GAY CITY NEWS 12-22-10

Gay City A M E R I C A’ S L A R G E S T C I R C U L AT I O N G AY A N D L E S B I A N N E W S P A P E R !

NEWS

TM

YOUR FREE LGBTQ NEWSPAPER

DEC. 22, 2010 - JAN. 4, 2011 VOLUME NINE, ISSUE 26

Liutenant Dan Choi (Ret.) at the October 2009 National Equality March in Washington.

SLDN

Done! Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy addressing a Servicemembers Legal Defense Network dinner.

DEAN WRZESZCZ

Barack Obama, as president-elect, in Grant Park, Chicago, November 4, 2008.

Major Mike Almy (Ret.) on duty in Iraq.

© GAY CITY NEWS 2010 • COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

P. 8

COURTESY: MIKE ALMY

WHITEHOUSE.GOV

S E R V I N G G A Y, L E S B I A N , B I A N D T R A N S G E N D E R E D N E W Y O R K • W W W . G A Y C I T Y N E W S . C O M

2

22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

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22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

Civil Rights /3

Familiar Pattern in Newark Park Slay Cop’s story on DeFarra Gaymon’s killing fits dubious New Jersey “aggressive cruiser” theme BY DUNCAN OSBORNE

A

s Edward Esposito, a detective in the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, tells the story, he made an arrest in Newark’s Branch Brook Park last July 16 and went back into the park to find his lost handcuffs while his partner secured the suspect. Esposito was bending down to get the handcuffs when DeFarra Gaymon, the chief executive of an Atlanta bank, approached him. Gaymon, 48, “was engaged in a sex act at the time,” according to a statement by the Essex County prosecutor’s office. Esposito, then 29, identified himself and attempted to arrest Gaymon, who fled. A chase ensued. At its end, Esposito claimed, Gaymon threatened to kill him and lunged for him. Esposito shot and killed Gaymon. This tale of aggressive men who are cruising in New Jersey parks grabbing undercover officers is one that detectives in the Essex County Sheriff’s Office have told many times before.

And there are some good reasons to doubt them. Following the killing, Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s statewide gay lobbying group, made an open records request to the sheriff’s office seeking documents that alleged “sexual conduct” in Essex County parks from 2005 to mid2010. The Sheriff’s Office released records on 167 arrests or investigations in 14 parks, with 148 of those arrests or investigations occurring in Branch Brook Park or South Mountain Reservation, which is located in West Orange, Maplewood, and Millburn. Of those 148, 130 were arrests for lewdness or criminal sexual contact of men who may have been cruising for sex or, in some cases, were observed having sex with other men. A consistent theme in the 130 reports by plainclothes officers involved in what were clearly organized stings was that they were walking through a park when a man, without any prompting from the officer, exposed himself or grabbed the officer’s crotch.

In a 2005 complaint concerning an arrest in South Mountain Reservation, the officer wrote that the suspect “approached the undersigned and engaged in small conversation. The suspect then grabbed the undersigned’s crotch area, then began to walk away stating to undersigned ‘Come On.’” A 2007 record on an arrest in that park reads, “Then with out warning or saying a single word, [the defendant] leaned back and grabbed the undersigned groin area, causing pain and discomfort.” A report on a 2010 arrest in Branch Br ook Park states the defendant “stopped in front of me less than a foot away (facing me). [The defendant] asked ‘Do you have a big dick?’ As [the defendant] was speaking he grabbed my penis with his right hand and squeezed it.” A 2007 report on a arrest in Branch Brook Park has the defendant asking in Spanish, “Do You Want Me To Suck Your Dick?,” and continues, “At the time

䉴

NEWARK PARK, continued on p.31

In the official account of the killing of Atlanta bank executive DeFarra Gaymon in a Newark park, the dead man is cast as an aggressive man caught in a sexual act who threatened to kill a Sheriff’s Office detective.

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INDICATION: REYATAZ is a prescription medicine used in combination with other medicines to treat people who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). REYATAZ has been studied in a 48-week trial in patients who have taken anti-HIV medicines and a 96-week trial in patients who have never taken anti-HIV medicines. REYATAZ does not cure HIV or lower your chance of passing HIV to others.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Do not take REYATAZ if you are taking the following medicines due to potential for serious, life-threatening side effects or death: Versed® (midazolam) when taken by mouth, Halcion® (triazolam), ergot medicines (dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, ergotamine, and methylergonovine such as Cafergot®, Migranal®, D.H.E. 45®, ergotrate maleate, Methergine®, and others), Propulsid® (cisapride), or Orap® (pimozide). Do not take REYATAZ with the following medicines due to potential for serious side effects: Camptosar® (irinotecan), Crixivan® (indinavir), Mevacor® (lovastatin), Zocor® (simvastatin), Uroxatral® (alfuzosin), or Revatio® (sildenafil). Do not take REYATAZ with the following medicines as they may lower the amount of REYATAZ in your blood, which may lead to increased HIV viral load and resistance to REYATAZ or other anti-HIV medicines: rifampin (also known as Rimactane®, Rifadin®, Rifater®, or Rifamate®), St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)-containing products, or Viramune® (nevirapine). Serevent Diskus® (salmeterol) and Advair® (salmeterol with fluticasone) are not recommended with REYATAZ. Do not take Vfend® (voriconazole) if you are taking REYATAZ and Norvir® (ritonavir). The above lists of medicines are not complete. Taking REYATAZ with some other medicines may require your therapy to be monitored more closely or may require a change in dose or dose schedule of REYATAZ or the other medicine. Discuss with your healthcare provider all prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamin and herbal supplements, or other health preparations you are taking or plan to take. Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, breast-feeding, planning to become pregnant or breast-feed, or if you have end-stage kidney disease managed with hemodialysis or severe liver dysfunction. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any side effects, symptoms, or conditions, including the following: • Mild rash (redness and itching) without other symptoms sometimes occurs in patients taking REYATAZ, most often in the first few weeks after the medicine is started, and usually goes away within 2 weeks with no change in treatment. • Severe rash has occurred in a small number of patients taking REYATAZ. This type of rash is associated with other symptoms that could be serious and potentially cause death. If you develop a rash with any of the following symptoms, stop using REYATAZ and call your healthcare provider right away: – Shortness of breath – Conjunctivitis (red or inflamed eyes, like “pink-eye”) – General ill-feeling or “flu-like” symptoms – Blisters – Fever – Mouth sores – Muscle or joint aches – Swelling of your face • Yellowing of the skin and/or eyes may occur due to increases in bilirubin levels in the blood (bilirubin is made by the liver). • A change in the way your heart beats may occur. You may feel dizzy or lightheaded. These could be symptoms of a heart problem. • Diabetes and high blood sugar may occur in patients taking protease inhibitor medicines like REYATAZ. Some patients may need changes in their diabetes medicine. • If you have liver disease, including hepatitis B or C, it may get worse when you take anti-HIV medicines like REYATAZ. • Kidney stones have been reported in patients taking REYATAZ. Signs or symptoms of kidney stones include pain in your side, blood in your urine, and pain when you urinate. • Some patients with hemophilia have increased bleeding problems with protease inhibitor medicines like REYATAZ. • Changes in body fat have been seen in some patients taking anti-HIV medicines. The cause and long-term effects are not known at this time. • Gallbladder disorders (including gallstones and gallbladder inflammation) have been reported in patients taking REYATAZ. Other common side effects of REYATAZ taken with other anti-HIV medicines include: nausea; headache; stomach pain; vomiting; diarrhea; depression; fever; dizziness; trouble sleeping; numbness, tingling, or burning of hands or feet; and muscle pain. You should take REYATAZ once daily with food (a meal or snack). Swallow the capsules whole; do not open the capsules. You should take REYATAZ and your other anti-HIV medicines exactly as instructed by your healthcare provider. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

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On REYATAZ, Wedn esda y Ma ry birthd ’s ay pa rty Thursda y 5:30 C h oi r e practic Bu y new shoes for Latish a

Fight HIV your way.

Please see Important Patient Information about REYATAZ on the adjacent pages.

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22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

5

how you spend your time is up to you.

Individual results may vary.

Once-daily REYATAZ can help fight your HIV. REYATAZ, a protease inhibitor (PI), in HIV combination therapy: ◆ Can

help lower your viral load and raise your T-cell (CD4+ cell) count

◆ Has

a low chance of diarrhea (shown in clinical trials)

— REYATAZ in combination therapy had a 1%-3% rate of moderate-to-severe diarrhea in adults ◆ Is

taken once a day with a snack or meal

REYATAZ is one of several treatment options your doctor may consider.

Do not take REYATAZ if you are allergic to REYATAZ or to any of its ingredients.

Ask your healthcare team about REYATAZ www.REYATAZ.com REYATAZ does not cure HIV and has not been shown to reduce the risk of passing HIV to others.

REYATAZ is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and not of Bristol-Myers Squibb. © 2010 Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08543 U.S.A. 687US10AB06412 06/10

Find out if you can save on REYATAZ. Call 1-888-281-8981 or visit ReyatazSavings.com for details. Subject to terms and conditions. Restrictions apply.

22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

6

FDA-Approved Patient Labeling Patient Information

REYATAZ® (RAY-ah-taz) (generic name = atazanavir sulfate) Capsules ALERT: Find out about medicines that should NOT be taken with REYATAZ. Read the section “What important information should I know about taking REYATAZ with other medicines?” Read the Patient Information that comes with REYATAZ before you start using it and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This leaflet provides a summary about REYATAZ and does not include everything there is to know about your medicine. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment. What is REYATAZ? REYATAZ is a prescription medicine used with other anti-HIV medicines to treat people who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). REYATAZ is a type of anti-HIV medicine called a protease inhibitor. HIV infection destroys CD4+ (T) cells, which are important to the immune system. The immune system helps fight infection. After a large number of (T) cells are destroyed, AIDS develops. REYATAZ helps to block HIV protease, an enzyme that is needed for the HIV virus to multiply. REYATAZ may lower the amount of HIV in your blood, help your body keep its supply of CD4+ (T) cells, and reduce the risk of death and illness associated with HIV. Does REYATAZ cure HIV or AIDS? REYATAZ does not cure HIV infection or AIDS. At present there is no cure for HIV infection. People taking REYATAZ may still get opportunistic infections or other conditions that happen with HIV infection. Opportunistic infections are infections that develop because the immune system is weak. Some of these conditions are pneumonia, herpes virus infections, and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections. It is very important that you see your healthcare provider regularly while taking REYATAZ. REYATAZ does not lower your chance of passing HIV to other people through sexual contact, sharing needles, or being exposed to your blood. For your health and the health of others, it is important to always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom or other barrier to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. Never use or share dirty needles. Who should not take REYATAZ? Do not take REYATAZ if you: t
a
re taking certain medicines. (See “What important information should I know about taking REYATAZ with other medicines?”) Serious life-threatening side effects or death may happen. Before you take REYATAZ, tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you are taking or planning to take. These include other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. t
a
re allergic to REYATAZ or to any of its ingredients. The active ingredient is atazanavir sulfate. See the end of this leaflet for a complete list of ingredients in REYATAZ. Tell your healthcare provider if you think you have had an allergic reaction to any of these ingredients. What should I tell my healthcare provider before I take REYATAZ? Tell your healthcare provider: t
I
f you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if REYATAZ can harm your unborn baby. Pregnant women have experienced serious side effects when taking REYATAZ with other HIV medicines called nucleoside analogues. You and your healthcare provider will need to decide if REYATAZ is right for you. If you use REYATAZ while you are pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider about the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry. t
I
f you are breast-feeding. You should not breast-feed if you are HIV-positive because of the chance of passing HIV to your baby. Also, it is not known if REYATAZ can pass into your breast milk and if it can harm your baby. If you are a woman who has or will have a baby, talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. t
If you have liver problems or are infected with the hepatitis B or C virus. See “What are the possible side effects of REYATAZ?” t
If you have end stage kidney disease managed with hemodialysis. t
If you have diabetes. See “What are the possible side effects of REYATAZ?” t
If you have hemophilia. See “What are the possible side effects of REYATAZ?” t
A
bout all the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Keep a list of your medicines with you to show your healthcare provider. For more information, see “What important information should I know about taking REYATAZ with other medicines?” and “Who should not take REYATAZ?” Some medicines can cause serious side effects if taken with REYATAZ.

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REYATAZ® (atazanavir sulfate) How should I take REYATAZ? t

Take REYATAZ once every day exactly as instructed by your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will prescribe the amount of REYATAZ that is right for you.
t

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medicines that you are taking. REYATAZ is always used with other anti-HIV medicines. If you are taking REYATAZ with SUSTIVA® (efavirenz) or with VIREAD® (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), you should also be taking NORVIR® (ritonavir). t

Always take REYATAZ with food (a meal or snack) to help it work better. Swallow the capsules whole. Do not open the capsules. Take REYATAZ at the same time each day. t
If you are taking antacids or didanosine (VIDEX® or VIDEX® EC), take REYATAZ 2 hours before or 1 hour after these medicines. t
I
f you are taking medicines for indigestion, heartburn, or ulcers such as AXID® (nizatidine), PEPCID AC® (famotidine), TAGAMET® (cimetidine), ZANTAC® (ranitidine), AcipHex® (rabeprazole), NEXIUM® (esomeprazole), PREVACID® (lansoprazole), PRILOSEC® (omeprazole), or PROTONIX® (pantoprazole), talk to your healthcare provider. t
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o not change your dose or stop taking REYATAZ without first talking with your healthcare provider. It is important to stay under a healthcare provider’s care while taking REYATAZ. t
W
hen your supply of REYATAZ starts to run low, get more from your healthcare provider or pharmacy. It is important not to run out of REYATAZ. The amount of HIV in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. t
If you miss a dose of REYATAZ, take it as soon as possible and then take your next scheduled dose at its regular time. If, however, it is within 6 hours of your next dose, do not take the missed dose. Wait and take the next dose at the regular time. Do not double the next dose. It is important that you do not miss any doses of REYATAZ or your other anti-HIV medicines. t
If you take more than the prescribed dose of REYATAZ, call your healthcare provider or poison control center right away. Can children take REYATAZ? Dosing recommendations are available for children 6 years of age and older for REYATAZ Capsules. Dosing recommendations are not available for children from 3 months to less than 6 years of age. REYATAZ should not be used in babies under the age of 3 months. What are the possible side effects of REYATAZ? The following list of side effects is not complete. Report any new or continuing symptoms to your healthcare provider. If you have questions about side effects, ask your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider may be able to help you manage these side effects. The following side effects have been reported with REYATAZ: t

mild rash (redness and itching) without other symptoms sometimes occurs in patients taking REYATAZ, most often in the first few weeks after the medicine is started. Rashes usually go away within 2 weeks with no change in treatment. Tell your healthcare provider if rash occurs. t
s
evere rash: In a small number of patients, a rash can develop that is associated with other symptoms which could be serious and potentially cause death. If you develop a rash with any of the following symptoms stop using REYATAZ and call your healthcare provider right away:




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ellowing of the skin or eyes. These effects may be due to increases in bilirubin levels in the blood (bilirubin is made by the liver). Call your healthcare provider if your skin or the white part of your eyes turn yellow. Although these effects may not be damaging to your liver, skin, or eyes, it is important to tell your healthcare provider promptly if they occur.

WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

7

REYATAZ® (atazanavir sulfate) t


a
change in the way your heart beats (heart rhythm change). Call your healthcare provider right away if you get dizzy or lightheaded. These could be symptoms of a heart problem. t
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iabetes and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) sometimes happen in patients taking protease inhibitor medicines like REYATAZ. Some patients had diabetes before taking protease inhibitors while others did not. Some patients may need changes in their diabetes medicine. t
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f you have liver disease including hepatitis B or C, your liver disease may get worse when you take anti-HIV medicines like REYATAZ. t
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idney stones have been reported in patients taking REYATAZ. If you develop signs or symptoms of kidney stones (pain in your side, blood in your urine, pain when you urinate) tell your healthcare provider promptly. t
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ome patients with hemophilia have increased bleeding problems with protease inhibitors like REYATAZ. t
c
hanges in body fat. These changes may include an increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the trunk. Loss of fat from the legs, arms, and face may also happen. The cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known at this time. Other common side effects of REYATAZ taken with other anti-HIV medicines include nausea; headache; stomach pain; vomiting; diarrhea; depression; fever; dizziness; trouble sleeping; numbness, tingling, or burning of hands or feet; and muscle pain. Gallbladder disorders (which may include gallstones and gallbladder inflammation) have been reported in patients taking REYATAZ. What important information should I know about taking REYATAZ with other medicines? Do not take REYATAZ if you take the following medicines (not all brands may be listed; tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take). REYATAZ may cause serious, life-threatening side effects or death when used with these medicines. t

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methylergonovine such as CAFERGOT®, MIGRANAL®, D.H.E. 45®, ergotrate maleate, METHERGINE®, and others (used for migraine headaches). t
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Cholesterol-lowering medicines MEVACOR® (lovastatin) or ZOCOR® (simvastatin). t

6309"53"-® (alfuzosin, used to treat benign enlargement of the prostate). t

3&7"5*0® (sildenafil, used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension). Do not take the following medicines with REYATAZ because they may lower the amount of REYATAZ in your blood. This may lead to an increased HIV viral load. Resistance to REYATAZ or cross-resistance to other HIV medicines may EFWFMPQ t

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7*3".6/&® (nevirapine, used for HIV infection). The following medicines are not recommended with REYATAZ: t

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7'&/%® (voriconazole). The following medicines may require your healthcare provider to monitor your therapy more closely (for some medicines a change in the dose or dose schedule may be needed): t

$*"-*4® (tadalafil), LEVITRA® (vardenafil), or VIAGRA® (sildenafil), used to treat erectile dysfunction. REYATAZ may increase the chances of serious side effects that can happen with CIALIS, LEVITRA, or VIAGRA. Do not use CIALIS, LEVITRA, or VIAGRA while you are taking REYATAZ unless your healthcare provider tells you it is okay. t

"%$*3$"® (tadalafil) or TRACLEER® (bosentan), used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension. t

-*1*503® (atorvastatin) or CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin). There is an increased chance of serious side effects if you take REYATAZ with this cholesterollowering medicine.

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"9*%® (nizatidine), PEPCID AC® (famotidine), TAGAMET® (cimetidine), or ZANTAC® (ranitidine). Talk to your healthcare provider about choosing an effective method of contraception. REYATAZ may affect the safety and effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives such as birth control pills or the contraceptive patch. Hormonal contraceptives do not prevent the spread of HIV to others. Remember: 1. Know all the medicines you take. 2. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take. 3. Do not start a new medicine without talking to your healthcare provider. How should I store REYATAZ? t

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22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

8/ Politics

14 DAYS 14 NIGHTS

Repeal Signing Wednesday Dramatic lame duck Senate action sends bill ending DADT to Obama

B

y a 65-31 vote, the US Senate on the afternoon of Saturday, December 18 voted to repeal the military’s 17-year-old Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy barring open service by gay men and lesbians. Eight Republicans joined 57 Democrats in approving the measure. As Gay City News went to press, the bill, passed by the House on December 15 by a 250-175 vote, was due for President Barack Obama’s signature before a large gathering in an elaborate Interior Department ceremony December 22. The decisive vote actually came late Saturday morning, when the Senate, by a 63-33 margin, approved a cloture motion to block efforts led by Arizona Republican John McCain to keep the Senate from bringing the bill to a floor debate. During a cloture debate that lasted less than two hours and also included discussion of the Dream Act immigration measure, McCain sounded more weary and resigned than angry as he declared it was “a sad day.” The Arizonan, however, went on to repeat an extraordinary warning made earlier in the week by General James Amos, the Marine Corps commandant, who remained opposed to repeal action up to the end. “Mistakes and inattention or distractions cost Marines lives,” Amos told Stars and Stripes, the independent military news outlet, in an interview published on December 14. “I don’t want to lose any Marines to the distraction. I don’t want to have any Marines that I’m visiting at Bethesda [National Naval Medical Center, in Maryland] with no legs be the result of any type of distraction.” Under Senate rules, after the Democrats achieved cloture, the repeal measure could have faced a debate running up to 30 hours, but that would merely have been a prelude to inevitable passage. In fact, the final vote took place at 3 p.m., less than four hours after opponents had their hopes of filibustering

the bill shut down. President Barack Obama, undoubtedly buoyed by the chance to deliver a big victory for the LGBT community, issued a statement saying, “Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend…. As commander-in-chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known.” The president added, “It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor, and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed.” Obama singled out for praise the efforts of Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada as well as Connecticut Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman and Maine Republican Susan Collins, who introduced a stand-alone repeal bill after efforts to open debate on the annual Pentagon spending bill, with language ending the policy, failed for the second time on December 9. Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a leading repeal advocacy group, hailed the Senate’s action, but also noted that the repeal provisions approved include a requirement that the president, defense secretary, and chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff all certify that military readiness, effectiveness, morale, and retention will not be compromised before the policy comes to an end. In addition, Congress then has 60 days to review the new procedures, though it has no authority under the repeal law to overrule them. “Gay, lesbian and bisexual service members posted around the world are standing a little taller today, but they’re still very much at risk because repeal is not final,” Sarvis said. “I respectfully ask Defense Secretary Robert Gates to use his authority to

THU.DEC.23

OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTO/ PETE SOUZA

BY PAUL SCHINDLER

President Barack Obama made calls to members of the Senate in advance of the final vote on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

suspend all Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell investigations during this interim period. Until the president signs the bill, until there is certification, and until the 60-day congressional period is over, no one should be investigated or discharged under this discriminatory law.” The White House referred a question on that issue to the Department of Defense. Major Monica Bland, a Pentagon spokeswoman, responded, “Until 60 days after certification, the law commonly known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell remains in effect, and the Department of Defense will continue to apply the law as it is obligated to do.” Since the language for DADT was hammered out by the White House and Democratic congressional leaders in May, SLDN has argued that the exhaustive study undertaken by a special Pentagon Working Group — and delivered on November 30 — lays the groundwork for completing the needed certifications rescinding the policy in a matter of two or three months. In Senate Armed Services Committee hearings on December 2 and 3, however, Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, the Joint Chiefs chair, emphasized that their certification would reflect a deliberate approach toward planning the policy change. Their comments suggested that Sarvis’ caveats are well-placed. Robin McGehee of GetEQUAL, a direct action group harshly critical of the legislative language in the repeal measure — for the conditions requiring certification before repeal is implemented —

also noted that activism must continue to hasten that day. “We’re one step closer to repealing the ban on open and honest service for lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans,” she said. “Make no mistake — DADT is not yet repealed. There is still work to do. There is still a long process ahead, but we vow to keep the pressure up until the policy is fully and completely repealed.” Other advocates led with an unambiguously celebratory tone. “Today, America lived up to its highest ideals of freedom and equality,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the Washington-based LGBT lobby group. “Today, our federal government recognized that ALL men and women have the right to openly serve the country they believe in.” Former Army National Guard Lieutenant Dan Choi, who participated in numerous GetEQUAL civil disobedience actions and was also critical of the conditions incorporated into the legislation, told CNN, “They’re saying finally, the government is saying that we’re taking steps closer for you to access your integrity, and that’s why it’s amazing.” In his repeal activism over the past 21 months, Choi consistently emphasized that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell forces gay and lesbian services members to lie in violation of their obligation to serve with honesty and integrity.

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REPEAL, continued on p.28

PERFORMANCE Take a Chance on Mummenschanz

The internationally renowned Swiss performance troupe Mummenschanz, which for four decades has captivated audiences worldwide with its groundbreaking visuals and transformative, non-verbal theater that makes inventive use of forms, shadow and light, and creative manipulation of sculptural, expressive masks, appears in a limited engagement at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia Pl. at Washington Sq. S. Dec. 20-22, 26, 31 & Jan. 2, 7-8, 7 p.m.; Dec. 23, 28-30 & Jan. 4-6, 8 p.m.; Dec. 22, 24, 26 & Jan. 2, 8, 2 p.m.; Dec. 31, 4 p.m.; Jan. 7, 10 p.m. Tickets are $45-$75 at skirballcenter.nyu.edu. ✯

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CABARET Feinstein at Home for the Holidays Michael Feinstein, who has long carried the torch for the Great American Songbook, presents “Swing in the Holidays,” a collection of seasonal favorites, classic standards, and songs that pay tribute to Broadway legend Jerry Herman, who celebrates his 80th birthday in 2011. Feinstein’s longtime musical director John Oddo leads a 12-piece band. Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, 540 Park Ave. at 61st St. Dec. 23 & 30, 8 & 10:30 p.m.; Dec. 24-25, 8 p.m., Dec. 27-29, 8:30 p.m.; Dec. 31, 7 & 10:45 p.m. The cover charge is $95-$250, with a $40 food and drink minimum (a small number of seats are available with a $40 cover, and no minimum). For reservations, visit Feinsteinsatloewsregency. com or call 212-339-4095. ✯

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NIGHTLIFE Christmas Ain’t Sacred Daniel Nardicio describes his “Sh*tShow” as a raunchy, riotous, and sometimes inspirational performance that is part talk show, part variety show, part nightclub hijinks, and all kinds of crazy! For this Christmas edition, DN presents Bianca Del Rio, Robbyne Kaamil, Times Square’s Naked Cowgirl sandy kane, Moisty the Snowman, a very filthy Santa, and the Boys of Playgirl-a-Go Go. Johnny Dynell decks the halls with

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DEC 23, continued on p.10

22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

Politics /9

Equality ‘War Room’ at Media Matters Ex-Clinton aide Socarides joined by Advocate’s Eleveld in new strategic communications drive BY PAUL SCHINDLER

M

edia Matters, the web-based non-profit progressive research and advocacy group that in its six years of existence has become an influential watchdog on right-wing media outlets, politicians, and activists, has launched an affiliate, Equality Matters (equalitymatters.org), which will focus on LGBT policy, legal, and legislative goals. According to Richard Socarides, a New York-based attorney who will spearhead the operation with an initial full-time staff of six, the goal is to create a “communications war room” to counter the negative messages spawned by anti-gay forces in politics and the media. Emphasizing the congruence between his group’s work and that produced by its Media Matters parent, Socarides stated that another key mission “is to enhance and enable progressive voices on LGBT issues.” Socarides served in the Clinton White House as the president’s liaison to the LGBT community and has also worked

in the media, for companies including Time Warner. In the years since he returned to New York from Washington, he has remained active in Democratic politics but was also a leading gay supporter of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s reelection last year. The website launched by the group on December 20 will look familiar to followers of Media Matters, with a wide array of article and blog postings, video clips, and a section devoted to policy research the group will carry out. The editor of the website and the organization will be Kerry Eleveld, recruited from her perch as the Advocate’s Washington correspondent for the past two years. In that post, Eleveld frequently raised questions about Obama administration actions regarding the LGBT community — particularly on the issue of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — during press secretary Robert Gibbs’ regular briefings. The editorial content developed by Equality Matters will largely consist of research and opposition research, Socarides said, and will be supplement-

ed by progressive advocacy and policy pieces written by contributors outside the group’s full-time staff. Another focus of the groups will be providing training in what Socarides described as “strategic communications” to other LGBT organizations “to help them fulfill their missions.” He said he expected Equality Matters to work with national groups such as the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and state-level lobbying groups, but also with small grassroots and ad hoc efforts. “We could provide video communications assistance to a group of LGBT college students,” Socarides explained. Asked to distinguish his group’s goals from GLAAD’s traditional turf, he responded, “I think that our efforts will be complementary and not overlapping. Our efforts will be around news, around policy, and more Washingtonfocused.” He also said, “Our resources will not be unlimited, but we will have substantial resources and new resources.”

Media Matters’ expansion into LBGTspecific policy work, he said, would draw additional funding into the organization, both from gay philanthropists and other donors interested in advancing full equality for the gay community. Socarides noted that Media Matters already enjoys substantial support from gay money, but he also said that across the board the group’s funders voiced enthusiasm for the new effort. David Brock, a journalist who traveled a curious ideological path from his days as a conservative writer who authored hit pieces on Anita Hill and Bill Clinton during 1990s to his founding of Media Matters in 2004, is himself gay. No independent fundraising has yet been undertaken for Equality Matters, whose operations for the present time will be covered out of the Media Matters budget. Last year, that group raised $23 million and had an operating budget of $13 million. Socarides said the portion of the parent organization’s budget that will

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WAR ROOM, continued on p.26

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22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

10/ Human Rights

A Rude Shock at Christmas NJ civil union provides no protection for Peruvian man abruptly deported

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BY PAUL SCHINDLER

J

air Izquierdo, a 33-yearold, Peruvian-born gay man, first came to the United States a decade ago. Having traveled to America on a tourist visa with his boyfriend, who was also from Peru, Izquierdo stayed on, first working in retail and, more recently, as a hair and make-up stylist. In May of 2005, he began dating Richard Dennis, an information systems specialist raised in Connecticut, who attended college in New Orleans and works for a European bank in Manhattan. In January 2006, Dennis, who is 47, and Izquierdo moved into in an apartment together in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Two years later, the couple entered into a New Jersey civil union, and in 2009 they moved to a new home in Jersey City. Building a life together for more than five years — even with the marriage-like legal protections of their civil union — did nothing to cushion the trauma the two men have endured since October 20. From that date until December 17, Izquierdo was incarcerated in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Elizabeth — and barring a reversal of legal fortunes, those will turn out to be his last days in America for at least a decade. On December 17, with two separate applications pending for a reconsideration of his deportation order — one personally endorsed two days earlier by US Senator Robert Menendez — Izquierdo was put on a plane at Newark Airport and returned to Peru. That plane took off at 2:20 p.m. Four hours earlier, Izquierdo had no hint he would not be spending another night in the dorm-like setting of the Elizabeth facility as he spoke to his husband, who had just come from a meeting with members of Menendez’s staff. The couple talked hopefully about the energy the senator’s office was putting into their case. But, at 11:15 a.m., less than an hour after Izquierdo and

14 DAYS 14 NIGHTS DEC 23, from p.8

his sounds, and BD Poppins presents a video production. Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie St., btwn. Delancey & Rivington Sts., Dec. 23, 9-11 p.m. Admission is $5 and the first drink is free. If you really can’t bear to leave your apartment, tune in for a live simulcast at Dworld.us. ✯

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FRI.DEC.24

PERFORMANCE Jackie-50

Richard Dennis and Jair Izquierdo during their 2008 New Jersey civil union ceremony.

Dennis hung up, the Peruvian man was summoned by officials at the detention facility, told to gather the few possessions he had, and put on a bus for the airport. Paul O’Dwyer, an immigration rights attorney who represents Izquierdo and had run up against brick walls and official silence repeatedly during his client’s two months of detention, scrambled to get somebody at Elizabeth to reverse the decision. Meanwhile, Menendez got on the phone with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, pleading Izquierdo’s case on the “deferred action” grounds he had earlier written to ICE about and asking that he be taken off the plane. But the wheels were literally in motion, and the efforts came too late. By midnight, Izquierdo arrived at his aunt’s home in Peru, the first time he was back in his country of birth since 2001. Sadly, the circumstances Izquierdo and Dennis find themselves in are unremarkable among binational samesex couples who live in the US. Immigration law takes no notice of any relationship, informal or legally recognized, between two men or two women. Even had the couple married in Connecticut or Massachusetts, the Defense of Marriage Act would have denied them any protections under federal law. Unlike every single American man or

woman with a foreign-born spouse, Richard Dennis has no legal right to the companionship of the person he loves in his home country. According to statistics from the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, which studies legal and public policy issues related to sexual orientation, there are approximately 36,000 couples in the US in which the immigrant partner lacks permanent residency. Steve Ralls, a spokesman for Immigration Equality — an advocacy group working for legislation giving foreign same-sex partners equal footing with different-sex spouses and to protect those currently caught in the snare of an unjust system — stated that the percentage of those couples where one partner faces immediate removal is difficult to estimate, but the number is climbing as temporary visas expire. Nearly half of the 36,000 couples have small children, many of whom are American citizens but are unable to sponsor their parent for permanent residency until they are 21. Many couples and families facing the same problems as Dennis and Izquierdo lack the resources the couple have been able to marshal — the two men have incurred tens of thousands of dollars in legal and other expenses to date. The only offense Izquierdo committed under US law was that he overstayed a tourist

visa. In 2005, he applied for asylum on the basis of persecution he would face if returned to his home country. It was the stability and strength of his relationship with Dennis that prompted him to proceed with the asylum claim. “He always wanted to regularize his status,” Dennis recalled. “It weighed on his mind.” Izquierdo’s appeals were heard by an Immigration Judge, who is an employee of the Justice Department, by the Board of Immigration Appeals, and by a federal appeals court. At each venue, he was unsuccessful — his application was filed too late; the judges focused on what Dennis described as minor inconsistencies in his account of a cousin blackmailing him, with the complicity of the police, over his sexual orientation; and the evidence O’Dwyer presented about the conditions facing gay people in Peru did not meet a high enough standard. Memories of those legal proceedings haunt Dennis; what he witnessed there made him feel “embarrassed as an American — not just the way Jair was treated, but the way everyone is.” “They try to trip you up,” he recalled of the questioning Izquierdo faced about his testimony of harassment in Peru. “They caught him in a small contradiction, and then the prosecutor

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DEPORTED, continued on p.11

B r o a d w a y ’s J a c k i e H o f f m a n , acclaimed for her hysterical scenestealing performances in “ Hairspray,” “Xanadu,” and currently as Grandma in “The Addams Family,” presents her all-new solo show “Jackie Five-Oh!: A Celebration of Jackie Hoffman’s First 50th Birthday” at Joe’s Pub, inside the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., btwn. E. Fourth St. & Astor Pl. Dec. 24, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 31, 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 ($40 on Dec. 31) at joespub.com or 212-967-7555. For table reservations, guaranteeing a seat, call 212-539-8778. Table service includes a two-drink or $12 food minimum ✯

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SUN.DEC.26

COMEDY No Rest for the Funny

Brad Loekle continues the unending War on Christmas with this Boxer Day edition of “The Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour.” Loekle’s guests for this Baby Jesus Birthday Bash are Ronn Vigh (San Francisco’s Punchline), Frank Liotti (Gotham Comedy Club), and Yamaneika (BET, TruTV). Therapy, 348 W. 52nd St., 10 p.m. No cover charge, and $7 cosmos all night long. ✯

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MON.DEC.27

PERFORMANCE The Worst of Times, The Best of Times

Pamela Murphy’s “The C Word” is the playwright’s journey through breast cancer, during which she capitalizes on the worst thing that’s ever happened to her.

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DEC 27, continued on p.24

22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

Crime /11

Chi Chiz Throws in the Towel Owners say city, Liquor Authority, Christopher Street Patrol opposition ruined business BY DUNCAN OSBORNE

A

West Village bar that caters to a gay and transgender AfricanAmerican clientele and was sued this year by the city and by the State Liquor Authority will close on January 3. “Obviously, the economic impact of what’s been going on this year — we went over those numbers — it’s highly problematic,” said Thomas D. Shanahan, an attorney for Chi Chiz. New York City brought a nuisance abatement lawsuit against Chi Chiz in March, charging that the bar allowed four drug sales on its premises

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from July of 2009 to January of 2010. Chi Chiz’ owners and its lawyers said that police steered the drug dealers into the bar. The first three buys were from the same dealer, with those sales occurring over three months. “We never had notice of that,” said Shanahan, referring to the first sale. “It was a set-up.” The fourth sale was from two dealers who met an undercover police officer at a Starbucks near Seventh A venue and Grove Street. Police said one of the dealers insisted that they walk two-and-a-half blocks to make the sale in Chi Chiz. Beginning in September, the

DEPORTED, from p.10

blew a gasket and starting yelling, ‘He’s a liar.’” By November 2009, Izquierdo’s options had run their course; he was given a final order of removal. Official policy at ICE is to prioritize removal orders for those immigrants with criminal records, a category that does not include Izquierdo. For the next 11 months, nothing happened, and he and Dennis continued their lives in Jersey City as best they could, even with the ever-present risk of being separated hanging over their heads. “It was always there,” Dennis said. “It was always the other person in the room. People would ask me, ‘Are you happy?’ And I would say, ‘Yes.’ But, there was always a shadow. It was something I didn’t verbalize, but I was happy with an asterisk.” On October 20, Izquierdo received a call from a purported client asking to schedule a make-up consultation. When he arrived at work for the appointment, he was met by ICE officials, who took him into custody. O’Dwyer started down several legal avenues on Izquierdo’s behalf. He filed a motion to reopen his client’s case before the Board of Immigration Appeals, based on what he said was “a significant amount of evidence that conditions for gay people in Peru had gotten worse” since Izquierdo’s case had originally been heard. While that motion was pending, he simultaneously asked the Board and ICE for stays of deportation; both applications were denied. Izquierdo’s motion to reopen his case had not been acted on at the time he was sent back to Peru.

Authority held four hearings and heard from 11 witnesses offered by the Authority or Chi Chiz. The administrative law judge in that proceeding found for the agency, saying the bar allowed the drug sales and other “disorderly conduct.” We r e t h e t h r e e - m e m b e r Authority board that issues final rulings on cases to later sustain that finding, it could cost the bar its liquor license, effectively closing the establishment. Shanahan said that even if Chi Chiz were able to keep its license and settle with the city, it appeared that the police and West Village residents who have

The attorney also pursued what is known as “deferred action,” a discretionary administrative status under which ICE essentially opts not to enforce a removal order. O’Dwyer argued that any fair “weighing of the equities” involved in Izquierdo’s case should have led government officials to pursue this course. The immigrant had lived in the US for roughly ten years, had obeyed the law, found work, and established a life partnership with another man. He posed no threat to the civil order or the nation’s security. Those equities, however, were never fairly weighed, O’Dwyer argued. “They have the discretion,” he charged. “They made the discretionary decision not to pay attention to a gay relationship. Gay relationships are not viewed as real relationships.” The attorney said that whatever the deportation priorities the Department of Homeland Security has established, local detention facilities and ICE offices feel an incentive to process as many removals as quickly as they can. The paperwork supporting the deferred action appeal arrived at ICE on December 13, and was followed up two days later by Menendez’s letter of support. Meanwhile, officials at the detention facility were proceeding with their plans to carry out the final order of removal issued last November, with both the deferred action application and the motion for a rehearing before the Board of Immigration Appeals in the works. In what felt like a clear afterthought, as Izquierdo’s bus was traveling the short route from Elizabeth to Newark, O’Dwyer received a call from a top official at the detention facility telling him that after “thorough consideration” he had decided

complained about the bar were not going to stop. “This is the private sector,” Shanahan said. “These are small business people, but if you continue to be the target, you reach a point where you can’t continue... We can’t sustain this on a continuing basis, and we have no confidence that these officers or people like David Poster are going to go away.” Poster, the president of the Christopher Street Patrol, was one of two West Village residents who testified for the Authority at the hearings there. “l just think that it was problem bar,” Poster told Gay City

to deny the deferred action motion. The official had received the paperwork the day before. “Well, he’s on the way to the air port,” O’Dwyer told the ICE official, who

News. “I’m not happy about it, but I think they are getting what they deserve.” Three senior officers in the Sixth Precinct, which patrols the West Village, testified about rowdy behavior on the sidewalk near Chi Chiz at the Authority hearings. On December 16, Chi Chiz was scheduled for a final hearing in the city’s nuisance abatement lawsuit and tried to reach a settlement with the city. “The terms that they wanted were too onerous,” Shanahan said. The bar will close and surrender its liquor license on January 3.

acknowledged that, and added, “I understand that his friend is very upset.” Dwyer shot back, “That’s not his friend. That’s

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DEPORTED, continued on p.28

St. Peter’s Chelsea Episcopal Church 346 West 20th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)

212.929.2390 www.stpeterschelsea.com

Christmas at St. Peter’s Timothy Brumfield, Director of music /organist David Ossenfort, renowned tenor Laurel Masse, Manhattan Transfer's founding member The Uptown Brass DECEMBER 24 Christmas Eve 10:00 PM Christmas music 10:30 PM Blessing of the Christmas Crèche and Festival Choral Eucharist DECEMBER 25 Christmas Day 10:00 AM Sung Eucharist DECEMBER 26 Sunday after Christmas 10:00 AM Sung Eucharist

22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

12

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Dykes Outside the Box Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman lead a fantasy life BY KELLY JEAN COGSWELL

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ne of the best-kept secrets in Lesbolandia is power couple Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman, doyennes of fantasy fiction. We sat down earlier this month and talked about writing, relationships, and the virtues of operating outside the box. Kushner and Sherman met at a Boston science fiction conference in 1985, when Delia was living in Boston and shopping a novella that would turn into her first book. One of the people to whom she was directed was Ellen, who was living in New York but had, unfortunately, just left her editing job. She gave Delia a hand anyway, and when Ellen moved to Boston a few years later, they became friends. In 1992, they finally began dating. It was a natural match. They both belonged to a new generation of writers that drew from a variety of sources including pre-Raphaelite painters, Victorian novelists, and “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” — in addition to fantasy icons C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Where they broke from those old masters was in their recognition that “we did not have in us what they had in them,” Kushner explained. “We’re not English. We don’t go for long country walks. We all kind of grew up in the suburbs and were living in our 20s in bad neighborhoods in the cities.”

Ellen Kushner (l.) and Delia Sherman, seen at their 2004 wedding in Massachusetts, have gained renown for their individual works as well as their frequent collaborations, in writing and speaking.

for the New York Review of Science Fiction’s December “Family Reading.” This year’s event was held December 14 at the SoHo Gallery for Digital Art. The gallery featured digital renderings of their book jackets, story illustrations,

Many mainstream readers won’t approach books in the fantasy section because they have fantasy cooties. The result was what one reviewer dubbed “fantasy of manners,” later also called “mannerpunk.” The setting is urban and, like in Dickens, often seesaws between high society and the criminal class. Books may have swordfights, but the plots more often hinge on social intrigue. The wry witty tone owes a lot to Jane Austen. Kushner’s novel “Swordspoint” has become a classic of the subgenre. Associated with the movement and with each other, Ellen and Delia are much sought after to appear as a team at conferences and workshops. They’ve become the traditional featured writers

and wedding photos, including one of an enormous wedding cake. They’ve actually been married twice — to each other. The second time was at Delia’s instigation in 2004, so they could “become part of the problem” if Massachusetts tried to repeal its high court’s decision and dissolve queer marriages. The crowd at the gallery seemed nonplussed by the whole lesbian thing. There was a mix of ages, races, sexual orientations, the conventional, the chic, and the ultra geeky. The diversity was remarkable for segregated New York,

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OUTSIDE THE BOX, continued on p.13

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22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

OUTSIDE THE BOX, from p.12

but not necessarily for the science fiction and fantasy world. One of their fans told me he’d been attracted to fantasy in the first place because it was all about “the Other,” and that’s what he was — young, queer, black. As Sherman put it, speculative fiction is mostly about exploring “the fluidity of human identity and what it means to be a human being, and not necessarily just a man. Or a woman.” Gender is central to their work. After writing her cult novel “Swordspoint,” focusing on two gay male characters in their 20s, Kushner began writing “The Privilege of the Sword,” a sequel set 20 years later, exploring the same society, but this time through the eyes of a teenage girl. The description of what it’s like for Katherine when she puts on pants for the first time is pretty extraordinary. Delia’s young adult novel “Changeling” sends a young girl on a quest through a folkloric version of New York that includes mythical figures like the Mermaid Queen of New York Harbor, who could just as easily be a biker dyke with spiky orange hair, black vest, and noseto-tail tattoos. But while fantasy writers may respect the hard to categorize “Other” in their literature, publishers are not so crazy about books that blur the genre boundaries. If you do fantasy fiction, stick to the conventions. Ditto for other genres like historical novels. At the same time, too many mainstream readers won’t approach books in the fantasy section at all because, as Kushner explained, they have fantasy cooties. But label the same books magical realism and stock them elsewhere, they’ll gobble them up. Putting stuff into boxes keeps readers — and books — from crossing over. Delia, Ellen, and some of their friends have founded the Interstitial Arts Foundation to promote art that crosses genre

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KEEP IT CLEAN. NATURALLY. borders and help writers present themselves to the marketers. The point is not just to sell books, but also to publish good writers who have read widely and bring everything that they have experienced to what they’re writing. “That’s how literature grows. That’s how art grows. By bringing things in, and making something new of it.” Sherman could as easily have been making an argument for diversity in biology or music or even politics. The idea filters into their joint “Swordspoint”-set novel, “The Fall of the Kings,” which is partly a critique of a political class guarding its homogeneity and the lengths the powerful will go to preserve their privilege. If magic had been called religion in the book, and it had been set in contemporary America, this portrait of a society engaged in censorship, spying, torture, and intrigue wouldn’t have been categorized as fantasy at all, but instead pure realism.

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14/ Legal

Mixed Signals Persist in Family Law North Carolina closes door on second-parent adoptions, while Minnesota equivocates BY ARTHUR S. LEONARD

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he battle for LGBT family equality unfolds in uneven fashion from state to state, and in some jurisdictions even seems to go backwards at times. The latest chapter in secondparent adoption litigation — with two appellate decisions issued in recent days — certainly bears this out. The North Carolina Supreme Court overruled both a trial and an intermediate appellate court to find that a second-parent adoption approved five years ago was “void ab initio” — invalid from the start. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s intermediate appellate court did not rule on the merits of a challenged second-parent adoption but found that a trial judge erred by sanctioning an attorney for raising an argument about whether such procedures were allowed under state law. The North Carolina decision, released on December 20, came in a high profile case, involving openly lesbian State Senator Julia Boseman, who was seeking joint custody over the child she had been raising with Melissa Jarrell, the child’s birth mother,

when the women broke up in 2006. The couple, who began their relationship in 1998 and moved to North Carolina the following year, decided in 2000 that Jarrell would bear their child. In 2004, after hearing that a Durham County judge had granted a second-parent adoption, they decided they would apply to have Boseman adopt the child while preserving Jarrell’s parental status. By statute, an adoption in North Carolina can only follow the termination of existing parental rights, but the Dur ham County judge, in 2005, waived this provision, allowing Jarrell to give what was legally considered “limited consent” to the adoption and thereby maintain her full parental rights. H o w e v e r, w h e n t h e couple br oke up less than a year later, Jarrell began limiting Boseman’s access to their child. Boseman went to court, this time in Hanover County, seeking custody of the child. In custody disputes between two legal parents, courts give sole consideration to the best interest of the child. When the court found that both women were fit mothers who had good relationships with the

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child, it ordered joint custody. The judge rejected Jarrell’s argument that the 2005 adoption was void, finding that it could not question an adoption decree from another court and that by encouraging Boseman’s parental relationship with the child, the biological mother was acting inconsistently with her claim to have sole rights as a par ent. The ruling was in line with other North Carolina decisions that had granted custody to same-sex partners who had formed parental relationships with children in the absence of adoption decrees. An intermediate appellate court upheld the ruling by the Hanover County judge. Five justices on the State Supreme Court, however, found that the Durham County trial judge who granted the 2005 adoption lacked jurisdiction to do so. Adoptions are legal, they found, only as specifically authorized in state law — either after birth parents have surrendered their rights or by a step-parent legally wed to a birth parent who gives consent. The literalistic inter -

pretation spelled out in Justice Paul M. Newby’s majority opinion was sharply criticized by Justice Robin E. Hudson, who pointed out in her dissent that the Legislature had also made clear, in no uncertain ter ms, that there is a strict time limit for challenging adoption decrees, long since elapsed when Jarr ell mounted her argument. Nothing in North Carolina law, she said, limited either the birth or the adoptive parent’s right to waive the provision regarding termination of parental rights, while it did expressly call for “liberal interpretation” to protect the best interest of children in need of adoption. Even though the high court majority voided Boseman’s adoption, it did weigh the child’s best interest, since it agreed that Jarrell had encouraged her ex-partner’s parental relationship with their child. In the end, Boseman will maintain her joint custody with her ex-partner, but she is no longer a legal parent. In the Minnesota case, a unanimous three-judge court of appeals panel, in a case in which the parties are identified only by

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their initials, adopted the same view as the North Carolina dissenters in holding that a birth parent was time-barred fr om challenging her former partner’s secondparent adoption. The two women, J.M.J. and L.A.M., began their relationship in 1995, and five years later J.M.J. conceived a child with the assistance of a former boyfriend. A month after twins wer e bor n, the birth mother consented to her partner’s secondparent adoption, with the birth father agreeing to terminate his rights. In 2002, the couple split up, with J.M.J. moving to Arizona, and years of legal squabbling ensued between the two mothers. Finally, in 2009, the birth mother filed a motion to vacate the adoptions, contending that Minnesota law does not allow for second-parent adoptions. J.M.J. also claimed that the 2000 adoptions were fraudulent since the paperwork stated that the twins were conceived through insemination with sperm from an anonymous donor, when in fact she had sexual intercourse with her former boyfriend. The trial court rejected J.M.J.’s arguments, finding that the statutory time limit for challenging an adoption was long past, and that both of her legal arguments were invalid and improperly raised by her attorney. The judge not only granted L.A.M.’s motion to dismiss the case, it also imposed a sanction for improper litigation tactics, requiring J.M.J. and her attorney to pay for her attorney fees. The court of appeals agreed that the motion to vacate the adoptions was untimely, and also

agreed that sanctions were appropriate because the time-bar was obvious and the fraud claim was spurious — the question of how the twins were conceived was not relevant to the adoption. Significantly, however, the court disagreed that J.M.J. and her attor ney could be penalized for raising the issue of whether Minnesota law allows second-parent adoptions because, the court concluded, that was an open question not yet resolved on the appellate level. Looking at the state’s adoption law, Judge Kevin G. Ross wrote, it was plausible to inter pret it to allow such adoptions, but it was also possible to read the statute to forbid them — or, at least, to not authorize them. The trial court abused its discretion by imposing a financial sanction for having raised that issue. The appellate court was careful to note that the untimely nature of J.M.J.’s motion made it unnecessary to deter mine whether in fact Minnesota law allows second-parent adoptions. The court was very careful in its discussion to refrain from signaling any view on that matter, leaving this important question in doubt in Minnesota. While these cases show that trial judges in both Minnesota and North Carolina have granted second-parent adoptions for same-sex couples, the high court ruling in North Carolina made clear that they can no longer proceed, while the Minnesota decision, though not shutting the door on them, has told trial courts that their legality is at least questionable.

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22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

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number two Republican in the House of Representatives, called the display of Wojnarowicz’s video “an outrageous use of taxpayer money and an obvious attempt to offend Christians during the Christmas season.” In response to immediate criticism of the decision to remove the video, the Portrait Gallery’s director, Martin Sul-

livan, said, “Some of the accounts of this got out so virally and so vehemently that people were leaping to a conclusion that we were intentionally trying to provoke Christians.” Sullivan, speaking to the Times, praised the video for “vivid, colorful imagery and sometimes shocking metaphors” that represented “the reality of the suffering of the AIDS

JAMES WENTZY

In a December 19 march up Fifth Avenue from the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 82nd Street to the CooperHewitt Museum eight blocks north, hundreds of New Yorkers protested the removal of a video created by the late David Wojnarowicz from an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington. The Cooper-Hewitt is the Smithsonian’s design museum. The Wojnarowicz video, “A Fire in My Belly,” used an image of ants crawling over a crucifix to convey the suffering of somebody dying of AIDS, which claimed his life in 1992. The video was part of the exhibition “Hide/ Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture,” an exhibition promoted as the first by a major art museum focused on LGBT themes. “Hide/ Seek” opened to critical praise in late October, but in early December, the Wojnarowicz video was removed after complaints surfaced from members of Congress as well as the Catholic League, a right-wing group based in New York. The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue told the New York Times that the video constituted hate speech, while Eric Cantor, the

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epidemic in Latin American culture,” but said he wished to put critics’ “misperceptions” to rest. According to ARTPOSITIVE, a direct action group organized to protest the censorship of Wojnarowicz’s work, “scores of galleries and museums” around the world are exhibiting the video to counter “the Smithsonian’s

capitulation to bigotry.” The group said that artist AA Bronson has demanded that his photograph “Felix, June 5, 1994,” depicting his lover at the time of his death from AIDS, be removed from “Hide/Seek.” The Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Calder Foundations pledged to boycott Smithsonian shows, the group said. — Paul Schindler

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16/ Dance

Baring Their Souls Aszure Barton’s buskers seek the limelight and their humanity BY GUS SOLOMONS JR

JULIETA CERVANTES

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hat makes Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton’s work so appealing? In four sold-out performances of her new “Busk,” presented at the Baryshnikov Arts Center (December 17-19), the choreographer explored the conflict between performers’ needs to put themselves on display and their simultaneous wish to remain private. That concept has major over-indulgence potential, but Barton deftly avoids the pitfall. She translates feeling into vivid, passionate kinetic imagery that challenges her dancers’ abundant skills as movers and actors, in the process taking us on a profoundly engaging journey. Barton’s sterling troupe of nine, dressed in black sweat clothes and hoodies (by Michele Jank), devour space like fleet gazelles one moment and huddle together like frightened baby chicks the next. She persuades her dancers to strip naked psychologically; their physical commitment to her work is boundless. And the movement she creates in collaboration with them has uniquely inventive personality. In the new Jerome Robbins Theater

Aszure Barton translates feeling into vivid, passionate kinetic imagery that challenges the abundant skills of her dancers (including Cynthia Salgado, seen here) as movers and actors.

— a large, black box space — a curtain made of black feather boas (by creative design consultant Jon Morris) conceals the stage as the audience enters, and mist permeates the theater. A distant drumbeat, like that from a street show, rises and subsides, as if coming from

somewhere outside. When the house lights dim, Eric Beauchesne emerges from the front row and walks through a gap in the boa drapery, and the whole curtain immediately plummets to the ground. In a square of light that pierces the otherwise

darkened space, Beauchesne becomes the street performer, doing his tricks and soliciting approval from us onlookers. His body folds into deep knee bends and stretches into long lunges; he occasionally grunts, as his white-gloved hands swirl and clap. He dons his hat, which sits on the floor in its own spotlight, by doing a headstand into it. Similarly throughout, amazing solos are at once presentational and intimate, virtuosic and confessional. For hers, Cynthia Salgado doffs her baggy hoodie to reveal her lithe torso in a halter leotard; she ends her piece by crawling off on hands and knees, like the pet of the dark figure beside her. In his, AfricanAmerican Jonathan Emanuell Alsberry bares his muscularly defined torso and inserts a little tap and hip hop. Emily Oldak wears only a nude bikini as she arches into deep backbends and wraps her leg behind her neck like a contortionist, while her black-clad mates lie prostrate, hands outstretched, along the edges of her illuminated square. Charlaine Katsuyoshi creeps onstage inside a black garbage bag for her solo, which includes her wrapping herself in the boa

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ASZURE BARTON, continued on p.29

■ THEATER

Off Key Fanciful Schubert tribute strikes a few sour notes

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our enjoyment of “Three Pianos,” a frenetic ode to Franz Schubert, will largely hinge on two factors: your affinity for the 19th century Viennese composer, specifically his lugubrious “Winterreise” song cycle, and your tolerance for robust red wine, courtesy of Terra Fossil Wines (it’s imported from Argentina not Austria, but never mind). That’s because the evening is loosely structured as a modern-day “Schubertiad,” inspired by the raucous parties once hosted by the troubled composer, where he and some buds would play his compositions, debate the nature of music, love, and loneliness, and drink, drink, drink. A tiny plastic glass is handed to you when you pick up your ticket; there’s more than one occasion during the course of the evening when you’re encouraged to fill it. By my calculations, however, it would require an entire bottle per theatergoer

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to fully appreciate the antics onstage. There are actually multiple parties intermittently going on. The primary one, set in the present-day, is comprised of the show’s creators, a trio of somewhat nerdy dudes in need of good haircuts and wearing ill-fitting sweaters. Dave Malloy is despondent over a breakup with his girlfriend. Rick Burkhardt and Alec Duffy try to diagnose his depression — when they’re not riffing on Schubert and his circle, that is. Another party features Schubert (Burkhardt), presiding over a motley crew of

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OFF KEY, continued on p.23

JOAN MARCUS

BY DAVID KENNERLEY

Dave Malloy, Alec Duffy, and Rick Burkhardt provide an evening of antics aimed at recapturing the inebriated discovery of Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise” song cycle.

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22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

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■ IN THE NOH

Holidays — and the Aggies — Again Best of 2010, Edna O’Brien’s “Haunted,” and Lubitsch’s last laughs BY DAVID NOH

“Dodsworth”: Metropolitan Playhouse’s spectacular production of the Sinclair Lewis/ Sidney Howard classic actually equalled the sublime 1936 William Wyler film version. Due to various estate legalities, the show wasn’t advertised or formally reviewed, but those lucky enough to catch it thrilled to its impeccable ensemble acting and Yvonne Opffer Conybeare’s superb direction, which created entire rich worlds upon the tiny Metropolitan stage. “Brief Encounter”: In both its St. Ann’s Warehouse and Broadway incarnations, Emma Rice’s floridly imaginative rethinking of Noel Coward’s warhorse gave you a wondrously complete Coward immersion of romance, wit, performance, and song. (And fie on Stephen Sondheim’s snarky Coward putdowns in his book, “Finishing the Hat,” where he said, among other things, that Coward was too self-consciously clever and he’s never laughed at one of his lyrics. Ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black! And when did the Dark Master ever produce a real guffaw anyway?) The after-show spontaneous sing-song performances by the adorable, melodious cast were an added generously warm-hearted treat. Martha Plimpton at Lincoln Center: This protean talent gave the wittiest cabaret show of the year, filled with daring, real hipness, and awesome musical versatility. Leslie Uggams at Lincoln Center/ Cafe Carlyle: Her voice was uncannily fresh and more powerful than ever, as lavishly backed up by her band. Soignee to die for, appearance-wise, she demon-

HUGH MACKEY

With “How My Mother Died of Cancer and Other Bedtime Stories,” Chris Kelly managed to make the most morbid of subjects both laugh-out-loud hilarious and inspiring, earning a 2010 Aggie.

strated a true old pro’s utter confidence in delivering unalloyed audience joy. “Fyvush Finkel Live!”: Seemingly, the entire, rich history of New York’s Yiddish theater trouped onto the stage at Baruch College, where the 88-yearold comedic master held forth, his sidesplitting facial expressions and timing miraculously intact. A full band, headed by Finkel’s sons, lent musical richness, while astonishingly versatile vet actors Merwin Goldsmith and too-little-seen June Gable both convulsed you and broke your heart. Joni Paladin at Julius: There’s no more gorgeous voice around than this astonishingly versatile singer, who pulled people in off the street with the wafting sound of her spine-chillingly angelic tones. I’ve heard this musical genius do everything from jazz to samba to a brilliant, impromptu “Billie Jean” that was the most exciting cover I’ve ever heard.

“12 Incompetent Men (and Women”): If ever the perfect guilty-pleasure Fringe show existed, then Ian McWethy’s jury duty parody certainly fit the bill, and I’d see it a third time, gladly. For once, snarky young irony worked gorgeously, with this assortment of wacked-out archetypes perfectly played by a dozen crack farceurs.

ably young playwright Chris Kelly, with a terrifically in-synch cast, uncannily managed to make this seemingly most morbid of subjects both laugh-out-loud hilarious and — without a hint of bathos — really inspiring. His passage about nighttime tales remains the most hauntingly beautiful stage writing of the year. “The Twentieth Century Way”: Tom Jacobson’s expose of gay police entrapment in 1914 California was a dizzyingly astute Pirandellian two-hander, with Robert Mammana and Will Bradley giving performances filled with perfectly timed courage and complexity. It was also, with its fraught, suggestive atmosphere and bold nudity, 2010’s undoubtedly sexiest play.

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Four Fringe Festival productions were a bracing riposte to the condescending attitude this annual summer theater orgy traditionally invites from the ignorant and the lazy: “Just in Time: The Judy Holliday Story”: Bob Sloan’s theatrically clever, deeply moving portrait of this immortal was the loveliest tribute imaginable. A wonderful cast was headed by Marina Squerciati — who not only nailed Holliday’s tremulously distinctive voice, but also her formidable intelligence and melting vulnerability — in the year’s most impressive acting performance. “How My Mother Died of Cancer and Other Bedtime Stories”: Unbeliev-

JONATHAN KEENAN

In no particular order, the Aggies go to:

MICHELLE PHILIPPIN

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ime again for our annual Aggies, the Agnes Moorehead Awards for the ten best live performances of 2010, given in honor of that actress who enlivened everything, even dross like the movies “The Revolt of Mamie Stover,” in which she played a platinum blonde, possibly lesbian, Honolulu bordello madam who makes a bundle off Jane Russell’s copious assets, or “Jeanne Eagels,” in which she is called upon to teach Kim Novak (!) acting lessons, in an attempt to make that most somnambulistic sexpot into a semblance of the reallife titular character, possibly the most electrifying actress ever to grace a New York stage.

Brenda Blethyn, in richest role since the film “Secrets and Lies,” stars in Edna O’Brien’s “Haunted.”

he best holiday present you can give yourself is a ticket to Edna O’Brien’s thrilling, magnificently acted play, “Haunted,” at 59E59th Theaters (59 E. 59 St., Tue., Wed., Sun., 7 p.m.; Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m., through Jan. 2; $45-$65 at britsoffbroadway.com or 212-279-4200). “For those who love words, darling, for those who love words,” was Noel Coward’s famous comment at the opening night of Enid Bagnold’s “The Chalk Garden,” and I felt the same way at O’Brien’s premiere, attended by Alan Rickman, Kim Cattrall, and Margaret Colin. As with most O’Brien works, it’s about love and its inevitable messiness, expressed in language so ineffably rich you find certain lines buzzing in your head days afterwards. Brenda Blethyn, in her strongest role since the film “Secrets and Lies,” and Niall Buggy play Mrs. and Mr. Berry, a long-married couple whose relationship survives on an intense fantasy life and essential dollops of self-deception. Into their lives comes Hazel (luminous Beth Cook), an innocent young girl who sparks a fire in Mr. Berry, dangerously upsetting his already precarious marital apple cart. I recently met with the actors and the remarkable O’Brien, bristling with fury at Charles Isherwood’s typically clueless

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IN THE NOH, continued on p.19

WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

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22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

IN THE NOH, from p.18

New York Times review. “He’s a cultural thug!” she exclaimed. “To call this play ‘slight!’ It may be not his choice of material, but ‘slight’ is a slight. I could kill him! Someone read the first three lines of his review to me, and I told them to stop. I took such relish in going to the maid in my hotel with the Times and asking her, ‘Could you burn this?’ But you know what’s so marvelous about serious actors like these? They went up there the next night and did it better than ever!” I told O’Brien that, often, one would do well to see what Isherwood pans and avoid what he likes (“Passing Strange,” “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” “American Idiot”), and she said, “A lot of my friends have told me that. But with this play, I think I get ideas in my sleep. I’m very interested in people who live on the edge of the buzz and glamour of London. I chose the name Blackheath for the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Berry because it was the nearest I could get to ‘Wuthering Heights.’ I usually set my novels and stories in Ireland, but I felt I knew these people and that this was a play, and not a novel or short story, in which the light and spirit and conflict of these people would happen on the stage. I wrote a television play years ago with the same names for the characters, and, like a child with a dog, you cling to a name. “I’ve been with these actors for three years now. I saw Brenda Blethyn in ‘’Night Mother,’ and she gave me a ride home in her car. I said, ‘I might have something for you. Would you read it?’ She was courteous beyond words and said she would, although she’d never read a word of me, of course. Niall and I have been friends for longer than we care to admit, and this beautiful woodland creature, Beth, I knew her mother and grandmother. So, between a New York taxi, Buggy being a blood brother in many ways to me, and Beth being from my past, I got three actors any writer in the world would die to get, because they’re flawless!” Buggy observed, “It’s so beautifully written. Every day we come in to perform, and sometimes you’re feeling up or down, but when you have words like this that support and take you along for the journey... We’ve had a great time doing this play and our relationships on and offstage have only developed.” I quoted my favorite line, which was when Blethyn cries, “I could be lissome again!,” and the actress laughed, “In

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this world of texting and emailing and OMG’ing, this script with such beautiful language is such a pleasure. Everyone’s ordering things online and instead of conversation, there’s texting, so much less tactility with people than there used to be.” O’Brien added, “Lissome is an uncommon word, yet everyone knows it and they always laugh there. There’s an emotional charge in words, even if they haven’t heard them before. Each word has to be like a bullet, what they mean. Mrs. Berry’s character is slightly more unpredictable — one minute she’s laughing, then has to become fierce, and for an actress like Brenda to turn on a mere line, they’re all poets in this play. “Unlike most modern plays, my language isn’t minimal or stripped. Look at Samuel Beckett, the best model to read. His ‘Happy Days’ has some slight resemblance to my play with the mania of the language and characters. But if ‘Happy Days’ were put on here tomorrow by some anonymous author, certain people might not get it, as they’re used to this slightly arid modern language. But the richness has to be controlled and leavened with humor, which is as essential to it as the tragedy.” Buggy added, “I have never been in a play where people have listened in such an emotional way to what is going on, because this touches people’s lives very strongly and not a lot of plays do that at the moment. It’s about love and loss, which is a fierce thing.” Blethyn commented on the audience’s commitment to the play as well, saying, “And the standing ovations we’ve been getting every night! Remember that man last night, who kept crying, ‘Thank you! Thank you!’?” Beth Cooke, who is related to the famous Irish Cusack acting family, said, “Although the language is so dense and there’s so much to remember, it’s like music and surprisingly easy. When we came back to doing it here in New York, we were basically off book after only a week’s rehearsal. My character is a bit of an enigma, but when Mr. Berry’s love for her and deception is revealed to her, she has nothing. She has no parents or real friends, she just trusted him. I think if he had tried to make his move and she’d just said no and left, she would have survived better. But she doesn’t and...” And O’Brien jumped in to say, “The bell tolls for her! My friend Philip Roth came, and he said during the interval

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IN THE NOH, continued on p.24

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22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

20

• EPZICOM, in combination with other antiretroviral agents, is indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults. • EPZICOM is one of 3 medicines containing abacavir. Before starting EPZICOM, your healthcare provider will review your medical history in order to avoid the use of abacavir if you have experienced an allergic reaction to abacavir in the past. • In one study, more patients had a severe hypersensitivity reaction in the abacavir once-daily group than in the abacavir twice-daily group. • EPZICOM should not be used as part of a triple-nucleoside regimen. • EPZICOM does not cure HIV infection/AIDS or prevent passing HIV to others.

Important Safety Information EPZICOM contains abacavir, which is also contained in ZIAGEN® (abacavir sulfate) and TRIZIVIR® (abacavir sulfate, lamivudine, and zidovudine). Patients taking abacavir may have a serious allergic reaction (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death. Your risk of this allergic reaction is much higher if you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701 than if you do not. Your healthcare provider can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation. If you get a symptom from 2 or more of the following groups while taking EPZICOM, call your doctor right away to determine if you should stop taking this medicine. 1. Fever 2. Rash 3. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal (stomach area) pain 4. Generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness 5. Shortness of breath, cough, or sore throat Carefully read the Warning Card that your pharmacist gives you and carry it with you at all times. If you stop EPZICOM because of an allergic reaction, NEVER take EPZICOM or any other abacavir-containing medicine (ZIAGEN, TRIZIVIR) again. If you take EPZICOM or any other abacavir-containing medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, WITHIN HOURS you may get life-threatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or death.

I’ve got the fight in me.

WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

If you stop EPZICOM for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to EPZICOM, talk with your healthcare provider before taking it again. Taking EPZICOM again can cause a serious allergic or life-threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before. If your healthcare provider tells you that you can take EPZICOM again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a healthcare provider if you need one. A buildup of lactic acid in the blood and an enlarged liver, including fatal cases, have been reported. Do not take EPZICOM if your liver does not function normally. Some patients infected with both hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV have worsening of hepatitis after stopping lamivudine (a component of EPZICOM). Discuss any change in treatment with your healthcare provider. If you have both HBV and HIV and stop treatment with EPZICOM, you should be closely monitored by your healthcare provider for at least several months. Worsening of liver disease (sometimes resulting in death) has occurred in patients infected with both HIV and hepatitis C virus who are taking antiHIV medicines and are also being treated for hepatitis C with interferon with or without ribavirin. If you are taking EPZICOM as well as interferon with or without ribavirin and you experience side effects, be sure to tell your healthcare provider. When you start taking HIV medicines, your immune system may get stronger and could begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body, such as pneumonia, herpes virus, or tuberculosis. If you have new symptoms after starting your HIV medicines, be sure to tell your healthcare provider. Changes in body fat may occur in some patients taking antiretroviral therapy. These changes may include an increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the trunk. Loss of fat from the legs, arms, and face may also occur. The cause and longterm health effects of these conditions are not known at this time. Some HIV medicines, including those containing abacavir (ZIAGEN, EPZICOM, and TRIZIVIR), may increase your risk of heart attack. If you have heart problems, smoke, or suffer from diseases that increase your risk of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, tell your healthcare provider. The most common side effects seen with the drugs in EPZICOM dosed once daily were allergic reaction, trouble sleeping, depression, headache, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, rash, fever, stomach pain, abnormal dreams, and anxiety. Most of the side effects do not cause people to stop taking EPZICOM. By prescription only. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see additional important information about EPZICOM, including boxed warnings, on the adjacent pages.

Save on your medication! Ask your doctor about the Patient Savings Card or visit www.mysupportcard.com to learn how to save on your out-of-pocket expenses. Subject to eligibility. Restrictions apply.

WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

“

22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

EVEN WITH HIV,

I NEVER STOP FIGHTING.” “When I was first diagnosed with HIV, I didn’t know what each day would bring or how the virus would affect my body over time. But at some point, I realized I had to take control. So I worked on my body. My mind. And my attitude. Since then, I’ve dedicated my life to fighting HIV with everything in me. My meds help a lot. About a year ago, my doctor told me about EPZICOM. In combination with other medications, it’s been shown to help keep HIV from making more copies of itself and infecting healthy cells. 68% of patients taking a regimen with EPZICOM had their viral load become undetectable in less than one year. Plus, patients saw a 93% increase in their T-cell counts.* So I started taking it as part of my combination therapy. Turns out that was a good thing. My viral load is undetectable. And me? I just keep fighting on.” †

†

Not an actual patient testimonial. Based on collection of real patient experiences. Individual results may vary.

* HEAT study of 688 patients defines undetectable as a viral load less than 50 copies/mL. Baseline median T-cell count for patients receiving EPZICOM was 214 cells/mm3 and at 48 weeks, patients saw a median increase of 201 cells/mm3 in their T-cell count.

Ask your healthcare provider if EPZICOM is right for you. Learn more at www.EpzicomForYou.com

21

22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

22 EPZICOM® (abacavir sulfate and lamivudine) Tablets MEDICATION GUIDE EPZICOM® (ep′ zih com) Tablets Generic name: abacavir (uH-BACK-ah-veer) sulfate and lamivudine (la-MIV-yoo-deen)

Read the Medication Guide that comes with EPZICOM before you start taking it and each time you get a refill because there may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your medical condition or your treatment. Be sure to carry your EPZICOM Warning Card with you at all times. What is the most important information I should know about EPZICOM? • Serious Allergic Reaction to Abacavir. EPZICOM contains abacavir (also contained in ZIAGEN® and TRIZIVIR®). Patients taking EPZICOM may have a serious allergic reaction (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death. Your risk of this allergic reaction is much higher if you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701 than if you do not. Your doctor can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation. If you get a symptom from 2 or more of the following groups while taking EPZICOM, call your doctor right away to determine if you should stop taking this medicine.

Symptom(s) Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5

Fever Rash Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal (stomach area) pain Generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness Shortness of breath, cough, sore throat

A list of these symptoms is on the Warning Card your pharmacist gives you. Carry this Warning Card with you. If you stop EPZICOM because of an allergic reaction, NEVER take EPZICOM (abacavir sulfate and lamivudine) or any other abacavir-containing medicine (ZIAGEN and TRIZIVIR) again. If you take EPZICOM or any other abacavir-containing medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, WITHIN HOURS you may get lifethreatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or death. If you stop EPZICOM for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to EPZICOM, talk with your doctor before taking it again. Taking EPZICOM again can cause a serious allergic or life-threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before. If your doctor tells you that you can take EPZICOM again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a doctor if you need one. • Lactic Acidosis. Some human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medicines, including EPZICOM, can cause a rare but serious condition called lactic acidosis with liver enlargement (hepatomegaly). Nausea and tiredness that don’t get better may be symptoms of lactic acidosis. In some cases this condition can cause death. Women, overweight people, and people who have taken HIV medicines like EPZICOM for a long time have a higher chance of getting lactic acidosis and liver enlargement. Lactic acidosis is a medical emergency and must be treated in the hospital. • Worsening of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Patients with HBV infection, who take EPZICOM and then stop it, may get “flare-ups” of their hepatitis. “Flare-up” is when the disease suddenly returns in a worse way than before. If you have HBV infection, your doctor should closely monitor your liver function for several months after stopping EPZICOM. You may need to take anti-HBV medicines. • Use with interferon- and ribavirin-based regimens. Worsening of liver disease (sometimes resulting in death) has occurred in patients infected with both HIV and hepatitis C virus who are taking anti-HIV medicines and are also being treated for hepatitis C with interferon with or without ribavirin. If you are taking EPZICOM as well as interferon with or without ribavirin and you experience side effects, be sure to tell your doctor. EPZICOM can have other serious side effects. Be sure to read the section below entitled “What are the possible side effects of EPZICOM?” What is EPZICOM? EPZICOM is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV infection. EPZICOM includes 2 medicines: abacavir (ZIAGEN) and lamivudine or 3TC (EPIVIR®). See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in EPZICOM. Both of these medicines are called nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). When used together, they help lower the amount of HIV in your blood. This helps to keep your immune system as healthy as possible so that it can help fight infection. Different combinations of medicines are used to treat HIV infection. You and your doctor should discuss which combination of medicines is best for you. • EPZICOM does not cure HIV infection or AIDS. We do not know if EPZICOM will help you live longer or have fewer of the medical problems that people get with HIV or AIDS. It is very important that you see your doctor regularly while you are taking EPZICOM. • EPZICOM does not lower the risk of passing HIV to other people through sexual contact, sharing needles, or being exposed to your blood. For your health and the health of others, it is important to always practice safe sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom or other barrier method to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. Never use or share dirty needles. Who should not take EPZICOM? Do not take EPZICOM if you: • have ever had a serious allergic reaction (a hypersensitivity reaction) to EPZICOM or any other medicine that has abacavir as one of its ingredients (TRIZIVIR and ZIAGEN). See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in EPZICOM. • have a liver that does not function properly. • are less than 18 years of age. Before starting EPZICOM tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you: • have been tested and know whether or not you have a particular gene variation called HLA-B*5701. • are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. We do not know if EPZICOM will harm your unborn child. You and your doctor will need to decide if EPZICOM is right for you. If you use EPZICOM while you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about how you can be on the Antiviral Pregnancy Registry for EPZICOM. • are breastfeeding. Some of the ingredients in EPZICOM can be passed to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if they could harm your baby. Also, mothers with HIV should not breastfeed because HIV can be passed to the baby in the breast milk. • have liver problems including hepatitis B virus infection. • have kidney problems. • have heart problems, smoke, or suffer from diseases that increase your risk of heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take any of the following medicines*: • methadone • HIVID® (zalcitabine, ddC) • EPIVIR or EPIVIR-HBV® (lamivudine, 3TC), ZIAGEN (abacavir sulfate), COMBIVIR® (lamivudine and zidovudine), or TRIZIVIR (abacavir sulfate, lamivudine, and zidovudine).

WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

How should I take EPZICOM? • Take EPZICOM by mouth exactly as your doctor prescribes it. The usual dose is 1 tablet once a day. Do not skip doses. • You can take EPZICOM with or without food. • If you miss a dose of EPZICOM, take the missed dose right away. Then, take the next dose at the usual time. • Do not let your EPZICOM run out. • Starting EPZICOM again can cause a serious allergic or life-threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before. If you run out of EPZICOM even for a few days, you must ask your doctor if you can start EPZICOM again. If your doctor tells you that you can take EPZICOM again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a doctor if you need one. • If you stop your anti-HIV drugs, even for a short time, the amount of virus in your blood may increase and the virus may become harder to treat. • If you take too much EPZICOM, call your doctor or poison control center right away. What should I avoid while taking EPZICOM? • Do not take EPIVIR (lamivudine, 3TC), COMBIVIR (lamivudine and zidovudine), ZIAGEN (abacavir sulfate), or TRIZIVIR (abacavir sulfate, lamivudine, and zidovudine) while taking EPZICOM. Some of these medicines are already in EPZICOM. • Do not take zalcitabine (HIVID, ddC) while taking EPZICOM. Avoid doing things that can spread HIV infection, as EPZICOM does not stop you from passing the HIV infection to others. • Do not share needles or other injection equipment. • Do not share personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them, like toothbrushes and razor blades. • Do not have any kind of sex without protection. Always practice safe sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom or other barrier method to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. • Do not breastfeed. EPZICOM can be passed to babies in breast milk and could harm the baby. Also, mothers with HIV should not breastfeed because HIV can be passed to the baby in the breast milk. What are the possible side effects of EPZICOM? EPZICOM can cause the following serious side effects: • Serious allergic reaction that can cause death. (See “What is the most important information I should know about EPZICOM?” at the beginning of this Medication Guide.) • Lactic acidosis with liver enlargement (hepatomegaly) that can cause death. (See “What is the most important information I should know about EPZICOM?” at the beginning of this Medication Guide.) • Worsening of HBV infection. (See “What is the most important information I should know about EPZICOM?” at the beginning of this Medication Guide.) • Changes in immune system. When you start taking HIV medicines, your immune system may get stronger and could begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body, such as pneumonia, herpes virus, or tuberculosis. If you have new symptoms after starting your HIV medicines, be sure to tell your doctor. • Changes in body fat. These changes have happened in patients taking antiretroviral medicines like EPZICOM. The changes may include an increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the back, chest, and stomach area. Loss of fat from the legs, arms, and face may also happen. The cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known. Some HIV medicines including EPZICOM may increase your risk of heart attack. If you have heart problems, smoke, or suffer from diseases that increase your risk of heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, tell your doctor. The most common side effects with EPZICOM are trouble sleeping, depression, headache, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, rash, fever, stomach pain, abnormal dreams, and anxiety. Most of these side effects did not cause people to stop taking EPZICOM. This list of side effects is not complete. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. How should I store EPZICOM? • Store EPZICOM at room temperature between 59º to 86ºF (15º to 30ºC). • Keep EPZICOM and all medicines out of the reach of children. General information for safe and effective use of EPZICOM Medicines are sometimes prescribed for conditions that are not mentioned in Medication Guides. Do not use EPZICOM for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give EPZICOM to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them. This Medication Guide summarizes the most important information about EPZICOM. If you would like more information, talk with your doctor. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for the information that is written for healthcare professionals or call 1-888-825-5249. What are the ingredients in EPZICOM? Active ingredients: abacavir sulfate and lamivudine Inactive ingredients: Each film-coated EPZICOM Tablet contains the inactive ingredients magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, and sodium starch glycolate. The tablets are coated with a film (OPADRY® orange YS-1-13065-A) that is made of FD&C Yellow No. 6, hypromellose, polyethylene glycol 400, polysorbate 80, and titanium dioxide. COMBIVIR, EPIVIR, EPZICOM, TRIZIVIR, and ZIAGEN are registered trademarks of GlaxoSmithKline. *The brands listed are trademarks of their respective owners and are not trademarks of GlaxoSmithKline. The makers of these brands are not affiliated with and do not endorse GlaxoSmithKline or its products. This Medication Guide has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Lamivudine is manufactured under agreement from Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc, Basingstoke, UK ©2009, GlaxoSmithKline. All rights reserved. March 2009 ©2010 ViiV Healthcare Group of Companies All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

EPZ:2MG

ECM527R0

June 2010

22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

Theater /23

Color Blind John Guare’s new play wants to make history cool, but it’s a hot mess BY CHRISTOPHER BYRNE heater, like so many industries, has its fashions, which generally strut and fret for their hour until they exhaust themselves and the tide turns. One can almost hear producers say, for instance, “Musicals based on Shakespeare sell. Get me one of those.” And so we’ve been through AIDS plays, biblically-inspired musicals, and anything big and British. But for every major hit or artistic accomplishment, there are lesser works that audiences must simply endure. What starts as the breakthrough “Two Gentlemen of Verona” eventually devolves into the tepid “Your Own Thing.” The current vogue for being oh-so-clever with history is showing the unmistakable signs of fatigue with John Guare’s new play, “A Free Man of Color.” When the idea works, as with “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” or “The Scottsboro Boys,” the result can be sublime. Set to contemporary music, “Andrew Jackson” recast a relatively obscure, dark, and violent period of American history to skewer the shallow emotionalism and anti-intellectualism of our own time. For all its seeming chaos, it is both theatrically and intellectually accomplished. “Scottsboro Boys” took a racially motivated miscarriage of justice and set it up as a minstrel show. Not the subtlest concept, but it has a powerful score, brilliant performances, and lands with a visceral impact. Guare’s play has none of the immediacy or resonance of either of those two pieces; it seems motivated mostly

䉴

OFF KEY, from p.16

admirers with “funny German names.” It’s this co-mingling of timeframes, stumbling upon bits of commonality, which lends “Three Pianos” its curious appeal. Apparently, the production grew out of an impromptu, whiskey-soaked soiree at Judson Church a couple of years back, when the musicians discovered a trove of old sheet music, the “Winterreise” (translation: “Winter’s Journey”) cycle of two dozen songs based on plaintive poems by Wilhelm Müller that Schubert set to music in 1827, just one year before he died from syphilis at age 31. The men had such a jolly time — Burkhardt reportedly described the evening as the

Vivian Beaumont Theater 150 W. 65th St. Tue. at 7 p.m.; Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m. Wed., Sat. at 2 p.m.; Sun. at 3 p.m. $70-$115; telecharge.com Or 212-239-6200

by the desire to show just how smart the playwright is. Guare has borrowed heavily from the Restoration comedy “The Country Wife,” which itself was more than a century old in 1801, the time Guare’s piece is set. It is the rare audience member who will even get the allusions, and the conventions of Restoration theater — one of many missteps in George C. Wolfe’s leaden direction, which largely confuses frenzy with comedy — are completely alien to modern audiences. The story sprawls over decades and concerns the politics and international maneuvering of the Louisiana Purchase, the state of slavery in the newly expanding United States leading up to the Civil War, and the life of one Jacques Cornet, the eponymous free man of color. While the storytelling is largely linear, Guare jumps from place to place and has such variations of tone — from Cornet’s satyr-like sexual conquests to Napoleon shtick to commentary on slavery’s expansion — that it becomes impossible to follow. Inevitably, the play distances the audience. The first act is broad and littered with incident, acting styles, and inexplicable accents, but the characters are not

“best party ever” — they wanted to recreate that experience for others. The fiercely committed trio strenuously tries to recapture the magic of that night in story and song, but I had a nagging feeling that it was one of those you-had-to-be-there events. The narrative structure relies solely on the song cycle, about a lovelorn wanderer through a snowy landscape, often sung in German and translated into English on a large video screen. There is no discernible dramatic arc, the only tension being whether the men can finish the play without passing out. The riot of anachronisms quickly grows tedious. The characterizations are passable, though it’s clear Mal-

T. CHARLES ERICKSON

T

A FREE MAN OF COLOR

The charismatic Jeffrey Wright does the best he can with the role of Cornet in John Guare’s “A Free Man of Color.”

developed, making it impossible to know what’s at stake for any of them. The second act is more sedate and a bit more coherent, but has its own problems. A long meeting between Cornet and Thomas Jefferson, in which we see how American control of New Orleans undermines the advanced racial sensibilities achieved under French rule, is an occasion for Guare’s preaching rather than true dramatization. Jefferson’s hypocrisy and political expedience might have made for an interesting play. Guare’s writing, however, is so heavy handed that the ultimate analogy to Hurricane Katrina is labored — and not worth the two-and-ahalf hours it took to get to. The charismatic Jeffrey Wright does the best he can with the role of Cornet. At least he’s always fun to watch, even when what he’s doing makes no sense.

loy, Burkhardt, and Duffy are musicians first, and actors more by accident. Alas, the ersatz booze in their glasses is only juice, and their attempts to convey inebriation are not wholly convincing. Although Rachel Chavkin is credited as director, the way the actors run rampant onstage suggests she spent more effort securing a wine sponsor than actually guiding the production. That’s not to say that “Three Pianos” doesn’t achieve some engaging moments. I found the historical parts intriguing, as well as the insights about fiery depression, which Schubert harnessed to make art, ver sus numbing depression. The final song, “Der Leiermann,” performed without antics, is a

Mos Def plays his servant Murmur with wonderful focus and intensity. The rest of the cast mostly goes through the paces; they have no other choice. The production is stunning to look at, however. David Rockwell’s sets are inspired and wonderfully conceived, and Ann Hould-Ward’s sumptuous costumes are extraordinary. The sweep of history is fascinating, and epics can work. The spare “Andrew Jackson” makes its points and moves on in 90 minutes. Tom Stoppard’s brilliant “The Coast of Utopia” unfolded over nine riveting hours. But what made each of these work was the human element and the fact that audiences were drawn into fully realized worlds. Guare and the producers have missed that point in their desire to catch a trend. Unfortunately, their reach exceeded their grasp.

knockout. The play is at its best when it lets the music speak for itself, and I’d have preferred more music and less banter. The men spend more time pushing the pianos around the stage than actually playing them. If you’re wondering if the piece dares to broach the question of Schubert’s homosexuality, it does go there, depicting the “Schubertiads” as breeding grounds for lusty male bonding. Both Johann Mayrhofer, who wrote lyrics to many of Schubert’s songs, and 17-year old Schwind von Moritz, who declares he “hates women,” lived with the composer and shared his bed. When asked if he was ever arrested for “subversive activities,” Schubert replies, “It depends on which biography of

me you read.” The piece takes pains to elucidate how ordinary verse can be supercharged when put to music. If nothing else, “Three Pianos” proves that the marriage of Müller’s doleful words and Schubert’s intense notes was sublime. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the marriage of the venue and this play, which runs well over two hours without intermission. A cabaret setting would be much better, to allow less intrusive distribution of the wine — and quicker bathroom access — than the extra long rows at the New York Theater Workshop. It would also offer a hasty escape from the theater, which a few patrons loudly attempted in the middle of the performance I attended.

22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

24/ Opera

Something About Minnie In “La Fanciulla” at 100, more than a girl, less than golden

I

t is hard to fathom today, but there was a time when Puccini operas were new. Two of them had their world premieres at the Metropolitan Opera — “Il Trittico” and 100 years ago (on December 10, 1910), “La Fanciulla del West” (“The Girl of the Golden West”). Starring Caruso in the tenor lead with Toscanini in the pit, the original “spaghetti western” rode high in the saddle before Sergio Leone, Terence Hill, or Clint Eastwood were even born. Puccini crafted one of his most sophisticated scores, in which thematic complexity and orchestral subtleties trump overt melodic and emotional gestures. For “La Fanciulla”’s centenary year, the Metropolitan wisely passed on putting together a new production, since Giancarlo Del Monaco’s 1991 production played less than 20 performances in two seasons and has held up well. Luxuriantly detailed and cinematically realistic, Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper, and John Wayne would feel right at home in these settings. Probably more at home than the trio headlining this historic revival, a cast that seemed the best available on paper five years ago but proved problematic in the here and now. Best of the bunch is Marcello Giordani stepping into Caruso’s Stetson boots as the outlaw Dick Johnson (behave yourself

䉴

IN THE NOH, from p.19

that he had no idea how this play was going to end. Writing that ending took a few good many months and a few tears. Everything is crucial — the beginning and the middle, but the ending is in a way the most crucial because you want to give your audience gold of some sort, even if it’s painful, something that feels for a moment like the smell of the not yet ripe tomato that fills people emotionally. “I feel that if we lose our emotion in our society as we are

ladies!). The Sicilian tenor has the right vocal color and weight, though the tone can turn husky just below the upper register break. His only dynamic is loud but the top notes are ringing and the phrasing is idiomatic. Giordani is a giving, generous artist — so passing flaws can be forgiven. The dearth of top rank Italian dramatic baritones is a more pressing problem than it was 100 years ago. Lucio Gallo, an experienced Jack Rance, has native diction and is a good actor, but the voice is hollow and snarly with shouted tops. The biggest problem is the “Girl” herself — erstwhile Strauss and Wagner soprano Deborah Voigt. Minnie is a tall order vocally and dramatically, requiring equal parts winsome charm and cowgirl toughness. The vocal writing is all over the place — incisive declamation, out of nowhere high climaxes, and low chesty utterances all projected over a heavy orchestration. Voigt has never looked prettier or thinner and was acting with sincerity. Working diligently at the Italian text, her sunny smile and cool integrity are a good fit for Minnie, but the voice wasn’t up to the job. Voigt’s tone is now lean, hollow, and metallic in the middle, making her sound like a tough, aging lyric soprano. The upper register still can glow with a golden sheen (the climactic C in “Laggiu nel Soledad” was a winner) but

tires easily. Minnie has a marathon sing in Act II, and here Voigt’s problems came to the fore — she could not sustain vocal energy or consistent tone and pitch. The end of the poker fell flat vocally and dramatically; the “tre assi e un paio” (three aces and a pair) exclamation was matter of fact rather than triumphant. Some of this can be attributed to Del Monaco’s stage direction — Voigt was facing upstage for too much of the card game, and her gun-toting Act I entrance found her lost in the crowd. Dwayne Croft as Sonora led a sterling group of miners (including such fine artists as Richard Bernstein, Oren Gradus, and

beginning to, it will make life lonelier, harder and bleaker. Emotion is everything — I don’t mean bathos or sentimentality, but the emotional urgency by which people live. “Someone asked me, ‘Why couldn’t Mr. and Mrs. Berry have ended happily?’ I told him drama should not reflect everyday life, but it should reflect the extraordinary, that heightening of emotion, going as far to the edge of life and pain. I don’t like neat little plays — there are a lot of them, and they’re very heralded and very boring.” I told O’Brien that I saw her

play ‘Virginia’, about Woolf, at the Public Theater years ago and sat behind Jacqueline Onassis. She said, “Jackie was a friend of mine, and apparently used to do an imitation of me. I could do a fairly good imitation of her, too. Maggie Smith had done the play in London, and Kate Nelligan, who was wonderful, did it here. I was in rehearsals when someone said, ‘There’s a call for you from Jackie Onassis.’ I thought it was probably a hoax, but I took it and heard, ‘Edna? This is Jackie! I would absolutely love to see you. Do you have any time at all for me?’

KEN HOWARD/ METROPOLITAN OPERA

BY ELI JACOBSON

Deborah Voigt’s problems came to the fore in Minnie’s marathon sing in Act II.

Keith Miller) under the direction of Del Monaco, who recreated his original production. Nicola Luisotti in the pit took overly leisurely tempos for the action scenes but relished the delicate orchestral harmonies that have echoes of Debussy and Strauss. But without a blazing diva center stage, the whole thing was like watching “Gone with the Wind” with Joanne Dru or Evelyn Ankers standing in for Vivien Leigh. DVD and Blu-ray formats have replaced the compact disc as the dominant operatic recording medium, and HD transmissions are becoming more and more popular. (“Fanciulla” hits the screen in high def on January 8.) It is now more important how a singer looks on camera than how they sound. The stage director’s primacy in operatic production — at the expense of even the conductor — has contributed to this as well. Voigt resorted to gastric bypass surgery after the notorious “little black dress” incident because a costume was more important than the vocal abilities of the star. Andrea Gruber and Measha Brueggergosman have reportedly also gone the bariatric surgery route, losing significant vocal core and quality along with the avoirdupois. Gruber is now a missing person in the operatic world. I hope Voigt does not join her in limbo after taking on all three Brunnhildes. In operatic poker, the voice is the ace in the hand.

I said, ‘I’m free most evenings, starting tomorrow.’ “She came to the play and loved it. Norman Mailer was also there opening night and said, ‘I don’t like this play, too interior!’ I said, ‘Oh, come on, Norman! YOU write a play!’ But Jackie was a very worldly and clever woman who understood power, believe you me. And it is true that she did love literature. She was not a lightweight, although she sometimes gave that impression with that breathless aura. Her last letter

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Murphy creates a series of characters, including several versions of herself. Rebecca Drysdale directs. Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 307 W. 26th St. Dec. 27, 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 at 212366-9176 or newyork.ucbtheatre.com. ✯

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Good Dirty Fun The Horse Trade Theater Group and Gigi La Femme & Doc Wasabassco present four nights of the hottest risqué fun in New York with a special holiday “Burlesque Blitz,” starring Bastard Keith, Meaner Harder Leather, “The Sweet & Nasty Burlesque Mystery Hour,” and a special seasonal edition of “Revealed!” The Kraine, 85 E. Fourth St., btwn. Bowery & Second Ave. Dec. 27-30, 10 & 11:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 at smarttix.com. ✯

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TUE. DEC.28

CABARET The Gospel of Dolly

Our Lady J presents her fourth annual performance of the most beloved gospel music of Dolly Parton. Accompanied by the Train-To-Kill Gospel Choir, Our Lady J and guests shed new meaning and light on Dolly’s greatest hits, as well as her lesser known spiritual songs in this celebration of the Queen of Country. Joe’s Pub, inside the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., btwn. E. Fourth St. & Astor Pl. Dec. 28, 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 at joespub.com or 212-967-7555. For table reservations, guaranteeing a seat, call 212-539-8778. Table service includes a two-drink or $12 food minimum. ✯

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WED.DEC.29

CABARET Surly Sandra

Sandra Bernhard is priming her hysterical insight, outspoken views, and outrageous mouth in the service of helping New Yorkers ring in the New Year. The combination of her hilarious diatribes on the state of modern culture and her classic rock attitude burns smart. Her new show is fresh, crazy, and real. Joe’s Pub, inside the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., btwn. E. Fourth St. & Astor Pl. Dec. 29-30, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m; Dec. 31, 9 & 11 p.m. Tickets are $50 for

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22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

Film /25

14 DAYS No House of Mirth 14 NIGHTS The unhappiness too often forced in Mike Leigh’s latest BY STEVE ERICKSON

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Dec. 29-30 and $100-$150 for Dec. 31 at joespub.com or 212-967-7555. For table reservations, guaranteeing a seat, call 212-539-8778. Table service includes a two-drink or $12 food minimum. ✯

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COMEDY That’s So Swine Okay, let’s be clear here. It’s Adam Sank that is calling Adam Sank Hell’s Kitchen’s Auld Lang Swine (anything to get customers in the door mid-Christmas week, we suppose). Tonight, the swine’s “That Sank Show” welcomes Father Time himself, headliner Rick Crom, winner of Drama Desk, MAC, and Backstage awards and, unofficially, New York’s oldest living gay comedian. Also seeing out the old year will be Sapphic sweetheart Cara Kilduff (Here-TV’s “Hot Gay Comics”) and pint-sized pansy Chris Doucette (warm-up comic for Logo’s “One Night Stand-up.”) If all that ain’t enough, Sank will also present the final “Are You Smarter Than a Homo?” challenge of 2010. It would be so last-year to miss this. Bar-Tini Ultra Lounge, 642 Tenth Ave., btwn. 45th & 46th Sts., 8 p.m. There’s no cover and no drink minium, but that’s not saying that a cocktail won’t get the laughs moving. ✯

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Directed by Mike Leigh Sony Pictures Classics Opens Dec. 29 Angelika Film Center 18 W. Houston St. at Mercer St. angelikafilmcenter.com Lincoln Plaza. Cinemas 1886 Broadway at 63rd St. lincolnplazacinema.com

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ike Mike Leigh’s last film, 2008’s “Happy-GoLucky,” “Another Year” centers on a charismatic, critically acclaimed female performance. The similarities don’t end there. Indeed, the two films are mirror images, investigating the mysteries of personality from opposite perspectives. “Happy-Go-Lucky” tracked a woman whose joviality compared favorably with her driving instructor’s raging misanthropy. “Another Year” establishes the happiness of a married couple in their 60s as a contrast to the desperation of almost everyone around them. While “Happy-Go-Lucky” accented the contentedness, “Another Year” is interested in those unable to find joy. “Another Year” takes place

Ruth Sheen and Jim Broadbent play a married couple whose contentedness is contrasted with the desperation of almost everyone around them, in Mike Leigh’s “Another Year.”

Leigh seems simultaneously attracted and repulsed by melodrama.

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PERFORMANCE Light Opera’s Best The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, America’s foremost G&S ensemble, continues its season with “The Mikado,” set in a fictitious Japanese town full of colorful characters — three little maids from school, a wandering minstrel, a hilariously corrupt public official, and a Lord High Executioner who may have a list of potential victims but is too tenderhearted to perform his duties. Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th St., Dec. 29, Jan. 1-2, 3 p.m.; Dec. 30, 8 p.m.; Dec. 31, 7 p.m. Tickets are $60-$80 (half price for children under 12) at nygasp.org. The remainder of the season includes “Trial By Jury,” an over-the-top send-up of the legal system, with a lecherous judge, an all-male jury, a gold digging plaintiff, a self professed cad of a defendant, and a sleazy lawyer turning the courtroom upside down (presented with a “G&S à la Carte” program of favorites, Mar. 20, 5p.m.); and “G&S Sing-Along,” which gives the audience to join in with the cast and orchestra (May 22, 5 p.m.).

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ANOTHER YEAR

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

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over the course of a year, as its title suggests. It’s divided into four sections, each representing one of the seasons. In spring, Gerri (Ruth Sheen), a medical counselor, and her husband Tom (Jim Broadbent),

a geologist, have dinner with Mary (Lesley Manville). Mary, who works as a secretary in the same office as Gerri, gets drunk and complains about her unsatisfying love life. In summer, Tom’s friend Ken

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dows. She’s such a fine actress, but quite a daunting person. I would say that if she was sitting here. But then there’s Brenda here, who is a star and an actress with whom I have a most affectionate relationship, without fear or competitiveness. We don’t always get that as a writer, or with directors. They love dead authors and would usually much prefer that.”

IN THE NOH, from p.24

to me — always written by hand on her deep, not quite midnight, blue paper — to me was so touching, almost like a line in a play. She was very sick but knew I was coming to New York, and she wrote, ‘I’ll be waiting for you. The spring is coming,’ and, of course, it wasn’t, for her.” Turning to her London stage star, O’Brien said, “What is Maggie Smith like? I see her, but I don’t see her often. Maggie is a perfectionist and a very nervous person, and sometimes those nerves... I was in rehearsal for ‘Virginia’ with her for three months in a room with no win-

On December 24-30, Film Forum is joyously reviving Er nst Lubitsch’s final film “Cluny Brown” (1946), which, simply put, defines charm (209 W. Houston St., filmforum.org). Has any movie, besides this

(Peter Wight) takes the train down from Hull to visit the couple. He’s unhappy with his obese, aging body and his job, yet unwilling to retire. The next day, Mary arrives for a barbecue, where she flirts with Gerri’s son Joe (Oliver Maltman), even though he is much younger than she. In autumn, Mary, Joe, Gerri, and Tom have a contentious dinner with Joe’s girlfriend Katie (Karina Fernandez). In winter, the family attends the funeral of

romantic comedy set against an irresistibly amusing Brit background of varying class notions, ever contained as many endearingly hilarious performances? Not only are there Charles Boyer, as the suavest of moochers, and Jennifer Jones, deliriously radiant as a maid whose urge to fix plumbing is like a compulsive sexual itch, but there are also Richard Haydn as Jones’ insufferably prissy suitor, Una O’Connor as his eternally hacking Mum, Ernest Cossart and Sara Allgood as two particularly congenial, ultra-obsequious servants, Reginald Owen and Margaret Bannerman as an archetypal idiot country squire

the wife of Tom’s older brother. Leigh’s work has often been compared to John Cassavetes’ films, but “Another Year” suggests he’s drawn the wrong lessons from the American director. Both directors’ films have been mistaken for off-the-cuff improvisations. With Cassavetes, hyper-naturalistic performances concealed the artifice of his scripts and his ambivalent attraction to a genre approach to filmmaking. Leigh, who writes his scripts after extensive rehearsals with his cast, seems simultaneously attracted and repulsed by melodrama. At his best, these warring impulses create a productive tension, but in “Another Year,” they produce a flat script that mechanically sets up a series of conversations, usually taking place over meals, as if they were action movie set pieces. The film feels like a succession of acting-class exercises

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ANOTHER YEAR, continued on p.29

and garden-obsessed lady of the manor, Reginald Gardiner as the silliest cocktail partythrowing London ass imaginable, and Billy Bevan as Jones’ stoically class-conscious uncle. And that’s not even counting Peter Lawford, Helen Walker, C. Aubrey Smith, Rex Evans, and Florence Bates, each of whom could also have had an entire funny film made around them. Go and meet them all, especially the Hon. Betty Cream, who “doesn’t go everywhere.” Contact David Noh at [email protected] and check out his new blog at http://nohway. wordpress.com/.

22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

26/ Editorial ■ LETTER FROM THE EDITOR PUBLISHER & CO-FOUNDER

A Critical Step Toward Full Citizenship

JOHN W. SUTTER

[email protected] ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & CO-FOUNDER

BY PAUL SCHINDLER

TROY MASTERS

[email protected] EDITOR IN-CHIEF & CO-FOUNDER PAUL SCHINDLER

[email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOR Duncan Osborne

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Christopher Byrne (Theater), Susie Day, Doug Ireland (International), Brian McCormick (Dance), Dean P. Wrzeszcz

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Betsy Andrews, Seth J. Bookey, Anthony M.Brown, Kelly Jean Cogswell, Dean Daderko, Tate Dougherty, Andres Duque, Michael Ehrhardt, Steve Erickson, Nick Feitel, Jim Fouratt, Joe Fyfe, Deborah Garwood, Erasmo Guerra, Emily Harney, Andrey Henkin, Frank Holiday, Andy Humm, James Jorden, Brendan Keane, David Kennerley, Gary M. Kramer, Arthur S. Leonard, Rachael Liberman, Michael T. Luongo, Lawrence D. Mass, Winnie McCroy, Eileen McDermott, Gregory Montreuil, Ioannis Mookas, Carrie Moyer, Stephen Mueller, Christopher Murray, David Noh, Wayne Northcross, Lori Ortiz, Pauline Park, Sheila Pepe, John Reed, Nathan Riley, Andrew Robinson, Gerard Robinson, Chris Schmidt, Sarah D. Schulman, Jason Victor Serinus, Linda Shapiro, David Shengold, Gus Solomons Jr., David Spiher, Drew B. Straub, Stefen Styrsky, Jerry Tallmer, Stefanos Tsigrimanis, Kathleen Warnock, Benjamin Weinthal, Lee Ann Westover, James Withers, Kai Wright, Susan Yung

ART DIRECTOR Mark Hasselberger

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jamie Paakkonen

SENIOR VP OF ADVERTISING/MARKETING FRANCESCO REGINI

[email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGERS COLIN GREGORY [email protected] ALLISON GREAKER [email protected] JASON SHERWOOD [email protected] MICHAEL SLAGLE [email protected] JULIO TUMBACO [email protected] Please call (212) 229-1890 for advertising rates and availability.

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Subscriptions: 26 issues, $90.00 (c)2010 Gay City News. All rights reserved.

robably no LGBT rights promise made by President Barack Obama during the 2008 campaign elicited louder and more frequent expressions of frustration within our community than his pledge to end the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell military policy. During 2009, a number of respected advocates for repealing the 17-year-old policy argued, with considerable force and detail, that as commander-in-chief, the president could unilaterally end the policy through his “stoploss” authority, by which existing enlistment regulations can be relaxed in order to cure shortages. As the argument went, once Congress saw that such a change created no meaningful problems or threats to military readiness, the drive toward a permanent legislative solution would be inevitable and swift. Administration arguments that the president’s maneuverability through stoploss was severely constrained were greeted by many as politically feckless foot-dragging. Critics also noted that the president largely ignored the issue of DADT during his entire first year, waiting until the 2010 State of the

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Union speech to firmly reiterate his 2008 commitment. Though his words in front of Congress that evening won him many plaudits, news out of a closed-door meeting with advocates just days later raised widespread cynicism about his interest in following up with deeds. And when the White House, under intensifying pressure to act, agreed in May to legislative language that was originally incorporated into the massive annual Pentagon appropriations bill, the compromise hammered out was faulted by the most aggressive repeal proponents for being conditional — on post-enactment certification by the president, the defense secretary, and the Joint Chiefs chair that the military was in fact fully prepared to make the change — and for its lack of specific non-discrimination protections for gay and lesbian service members who would subsequently be free to serve. The Senate’s failure — in late September and on December 9 — to advance debate on the Pentagon funding bill, a measure that had been approved 42 years in a row, only added to the gnaw-

ing sense that the administration and the Democrats generally did not have the requisite fire in their belly to overturn the outdated and irrational anti-gay ban. It is all the more surprising, then, that when Senate action came this past weekend, it was on a straight up or down repeal vote. After finding only 57 votes to beat back a filibuster of the military spending bill a week before, the Senate’s Democrats were joined by eight Republicans in approving repeal by a lopsided 65-31 margin. Coming several weeks after a special Pentagon report provided ample evidence that the military can and should end the policy, the decision to go back for a third bite of the apple was smart — opponents of repeal were increasingly strained to make any logical or compelling case against the change. John McCain, whose years in a North Vietnamese prison had given him quite nearly a Teflon shield against criticism on military questions, on Saturday simply seemed cranky, desperate, and sadly out of step with the times. The victory on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell removes the second of three

major forms of affirmative government antipathy toward the LGBT community that existed until 2003, when the US Supreme Court struck down the nation’s remaining sodomy laws that criminalized the sexual conduct of gay and lesbian Americans. Soon, the nation will no longer be allowed to deny gay men and lesbians the right to defend their country while being honest about their lives. The third barrier, of course, is the federal government’s refusal to recognize the marriage rights of gay and lesbian couples, a complex battleground that encompasses state legislatures and courts and, increasingly, the federal judiciary as well. As with sodomy and military service, the key issue here is not whether the government will do something for gay and lesbian Americans, but rather whether it will stop doing something to us. Perhaps when people and politicians understand that we can and will fight and die for this country, they will better appreciate that it makes no sense to continue barring us from making whole our love and our families.

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ful fight against the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. “People who know me know that I have definitely been someone who has aggressively tried to hold people’s feet to the fire,” he said. “I don’t plan on changing that in any way.” In fact, during the past two years, Socarides might well have been the most prominently mentioned critic of the administration’s slow pace on keeping its 2008 promises to the LGBT community. That posture has not been without risks for him, with some activists loudly pointing out that he is a veteran of the administration during which both Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act were enacted. Two days after the DADT victory in the Senate, speaking to Gay City News, Socarides struck a more positive tone about the president. “The dynamics have shifted somewhat in the wake of this

historic Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell victory, for which I think President Obama deserves a lot of credit,” he said. “The people involved in crafting that legislation deserve a lot of credit. I am the first one to give credit where credit is due. This is not the end, to be sure. But it is the end of the beginning.” With the Republicans due to take charge in the House in January, of course, it is doubtful that the next LGBT rights victory on Capitol Hill will come any time soon. Despite the support of 15 GOP House members and eight senators for repeal, Socarides was unwilling to make any predictions about whether the political dynamics on gay issues have turned a corner that would make more wins possible in 2011 and 2012. “We still want to bring folks from both parties into the equality movement,” he said. “A lot in the next two years will be played out in meetings with policy mak-

ers. And creating and shaping a narrative that will advance the acceptance of equality.” Socarides noted that the key battleground in LGBT rights is likely to shift squarely toward the issue of marriage equality at the federal level — an issue currently being waged most aggressively and successfully in the courts. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has heard oral argument in the lawsuit challenging California’s Proposition 8, which was successful at the district level earlier this year. The state of Massachusetts and same-sex plaintiff couples who married there also scored a first-round victory in their challenge to the federal government’s refusal, under DOMA, to recognize legal marriages there. “There is lots of communications work to do around these court cases,” Socarides said. “I hope to bring a passion to that effort. And I hope to create some change.”

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be invested in his group has not yet been determined. He noted, however, that Media Matters has a full-time staff of 95, and that their efforts across a broad range of functions will help the much smaller affiliate quickly grow its reach. As with most other journalism and web voices on the left, Media Matters has not simply waged battle with the right, but has also kept pressure on moderates, liberals, and progressives, in both the media and politics, to expand the possibilities created when the Democrats captured control of Congress in 2006 and the White House in 2008. For many progressives, the Obama administration has fallen well short of expectations, and Socarides voiced deter mination to give a platform for those in the community insisting that the president not rest on his laurels from the success-

22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

Perspective /27 Alone & Sleeping on the Street: Happy Holidays BY CITY COUNCILMAN LEW FIDLER

NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE ON FAMILIES AND YOUTH

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want you to close your eyes. Picture a 15-year-old child, out on the streets of New York City, late at night with no place to go. Some horrible situation has made living at home impossible. Unable to go home, the child finds whatever comfort one can possibly find in a bus shelter. Hungry and needing food and a place to stay, this young tender creature considers the options — couch surfing, sex work, an act of criminal desperation, or starvation and exposure. Now, before you open your eyes, pretend that it’s your child. As melodramatic as all of that may sound, that is the story for approximately 3,800 runaway and homeless youth in our city on the average night. That’s a shocking number, especially in this day and age in a city that prides itself as one of the world’s most civilized places. Yet this Thanksgiving, in one of the cruelest actions imaginable, the Bloomberg administration cut funding for our youth shelter bed programs by $1.5 million. Ho ho ho and happy holidays. Over my nine years chairing the New York Council’s Youth Services Committee, we have held 18 hearings on issues related to runaway and homeless children. Partnering with the Department for Youth and Community Development, we have increased the number of shelter beds and their diversity. For me, the goal is a moral imperative — to find a hospitable and appropriate shelter bed for every child who needs one.

3,800 runaway and homeless youths are without shelter every night in New York City.

We are miles and miles from that end. Today, despite having added capacity to the program, there are still far too few shelter programs. There are a scant 114 emergency or “crisis” shelter beds. Most

programs have 100 or more kids on their waiting list, kids who have come in from the cold in the hope of getting their lives together, returning to school, or getting some vocational training, only to be told that there is no room at the inn. Who are these kids? Many are fleeing a home environment where they have been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused. Some have a parent or parents who are drug abusers. Many have “aged out” of the foster care system. They come from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Onethird to forty percent identify as LGBTQ. Some are pregnant. Hard times? No doubt. Bad choices? Sometimes. Still, each is a child, a child almost always without proper parental guidance, love, and support… and every one of them is one of God’s children. As a parent, I cannot fathom anyone who cannot feel the pain of a child who has been denied love and support in the one place that every child should be entitled to it — in their family home. But if you can’t wrap your mind around the sheer human tragedy and find compassion in your heart, then as a taxpayer, look at your wallet. Left on the street, every one of these kids is more likely to develop a mental disability, become HIV-positive, or end up a burden to the criminal justice system. And the cost of dealing with any one of those things is more than the cost of a shelter bed program. I am not one of those elected officials who think we can spend money we don’t

have. Nor am I willing to raise the only tax over which the Council has control — the property tax — and drive more families into home foreclosure. So, cutting spending is a must. But doing it on the backs of our very most vulnerable population — children who are without their families, sleeping on subway grates at night — is morally wrong. In a budget of more than $60 billion, there’s got to be a better choice to make. Feel the pain of a child. Multiply it by 3,800. Then go home and hug your child. But first, let City Hall know that in the most civilized city in the most civilized country in the year 2010, letting 3,800 children sleep on the streets every night is just not acceptable. Call it the holiday spirit. Call it simple human decency. Just call City Hall. Lew Fidler, Brooklyn Democrat, is the City Council’s assistant majority leader and has been the chair of the Council’s Youth Services Committee since January 2002. He has held 18 hearings on the subject of runaway and homeless youth (RHY) and has championed the cause of expanding the capacity and diversity of the RHY shelter bed system in New York. His work in this area has been honored by RHY organizations such as the Ali Forney Center, Rachel’s Place, and Inwood House. For further information, contact Fidler’s City Hall office at 22-788-2182 or his Brooklyn district office at718-241-9330.

■ A DYKE ABROAD

Do Ask, Do Tell — About Torture BY KELLY JEAN COGSWELL

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on’t Ask, Don’t Tell is finally over and done with, so get out the champagne, point it away from your lover’s face, and pop the plastic cork. Eventually, the Defense of Marriage Act will be overturned. A couple more laws will be passed against homo-discrimination. And with full legal equality, we can dissolve into our country like the other lazy liberal slobs America plays host to, with mediocre marriages and crappy jobs and crappy health care — and not the faintest idea of what it means to be a citizen saddled with responsibilities along with rights in this behemoth of a nation that tramples its own ideals as thoughtlessly as peanut shells on the floor of a bar. Better open two bottles. Or go straight for the scotch. I’m thinking of how this military we are

now so thrilled to be a part of aids and abets torture, and how much more easily it goes down under Obama than under Bush. Surely you remember the demos after Abu Ghraib? They weren’t particu-

foreigners are now able make persuasive arguments to fight their extradition into American hands. All they have to do is point to Bradley Manning. For the last seven months,

The brig’s medical personnel now administer regular doses of anti-depressants to Manning to prevent his brain from snapping. larly well attended, but they were there. There was certainly a hue and cry when the first orange jumpsuited prisoners were installed in cages in Guantánamo. But despite all promises to the contrary, Guantánamo remains open, and new victims are tortured so frequently in military jails and black op sites that

the 22-year-old soldier has been held in military jails under conditions of longterm isolation that most countries agree constitute torture. A model prisoner and convicted of nothing whatsoever, he’s nevertheless been kept in solitary confinement for 23 out of 24 hours every day, forbidden even to exercise in his

cell, and deprived of basic amenities like sheets for his bed. Salon’s Glenn Greenwald recently reported that “as is true of many prisoners subjected to warped treatment of this sort, the brig’s medical personnel now administer regular doses of anti-depressants to Manning to prevent his brain from snapping from the effects of this isolation.” That’s us. That’s America, still torturing kids, even if we’ve refined our methods since José Padilla, who totally cracked while awaiting trial. The question is why. Manning’s no dangerous criminal that’s killed 27 men with his bare hands, or a terrorist graybeard encouraging young things to blow themselves up in public places. He’s a young soldier that either heroically or

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22 DEC 2010 - 4 JAN 2011

28/ Human Rights 䉴

DEPORTED, from p.11

his husband.” Asked to comment on Izquierdo’s case, Harold Ort, a spokesman for ICE stated simply, “Jair Izquierdo was removed from the United States on Friday.” With the assistance of Immigration Equality, O’Dwyer will continue his efforts to reopen Izquierdo’s asylum claim before the Board of Immigration Appeals and also pur sue another discretionary administrative remedy know as “humanitarian parole,” which would allow the Peruvian to return to New Jersey, again with the removal order essentially kept in abeyance. Immigration Equality’s Ralls emphasized that such parole is limited to one year, but of fers the couple the best short-term solution. He cited the precedent of a Massachusetts couple where the foreign-born partner was granted the humanitarian relief based on the dangers he faced in his home country. Dennis said Menendez’s office has pledged to assist to the extent it can in making the case for that alternative. Three days after his husband’s deportation, Dennis sounded subdued but deter mined, even while describing the events of December 17 as a “death punch.” The couple

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REPEAL, from p.8

Richard Socarides, a former aide to President Bill Clinton who has frequently criticized the current administration for not moving aggressively on LGBT issues, told Gay City News, “I think President Obama deserves a lot of credit.” Socarides, who on December 20 announced the formation of Equality Matters, an LGBT communications war room affiliated with Media Matters (see story, page 9), added that he hopes and expects the president will extend the existing sexual orientation nondiscrimination policy that covers civilian employees of the federal government to the military. The November 30 report from the Pentagon Working Group that examined repeal recommended no specific antibias protections based on sex-

have spoken several times by telephone, and Dennis described Izquierdo as “feeling abandoned and scared and alone,” but also welcomed by his aunt, mother, and cousin. On December 24, Dennis will fly to Peru for a six-day Christmas visit and bring Izquierdo some personal possessions he went without for two months in Elizabeth. Dennis hopes to retur n to Peru for a longer visit in February, when the couple celebrate the three-year anniversary of their civil union. When Dennis sees Izquierdo in Peru on Christmas Eve, it will be the first time they have spent time alone together since October 20. When the couple first spoke after Izquierdo’s arrival in Peru, Dennis told him to remember that they had done everything they could have to date and that “at least you’re out of detention.” Dennis said his husband didn’t have too many complaints about conditions in Elizabeth, except to say that it was often very cold there at night. The men detained there sleep in one of several gymnasium-like bunk facilities. In the first one where Izquierdo was assigned, he experienced harassment from several of the other inmates because of his sexual orientation, one of

them grabbing his rear end. Izquierdo responded by publicly coming out to his fellow dorm detainees, telling them he was proud to be gay. Most of the other men supported him against the harassers. A week before Izquierdo was deported, Dennis conceded that had he known how trying the asylum application route would prove for his husband, he might have earlier suggested they leave the United States together. Izquierdo, he said, always insisted Dennis should not have to give up his home country and his career. “It’s not even a question in my mind but that I would do it,” Dennis said. In fact, he is fortunate to have more options than many Americans in his situation. The bank where he has worked for 15 years has offices around the world, including South America — though he was quick to point out he can’t speak Spanish. Dennis’ mother is a citizen of Sweden, where she currently lives, and because of that, he has dual citizenship. If he were to move to Sweden, Izquierdo could legally immigrate there, and living in Sweden would afford them opportunities for moving to another European Union country. If they stay in Sweden, Dennis would have

to find a new job; that country is not one of the 25 where his employer has offices. In the 72 hours after his husband was abruptly thrown out of the United States, Dennis, of course, hadn’t been able to focus specifically on long-ter m solutions to the dilemma he and Izquierdo face. For now, his concern is to assure his husband of his love, support, and commitment, and to find time for the two of them to be together. Dennis said he has the support of his family and friends, as well as O’Dwyer and Immigration Equality, but explained he finds himself in an uncomfortable position relying on the efforts of others. “I don’t want to force the issue on people,” he said. “That’s my personality. I’ve always been a bit of a loner. I’m not that good at asking people for help.” Even as advocates, elected officials, and other binational couples continue their push to change the laws that have punished Dennis and Izquierdo in such demeaning fashion, the two men can’t help but often feel alienated from the world around them, that their struggle is a lonely one. “I almost feel as though it’s me and Jair against the world,” Richard Dennis said.

ual orientation, and neither the White House nor the Defense Department offered any view on that question. The Log Cabin Republicans, which earlier this year won an important court victory against the anti-gay policy in a federal district court in California, noted the role of GOP senators in the victory, praising Collins for her sponsorship of the measure and the other seven Republicans who voted yes — Olympia Snowe of Maine, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Ensign of Nevada, Richard Burr of North Carolina, George Voinovich who is retiring from his Ohio seat at the end of this year, and Mark Kirk, the newly seated senator from Illinois. Ensign and Burr voted against the cloture motion, but then joined the majority on the up-or-down vote.

R. Clarke Cooper, the group’s executive director, said, “Log Cabin Republicans are proud of our Senate allies who have voted to make our military stronger.” New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand — who played a critical role in pressing for the February Armed Services Committee hearing where both Gates and Mullen acknowledged that DADT was neither a necessary nor a defensible policy — said, “We’ve lost more than 13,000 of our best and brightest to this unjust and discriminatory policy. By repealing this policy, we will increase America’s strength — both militarily and morally.“ As the Senate prepared for its final vote in the wake of the successful cloture motion, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement saying, “After a bipartisan vote in the House, the Senate is now primed to honor

the American ideal of equality, recognizing the contributions all Americans have to make to the defense of our nation.” Pelosi of fered particular praise for Pennsylvania Democrat Patrick Murphy, a two-term Iraq War veteran who was the legislation’s key advocate in the House. Murphy lost his bid for reelection last month. Approval of the bill in the lame duck session was essential since the Republicans take control of the House in January. All but one of the Democrats voted yes. West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, who was elected to the seat vacated by the death of Robert Byrd, a repeal supporter, did not vote. The other three senators who did not vote were Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Jim Bunning of Kentucky, and Orrin Hatch of Utah.

14 DAYS 14 NIGHTS 䉴

14 DAYS, from p.25

FRI.DEC.31

CELEBRATE Singing With Jomama

A New Year dawns. A soul superstar returns. Jomama Jones lifts you to the stratosphere and beyond in this once in a lifetime performance that offers audience members the chance to perform live with Jones and her band on the stage of the Soho Rep. Jones is joined by musicians Bobby Halvorson, Ted Cruz, Sean Dixon, Michael O’ Brien, and Kelly Rossum. The evening includes an open beer and wine bar and a midnight champagne toast. Soho Rep. 46 Walker St., btwn. Broadway & Church Sts., two blocks below Canal St. Tickets are $50 at sohorep.org or 212-352-3101. ✯

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Lucky Snake Eyes “Get Lucky: An Ars Nova New Year’s Eve” is a return to the bygone days of flashy Vegas, in a New Year’s Eve full of bawdy entertainment, a dance party, casino games, an open bar, and the general brand of festive rowdiness for which Ars Nova is justly famous. 54th St. Strip, aka Ars Nova, 511 W. 54th St., 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Tickets are available at three levels of action. A $50 Dabbler Ticket includes admission to the show and dance party, access to the gaming area, a champagne toast at midnight, and snacks all night long. The $100 Player Ticket includes all of that plus an open bar, delicious appetizers and desserts, and 250 dollars of Nova Cash to play for exciting prizes. Finally, the $250 High Roller Ticket offers all that plus reserved seating to the show, 500 dollars of Nova Cash, and other VIP perks all night. Tickets, at any level of action, can be purchased at arsnovanyc. com or 212-352-3101. ✯

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SUN.JAN.2

MUSIC A New Year’s Prayer

Last year’s extraordinary New Year’s concert experience, the recreation of Monteverdi’s “Vespers of 1610” returns, when the Green Mountain Project again brings this masterpiece to a New York audience. Claudio Monteverdi’s monu-

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JAN 2, continued on p.31

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ASZURE BARTON, from p.16

like a fur coat and shimmying. Barton’s exhilarating movement combines subtle gesture and extreme physicality, and Stephan Laks would seem to be her quintessential muse. With almost supernatural suppleness, he spirals his long torso in opposition to his legs, slides into wide splits, flips, and rolls. He begins his solo like a street mime, gloved hands swiping the air as if talking with his fingers; then he takes off in a physical barrage that leaves you breathless. Barton integrates theatrical elements with an assured hand. Near the beginning, she puts the hooded dancers on a four-step riser; we see only their faces, darting in all directions, separately and in unison like a polyphonic choir.

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ANOTHER YEAR, from p.25

in which, for instance, a couple comes home to find that a friend has invited herself into their house for a conversation with a grieving relative. Manville’s performance has been widely praised, but it oversells the desperation of Mary’s life. At her first conversation with Gerri, Mary talks about valuing her garden, apartment, and independence. One doesn’t have to be a radical feminist to see that Leigh’s setting her up for a fall, espe-

22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

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darkness or floods the stage with warm washes or harsh front light that throws spooky shadows on the rear wall. The wonderful musical score comprises recorded bits of choral music, a snatch of “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” and electronic

Mathais Kunzil on percussion. The director, violist Lev Zhurbin, plays along the sidelines or onstage. Their lively gypsy melodies reinforce the atmosphere of a traveling show. At one point, Inna Barnash stands up from a front row seat

and sings a Yiddish song. In the final scene, five dancers strip down to their bikini “skins,” symbolically baring their souls, while the others remain swathed in their blacks. Salgado, stripped, and Laks, clothed, alternate roles as master and pet as they slowly exit. Even though the title and the action put you in mind of busking — street performing — Barton is also referring to the Spanish verb buscar, “to seek,” from which the term derives. The dancers are searching to resolve the dichotomy between public and private identities. As Barton contemplates the need felt by performers to make themselves public objects, her divine buskers thrill us with their dancing and enthrall us with their humanity.

cially when he keeps cutting to shots, taken from Mary’s point-of-view, of a handsome, middle-aged man sitting across the restaurant. Her hopes are dashed when a woman joins him. It won’t be the first time something like this happens to her. Mary’s desires are always directed toward the wrong person, and a used car she buys turns into a disaster. The film rests on the borderline of dark comedy; one never feels really comfortable laughing at Mary, but Leigh is clearly encouraging the audience to do so.

In the current awards season, acting like you’re on crack, literally or figuratively, seems to be valued over more subtle work. Manville’s perfor mance fails to bring out any nuances missing from the script or direction. In fact, she constantly twitches as though she’s just chugged a quadruple espresso or two. No wonder the National Board of Review gave her a prize as 2010’s best actress. I was ready to dismiss “Another Year” entirely until “winter” rolled around. Suddenly, the film had a look

that perfectly matched its mood. Leigh and cinematographer Dick Pope create a somber, funereal atmosphere. The tone is closer to Ingmar Bergman than Todd Solondz. Manville dials down the histrionics considerably, finally granting her character a modicum of dignity. “Another Year” no longer feels so cruel or condescending. This turnaround isn’t enough to completely salvage it, but it turns it from Leigh’s worst film into an interesting, honorable failure.

Later, a mirror ball scatters speckles of light all around, while in the dimness a quartet tussles; they bark like trained seals. Nicole Pearce’s imaginatively theatrical lighting illuminates bodies in the

rumblings, but mostly comes from Ljova + the Kontraband, whose members are stationed in the rigging above the stage — Patrick Farrell on accordion; Mike Savino on double bass and banjo; and

Amazing solos are at once presentational and intimate, virtuosic and confessional.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Columbia University Medical Center: 212-305-2201

Project ACHIEVE (Union Square): 212-388-0008

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22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

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22 DEC 2010 – 4 JAN 2011

14 DAYS 14 NIGHTS 䉴

JAN 2, from p.28

mental spiritual work for choir and chamber orchestra was published 400 years ago in Venice, when the composer was the court musician for the Duke of Mantua. In a continuing celebration of the work’s anniversary, the Green Mountain Project — named for the English translation of Monteverdi —reprises its stunning, highly praised, and historically informed performance of this great work. An all-star cast of more than 30 singers and instrumentalists take of the work’s varied musical forms— sonata, motet, hymn, and psalm — building intimate, prayerful interludes within the work’s grand scale. Scott Metcalfe is music director, and Jolle Greenleaf is artistic director. Church of St. Mary the Virgin,145 W. 46th St. Jan. 2, 7 p.m. Admission is free, put donations are appreciated, and for a contribution of $50 front row seats can be reserved at www.GreenMountainVespers.com. ✯

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TUE.JAN.4

CABARET Judy’s Girl

Born to legendary entertainer Judy Garland and producer Sid Luft, Lorna Luft has performed on stage, in film, and on televsion, and also had success as a recording artist and best-selling author. This week, she presents “Songs My Mother Taught Me: The Judy Garland Songbook,” which won two Los Angeles Theatre Alliance Ovation Awards. The LA Times called the show “heart-stopping and thrilling. An incandescent revelation not to be missed.” Feinstein’s at Loews Regency Ballroom, the Loews Regency Hotel, 540 Park Avenue at 61st St. Jan. 4-9, 8:30 p.m. Performances have a $40-$60 cover, with a $25 food and drink minimum. Reservations at Feinsteinsatloewsregency.com or 212-339-4095. ✯

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WED.JAN.5

COMEDY New Year, New Laughs

“Homo Comicus,” in the kick-off to its 2011 season, warms the cockles of the heart on a mid-winter night with piping hot gay and gayish comics, including Jim David, Lisa Kaplan, Vidur Kapur, and Veronica Mosey. Long time host Bob Montgomery will there to take up his emcee duties. Gotham Comedy Club, 208 W. 23rd St. Jan. 5, 8:30 p.m. The cover charge is $20, with a two-drink minimum. For reservations, call 212-367-9000. 䉴 JUMP, continued on p.31

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a US Apache helicopter attacked and killed unarmed civilians. As he wrote in an online chat with hacker Adrian Lamo prior to his arrest, he only wanted to give people an opportunity “to see the truth... regardless of who they are... because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public.”

torture. Especially when it’s so clearly designed not to punish, but destroy him, both to deter other whistle-blowers and to persuade a desperate Manning to implicate our new favorite enemy, Julian bin Assange. For Americans these days, anything can justify torture. First it was the “War on Terror

and the Folks Who Should Really Give Us Our Oil For Free.” Now it’s our “War on Sources of Annoyance, Embarrassment, and Defective Condoms.” While queers were celebrating their new inclusion in the military, our vice president, Joseph Biden, was telling NBC that WikiLeaks publisher Assange was a “high-tech terrorist.” Before that, that Democratic ass-wipe Senator Dianne Feinstein called for the US government to prosecute Assange under the 1917 Espionage Act, a precedent that would pretty much destroy American journalism, even entities like the New York Times. Feinstein also wants to criminalize people like me if we dare re-post these leaks in our newspapers or blogs. And the US government has apparently been warning federal employees that even reading classified State Department documents pub-

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Palisades case, an appellate court reversed the decision, writing that the “Defendant presented a persuasive attack on Rossi’s credibility, raising serious doubts about whether it was believable that a police officer could have had almost a hundred men approach him, pull out their genitals and start masturbating without any enticement by the officer at all.”

case with Gay City News. Edel Gambe, another gay man arrested by Rossi in 2004, told Gay City News in 2005 that he initially thought Rossi and his partner, Wayne Zelna, were police, but then doubted that as they became more forceful. Gambe tried to protect himself. “I thought they might be trying to gay-bash me,” Gambe said. “They started punch-

DO ASK, DO TELL, from p.27

foolishly may have been the source of leaked materials in possession of WikiLeaks, including the “Afghan War Diaries” and a video documenting what looked like a war crime, in which

He went on to write that if there was no outcry, and it didn’t change anything, “we’re doomed — as a species — I will officially give up on the society we have if nothing happens.” An investigation is probably appropriate. Not torture. Never

Feinstein wants to criminalize people like me if we dare re-post these leaks in our newspapers or blogs.

NEWARK PARK, from p.3

Detective advised him that he was not into that. The suspect then grabbed Detective hand and asked him to walk with him. Detective pulled his hand back, and the suspect then became aggressive by grabbing for the crotch area of Detective causing Detective to jump back.” To believe these assertions, one would have to believe that nearly every time a man made an unwelcome advance by exposing himself or groping another man in these two parks, that man just happened to do it in front of or to a plainclothes officer. That is unlikely at best, and that same issue arose in a 2004 lewdness arrest of a gay man in the New Jersey section of the Palisades Interstate Park, which is not patrolled by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. In the Palisades case, the plainclothes officer, Thomas Rossi, testified that he had busted roughly 100 men for lewdness in the park since 2002. Rossi claimed the men exposed themselves without any prompting. The man testified that Rossi repeatedly urged him to expose himself. A number of other men who were busted in the park also told Gay City News they were urged to expose themselves by police. After a conviction in the

A number of men who were busted in the park also told Gay City News they were urged to expose themselves by police.

The Essex County Sheriff’s Office appears to have a similar problem. Officers may be urging men in cruising spots to expose themselves or touch the officers and arresting them when they do so. That trick may explain why Gaymon fought with Esposito, assuming that part of the detective’s story is true. The gay man Rossi arrested testified that he told the police officer, “You entrapped me, you entrapped me” when the detective displayed his badge. While he did not resist, his anger was palpable during the trial and when discussing the

ing and kicking... I started screaming for help right away.” Gambe was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a police of ficer, two counts of resisting arrest, lewdness, and attempted escape. He pleaded guilty to lewdness and resisting arrest, and received a lighter sentence than most of the men arrested in that park. “When you’re innocent, it’s not a good deal,” said Gambe, who remained very angry about the case months after it ended. “I got this better deal because I’m innocent, and the

lished anywhere via WikiLeaks shall be considered a crime. Let me take this opportunity to formally announce that in future national elections I will no longer vote for Democrats. You had your chance to stand for liberty and justice, and you flushed it down the toilet along with a constitution that guarantees free speech, fair trials, and equal treatment under the law. And for me, those are the only “gay” issues that count. Every right we have or hope to win and all the methods we have to gain them stem from those basic ideals. If queers forget that, we are lost.

prosecutor knows that.” Eleven arrest reports had aggravated assault or resisting arrest charges among the 96 lewdness or criminal sexual contact reports over the fiveyear period in South Mountain Reservation. Five lewdness or criminal sexual contact reports out of 34 in Branch Brook Park over that time had aggravated assault or resisting arrest charges. The men who were charged with resisting arrest typically fled or flailed their arms to avoid being handcuffed, while the men charged with aggravated assault fought with police. Ultimately, the records do not support any firm conclusions about what took place between Esposito and Gaymon, but they raise questions and suggest some answers. “There are some very suspicious patterns in these arrests, and they also heighten concerns about DeFarra Gaymon’s encounter with the Essex County sheriff that ended in his death,” said William K. Dobbs, an attorney and a longtime gay activist. The Essex County Sheriff’s Office and the Essex County prosecutor’s of fice did not respond to a detailed email seeking comment. Garden State Equality also did not respond to multiple phone calls or emails seeking comment.

For baby dykes, activists, and anybody who’s ever wanted to save the world, visit the Lesbian Avenger Documentary Project at lesbianavengers.com. Check out Kelly Sans Culotte at http://kellyatlarge.blogspot.com/.

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