May 08, 2009 | Volume VII, Issue 10 | LGBT Life in Maryland Pride 2009 Off and Running An By Steve Charing With the recent crowning of King and Queen of Pride (see inside), Interview Baltimore Pride is off and running and is on target for another fun-filled celebration that officially takes place with the weekend of June 20-21. It rep- resents the 34th time that the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Super- Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) has run the annual event in Baltimore. model “Pride has evolved from an ac- tivist event to one where the commu- nity can celebrate and have a good Ronnie Kroell time,” Paul Liller, the GLCCB’s De- velopment Associate, told OUTloud. This is Liller’s first year as the official Pride coordinator, but he has done By Josh Aterovis similar work as a volunteer in previ- ous years’ Pride celebrations. Ronnie Kroell is more than just a Where at one time Baltimore’s pretty face. He’s best known for Pride was confined to either one day appearing on the first season of or two days in June, over the past Bravo’s Make Me A Supermod- several years, the celebration be- el, where his cuddly bromance gan earlier with a series of events with fellow model and straight that lead up to the big day. Following friend, Ben, sent gay viewers the King and Queen of Pride Pag- — and many women, too — into eant held on April 24, a succession convulsions of ecstasy. They of other pre-Pride events has been even got one of those sickening- scheduled. ly cute couple names: “Bronnie.” On May 17 there will be the Ronnie may have finished sec- Voice of Pride—a singing contest at ond to his buddy, but he’s since Grand Central. Two weeks later at proved his staying power. He’s the same venue there will be Lube used his fame to speak out for Wrestling. On June 6 a Date Auction gay rights and spread his mes- will take place at Lucy’s. And “Twi- sage: Be yourself. light on the Terrace” at Gertrude’s Ronnie will be in Baltimore restaurant at the Baltimore Museum on Thursday, May 14th to co- of Art on Friday, June 19 will bring host the “Hunks in Trunks All- us to the parade and block party the Male Swimsuit Fashion Show” next day. for charity. The show will feature The parade up Charles Street the men of the DC Cowboys. is traditionally kicked off by the en- The following day, Ronnie will tertaining High Heels Race that be- be giving a seminar for aspiring gins around 4:00 p.m. It certainly models. I recently talked to Ron- should not be missed. And the pa- nie about his life since Make Me rade, as always, will feature a broad A Supermodel and the events representation of the community here in Baltimore. -- continued on page 22 -- continued on page 23 2 q BALTIMORE OUTLOUD May 08, 2009 | baltimoreoutloud.com OUTSPOKEN Publisher Anti-Gay Bullying is Killing Our Kids Mike Chase [email protected] Executive Editor By Steve Charing draw attention to bullying in the schools. Jim Becker This effort has been promulgated by [email protected] South Carroll High School in Sykesville, GLSEN—the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Sales MD held a “Unity Day” on March 26 to cel- Education Network. A leader in anti-bul- Mary Taylor, Director ebrate diversity. Included in the program lying education, GLSEN (glsen.org) pres- [email protected] in front of the entire student body was a ents statistics that show how acute bully- Managing Editor presentation on lgbt issues by members ing is in schools—especially against lgbt Steve Charing of PFLAG that focused on the conse- students. Leather Editor quences of hate speech, hateful words In a 2007 National School Climate Rodney Burger and bullying. Survey, 86.2% of lgbt students reported Writers To amplify the point, the presenta- being verbally harassed, 44.1% reported Jeffrey Clagett Josh Aterovis tions were followed by students’ writing being physically harassed and 22.1% Chuck Duncan Rickie Green insulting words on pieces of paper, like reported being physically assaulted at Eva Hersh MD Marty Hoegg ‘faggot,” “that’s so gay,” “homo,” etc. and school in the past year because of their Doug Ireland Jay Loane P.S. Lorio Jim Lucio proceeded to shred these epithets in the sexual orientation. 73.6% heard deroga- Meredith Moise Sandy Rawls hope that the symbolic gestures would tory remarks such as “faggot” or “dyke” Ben Ryland MIA - Alexander St. John lead to permanent eradication of the vile frequently or often at school. Nate Sweeney Larry Walker language and the pervasive bullying that More than half (60.8%) of students “Although neither Graphics continues to exist in schools. reported that they felt unsafe in school Hannah-Love Shibley, Director As well received as this demonstra- because of their sexual orientation, and student identified as gay, [email protected] tion was, apparently not all were happy more than a third (38.4%) felt unsafe be- Carol Baker about the event. A Mt. Airy woman in a cause of their gender expression. 31.7% both students endured Bryan Sullivan letter to Gazette.com called the shredding of lgbt students missed a class and 32.7% Photographers of paper an “empty gesture” and stating missed a day of school in the past month anti-lgbt bullying until Skip Koritzer Harry Lowinger that “words kill” is a “platitude.” She wrote, because of feeling unsafe, compared to they couldn’t take it “Words do not kill. Behavior kills.” only 5.5% and 4.5%, respectively, of a National Advertising Oh really? national sample of secondary school Rivendell Media anymore.” 908-232-2021 Recently two suicides related to anti- students. Web Services gay bullying were tragedies that could These numbers cannot be ignored. “These two tragedies highlight the Drew Saine have been avoided. An 11 year-old boy, “Anti-lgbt bullying affects all students, need for schools to do more to make sure [email protected] Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hung himself gay and straight alike,” says GLSEN Ex- their hallways and classrooms are safe on April 6 in Springfield, MA. His suicide ecutive Director Eliza Byard, Ph.D. “Bul- for all students,” says Byard. “Education, Distribution/Circulation Jay Loane comes about a year after eighth-grader lies learn from an early age that anti-lgbt community and federal leaders need to [email protected] Lawrence King was shot and killed by a language is one of the most effective ways come together and find solutions to the fellow student in a California classroom, to torment their peers. And far too often, endemic problem of bullying in America’s Baltimore OUTloud allegedly because he was gay. schools fail to address the problem.” schools. We owe it to our children to do P.O. Box 3640, Baltimore, MD 21214 A little over a week later a second GLSEN proposes a four-pronged everything we can to make sure they are 410-244-6780 suicide—also by hanging—took place in approach to address anti-lgbt bullying safe in school.” www.baltimoreoutloud.com Georgia by fifth-grader, Jaheem Herrera. and harassment. They recommend that Otherwise, young lives are being cut “He was bullied relentlessly. schools adopt a comprehensive anti-bul- way too short. Additional Information They called him gay and a lying policy that includes in the categories Baltimore OUTloud is published every other Friday by Pride snitch,” his stepfather told the Atlanta sexual orientation and gender identity and Steve Charing’s OUTspoken blog is at Media, Ltd. in Baltimore, Maryland. Readers’ comments and unsolicited materials are welcomed and may be sent Journal-Constitution. expression. www.SteveCharing.blogspot.com. to: [email protected]. | Pride Media offices “[Jaheem’s best friend] said, ‘He told They encourage required training so are located at 1120 N. Charles Street, 4R, Baltimore, 21201. me that he’s tired of everybody always that school staff can be well equipped to | All materials appearing in this newspaper are the property messing with him in school. He is tired of respond to anti-gay name-calling, bullying Submit Your Events Online of Pride Media, Ltd. and may not be reproduced without the telling the teachers and the staff, and they and harassment in an effective and timely www.baltimoreoutloud.com written permission of the editor. never do anything about the problems. manner. So, the only way out is by killing himself.’“ GLSEN supports student efforts, Although neither student identified as such as establishing Gay-Straight Alli- OUTloud’s queer TV guide: gay, both students endured anti-lgbt bul- ances in the schools to help prevent anti- www.baltimoreoutloud.com lying until they couldn’t take it anymore. gay bullying. And in both cases, the schools did not act And lastly, GLSEN recommends that ©2009 - All Rights Reserved on complaints. age-appropriate, inclusive curricula be in- Sign up online now for free Chairman of the Board Jim Becker Ironically, the suicides occurred in a stituted to help students understand and home delivery of OUTloud. President Jim Williams month in which schools around the coun- respect difference within the school com- Vice President Lee Mooney try participate in “Day of Silence” events to munity and society as a whole. www.baltimoreoutloud.com baltimoreoutloud.com | May 08, 2009 BALTIMORE OUTLOUD q 3 NEWS Maine’s Governor Signs Same Sex Marriage into Law desk for signature. Solomnese congratulated Gov. John New York recognizes marriages by With this historic event, Maine be- Baldacci, Senator Dennis Damon, and same-sex couples legally entered into in comes the 5th state to recognize mar- Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree another jurisdiction.