Section A NEW YORK STATE'S OLDEST LGBT PUBLICATION LGBT Health Month Partnerships includes 30 events The Gay Alliance appreciates By Susan jordan the continuing partnership There is an LGBT Health of businesses within our Month event almost every day community who support this March, relating to the health our mission and vision. and wellbeino of LGBT peo­ Platinum: ple in the Roc ester community. Some fo cus hon medical mat­ ters, some on poUtical or legal MorganStanley issues, and others are social or Smith Barney entertainment events, but all will remind us to think about and Gold: rake care of our health and the health of those we love. In a society where LG BT people often experience bigot­ Met life ry, hatred and discrimination Silver: - even from some healrhcare providers -- we must make spe­ cial efforts ro ensure that we are Excenus+' getting the care we need and deserve. Tuesday, March 1 is the NY N t XON PEA BOOYu•· LGBT Health Month Kick-Off Coffee Night from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. THE IIAI:HBLDH at Equal Grounds Coffee House, -t 750 South Ave. Meet some of FORUM Rochester/Finger lakes lead organizer Anne Tischer ftOCMUUIL lltW ,_ the Health Momh organizers MENY •-wW..A..t.al.LIU.II U� meets with Senator Joe Robach (R-56) at his Albany office on and participatin organizations g Feb. 8. Sen. Robach endorses the concept of civil unions, with­ and Jearn more about the events out accepting that this form of second-class "marriage" is not TOMPKINrS of Health Monrh. Colin Cof­ an adequate substitute for legal marriage. Photo: Ove Overmyer fey from Renewing Massage and a representative from Rochester I think we have their attention. Bronze: Community Acupuncture will Marriage equality activists The votes aren't completely there also be on hand to talk about converge on Albany; advocates yet but we are working on it." the benefits of holistic health MENY organizers have Kodak services like massage and acu­ say "This year feels different" recently fo cused their attention puncture. While you're there, just on the senate where 60 of enter a drawing for a cool Equal By Ove Overmyer Andrew Cuomo, New York's the 62 stare senators received vis­ aut&E..QU\l"' .,,. '"""''" Grounds souvenir and compli­ Albany, N.Y. Same-sex mar­ new Democratic governor, has its from pro-marriage support­ menrary massage services. riage advocates are hoping 2011 repeatedly emphasized that he ers. The Stare Senate, which Get active on Wednesday, n;Td1 is the year. More than 350 New wants ro be the governor who holds a 32-30 Republican major­ March 2, at the LGBT Equal­ Yorkers from all four corners of signs rhe law that makes mar­ ir.y, has been lobbied heavily by < ity and Justice Town Hall Meet­ rhe state braved winter condi­ riage equality a reality, saying in both opponents and supporters .............- ---· ing hosted by the Pride Agenda tions and beaded to Albany on "We Bausch&lomb his Jan. 5 inaugw·al speech, of the Marriage Equality Bill. --�...- at 7 p.m., at Downtown United Feb. 8 to lobby Senate lawmak­ believe in justice for all, and then Newly elected Buffalo Sena­ Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fit­. ers, urging them ro pass a mar­ let's pass marriage equality this tor Tim Kennedy (D-58) said zhugh St. riage equality bill. year once and for all." he hears his constituents loud The Pride Agenda will give About 110 people from the To be sure, State Senate and dear and plans to work very an update on the status ofLGBT Buffalo and Rochester region Republicans voted 30-0 against hard to get rhe bill passed. He ITT legislation, including marriage mer in the early hours to rake the bill in December 2009, but also told a group of Albany visi­ IIIYJMI -&- equality and transgender civil buses to rhe state capital. In long Island's Dean Skelos, the tors on Feb. 8, "I also plan to co­ rights legislation (GENOA), all, organizers estimated that new GOP Senate majority lead­ sponsor GENOA as well - we give an update on the work the rhe grassroots group, Marriage er, told the Log Cabin Republi­ need ro get these things done." Pride Agenda is doing, and dis­ Equality New York (MENY), cans and YNN's Liz Benjamin (Marriage continues page 3) cuss ways to plug into work brought twice as many people last October he would bring the for LGBT equality and jus­ this year than last to lobby on issue before his party colleagues rice through rne Pride Agenda. behalf of residents seeking legal during the 2011-2012 Legisla­ (llealth contin ues page 3) protections for same-sex couples. ture, pred icting, "I think our conference would say pur ir up, gmans ler it up" for a floor vote. Anne Tischer, Rochester resi­ Champion: Register now for dent and Rochester/Finger Lakes lead organizer for MENY, said Pride and Joy this year feels a little bit differ­ Families ent than years past. "We feel Conference Like we're developing really good momentum -- there is real ener­ 0 CORNING Pride and Joy Families will gy out there," she said. 'We've be hosting a conference here in never had that kind of direct, April Register now for t e 2011 unequivocal, explicit commit­ -\ � Ba11k&Trust h -� � � Pride and Joy Families Week­ ment before." Marriage advocates told The -... end Conference, ro be held April EMPIR.ESTATE. 8-10 in Rochester, at the RIT Inn Empty Closet that they are con­ Et,n.tl· Cro•ut�<l, COLlEGE Cuflcc lluu''' 11. (,iflI hHt-c and ConferenceCenter, 5257 W. vinced that a vote in the Senate Henrietta Rd. The conference Care (www.acrochester.org); Gay will happen by the end of the Inside Section A will provide information, sup­ Alliance of the Genesee Valley legislative year, if not sooner. (www.gayalliance.org); Rain­ The New York State Assembly Newsfronts .............................. 4 port and connections for LGBT Libey parents and for providers. bow SAGE of the Genesee Val­ has passed the bill in the last Interview: Enk ................ 6 Making The Scene.. ... 18 The Conference will bring ley (www.rainbowsage.org); Visit three so·aight legislative sessions. ... .. .. together LGBTQ individu­ Rochester (w\vw.visirrochester. Manhattan State Sen. Tom Section B als, fa milies, and allies for three com); COLAGE (www.colage. Duane promised a senate bill Entertainment: Rainbow Theatre days of learning a11d socializing. org) and Gay Parent Magazine "within weeks," and his spokes­ Feslival ................................... 1 Travel . 4 �JbrigbtG� Online re istration is available at (www.gaypareormag.com). man confirmed to media sources ..... ....... ......................... g Co l umnists . 5 www d on Feb. 8 that they're still work­ ............................. Friend: .PrideAn J oyConference. Conference highlights will GAGV News: Creating Change... org. Early bird rates apply until include a Keynote Address: ing on specific language of rhe 12 March 8. The deadline to register "Research, Advocacy, and the legislation. Groups .................................. 15 8 . Constitutional Challenge to the Ongoing Calendar 18 .,�J children is also March "I think we're getting real­ ................ tl*d Prop 8 Ban on Gay Marriage in !�'::-� �ltlll Sponsors are Lesbian and Gay ly, really close," added Tischer. Calendar ................................ 19 mfJ Family Building Project (www. California," by llan H. Meyer, "Our most recent trip to talk to Classifieds. ............................ 19 ,. T�t�Nft. prideandjoyfamilies.org); AIDS (P&J continues page 8) lawmakers did not go unnoticed. 2 A THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE OF THE GENESEE VALLEY • NUMBER 443 • MARCH 2011 GAY ALLIANCE OF THE GENESEE VALLE Y The Empty Closet is published by the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley Perspeetives 875 E. Main Street, Su�e 500 Rochester, New York 14605 © 2011, All rights reserved. Editor-In-Chief: SUsan Jordan FROM THE FROM THE Staff Reporters: Ove Overmyer. Laur McSpadden Empty Closet Editor Executive Director Graphic Design: Jim Anderson SUSAN JORDAN SUE COWELL Advertising policy: The Empty Closet does not print advertise· ments that contain nude drawilgs or pho· before Halloween - it has to if value of the gift and eliminate aU tographs. nor does � print advertisilg that capital ga ins taxes. This would states that the person pictured in the ad is it will be out and on the streets for sale. or that you will "get" that particular by Nov. 1. So Halloween photos allow you to make a substantially person if you patronize the establishment obviously have to wait to be pub­ greater gift than you otherwise advertised. Advertisements that are explicitly racist. sexist, ageist, ableist or homophobic lished until the December issue. would have thought possible. will be refused; advertisements from organi· Suppose you don't wanr to Bequest: The Simple way to zations that are sexist. racist, ageist, ableist leave a substantial gift or anti·gay will also be refused. All pol�i­ wait for those Halloween pho­ cal advertisements must contain information tos. You don't have to. The EC A bequest to che Gay Alli­ about who placed them and a method of pages also have photo galler­ ance is as simple as adding an contact. Additionally. TheEmpty Closet does not prilt negative or 'attack' advertisements, ies, where phorographs can be amendment to your will stating, whether they relate to a product or pol�ics posted immediately or soon after "[ give ($ or %) of my estate to and no matter in whose interest the ad is The Gay Alliance of the Genesee beilg produced. A negative advertisement the event itself. Have you ever is defined as one that focuses upon a rival checked out the photo galleries Valley." This is rhe most com­ product, or il the pol�ical area.