OAN INDEPENDENTU VOICE FOR THET LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES April 19, 2013 | Volume X, Issue 23 No Arrest Yet in Murder of Trans Woman swiftly and proactively in identifying Ms. Young’s not it was a hate crime. assailant(s) and bringing them to justice. BY STEVE CHARING Ms. Young was truly loved by her fam- These senseless acts of violence perpe- At press time there has ily, friends, and community. “The neigh- trated by hateful and intolerant individuals been no arrest in con- borhood embraced her – boys and girls, must not be taken lightly. It is imperative nection with the mur- straight or gay she was embraced,” Ms. that the LGBT community must stand up in der of Kelly Young. On Young’s sister Monique Mack told tele- solidarity to address the violence commit- April 3, Ms. Young, 29, a vision station WMAR. “It wasn’t always ted against our community.” transgender woman, was a smooth road but I will say it was more Donna Simone Plamondon, a Balti- found shot at her home smooth than not.” more trans activist, poignantly posted on at 2200 block of Barclay The GLCCB issued a statement con- Facebook: “Adding another name to this Street in East Baltimore. demning the crime. “We express our deep- year’s TDoR” (Transgender Day of Re- She later died at an area est sympathies to Ms. Young’s family and membrance – an annual memorial service hospital. friends. For far to long our LGBT commu- that, in part, commemorates those trans- Baltimore City Police Kelly Young, killed April 3 in East Baltimore nity has been targeted for being who they gender individuals murdered during the spokesperson Det. Cart- credit: WMAR TV are and for who they love. Kelly’s murder is past year). er-Watson told Baltimore unfortunately the latest crime to victimize Anyone with information about the OUTloud that the case is still open and the police said it’s too early in the investigation our community. shooting death of Kelly Young should call investigation ongoing. No motive is indi- to determine if the crime was connected to “We implore the Baltimore City Police the Baltimore City Police Homicide Divi- cated. Immediately following the murder the victim’s gender identity or whether or Department and local government to move sion at 410-396-2100. t CUBAN-AMERICAN POET TACKLES LOVE & WAR still involved in almost 25 years later. That the impact the war could region has defined our generation in a way. have on my generation. Back then poetry allowed me a way to ex- Speaking with Poet Dan Vera As it turned out, the war press my own concerns about this war. I was short, but as the sub- don’t know why it was poetry, but it arose BY GREGG SHAPIRO cation of his book. (Full disclosure: Dan sequent years have revealed, it proved to through poetry and when I shared it with Speaking Wiri Wiri (Red Hen Press, 2013) Vera’s press, Souvenir Spoon Books, pub- be a skirmish in a longer war that we are friends they seemed to find a resonance by gay poet Dan Vera is the winner of the lished Gregg Shapiro’s 2012 with the fears and questions I was raising. inaugural Letras Latinas / Red Hen Po- chapbook, Gregg Shapiro: Dan Vera I kept writing, mostly as a solitary act and etry Prize. The book, Vera’s second full- 77.) didn’t seriously begin to write poetry, to length collection, consists of 45 poems in Gregg Shapiro: Dan, at dedicate myself to it, to immerse myself in five distinct sections. Taken as a whole, what age did you seriously it, until many years later. without the “borders,” if you will, there is begin to write poetry and GS: Where does prose fit into your a cohesive voice and message. Latino, how did you come to it? writing life? queer, son of immigrants, fascinated with Dan Vera: I began writing DV: I’ve written some essays on gay language and memory (two of the sections poetry in college during the identity and history which probably come are “The Trouble With Memory” and “The lead up to the first Iraq War. out of my academic background in an- Memory Of The Tongue”), Vera’s book This would have been 1989. thropology and history. Prose is certainly couldn’t come at a better time, especially The country was gearing up something I haven’t ruled out in the future. with immigration reform and LGBT issues for the war and although the In many ways I see my writing as storytell- on everyone’s mind. Writing with authority, news was filled with reports, ing and uncovering and retelling histories assurance and passion, Vera’s Speaking including talk of the possibil- that are worthy of recording. Wiri Wiri earns him his rightful place along- ity of a draft, there seemed to GS: Your first book of poems The side his poetry heroes, living and dead. I be little conversation among Space Between Our Danger and Delight spoke with Vera shortly before the publi- my circle of friends about —continued on page 16 NEWS // LOCAL Language of Diversity Through Art their floral iconogra- phy in suggestive veils of meaning drawn BY DENISE R. DUARTE for the day to see the cherry-tree festival from their own poetry, their favorite esoter- Language is how we train our minds to and parade. It celebrated the cherry-tree ic sources, and the incidents of their own Co-Publishers Jim Becker • Jim Williams think. It gives structure and meaning to our flower as a symbol of spring and Washing- lives, as can be seen in a closer look at [email protected] thoughts. It defines our reality. Language ton, D.C., pride. The National Park website the floral themes of the repertoire of Pre- Executive Editor is the most essential tool used to commu- states that Raphaelite art.” Jim Becker nicate. “In Japan, This is one as- [email protected] Wikipedia defines language as “...the the flowering pect of my inten- Managing Editor [email protected] human capacity for acquiring and using cherry tree, tion for Garden of complex systems of communication, and a or ‘Sakura,’ Sales Director Diversity was to Mary Taylor language is any specific example of such is an ex- create a reframed [email protected] a system.” alted flow- dialogue about Leather Columnist Language is also fluid and ever-chang- ering plant. the true definition Rodney Burger ing. Just like us, language is evolving to The beauty of what is natural Contributing Writers meet contemporary needs in order to ex- of the cherry and create a new Joey Amato • Sharon Brackett • Rodney Burger • Joshua Buchbinder • Steve Charing • Jeffrey Claggett • press our understanding of our reality. blossom is a symbology, a new Jeffrey Clouser • Wayne Curtis • Woody Derricks • Denise R. My thesis project, “Garden of Diversity potent sym- visual language, Duarte • Chuck Duncan • Michael Farley • Jon Fairbanks • Gerry – Naturae paradiso diversitas,” recently Fisher • Bruce Garrett • Jeff Hammerberg • Dr. Eva Hersh • bol equated to express our Shirli Hughes • Sam Kunz • Michelle Lanchester, Esq. • exhibited at D Center Gallery, March 29 with the eva- LGBTQ natural Dana LaRocca • Jessica Lemmo • Jay Loane • Rev. Meredith – April 14, focused directly on language nescence of identities. Moise • Bill Palmer • Gregg Shapiro and its definitions. The Garden of Diver- human life One of the Graphics sity Glossary, a component of my artwork, and epito- most frustrating Amy Ray • Joe Velasquez combined human and botanical terminolo- mizes the and challenging Cartoonist Bruce Garrett (Brucegarrett.com) gy regarding gender and sexual identity to transforma- aspects of our reinforce the notion that nature is diverse Photographers tion of Japa- LGBTQ communi- Bruce Garrett • Jay W Photos and is not defined by any binary. This glos- nese culture ty is how we refer Web Editor sary encompassed nine, three-foot-by-six- throughout to ourselves. Lan- Anja Saine And by another name, just as sweet – ‘The Rose’ [email protected] foot pages. I consider it to be an evolving the ages.” credit: Kim Llerna guage is labeling, Managed Web Services document that will eventually be incorpo- After the pa- which is branding The Fusio Group rated into many other manifestations. rade, I went to the National Gallery of Art in our contemporary context. It is at once 866-322-7498, Thefusiogroup.com I thought it would add an interesting in Washington, D.C., to see their current convenient and yet problematic. It can lead National Advertising Rep addition to my artwork and help frame my exhibition, the “Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian to one-dimensional perceptions and rein- Rivendell Media 908-232-2021 message. I had no idea that it would take Art and Design, 1848-1900,” open from forced stereotypes. I would love us to cre- center stage with the majority of the people February 17–May 19. Founders ate a respectful and inclusive label for our Jim Becker • Joe Berg • Mike Chase • I observed, reading all nine pages. At the heart of the Pre-Raphaelite ar- beautiful eclectic community. How do we Lee Mooney (1959-2007) • Jim Williams Language can take many forms. It is tistic and decorative art movement, was expect the dominate cultural population to spoken, written in text and expressed in flowers. Debra N. Mancoff, in her book, understand us if our language is confus- Baltimore OUTloud visualized imagery. It is said to have three PO Box 4887 Baltimore, MD 21211 The Pre-Raphaelite Language of Flow- ing? There is the alphabet... LGBTQQIAA, 410-244-6780 components, codes, signs and meanings.