Changing Hearts and Minds
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INSIDE: Everything you Your very fficia need to know O own personal PGS. 11-14 Prid Guid CENTRAL PA Jul 28, 2018 PRIDE Harrisbur, PA Publishe b: GUIDE REAL GAY NEWS. WE GIVE IT TO YOU STRAIGHT. THECENTRALVOICE.COM | JULY & AUGUST 2018 | FREE Changing They love roller derby hearts ...and it loves and minds them back By Frank Pizzoli or Lehigh County Commissioner Amy Zanelli, In a world of slams, F“protection and discrimination issues” are top priorities. She was instrumental in bringing equal whips and blocks, rights legislation and job protection for the LGBT community to Lehigh County last February when the roller rink is a Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong signed safe haven two administrative notifications enhancing coun- ty-level LGBT non-discrimination protections. By Louie Marven The first notification clarified the county’s own employment policy. The second mandates that county "Bismashual," known outside the derby rink as Leslie Hall, is president of Harrisburg Area Roller Derby's board of contractors and grantees also com- directors. She competes wearing makeup and lipstick referencing the colors of the bi flag. ply with the non-discrimination PHOTO BY WILLIAM FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY requirement. Originally from Northern New After reading a lot risburg Area Roller Derby, or HARD, Jersey, Zanelli is a licensed real for goodness sake! Was my impression estate agent who took office this of think-pieces on correct that there is something queer year. She lives with her wife Angela the significance of about women’s roller derby? and their three children in West Leslie Hall, whose roller derby Amy Zanelli is the name is Bismashual, said, “I feel first out county- Bethlehem. openly LGBT athletes level official in She is a Rutgers University competing in the 2018 personally that it’s a very queer sport the Lehigh Valley graduate with an extensive human because it’s very accepting,” noting services background that includes Winter Olympics, I that one teammate shared that the working with substance abuse, confidence she gained in roller derby mental illness, parent education, started thinking about helped her come out to her family. and in-home family counseling, as well as child abuse queerness in sports. Cassidy Frazee, a league member investigation and serving as a safe space liaison for LG- who is working toward certification, BTQ youth. Currently, Zanelli is a mentor for troubled Then I wondered how described roller derby as a safe space youth with Allentown’s Tabor Mentor Services and as local queer people for women, including queer women. a volunteer at Calypso Elementary School, Bethlehem. Beyond LGBT participation in the “We raise our three kids completely out in the open compete athletically. sport, local skaters pointed out the here in Bethlehem,” Zanelli tells The Central Voice. queer aspects of the roller derby and “We have helped change hearts and minds here at our I recalled seeing local women’s the community around it. local elementary school and that was part of what roller derby teams raising funds There is a history of rebellious gave us the courage to run.” All five of her family were for LGBT organizations. women participating in roller derby. featured on her election materials and they attended I saw a parallel in challenging And HARD’s outreach had been to our gender norms: Adam Rippon’s all events together. "It’s nice to find like-minded people on the margins: women with figure skating - the softness of his “This is my first elected office, but we made history people who are coming from tattoos, women with an unconven- as the first out county-level official anywhere in the skating - with local roller derby a common viewpoint with tional personal style, women who Lehigh Valley, not just Lehigh County,” Zanelli explains. leagues challenging gender - the acceptance and sexuality.” worked tough jobs. hardness of the women’s skating Please see HEARTS & MINDS, page 26 -Skater Sarah Benoist The local league is called Har- Please see ROLLER DERBY, page 19 Finding lung cancerEARLY can save your life. Lung cancer is most treatable when it’s caught early. At UPMC Pinnacle, a quick and simple test using low-dose CT scans can find it even before symptoms appear, detecting nodules up to 10 times smaller than can be seen by x-ray. 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Political Updates | WORLD & NATIONAL VOICES CA BANS STATE-FUNDED TRAVEL TO OKLAHOMA INTERNATIONAL NATIONAL California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced June 1 that California will ban state-funded travel to INDIA MAN CLEARED OF MURDER USING ‘GAY PANIC’ DEFENSE Oklahoma because of a new law that allows private agen- ANTI-CHRISTIAN PROSECUTION James Miller successfully used cies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples, Meghan Fischer, legal counsel with ADF International, the ‘gay panic’ defence after kill- reports Noah Lanard for Mother Jones. The ban comes a branch of the anti-LGBT group Alliance Defending ing a neighbor who tried to kiss after Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill earlier Freedom, reports that in India there are several re- him. After Miller retired from the this month that allows private agencies to block chil- quirements would make it difficult for people to convert Austin Police Department, he took dren from being placed in foster care or be adopted from one religion to another (in this case, from Hindu- up guitar, strumming the instru- when doing so would violate their religious or moral ism to Christianity). In addition, Christians are being ment at a nearby musicians’ bar, convictions. Proponents of the Oklahoma law, such as attacked and arrested: Some laws require potential trying to put together a jazz band the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, argue that it is converts to notify local government officials, while oth- and getting together at the house needed to protect religious freedom. After signing the ers even mandate advance permission, which often is of David Spencer, a 32-year-old bill on May 11, Fallin said in a statement that it would not granted. This violates a fundamental principle of neighbor and a saxophonist who shared his passion. In allow “faith-based agencies that contract with Okla- international human rights—that a person may believe September, 2015, after a night of music and drinking at homa to continue to operate in accordance with their whatever he or she chooses to believe, and that no one Spencer’s house, Miller testified, his younger neighbor beliefs.” Becerra’s decision comes after California Gov. may force him or her to adopt or renounce a particular made a fatal mistake: He moved in for a kiss. Jerry Brown signed a bill in 2016 blocks state-funded belief. Recent arrests include 32 Catholic seminarians Then, he said, he pulled out a knife and stabbed Spencer travel to states that enact laws allowing discrimination singing Christmas carols, chaperones for a Christian two times. Three years later, the former police officer based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender summer camp, and a Christian handing out pamphlets. claims the killing was self-defense, and he was in a “gay expression. “California will not use state resources to Extremists attack Christians as they worship in their panic” after being hit on by another man. The former support states that pass discriminatory laws,” he said. churches and homes under the pretense of preventing police officer was sentenced to six months in jail. He “California taxpayers are taking a stand against bigotry fraudulent conversions. will have to complete 100 hours of community service, and in support of those who would be harmed by this pay $11,000 in restitution to Spencer’s family and use a prejudiced policy.” EUROPEAN UNION portable alcohol monitoring service for at least a year. ALL EU COUNTRIES MUST RECOGNIZE GAY SPOUSES He will also be on probation for a decade. All European Union countries must recognize the resi- dency rights of same-sex spouses, the EU’s top court has TAKE THAT, TRUMP - CANDIDATE AIRS SAME-SEX KISS STATE ruled. In a landmark ruling for gay rights in Europe, Maryland state Sen. Rich Ma- the European Court of Justice ruled Romania must daleno (D) wants two things: to LOCAL CANDIDATE TO RUN AGAINST SCOTT PERRY grant residence to the American husband of a local be elected governor of his state Democrat George Scott will run against incumbent man even though Romania itself does not permit same- and to irritate President Donald Republican Congressman Scott Perry on Nov. 6 for sex marriage. Adrian Coman, from Romania, and his Trump, reports Sara Boboltz for Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. Pennsyl- American husband, Claibourn Robert Hamilton, have The Huffington Post. The guber- vania’s 10th Congressional District is newly located fought a six-year legal battle to get their marriage, which natorial candidate’s TV ad be- in the south-central region of the state. The Supreme took place in Belgium in 2010, legally recognized in the gins by listing accomplishments, Court of Pennsylvania redrew the district in 2018 after eastern European country. The ruling has implications including sponsoring legislation ruling the previous map unconstitutional, adding State for tens of thousands of same sex couples in Romania, to support Planned Parenthood College while removing some Democratic-leaning Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia.