42003 k V MAKING THE SCENE ENTERTAINMENT Sweetheart Documentary liiTliixIsMn • Aurora Borealis emceed the • Documentary videotapers Sweetheart Ball/Black & record history. (Left: Renee Red Bash on Feb. 14. Sotile and Mary Jo Godges.) 30 Ye«rs Ago This Month 3 PageAU PageBI New»fi ojto..^^.....^ 4 interview: Carmen Vasquez. ,.6 liakinctheScene 14 S«c&toiiS Eneartainment: DocunMntaries...., I Cohimnbti.. 5 ,1 Home/Trwel/Style; O CansKfci...... 10 Community Center Newt 14 Classifieds , 15 Calendar „.„—.,.„„ 18 Numb«r 355 MARCH 2CX>3 Comics........ .-.....,., ._*-*. „23 A Publication of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley Chuck Bowmen is MewsFronts Executive Director • LOCAL AND STATE GAGV to elect new South Carolina businessman takes helm March 17 Board members Each year the membership of the embraced me witii the charm cui- By Susan Jordan j Gay Alliance of the Genesee Vai- tomary to the smali town v/here I The Gay Alliance ofthe Genesee iey ejects members to the Board was be-rn. Valley has hireo 3 new Executive of Directors. This year the candi- "!n the next few weeks, Ms. Tuiip Director, Chuck Bcwen. 46, of i dates are: (my Boston Terrier) and i wil! be Columbia. South Carolina. He will Deb Hemti, who has been take over the helm of the non­ moving to our new home in the I *%• I serving on the Program Commit- Southwedge community. My first day profit agency on March 17. \ tee over the last year. She will be on the job as your Executive Direc­ Bowen said,'"Why do you want the GAGV's representative of the tor is March ! 7, although I am already tc move here from South Caro­ ; L.GBT community on a Rochester lina?' After a warm and hearty hard at work preparing for the pro­ i City School District committee welcome to Rochester, just about found challenge that is awaiting me. j on student conduct She is a cer- everyone I've met has asked me '*My first priority over the next WELCOME TO ROCHESTER: Chuck Bowen, new Executive i tified social worker, with a back- this question. Given the weather few months is to meet as many people Director of the Gay Alliance, met many community members at the I ground in mental health and ad- during my visit to Rochester over as I can and learn of their thoughts on GAGV Sweetheart Ball on Feb. 14. He will take up his post on March 17. I dictive di.sorders, Valentine's weekend, it certainly what the GAGV can do to accom­ j WiU Seals is in school admin­ is a logical one to ask! plish Its mission. I welcome and en- l;•^;;•^:;*.StiS:•<; '^':A ^:^xm'i^i'i'^^:'' ••• • istration at a local college. He has rourage j^our thoughts and ideas. "But my answer to the ques­ ! been volunteering on the GAGV's "Yoko Ono once said, A dream tion is simple, i'm, excited about I development drive and will be alone is only a dream. A dream shared the work that f>3s beisfr^done-by |30se questions at local I working on the Picnic Committee with another is a reality.' Together, the GAGV ifijlSfr^O-year hist^^fy ! this year. and energized by the vision for its we wii! bring the dream of eradica­ bars throughout March j Evelyn Bailey sei-ved on the future ixeing ?ha^«d by the Board tion of homophobia and full civi! rights ; Board of Directors over a decade of Directors. " "^r for all to a reality. Together, we will By Evelyn Bailev *=*^' ^ ^ '^^^ *^ questions de I ago. She was extremely influential set a standard of fairness and equality '"After voluriteering for many Frofn>^h thrcHigb June of J^??,*^ '^^'^ Informntion on j in helping the GAGV buy and re- which will be envied by other com­ year s for GLBT ^Organizations and GAGV programs* community ! hab its current home on Atlantic munities in o\xv great nation." HIV/A!DS service groups* my needs and dreams. Thismomh we Avenue. She was elected to the dream of servir^g'm, a fuli-tlme Board President Bill Kelly said, "The start w*«h a seHe« ol forums in ! Board this fall, and her term is professionat capadty began to take Board began the search for a new pending election by the member­ shap^ last fail. As the CEO of a Ej^ecutive Director in the summer of ship. Ms. Bailey chairs the Devel­ multi-^state busifwesswhlch merged 2002. The first search ended in Oc­ opment Committee, and is head­ with a new firm/1 finally had the tober. We Interviewed some excel­ ing the GAGV*s 30th Anniversary opportunity to pursue a full-time lent candidates, but the Board did Celebration. In her professional professional career, where I had not feel that we had found the ideal ::th»':i<S|jr;ii^»k« "tii^;^ • im«y life, Ms. Bailey ha.^ been an educa­ been limited to volunteering in person. A second search yielded a tor and department head. She the past. host of qualified candidates, and owns a business that supplies sub­ ."ftbchester would not, more Chuck Bowen came out on top. stitute teachers to numerous than iikety, have been my choice "Chuck is from South CArollna," school districts. for a new hometown," Bowen Kelly continued. "At a young age he Bill Kelly is currentJy the Presi­ said. "But, after two brief visits, I decided that he wanted to be the dent of the Board of Directors. discovered a beautiful d^ whose governor of that state. He dedicated He has served as President Elect, inhabitants, both In our GLBT himself to that goal, becoming an along with serving on a number of community and the Genesee Val­ Eagle Scout along the way. One ob­ committees and projects. Mr. KeWy ley community as a whole, have stacle stood in his way. He Is a gay is a psydiotherapist and sex ther^- Bowen continu«d on p. 3 pist in private practice. Chili church installs op^nty tosblan pastor AIDS Rochester to benefit firom N.Y.S. Ride Rev. Lee Ann Bryce, of Denver. Mor* than 700 cydlsts will cross OHeans. Monroe and Ontario coun­ supported fay a $300 rkler regis- Co., has been Instaged as the sole ' bUfw York State this summer in ties on their way to Geneva on Aug. tration fee and corporate support pastor of CommunKy Christian th« first annual Emf>)ni State AIDS 18. The Verixon Foundation and Visa Church. 2*47 ChiH Ave. fl{d« to raise money for HIV/ The new fundraising event is wi- are sponsors of the ride. Bryce. an open lesbian, was in­ AIDS treatment In New York and tirely run by volunteers who want to "Some of the k>ng distance bike stalled on Feb. 23. She tokl the access to treatinent and ttfesavlff^ raise awareness of the growing inter­ an^ems of the pest were sulMUdiied £mp^ Ooset. **i have a stror^ eom- madkrintts overseas. national crisis and create a model of fay the donations you thought you ntitment to myself and to God to The bane5clarles are Doctors responsible ftjndraJsir^ They were were making to a good cause. We be out. 1 was so impreased with Without Borders (MSF). the win- concemed that otHer AIDS cycfing don't wiant ce see those contribu­ natiom — aH but the credit card this church... the feet thac the best nerofthe l999NobelPaacePlrl«ej i¥encs have sent as Rede as 11 per^ tions supportliif a Mce ride. With foes — to our four beneAdaries." peraon forthe post was laabi|ti, cent of the donations to Iheir beniefl- 500 people dying of AIDS every saki ride director Marty Rosen. and has a partner who is akw a CommMfiee and HeaJth GAP. darks. TTte vokincear youp creeci J dby m Kenya, and mUtlons more Riders and volunteers may ngis- minister, didn't bother tham at The riders wW b*«|n their SOO- Day2 Inc. a noc-lor-prollc 50t(cX3) dying because they're denied ac­ ter at www.empirestMeakisride.oix> all.» This church Uves Its eonMnit- Paula Silvestrone, Executive Di­ mentto bek^acommunityof Htfth mlie trip Aug. l8lnNlaiar»WI«. corporation which ^ noc use dona- cess to*liN«tvlng medldne. we're rector for AIDS Rochester, said, where atl people are celebrated.** and llhlsh Aug. 23 In lowm- Man­ tk»ns to cover overhead costs Ibr the paying our own way. We're send­ hattan. They will ride through event The coso for the event are ing almost 100 percent of the do* iMDS ride contimMd on p. 3 Niswsbrlefb cont. on p. 3 k«>.«h<<>.«>«.«ft mim mmtm K«H eMSMMsaniinaJiiMi nor win we be rf»nwn fsr MVMnf"dl^ AIDS ride continued from p. i LETTENS TO THE EDITOIt: putw becwMA IndMduais. W« reterv* for the Study of Women and Gender In Church The opmioes of colunwiiMs, •ditortaf TMTfto the r%|n to ttdlt Ibr space and cbwrfty. We '•We are honored to be a part of The Empire and Society at Colgate Rochester Crozer Di­ «rs and otli«r concrtbtitinf vtritts am wHI prim anonymous )««tert if tIte ftame State AIDS Ride, and thrilled to be chosen as vinity School. Twice a year It brings outstand­ th«;r own and do not n«c««»rity raflvct and phone mimber are provided to the a beneficiary since thousands of people in the ing LGBT speakers and straight allies in the th« coif vctiv* actitudtt of th« Gay AHJanca Editor, «onfld«ntiaility wiO be respected Perspectives of ch« G«n«SM Vatlay or th« Empty CtoMC Suhrtvissions are dite by the ISth ofthe Finger Ukes r^on will benefit from the Christian tradition to exemplify sonrte aspect Wc wHI print l«cc*rs at th« «ditor't discra­ month acTbe Empty Ooeet f 79 Atbn- generosity of those involved In this event.