F ollow us on Facebook at Empty Closet News. T he Empty Closet is now on Twitter! Follow us at The Empty Closet http://www.twitter.com/ EmptyClosetNews LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL NEWS, NEWSMAKER INTERVIEWS, OPINION, ENTERTAINMENT, COLUMNISTS, EVENT CALENDARS, AND HEALTH RESOURCE LISTINGS NUMBER 465 A PUBLICATION OF THE GAY ALLIANCE OF THE GENESEE VALLEY MARCH 2013 N ew York LGBT Health Month sponsors 17 community events for all ages 1987: Gays stage a Kiss-In at Durand Eastman Park. March marks an exciting LGBT health in late March. Its health from a weeklong program time for the Rochester LGBT goal is to support LGBT people to a month-long initiative. Health Coalition and the Roch- in living happy and healthy lives “This year’s theme is We L ook who’s Forty ester community: NY LGBT while raising awareness of health Count. Count Us,” says Christi- Health Month. Many events are disparities facing the LGBT na Miller, community health ini- and Fabulous! planned, from Erotic Night at community. However, in 2010, tiatives specialist at AIDS Care. By Susan Jordan Equal Grounds to an ImageOut the Rochester LGBT Health “In keeping with this theme, the It’s 1987 and gays are not film (see p. 18 for full listing). Coalition joined a number of coalition has planned a variety of allowed to kiss publicly. Andy The National Coalition other organizations and groups exciting events to reinforce that Allocco and Matt Fleig stage for LGBT Health sponsors an throughout New York State in as LGBT people, recognition of a Kiss-In at Durand Eastman annual weeklong recognition of taking the celebration of LGBT (Count continues page 3) Beach, attended by 100 people – an early gay visibility action, two years before the first Pride another 40 years, we’re initiating Parade, and 16 years after the a very special way for you to help rium Center, 875 E. Main St. first local “Gay-In.” The sky celebrate with us all year long. C andlelight vigil G ay Alliance offers does not fall and the closet door The Gay Alliance Speakers The Gay Alliance is asking peo- at courthouse will SpeakOUT training Bureau is as necessary and rel- cracks open a little further. ple to choose a year that is spe- Today LGBT partners can protest DOMA March 22-23 evant today as it was 40 years ago, cial to them – whether it is 1987 and also more active than ever engage in public demonstrations in honor of the Kiss-In, or the A candlelight vigil here in Do you want to learn how of affection without fearing year you came out, or the year Rochester on March 26 will be to speak effectively in public? before. In the last two years the arrest – at least in most places. you met your partner, or first part of a “Light the Way to Have you considered volun- Gay Alliance Education Program We can even marry legally – in attended a Pride Parade. Just as Justice” national protest against teering for the Gay Alliance’s has done 350 presentations and some places. It’s hard now to long as it’s a year between 1973 DOMA, the “Defense of Mar- Speakers Bureau? The next spoken to over 8,000 participants! fully comprehend the level of and 2013 -- it’s up to you. riage Act” which prevents LGBT SpeakOUT training will take Speakers Bureau members learn fear that gays experienced only It’s our Forty & Fabulous marriages and families from place on Friday, March 22 how to use personal stories to pro- a couple of decades ago, due to Fundraiser! being acknowledged by the fed- from 6-9 p.m. and all day Sat- mote questions and spark conver- centuries of homophobic vio- You are invited to join the eral government. urday, March 23 from 9 a.m.-5 sations which can lead to learning, lence and discrimination. initial 20 members of the “Fab On March 26 and 27, the p.m., at the Gay Alliance Cen- growth and change within col- That was 1987. Now, in 40”: Micheal Faucher, Bruce Supreme Court of the United ter, first floor of the Audito- leges, churches, businesses, social honor of our birthday and in an Gorman, Ralph Carter, Van States of America will be listen- service agencies and throughout effort to keep our doors open for VanZanten, Dan Meyers, Jen- ing to oral arguments on the the Rochester community. nifer Leonard, Pam Barres, Peter constitutionality of the Defense Facilitators Jeanne Gains- G AY ALLIANCE Mohr, Bill Valenti, Pat Col- of Marriage Act and also Propo- burg, Outreach Coordinator, lins, Emily Jones, Joe Nardone, sition 8, which blocks legal mar- and Scott Fearing, Program PARTNERSHIPS John Altieri, David Frier, Chris riage in California. Director, draw upon their Hilderbrandt, Jason Barnecut, GetEqual, Marriage Equal- 30-plus years of LGBT training T he Gay Alliance David Zona, Jessica Muratore, ity USA, Equality Beyond Gen- and education experience to pro- appreciates the continuing Evelyn Bailey and Steve Santa- der and other organizations have vide a mix of interactive exercises partnership of businesses croce, who have each chosen a signed on to defeat DOMA and and lectures twice a year. Space within our community year near and dear to their hearts bring LGBT love and families goes fast, so please act now. who support our mission so that this organization will be into the light of justice. For- ASL interpretation available if and vision. here for another 40 years. ty-two states are represented requested before March 6. Our overall agency goal is (V igil continues page 3) (S peakOUT continues page 3) S ilver Level to raise $160,000 in 2013 so we can continue to provide youth and senior programming, edu- cation, community safety and R ed Ball, Page 10 Contents referral services and continue to Editorials: ................................... 2 be the leading voice for Roches- Local/State News ....................... 3 ter’s LGBT communities. The National/International News..... 4 Interview: Dr. Paul Allen ............... 7 fundraiser was launched on Jan. Making the Scene .....................10 24. Health Month Calendar ..........19 So how does it work exactly? Shoulders To Stand On ...........21 We will utilize the First Giv- Columnists ...............................22 ing Page format since this is an Community ...............................25 easy way to raise money and Entertainment: Intersexion .......27 support. Gay Alliance News ....................30 TTS Rainbow SAGE News ...............31 As an individual or with oth- A W Calendar ....................................34 ers, choose a year and become a SS Classifieds .................................34 E member of the “Fab 40”, adopt : B Proud Publisher of New York your favorite year from 1973 State’s Oldest LGBT Publication H (F orty & Fab continues page 3) P OTO 2 the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 465 • MARCH 2013 GAY ALLIANCE OF THE GENESEE VALLEY G ay Alliance Board of Trustees W . Bruce Gorman, Co-President and Secretary Emily Jones, Co-President, David Zona, Treasurer Perspectives John Altieri, Evelyn Bailey, Ralph Carter Jr., Chris Hilderbrant, Jeff Markarian, Peter Mohr, Jessica Muratore, Steve Santacroce, FROM THE FROM THE William Schaefer E mpty Closet Editor G ay Alliance Board SUSAN JORDAN D AVID ZONA AND JESSICA MURATORE lash that has demonized us and and is employed at MVP Health threatened our civil and human Care as the Director of Health PARTNERSHIPS rights for the past 30 years. Services Operations. Youth are now coming out Jessica has a wealth of expe- CONTINUED earlier, but too many still face rience in not-for-profit man- the emotional and physical agement, governance and T he Gay Alliance abuse that has been accepted for strategic planning, and is cur- appreciates the so long as suitable treatment for rently employed as the Director continuing partnership gay kids. Jamie Nabozhny, who of the Small Business Teaming of businesses within spoke last month at SUNY Gen- Program at the Urban League of our community who eseo, was bullied and severely Rochester, N.Y., Inc. Both Jessica and David are support our mission beaten when he was in junior I ntroducing and vision. high – so severely that he had to excited about their new leader- be hospitalized. When he tried Co-Vice-Chairs ship roles at the GAGV. In a B ronze Level to talk to his principal, the prin- David Zona and recent interview, David provid- cipal said that since he was open- Jessica Muratore ed his thoughts on the impor- ly gay, he would simply have to tance of the GAGV’s role: “The expect that kind of treatment. The GAGV is pleased to GAGV fills a critical need and H ealthy adults and Jamie filed a lawsuit in fed- announce that David Zona and has a long and rich history of youth eral court, which resulted in Jessica Muratore were recently supporting the area’s LGBT a landmark ruling that schools elected as Co-Vice Chairs to the community with essential edu- March is LGBT Health Board of Directors. cation and programming.” Month, and this issue contains must provide safe learning envi- ronments. But although students Both have served on the Jessica echoed David’s information about the events Gay Alliance Board since 2011, thoughts: “The Rochester com- planned for our area, which can now have legal recourse, that doesn’t mean that verbal and David as Treasurer and Jessica munity is blessed to have an help you and your family and as the Strategic Planning Board organization advocating for a friends improve your health and physical attacks have stopped. Nor has it meant an end to Liaison. healthy and safe environment for wellbeing. David specializes in health- the constituents it serves.” The Gay Alliance’s mission youth being driven to suicide by daily torment from their peers, care, analytics, project manage- Jessica and David will serve a is to help LGBT people survive ment and process improvement one-year term in their new roles.