Ms> V Mmavicw MOUDAY SUmfNENT Tim Mains Traditional 111 liliNlMII • Shsnng our holiday ' Cundlsneoiber talks about txadioooa. Lefb Dufiy Palmer the ediks coatxovcxsy. tEtms his edible tree, 30 Yesrs Ago This MtiMWhi. .^3 PageCt •^^. .# r**l • T,T •>. ,..*i^** . i 111 ..mm- 4 Interview: i^kn NTCrlewiiiiiniii* If MrfdnKthe Scene:. 14 FnTniTnifMnwiL RGMC concerts- i i_ -Uri T-^^"^i r I I - "• HTIT~ ' ' ' '^ .10 Cemniunky Center News--»»--i 4 \ J M»*»ii«HI IT't"""M"ili<t»i _ 15 CslefMlsr 18 NiM4bir353 D«c 2002/Jan. 2003 13 A FubUcatioti of th« G«7 Aflimce of thft Over 250 attend NewsFronts GAGV Luncheon • LOCAL AND STATE Bob Witeck speaMs on gay/lesbian demogmpkdcs Ellen Yacknin invites comiYiunity tx» swearing- By Susan Jordbn age ! 8 who identify as gay or lesbjan. in ceremony on Dec. 27 The focus was on the Igbt commu* About 45 percent are urbanites, liv­ nity in thie workpbce and the na- ing in 15 maior metropolitan areas; Ellen Yacknin is inviting the !^ tjojua! economy, when over 2S0 men tend to Hve downtown and community to her swearing-in cer­ p«opSe attended the Gay AJUance's women in metro areas and suburbs. emony as a City Court judge. Reaching Out... Community Con­ The higher concentrations of queer T>te ceremony will take place nections Luncheon on Nov. 1 at communities are in San Francisco on Dec 27 at 3 p.m., at the First the Hyatt Regency. and Provincetown, Floor Courtroom at the Hall of Justice. 99 Exchange Blvd. GAGV board Vice-President The typical queer couple is in a Tom Cartock vrekomed the group, committed relationship— there are LilHCHEON; Above, GAGV Board Vke-President Tom Carlock A reception will follow. Yacknin pointing cut that no fcdera} law over three million same $ex house­ presents the Corporate Leadership Award to Mark Sieczkarek of Bausch said, "It's a touching ceremony. I psnotects lgS>t employees from dfcs- holds in this country. One in fWe gay & Lomb at the Luncheon on Nov. f at the Hyatt Re^jency. For more hope a lot of people will be al^le to crimination in the workplace, and men and lesbians are parents, and photos see page AI4. attend. I want to thank the com­ that 38 out of SO states, including two million sante sex households munity for their support." New York, have no protections are raising kids — three million of eitfter. them. Cj^ndlelight vigil, panel Featured speaker Bob Witeck is The typical couple's financial situ­ discussion of human one of th* twnofouod«rs of >A^l«e«k- ation {* not sharply different from I rights set *or Dec. 9 Combs Communications in Wash­ comparable heterosexual house- A candlelight vigil and pane! dis­ ington, D.C. His topic v^as, "'V/hy holds' in earnings. The big economic cussion on the topic "Human Market to ti-ie Gay Comrrtuntty?'*. difference is in gender men, whether Rights: Too Much to Ask?" will ri Researching demographics on a straight or gay, have more money take place on Dec. 9, sponsored group of oppressed people, many than women. The buying power of by the Rochester Chapter of the of whom try desperately to keep the gay/lesbian community, Witeck AJIjance fc»r Democracy, their identities hidden, is a real said, is $4^0 billion. Dec. 10 is Incematjonal Human chailer^ge. Ekjt V/iteck-Combs does Our typical queer couple reads Rights D^y. just that. magazines and newspapers more The pane! discussion will in­ V\^en Wsteck and Wes Combs than straight people do, and is online clude Michael Donnelly, a founder founded their company 10 years more often. They are more brand of the Gay Straight Alliance at ago, Witeck said, ^'As gay profes­ loyal, as well, and tend to orxter Penfield High School, and winner sionals we had a story we wanted drinks by name. When making buy­ of the GAGV*s Youth Leadership 1 to tell about the gay community, ing decisk>ns. they switch to compa­ Award for 2002. and who we are in our economic nies that have pro-gay stands, and The candlelight vigil v/i(! start at lives. We're everything in the eco­ give equal benefits to employees, 5 p.m. at the Sister City Bridge, on nomic foodchain." and they are less likely to buy from State St. near the Federal Building. Witeck-Combs is •*a bridge to companies which they know.to be Thei e will be a reading of the the ^^ community in marketing". anti-gay. They also care If advertis­ Earth Charter and the Universal Working with Harris interactive ers buy ad space in the igbt media. Decbration of Human Ri^ts, The (a,k.a- Hanis Poits) online, they try Our couple likes to indulge them­ group will then proceed to Down­ iQo get th« largest and clearest selves, and they redecorate their town United Presbyterian Church. pkrture possible of the Igbt popu­ home and buy gadgets Hke dl^taJ 121 N. Rtzhugh St., for a poduck lation. cameras more often than the het­ supper at 6: S 5 p.m., folkiwed by Their research reveals that there erosexual couples on the block. the panel discussion at 6:45. are 13 to ) 5 mlilllon people over Luncheon continued on p. 10 Panel members will also kniKide Pauh Clark of the ACUU and Howelt Gehr of the U.N. Associa­ Alliance celebrates 30 years of Gay Pride tion of Rochestero Youth HIV testing By Evelyn ftaliey, GAGV g;iiy rights and eradicate homopho­ fundraising 30th Anniversary Year program starts in N.Y,C bia and heterosexism. The Anniver­ Celebrations wiii be hlfi^Ugined in "Keepki'It Real on HIV" wm Iwinch sary Year will provkle an opportu­ The 30tli Aimhwsary Year Cel- the Smpty Chsct each month on the Wth annual Get Tested Week nity for us to celebrate our history cbratjon betim Sunday. Jan. 19 page A3, under the headk>g **30th campall^, sponsored by the Ad«^ through photographs, films, vkieos wfth a New Yaar Open house at Annhrersary: Coming Up This lescent AIDS Program stChiklren*s and anecdotes; to celebrate our di­ the Community Center, from 4:30 Month". We wM also feature "30 Hospital at Monte^lore on Dec Z, versity through Open Forums fo­ p.m. tx> 8:30 p.m. This event will Years Ago This Mond*." with an event at the Olyntpk: The- cused on ilscening to you redect on kick off the Gay AMance*! Menv During this 30d) Anniversary, aure in the Brc»n)e. \ our ooilective past, your ftmire hopes benhlp i>rtve, provkMr^ an op­ we muse renew our dedlcatkm and "Keepin' It ReaT wW leecure and dreams; to celebrate our Mwp^^.^ portunity to secure our Mure ^^ocnmitmefittoeondmie the work music, youth thaarra, stem poeoy throufh the AnniversarySw«eih«#t raunicy, t» Adetooito lor visibility, through donadofis to and mem- that was bagim by theGiqfAlllanba and an open tafle show forum thst Balli»and PHde Week; «o celebrate a<|uailfy and Indushfenesi, and to berthli^ in the GM^. of the Genesee Vaiay on JM^ I, encouraffes youth to fee tested. The Open House begint a year our commuQii|^jdi|9i^4ur Com- 1973 ^^[M^iWn Street We ISKiiliirete our community and Us nwnley ComiM^eif^ tun^ieo^ a See the December Calendar f^r of ceicbruinf our past accom­ must a>ntijp'|o CJtterte the more information. Day of Silence ehdCemftagOutOay. plishments. ourjjresentehaBef^ges. pubik: (^yeiid aJba^> about the These and other membership and Annhrersary continued on p* and our future hopes to forther issues and conoerm of our com- 10 Nen^ibrittfiieoht. 6n p.^ " \ r: ^i^ri f.* I¥.<1^^S^^ ]_ ^^%kimm mMT-wM «w be a fMiim (br onfoing dfe»> SONDA continued from p. I LETTERS TO THC e>rrOil: pyWS MCWPMV WWilflUllliMi* ••« ff^CMIlrV coordinated effort between HRC, Gi-AAD, tfMi riUlitta edklbr «p«e« andcbrtty. We *The way things happ«n in Albany is that NLGJA, the Pride Agenda and other groups, •r* «nd crther oontrilMtinf wrn*rs ar« wM jprint anofiymoitt iecten ff the nWMi more than 90 percent of legtsbtion passes we v^tt be able to make sure the question is dMlr own iin4 do rtot n^cmuuHf r«fl«ct andp^^oiMiiiliiiber are provfdad to the asked in 2004." th* cotlMtIv* icdtudt of the Gay AlUaiw* fidtaxr. Confklenti^acy wW ba r«»p«eted | wit*i overwhelming bi-partisan majorities — Perspectives ofth«G«n«*««V«il*7orth*Bnp^Cioi«C. Su|ninM;i*M are e»t by th« IStli of th»i nothing Is brought to the floor unless It's Some observers wonder why Gov. Pataki W« win print tatters at th« edieoi^s dlicr*- month tdMlieSini^CleMt, i79Atlitt^; certain that It wl« pass. However, the commit­ reached out to the gay community in an tk>n »nd on t »p»c« «vail>t>i« lM«ii.We wM tic Av«. l^oclMMWr NY. 14607-125$: emart election year when the polls were running in viewpoints that mattet not prtnt p«rsonai attacks on Individual*. ment we have with the Majority Leader is to bring SONDA to the floor — not to pass it. his favor. Forenrun said. "My understanding, M^^^l-'^-'^^-^^ We're working hard to nrtake sure all of our from wttat I read in the papers, Is that the supporters, including lame ducks (like governor made the decbkHi some time back that in order to be re-elected, he would need Rochester's Rick Do(iinger) come back to • LOCAL AND STATE N£WS Albany, We need to make sure the current to actively seek the support of traditional challenge over the leadership of the Senate Democratic constituencies, of which the gay End of the year minority, between David Patterson (Manhat­ community was one.