Black Lives Matter Coming Outstories Rep
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t union." DR. RACHEL LEVINE REP. MALCOLM KENYATTA COMING OUT STORIES "My dear friends: Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfec to create It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have almost sacred. vote is precious, "My dear friends: Your Lewis (2012) — Rep. John BLACK LIVES MATTER Contents 5 Coming Out Stories of the Lehigh Valley 32 What Does This Pro-LGBT Supreme Court Decision In honor of Coming Out Day, members of the Lehigh Valley LGBTQ+ Really Do? | Liz Bradbury community share their personal coming out experiences. Liz breaks down the ins and outs of the Supreme Court's recent LGBTQ+ workplace protections decision. Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine 24 Jason Ruff PA Sec. of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, on what public safety and 33 calm leadership look like. A couple of questions for the Slatington Borough Council Vice- President and Democratic Candidate for PA State Representative, District 183. 26 Painter Anthony Smith Dave Sommers joins painter Anthony Smith for a discussion around Johnny Walsh's Notable what inspires his work. 34 Johnny discusses his new series, Notable, portraying influential figures. 28 Representative Malcolm Kenyatta Darius Moore connects with PA State Rep. Malcolm Kenyetta, the first 36 Power Couple Jonathan Lovitz & Stephen Sosna queer black State Representative elected to office. You know them from, well... almost everything. 30 Black Lives Matter Marches 40 Performance Artist, Choregrapher: Gunnar Montana Performance Artist and Choreographer Gunnar Montana tellus us about his upbringing and artistic influences. 42 Jessie Beld-Elliot 50 Earl David Ball & Timothy George Hare Jessie explains her passion in being an ally to the LGBTQ Earl and Tim take some time to reminisce on their 44 years community and how we can all make a difference regarding Black together. That’s right, 44 years. Lives Matter. 54 Neon Trees' Tyler Glenn 44 Artist Glen Hanson Tyler Glenn takes a few minutes to discuss coming out, artists who Glen Hanson’s witty, stylish and sexy imagery is everywhere! He influence him and Neon Tree's new album, I Can Feel You Forgetting Me. takes some time to tell us about his work. 56 #TransBlackLivesMatter 46 The Beekman Boys Young black trans women die at more than twice the rate than We take a tour into The Fabulous Beekman Boys and their collection their cis peers. Corinne lays out actions white allies can take. of one-of-a-kind, handcrafted items. 58 Jon Capobianco's Quick Workout At Home Feeling Sour? Lucky You! | Len Dannelke Quarantine got you in a funk? Jons here to bring some structure 49 back into your life! When a sour mood strikes, reach for a tart and tangy brew that lifts the spirits while bestowing healthful benefits. 60 The Waiting Game is Over | Kathleen Conn Kathleen Conn translates some of the legalese behind the Contents art by Gunnar Montana Supreme Court's recent LGBTQ+ workplace protections decision. VOL. 5 ISSUE 21 FALL 2020 Editor’s Note Contributors Welcome to The Gay Journal Fall 2020! Lenora Dannelke is an independent journalist who covers food, travel or If 2020 were a bodily function, it would be anything fun. She lives in Old Allentown and loves a good Bloody Mary. She is owned by a 12-year-old rescued boxer named Scoobie. Look for her most shit. (Obviously trying very hard to keep up the Saturday afternoons at the Allentown Farmer’s Market. stellar quality of writing that you have come to expect from me.) Mother Nature is being damn Dianna Poindexter is a contemporary realist painter who lives and works in Bethesda, MD. Her distinctive personal style captures the vibrant spirit aggressive about abolishing humans and taking of events, nature, and people in a specific moment in time. Some of her back her planet. (I'm not against women being work portrays expressionistic paintings of civil rights and people as well as large-scale landscapes of the eastern shore. You can find her work at aggressive. In fact all the women in my life are.) diannapoindexter.com Our goal with The Gay Journal has always been to offer something entertaining and informa- Corinne Goodwin serves as the Webmaster and social coordinator for Lehigh Valley Transgender Renaissance, a support group for transgender tive. You know, a place you can go to escape for individuals that serves the Lehigh Valley and surrounding counties. After Stephen Libby an hour or so. Enjoy some art or photos or learn serving in executive capacities for Fortune 50 companies she started her own Editor-in-Chief consulting firm in 2010. If you see her out and about be sure to say hello! about something or someone you didn't know about. Tim Helton is a Dayton, Ohio transplant to the Lehigh Valley who loves The medical professionals are telling you what to do to help lesson the effects of DC Comics, being nosey on social media, candy, and aspires to be in a throuple with Henry Cavill and Janet Jackson. (Fingers crossed) Make him covid. African Americans are telling us what we can do to Help Black Live Matter. My instafamous @timhelton and don’t forget to follow @lvgayjournal husband is telling me what to do...all the time...about everything. Just kidding! (Not really.) Jason Leonhard is three toddlers in a trench coat — please don't tell anyone. Sit back, relax and let us entertain you with this supersized issue. In these pag- After earning his BA in music composition and media & communications es you'll find our first Coming Out Stories feature, interviews with PA Secretary of from Muhlenberg College in 2018, he moved to Boston and currently works as Marketing & Communications Manager for Urbanity Dance. In his free Health Dr. Rachel Levine, Representative Malcolm Kenyatta by Darius Mooring, The time he writes music, performs stand up comedy, and dreads grad school. Fabulous Beekman Boys, Neon Trees' Taylor Glenn, Power Couple Jonathan Lovitz & Stephen Sosna, artists Anthony Smith by Dave Sommers, Gunnar Montana, Johnny Liz Bradbury is the Director of the Training Institute of the Bradbury- Walsh and Glen Hanson, ally Jessie Beld-Elliot, Liz Bradbury and Dr Kathleen Conn Sullivan LGBT Community Center and has been an activist since she ran an LGBT committee in grad school in 1979. She’s written over 400 published discuss SCOTUS and LGBT Employment Discrimination, Corrine Goodwin reports articles on LGBT issues, and is the national award winning author of the on Black Trans Lives & Deaths, Len Dannelke wants you to embace your Sour Side, lesbian detective novels: The Maggie Gale Mysteries. Jon Capobianco offers a Home Workout tohelp keep you in shape and we pay our Carley Kuehner is a professional entrepreneur who owns a successful respects to Lehigh Valley legend Timothy George Hare through my interview with national digital marketing agency Cosmick Technologies. Carley graduated Tim and his equally legendary husband Earl David Ball. at East Stroudsburg University with a degree in Computer Science. On Carley’s free from you can expect to see her enjoying life on the lake where Thank you to all of our amazingly talented contributors —> I love you all! she retreats to her secondary tiny home in the Pocono Mountains. And, finally my most since appreciation for our amazing advertisers who found some cash in their sofa cushions and under their car seats to help make this issue Darius Mooring is a black, queer, proud Dad, and Mental Health activist. He available in hard copy (now you have a coaster for your drinks or something to line is the Host of Workin it Out w/Darius Mondays @ 8pm EST, conversations about life through the lens of mental health, & CityLoveSpeaks on Tuesdays the bird cage). at 8pm EST, all on Facebook live and youTube live! Please remember to vote! Love & Peace & Be Well, When Gary Gaugler, Jr isn’t saving the world at his office job, he enjoys writing his book series and playing video games. His passions include cats, Stephen Libby shenanigans, and weekend cocktails (though perhaps not in that order). He resides in Allentown with his husband, Steve. From Cover Artist, Dianna Poindexter Thank you for the opportunity to share my painting in your publication. I found Dave Sommers is a resident artist at the banana factory and a full-time teacher. Besides oil painting David‘s interests are in travel and volunteer it in my inventory this past week and had to post it on Facebook. I was shocked to service abroad. realize I painted this over 22 years ago and how relevant it is today with Black Lives Matter. The composition is from a series of photos I took during The Stonewall March for Gay Rights in the late 90's. I've always been a big advocate for equal rights. I was Jon Capobianco: In addition to his regular full time gig as a Lehigh Valley real estate agent with Equity Mid Atlantic Real Estate he is also an owner of so moved by the spirit of the March and the large crowd of LGBTQ family marching a successful long time running CrossFit Gym named Test Your Metal Fitness hand in hand it compelled me to capture that moment in time on canvas. & Performance (the artist formally known at CrossFit Advanced)! In the painting, I specifically chose to leave the flags and signs blank - I wanted the viewer to add their own perspective to the reasons behind the March. Which is why Contact us at [email protected], or this could be applied to what's happening today. In fact, the two black figures in the Gaugler-Libby, LLC PO Box 421 for-ground (Tony and Carol) are my friends that joined us to march that day.