Highland Park † 25 Wed 7:00 pm – JCLGO monthly meeting, Jersey City; 201-333-5725; www.jclgo.org 7:00 pm – HIV Testing, Highland Park† 7:30 pm – United in Grace discussion/support group, Jersey City; 201-946-0650; greg.perez@comcast.net 7:30 pm – Wednesday Night Women’s Hang Out, Highland Park † 27 Fri 4:00 pm - SPECTRUM youth drop-in, Newark; 973-424-9555; NewarkLGBTQCenter.org 7:30 pm – Living Soulfully, Highland Park† 28 Sat 1:00 pm – Youth Drop-In, Highland Park† 7:00 pm – Gay Bowling, Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park; 732-776-6160 30 Mon 7:00 pm - Speaker Series: The Hospice Revolution, Highland Park†
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New Jersey State Police Out, Endanger Transgender Woman Recent conduct of the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Herald, and NJ.com has resulted in a bias crime being committed against a transgender woman, Cyndi Kirke, who recently found her vehicle defaced with death threats and homophobic slurs after State Police and local media outed her as transgender. On October 2nd, the New Jersey State Police authored a Facebook post titled “Man Wanted for Theft by Deception”, accompanied by a photo of Kirke. It was supposedly meant to aid police in locating her, and asked readers to “please share.” The post referred to Kirke by her former name and male pronouns exclusively, while her legal name, Cyndi Kirke, was called an alias. The police outed Kirke as transgender, noting, “he is also known to dress as a female and use the alias Cyndi Kirk [sic.].” Three days later the State Police reposted the same statement and photograph, this time with the title “Man Wanted for Theft and Deception Surrenders after Pressure from Social Media.” While the original post has been removed, the second post remains on Facebook; well over half of the comments are transphobic remarks about Kirke’s gender identity and expression. Online articles published by The New Jersey Herald and Nj.com echoed the transphobia of the State Police Facebook posts in identifying Kirke as a man, referring to her exclusively with male pronouns and as a man “dressing as a female”, and printing an accompanying photograph. “Transgender people face shockingly high levels of violence and discrimination,” said Aaron Potenza, Director of Programs and Policy at Garden State Equality. “Tragically, many transgender people have been revictimized by law enforcement, and nearly half of transgender people say they are uncomfortable turning to police for help. The media has come under fire for focusing disproportionately on criminal cases, and misgendering transgender people by referring to them by the wrong pronouns and names. Unfortunately, Kirke’s case follows this all too frequent pattern.” “It is outrageous,” added Potenza, “that in this state the police and media would behave in this fashion. Based on information provided to Garden State Equality, a simple investigation would have revealed that Ms. Kirke is transgender, and legally changed her name along with
Page |7 other appropriate legal steps as part of her transition. Unfortunately, the manner in which this situation was handled, and the resulting hate filled venom proves there is still a great deal of bias and prejudice against transgender individuals in New Jersey. There is still a lot more work to be done.” Garden State Equality is calling on the New Jersey State Police to take the bias crime against Ms. Kirke seriously, conducting a full investigation; and calling on the New Jersey Herald and NJ.com to print retractions of their articles. GSE is also reaching out to the New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Herald, and NJ.com to demand that they take steps to become educated on gender identity issues and curtail this type of discriminatory behavior.
Bulletin Board Q-Spot invites you to an evening with actor/comedian Leslie Jordan on November 11th at the Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove! Doors open at 7:00; show starts promptly at 8:00. For more details or to order tickets, go to jerseyshoreartscenter.org or www.qspot.org. GLBT of Hunterdon County invites you to hear Rwandan genocide survivor and youth motivational speaker Daniel Trust. Born Daniel Ndamwizeye, Mr. Trust emigrated to the United States in 2005 at the age of 15, having seen his mother murdered when he was only 5 and losing his father and two sisters during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. In 2009, while a freshman in college, Daniel founded the Daniel Trust Foundation with the mission of supporting orphans worldwide. In his lectures at high schools and colleges across the nation, Daniel says he was saved for a reason, and has a purpose on this earth. The organization was originally founded with a mission of supporting orphans around the world. After coming out as gay in 2010, Daniel decided to incorporate LGBT advocacy as part of the foundation's mission. In 2014, Daniel re-launched the Daniel Trust Foundation with a focus on recognizing and rewarding students from all backgrounds who promote and give back to social causes they are passionate about in their communities, and teachers who go above and beyond to help their students succeed in school and in their personal lives. Come out and hear Daniel talk about his life and his mission at 6:00 pm on Thursday, December 2nd, at the Clinton Library!
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Gleanings (continued from page 4) to travel to Mexico City for an international conference that would focus on intersex-specific issues. When applying for a passport for the first time one must submit a copy of their birth certificate. In a September 2014 letter to Zzyym, the State Department denied the application because it was “unable to fulfill your request to list your sex as ‘X’,” even though doctors at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed the gender listed on the birth certificate as “unknown.” The State Department said Zzyym could receive a passport with a male or female gender marker or withdraw the application. To prove an intersex identity, in December 2014 Zzyym provided additional documentation to the Colorado Passport Agency for the State Department. This second application was denied 10 days later. Zzyym in February requested that the State Department reconsider its decision. An April letter denied this petition. The lawsuit names Secretary of State John Kerry and Sherman Portell, director of the Colorado Agency for the State Department, as defendants. It alleges the State Department violated the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act by denying Zzyym a passport that accurately reflects gender. “When I was a child, I had no say in what was done to me in order to make me ‘fit’ in some acceptable category,” said Zzyym in a press release. “I continue to suffer the consequences of those decisions today. But, as an adult, I can take a stand. I am not male, I am not female, I am intersex, and I shouldn’t have to choose a gender marker for my official U.S. identity document that isn’t me.” (Washington Blade) Tara Hudson, a British transgender woman who was sent to a men’s prison, will now be sent to a woman’s facility, according to unconfirmed reports from her solicitors and her Member of Parliament. Ms. Hudson, a 26-year-old make up artist, was the subject of a petition signed by 160,000 people calling on her to be removed from an allmale facility to a women’s prison. (Gay Star News) In Taiwan’s capital city of Taipei, nearly 80,000 locals and tourists converged to support marriage equality and LGBT rights at the 13th Taiwan LGBT Pride parade. The parade this year saw many participants from other parts of the world, including the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore as over 300 LGBTI activists attended the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)-Asia conference in Taipei. Media reports noted the absences of Taiwan’s two major presidential candidates and their respective political parties. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen however posted a video on Facebook before the parade indicating her support for marriage equality. Although a same-sex marriage bill passed a first reading in the legislature in 2013, it has stalled since. (Gay Star News)
Malaysia’s highest court overturned a landmark ruling that declared unconstitutional a state law banning Muslim men from wearing women’s clothes in public. A fivejudge panel on the Malaysian Federal Court ruled the three transgender women who challenged the Negeri Sembilan statute, known as Section 66, should have brought their case directly to the country’s highest court because it involved the Constitution. The three trans women filed their case with the Seremban High Court in February 2011. The court upheld the constitutionality of Section 66. The trans women appealed the ruling to the Putrajaya Court of Appeals, whose landmark decision found the law unconstitutional last November. Officials in Negeri Sembilan, which is south of the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, appealed the ruling to the Federal Court. Section 66, based on Sharia law, has been in place in Negeri Sembilan since 1992. Those convicted under the statute face a fine of around $300 and/or up to six months in jail. (Washington Blade)
The Officers and Board of GAAMC Wish you and yours The very best for your choices of the following holidays: All Saint’s Day Dia de los Muertes Election Day Guy Fawkes Day Veterans Day Dia de la Revoludion Mexicana Thanksgiving Advent St. Andrew’s Day (Our apologies if we left your favorite holiday out.)
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GAAMC Board Minutes September 17, 2015 Members: DeLeeuw, Gayle, Kennedy, Lucek, Rase, Skurna, Slicer Non-Voting Attendees: Allen Neuner; Mickey Suiter The meeting was called to order at 7:00 The minutes of the August meeting were approved (moved, Skurna; seconded, Lucek). Old/Current Business: A list of all current and past Board members, their tenures in office, and their eligibility for future service was circulated. A proposal to link the upcoming GAAMC theatre outing with a limited-offer premium membership was approved (moved Slicer; seconded, Skurna). New Business: Possible GAAMC outings were discussed. A theatre event in collaboration with The Theatre Project was finalized. The $1.98 Beauty Pageant would end its long run with a final “Best of the $1.98” program, with last year’s events considered the finale. Reports Treasurer (Andy Skurna) ..Challenge (Allen Neuner): Photocopying instead of printing issues is already showing a huge savings. The new desk donation amounts are being accepted by the members without negative comment. Webmaster (Andy Skurna): Listings for the Habitat for Humanity, Tyler Clementi Foundation, and outing to the comedy For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls have been posted. Programs (Sherri Rase): Sherri suggested we collect a voluntary donation, going directly to the Clementi Foundation, of $20.10 per person on October 19th. This would be in addition to the regular door donation. Socials (John DeLeeuw) Discussion Group Resources (Gordon Sauer) Development (Gordon Sauer) Social Action Committee (Gordon Sauer) GAAMC Pride (Mickey Suiter) Ideas and Suggestions: A meeting to discuss another membership drive was suggested. A motion to adjourn was approved (moved, Kennedy; seconnded, Gayle) The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 pm.
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor: I had the privilege of seeing the Pope in Central Park. I will admit that I am a frustrated Catholic and feel the church does not include my community as a gay man, but to be given the opportunity to see this MAN was something I didn't want to miss. I am a deeply spiritual person that continues to pray for those around me and myself. I stood in line with my sister and a friend and we were able to share many moments with the people from New York and the area. This experience transcended color, race, religion, language, sex, and sexual orientation. Those people who stood with strangers and waited for hours waiting to see a glimpse of the Pope became small communities of hope, peace, and love for all. We left with a renewed hope that the world would be a better place. We hugged, kissed, and shared phone numbers to share photos. Not sure who else could have created this amazing healing amongst people. The energy of love and peace was so strong that I felt a healing and understanding for all of God’s children. This man is changing HISTORY for the Catholic Church and mankind by being inclusive, loving, and understanding of all of God’s children. Let us continue to pray for the world where love of all God’s people is the norm. Gary Wyssling
A Public Service Message From the Editor of Challenge
SEND US STUFF! Do you think that what you read in Challenge pops magically onto the page each issue? Think again, buster! What you see in the newsletter comes from members like you! Except those members take the time to write about their observations, their concerns, their solutions, and much more – and send them in to the Editor for publication! Feeling shy? Your writings can be published anonymously, or under a pen name. BUT YOU GOTTA SEND IT IN! Look, I’m begging here. Cause if you don’t send things in, I’ll be out of a job….(sob)
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Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County GAAMC Officers President (President@GAAMC.org) ............. Sherri Rase VP Community Services (Info@GAAMC.org) ...................................................... Kerry Dinkin VP Operations (Operations@GAAMC.org) ....................................................John DeLeeuw Secretary (Secretary@GAAMC.org) .......... Ron Kennedy Treasurer (Treasurer@GAAMC.org) ........... Andy Skurna
Trustees David Gayle, Jay Kohn, Frank Lucek, Richard Schaublin, Liz Slicer
Committee Chairs & Functional Officers Challenge Editor (Challenge@GAAMC.org) . Allen Neuner Development (Discussions@GAAMC.org) .... Gordon Sauer Discussion Group Resources (Discussions@GAAMC.org) ..................................................... Gordon Sauer Information (FreeLibrary@GAAMC.org) ...... Andy Skurna Membership ...................................... Mickey Suiter Pride Events ..................................... Mickey Suiter Pride Guide (PrideGuide@GAAMC.org) ...... Andy Skurna Programs (Programs@GAAMC.org) .............. Sherri Rase Publicity .................................................... open Socials (Socials@GAAMC.org) ................John DeLeeuw Webmaster (Webmaster@GAAMC.org) ....... Andy Skurna
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 Rd., Morris Township, 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 (see below). Members and non-members are always welcome. Annual membership dues are: Regular, $40/single, $70/couple; Students/Seniors, $30/single, $60/couple. 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