OCTOBER 23 - 29, 2008 VOLUME SEVEN, ISSUE 43

YOUR FREE ■ OBAMA’S MAIN GAY ■ GARZON’S JUSTICE ■ VAMPIRES VS. DEMONS

WEEKLY Dave Noble unbending, Queens gay man’s killer Stunning film metaphor
NEWSPAPER cautious two weeks out
P. 2
gets 22-to-life
P. 9
for outsiderism
P. 27
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 W E E K LY N E W S P A P E R !

Gay City
NEWS

TM
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

■ POLITICS ■ POLITICS

Gays Paterson
Criticize Fêted
Quinn on at Pride
Agenda
Term Limits
Dinner
BY DUNCAN OSBORNE
BY PAUL SCHINDLER

S
itting in Camp Friend-

A
ship, a Park Slope midst growing reports
meeting hall, Alan of his stepped-up
Fleishman argued that the efforts to help the Dem-
Lambda Independent Demo- ocratic Party win control of
crats (LID), a Brooklyn gay the State Senate on November
political club, should oppose 4, Governor David Paterson
the City Council extending made a triumphal appear -
term limits for city elected ance at the annual fall din-
officials from the current two ner of the Empire State Pride
four-year terms to three. Agenda (ESPA) and chronicled
“I’m extremely disappoint- the recent dramatic advances
toward marriage equality in
P. 8 New York State.
The governor, in his remarks
■ EDITORIAL before a sold-old ballroom
crowd at the Sheraton New
State Senate choices York on October 20, held off on
■ 12 any specific prediction about
—————————————— when the Senate would take
■ IRE OVER AIDS action to pass the marriage
Advocates, clients say bill adopted last year by the
Democratic-controlled Assem-
no more cuts
■ 11 bly, but he used a joke to drive
—————————————— home his point that control of
■ INTRO-EXTROS that chamber is key to how the
issue will play out.
Two pregnant Referring to his May mem-
choreographers shine orandum to state agencies
DOUG MESZLER/ ESPA

■ 24 directing them to comply with

—————————————— a recent appellate court ruling
■ TOO KAUFMAN that New York must recognize
legal same-sex marriages from
Screenwriter trips other jurisdictions, Paterson
up while directing GOVERNOR DAVID A. PATERSON ADDRESSES OCTOBER 20 EMPIRE STATE PRIDE AGENDA DINNER quipped, “I knew that some
■ 29 of the opponents would take

Promising to
—————————————— court action and I pleaded
with them not to waste their
money, but now I’m glad they
did because they can’t spend it
on the upcoming election.”
In early June, five Repub-

‘Persevere’
New “Sheriff” Says Marriage In Sight
lican state senators filed suit
in Bronx Supreme Court chal-
lenging the governor’s author-
ity in issuing the directive,
despite the fact that the court
ruling Paterson relied on is a

ALL MY
30
SONS binding statewide precedent.

© GAY CITY NEWS 2008 • COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED P. 6
2/ Politics
Being Obama’s Main Gay
Dave Noble unbending on the commitment, careful in the details
BY PAUL SCHINDLER
J
ust two weeks shy of the
finish line in what must
be one hell of an endur-
ance sprint, Dave Noble wavers
between buoyancy and cau-
tion in talking about Barack
Obama’s presidential candi-
dacy — an effort he has served
since June as director of LGBT
voter mobilization.
Noble, who left his post as
public policy and government
affairs director at the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force
to join the campaign, marvels
at the riches of volunteer sup-
port Obama is drawing from
the LGBT community, even as
he emphasizes that these bod-
ies must be spread across “so
many more states in play” in
this year’s contest and as he
acknowledges that gay Ameri-
cans always have good reason
to be skeptical of election year
promises.
And, in a telephone inter-
view from northern Florida
on October 19, he declined
to speculate on specifically
how the community’s political
agenda would go from point A
to point B in an Obama admin-
istration — one of the ground
rules of the interview was that
the campaign had no interest
in discussing “transition” —
but was resolute in sticking to
all the major commitments on
LGBT issues the Illinois sena-
tor has made in 20 months of
campaigning.
In fact, Noble used some
version of the phrase “again
and again” half a dozen times
during the interview in under-
scoring Obama’s dedication to
the positions he’s taken.
Three weeks earlier, Steve
Hildebrand, Obama’s out gay
deputy campaign manager,
told Gay City News that his
candidate had made impor-
tant inroads since the end of
the primaries in winning over
LGBT voters among whom,
“no question,” New York Sena-
tor Hillary Clinton had earlier
been the favorite.
Noble argued that Clinton
supporters as well as those
who originally were with for-
mer North Carolina Senator
John Edwards had rallied to
the nominee’s side. The result,
he said, was that Obama is
well-positioned to exceed the
75 percent of the LGBT vote
that Massachusetts Senator
John Kerry captured in 2004.
“Our community in the past
eight years has really borne
Dave Noble, director of LGBT voter mobilization for the Obama campaign, thinks in many
ways this election can be for and by the gay community.
the brunt not only of the poli-
cies of this administration, but
also from the divisive politics
of the past eight years,” Noble
said, arguing that gay voters
should be uniquely motivated
to respond to Obama’s calls for
change.
“The LGBT community can
absolutely be make-or-break
in the battleground states.”
And explaining that Kerry’s
LGBT tally amounted to about
seven percent of his total vote,
Noble added, “The LGBT com-
munity can absolutely be
make-or-break in the battle-
ground states.”
He said that gay people liv-
ing in safely blue locales —
Chicago, New York, Washing-
ton, DC, and Massachusetts
prime among them — are vol-
unteering time in target states
nearby.
“There’s certainly been an
amazing response in Penn-
sylvania, Ohio, New Hamp-
shire,” he said, and North-
erners from all over are
apparently heeding Sarah
Silverman’s call to schlep
Barney Frank’s decision to
strip out transgender protec-
tions — a move necessary, he
claimed, to win over wavering
moderates. Noble, who was
in the thick of that battle in
his role at the Task Force —
which led the drive to reverse
Frank’s retreat — undoubtedly
appreciates the consequences
of repeating the pledge of an
ENDA that is inclusive just
weeks before the election.
Noble also noted that mov-
ing gay-friendly legislation will
“certainly [be] a joint responsi-
bility” between the administra-
tion and Congress, a point that
underscored a central message
of his — that the Democratic
majorities in the House and
Senate also need fattening on
election day.
Asked specifically if Obama
NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE
would reiterate his calls for
action on key gay issues early
in 2009, Noble was circum-
spect.
“I wouldn’t speak for what
bills he would push for in
which months, and I believe
there will be movement in
Congress in the near future
as well,” he said. “With larger
majorities, we will see a lot
down to Florida to pitch in. of progressive legislation on
The goal, Noble explained, is issues across the board.”
to hook out-of-state LGBT vol- Beyond hate crimes and
unteers up with local activists ENDA, there has been virtually
to maximize the use of their no congressional action ever
energies. on other gay-specific legisla-
When asked how Obama tion. The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
would move key LGBT agen- policy got its first hearing only
this year — and that at the
subcommittee level. Ike Skel-
ton, the Missouri Democrat
who chairs the House Armed
Services Committee, has to
date not been inclined to mess
with the current Pentagon
approach.
Asked what kind of hurdle
that imposed, Noble respond-
da items once in office, Noble ed, “The country is in a very
started with what arguably is different place than in ’93.
the bare minimum that would There is a clear consensus
be acceptable to most political- among the population that
ly-minded gays. military service should be open
“Senator Obama has been to everyone regardless of sexu-
very clear throughout the al orientation. Barack has said
entire campaign that it is time over and over again he wants
to get moving on bills that have to replace the Don’t Ask, Don’t
languished for many years Tell policy. And he says he
and that includes a fully inclu- wants a stronger military, and
sive ENDA and extending hate certainly that goal would be
crimes protections based on improved by not getting rid of
sexual orientation and gender soldiers based on sexual orien-
identity,” he said. tation.”
The mention of an inclusive Obama, of course, is not
Employment Non-Discrimina- a supporter of marriage for
tion Act is certainly welcome same-sex couples, but he has
given the trauma of last year’s adopted an otherwise ambi-
internecine battle in the LGBT
movement over Congressman 䉴 NOBLE, continued on p.23
23 - 29 OCT 2008
7 DAYS
7 NIGHTS
THU.OCT.23
FILM
Bi The Way
The LGBT Community Center,
BiRequest, and the Bi Writers Asso-
ciation present a program of funny
and provocative short films that walk
the borderline between bi, gay, and
heteroflexible. How does the “bi
eye” alter the perception of queer
films? How does the “gay eye” dif-
fer in point of view? How does your
orientation affect the way you per-
ceive a story? How do these stories
portray bisexual characters? LGBT
Community Center, 208 W. 13th
St., 6:30 p.m. program; 7:30 p.m.
program. Admission is $5.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
THEATER
The Unspoken
Spoken
Jason S. Little presents a concert
version of “Hedwig and the Angry
Inch,” with Mark Fiffer, Kate Pazakis,
Mary Ann McSweeney, Greg Utzig,
and Ray Marchica, as part of the Har-
old Clurman Festival of the Arts, host-
ed by the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.
Zipper Factory Theater, 336 W. 37th
St., Oct. 23 & 31, 11 p.m. Tickets are
$20 at thezipperfactory.com. For com-
plete information on the Harold Clur-
man Festival, which brings artists from
many disciplines together for poetry
readings, concerts, panel discussions,
and theater and dance performances
and runs trough Oct. 27, visit http://
stellaadler.com/festival.html. The fes-
tival’s theme this year is “Art & Social
Activism.”
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
DANCE
Next Wave
Highlight
Choreographer Anne Teresa De
Keersmaeker celebrates her evolving
relationship with the music of Steve
Reich, an inventive and iconic modern
composer. Working from a divine logic
— often expressed as exalted permu-
tations on a single theme — they each
invest their work with an emotional
heart, creating pieces that transcend
definition as they challenge our notions
of sound and movement. Reich’s global-
ly-inclusive mix of Western vernacular,
classical, and non-Western influences,
performed live by Brussels’ percussion
ensemble Ictus, dovetails perfectly
with De Keersmaeker’s formal, richly
expressive choreography. Brooklyn
Academy of Music, Gilman Opera
House, 30 Lafayette Ave. at Ash-
land Pl., just off Flatbush Ave. Oct.
22—25 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20-
$55 at bam.org or 718-636-4100.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
䉴 7 DAYS, continued on p.8
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6/ Politics
Promising to ‘Persevere’
David Paterson, the new “sheriff,” says marriage equality in sight
䉴 CONTINUED, from cover
At issue on the November ballot is the
razor thin two-seat majority the Repub-
licans hold after decades of unfettered
control of the Senate. Though the GOP
has on some occasions, even if only
after years of delay, allowed progress
on gay rights initiative — most promi-
nently, the Sexual Orientation Non-
Discrimination Act, or SONDA, in late
2002 — marriage equality and trans-
gender rights legislation have not been
matters its leadership has been willing
to consider. Last month, at a Log Cabin
Republican reception in Manhattan,
Dean Skelos, the Long Island Repub-
lican who replaced Joe Bruno as the
Senate majority leader, signaled that
he was not prepared to change course
on marriage equality, meaning it would
continue to be denied a floor vote.
In the immediate aftermath of his
sudden ascension to the governor’s
office in March, there were widespread
press reports that Paterson, eager to
get state government moving after the
scandal that destroyed Eliot Spitzer’s
career, had brokered a truce with
Bruno, then the Senate leader, effec-
tively sidelining himself from the legis-
lative election campaign. At the time,
Democratic Party officials insisted that
the governor was merely respecting
the difference between the governing
season and the politicking season — a
distinction several observers noted had
been lost on Spitzer.
That argument was borne out in
early October when the New York Times
reported that Paterson was aggressively
ALWAYS A
STEP AHEAD
When the Empire State Pride Agenda Fall
Dinner emcee welcomed singer Kelli O’Hara to
the stage at the Sheraton Monday evening, the
Tony Award-nominated star of “South Pacific”
marveled, “I was just introduced by Whoopi
Goldberg. Wow.”
That was probably a common feeling in the
ballroom as the iconic comedian, actress, and
now morning gabfester “vamped” above the
din of silverware clinking against plates.
As ever, Whoopi proved she can empathize,
as when she said she told somebody back-
stage — though who could that have been? —
“If you don’t like gay marriage, don’t marry a
gay person.”
But Goldberg can also scandalize. Shaking
her head sadly about the ferocious outcry from
Republicans faced by former Secretary of State
Colin Powell in the wake of his endorsement of
Barack Obama, she said, “You’d think he had
boned Barbara Bush.”
That’s all folks.
— Paul Schindler
courting political donors and taking the
lead in an effort to raise $2 million to
help Democrats win the two-plus seats
they need to control the Senate.
Still, if the governor is adopting a
more partisan focus in the weeks lead-
ing up to the election, it is still one
whose edge is softened by both his
humor and his recognition that even
though a change in leadership might
be necessary, bipartisanship may yet
play a critical role in carrying the ball
across the goal line.
After telling the dinner crowd, “We
don’t know what time it will be that the
Senate will address this issue… hope-
fully as soon as possibly,” Paterson, in
remarks to reporters outside the ban-
quet hall, said, “But I think really in
New York there are enough senators in
the Senate as it’s comprised right now
to pass this legislation.”
Paterson is a man of the Senate,
having served as minority leader there
before Spitzer tapped him as his run-
ning mate in 2006. Yet, by ESPA’s best
count, six of the 30 Democrats in the
Senate have stated in one way or the
other their opposition to the marriage
equality bill. Paterson might judge
some of those opponents movable on
the issue, but several — most nota-
bly, Reverend Ruben Diaz of the Bronx
— will not be shaken, so the governor
must have contemplated some num-
ber of Republicans willing to stand with
the gay community, as three of their
Assembly colleagues did last year. That
is, if the Senate had leadership that
would allow a vote.
Asked directly if he saw marriage
equality as doable only with a biparti-
san vote, Paterson offered something
of a finesse, saying, “As with SONDA,
if the bill ever passes in the Senate it
would have bipartisan support, regard-
less of who is in the majority.”
In what was presumably also a nod
of his head to bipartisanship, the gov-
ernor said that the progress that can be
made during a floor debate itself was the
reason “why I’ve always been in favor
of meaningful legislation getting to the
floor of the House and the Senate even if
it loses, and I don’t think it should take
a majority vote in committee for some
pieces of legislation to get there, even
some that I would vote against.”
Control of what bills get out of com-
mittee and to the floor for debate has
always been the prerogative of the
majority party in Albany; Paterson
seemed clearly to be suggesting that
Bruno and now Skelos have blocked
movement by their own members
toward more gay-friendly positions.
But he was also making the point
that, even among Democrats, a tally
taken today is likely not indicative of
what may be possible even as early as
next year.
“I think that about two weeks before
the Assembly vote, had the vote been
held it would have lost by five or six
votes and yet it won by 24 votes,” Pat-
erson told reporters. “I think it’s that
moment when people really have to
engage whether or not they want to
deny people who really care about each
other the right to… to formalize it in
terms of an official wedding… You saw
a number of assemblymembers who
23 - 29 OCT 2008
didn’t even realize they would vote for
the bill two weeks before voting aye.”
In talking during the dinner about
the Assembly vote last year, Paterson as
he has done on other occasions, though
using different examples, likened the
struggle for LGBT equality to his expe-
riences as an African American.
“When I was ten years old, I saw the
vicious beating of 600 people at the
Edmund Pettus Bridge right outside
Selma, Alabama,” the governor said.
“Unfortunately my daughter, when she
was ten years old, saw the film clips of
a gay man who was beaten with the
barrel of a gun and left on a fence to die
in Laramie, Wyoming.”
A moment later, Paterson pivoted to
the responsibility that people of color
have for standing with LGBT Ameri-
cans in finding common cause.
“I am most pleased that a number
of African-American and Hispanic leg-
islators who at first were unable to see
the congruence connection between
the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgendered people and our own
struggles waged throughout the cen-
tury were able to see it that night and
voted for the legislation,” he said of the
evening the marriage bill cleared the
Assembly.
Paterson concluded his dinner
remarks in this vein, pointing to the
need for coalition among a broad range
of progressive groups active in Demo-
cratic Party politics.
“We’re going to persevere,” he
pledged, “and we’re going to do it with
a new sheriff who’s going to sign the
marriage equality act.”
DOUG MESZLER/ EMPIRE STATE PRIDE AGENDA
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 7

State Senate Races to Watch

Republicans have held the major- win control, and the Empire State Pride
ity in the New York State Senate for Agenda, the state’s gay rights lobby, since 25: Lower East Side, Chinatown, Battery Park
decades and only grudgingly allowed last fall has been working to help the
progress on LGBT rights measures. party flip the Senate. The Pride Agenda City, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
The current leadership is blocking has released some of its endorsements,
consideration of marriage equality and but its complete voter guide is not due to Heights, Williamsburg, Greenpoint
transgender rights legislation, and it be released until October 23.
was only this summer that it put for- The races below are either highly D: Daniel Squadron
ward a proposal that may end a logjam contested or ones where the incumbent R: John Chromczak
on a school bullying bill. took office in a special election since No incumbent
In the 62-member chamber, however, 2006.
Democrats now need only two seats to — Paul Schindler Squadron, a vocal supporter of marriage equality, toppled 30-year incum-
bent Democrat Martin Connor in the September primary. Chromczak, who is
gay, did not seek ESPA’s endorsement, and has voiced pro-life views. ESPA
endorsed Squadron.
3: South shore of Suffolk County
D: Brian X. Foley
R: Caesar Trunzo (incumbent) 48: Northern New York, along the St. Lawrence
Trunzo, first elected to the Senate in 1972, has been a sponsor of a state River, centered on Watertown
Defense of Marriage Act, and has taken no stand on the transgender rights or
school bullying bills. Foley, a town supervisor in Brookhaven, has not taken a D: Darrel Aubertine (incumbent)
public position on marriage equality, but sources confirm that ESPA is poised R: David Renzi
to announce its endorsement and to provide financial support. Tom Hroncich,
long active with the Stonewall Democrats of Suffolk County, voiced “disap- Aubertine, a former member of the Assembly, won his Senate seat in a spe-
pointment” that in his years in public life Foley never responded to any of that cial election earlier this year. In the Assembly, he voted against the marriage
group’s candidate questionnaires. A recent Siena College Research Institute equality bill that passed in June 2007. He supports the school bullying bill, but
poll put Trunzo up 46-40 percent, with 14 percent undecided. is uncommitted on transgender rights. Siena shows him leading Renzi handily.

7: North shore of Nassau County 55: Rochester area

D: Craig Johnson (incumbent) D: David Nachbar
R: Barbara Donno R: Jim Alesi (incumbent)

Johnson entered the Senate in 2007 after a hard-fought special election in First elected in 1996, Alesi is opposed to marriage equality and uncommitted
which he ran on a pro-marriage equality platform. A Siena poll showed him up on the transgender rights and school bullying bills. Nachbar, a former Bauch
about two to one over his challenger. Johnson is supported by ESPA and the and Lomb executive, has announced his support for marriage equality and has
Nassau County Lesbian and Gay Democrats. ESPA’s endorsement.

11: Northwest corner of Queens 56: Rochester area

D: James Gennaro D: Richard Dollinger
R: Frank Padavan (incumbent) R: Joseph Robach (incumbent)

The incumbent Padavan, first elected in 1972, is a longtime foe of gay rights,
while Gennaro, a member of the City Council, supports marriage equality.
Gennaro is widely seen as waging an uphill challenge, though there has been
no recent public opinion poll. Gennaro has been endorsed by ESPA, the Stone-
wall Democrats of New York City, and the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of
Queens.
Robach, elected to the Senate in 2002 after 11 years in the Assembly, is
opposed to marriage equality and school bullying legislation but leans toward
supporting transgender rights. Dollinger, a former state senator, is a mar-
riage equality supporter and has ESPA’s endorsement. A Siena poll last month
showed Robach up by 11 points.

58: Buffalo area

15: Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven,
D: William Stachowski (incumbent)
Middle Village, Glendale, Maspeth R: Dennis Delano

D: Joseph Addabbo, Jr.
R: Serphin Maltese (incumbent)
Maltese, first elected in 1988, has sponsored a state Defense of Marriage Act,
and has taken no position on the transgender rights or school bullying bills.
His opponent Addabbo, a member of the City Council, has not publicly stated
support for marriage equality, but has been endorsed by the Stonewall Demo-
crats of New York City. His website also boasts ESPA’s endorsement, though
the group has made no official statement. A September Sienna poll showed the
race in a dead heat.
Stachowski is opposed to marriage equality, but has voiced support for
the transgender rights and school bullying bills. He was not endorsed by the
Stonewall Democrats of Western New York, and ESPA has taken no position in
the race. Delano, a suspended Buffalo police detective, holds a 13-point lead
according to a recent Siena poll.
61: Erie and Genesee Counties east of Buffalo
D; Joseph Mesi
R: Michael Ranzenhofer

In a race for an open seat, Democrat Mesi, a former professional boxer, sup-

gaycitynews.com ports marriage equality and has the support of the Stonewall Democrats of
Western New York. ESPA has taken no stand yet. Siena shows Mesi slightly
ahead of Ranzenhofer, an Erie County legislator.
8/ Politics 23 - 29 OCT 2008

Quinn Draws Term Limit Ire 7 DAYS

Gay Council hopefuls, party leaders fault speaker on deal with Bloomberg
䉴 QUINN, from p.1 䉴
7 NIGHTS
7 DAYS, from p.2

ed in the speaker of the City

Council, Chris Quinn, and the
other Council members who
support this,” the Park Slope
Democratic district leader said
at the October 16 meeting.
LID voted unanimously to
oppose a Council change to
the term limits law, which has
been approved twice by New
York City voters, and called for
a special referendum in early
2009.
While some gay politicos have
been harshly critical of Mayor
Michael R. Bloomberg, who
championed the effort to alter
the law, they have generally
avoided criticizing Quinn, an out
lesbian who represents Chelsea.
That may be changing.
L a t e l a s t y e a r, Q u i n n
opposed changing the law, but
on October 12, she endorsed
the Bloomberg bill and has
fast-tracked the legislation.
The Council’s Governmental
Operations committee held
public hearings on the propos-
al on October 16 and 17. That
committee is scheduled to vote
on the legislation on October
23, the same day the entire
Council gathers for its stated
meeting. The 51-member body
could vote on the law on that
day as well.
Activists assume that the
vote would not have been
scheduled unless Quinn had
the 26 votes needed to pass it,
though on October 22 reports
were that 23 members opposed
the bill, 18 supported it, and
12 remained uncommitted.
The change would let
Bloomberg run for a third term
in 2009, and his staff have said
in published reports that he is
prepared to spend as much
as $80 million to win a third
term. Bloomberg remains very
popular among city voters.
Quinn and her fellow Demo-
Bob Zuckerman (second from r.), a Brooklyn City Council hopeful, with Alan Fleishman (l.) and Assemblymembers Deborah Glick and Daniel
O’Donnell, at a June fundraiser.
cratic mayoral hopefuls, Con-
gressman Anthony Weiner and
city Comptroller William C.
Thompson (for whom Fleish-
man works), have raised $12.8
million altogether.
Weiner has said he will run
for mayor next year regardless
of the outcome on the term
limits bill. Quinn said she
would run for her Council seat
if a third term is possible, and
Thompson has declined to dis-
cuss his plans.
The result would likely
mean that after eight years
under Republican Rudy Giu-
liani, eight under a Republi-
can Bloomberg, and four more
under a now independent
Bloomberg, Democrats will
have been out of the mayor’s
office for 20 years in a city that
is dominated by Democratic
voters.
Those last four years in
the wilderness will have been
made possible, at least in part,
by Quinn, one of the city’s
leading Democrats.
“I’m an openly gay candi-
date,” said Bob Zuckerman, a
candidate for a Brooklyn City
Council seat. “I’m, of course,
extremely proud of the fact
that we have an openly gay
speaker. I’m extremely disap-
pointed and I’m not proud of
her stance on this issue.”
Zuckerman was one of the
few gay politicos who was will-
ing to say on the record what
others would only say pri-
vately. Quinn was seen as a
reformer when she first arrived
in City Hall in 1999. She was
elected speaker in 2006 to
much acclaim in the gay com-
munity across the country.
The term limits bill looks like a
crass political deal.
“Chris has a real reform
background,” Zucker man
said. “I think that it tarnishes
it somewhat. I don’t know any
other way to say it... Every-
thing about her was reform-
minded and this is not reform-
minded.”
The thinking is that the
Council under Quinn is being
investigated in a slush fund
scandal, with results of that
investigation likely to come out
next year. Four more years as
speaker will give voters time
to forget about that scandal
so Quinn can make a run for
mayor, with Bloomberg’s sup-
port, in 2013.
“It’s a risk on her part,”
Zuckerman said “We don’t
know how that’s going to look
five years from now.”
Zuckerman is one of at least
ten openly gay or lesbian can-
didates who were planning to
seek a Council seat next year.
Many of those races may not
happen if these candidates
decide they are unwilling or
unable to face incumbents
who would otherwise be term
limited.
“I’ve certainly heard people
express discomfort with the
manner in which this is being
done regardless of whether or
not they agree with the term
limits rule,” said Andrew Ber-
man, who is openly gay and
an all but declared candidate
for Quinn’s seat. “Personally,
I think it’s absolutely wrong to
try to change that law without
a public referendum.”
Yetta Kurland, an out lesbi-
an, was also hoping to run for
Quinn’s seat next year.
“I have considered myself
a friend of Chris in the past,”
Kurland said. “I am wholly in
disagreement with her on this
issue. I have been working to
lovingly challenge her on this.”
FRI.OCT.24
TELEVISION
Mad Ave. Sizzle
Bryan Batt, the out gay star of
AMC’s “Mad Men,” appears at an Out-
Professionals chat hosted by Bradley
Jacobs, senior editor at US Weekly.
LGBT Community Center, 208 W.
13th St., 7 p.m. Audience questions
will follow the program. Admission is
$10; $5 for OP members. RSVP at out-
professionals.org.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
PERFORMANCE
No Olive, Please
Basil Twist’s innovative puppetry
unites with drag diva Joey Arias’ leg-
endary voice to transport audiences
to unpredictable worlds, channeling
ecstatic desires, lavish nightmares,
and bizarre premonitions. “Arias With
a Twist” is a feast for the senses, cen-
tering on rare songs and reinventions of
popular favorites. HERE Arts Center,
145 Sixth Ave. at Dominick St., one
block below Spring St. Wed.-Sun.,
9 .m. through Dec. 31. Tickets are
$35-$100 at here.org or 212-352-3101.
More information at http://www.
basiltwist.com.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
Carnival, South
Street Style
Ross Mollison once again presents
Spiegelworld’s annual summer carni-
val at the South Street Seaport, Pier
17. Spiegelworld delivers a non-stop
program of groundbreaking shows,
intimate concerts, brazen burlesque,
top DJs, and great dining. Among three
shows, Spiegelworld will present the
world premiere of “Désir,” a theatrical
circus experience inspired by the sexu-
al, intellectual, and artistic adventures
of early 20th century Paris. “Absinthe,”
the acro-burlesque production, returns
once again this year, reprising its hit
runs of the last two years. Gay City
News critic Gus Solomons, jr., wrote,
“In ‘Absinthe,’ awesome stunts stirred

NEWS BRIEFS By ANDY HUMM

California
Amendment
Poll: Dead Heat
A CBS 5 poll conducted
October 15-16 shows that the
difference between those vot-
ing for and against Proposition
8, which would end same-sex
marriage through a constitution-
al amendment, is statistically
insignificant with 48 percent in
favor and 45 percent opposed.
A few weeks ago, the gap was
from five to eight points in favor
of approving the measure, but
money has been pouring into
the state from both sides and
supporters of the amendment
are losing their financial advan-
tage.
As of October 17, supporters
of Prop 8 had raised $27 million
and opponents $24.4 million,
but that was before a big star-
studded benefit (see below) for
the No on Prop 8 campaign.
Contributions to the cam-
paign to defeat the amendment
can be made online at www.
NoOnProp8.com. Those who
would like to call California
voters to urge them to vote no
should go to www.NoOnProp8.
com/wecallvoters.
Stars Come
Out vs. Prop 8
At a Beverly Hills fundraiser
on October 21 for the No On
Prop 8 campaign to defeat an
amendment to eliminate the
rights of gay couples to marry
in California, the Hollywood
establishment raised “at least
$3.9 million,” Towleroad.com
reported. San Francisco Mayor
Gavin Newsom, whose trium-
phal celebration of the court
decision opening marriage to
gay couples has been used
in the Yes on 8 ads, kicked in
$100,000 and out actor David
Hyde Pierce (“Frasier”) $50,000.
Among those who per-
DAVID HYDE PIERCE 䉴 BRIEFS, continued on p.11
into a tangy batter of raunchiness kept
the crowd shuttling between awed
ovations and belly laughs, while
‘Désir’ relies more for its impact on
elegant execution and the physical
beauty of its talented cast of scantily
clad acrobats.” Pier 17 is located at
the South Street Seaport on the
East River right below the Brook-
lyn Bridge. Through Nov. 2. Tickets
range from $25-$69 at spiegelworld.
com or 212-279-4200. Consult the
website for complete performance
schedule details.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
䉴 7 DAYS, continued on p.11
23 - 29 OCT 2008 Crime/9
22-Years to Life in Queens Murder
John McGhee, Edgar Garzon’s 2001 killer, sentenced
BY DUNCAN OSBORNE car. Christopher Ricalde, who son... would not want to see
was in the car and 14 at the his parents sitting at home,

A
Q ueens judge sen-
tenced John L.
McGhee, the murder-
er of Edgar Garzon, to 22-to-
life in the 2001 killing of the
35-year-old gay man.
“There is a deep wound
in our hearts that will never
heal,” said Leonor Garzon,
Edgar’s mother, at the October
17 sentencing. “As you see, Mr.
McGhee, you have taken us
from living a good life... Today,
time, came forward in early mourning.”
2003 and identified McGhee as Charles D. Abercrombie,
the assailant. Ricalde was the McGhee’s attorney, had earlier
sole eyewitness to the attack. filed a motion asking Kron to
Police located McGhee in vacate the guilty verdict, say-
England in 2003. He was sent ing the evidence presented at
back to the U.S. by British trial did not support it. Bar-
authorities in June of 2006 ring that, the defense asked
after he lied on a visa applica- that the conviction be changed
tion there. New York City police to manslaughter in the first
met his flight from England degree.
and he was arrested hours The defense also asked for
later. a reversal because Kron lim-

our companions are sadness
and loneliness.”
Leonor spoke through a
translator with her husband,
Armando, standing by her side.
Calling the 2001 attack a “bru-
tal and cruel injustice,” Leonor
said McGhee, 40, attacked her
son “from behind without giv-
ing him the opportunity or
space to defend himself.”
Police knew that at least
two men were present at the
assault, which took place on
77th Street in Jackson Heights,
and they drove away in a red
McGhee’s 2007 trial ended
in a mistrial with Ricalde’s
credibility being a central issue
for the jury. At the second trial,
the prosecution limited Rical-
de’s time on the stand and
Barry Kron, the judge in the
case, placed greater limits on
the defense cross-examination
of Ricalde.
McGhee faced a minimum
sentenced of 15-to-life and a
maximum of 25-to-life when
convicted on September 29.
McGhee will serve 22 years
before becoming eligible for a
Armando Garzon, Edgar Garzon’s father, lights a candle at a 2007 vigil in memory of his son.
parole hearing.
Citing McGhee’s 1991 con-
viction for attempted rape
and his “multiple incidents of
violence, domestic violence,”
Karen L. Ross, the prosecu-
tor in the case, asked Kron to
impose the maximum.
“This particular defendant is
a danger to society,” Ross said.
“Based on his history, the bru-
ANDRES DUQUE
ited the cross-examination
and direct questioning of some
witnesses. Abercrombie wrote
that Kron allowed evidence
and comments by Ross that
tality, the people would ask for were prejudicial to McGhee.
the maximum.” Kron denied the motion.
Kron made little comment Abercrombie asked that Kron
on McGhee or the sentence, give McGhee the minimum and
but he did respond to Leonor’s McGhee maintained his inno-
statement at length. cence at his sentencing.
“As you yourself said, this “I did not commit this
is your flesh and blood and no crime,” he said. “By locking me
words can change anything,” away for the rest of my life and
said Kron as he spoke to the leaving the real criminal out
Garzons. “I am sure that your there, that may feel good, but

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10/ Legal
Another Manhattan Divorce Case
Manhattan judge finds New York couple’s 2005 Massachusetts marriage valid
BY ARTHUR S. LEONARD
N
ew York State Supreme
Court Justice Rosalyn
H. Richter has issued
a ruling that the court would
recognize an out-of-state same-
sex marriage of New York resi-
dents for purposes of consider-
ing a divorce petition recently
filed in Manhattan.
The decision relied on a Feb-
ruary ruling from the Appel-
late Division, 4th Depart-
ment, in Martinez v. County of
Monroe, which established a
statewide precedent regarding
gay marriage recognition. The
4th Department found that in
the absence of an express leg-
islative prohibition on such
unions, the marriage of two
lesbians lawfully contracted in
Canada would be recognized.
Richter noted that another
judge of the New York County
Supreme Court had recognized
a same-sex Canadian marriage
for purposes of the divorce
statute, relying on Martinez.
As had the 4th Department,
the court that ruled, in Beth R.
v. Donna M., that the New York
Court of Appeals’ 2006 deci-
sion in the Hernandez case,
Gay Marriage Will Battle Avoided
Estranged husband waives spousal rights; parents cooperate
BY ARTHUR S. LEONARD
I
n the September 11-17
issue, Gay City News
reported on a ruling by
Queens Surrogate Robert Nah-
man, published in the New
York Law Journal, that the will
of Alan Zwerling, a gay man
who married his partner in
Canada, could not be probat-
ed without adding his parents
as parties, due to uncertainty
about whether the marriage
was legally recognized in New
York.
That story suggested that
the ruling could delay matters,
to the disadvantage of the sur-
viving husband, who our story
assumed was the sole benefi-
ciary under the will.
The attorney for the Estate
of Alan Zwerling has since
contacted the newspaper and
made clear that the story is
much more interesting than
what could be deduced from
Nahman’s brief, cryptic opin-
ion.
Alan Zwerling and Martin
Orrego were married in Cana-
finding no constitutional right
to marry by same-sex couples,
did not stand in the way of
recognizing out-of-state mar-
riages, because that case did
not address the issue of recog-
Same-sex marriage was “prohibited”
in New York, but only after the date
of the Hernandez ruling in 2006.
nition of marriages from other
jurisdictions.
Richter’s October 14 ruling,
in a case involving a couple
identified only as C.M. and
C.C, faced one other criti-
cal issue — the marriage took
place in Massachusetts in
August 2005, when that state’s
law still prohibited issuance of
licenses to out-of-state couples
whose marriages would be void
in their home state.
Shortly after same-sex mar-
riages began in Massachusetts
in May 2004, then-Governor
Mitt Romney ordered town
clerks to abide by a 1913 stat-
ute that places restrictions on
da on July 12, 2007, and had
been living together for some
time in a house they had pur-
chased in Queens. Zwerling’s
original will provided that
Orrego would inherit his own-
ership interest in the house if
he died. However, shortly after
they married, Orrego became
involved with another man,
Zwerling and Orrego separat-
ed, a divorce petition was filed
in Queens County, and Zwer-
ling changed his will to leave
his estate to his brother Martin
Zwerling
A few months later, Alan
Zwerling died, still married to
Orrego.
Martin Zwerling presented
the new will to the Queens
County Surrogate’s Court,
together with the information
that at his death Zwerling was
married to Martin Orrego, and
with a document signed by
Orrego waiving any claims he
might have to part of Zwerling’s
estate as a surviving spouse.
(Under New York law, a spouse
cannot be disinherited, and is
entitled to a statutory percent-
marriage by out-of-state cou-
ples. Some couples, however,
succeeded in getting licenses,
either by filing statements that
they intended to move to Mas-
sachusetts or using vacation
home addresses in that state.
A lawsuit challenging the
constitutionality of the 1913
law, filed by Gay & Lesbian
Advocates & Defenders (GLAD),
failed in front of Massachu-
setts’ high court, but that rul-
ing found that the prohibition
extended only to residents of
states that “prohibited” same-
sex marriages. Clearly, states
that have express state consti-
tutional or statutory bans on
same-sex marriage would fall
in that category, but a handful
of states, including New York,
had neither.
The Massachusetts Supreme
Judicial Court sent the case
age of the estate, regardless of
what the will says, unless the
spouse agrees to waive his or
her statutory rights.)
This would seem to have left
the way clear to probating the
will and giving Martin Zwerling
The story is much more interesting
than what could be deduced from
Nahman’s brief, cryptic opinion.
his inheritance. But Nahman
was concerned about whether
the marriage was legally recog-
nized in New York. If it was not,
then Zwerling died an unmar-
ried man, in which case his
surviving legal heirs, his par-
ents, might have an interest in
contesting the will, since it left
nothing to them. Parents have
no right to a statutory share of
a child’s estate, but as heirs at
law they would have standing
to contest a will that left them
nothing.
As previously reported, Nah-
back to the Superior Court
for a determination regarding
whether any of the plaintiff
couples, including a New York
couple, might still qualify for
marriage licenses. While that
question was pending before
the Superior Court, C.M. and
C.C. were married.
Subsequent to that, the New
York Court of Appeals turned
back the marriage equality
lawsuits here, and the Massa-
chusetts court concluded that
this meant that same-sex mar-
riage was “prohibited” in New
York, but only after the date
of the Hernandez ruling here,
which was in 2006, the year
after C.M. and C.C. married.
Richter, reviewing this liti-
gation history, found that the
C.M.-C.C. marriage should
be regarded as valid. When
C.M. and C.C. married in
Massachusetts, there was a
trial court ruling on the books
in Hernandez, from Justice
Doris Ling-Cohan in New York
County, holding that same-sex
couples were entitled to marry
in New York, even though that
ruling was stayed pending an
appeal that, in 2006, led to it
being overturned.
man wrote that in the absence
of a “definitive” same-sex mar-
riage recognition ruling by
the Appellate Division for the
2nd Department, based in
Brooklyn, which has appellate
jurisdiction over the Queens
Surrogate Court, he would
require that Zwerling’s par-
ents be “joined” as parties to
the probate proceeding. Nah-
man never mentioned the 4th
Department’s February ruling
in Martinez v. County of Mon-
roe, in Rochester, which estab-
lished a statewide precedent
holding that a Canadian same-
sex marriage was legally valid
in New York.
After Nahman’s decision
was issued, Zwerling’s par -
ents agreed to sign a docu-
ment waiving any rights they
23 - 29 OCT 2008
“The fact that the parties
were non-residents of Massa-
chusetts at the time they were
married does not render the
marriage invalid under then-
existing Massachusetts Law,”
Richter found.
The judge noted that a prior
New York County trial court
ruling refused recognition of
a Massachusetts same-sex
marriage in a divorce proceed-
ing, relying on the 2006 Court
of Appeals’ Hernandez ruling.
But that court’s interpretation
was contrary to the 4th Depart-
ment February ruling in Marti-
nez. Richter also observed that
the earlier decision was issued
before the Massachusetts rul-
ing on the 1913 law, so that
statute’s application to New
York couples was not yet clear.
“The purpose of the full faith
and credit provision of the
constitution and the doctrine
of comity is to accord parties,
especially in today’s mobile
society, the ability to ensure
that if they were married in
another state, they can enforce
the civil contract of marriage
in New York,” Richter wrote,
allowing the divorce case to
proceed.
would have to participate in
the probate proceeding or
make a claim against their
son’s estate, and Nahman sub-
sequently gave the green light
to Martin Zwerling proceed-
ing with administration of his
brother’s will. Had Zwerling’s
parents balked at waiving their
rights, however, the proceeding
could have become prolonged
through a will contest.
The main asset of Zwerling’s
estate is the house that he
bought together with Orrego,
as “tenants in common.” That
will be sold, Orrego will receive
his appropriate co-owner’s
share of the proceeds, and the
rest will go to the estate and
ultimately Martin Zwerling as
beneficiary.
Had Orrego refused to waive
his rights, he would have had
a claim to a surviving spouse’s
statutory share of the estate,
which under New York law
would ordinarily be one-third
of the value of the estate,
including any personal prop-
erty owned by Zwerling as well
as the real estate.
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 11

7 DAYS ■ HEALTH

䉴
7 NIGHTS AIDS Cut Protest at City Hall
Advocates, clients demand reversal in NYS, NYC funding declines
7 DAYS, from p.8

BY DUNCAN OSBORNE

SAT.OCT.25
FILM
Celluloid & Digital
Occult
“Channeling” is a loose cata-
logue of experimental moving image
work that provides an entryway into
the spirit realm and the queer body
politic. The program’s intent is to
re-imagine film and video as occult
technologies that allow us to con-
nect with the bodies, experiences,
and emotions that are often invis-
ible — ghostly, even— in everyday
life. The works in the program take
a personal approach in dealing with
the political and historical problems
that haunt the queer experience: the
A
s a City Council com-
mittee was hearing tes-
timony for and against
a proposal by Mayor Michael R.
Bloomberg to have the Council
increase term limits for city
elected officials from the cur-
rent two four -year terms to
three, Gary Hylton was sitting
in his wheelchair across from
City Hall.
“I challenge Mayor
Bloomberg, since he wants
his third term, to explain why
we should do it and what he’s
going to do for us,” he said on
October 17.
Hylton and roughly 100 cli-

KRISHNA STONE/ GMHC

AIDS pandemic (Vanessa Renwick,
John Di Stefano), the body in transi-
tion (Elliot Montague), the idealized
nuclear family (Jillian Pena, Michael
Robinson, Liz Rosenfeld), and the nar-
row cultural standards of desirabil-
ity (Math Bass & Dylan Mira as EMR,
Shana Moulton). The artists employ a
variety of aesthetic approaches such
as digital video, homemade effects,
saturated 8mm, home movies, anima-
tion, green screen, and more. Le Petit
Versailles Garden, 346 E. Houston
St., btwn. Aves. B & C, 8 p.m. The
program runs for 83 minutes. Admis-
sion is free, but donations help cover
the costs of refreshments. For more
information, visit www.lpvtv.blog-
spot.com.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
GALLERY
Art We Can
Believe In
Politics and art? As impossible a
mix as oil and water? Hardly. Has there
ever been a more powerful anti-war
message than Picasso’s “Guernica”?
2008 has proven that Americans want
to engage in politics again. To cel-
ebrate the excitement now bubbling
ents and staff members from
perhaps a dozen city AIDS
groups gathered in front of 250
Broadway where City Council
members and some state elect-
ed officials have their offices.
They were demanding a rever-
sal of cuts in city and state
AIDS funding.
The State Legislature is pre-
paring to meet in November to
cut another $2 billion overall,
on top of $5.2 billion already
slashed, from its $121.7 bil-
lion budget for the fiscal year
that began on April 1. The new
cuts will be announced after
November 18.
The city, which already cut
✯ AIDS dollars in the current
fiscal year that began on July
1, will cut another $500 mil-
lion overall from its $59.1 bil-
lion budget after the state cuts
are made.
The group that mounted the
hour-long protest consisted
NEWS BRIEFS
Roughly 100 AIDS advocates and their clients turned out October 17 to protest city, states cuts to HIV services.
mostly of clients who planned
the protest in July, at a meet-
ing held at the Gay Men’s
Health Crisis (GMHC), where
they expressed irritation that
their voices were not being
heard in the budget talks.
“It’s frustrating when all
somebody wants to do is get
healthy and get on with their
lives,” Hylton said.
“Nobody knows what it is
to live with this virus but us,”
said Manuel Rivera, chairman
of AIDS Budget Action Coali-
tion, the group that organized
the protest.
The cuts are coming as the
city is learning that scope of
the epidemic here is larger
than previously known. In
By ANDY HUMM
August, the city health depart-
ment estimated that there
were 4,800 new HIV infections
citywide in 2006, with 49 per-
cent of those infections in gay
and bisexual men.
Injecting drug users
accounted for a remarkably
low 372 cases, or eight per-
cent, and heterosexual sex led
to 1,043 new infections, or 22
percent. The remaining cases
had unknown or other trans-
mission risk.
Among gay and bisexual
men, the new infections were
evenly distributed, with white
men accounting for 33 percent
of the cases, African-American
men accounting for 34 per -
cent, and Latinos account-
ing for 32 percent. Overall, all
men accounted for 76 percent
of the new HIV infections in
New York City.
That new estimate was
based on testing blood sam-
ples with an HIV test that
identifies new infections. Pre-
viously, the city only reported
new HIV diagnoses. In 2006,
3,863 New Yorkers were newly
diagnosed with HIV.
The Bloomberg administra-
tion has not responded to the
continuing high rates of new
infections among the city’s gay
and bisexual men, but report-
edly the health department is
expected to roll out a new and
explicit safe-sex campaign tar-
geting those men.

as the coming election approaches, Art
Gotham chose the timely theme “Elec-
tion 2008” for its biannual “Square Foot
Show.” Artists were provided with 12”x
12” canvases, and asked to think politi-
cally as they create works for the show.
Nothing like a tough assignment for
producing amazing results. 192 Sixth
Ave., btwn. Spring & Prince Sts.
Thu.-Sun., 1-6 p.m. through Nov. 9.
For more information, visit artgotham.
com.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ Democratic Vice Presi-
Art From
Experience
SAGE, Services and Advocacy for
GLBT Elders, is hosting a month-long
exhibition celebrating the important
artistic contributions seniors make to
the gay community. 208 W. 13th St.,
4 p.m. The exhibition runs through
Oct. 30.
䉴 OCT 25, continued on p.16
䉴 BRIEFS, from p.8
formed at the event hosted by
Ron Burkle were Mary J. Blige
and Melissa Etheridge.
The California Teachers
Association also came through
with a one million dollar dona-
tion to the campaign to defeat
Prop 8 this week.
Biden on Board
dential nominee Joe Biden
confirmed his opposition to
California’s anti-gay marriage
amendment, Proposition 8, on
Ellen DeGeneres’ show. His
running mate, Barack Obama,
also opposes the amend-
ment, but there have been
complaints that their opposi-
tion to same-sex marriage
and lack of visibility against
the amendment have helped
ELLEN DEGENERES
those who are pushing for its
approval.
In a subsequent show,
DeGeneres attacked Republi-
can vice presidential nominee
Sarah Palin for coming out in
favor of a federal constitution-
al amendment to ban same-
sex marriage, something
even her running mate, John
McCain, does not yet support
— even though he does sup-
port state amendments to do
so, such as that in California.
McCain has said that if he
concludes that there is a risk
that states might have to rec-
ognize same-sex marriages
from other states, he would
reconsider his opposition to a
federal amendment.
Latter Day
Bigotry
Californians Against Hate
is reporting that 77 percent
of the money going to the Yes
on Prop 8 campaign is coming
from Mormon families.
“The new Mormon total is
$19.15 million contributed by
over 59,000 Mormon families
in just over three months,”
the group said in a release.
“Non-Mormon donations are
now at $5.74 since July 1,
which represents 23 percent
of the total.”
Schiavo
Comes Out
Against Fla.
Amendment
Michael Schiavo, whose
struggle to let his brain dead
wife Terri die a peaceful death
made international headlines,
has made a television ad
against Amendment 2, a Flor- MICHAEL SCHAIVO
ida constitutional amendment
to ban same-sex marriage and A n e w F l o r i d a Ti m e s -
domestic partnerships. Union poll shows 53 percent
Schiavo says in the ad, “As of voters supporting the
a former Republican, I think if amendment, seven short of
the people behind Amend- the 60 percent supermajor-
ment 2 really cared about ity required to pass it. Florida
respecting a legal marriage already bans legal recognition
between husband and wife, of same-sex marriage in law.
they would have respected
mine.” 䉴 BRIEFS, continued on p.21
12/ Editorial 23 - 29 OCT 2008

■ ENDORSEMENTS

PUBLISHER & CO-FOUNDER

State Senate Election Day Choices
JOHN W. SUTTER

I
646.452.2500 n the election November 4, dens as well, Daniel Squadron, Chromczak’s pro-life position. by his opponent. The commu-
JWSutter@communitymediallc.com New York’s LGBT commu- the Democrat, defeated long- Though he says he would not nity should rally around Craig
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & CO-FOUNDER nity has a vested interest time incumbent Martin Con- seek to outlaw abortion, he Johnson to thank him for his
TROY MASTERS in seeing the current leader- nor in the September primary, concedes that he does favor steadfastness.
646.452.2502 ship of the State Senate over- and is facing John Chrom- greater limits on access to
troy@gaycitynews.com turned. The Republicans, who czak, an out gay Republican, reproductive health services by Upstate, there are two con-
EDITOR IN-CHIEF & CO-FOUNDER have gone unchallenged there in November. teenagers and women in later tests in which Democrats have
PAUL SCHINDLER for decades, have served us Chromczak argues that as stages of pregnancy. Repro- a shot at unseating Republi-
646.452.2503
editor@gaycitynews.com
poorly. It took 31 years to pass a gay Republican he is bet- ductive freedom, in our view, can incumbents and a third in
a gay rights law in this state — ter situated than Squadron goes hand-in-hand with our which a Democrat could snag
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Duncan Osborne until 2002. For more than a to make the case for marriage right as gay men and lesbians an open seat. In all three, the
decade, the only hold-up was equality, especially among his to privacy in our sexual lives. Democratic challengers sup-
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Christopher Byrne (Theater), Susie Day, the refusal by the GOP Senate GOP colleagues and especially Much as we put value on port marriage equality and
Doug Ireland (International), majority leader to allow a floor if his party is in the minority having LGBT people at the both of the Republican incum-
Brian McCormick (Dance) vote. It took George Pataki’s and the majority Democrats table, we endorse Daniel bents are opposed. In the
Dean P. Wrzeszcz political interest in present- are looking for votes, as they Squadron enthusiastically. 55th District near Rochester,
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ing himself as a moderate in will surely have to do. But the David Nachbar, the Democrat,
Betsy Andrews, Seth J. Bookey,
Anthony M.Brown, Kelly Jean Cogswell,
his third-term reelection bid Republicans being the minor- In an uphill fight in the 11th deserves victory over Sena-
Dean Daderko, Tate Dougherty, Andres Duque, to turn around that intransi- ity is a big if. Should Chrom- Senate District in northwest tor Jim Alesi. Former Senator
Michael Ehrhardt, Steve Erickson, Nick Feitel, gence. czak’s seat keep the GOP in Queens, City Councilman Richard Dollinger, in the 56th
Jim Fouratt, Joe Fyfe, Deborah Garwood,
Erasmo Guerra, Emily Harney, Andrey Henkin, Now the Republicans are control, his advocacy for gay James Gennaro is challenging District, in and around Roch-
Frank Holiday, Andy Humm, James Jorden, blocking any progress on mar- marriage will fall on deaf ears. Republican Frank Padavan, an ester, should be elected in place
Brendan Keane, David Kennerley, Gary M. Kramer, riage equality or transgender To say that Squadron is our old-school troglodyte who has of incumbent Joseph Robach.
Arthur S. Leonard, Rachael Liberman,
Michael T. Luongo, Lawrence D. Mass, rights. We don’t have anoth- choice only because he would been a fierce opponent of gay And in the 61 st District, in
Winnie McCroy, Eileen McDermott, er 31 years to wait. Frankly, hasten a Democratic major- rights throughout his career. Erie and Genesee Counties
Gregory Montreuil, Ioannis Mookas, Carrie Moyer,
Stephen Mueller, Christopher Murray,
why should we wait even two ity, however, is damning him In a relatively conservative dis- east of Buffalo, Joseph Mesi
David Noh, Wayne Northcross, Lori Ortiz, years? with faint praise. In fact, he is trict and facing an entrenched merits the support of LGBT
Pauline Park, Sheila Pepe, John Reed, Our jury is still out on sev- an exceptional candidate. He incumbent, Gennaro has been voters and their allies.
Nathan Riley, Andrew Robinson, Gerard Robinson,
Chris Schmidt, Sarah D. Schulman, eral races in which the Repub- pledged to this newspaper that unequivocal in supporting our
Jason Victor Serinus, Linda Shapiro, lican incumbent is sorely in marriage equality “is a drum I right to marry. James Genn- Two Republican incumbents
David Shengold, Gus Solomons Jr., David Spiher, need of retirement, but where plan to beat as aggressively as aro deserves election to the facing stiff reelection challeng-
Drew B. Straub, Stefen Styrsky, Jerry Tallmer,
Stefanos Tsigrimanis, Kathleen Warnock, we’d like to learn more about anybody.” Squadron is a guy State Senate. es also deserve to be turned
Benjamin Weinthal, Lee Ann Westover, the Democratic challengers. nearly impossible not to take out of office. Serphin Maltese,
James Withers, Kai Wright, Susan Yung
There are six races, however, seriously, so this commitment In Nassau County’s 7th Dis- who represents the 15th Senate
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Mark Hasselberger, Jamie Paakkonen
where we want to highlight appears wholly genuine. It is trict, incumbent Democrat District in Queens, and Caesar
outstanding candidates. also of a piece with an impres- Craig Johnson, who first went Trunzo, from the 3rd District
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING
FRANCESCO REGINI
sive array of carefully con- to the Senate in a special elec- in Suffolk County, have both
646.452.2496 In the 25th Senate District sidered policy positions that tion in early 2007, looks to sponsored the state Defense
francesco@gaycitynews.com that that runs from the Lower distinguish him not only from have a commanding lead over of Marriage Act, which thank-
ADVERTISING MANAGERS East Side down to Battery Park his Republican opponent, but his Republican rival. Still, when fully has never gained traction.
MATT LEWIS and includes portions of Wil- from most political newcomers he ran on a marriage equal- Next week we hope to offer our
646.452.2504 liamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, seeking office. ity platform in his first time thoughts on their Democratic
matt@gaycitynews.com
COLIN GREGORY Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gar- We are also troubled by out, he was hit hard and dirty challengers.
646.452.2468
colin@gaycitynews.com ■ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ALLISON GREAKER
646.452.2485
allison@gaycitynews.com does? (“Gay Insiders Unhap- Yorkers, the most. It’s said that Quinn, in going
JENNIFER HOLLAND ART LEONARD TO py About Ter m Limit End Dawn Reel back on her earlier promise to
646.452.2499
Jennifer@gaycitynews.com
THE RESCUE Run,” by Duncan Osborne, New York City abide by the electorate’s deci-
Oct. 9-15.) 9/11 was not sion, will be “putting her own
LEE CASTORO
646-452-2505 October 16, 2008 enough of a disaster but the October 12, 2008 mayoral dreams on hold.” But
lee@gaycitynews.com To the Editor: Wall Street financial crisis is? To the Editor: Quinn has no reasonable hope
LORET GAMBOA As usual, Arthur Leon- Please gay sisters and broth- Later today, October 12, Chris- to be mayor in the near future.
646-452-2483
loret@gaycitynews.com ard’s writing is intelligent, ers, energize the memory cells tine Quinn will announce her Since Slushgate she’s been
informative, and technically — life today is not more tur- support of Michael Bloomberg’s barely able to keep her head
ACCOUNTING
DAVID JAFFE
flawless (“And Now, Connect- bulent than 9/11 was. No one plan to do away with a term- above the sludge. Had she
646-452-2477 icut!,” Oct. 16-22). That’s deserves to thwart the will of limits law that the voters have retired yesterday, her political
david@gaycitynews.com part of the reason Queer - the people to be mayor again. ratified twice. Instead of putting legacy would have been cor-
NATIONAL DISPLAY ADVERTISING Reader.com named him one Previous ballot initia- this matter again before the peo- ruption; to that she can now
Rivendell Media of our best writers. The Gay tives banning more than two ple in a referendum, they’ll ram add abuse of power.
212.242.6863 City News is very fortunate to terms as mayor have forced through the City council a law Yes, Christine Quinn is still
Web master have Mr. Leonard writing for a lot more attention to LGBT that suits their mutual political the city’s highest-elected gay
Arturo Jimenez
Arturo@gaycitynews.com them. issues. Democracy is good purposes better. official, and this morning I am
Gay City News, The Newspaper Serving Gay and Lesbian NYC, is pub- Dean Van de Motter for LGBT people here. Our In doing so, Quinn will very, very sad. I intend to do
lishedby Community Media, LLC. Send all inquiries to: Gay City News,
145 Sixth Ave., First Fl., NYC 10013 Phone: 646.452.2500 Written New York City so-called person, the lesbian betray the core principle of the what I can as a citizen, an activ-
permission of the publisher must be obtained before any of the contents
of this paper, in part or whole, can be reproduced or redistributed. All Chris Quinn, has complete- queer movement from which ist, and a writer to see to it that
contents (c) 2008 Gay City News.
ly sold us down the river, she rose — direct democracy. Quinn, who’s decided to flout
Subscriptions: 26 issues, $90.00 HOW DARE THEY? expecting we would have no She will say she’s bowing to the the expressed will of the people
(c)2008 Gay City News. other choice than to vote for mayor’s wishes in this because so blatantly, never again holds
All rights reserved.
Gay City News is a registered trademark October 10, 2008 her. We do! of the unique circumstances any elected office. I invite fellow
of Community Media, LLC.
John W. Sutter, President
To the Editor: Let all of New York City of the current financial melt- New Yorkers to join me.
Fax: 646.452.2501; Mayor Giuliani didn’t dare vote for term limits. Let’s not down. Every autocrat through- Jim Eigo
E-mail: JWSutter@communitymediallc.com
challenge public opinion to hand our betrayer the may- out history has excused his New York City
stay on as mayor for a third oralty, let’s vote for who will every power grab with a simi-
term, yet Mayor Bloomberg help LGBT people, and all New lar rationale. 䉴 LETTERS, continued on p.15
23 - 29 OCT 2008
■ CITY HALL
Council Term Limits Grab Wrong on Every Count
I
have always been against
term limits; in fact, when
given the opportunity, I
voted against them. Twice.
That said, millions of New
Yorkers cast votes in favor of
eight-year limits for officials
holding citywide office and for
members of the City Council.
The people have spoken and,
my own views on term limits
aside, it is paramount for gov-
ernment to respect their deci-
sion.
Unfortunately, Mayor
Michael Bloomberg and his
ally City Council Speaker
Christine Quinn do not respect
that position and are seek-
ing to overturn the term lim-
its. There are three ways that
these public referenda can be
reversed: (1) submit a new ref-
erendum to the voters in a spe-
cial election and allow them to
overturn their prior decisions;
(2) successfully introduce a
bill before the State Legisla-
ture in Albany; or (3) pass a
bill through the City Council
extending or eliminating term
limits. Apparently the mayor
and the speaker do not want
to trust the voting public with
an issue so important to both
of them, since they have cat-
egorically refused to consider
option #1. And they are even
more afraid of submitting the
question to the State Legisla-
ture, in no small part because
the bill would have no chance
in Albany.
So, instead, they have taken
the matter into their own
hands, literally, and asked the
city to accept a power grab in
which they themselves overrule
the will of the voters expressed
in two separate elections. As a
■ THE COMING VICTORY
LGBT Rights and an Obama Centrist Win
T
he election isn’t closer
than you think. Barack
Obama must keep up
his momentum, but he has a
clear lead. John McCain’s only
hope is that Obama’s support
falls apart.
A disaster is unlikely.
Obama is now and perhaps
has always been the estab-
lishment’s choice. He is deter-
mined to keep well-informed,
mainstream voters, especially
Republicans, on his side.
In this respect, Colin Pow-
ell’s endorsement is significant.
He enjoys the respect of the
political center and of Ameri-
matter of precedent, this tactic
is arguably the most danger-
ous assault on democracy in
the history of the City Coun-
cil. As a matter of law, it is a
tortured rethinking of ethical
rules worthy of Dick Cheney.
As a matter of fiscal responsi-
bility for the city, it simply can-
not be justified on the facts.
These politicians will have passed a
bill overruling the public will to
give themselves and only
themselves an extended term.
If there is any truth to what
has been widely reported,
Mayor Bloomberg has reached
a sweetheart deal with fel-
low billionaire Ronald Lauder
in which Lauder will drop his
longstanding opposition to
term limits extension just for
the 2009 local elections, with
the understanding that term
limits will be reinstated and
respected thereafter. If suc-
cessful, this deal will allow
Bloomberg, who next year
would have exhausted the
eight years allowed under
the current City Charter, the
opportunity to run for anoth-
er four -year term. Speaker
Quinn, who would also be
prohibited from running for
another term, has announced
her support for the initiative.
There have been suggestions
that the mayor has prom-
ised his support for her in the
future in return for her assis-
tance now, but both parties
have strenuously denied any
back-room deal.
cans generally. Another recent
endorsement also sent a reas-
suring message to political and
financial elites. Christopher
Buckley, the son of the iconic
conservative thinker and writ-
er, is a political satirist whose
humorous novels delight the
skeptical and intellectual.
Both Powell and Buckley
are stars in the Republican fir-
mament, and have a following
among Democrats and moder-
ates as well.
The Democratic campaign
is buttressed by endorsements
from the nation’s leading daily
newspapers. In 2004, John
Perspective/13
BY MICHAEL COLOSI
Regardless, the speaker and
the mayor are now leaning
hard on the other City Coun-
cil members to join them. As
unpalatable as it is for legisla-
tures to overrule the express
will of the voters, the prospect
of their doing so in a naked
grab for additional power for
themselves is indefensible.
The New York City Charter
provides that it is “the public
policy of the City of New York
to limit to not more than eight
consecutive years the time
elected officials can serve.”
Legally, the City Council could
amend a provision like this by
majority vote approved by the
mayor. There is another provi-
sion, however, that would pro-
hibit such action, especially
when it is calculated to help
the very politicians voting for
the bill. City Charter section
2604(b)3 states: “No public
servant shall use or attempt
to use his or her position as
a public servant to obtain
any financial gain, contract,
license, privilege or other pri-
vate or personal advantage,
direct or indirect, for the pub-
lic servant or any person or
firm associated with the pub-
lic servant.”
There is no doubt that if the
mayor and the City Council
members vote to extend their
own terms, especially over the
BY NATHAN RILEY
Kerry barely edged out George
Bush in newspaper support,
but as of October 20, Obama
is overwhelming McCain, with
a 112-39 edge among the larg-
est circulation publications.
Moderates have grown
increasingly distrustful of
McCain’s volcanic tempera-
ment, they despise his negative
advertising, and they shudder
at the thought of Sarah Palin.
The meretricious commercials
tying Obama to former ’60s
radical Bill Ayers have back-
fired. Palin receives short shrift
from many American lead-
ers. “I don’t believe she’s ready
will of the people, they would
be obtaining a private or per-
sonal advantage through the
use of their offices. This conflict
of interest would only be more
apparent if the term limits are
restored after the 2009 elec-
tion. In effect, these politicians
will have passed a bill overrul-
ing the public will to give them-
selves and only themselves an
extended term.
That result is intolerable in
a democracy, just as it would
be if they voted for themselves
a one-time bonus of $500,000
— though perhaps they would
need to add a few zeroes to
catch the mayor’s attention.
The mayor attempts to jus-
tify this abomination on the
grounds that the current eco-
nomic climate and immediate
prognosis are so poor that the
voters should have the chance
to give him another term. In
my opinion, Bloomberg should
spend 100 percent of his time
for the next year doing the
job for which he was already
elected: serving as mayor and
addressing the immediate con-
cerns of the economy. If ever
we needed him, it is now.
What we do not need is for
the mayor to have the major
distractions of a fight over
term limits, of legal strategies
for combating the inevitable
challenges to the power grab,
and of running another may-
oral campaign in the midst of
a crisis.
To add insult to injury, an
extension of terms limits could
potentially cost the city mil-
lions of dollars a year for years
to come. Anyone who works for
the city for ten years or more
is entitled to a pension. The
to be president of the United
States,” Powell said.
Palin is sinking McCain.
Bush’s coalition of neo-con-
servatives and evangelicals is
a disaster and the admiral’s
son (and grandson) is their
captive. In the October 27 New
Yorker, Jane Mayer reported
that this coalition foisted Palin
on McCain, who had a strong
preference for Connecticut
Senator Joe Lieberman. Mayer
quotes a major right-wing
leader, David Keene — chair-
man of the American Conser-
vative Union and a member
the Council for National Policy,
mayor, the City Council mem-
bers, and all of their respective
staff members who will have
served for eight years (or less)
in 2009 would not be eligible
for a pension.
If all of those politicians
are instead elected to serve
for four more years, they and
those staff members who will
then have worked for the city
for ten years or more would
be entitled to pensions. This
entitlement will cost the tax-
payers a fortune and points up
exactly how grave a violation of
the City Charter prohibitions
against self-dealing the pro-
posed extension would be.
To put the matter in context,
the Charter prohibits public
servants from accepting a gift
worth more than $50 from any-
one who has business with the
city. The proposal supported
by Bloomberg and Quinn will
give allow City Council mem-
bers the opportunity to give
themselves and every public
servant otherwise facing term
limits — not to mention many
of their staff members — bene-
fits worth potentially hundreds
of thousands of dollars each.
No matter what your view
may be of term limits or of the
job Michael Bloomberg has
done as mayor, this question
must be submitted to the vot-
ers to decide and not passed in
a sweetheart deal through the
Council. Everyone who cares
about due process and the rule
of law should contact their City
Council members and demand
that they oppose this exten-
sion. Please let them know that
the voters will remember their
actions when we go to the polls
next year.
a right-wing steering group —
saying simply, “McCain was
scared off.”
McCain was warned that
“choosing Lieberman would
ignite a contentious floor fight
at the Convention, as social
conservatives revolted against
Lieberman for being, among
other things, pro-choice.”
To keep the peace, McCain
lost his chance to reform and
remake the GOP. His more
immediate problem is that dis-
gusted Republicans are now
supporting Obama.
䉴 RIGHTS, continued on p.17
14 23 – 29 OCT 2008 WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

2008 COURAGE AWARDS

A benefit for the Anti-Violence Project

HONORING
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USA, LLC a program of Safe Horizon

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2008

ESPACE
635 West 42nd Street
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Beverages provided by
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 15

䉴 LETTERS, from p.12
IN THE STATE
OF GRACIE
October 17, 2008
To the Editor:
I agree with Nathan Riley for his
reasons and others (“A Rotten Deal
at City Hall,” Oct. 16-22). One being
that this borrowing for overdevelop-
ing was helped by the mayor. Let’s
think about it. When have so many
cranes crashed before? New York
City has tall buildings going up in
neighborhoods that can’t handle
them. He is the person that pushed
through the law for developers to
have floor credits that can be used
for other buildings the developer is
building. Of course his friends want
him around for four more years. Let’s
hope the City Council regains its
integrity fast.
Joel Czarlinsky
New York City
October 16, 2008
To the Editor:
This mayor has too many restric-
tions on everyone, including tourists
and servicemen. When guys got off
the ship after being overseas, many
looked for a cigarette but were not
even allowed to smoke much less
buy them. This also hurts bars and
the economy of the night scene in
New York City. I don’t like all of the
rules he has made with taxes on
everything, even driving in the city. I
for one would rather go to Las Vegas
than be in a city where you have to
act Their Way instead of being your-
self. Forget It! I’m glad I left because
of him.
Rick Barton
Las Cruces, New Mexico
AND ANOTHER THING
October 17, 2008
To the Editor:
An important aspect of the term
limits debate has been kept below the
radar, and that is the effect of the pro-
posed legislation on the LGBT commu-
nity. Term limits, right or wrong, have
provided an avenue for LGBT candi-
dates to play an increased role in city
government.
This year, there are more LGBT can-
didates for local elected office than
ever before, reflecting the increasingly
diverse neighborhoods of our city. The
opportunity to add these voices to the
dialogue on city policies will be greatly
diminished under the proposed legisla-
tion.
Lynn Schulman
Forest Hills
PLAY, BUT PLAY SAFE
October 10, 2008
To the Editor:
I saw Matthew Shepard’s contorted
face and heard his cries and now this
senseless murder happens (“A Mur-
dered Man Remembered,” by Nathan
Riley, Sep. 11-17).
I have firsthand knowledge of vio- — and more self-righteous and racist
lence that came after first trusting — than the New York Times? (“Queen
another member of the human fam- Latifah Sounds Like the Old Clay
ily and remain distressed that we, as a Aiken,” News Briefs, by Andy Humm,
community, seem to not have learned Oct. 9-15). Hands off the Queen!
to be more cautious with our new- Dawn Reel
found friends. I lost 65 percent of the New York, New York City
hearing in my right ear after a senseless
felony assault was committed against
me because I refuse to be anything less WRITE US!
or more than who and what I am.
I offer no apologies but do offer a Address letters to the editor, of no
warning — beware, beware, beware more than 250 words, to:
a wolf in sheepskin. Let other people
know who you plan to meet, leave with, Editor@gaycitynews.com ;
sleep with. Your life may depend on Or fax them to 646-452-2501;
doing so. Or mail them to 145 Sixth Ave.,
Henry J Ceslewski, Jr. 1st fl., New York 10013.
Lakewood, Ohio
Please include your phone number,
for confirmation purposes only. The
RELIGULOUS editors reserve the right to edit all let-
ters due to space constraints.
October 9, 2008
To the Editor:
The tattoo might fit across the Rev-
erend Mullen’s forehead (“Clergyman
Proposed Tattooing Gay Men,” News
Briefs, by Andy Humm, Oct. 9-15).
Most likely it protrudes a good bit from
his face. I’d check his knuckles for rug
burns. God save religion.
Bill Seiber
Columbus, Ohio
GRAY IS NOT A COLOR
October 10, 2008
gaycity
To the Editor:
Does a newspaper get much whiter news.com

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November 16, 2008 - Central Park

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'ODS,OVE7E$ELIVER!VENUEOFTHE!MERICAS.EW9ORK.9
sWWWGODSLOVEWEDELIVERORG
16/ Perspective
■ POLITICS AND FAMILY
Reaching Across The Uterus
P
olitics pops up in the
oddest places. And like
a song that gets stuck
in your head, it refuses to be
ignored.
“She’s having my baby…”
That’s the one I’ve been hum-
ming lately because my hus-
band Gary and I are taking
the plunge into full-on par-
enthood and, at age 46, some
would say we’re crazy. Piper,
our three- year-old, is in every
meaningful sense of the word,
our daughter. But legally she
only has two parents, and they
are her mothers. With many
options before us, Gary and I
chose surrogacy.
Inviting a “visiting team” to
help you have a baby is not as
nontraditional as some may
think. As Hillary said, “It takes
a village.” But our lack of girl-
parts makes the process an
e-ticket ride to say the least.
Every person I have spoken
with about their experience
with surrogacy has said that
the relationship you form with
the surrogate mother, clinical-
ly referred to as the carrier, is
unique, emotionally overpow-
ering, and absolutely specific
to the individuals involved.
Amen to that.
What I didn’t count on
was falling for a carrier of the
Republican persuasion. I am
about as political as a gay-law-
yer-activist can be. It is funny
that when Gary and I were
looking at the profiles of egg
donors and gestational carri-
ers, political affiliation wasn’t
even a consideration. We were
■ A DYKE ABROAD
Torture: Doing The Dirty Work
O
n June 6, the last day
of the Hillary-Obama
battle, 56 Democrats
in the House of Representa-
tives asked the attorney gen-
eral for an immediate investi-
gation into whether Bush and
Company were in violation of
“the War Crimes Act ... and
other US and international
laws.”
Their letter charged that
new information had sur -
faced about top-level meet-
ings at the White House spe-
cifically approving the use
of “enhanced techniques”
like waterboarding. “Presi-
dent Bush was aware of and
approved of the meetings tak-
ing place,” the letter stated. “...
BY ANTHONY M. BROWN
looking for all the elements of
a person that demonstrate
trust, love, and happiness. For
us, politics didn’t enter into it,
until recently.
Suzanna, our carrier, lives
in rural North Carolina with
her husband Jonathan. She
is everything and more that
we could have hoped for in a
surrogate. She is direct and at
peace with surrendering her
parental rights when the child
is born. She has an absolutely
What I didn’t count on was
falling for a carrier of the
Republican persuasion.
beautiful smile and laugh that
are the signs of a person who
is loved and supported. She
has two wonderful, healthy
children whom Gary and I fell
in love with instantaneous-
ly, and, best of all, she has a
sense of humor about the pro-
cess.
When we first met, Jona-
than kidded about looking
forward to someone touching
Suzanna’s pregnant belly and
asking, “When is she due?”
Jonathan relished at the pros-
pect of answering, “I dunno,
it’s not mine.” Then Suzanna
said, “Yeah, then I can say,
‘Don’t look at me, it’s not mine
either.’”
But recently, Suzanna for-
warded to us one of those anti-
BY KELLY JEAN COGSWELL
the Bush administration may
have systematically imple-
mented, from the top down,
detainee interrogation policies
that constitute torture or oth-
erwise violate the law.”
As far as I know, their
request is dead in the water.
Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi didn’t sign on. Their
effort didn’t make the front or
even last page of the New York
Times. I wouldn’t have known
about it all if I hadn’t seen an
old Nat Hentoff column in
the Village Voice. He’s like an
anti-torture prophet crying in
the wilderness, with a lot less
effect. Abu Ghraib was swept
under the rug with a few pros-
ecutions of low-level grunts,
Obama emails that have made
the rounds misrepresenting
his positions on several issues
and taking out-of-context
shots at his voting record. I
know that some people for -
ward emails without reading
them completely. I also know
that we never talked politics
up until that moment, but one
of the misrepresentations in
the letter was that Obama sup-
ported gay marriage and John
McCain did not.
Well… Deep breath… The
knee jerks.
I sat down at the computer
and typed for more than an
hour. After I pressed send, I
thought to myself, “Oh shit,
I just lost our carrier.” I don’t
think Suzanna expected a two-
page response debunking the
email she sent, with citations
to accurate information and a
personal note asking why she
would think Gary and I would
support anyone who would not
support our marriage, which
was a key factor in her choos-
ing to work with us in the first
place.
To Suzanna’s credit, she
sent one of the most thought-
ful and detailed responses,
acknowledging that she had
and Guantanamo only comes
up when one more disgusted
prosecutor resigns over uneth-
ical practices in the military
tribunals.
Maybe Americans are blasé
because they’ve seen James
Bond tortured too many times.
He stands it easily, escapes,
has a cocktail, and saves
the world. Or maybe it’s that
we’ve tortured before with
total impunity. The CIA was so
good at it, they spent most of
the ‘70s helping the right-wing
governments of Latin America
hold back the evil tide of Com-
munism with a few nicely
placed electrodes.
In Chile alone we helped
Augusto Pinochet murder
not completely read through
what she had sent, and apol-
ogizing for any distress that
it may have caused us. She
then laid out her positions
on a number of issues. She
disagrees with the conserva-
tives about marriage equality
— thank God — and demon-
strated the intelligence and
the spirit that Gary and I were
drawn to when we first read
her profile and went to North
Carolina to meet. All of the
sudden, we were talking poli-
tics. And I loved it.
I have always believed in
communication, about equal-
ity and about politics. But
when it comes to family, even
nontraditional family, it’s
tough. Now, Suzanna and
Jonathan know how we feel,
and more importantly, we
know how they feel. Agreement
is not always possible, and
when people are on opposite
sides of the political fence, it is
often rare. But agreement isn’t
a prerequisite for communica-
tion. And now that Suzanna
and Jonathan are now a part
of “the village,” there is no rea-
son to stay silent.
Anthony M. Brown helped
prepare the brief for the Law-
rence v. Texas sodomy case as
a Lambda Legal intern in 2002
and currently heads the Non-
traditional Family and Estates
Law division at McKenna,
Siracusano & Chianese. He is
executive director of The Wed-
ding Party and can be reached
at Brown@msclaw.net.
3,000 lefties, some pursued
beyond their borders by death
squads from the intelligence
services. Thirty thousand or so
were tortured with our help.
We Americans now indulge
in our own kidnappings, our
own disappearances and tor-
ture and murders, this time
to keep America safe from ter-
rorists. As I sit comfortably in
front of my computer, there’s
a man in a cell somewhere,
battered and terrified. In fact,
there are thousands of them
whose excruciating physical
pain is carefully redoubled
with uncertainty, terror, and
solitude. All in the name of my
䉴 TORTURE, continued on p.17
23 - 29 OCT 2008
7 DAYS
7 NIGHTS
䉴 OCT 25, from p.11
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
The Even Couple
Gilbert and George met in 1967
while students in London and began
to create art together, developing a
uniquely recognizable style both in
their pictures and in their presentations
of themselves as living sculptures. Over
40 years, they developed a new format
that created large-scale pictures, visu-
ally and emotionally powerful, through
a unique creative process. The Brook-
lyn Museum is the final venue in an
international tour that marks the first
retrospective of the artists’ work in
more than 20 years. The exhibition was
organized by the Tate Modern, London,
with the collaboration of the artists,
who consider this to be the definitive
presentation of their art. 200 Eastern
Parkway at Washington Ave. near
Grand Army Plaza. Wed.-Fri., 11
a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (until
11 p.m. first Sat.); Sun. 11 a.m.-6
p.m. Exhibition runs through Jan.
11. Admission is $8; $4 for students &
seniors.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
The Dude Next
Door
Los Angeles photographer Blake
Little’s new exhibit “The Company of
Men” is inspired by what Rank Rodri-
guez in Butt Magazine called “a shad-
ow world, a buddy system way below
the radar, yet one that is all around
us… a micro-society developed over
the Internet.” All across the country,
Little’s subjects were shot in their own
clothes, in their own homes — the
antithesis of a celebrity shoot. Each
man represents someone totally com-
fortable in his own skin, with a kind
of intrinsic, unconscious masculinity.
Wessel + O’Connor Fine Art, 111
Front St. at Adams St., DUMBO.
Exhibit runs through Nov. 1, Wed.-
Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
What Do We Want?
“Out Now” is an artistic attempt
to explore the possibilities for a sym-
pathetic cultural backdrop to press
for urgent action toward ending the
Iraq War. Artists participating include
Friends of William Blake, a loose-knit
New York artists’ collective who in the
past collaborated on “The New York-
ers’ Guide to Military Recruitment in
the Five Boroughs” and “The People’s
Guide to the Republican National Con-
vention”; peace activist Kathy Kelly;
artist and writer Trevor Paglen; video,
sculpture, and performance artists
Martha Rosler and Natascha Sadr
Haghighian; interactivity pioneer Rirkrit
Tiravanija; writer and artist Jala Toufic;
and Berlin and New York-based artist
䉴 OCT 25, continued on p.21
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 17

䉴 TORTURE, from p.16
safety.
We don’t even know where half of
them are. Our own security forces have
spirited them away to Egypt, Morocco,
Syria, Jordan, anywhere they can be
tortured without the inconveniences of
overstepping American law.
They remind me of those who died
particularly horrible deaths on 9/11,
trapped in the rubble, talking on cell
phones until their batteries died, their
voices gradually lost in the darkness,
their bodies broken, suffering alone
and finally in silence. They died pow-
erless, dehumanized, terrified. For
months, their lost faces covered every
square inch of telephone pole and
mailbox and billboard on First Avenue
as relatives begged for information
about people who didn’t come home
after the blast. People just snatched
away one morning, a primary election
day, under a clear blue sky. Killed by
terrorists that never had to look them
in the eye.
Torturers are even worse, conscious-
ly inflicting horrible suffering, not on
faceless masses, but very real prison-
ers who cry out in real voices begging
for pity. These torturers betray an ice-
cold degeneration that my country now
stands for. They should be locked up,
and their criminal commanders tried
for treason.
I don’t see it happening. As Senator
Chuck Schumer said, when he was
asked about the possibility of bringing
Bush to justice for war crimes, “Peo-
ple don’t care about that.” For getting
a blowjob in the oval office — national
scandal, impeachment. Ditto for par-
tisan spying a la Watergate. For killing
and torturing — nada. In fact, shut up.
Turn the page. It’s a new era with a new
president who’ll want to start fresh.
For now, justice will require action
from abroad. Impunity for Pinochet,
the Chilean dictator, was only chal-
lenged by a judge in Spain, who was
investigating the torture and murder
of Spanish nationals in Chile. When
the British police actually arrested
Pinochet ten years ago during a trip
to London for back surgery, it was an
earthquake, a landmark, one of the
first exercises of universal jurisdic-
tion since that was included in the UN
Convention on Genocide in 1948. The
arrest helped propel The Hague’s Inter-
national Criminal Court into existence
in 2002. And everywhere, it pointed the
way to justice.
In 2005, an Italian court issued
arrest warrants for 25 CIA agents
responsible for snatching an Egyp-
tian cleric off the streets of Milan and
flying him to Egypt where he was tor-
tured during interrogation. In 2007,
a Munich court issued warrants for
similar reasons. Also that year, former
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
beat a quick retreat from France when
his visit there inspired a torture suit
against him.
Still, it would be better if we washed
our own dirty laundry. There’s plenty
of evidence, just not the will to risk our
delicate hands in that filth.

䉴 RIGHTS, from p.13
But the Obama Republicans are
causing agita on the left. The more
Obama can rule with a coalition of
moderate and conservative Democrats
and Republican centrists, the less he
will need the left wing of the Demo-
cratic Party. Powell has in recent years
been critical of the Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell policy forged while he was chair-
man of the Joint Chiefs, but many
activists remain concerned that he
could stymie or slow down repeal
efforts.
David Sirota, a journalist who has
chronicled the American left extensive-
ly, was quick to point out that Powell
gave the speech at the United Nation
that pushed us into the Iraq war. That
speech was laced with dubious, even
false, intelligence that Powell’s reputa-
tion for probity made credible.
It was a low point in Powell’s career,
but it hasn’t destroyed his reputation.
His Obama endorsement was a mas-
terpiece of idealism. He described the
qualities a president ought to have
— steadiness, an intellectual curios-
ity, and a depth of knowledge — and
found McCain wanting. Powell’s vision
of the American mission was riveting.
The United States is not fighting Islam,
but rather the tactics of terrorists. The
retired general drove the point home by
describing a photograph of a mother at
Arlington National Cemetery hugging
her son’s gravestone. The soldier, who
died in Iraq, was a Muslim. Amidst
the whisper campaign that Obama is
a Muslim, Powell felt this story needed
to be told.
Obama has made it clear that the
LGBT community has a home in
American society, but the legislative
agenda of his new administration will
be swamped with requests. The cen-
ter of Democratic Party gravity may
be pulled to the right. Traditionally
gay politics have been aligned with
the left. The leaders advancing the
LGBT agenda may find it difficult to
advance their priorities when Obama
enjoys wide support across the politi-
cal spectrum.
A landslide Obama victory is, of
course, a welcome outcome, but it will
give him the freedom to pick the menu
items most central to his mission. The
LGBT community will have to be espe-
cially skillful in advancing our agenda.
Our priorities will compete for atten-
tions with programs designed to pre-
vent evictions and foreclosures, extend
unemployment benefits, increase criti-
cal life supports like food stamps, and
bring health care to millions of Ameri-
cans.
The LGBT community is only one of
many groups that were left out in the
cold during the past eight years, indeed
over the longer run when Republicans
ruled Congress. It will require skill and
determination, and, yes, patience, to
make sure we play a role in the federal
government reforms to come.

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INDICATIONS
ISENTRESS is an anti-HIV medicine that helps control
HIV infection. ISENTRESS is used along with other anti-
HIV medicines in patients who are already taking or have
taken anti-HIV medicines that are not controlling their HIV
infection, such as patients with HIV resistant to more than
one type of anti-HIV medication.
The safety and effectiveness of ISENTRESS have not
been established for the treatment of HIV infection in adult
patients who have never taken HIV medications before or
in patients under 16 years of age.
The use of other medications active against HIV in
combination with ISENTRESS may increase the likelihood
of your overall response to treatment. Your doctor will
work with you to find the right combination of
HIV medications.
The long-term benefits and side effects of treatment with
ISENTRESS are unknown at this time. It is important that
you remain under your doctor’s care. There are no study
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM
results demonstrating the effect of ISENTRESS on clinical
progression of HIV-1.
ISENTRESS will NOT cure HIV infection or reduce your
chance of passing HIV to others through sexual contact,
sharing needles, or being exposed to your blood.
ISENTRESS must be used with other anti-HIV medicines.
IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION
Immune reconstitution syndrome can happen in some
patients with advanced HIV infection (AIDS) when
anti-HIV treatment is started. Signs and symptoms of
inflammation from opportunistic infections may occur
as the medicines work to control the HIV infection and
strengthen the immune system. Call your doctor right away
if you notice any signs or symptoms of an infection after
starting ISENTRESS.
Contact your doctor promptly if you experience
unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness while
taking ISENTRESS.
 WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 19

Presenting ISENTRESS.
A different way to treat HIV when used
as part of HIV combination therapy.
The first drug in a class of HIV medications called integrase inhibitors.
Based upon studies of up to 24-weeks:
ISENTRESS when taken in combination with other anti-HIV medications may reduce
viral load to undetectable (less than 400 copies/mL, or less than 50 copies/mL)a and
may increase CD4 (T) cell counts. ISENTRESS may not have these effects in all patients.
( adepending upon the test used)

Talk to your doctor about ISENTRESS.

Visit isentress.com for more information.

Need help paying for ISENTRESS? Call the patient SUPPORT™ program at 1-800-850-3430.

When ISENTRESS has been given with other anti-HIV You are encouraged to report negative side effects of
drugs, the most common side effects included diarrhea, prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch,
nausea, and headache. or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

People taking ISENTRESS may still develop infections, For additional information about ISENTRESS, please read
including opportunistic infections or other conditions the information on the following page.
that occur with HIV infection.
Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions,
including if you have any allergies, are pregnant or plan
to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding or plan to
breast-feed. ISENTRESS is not recommended for use
during pregnancy. Women with HIV should not
breast-feed because their babies could be infected
with HIV through their breast milk.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take,
including prescription medicines such as rifampin
(a medicine used to treat some infections such as
tuberculosis), non-prescription medicines, vitamins, ISENTRESS is a registered trademark of Merck & Co., Inc.
and herbal supplements. Copyright © 2008 Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 20850555(7)(101)-ISN-CON
20 23 – 29 OCT 2008 WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

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WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM
7 DAYS
䉴
7 NIGHTS
OCT 25, from p.16
Anton Vidokle. E-flux, 41 Essex St.
btwn. Grand & Essex Sts., Tue.-Sat.
noon –6 p.m. through Nov. 8. For
more information, visit e-flux.com or
call 212-619-3356.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ tion 102, which would ban
COMMUNITY
SUN.OCT.26
A Quarter-Century
Young
It all started a quarter of a century
ago when — on a drizzly Sunday after-
noon — some 300 women walked
into the old Limelight and danced to
the fantastic music from the ’40s to
the ’80s” at the first SAGE Women’s
Dance. This evening, the “Fall Frolic”
tradition continues, with DJ Nancy B’s
vast repertoire tunes that still go back
to the ’40s, but fast-forward as well to
today. Opera, 268 W. 47th St. (the old
China Club), 3:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets
are $20 in advance at the LGBT Com-
munity Center, 208 W. 13th St., room
207, or the Oscar Wilde Bookshop, 15
Christopher St., just west of Sixth Ave.
Admission at the door is $25. The event
is a fundraiser for SAGE, Services &
Advocacy for GLBT elders and is open
to women of all ages.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ sentenced to 60 years in prison
GALLERY
Fleshing Out
Street Life
Catherine Opie’s body of photo-
graphic work, created since the early
1990s, spans such diverse genres as
studio portraiture, landscape photog-
raphy, and urban street photography to
explore notions of communal, sexual,
and cultural identity. From her early
portraits of queer subcultures to her
expansive urban landscapes, Opie has
offered profound insights into the con-
ditions in which communities form and
the terms by which they are defined.
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth
Ave. at E. 89th St., Sat.-Wed., 10
a.m.-5:45 p.m.; Fri., 10 a.m.-7:45
p.m. Through Jan. 7. Admission is
$18; $15 for students & seniors; pay
what you wish Fri. after 5:45 p.m. The
LGBT Community Center presents a
survey of Opie’s exhibit and career in
its Second Tuesday series, Nov. 11, 6
p.m. 208 W. 13th St. Tickets are $10
at gaycenter.org.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ AIDS diseases.”
COMEDY
Loud Ladies, Lewd
Gentlemen
Brad Loekle (Sirius, TruTV) hosts his
weekly “Electro Shock Therapy Com-
edy Hour,” this evening welcoming two
brassy broads and two bodacious bros
— Becky Donohue (“Premium Blend,”
“Tough Crowd w/ Colin Quinn”), Ann
Neczypor (Here! TV’s “Girls on Girls”);
Scott Ryan (Lea Delaria’s outrageous
䉴 OCT 26, continued on p.25
NEWS BRIEFS
䉴 BRIEFS, from p.11
Arizona
Republic
Opposes
Anti-Gay
Amendment
The Arizona Republic, the
largest newspaper in the state,
editorialized against Proposi-
same-sex marriage in the State
Constitution. The newspaper
complained that the secretary of
state “blocked ballot language
that would have told voters that
state law already prohibits such
marriages.”
Arizona was the first state to
defeat a constitutional amend-
ment banning same-sex mar-
riage in 2006, but that one also
included language that would
have barred recognition of
domestic partnerships, which
excited widespread opposition
among older Arizonans opting
for such partnerships in lieu of
second marriages. The current
version of Prop 102 only bans
same-sex marriages.
Sixty Years for
Killer of Gay
Man
Robert Lester Canaga,
described as a “homeless hus-
tler” by authorities, has been
for the February murder of
George Stephenson, an openly
gay retired ad man from Oak
Lawn, Texas, the Dallas Voice
reported.
The murder took place at
Stephenson’s second home in
Gainesville where he had taken
Canaga after meeting him in
Dallas, though prosecutors
were “unsure how [they] were
acquainted.”
Study: “Drug
Holidays” Bad
for Health
The National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseas-
es released a study this week
that found that taking time off
from HIV drugs “increases the
overall risk of death when com-
pared with continuous anti-
retroviral treatment (ART)” by
increasing “inflammation and
blood-clotting,” leading to “a
higher risk of death from non-
A release about the report
said, “Unexpectedly, those
who receive episodic ART
were more than twice as likely
to develop diseases or die,
and the study ended early as a
result.”
Dr. Allan
Rosenfield,
AIDS Pioneer,
Dies
Allan Rosenfield, the dean of
Columbia University’s Mailman
23 – 29 OCT 2008
By ANDY HUMM
ALLEN ROSENFIELD
School of Public Health for 22
years and a leader in the fight
against AIDS, especially among
women worldwide, has died in
upstate Hartsdale. He was 75
and suffered from Lou Gehrig’s
disease, amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis.
Rosenfield developed the
Mother-to-Child Transmission
Program to prevent mothers
with HIV from passing it on
to their babies, an effort that
reached more than half a million
women. He also served as the
national chairman of Planned
Parenthood in the mid-1980s
and as chair of the Program
Board at AmFAR, the Founda-
tion for AIDS Research.
He is survived by his wife,
Clare, a son, Paul, and a daugh-
ter, Jill.
SCOTT BLOCH
Anti-Gay Bush
Official Out
Scott Bloch, who as US
special counsel fought imple-
mentation of executive orders
from the Clinton years ban-
ning discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation
in federal employment, has
announced that he will step
down in January with Presi-
dent George W. Bush who
appointed him, rather than
continuing his term for up to a
year into the new administra-
tion, as he could, the Wash-
ington Post reported.
Beetle Juice
The New Scientist reports
that male-male mating is
common among beetles and
may serve an evolutionary
purpose. When a male depos-
its sperm onto another male,
the “foreign sperm” is passed
on to a female one percent of
the time.
Supremes Say
Gay Books OK
Two Lexington, Massachu-
setts, straight couples who
sued their school district for not
notifying them that books on
gay families were included in a
student reading list will not get
their case heard by the United
States Supreme Court, leaving
a lower court ruling stand that
their First Amendment rights
to freedom of religion were
not violated, the Boston Globe
reported.
The US Court of Appeals for
the First Circuit ruled that they
could use the normal political
process, rather than the courts,
to contest the school’s policy on
suggested reading lists. One set
of parents has already opted to
home-school their kids.
WILLIAM SHATNER
Star Wars
“Star Trek” vet William
Shatner was asked why he did
not attend the recent wedding
of his former co-star George
Takei to Brad Altman. Shatner
said he wasn’t invited and that
he feels “badly,” but that he
has no real relationship with
Takei anyway.
“It’s so patently obvi-
ous that there is a psychosis
there,” he said of the out gay
actor. “I feel nothing but pity
for him.”
Takei issued a statement
in response to the Shatner hit
on him. “It is unfortunate that
Bill was unable to join us for
our wedding as he indeed was
invited to attend. It is our hope
that at this point he joins us
in voting No on Proposition 8,
which seeks to eliminate the
fundamental right for same-sex
couples to marry in California.”
Bad Driver
A bus driver for the Bour-
bonnais Elementary School
District in Illinois has been
fired for taunting a ten-year old
boy as “gay” and encouraging
other students “to go after him
and tackle him,” according to
Chief Deputy Ken McCabe of
the Kankakee Sheriff’s Depart-
ment.
T h e d r i v e r, R u s s e l l A .
Schmalz, 46, has been charged
with “mob action, endangering
the life of a child, and battery,”
365gay.com reported.
DANIEL HULSEY
Bad Cop
A Larimer County, Colo-
rado police officer, who in
July allegedly joined his son
in assaulting a man they
believed to be gay in a Gree-
ley bar, has been reinstated
to the force after an appeal of
his firing in September.
Sergeant Kell Hulsey and
his son Daniel attacked Brian
Carter, who has a “lazy eye,”
believing him to be gay and
checking them out at the
Potbelly Deli and Bar. At the
time, the Greeley Tribune
reported that the bartender,
Sean McGlothlen, said, “The
fact that [the cop] is going
out and starting a bar fight is
really disturbing. It scares me
that he is allowed to carry a
badge.”
Eric Haenschen, a patron,
tried to break up the fight
and got hit “ten times over
the head” by the older Hulsey
who yelled, “You’re all going
to die for this,” before run-
ning from the bar before
(other) police arrived.
The incident is still under
investigation by the Larimer
County District Attorney’s
office.
LA Sports
Columnist
Re-Transitions
Mike Penner, a sportswrit-
er for the Los Angeles Times,
made headlines in 2007 when
he publicly transitioned to
Christine after “40 years, a
million tears, and hundreds of
hours of soul-wrenching ther-
apy,” he wrote. Now he has
returned to being Mike once
more, sports editor Randy
Harvey confirmed. “He contin-
ues to be a valued member of
our sports staff,” Harvey told
the Los Angeles Observer.
“Worst
Dressed” List
Author Dies
Mr. Blackwell, a fash-
ion designer and critic who
became world famous for
his caustic “Worst Dressed
Women” list skewering icons
from Elizabeth Taylor to Meryl
Streep and Barbra Streisand,
has died at 86 in Los Angeles.
The cause was complications
from an intestinal infection,
21
MR. BLACKWELL
the kind that must have been
wished on him from time to
time for saying Ann-Margret,
for instance, looked like
“Marlon Brando in a G-string”
and Taylor like “two small
boys fighting under a mink
blanket,” as the New York
Times reported.
Blackwell was born Rich-
ard Sylvan Selzer in Benson-
hurst and once worked as
a child prostitute in Central
Park, according to the news-
paper. He went on to design
clothes for women from
Jayne Mansfield to Nancy
Reagan.
He is survived by Robert
L. Spencer, who was also his
business partner.
NATHAN LANE
Lane and Irwin
to Play Tramps
Bill Irwin and out gay actor
Nathan Lane are set to star
as Samuel Beckett’s tramps
Vladimir and Estragon in a
Broadway revival of “Waiting
for Godot” that starts pre-
views April 10 at Studio 54.
The production will be direct-
ed by Anthony Page, who
helmed the “Who’s Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?” that won
Irwin a Tony Award for Best
Actor.
Beckett’s seminal 1953
tragicomedy first hit Broad-
way in 1956 with E.G. Mar-
shall and Bert Lahr in the
leads. The last Broadway
revival of “Godot” was an all-
black production in 1957 with
Geoffrey Holder as Lucky.
gay
city
news.
com
22 23 – 29 OCT 2008 WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

Autumn in the

Hudson Valley To Advertise Contact: Lee Castoro - 646-452-2505 - lee@communitymediallc.com

Come to Where the Country Begins... The Garrison

Come to Putnam County Located an hour north of New York City in the
picturesque Hudson Highlands, The Garrison is a
Cold Spring-on-Hudson 300-acre property with sweeping views of the Hud-
Step back in time in historic Cold Spring, a quaint vil- son River and surrounding mountainous landscape.
lage nestled in the Hudson Highlands, that caters to The Garrison offers guests an 18-hole golf course
the shopper, the diner, the outdoorsy and the history with stunning views, a critically-acclaimed fine din-
buff. Stroll along tree-lined Main St. or ride the jaunty ing restaurant called Valley, overnight accommoda-
green trolley. Visit art and antiques galleries, charming tions in the four-room Inn, private event spaces,
boutiques, gift and novelty stores. Hike the Highlands and a day spa and yoga center. A relaxing refuge
and tour historic Manitoga or Boscobel Restoration, that offers an abundance of outdoor and nearby
home of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Please cultural activities, The Garrison is perfect for a
call for a free travel guide and events calendar. No car restorative weekend getaway of spa treatments,
necessary, take Metro-North Hudson Line. outdoor activities, and fabulous cuisine. We’d be
delighted to host your LGBT celebration!
Putnam Visitors Bureau | 110 Old Route 6 | Carmel, NY 10512
1-800-470-4854 | www.VisitPutnam.org 2015 Route 9
Garrison, NY 10524
Thunder Ridge Ski Area 845-424-3604 | www.thegarrison.com

Enjoy the beautiful autumn foliage at Thunder

Ridge Ski Area’s Fall Festival Weekends. Satur-
days & Sunday, October 18, 19, 25 & 26. Ride a
chairlift to the top of the mountain, take a scenic
hayride, pick a pumpkin, visit with farm animals
and check out the antique farm equipment. Even
a lights-on Haunted House for the little ghoulies!
Only one hour north of NYC or save gas and take
the 11:49am Metro-North Train from Grand Cen-
tral to Patterson, NY and catch the free shuttle to
the mountain.

137 Birch Hill Road | Patterson, NY 12563

845-878-4100 | www.thunderridgeski.com

Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill The Bird & Bottle Inn

One of the best Italian Restaurants in the US, as
and Restaurant
rated by the Zagat Survey, Cathryn’s is sure to This historical 1761 pre-revolutionary Inn with oak plank floors
please. After receiving the Award of Excellence and wood beam ceilings takes you back in time to stagecoaches,
from Wine Spectator, Cathryn’s now has a lovely the Pony Express, and Washington’s army. Fabulous fireplaces
informal wine tasting every Tuesday evening and create a romantic and intimate setting where you will enjoy the
delicious $16.09 lunches M-F. The freshest ingre- freshest seasonal autumn game fare. Enjoy the Tavern Menu,
dients combined with a brilliant chef, create culi- Saturday and Sunday Brunch, or Fine Dining creations Thursday
nary splendor at this lovely restaurant tucked away through Sunday in cozy dining rooms. Our award winning Ameri-
along a garden walkway in Cold Spring. Cathryn’s can cuisine delights even the most sophisticated palate. Join us at
is rated “Very Good” by The New York Times and the bar for cocktails or an evening nightcap. Make all your spe-
graciously welcomes all Hudson Valley Getaways travelers. We are open seven days. cial occasions memorable at one of the finest Inn’s in America.
91 Main Street | Cold Spring, NY 10516 1123 Old Albany Post Road (Route 9) | Garrison, NY 10524
845-265-5582 | www.TuscanGrill.com 845-424-2333 | www.thebirdandbottleinn.com
Le Petit Chateau Inn The Pig Hill Inn
One –half mile to Culinary Institute of America, Our European hospitality is sure to relieve the
Le Petit Chateau is nestled amongst trees and a pressures of your everyday routine. From our gor-
beautiful pond in Hyde Park. ur CIA Chefs impart geous individually decorated rooms to the peace-
techniques while preparing breakfast. Artisanal fulness of our garden terrace you will enjoy privacy
Cheese Plates from Hudson Valley purveyors and romance while our staff pampers you. When
and French wine prepare you for a relaxed escape. you return home you will feel refreshed, relaxed
Our rooms have modern amenities with beautiful and rejuvenated. Cold Spring-on-Hudson is eas-
linens, private baths, cable TV, Wireless Internet ily reached from New York City by train or car.
Our fireplaces make romantic getaways. Antique This quaint little Hudson River town is home to
shopping, local arts and crafts in our quaint villages, experience a slower pace of life. Biking, fine dining, antique shops, boutiques, art galler-
cross country skiing, and hiking. Concierge services: Private Chef Dinners and Lunches, Sea- ies, theatre festivals, hiking trails, numerous historic attractions and so much more. Come for a
sonal Packages, and restaurant reservations at the CIA. weekend getaway or stay for a whole week!
39 West Dorsey Lane | Hyde Park, NY 12538 73 Main Street | Cold Spring, NY 10516
845-437-4688 | www.lepetitchateauinn.com 845-265-9247 | www.pighillinn.com
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 23

䉴 NOBLE, from p.2 is not always understood.” Noble men-

tious position that would give federal
recognition to whatever legal rights
and benefits couples enjoy in their
home states. He also supports repeal
of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. In
a nation that does not even have a fair
employment law, that’s a tall order.
The 2006 and 2008 election cycles,
Noble argued, proved that “marriage is
not the issue it once was, even though
some Republicans are trying to hold
onto this. But the country has moved
beyond this issue as a wedge. The
American public is not willing to be dis-
tracted by these issues as in the past.”
Reminded that none other than Hil-
lary Clinton warned during the prima-
ries that repealing the portion of DOMA
that allows one state to deny recogni-
tion to gay marriages from another
state would re-ignite the push for a fed-
eral marriage amendment, Noble was
dismissive, saying Democratic control
of Congress has killed off any prospect
of trying to tinker with the Constitu-
tion.
“He has said time and again that he
opposes DOMA,” Noble said, adding,
“Senator Obama has always rejected
the politics that have used LGBT issues
as wedge issues.”
Noble welcomed a question about
the prospects for regulatory changes
within the federal government under a
new president.
“Obviously the big issues that every-
one wants to talk about are very impor-
tant,” he said, “but the impact of feder-
al agencies on the lives of LGBT people
tioned ways in which the community “opera in your own backyard”...
had lost ground during the past eight
years — abstinence-only HIV preven-
tion efforts and reduced funding for
vulnerable and homeless LGBT youth
among them — and also opportuni-
ties for making progress under a new
administration on issues such as
incorporating LGBT people into public
health data surveys.
Even as Noble talks about all these
issues in his drive to crank up the gay
vote in two weeks, he acknowledges the
cynicism that often undermines LGBT
confidence in the political process.
“I think it makes sense for some
LGBT voters to be concerned,” he said.
“The fact that we are just passing ten
years since Matthew Shepard’s murder
without a hate crimes bill is discourag-
ing to lots of LGBT voters.”
He was quick to add, however, that
at no time during that decade did Dem-
ocrats hold both the presidency and
Congress, which will certainly be the
case if Obama is elected.
Obama’s commitment to bridge
the gaps that have divided Americans
in recent years, as much along cul-
tural as political lines, Noble argued,
should offer hope to those prone to
be skeptical.
“Barack talks about LGBT issues to
audiences who don’t agree with him,” This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
Noble said. “There is no question at
all that John McCain has been part of
Nov 7 & 8 at 7:30 p.m.
these problems for the past 28 years, Nov 9 at 3:30 p.m.
voting against ENDA when it failed
St. Peter’s Church www.ChelseaOpera.org
by one vote and time and time again
against hate crime protections.” 346 West 20th Street 212-260-1796

The Cold Spring Depot

Autumn in the

Hudson Valley
This Fall, take one of the most beauti-
ful train rides in the world—visit Cold
Spring in Autumn. Upon your arrival
to Cold Spring, check out the historic
train station built in 1884. “The Cold
Robert A. McCaffrey Spring Depot Restaurant” hosts an
Realty Inc. Oktoberfest celebration all October,
featuring Oktoberfest Bier, authentic
Robert A. McCaffrey Realty Inc. was estab- German food, and an Oompah Band
lished in 1987 and is a major realtor serving playing in the Gazebo next to the
Philipstown (Garrison, Cold Spring), Putnam,
outdoor clam bar. Sit under umbrella
Dutchess and Or-ange Counties. Offering a
wide range of proper-ties, from luxurious Hud- tables as the 68 trains rush by. The De-
son River estates to village cottages, residential pot offers a variety of American foods
and commercial, R. A. McCaffrey Realty is es- including steaks, seafood, comfort
pecially active in the luxury market. Our offi food, and homemade desserts. Dur-
ce team of associate brokers and sales agents, ing the winter enjoy the warm atmo-
all local residents, can provide the personalized, sphere of two fireplaces and the library setting of the Depot balcony. Eat, drink and be merry
knowledgeable service you deserve. Mr. McCaffrey is a fourth generation resident of at a fun place to enjoy the warm Fall days and crisp Fall evenings. The Depot is 25 years old
Philipstown and can provide answers to any questions about the area. but the food is brought in fresh every day.
143 Main St. | Cold Spring, NY 10516 1 Depot Square | Cold Spring, NY 10516
845-265-4113 | www.mccaffreyrealty.com 845-265-5000 | www.coldspringdepot.com

Hudson Valley: A True Escape
By: Lee A. Castoro
Growing up in the Hudson Valley, one might think that I know all there is about this
beautiful region, however, I often find something new to explore or some historic element
to uncover. The area undoubtedly has a rich, vibrant past—the beautiful Hudson is indeed
America’s river, so vital for our independence and our formation as a nation. The breathtak-
ing mountains & highlands have inspired many notable American artists and everyday New
Yorkers take the 1-hour train ride to find a haven, a refuge from the hustle of Manhattan.
An hour-and-a-half north in Hyde Park you’ll find FDR’s home and The Culinary Institute of
America. Le Petit Chateau Inn offers customizable CIA gourmet-cooking classes on premises
and an outstanding environment which will make you want to turn off the Blackberry. Down
south in Putnam County you’ll find 2 gems—Cold Spring and Garrison. The quaint village of Cold
Spring is an antique-lover’s dream, with rows of eclectic and decorative shops and some fine culi-
nary treasures. Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill was recently voted one of the finest Italian restaurants in
the US and features an award-winning wine list. The Cold Spring Depot offers a family-friendly
atmosphere in the original historic train depot and serves casual wholesome favorites. The
Pig Hill Inn is a “gem within a gem”. The lovely, tastefully decorated boutique B&B is the per-
fect place to unwind after a day of shopping, kayaking or hiking, with the kindest innkeepers
in the business. If you’re looking for a second home or a permanent escape from Manhattan,
allow Bob at Robert McCaffrey Realty to show you some of the finest homes available.
In nearby Garrison you’ll be inspired. This quaint hamlet provides incredible pan-
oramic views of the region. Boscobel, a beautiful federal period mansion offers
museum tours. The Russel Wright Design Center/Manitoga is an architectural
masterpiece. The Bird & Bottle Inn is absolutely stunning. Centuries old and fully re-
stored, the Inn has an exceptional menu and picturesque grounds to host your spe-
cial occasion. Nearby, The Garrison Resort offers everything you’ll need for a per-
fect getaway—fabulous food, an 18-hole golf course, spa and exceptional cuisine.
Whatever it is you desire in an escape, a Hudson Valley autumn will most surely provide.
The area is by far, one of the most decorated and beautiful in America, and deservingly so.
For more information about the region, contact Putnam Visitors Bureau and Dutchess
County Tourism. Metro North takes you there from Grand Central in about an hour.
24/ Dance
Expectant Introspective Extroverts
No pact, pregnant artists swear; fathers not reached for comment
ARA JULI
“Death”
Performance Space 122
150 First Ave. at E. Ninth St.
Wed.-Sun. at 8:30 p.m.
Through Nov. 2
$20/$15; 212-352-3101
Or ps122.org
LUCIANA ACHUGAR
“The Sublime is Us”
Dance Theater Workshop
Third Floor Studio
219 W. 19th St.
Tue.-Sat. at 7:30 p.m.;
Fri.-Sat. at 9:30 p.m.
Through Nov. 1
$26; 212-924-0077 or dtw.org
BY BRIAN MCCORMICK
S
ara Juli is the highly
emotional type. Being
pregnant only makes
her more so. As an artist,
her mission is to explore and
share her personal struggles
confronting universal issues
through public performanc-
es. Her insightful solo works
address serious, even taboo
issues, and, moreover, laugh at
the often-absurd way we deal
with them. She always works
with what she is experienc-
ing at the time, for pragmatic
reasons as much as artistic
authenticity.
In 2006, she created and
performed her first full-evening
solo show, “The Money Conver-
sation,” in which she cashed
out $5,000 –– her life savings
–– and distributed it to audi-
ence members each evening
to find out what they would do
with it. By risking losing it all
at each performance and plac-
ing trust directly in the hands
of her audience, Juli addressed
her own relationship to and
fears about money, and offered
audiences a fresh perspective
on their own role in the life of
art and the lives of artists.
Her current work is “Death,”
a 50-minute solo meditation/
mediation on the end. Juli’s
father died 18 months ago
from cancer, and her experi-
ence — grieving and coping
with other people’s coping —
laid the path for its creation.
“I knew that the next piece
would have to be about death,”
Juli told Gay City News.
“Whether I wanted to or not,
I was going to have to do this
to get to the next piece. Every-
thing else paled in compari-
son.”
“The majority of people
who talked to me about it
were extremely uncomfort-
Hilary Clark and Jennifer Kjos in Luciana Achugar’s newest work, “The Sublime is Us,” presented at Dance Theater Workshop through November 1.
able,” said Juli, referring to her
father’s death. “People would
say things like ‘he’s in a better
place,’ or ‘he’s at peace,’ or ‘it’ll
be easier with time.’ It’s obvi-
ous they haven’t experienced
death themselves. Death is not
something you sweep under
the carpet. It doesn’t get bet-
ter over time and that’s okay.
I miss my dad every day. Ten
years from now when I bawl
my eyes out over this, that will
be okay, too.”
While Juli didn’t do a lot of
research for the piece, she’s
aware of how death is viewed
in different cultures, generally.
“In Eastern culture there’s
more acceptance and less
fear,” she said. “In Western
culture, from early on, we’re
taught to fear death. Well, it’s
going to happen to every single
one of us. The silver lining is
that we share this. It’s some-
thing we all experience, and we
have much to learn from each
other.”
“I try to make the acces-
sible abstract and the abstract
accessible,” Juli explained
about her artistic methods. In
the piece, she tries to evoke dif-
ferent emotional responses to
death — not phases of dealing
with death, but ways of looking
at it — as beautiful, ridiculous,
satirical, awkward, and tragic.
“Can death ever be seen as
beautiful even if someone dies
before their time is up?” she
asks.
23 - 29 OCT 2008
MANCC
The piece features “gentle
audience participation,” move-
ment, text, and song, but no
music, which Juli thinks make
for some accountability from
the audience. “Death” fea-
tures lighting design by Owen
Hughes and costume design
by Maggie Dick, and it’s direct-
ed by Juli’s baby’s daddy,
Chris Ajemian.
There’s no reference to Juli’s
pregnancy in the piece, but as
she’ll be performing, it would
be difficult to ignore the vis-
ible truth, and the cycle of life
it epitomizes.
“I didn’t get pregnant for the
piece, exactly, “ said Juli, “but
the timing worked out.”
L
ike many artists of her
generation, Luciana
Achugar feels that there
is a sense that it’s all been
done before. Fewer artists are
looking to enter companies as
dancers, but are instead creat-
ing their own ventures. “What
is dance?” has become, again,
the question for a generation.
When she first came to New
York, Achugar was interested
in Trisha Brown and release
technique. If she had gone that
route, she imagined, she might
be “better connected,” and her
ANDREA FISCHMAN
body would likely be different,
longer.
“I don’t look like a dancer,”
she remarked, referring to a
Sara Juli’s latest one-woman show “Death” will be at Performance Space 122 through
䉴 EXTROVERTS, continued on p.25 November 2.
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM
7 DAYS
䉴
7 NIGHTS B-boys Trump Ballerinas
From Korea, an entertainment long on dazzle, short on plot
OCT 26, from p.21
opening act); and Danny Siegel (Caro-
line’s and Village Lantern). Therapy
Bar, 348 W. 52nd St., 10 p.m. $6 cos-
mos all night.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
DANCE
MON.OCT.27
A Choreographic
Encyclopedia
The 2008 DanceNOW Festival
brings the vibrant creativity of New
York’s dance community to the stage,
offering audiences an opportunity to
connect and re-connect with 65 art-
ists, some they know, others new, and
to engage in a wide spectrum of work.
Continuing its signature “short takes”
format, this year’s festival will present
40 news works as well as three revivals
over its weeklong run.
Four choreographers celebrating
their tenth anniversaries this season
— Cherylyn Lavagnino/Cherylyn Lavag-
nino Dance, John Heginbotham, Robert
Battle/Battleworks Dance Company,
and Monica Bill Barnes — will be hon-
ored. Dance Theater Workshop, 219
W. 19th St., 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 at
dancetheaterworkshop.org or $25 at
the door.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ year, but now I don’t have to.
ACTIVISM
Art Isn’t Easy
Leonard Lopate moderates a panel
discussion on “Art and Educational
Justice,” featuring Whoopi Gold-
berg, Rosie Perez, Phylicia Rashad,
and Anna Deavere Smith. Cooper
Union’s Great Hall, 7 E. Seventh St.
at Fourth Ave., 7 p.m. Tickets are $25
at http://stellaadler.com/festival.html.
The discussion is part of the Stella
Adler Studio of Acting’s third annual
Harold Clurman Festival, which brings
artists from many disciplines together
for poetry readings, concerts, panel
discussions, and theater and dance
performances, and runs trough Oct. 27,
visit. The festival’s theme this year is
“Art & Social Activism.”
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
GALLERY
Uncover the Clues
Gabriela Alva curates “Crime
Drama,” a show of new work from
Andrew Robinson, whose 20-year-plus
history in ceramic arts leads the show,
mingling with painting, sculpture, and
installation. As the title infers, crimes,
or imperfect histories, are explored
through sculptural multimedia por-
traits and objects that serve to suggest
secretive narratives begging to be dis-
covered. Eye Level Gallery at Victor
Osborne Atelier, 364 Leonard St. at
Withers St., Williamsburg. Mon.-
Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Nov. 1. For
more information, call 347-463-9716.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ In fact, Martha Graham’s
䉴 7 DAYS, continued on p.26
■ DANCE
BALLERINA WHO LOVES B-BOY
37 Arts
450 W. 37th St.
Mon., Thu., Fri. at 7:30 p.m.
Sat. at 2 & 8 p.m.;
Sun. at 2 & 6 p.m.
Through Dec. 21
$60.25-$70.25; ticketmaster.com
Or 212-307-7171
BY GUS SOLOMONS JR
S
neaking in under the
radar, with almost no
visible publicity, comes
“Ballerina Who Loves B-boy,”
an entertainment package
from Korea whose title totally
gives away the plot. After a
reputed “sold-out Korean tour”
and an appearance at the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the
show is previewing at 37 Arts
for an October 22 opening and
a run through December 21
–– an alternative “Nutcracker”
perhaps?
The show’s press release
claims “If you see just one
Korean break dance show this
year…” I know, I was plan-
ning to see each and every
Korean break dance show this
Let’s cut to the chase –– the
B-boys are terrific; the balleri-
nas, not so much.
The set by Wilson Chin and
Ji-youn Chang features a rear
wall emblazoned with color-
ful graffiti tagging against a
backdrop of jagged high-rise
buildings. Lighting, also by
Chang, highlights individual
dancers, flashes stroboscopic,
and scans the house like disco
lights. Costumes seem to be
more or less what the per -
formers happen to put on. No
costume credit is listed, but
the girls have glittery tops over
their miniskirts and jeans,
and the guys wear multiple
䉴 EXTROVERTS, from p.24
codified ideal, not the fact that
she’s pregnant.
Dancing for Jeremy Nel-
son, and also studying Limón
technique, which focuses on
“the flow of energy through
the body as opposed to only
shapes,” Achugar didn’t feel
completely at home. “While
it’s not ballet,” she said, “tech-
nique training does something
to the body — this erasure. I
love and respect this work and
these artists. And discipline is
a good thing, it’s not wrong to
train the body.”
core technique has of late been
an influence, not as a means
23 – 29 OCT 2008
Funky, seductive B-boy break dancers intrude on the placid rehearsal regimen of ballerinas on the stage at 37 Arts.
T-shirts to sop up their sweat.
An emcee —18-years old,
tops — who doesn’t quite
get that you have to hold the
mike near your mouth to be
heard, introduces the show
with pumped up enthusi-
asm. He tells us to leave our
cell phones on, make calls if
we like. Yeah! And take lots
of pictures with our digital
cameras, then upload them
onto the web — voila, free viral
publicity!
The 90 minutes of fast-
paced action features B-boy
world champions Extreme
Crew, whose break danc-
ing skills are truly awesome
— upside down spins on one
arm, dives into headstands
and head slides, hopping
handstands with legs pump-
ing that end in seconds-long
diagonal balances, aerial flips,
and sizzling head spins in a
bike helmet for friction protec-
tion.
The cast comprises two
dozen breakers and hip hop-
pers (half of whom, inciden-
to an end, but as an embodied
expression. Achugar is more
interested in the people who
are dancing and how they are
connected, and why they move
the way they do.
Ideas of dance as ritual —
its original form — and dance
as work have been at the
heart of Achugar’s indepen-
dent productions. Inherent
in this approach is her desire
to transform the relationship
between spectators and per-
formers, to recapture the spiri-
tual, physical connectedness
that characterizes dance. “I’m
interested in transcendence
through dance,” she said.
A lot of Achugar’s move-
ment emanates from the pel-
tally, are named Kim) who
pop, lock, and vogue to deaf-
eningly over-amplified music.
Along with the boys are three
tall, skinny women who have
barely any booty to shake; and
three ballerinas with execrable
ballet technique and negligible
stage presence. Frankly — no
offense — the women in
the show are entirely super-
fluous.
Here’s the story: while three
dedicated ballerinas prac-
tice in their ivory tower of a
studio, break dancers set up
their own, al fresco studio
right outside the ladies’ win-
dow. Melodramatic miming
indicates their distress at the
noisy intrusion. But one of the
ballerinas is gradually co-opt-
ed by the seductive lure of the
funky rhythms after seeing
the breakers dancing in the
street; she dreams of joining
them and covertly practices
her hip hop moves alone in
the studio.
Nightmares ensue, in which
guys in matching pajamas,
vis, which makes clear her
interest in the relationship
between for m and energy
coming from inside the body.
“Much of it is animalistic,”
she said of her vocabu-
lary. “There’s often crawling
around, like a pre-civilized
self. This kind of movement
has the potential to connect
to something before.”
Achugar’s newest work,
“The Sublime is Us,” being
presented in the third floor
studio at Dance Theater Work-
shop, explores ideas of trans-
parency, honesty, humility,
and vulnerability, and ques-
tions how an audience can
witness something and also
actively be part of the per -
25
blood-streaked masks, and
bare feet swarm the ballerina,
doing martial arts-type stuff in
spooky lighting. Orange-haired
Youngkwang Joung dances
with fierce vigor and rock-star
charm as the star B-boy, and
Eun Hae Yoo tries her best as
his besotted ballerina.
The repetitious format alter-
nates between studio and
street, and after you’ve seen
the breakers’ amazing tricks,
you’re ready for more emotion-
al engagement, more depth of
storyline. What you get is more
of the same. Producers San-
ghyun Lee, Tae Sik Oh, Dan
Markley, and Heeill Choi would
be smart to ditch the plot and
cut the show to an hour of fab-
ulous break dancing.
At heart, this is a glorified
exhibition of the most ener-
getic, body-wrenching street-
dance moves you’ve prob-
ably ever seen. And you’d
better see it sooner than later,
because it’s hard to imagine
how these guys’ joints will
last ’til Christmas.
formers’ experience.
The piece invites viewers into
the workspace of the dancers
in an attempt to remove visual
and physical barriers.
Achugar’s strength as a
choreographer is her ability to
match ideas with movement. “I
only use movement that comes
out of an idea,” she said. “Only
what is necessary.”
While recent works have
been more conceptual, with
less movement, this one, she
said, has more movement
vocabulary: “This time, the
purpose comes from a need
within the body. There is more
vocabulary. There is fluidity,
but it is also more visceral and
grounded.
26/ Film
Who Deserves to Die?
Jaymes Thompson brings horror conventions to a gay B&B
THE GAY BED AND
BREAKFAST OF TERROR
Ariztical Entertainment
Directed by Jaymes Thompson
Opens Oct. 24
Cinema Village
BY GARY M. KRAMER
“T
he Gay Bed and
Breakfast of Terror”
is a campy, sexy,
micro budget queer horror
film, written and directed by
Jaymes Thompson. Five gay
and lesbian couples hole up
at the Sahara Salvation Inn
on their way to the Blue Party.
The lesbians are afraid from
the start — because the sheets
have a thread count of 30! —
but terror really reigns when
one guest’s bath becomes… a
bloodbath!
Thompson acts in the film
— under the pseudonym
Vinny Markus — playing Dom,
a B&B guest who parades
around in ass-less chaps as
Mr. Leather. The director, along
with stars Michael Soldier and
Robert Borzych, recently spoke
to Gay City News by phone
about their work on the film.
The film is more bloody
and gory than it is scary, yet
Thompson realized his dream
to make a gay horror film that
plays with genre conventions
and queer stereotypes, while
paying homage to both “Mom-
mie Dearest” and “A Nightmare
on Elm Street 3.”
The filmmaker explained
that his inspiration for mak-
ing “The Gay Bed and Break-
fast of Terror” stemmed from
“an appreciation of all of those
campy horror films—the inten-
tional and the unintentional
— ranging from old B-movies
featuring Peter Cushing and
Vincent Price to Elvira.”
Thompson wrote the film
during the 2004 election,
and drew on his experiences
growing up in a small reli-
gious and conservative town
outside of Los Angeles to cre-
ate the horror. This explains
why the evil characters in the
film are both Christian and
Republican.
The filmmaker described
his comic-thriller as “a ‘Fri-
day the 13th’ for gay people,”
explaining, “All those films are
a combination of sex and vio-
lence. We tried to do that in a
gratuitous and clever way —
and make it unexpected.”
As such, characters that
viewers expect to be punished
— such as Dom (Thompson)
Michael Soldier, in his turn as Carrie De-Way, and Hilary Schwartz, as Starr, in Jaymes Thompson’s campy “The Gay Bed and Break-
fast of Terror.”
and Eric (Robert Borzych), for
having sex outside their rela-
tionships — are not necessar-
ily killed at that time, or for
that particular transgression.
Without revealing who lives
and who dies, Thompson
indicated that the “Ten Little
“I was in wet leather, at 3 a.m.,
with blood being sprayed on me. It
was horrible, but I had to do it.”
Indians” strategy that unfolds
in “The Gay Bed and Break-
fast of Terror” was employed
to “kill off the most annoying
characters first,” whether they
deserved to die or not. Such is
the film’s amorality.
On the phone from his home
in San Francisco, award-win-
ning porn star Michael Soldier
spoke about the ethics in “The
Gay Bed and Breakfast of Ter-
ror.”
“The suspense has to play
on primal fears, so the ten-
sion is who is going to be pun-
ished, and what is appropri-
ate to the viewer’s conscious-
ness,” he said. “It’s entertain-
ing to flirt with the idea that
some deserve to die and some
escape unscathed.”
Soldier, who is very funny in
the film, said that Thompson
“sends up queer stereotypes
responsibly.” He likes that the
film’s horror is purposeful.
As his character Alex trans-
forms into Carrie De-Way, a
drag queen with a vengeance,
Soldier gets gleefully naked
showering and shaving. The
uninhibited actor talked can-
didly about his full-frontal
flashing.
“I figured they’d ask me”
to do nudity, he said. “And it
helped construct the scene.
It’s spoofing the idea of a
scared girl shaving. It’s an
extra inside joke because I’ve
done porn. I think it’s hilari-
ous that the porn star is in
drag.”
Soldier also provided the
leather costume for Thomp-
son’s character, and the writ-
er/director/actor admitted
that he had no previous expe-
riences with leather before the
film.
“We had such a small bud-
get for wardrobe, I was only
able to buy a leather jock-
strap,” Thompson recounted.
“I had a cheap, poorly fit-
ting harness and, thankfully,
Michael brought down the
chaps, vest, and accoutre-
ments. Otherwise, I would
have been in just the jock-
strap!”
23 - 29 OCT 2008
7 DAYS
䉴
7 NIGHTS
7 DAYS, from p.25
BOOKS
TUE.OCT.28
West Side Stories
Two of Alyson Books’ hottest fic-
tion writers, Jim Grimsley, author of the
story collection “Jesus is Sending You
This Message,” and Gary Zebrun, author
of the novel “Only The Lonely,” appear
tonight at Barnes & Noble Bookstore,
Broadway at 82nd St., 7 p.m. Free, but
all events are subject to change, so call
ahead to confirm at 212-721-5282.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
From Troy to San
GALLERY
ARIZTICAL ENTERTAINMENT
Juan
“Cultural Expressions in Art” by
Magdalena Castaneda and Ron Csuha’s
“Greek Images: Digital Images.” Cas-
taneda, a bi-cultural Puerto Rican-born
lesbian, paints portraits that explore,
reveal, and honor the human spirit, one
person at a time. The group of paint-
The filmmaker said he ings on exhibit evolved out of her past
“enjoyed” the leather — “it was expressionistic use of oil color to the
a lot of fun, I can see how peo- classical painting methods of “under
ple get into it” — but not when painting”, and the realistic rendering of
he was covered in fake blood the subject. The 24 images in Csuha’s
during one of the shoots. “I show are created from photographs of
was in wet leather, at 3 a.m., statues, mostly of ancient Greek heroes
with blood being sprayed on in museums in the US and Europe.
me. It was horrible, but I had The tenet of the show is that a great
to do it.” work of art has two important quali-
Likewise, actor Robert ties — one that makes it interesting
Borzych had some squea- or beautiful from a distance, so that it
mish moments working with will grab your attention immediately as
the gorier aspects of the film. you notice and approach it; and another
On the phone from his home that makes it equally interesting or
in Southern California, the beautiful when viewed close up. LGBT
actor said the experience of Community Center, 208 W. 13th St.,
“having fake blood poured 6-7:30 p.m. The Castaneda show
into my mouth” in his “hor- runs through Nov. 28; the Csuho
ror” sequence was worse than exhibition through Nov. 14.
his sex scene with Thompson, ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
filmed in 30-degree weather.
“I was in a square cut [bath-
ing suit] for a good portion of
the film,” he explained. “I was CAREERS
WED.OCT.29
trying to stay warm!” Friends In High
Unlike most of the cast, the Places
handsome Borzych resisted Lisa Linksy, partner in the law firm of
doing nudity. McDermott Will & Emery, and Jennifer
“I think I showed enough Brown, founder of Jennifer Brown Con-
skin for the paying audience,” sulting, a leadership, communications,
he said. “You gotta leave them and diversity consulting firm for busi-
wanting more.” nesses and non-profits in financial ser-
And viewers of “The Gay vices, media, manufacturing, technology,
Bed and Breakfast of Ter - and retail, lead a Center Voices work-
ror” will probably want more; shop designed to give lesbian, bisexual,
the ending certainly leaves a transgendered, and queer women the
sequel open to possibility. opportunity to improve their skills and to
Alas, the bed and breakfast make effective and strategic networking
that served as The Sahara Sal- connections. LGBT Community Cen-
vation Inn burned down after ter, 208 W. 13th St., 6 p.m. reception;
filming ended. Any connection 7 p.m. program. Tickets are $15 at
with events in the film, are, of gaycenter.org.
course, entirely coincidental…
or are they? 䉴 OCT 29, continued on p.28
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 27

■ FILM

Vampires Versus Demons

Tomas Alfredson’s visually stunning film is a metaphor for being an outsider
BY GARY M. KRAMER LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
Directed by Tomas Alfredson

J
ust in time for Halloween comes
“Let the Right One In,” a nifty
little vampire/ghost story from
Sweden. Adapted by John Ajvide
Lindqvist from his novel, the title refers
to the fact that vampires can only come
inside by invitation and it is not pru-
dent to let the wrong one in.
The film is smartly directed by Tomas
Alfredson, and so beautifully lensed
that every frame — even the bloodiest
ones — would make a gorgeous still
photograph.
Magnolia Releasing
Opens Oct. 24
Angelika Film Center
other using Morse code.
Audiences are not short on clues
that Eli is not a normal 12-year-old
girl. Her pale features belie an other-
worldly quality about and, in fact, she
depends on Hakan to procure the blood
she drinks to live. And if any doubt per-
sists, a cat hisses loudly when it hap-

The story is a supernatural moral-
ity tale. Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is a
scrawny, shaggy-haired 12-year-old.
His parents are divorced, he has no
friends, and a trio of bullies picks on
him mercilessly at school. Oskar is
hell-bent on revenge, but he is also very
insecure. As the film opens, he lacks
the wherewithal to do anything about
his situation.
One night Oscar meets Eli (Lina
Leandersson), his new next-door neigh-
bor. Oskar wants to befriend her, even
as he notices she “smells funny.” He
slowly forges a bond with the strange
girl who lives with Hakan (Per Ragnar)
and only appears to him at night. They
soon start communicating to each
pens upon Eli.
“Let the Right One In” chronicles how
Oskar the outcast gains his self-esteem
and exacts revenge with Eli’s help.
When the bullies abuse him, Oskar lies
to his mom about his injuries, but he
trusts and confides in his new friend.
Eli tells him to “hit back, harder,” and
he soon starts lifting weights to gain
some strength. Yet Oskar achieves real
fortitude — striking back violently at
one of his attackers — only after he
asks Eli to go steady with him. It’s a
nice visual joke that he isn’t looking at
her when he proposes this; Eli’s mouth
is covered in blood.
Eli’s constant need for blood
prompts a series of murders to occur.
Lina Leandersson as Eli creates an empathetic vampire and an apt ally for the marginalized Oskar.
At first, Hakan finds teenage boys,
asphyxiates them, and strings them
upside down to bleed them, but his
technique is crude and not very suc-
cessful.
Eventually, Eli must take matters
into her own hands. When she bites
a woman in the town, infecting her
blood, strange things start to happen.
Of course, townspeople start investi-
gating the random attacks.
Director Alfredson slowly ratchets up
MAGNOLIA RELEASING
the tension in “Let the Right One In,”
creating a spellbinding tale. The sense
of dread is as palpable as the wintry
coldness that extends to the film’s icy
characters. The nighttime scenes glis-
ten with ominous ice and snow, cre-
ating an unsettling sensation. The
extreme whiteness can even be deadly
— as when a character exposed to light
becomes suddenly engulfed in flames.
䉴 VAMPIRES, continued on p.30

Corporate accounts welcome 212-206-8555

28/ Film
Israel’s History, At Home
A modern nation’s contradictions handed one family to the next
NEWS FROM HOME/
NEWS FROM HOUSE
Directed by Amos Gitai
New Yorker Films
In Hebrew and Arabic,
with English subtitles
Museum of Modern Art
11 W. 53rd St.
Runs Oct. 24-30
Tickets are $10; $8 for seniors;
$6 for students
BY STEVE ERICKSON
“N
ews From Home/
News From House”
is a film 25 years
in the making. Israeli direc-
tor Amos Gitai’s “house” tril-
ogy has few parallels in cinema
history, apart from Gitai’s own
trilogy about life in the Wadi, a
valley near Haifa.
Starting with the 1980
“House” and 1998 “A House
in Jerusalem,” he’s followed
the same Jerusalem residence
over a quarter century. Origi-
nally belonging to the Palestin-
ian Dajani family, it was taken
from them in 1948. Occupied
by an Algerian-Jewish family
and a professor over the years,
it now belongs to Turkish-
Israeli Claire Cesari.
“News From Home/News
From House,” completed in
2006, comes burdened with
an awkward title. The dual
moniker stems from the build-
ing of a new house alongside
Cesari’s. Gitai is fascinated by
its construction, which recalls
the images of hammering and
stonecutting from “House.” In
fact, “News From Home/News
From House” begins with clips
from that film and also inter-
polates scenes from “A House
in Jerusalem.”
Gitai refers to the new house
as “home” and the old one as
“house,” as if they were human
characters. Gitai’s background
in architecture, a subject in
which he has a PhD from UC
Berkeley, seems tied to his
interest in these buildings, but
in a voice-over, he claims that
while making fiction is a prac-
tice akin to architecture, film-
ing documentaries is closer to
archeological excavation. He
intends to find the truth, rath-
er than creating it.
“News From Home/News
From House” gets underway
with a trip to the West Bank
town of Walaja. There, he inter-
views a construction worker
depicted in “House,” who now
lives in dire poverty and hasn’t
held a job in four years.
Gitai also travels to Jordan
Mohamad Said el Arj, a stonecutter from the West Bank Palestinian town of Walaja.
to meet members of the Dajani
family, including a charm-
ing elderly woman who brags
about how she never wanted
to cover her hair. The Dajanis
seem reasonably well off, but
the pain of their exile is still
palpable.
The film’s centerpiece is an
interview with Claire Cesari.
After that, Gitai discusses
family history with a man who
lives next door to “home” and
“house,” and he travels again
to the West Bank for a conver-
sation with an angry Palestin-
ian who complains about sto-
len land and property.
If there’s a single message to be
taken away, it’s that neither Israel
nor Palestine is a monolith.
Gitai’s interview with Cesari
dominates the film because
she best articulates the con-
tradictions of modern Israel.
She’s aware that her house
was taken from a Palestinian
and thinks that is unfortunate,
but she chalks it up to his-
tory and denies any personal
responsibility. She notes that
many white Americans deny
culpability about the lingering
effects of slavery and segrega-
tion on African-Americans.
But her story and worldview
are more complex than they
initially appear. Cesari remi-
nisces happily about a child-
hood in Turkey, pointing out
that Jews and Muslims lived
there peacefully while pogroms
took place in Europe. She even
finds a hint of this multicul-
tural harmony in Jerusalem
today.
If there’s a single message
to be taken away from “News
From Home/News From
House,” it’s that neither Israel
nor Palestine is a monolith.
Gitai emphasizes the num-
ber of countries from which
present-day Israelis have emi-
grated. Yet he also addresses
the sad reality that, while the
founding of Israel may have
united alienated and persecut-
ed Jews around the world, it
created a Palestinian diaspora.
Gitai periodically speaks
directly to the audience, but
he’s content to let his subjects
speak for themselves in long
talking-head interviews much
of the time. “News From Home/
News From House” is far from
being an apolitical film, and it
doesn’t just offer up its duo of
houses as a microcosm of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
NEW YORKER FILMS
“News From Home/News
From House” plays MOMA for
a week as part of the series
“Amos Gitai: Non-Fiction.”
On October 31, Gitai’s lat-
est narrative film, “One Day
You’ll Understand,” will open
in commercial release. Watch-
ing “News From Home/News
From House” and “One Day
You’ll Understand” back to
back confirms that he’s a bet-
ter documentarian than fiction
filmmaker.
Working with high-defini-
tion video, he makes “News
From Home/News From
House” every bit as stylish
as the tracking shot-laden
“One Day You’ll Understand,”
which offers an overly famil-
iar story about the Holocaust
and its effects on the Europe-
an Jews who survived it. The
documentary is his slickest-
looking so far, yet its shots of
the Middle Eastern landscape,
taken from cars, bring back
memories of his 1982 “Field
Diary,” a scathing look at
West Bank settlements made
as Israel was invading Leba-
non. Perhaps his best film,
“Field Diary,” will play MOMA
in early November.
Both documentaries are
marked by their interest in
people’s individual stories
as much as larger histori-
cal and social issues. Gitai
has achieved the “subver -
sive destruction” of the politi-
cal status quo that he speaks
about in voice-over.
23 - 29 OCT 2008
7 DAYS
䉴
7 NIGHTS
OCT 29, from p.26
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
PERFORMANCE
Hitchhiking Her
Way Across the
USA
Holly Woodlawn, the Andy War-
hol Factory star immortalized in Lou
Reed’s “Take a Walk on the Wild
Side,” returns to New York from West
Hollywood for one night only to cel-
ebrate her birthday. Her leading role
in the film “Andy Warhol’s Trash,”
directed by Paul Morrissey and co-
starring the iconic Joe Dallesandro,
catapulted her to international star-
dom. Noted director George Cukor
(“The Women,” “My Fair Lady,” “A
Star is Born”) even petitioned to have
Woodlawn nominated for an Acad-
emy Award for the role. The trans-
sexual artist, who coached Dustin
Hoffman for “Tootsie,” will engage
in a frank Q&A and perform signature
songs, including a cover of Reed’s hit,
plus “Ugly Duckling” and “Le Soiree
Fini.” Woodlawn will be accompanied
by Lance Cruce, long-time pianist for
Joan Rivers. The evening will also
feature “surprise” appearances by
several downtown performers. The
Cutting Room, 19 W. 24th St., 8
p.m. Tickets are $20 at spincyclenyc.
com or 212-352-3101.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
CABARET
Bay City Crooner
Kevin Dozier, who was named
“Male Performer of the Year” at the
2003 San Francisco Cabaret Competi-
tion, returns for his second New York
cabaret engagement with musical
director/arranger Christopher Mar-
lowe at the piano, John Redsecker
on drums, and Dick Sarpola on bass.
Dozier will present selections from
the Great American Songbook, includ-
ing those by Rodgers and Hammer-
stein, Michel Legrand and Marilyn
& Alan Bergman, Elmslie and Fisher,
Irving Berlin, Jones and Schmidt,
Arlen and Yarburg, Marshall Barer,
Frank Loesser, Tom Andersen, and Ian
Herman. Metropolitan Room, 23
W. 22nd St. Oct. 22, 29 & 30, 7 p.m.
Cover charge is $20 and there’s a two-
drink minimum. For reservations, call
212-206-0440.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
GALLERY
Bruce’s Beefcake
An icon of gay art and one of the
most famous names in physique pho-
tography, Bruce Bellas is remembered
today as a pioneer of beefcake. Begin-
ning in the 1940s and continuing until
his death in 1974, Bellas photographed
some of the most important figures in
the world of physical culture — body-
䉴 OCT 29, continued on p.30
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 29

■ FILM

All the World’s a Stage

Charlie Kaufman and his self-representations get in our way
BY NICHOLAS FEITEL SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
Directed by Charlie Kaufman

O
ver the years since he emerged
on the scene, Charlie Kaufman
has been an idol for screen-
writers and moviegoers alike. His
screenplays “Being John Malkovich,”
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless
Mind,” “ Adaptation,” and “Confessions
of a Dangerous Mind” have been criti-
cally lauded and commercially distrib-
uted to largely great success. It is telling
that he has succeeded despite or even
because of the remarkable strangeness
of his vision.
From “half-floors,” puppeteers and
Freudian “portals” in “Malkovich,” to
his self-referential/self-fictional antics
in “Adaptation,” Kaufman’s movies are
distinctive, his voice certain, strange,
Sony Pictures Classics
Opens Oct. 24
Citywide
Goldstein) is remarkable for being
adorable.
The movie opens on an ordinary tab-
leau only slightly absurd. Caden and
Adelle’s marriage is rocky. He’s direct-
ing an ambitious production of “Death
of a Salesman,” while her disaffection
grows more and more explicit. When
she talks about growing disappointed
with someone the longer you know
him, the die is cast.
Meanwhile, Caden seeks relief in a
tryst with Hazel (Samantha Morton),

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

and palpable.
Kaufman’s achievements have
offered a rallying cry for frustrated
screenwriters — not to mention neurot-
ics — everywhere. Despite his collabo-
ration with strong directors — Spike
Jonze, Michel Gondry, George Clooney
— his movies are always characteristi-
cally his; Kaufman has, in a way, punc-
tured auteur theory and retaken mov-
ies for the screenwriter.
It would seem natural that a screen-
writer powerful enough to steal films
from their directors would be able to
direct something himself. It is a shame
then that “Synecdoche, New York,”
Kaufman’s directorial debut, is such a
frustrating and unrewarding piece of
work.
I make that last statement with trep-
idation, knowing full well that some
critics have already given the film rave
reviews, their refrain being more or less
that this is “a miracle movie.” It is cer-
tainly ambitious and challenging, but if
there is a miracle there, I just don’t see
it.
Kaufman’s influence flows easily
in the film. Caden Cotard (Philip Sey-
mour Hoffman) is a director in a laud-
ed upstate New York theater company
of the sort that develops cachet in the
city. His wife Adelle (Catherine Keener)
is a painter who works on small can-
vases, and their daughter Olive (Sadie
a sweet woman who staffs the theater
box office. The fling is largely an exer-
cise in self-degradation for Caden, but
feels to him instead like a self-esteem
bump, one that leads the film into
absurdity, wackiness, and banal rep-
etition, all in one. This is par for the
course for Kaufman, but this time he
asks us to go farther and looser with
him than we’ve gone before.
The film runs us through a series of
illnesses straight out of a queasy hor-
ror film or a biblical plague, a huge
warehouse replica of New York City,
a Berlin art scene where coalescing
nightmares become super-real, and a
home life that fades during the course
of greater and greater time jumps
through Caden’s life. Caden sets about
to create and recreate everything from
his life as a massive theater piece, life
as art as life as art, eventually casting
Sammy (Tom Noonan), a man who had
followed him for 20 years, as a version
of himself.
If this all sounds a bit hard to follow,
consider that this is merely what I am
able to describe in this space.
The result is frustrating and unsatis-
fying, though in parts also compelling.
As with other Kaufman films, it is hard
to know what just happens to be diffi-
cult and what is intentionally opaque.
The plot has many loose ends that are
pursued only to be dropped or ignored
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Caden and Samantha Morton as Hazel, who works the box office in Caden’s theater, in
Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, New York.”
later. Caden’s terrifying illnesses disap-
pear after a while, as does his relation-
ship with one of his starlets (Michelle
Williams), as do, in fact, many of his
concerns about his home life.
One could see this as sloppy, as if
parts of different versions of the script
were left in, cut partially, or underde-
veloped. But it could also be seen as a
naturalistic way of telling the story of
Caden’s life, Kaufman substituting the
short threads of the script for the con-
cerns and distractions of his existence.
If the film in its last hour recedes into
introspection and self-reference, maybe
it’s because Caden is a theater director
directing his own life, directing a surro-
gate Caden directing his own life, and
so on, the unseen fulcrum of which
is Kaufman directing Philip Seymour
Hoffman. That’s a lot to handle.
Which means that “Synecdoche, New
York” could be, might be brilliant, but
really doesn’t allow for anyone but the
few who labor very hard to fully under-
stand it. Or maybe that subset of view-
ers is simply faking it.
As a critic, it’s easy to feel like a doc-
tor, diagnosing a movie’s illnesses.
Here it’s easy. Directors of Kaufman’s
scripts, even when they lose out to him
stylistically, are able to filter his work
into something understandable. Jonze
took a Kaufman script and turned it
into pop black comedy. Gondry turned
his Kaufman into airy romance. Cloo-
ney transformed it into the gritty
excess he so loves. Any of these ways
are understandable and communica-
tive to an audience.
In “Synecdoche, New York,” Kaufman
is unleashed, unbridled, and so what
he offers up is unrestrained self-refer-
ence and neurosis, his trademarks, but
this time without temperance.
Perhaps I’ve only fallen into the trap
of over-analysis that Kaufman might
demand from his films but does not
necessarily need. Running into a fellow
critic right after the film, I asked what
he thought of the film. He shrugged and
then said, “After two hours of watching
that, I’m tired of thinking.”
Well put.

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30/ Theater
Son Worship
Over a half-century later, Arthur Miller’s great American tragedy still astounds
BY DAVID KENNERLEY
I
n 1947 “All My Sons,”
Arthur Miller’s American-
style Greek tragedy about
the implosion of an avaricious
post-World War II family, took
the Tony award for best play —
the first year they began hand-
ing them out.
And now, as the Iraq war
continues to claim the lives of
our sons (and daughters) and
world financial markets buckle
under years of greed and mis-
deed, Miller’s themes resound
with fresh urgency in an aston-
ishing, if stilted, revival.
It doesn’t hurt that this pro-
duction, helmed by Simon
McBurney, is supercharged
with star power. There’s John
Lithgow as Joe Keller, the Willy
Lomanesque patriarch whose
alleged wartime business
crimes may be catching up
with him; Dianne Wiest as his
wife, Kate, emotionally broken
over the untimely loss of her
fighter-pilot son, Larry; and
Patrick Wilson as the dutiful
surviving son, Chris. And we
can’t forget Katie Holmes (aka
Mrs. Tom Cruise) as Ann, the
fetching former girl-next-door
and sweetheart of Larry.
Set in Anytown, USA a cou-
ple of years after the war, the
plot uncoils slowly, innocent-
ly, at first. Joe is in the front
yard reading a newspaper on
a bright August Sunday morn-
ing, chatting with the neigh-
bors about horoscopes and
want ads, when Chris reveals
his intentions to marry Ann,
who has returned from New
York City for a visit. This news
will surely destroy Kate, who
believes Larry, whose plane
went MIA in the war, may still
be alive.
Gradually, it comes to light
that Joe, once exonerated from
charges his firm knowingly
manufactured faulty parts for
war planes that crashed, kill-
ing 21 pilots, may be guilty
after all. He’s the type of father
who’d do anything to secure
䉴 VAMPIRES, from p.27
As the vampire’s paranor-
mal abilities are revealed, they
enhance, rather than detract,
from the absorbing drama.
When a barefoot Eli, impervi-
ous to the cold, walks into a
hospital to visit Hakan, she
scales the outside of the build-
ing to get to his room. The epi-
sode is wholly credible, like
something out of a magical
John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson, and Katie Holmes portray a family in dissolution in postwar America in Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.”
ALL MY SONS
Schoenfeld Theatre
236 W. 45th St.
Tue. at 7 p.m.; Wed-Sat. at 8 p.m.;
Wed., Sat. at 2 p.m.; Sun. at 3 p.m.
Through Jan. 11
$61.50-$116.50; 212-239-6200
Or telecharge.com
his son’s future, yet Chris,
tired of being a sucker and
wanting a pure piece of the
American pie, is ready to reject
the blood money.
A horrid irony hovers over
the household — could Larry
possibly have died due to his
father’s blind zeal to make a
buck?
It’s not long before this
shadow of a family, in a state
of suspension since the war,
chokes and sputters before
our eyes, threatening to crash
and burn just like those fighter
planes.
While this high-concept
production is stirring, I sus-
pect that some of the potency
is dissipated by McBurney’s
overblown direction. The entire
stage area has been opened
up to reveal a vast clapboard
backdrop where ghostly imag-
es of the house, stars, factory
workers, and teeming masses
are projected at key moments.
The set consists of little more
than a noisy screen door, a
gate, and a couple of spindly
realist tale.
Alfredson wisely minimizes
the “boo!” moments aimed at
scaring viewers out of their
seats. Instead, scenes of Eli
jumping her victims and bit-
ing their necks to suck out
life-giving blood are creepily
effective. Most impressive is an
underwater sequence near the
end of the film that features
stunning, if somewhat bloody,
imagery.
tables and chairs. Tom Pye
designed the sets, Paul Ander-
son the lights.
To fill the void, actors must
ambulate great distances
across a grassy lawn, forced
to converse and confront each
other miles apart. Sure, maybe
this indicates disconnected-
ness, but at the expense of
emotional impact.
In a 1997 production at the
Roundabout, where the action
was concentrated in an inti-
mately realistic setting, I recall
leaving the theater awestruck
and trembling. Not so this time
around.
To underscore that the Keller
family is, after all, an integral
part of the human family, a
host of townsfolk trot in at var-
ious moments. For indeed, “All
My Sons” refers not only to the
Keller boys, but also to all the
sons possibly murdered on the
fallible father’s watch.
As for the performances,
the big names portray these
working-class Americans
with a stoic nobility that cap-
tivates, though at times feels
unnaturally grand. Much of
the dialogue is delivered as
if each word were capital-
ized, especially from Lithgow
(this, by the way, marks his
20th bow on Broadway). The
charismatic Wilson, who at
one point appears shirtless to
revel a hidden vigor, makes us
Despite some vivid moments
of gore, “Let the Right One In”
is not meant to be a shock-
ing horror story. It is a com-
ing of age story about an out-
sider battling his demons — a
theme that should resonate
with queer audiences.
The film benefits immense-
ly from Hedebrant’s unself-
conscious performance. This
child actor acutely under -
stands the pain Oskar feels,
23 - 29 OCT 2008
7 DAYS
䉴
7 NIGHTS
OCT 29, from p.28
builders. His images are featured in
this exhibition, “Bruce of Los Angeles
Inside/ Outside by Bruce Bellas,” and
powerHouse book of the same name,
with text by Vince Aletti. The pow-
erhouse Arena, 37 Main St. near
Front St. in DUMBO, weekdays, 10
a.m.-7 p.m.; weekends, 11 a.m.-6
p.m. through Nov. 16. For more infor-
mation, visit powerhousebooks.com or
call 718-666-3049.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
JOAN MARCUS
Ancient Spirit
Jonathan Soloman Bressler, born
in France and raised in New York City,
was the child of two painters who
root for his uprising, although would often take him to the Metro-
he tends to lapse into his aw- politan Museum’s Egyptian, Roman,
shucks Curly role from “Okla- and Greek galleries. These images
homa!” a few years ago. of ancient art as well as trends in
The most authentic por - art, like Pop art and Op art during
trayal belongs to a magnifi- the 1960s, left a lasting impression.
cent Wiest, whose brittle Kate, His work is constructed of recycled
clinging to a thin shred of hope, materials such as paper, aluminum
actually has us convinced her cans, and found objects layered on
vanished son may well breeze stretched canvas or wooden pan-
into the yard any moment. els, giving the viewer a dynamic yet
And then there’s the radiant subtle union between classical imag-
neophyte Katie Holmes, who, ery and illusive patterns, bringing
while out of her depth in this these subjects of the ancient world
company of veterans, man- into an entirely modern visual. The
ages to hold her own. Because LGBT Community Center’s Camp-
this brunette charmer did not bell Soady Gallery, 208 W. 13th
stumble and fall, some have St. Opening reception, with free
wrongly labeled her turn a tri- admission, tonight, 6-7:30 p.m. On
umph, the way a certain vice exhibit through November.
presidential candidate was ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
reviewed after her turn on
stage.
How timely that this excru-
ciatingly muscular work
should find itself back onstage CAREERS
THU.OCT.30
this fall. Considering Ameri- OutLaws!
ca’s current state of economic The LGBT Community Center
and moral woes, much can be hosts a discussion with openly LGBT
gleaned from Miller’s rumina- attorneys, including Michael Colosi, gen-
tions on keeping the faith, the eral counsel for Kenneth Cole, Roberta
price of greed, and the joys of Kaplan, partner at Paul Weiss, Rifkind,
selflessness. Wharton & Garrison, and Dennis Hran-
“All My Sons” also registers itzky, partner and the chair of the LGBT
as an indictment of false ide- Diversity Committee at Mc Dermott
alism and the dissolution of Will& Emery. 208 W. 13th St., 6:30 p.m.
the American Dream. For who reception; 7 p.m. program. Admission
among us does not long for, is $15. RSVP at gaycenter.org.
as Ann so wistfully laments, ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
those “dear dead days beyond
recall.” COMMUNITY
Celebration of Life
and his body language is Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the
fantastic; Hedebrant recoils Dead), a ritual long observed by indig-
at the mere suggestion of his enous and Latino peoples in the Ameri-
tormentors. cas, celebrates the life and memory
Leandersson is also notable of ancestors and loved ones who
as Eli. Her strange appearance have passed away. Traditions include
may be disconcerting, but the building private altars honoring the
young actress engenders sym- deceased, and offering sugar skulls,
pathy even in her most fero- marigolds, and the favorite foods and
cious moments. beverages of the departed. In this
“Let the Right One In” is spirit, Mixteca Organization Inc. and
plenty spooky and highly sat-
isfying to boot. 䉴 OCT 30, continued on p.34
23 - 29 OCT 2008
All You Need Is Love
Terrance McNally’s bold retelling of the Christ story gets Rattlestick revival
BY CHRISTOPHER BYRNE
T
errence McNally’s “Cor-
pus Christi” is a fasci-
nating piece of theater,
but ironically not for anything
that happens on the stage.
On the face of it, the play is a
sweet and essentially innocent
retelling of the Christ story
that imagines Jesus as a gay
man. It suggests that Jesus,
here known as Joshua, would
not just accept but celebrate
gay marriage, and would
exhort his followers to mem-
orize—and live by—the parts
of the Scriptures that support
love over retribution.
McNally suggests that Josh-
ua is crucified not because his
divinity is a threat but because
his humanity is. More compel-
lingly, the play suggests that
the Resurrection is not the lit-
eral raising of Jesus from the
dead but the awakening from
spiritual death that is our
inevitable fate if we cannot—or
will not—live by His lessons.
By audaciously taking
CORPUS CHRISTI
108 Productions at the
Rattlestick Theater
224 Waverly Pl. at Perry St.
Oct. 23-25 at 8 p.m.;
Oct. 26 at 3 p.m.
$18-$50; 212-868-4444
on the Christ story, McNal-
ly’s deceptively simple play
unmasks the persistent and
historical use of religion as a
tool of control and oppression,
even as the very act of retell-
ing the story exposes the story
as an ephemeral construct.
The play shows the power of
story and how, literal truth be
damned, it can imprison us—
and has for centuries—but
only because we have allowed
it to.
The Christ story is not built
on facts but tradition and the
acceptance of things as true; it
has no empirical proof. We are
told we are flawed as humans
and can only be saved by
adhering to a set of made-up
rules. But if we are gay, we
are irrevocably banished from
Theater/31
his death willingly, and most
of us wonder why or how he
could do that. But watching
Joshua in “Corpus Christi”
endure crucifixion, the ques-
tion becomes, don’t we do
that to ourselves whenever
we accept a story that would
oppress us? We have the
power to get off the cross, but
only if we believe we can.
COURTESY RENNA COMMUNICATIONS
McNally’s play caused a
furor when it debuted ten
years ago. This revival by a
group called 108 Productions,
has toured the world and now
settled in for a short run at
the Rattlestick. Though it’s
Playwrights Edward Albee, Terrence McNally, and Larry Kramer at the opening of McNally’s not perfect, it is heartfelt, and
“Corpus Christi,” an evening that was a benefit for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, mark- the largely amateur company
ing the tenth anniversary of the gay Wyoming college student’s horrific murder. has poured themselves into it.
If the feeling of the production
God’s love. Do we really need ary. People get very testy — is sometimes that of a church
to accept this? What, other even violent — when their group, so be it. In a time when
than our complicity with our beliefs are challenged. The it seems that issues of faith
oppressors, prevents us from less a story stands up to logi- and religion cannot be raised
composing our own stories cal or scientific inquiry, the without stridency, defensive-
that allow all of us to experi- more tenaciously it is held ness, and hatred, their simple
ence Christ’s essential mes- and greater is the need to vilify message of love reminds us of
sage of love? those who believe differently. what was always at the core of
Of course, this is incendi- Christ ultimately went to Christ’s teaching.
Win two nights accommodation
at The Lexington House in beautiful
New Hope, Pennsylvania
Th is picturesque region is perfect for a fall getaway
with that special someone. Simply log on to
gaycitynews.com, click on “win a trip to PA” and you’re
all set. Proud to be New Yorkers. Proud of our diversity.
Proud to be number one. Proud to be Gay City News.
32
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Lexington House B&B
One of the things we like about New Hope is that
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6171 Upper York Road | New Hope, PA 18938
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Hotel Du Village
We are a country inn, nestled in the Bucks County countryside,
just one and a half miles north of New Hope providing easy ac-
cess to the many fine shops and entertainment in the area. Our
inn offers 20 rooms, all with private bath and air conditioning
and a bridal suite for weddings. The inn is located on the same
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ter a day in town. We also provide a continental breakfast for
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2535 River Road | New Hope, PA 18938
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Gallery Piquel
Featuring Bronze Sculpture, Contemporary Oil Paint-
ings and original “Wearable Art” Jewelry, Gallery Piquel
presents the work of an array of international and lo-
cal artists. Some hold positions of honor in important
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of view and their work has that special “something” to
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Open Friday-Sunday 12pm-5pm or later, often on
other days and happily by appointment.
39 North Main Street
New Hope, PA 18938
215-862-3523 | www.gallerypiquel.com
Bucks County, PA
Jim Briggs, Associate Broker,
23 – 29 OCT 2008
“Zuider Zee”, egg tempera & oil on panel,
by M. Briscoe.
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM
The Mansion Inn
A beautifully restored 1865 Victorian manor home, located on
the banks of the Delaware River in historic New Hope, PA,
known for its art and antiques shopping. The Mansion Inn is a
perfect location for your civil union, family reunion, business
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9 South Main Street
New Hope, PA 18938
www.themansioninn.com
J&W Gallery – Fine Art
Celebrating it’s 11th year in 2008, this sophisticated yet re-
laxed space is now the oldest Fine Art Gallery in New Hope.
Opened in 1997 by Joseph Licata and Walter Czajkowski, it rep-
resents over 30 established and emerging artists in oils, mixed-
media and photography. Featured Provincetown artist: Michael
McGuire: oils, Sept. 26 - Oct. 27. Opening reception: Saturday,
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“The Destination for Fine Art in New Hope”. Come and cele-
brate the Arts every Second Saturday of the month for special ex-
hibitions, food and entertainment: 9/13,10/11,11/8 & 12/13.
20 West Bridge Street
New Hope, PA 18938
215-862-5119 | www.jwgallery.com Michael McGuire - Lone Shack - 36x36, oil on canvas, 2008.
Reinboth & Company
Reinboth is a luxury interior design and retail stu-
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WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 33

I’m anti violence

and pro dignity.
Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. We’re no different. That's why I
stand behind the New York City Anti-Violence Project. AVP works to end violence
in our LGBTQ communities and keep our homes and our streets safe. If you need
help, call 212-714-1141 or visit avp.org

Live without fear

34/ Opera
Intrigue Done Well
“Lucia di Lammemoor” joined by less known “Tsar’s Bride”
BY ELI JACOBSON
T
his month New York
audiences were treated
to two operas dealing
with intrigue, betrayal, and an
arranged marriage ending in a
final mad scene for the bride.
One is an Italian warhorse
familiar to all opera lovers, the
other a rarity only known well
by russophiles.
Mary Zimmermann’s pro-
duction of “Lucia di Lam-
mermoor,” new last year, was
revived this season without its
original high-energy star, Nat-
alie Dessay. However, a dose
of new energy was provided in
the fall run by the role debut
of German coloratura soprano
Diana Damrau (Anna Netreb-
ko assumes the role next Jan-
uary), with Polish tenor Piotr
Beczala as her Edgardo.
Damrau, taking over the
iconic title r ole on a few
months’ notice, already has a
strikingly detailed and finished
interpretation of this demand-
ing part. Like Edita Grubero-
va, Damrau’s voice has an
intrinsically bright and metal-
lic instrumental quality –– per-
fect for Mozart and Strauss
roles, but lacking in some of
the darker colors and warmer
textures that an Italian role
like Lucia requires.
However, the tone is fresh,
clear, and fully responsive
throughout the range with a
stunning trill. Similarly, her
stage persona is full of positive
energy, dashing movements,
and firm intention — fragility
and madness do not come eas-
ily to this poised and dazzlingly
self-possessed soprano.
A sense of dark foreboding
was missing from the first act
aria “Regnava nel Silenzio,”
but the cabaletta bubbled with
high spirits and vocal virtuos-
ity. Lovely floating piano tones
distinguished the duet “Ver-
ranno a te,” the softer colors
adding needed contrast. The
mad scene was full of ideas
— some good, some bad,
some brilliant. The traditional
cadenza with the flute and
e-flats were all in place.
Among the striking new
readings was treating the
“Alfin son tua” section, where
the raving Lucia dreams of
her wedding with Edgardo,
as an erotic reverie of sex-
ual fulfillment and ecstasy.
This brought to mind the lewd
ditties Ophelia sings in “Ham-
let” — another situation where
madness releases repressed
Diana Damrau in the title role of Mary Zimmermann’s production of Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.”
sexuality before shocked
onlookers.
The Met should book Dam-
rau again for the role, because
this first attempt was so
accomplished and interesting
that it will be fascinating to see
how it develops with repetition
and refinement at other the-
aters.
Piotr Beczala is the best
Edgardo this production has
yet seen. The clear, heady tone,
rock-solid vocal technique, and
sterling musicianship remind-
ed me of the young Nicolai
Gedda. He is tall, square-jawed
handsome, and an involved,
intelligent actor. The audience
received him rapturously at
the final curtain call.
Vladimir Stoyanov was a
solid Enrico who used a decent
medium-sized baritone instru-
ment with skill and profes-
sionalism. Ildar Abdrazakov
as Raimondo has a lovely bass
tone that makes up in warm
legato what it lacks in tonal
punch. Marco Armiliato con-
ducted with loving care and
panache.
Mary Zimmermann’s pro-
duction retained its original
virtues with minimal chang-
es, despite nearly an entirely
new cast (the annoying wed-
ding photographer in the Act
II sextet remains). I am still
bothered by the rather eclectic
visual design that ranges from
elaborate naturalistic land-
scapes to black cutout drops.
The late Victorian setting puts
one in mind of Wilkie Collins
or Thomas Hardy, whereas
I think the 1840s era of the
Brontes (and Donizetti) would
suit the story better. However,
this cast made the production
look good, and vice-versa.
Rimsky-Korsakov’s 1899
opera, “The Tsar’s Bride,” is
part of the central operatic
repertory in Russia but has
never been programmed by
the Metropolitan Opera or New
York City Opera, nor has the
Kirov-Mariinsky Opera per-
formed it here on tour. To my
knowledge, it has only been
performed once in New York,
on March 5, 1995 by Eve Quel-
er and the Opera Orchestra
of New York. Maestro Queler
returned to the podium at Car-
negie Hall on October 15 with
the Lyubasha of that evening,
Olga Borodina. Surrounding
them was a superb cast with
hardly a weak link.
Rimsky-Korsakov is still best
known in the West as a sym-
phonist and virtuoso orches-
trator. From the brilliant over-
ture this talent is evident, but
this is a true singer’s opera,
with rewarding arias and stir-
ring ensembles and choruses
driven by the human voice and
an inexhaustible flow of mel-
ody. The plot, set during the
reign of Ivan the Terrible (as
all good Russian operas seem
to be), is standard Romantic
melodrama concerning two
romantic triangles that fatally
intersect with the help of Tsar
Ivan himself and the substitu-
tion of a slow-acting poison for
a love potion.
As Lyubasha, the rejected
third point of the love triangle
23 - 29 OCT 2008
7 DAYS
䉴
7 NIGHTS
OCT 30, from p.30
the LGBT Community Center will
create an alter to honor the memory of
the members of the LGBTQ community
who worked tirelessly to empower and
transform our lives. Others are invited
to participate in this event by helping
to decorate the altar with flowers,
candles, and sugar skulls or by bringing
the favorite beverage or food of a fam-
ily member or friend who has passed
away. 208 W. 13th St., Oct. 30, 6:30
p.m. -Nov. 2, 8:30 p.m. For more infor-
mation, visit gaycenter.org.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
FRI.OCT.31
KEN HOWARD/METROPOLITAN OPERA
NIGHLIFE
A Celebration of
Death
Theater for the New City hosts its
32nd annual Village Halloween Cos-
tume Ball, a mammoth event of non-
stop theater, a costume competition,
who switches the potions, and ballroom dancing that takes over
Borodina owned the role and all four of TNC’s four theater spaces,
the audience by the oldest plus its lobby and the block of E. Tenth
and truest means — voice, St. between First & Second Aves.
voice, and more voice. Every Big-Band Dance orchestras take over
aspect of the character — the large Johnson Theater, and with
brooding melancholy, frustrat- its Witches’ Cauldron, the event can
ed sensuality, and dark jeal- justifiably claim to have downtown’s
ousy — were all embodied in most sensational Halloween café. The
her complex, smoky, hooded Community Theater of TNC becomes
tones. an atmospheric grande buffet for the
In contrast, the hapless event, with a variety of American and
Mar fa, innocent victim of international delicacies available at
schemes beyond her control, peoples’ prices. Outside, there are
was sung with ease by sopra- bluegrass and jazz bands, fire eaters,
no Olga Makarina in tones jugglers, storyweavers, and stilt danc-
that were silvery, childlike, the ers, all free to the public and a gift
high notes pure, floating, and from TNC to its neighborhood. Inside,
ethereal. the entire facility will be elaborately
Rising young Kirov bari- rendered for Halloween, featuring
tone Alexej Markov was darkly intricate and massive environments
commanding yet tonally beau- by leading theatrical scenarists, sculp-
tiful as the villainous Grigori tors, and artists including Donald
Gryaznoi. Tenor Yeghishe L. Brooks, Susan Gittins, Alexander
Manucharyan as the cast- Bartenieff, Mark Marcante, Richard
aside fiancé Lykov had a reedy Reta, Zen Mansley, Candice Burridge,
middle that opened up to ring- Pamela Mayo, Desiree Conston, Evan
ing top notes. Laurence, Viviane La Corte, and Terry
Character tenor John East- Ferrari. Customarily more than 1,400
erlin was wonderfully insinu- wildly-clad celebrants gather for danc-
ating as the potion-brewing Dr. ing, dining, showing off costumes, and
Bomelius. Stylish support was viewing acts from the cutting-edge of
provided by Mzia Nioradze, cabaret and theater. Outdoor enter-
Christophoros Stamboglis, tainment begins at 3 p.m., with
and Meagan Miller. doors opening at 7:30 p.m., and cos-
Eve Queler’s second tume judging beginning at midnight
encounter with an operatic with the “Monsters and Miracles
work usually shows increased Costume Parade.” Theater for the
command and subtlety - that New City, 155 First Ave. at E. Tenth
was the case here. St. Admission is $20, but you must wear
Both Rimsky-Korsakov and a costume or formal wear. Reservations
Donizetti wrote superb vehi- are strongly recommended at theater-
cles for singers showing how forthenewcity.net or 212- 254-1109.
the subjugation of women can
undermine not only the female
psyche but the framework of
gaycity
the family and society itself. news.com
WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM 23 – 29 OCT 2008 35

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