By Ove Overmyer
“C-Street” is a Washington-based fundamentalist sect living communally in Arlington, Va. They insist they are just a group of friends, yet they funnel millions of dollars through tax-free corporations. They claim to disdain politics, but these are elected congressmen for godsakes, who make up the most influential religious organization in our nation’s capital.

They say they are not Christians, but simply believers. But in what?

Behind the scenes at every National Prayer Breakfast since 1953, The Family is an elite network of senators, operatives and clergymen dedicated to a religion of power for the powerful. Their goal is “Jesus plus nothing.”

Their method is backroom diplomacy and their goal is to inject their version of religious belief into civil rights legislation and the rule of law. The Family is the startling story of how their personal faith — part free-market fundamentalism, part imperial ambition — has come to be interwoven with the affairs of nations around the world.

I first got wind of “The Family” when writer and religious scholar Jeff Sharlet published his new book titled “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.” The author managed to infiltrate the most influential and secretive fundamentalist network in America and his reporting is the most astute and original explanation of fundamentalism today.

He was shocked to find himself in the stronghold of a widespread “invisible” network, organized into cells and populated by elite, politically ambitious fundamentalists. Sharlet was present when a leader told a dozen men living at C-Street, “You guys are here to learn how to rule the world.”

The way I see it, this revelation is just plain horrifying. The group sees its role as promoting American power worldwide, promoting unregulated capitalism with no accountability and eradicating the existence of labor unions and public programs to help poor people — all with the notion that godly, powerful, rich white men should get as many financial and social resources as possible.

Evidently, the sect’s founder believed that God gave him a new revelation saying that Christianity had gotten it wrong for two thousand years and what most people think of as Christianity, as being about helping the weak, the poor and the disenfranchised, was misplaced ideology. As unsettling as this all seems, the truth is, they have shaped the faith of our nation in the 20th century and are still driving the politics of religion in 2009.

Jeff Sharlet provides a fascinating account of how the right wing of American Christianity has gone off the deep end. It should worry everyone — especially those of us who understand the Gospel to be a call to administer compassion and help to the powerless and not an instruction booklet to help the already powerful and privileged attain absolute control of the world.

You can’t help but see a connection between this power theology and the fact that disgraced Nevada Sen. John Ensign and two-timing South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford have lived in the C-Street House.

So far, they aren’t quitting their respective jobs, despite the sex and/or money scandals that swirl around them. Isn’t there something absurdly wrong about this type of theology that tells these guys, hey don’t worry about the affair, lying to your spouse, kids, staff and constituents — just stay in office so you can help carry on the mission of The Family?

Then they accuse gays of being threats to marriage and morality.…

When Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina talked about his relationship to this group, he described the living arrangements to the Associated Press six years ago by saying, “We do have a bible study there… somebody will share a verse or a thought, but mostly it’s more of an accountability group to talk about things that are going on in our lives, and how we’re dealing with them.”

The Family members also give each other veto power over their lives. With respect to the Ensign and Sanford scandals, this is nothing more than protecting their own self-interest, giving way to heightened delusions of grandeur and a belief that they answer to a different set of standards. It’s creepy, chilling and despicable all at the same time.

Every American should know about what is really going on at the C-Street House. The Christian Right will never be perceived the same way again if more people begin to comprehend how dangerous and hypocritical these people are and how they have been both betraying Christ’s message and injecting their own controlling chaos into modern day political life in America.

WHAT: 5th annual Buffalo Infringement Festival
WHEN: Thursday, July 23-Sunday, August 2, 2009
WHERE: Over 40 venues throughout Allentown and Buffalo
HOW MUCH: $10 or less per individual event, many events free or pay-what-you-can

An arts event unlike any other in Western New York, the 5th annual Buffalo Infringement Festival is back with over 300 presentations in over 40 venues around Buffalo and Allentown. Eleven days and nights will see the streets of the city transformed into a melting pot of talented performers, musicians, and unique artists from the Buffalo area and well beyond.

“Infringement” has become one of the most talked-about highlights of summer in Buffalo, and it’s no wonder why. Traveling from one venue to another, audiences encounter all sorts of activities, including (but hardly limited to) experimental and conventional theater, bands of every stripe, stand-up comedy, street theater, dance, hip-hop poetry, puppetry, and visual art. No less than ten separate music showcases in venues all over Buffalo will mix hometown favorites with intriguing visitors from parts beyond. Film and video are receiving more attention in 2009 than in any previous year, including feature-length documentaries, experimental shorts, and installations.

The festival’s definition of “art” is as loose as the rules for applying to participate: anyone who submits a proposal by the deadline in the spring is automatically included, provided the proposed work is both legal and physically possible. Artists pay no entry fee and keep 100% of any admission price they charge. The festival asks only that they donate a few hours of volunteer time to the overall event. No single style or aesthetic predominates throughout the festival; some events are intended for mature audiences, while many are suitable for viewers of all ages. In keeping with the grassroots, do-it-yourself nature of Infringement, audience members are invited to post reviews of events they have seen on the festival’s blog, www.infringebuffalo.blogspot.com.

All of this will take place in the most diverse array of venues ever assembled in WNY, from long-established cultural organizations like the Albright-Knox and Hallwalls to newcomers to the scene like Sugar City, the Yard, and Gallery 464; and from the Allendale Theatre to Club Diablo. Bookstores, coffeehouses, art galleries, and cocktail lounges are all in the mix, along with live radio broadcasts and Allen Street itself. Each event has a separate admission fee of ten dollars or less, with many productions being presented either free of charge or on a pay-what-you-can basis. (There is no cover charge for attending the festival itself.)

The 2009 festival is the result of many months of planning by an ad hoc, non-hierarchical collection of volunteers from the local theater and arts community–a record number of them participating for the first time this year. Buffalo’s eleven-day extravaganza is the largest in an international circuit of summertime “infringement” festivals. (For information on events in other cities, see www.infringementfestival.com.)

The full schedule for the festival will be available online at www. infringebuffalo.org and distributed in the July 23 issue of Artvoice. Last-minute changes are inevitable given the nature of the festival, and the most current version of the schedule is always available on the website, along with late-breaking updates.

By Paul Johnstone
What officially began forty years ago with the riots at Stonewall has now been turned on its head with the release of the outrageous, ridiculous and vulgar movie “Bruno”, as played by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen.

Controversy was sparked well in advance of the movie’s release from groups such as the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD, amid fears of an anti-gay backlash and worries that filmgoers won’t “understand” the movie. Thankfully, the studio declined Human Rights Campaign’s request to include a disclaimer stating the film’s intent.

In the movie, Baron Cohen brings his creation of Bruno, a flamboyant (and gay) Austrian fashion journalist to the big screen in all his swishy, lisping and wild costumed glory. To see how Bruno got his start, check out Baron Cohen’s former series Da Ali G Show, which aired on HBO after being exported from Britain.

First of all, anyone who saw the film “Borat” another of Baron Cohen’s characters, nearly three years ago should have known what to expect with this film. Even if you never saw that film, if you had seen the trailer (and there were many of them) for “Bruno”, one should have known that this film was going to be volatile and disturbing on many levels.

What’s most disturbing, however, is how on the mark Baron Cohen continues to be… the sign of a great satirist. This film doesn’t just expose homophobia, it also exposes our culture of needing to see celebrities (both real and manufactured) and the dramas in the lives of those celebrities. It’s a fascination that is bothersome in itself.

The movie also points out how quick celebrities are to adopt, not children right in our own backyard, but children from other countries. Other targets include the Middle East, groups that convert gays and parents who are compulsive about thrusting their children into the spotlight.

Secondly, I can’t see how anyone who sees this film couldn’t get that it is exposing intolerance and phobias all over the place. First, the character of Bruno is so over the top and ridiculous and the scenes, from start to finish, are so blatant and obvious that it’s evident in every frame he’s using the film to hold up a mirror to ourselves.

Therein lies part of the problem; we’ve long been a society which does not like seeing our shortcomings or faults, especially when it comes to sex. Ours is one of the most conservative countries when it boils right down to it and for anyone to highlight that, and a gay fashion journalist no less, is just asking for trouble.

Having said that, Baron Cohen is not the first controversial filmmaker to make us squirm (go see Oliver Stone, Spike Lee or Michael Moore, to name a few) nor will he be the last. Additionally, Bruno is not the first movie to deal with sex and hot button issues or stir up a few waters (hello,
Harry Potter, Passion Of The Christ, Zack & Miri Make A Porno, again anything by Michael Moore).

It is the first movie, however, to not just hold the mirror up but force us to hold it and then push it into our faces. The movie, while harsh and at times uncomfortable does remind us, or should remind us, that being comfortable is a sign of stagnancy and can cause us to become jaded and, as a result, let life just pass us by.

Baron Cohen, who was born in England to an Orthodox Jewish family, deserves kudos for fashioning such a layered and indelible character who just wants to be loved and be someone special — something we can all relate to, GLBT and otherwise.

As a gay male, I was even a little uncomfortable during some of the scenes. I realized though it was because I was forcing myself to see things that I myself need to come to terms in my own life but I can appreciate the film for what it is trying to do, which is help us become a more accepting and open society. A society which does not shun outsiders or make people who are not quite like “us” (in whatever way that may be) feel less than human.

If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it; I laughed through the whole movie, at times uncontrollably. However, before you see it, make sure to watch Da Ali G Show so you know what to expect and make sure if you do see it you realize what the joke is. One final thought about the film: The pantomime scene where Bruno is with the psychic is worth the ticket price alone

Questions or Comments: E-mail Paul at paulie2973@gmail.com

Today the trial for the murder of Lateisha “Teish” Green — a 22-year-old African American transgender woman — began in Syracuse.

Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund staff members are on the ground, working with Lateisha’s family to ensure that the public learn as much as possible about Lateisha’s life, the tragic circumstances of her death, and the tremendous violence that transgender people continue to face.

The Fund stated, “For those of you who are unfamiliar with the circumstances of Lateisha’s death, on November 14, 2008, Lateisha was shot and killed outside a house party in Syracuse, New York. The shooter, Dwight R. DeLee, was allegedly motivated by anti-LGBT bias and his belief that Lateisha was gay. The Onondaga County District Attorney has charged DeLee with second degree murder as a hate crime.

“That Lateisha was, in fact, transgender highlights the unique nature of this prosecution, as well as the need for reform of New York State and federal hate crime laws. New York State law currently classifies it as a hate crime for an individual to target and attack a victim because of the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation. While Lateisha was a transgender woman, Lateisha’s murder is a hate crime because her attacker perceived her to be gay and targeted her for violence because of that perception. Neither New York State nor federal hate crime laws include gender identity or gender expression as protected hate crime categories.”

Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle said on July 13,”Twenty-two year old Lateisha Green was tragically shot and killed in Syracuse on Nov. 14, 2008 just for being transgender. As her accused killer goes to trial today for murder, the Pride Agenda expresses its deepest sympathies to Lateisha’s family and outrage that transgender New Yorkers continue to be targeted for violence and discrimination based solely on who they are.

“We urge all involved in this trial to come to a speedy and fair verdict that brings Lateisha and her family the justice they deserve. No family should ever have to suffer such a devastating loss, and no one should ever have to fear that their life is in danger simply because they are transgender. Transgender New Yorkers continue to live in a state where they are in constant fear of bias-based violence and can be kicked out of their homes or fired from their jobs simply because of who they are. For these reasons, it is long past time that New York does what thirteen other states have already done and include gender identity and expression in the State hate crimes and human rights laws by passing the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA).

“The New York State Assembly has already passed GENDA twice—with significant, bipartisan support. Seventy-eight percent of New Yorkers support passing a law to end discrimination against transgender New Yorkers. Now it is time for the State Senate to act and make GENDA law in New York State. Transgender New Yorkers — for whom this is literally a life and death issue — cannot wait any longer.”

By Ove Overmyer
The news that the New York Senate may delay the marriage equality vote until a special session in September didn’t dampen the spirits and enthusiasm of those who came to City Hall for a Rainbow Flag-raising celebration on Sunday afternoon, July 12.

A giant 30 x 60 flag, donated by Russ Shaner and Rich Schroedel of Outlandish, hung proudly in the Atrium at City Hall while more than 150 participants, including Mayor Duffy and Wham 13 News anchor Norma Holland, gathered to hear elected officials and dignitaries speak of the extraordinary contributions of the Rochester LGBT community.

This is the second year that the City of Rochester has flown Gay Pride flags throughout the building at 30 Church St. during Pride Week. The Rainbow Flag was designed by Gilbert Baker for the first Pride March in San Francisco in 1970.

The Rainbow Flag Raising event was the initial kick off gathering of 2009’s 20th annual Rochester Pride festivities. This year, the theme of Rochester Pride is celebrating “Our Rights, Your Rights and Human Rights”. Rochester Pride’s 20th anniversary coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, the beginning of the modern gay rights movement.

Gus Hall, who was standing with friends Carrie Vernon and Leighton Jones, said that being at City Hall means a lot. “I have tremendous pride in our City today, to do something like this. I’m glad I was here to witness this,” he said.

Shaner and Schroedel, owners of Outlandish Video & Gifts, Mayor Duffy, and Empty Closet Editor Susan Jordan were all honored at the ceremony.

Susan Jordan is celebrating 20 years of service to the Gay Alliance and our community and will be an Honorary Grand Marshal for the Pride Parade scheduled for Saturday, July 18. Jordan was given a City Hall proclamation by City Council members Bill Pritchard and Carolee Conklin and Mayor Duffy, recognizing her activism. Shaner and Schroedel will be this year’s Parade Grand Marshals.

Rochester businessman Tim Tompkins gave special thanks to “a Mayor who understands what equality and civil rights mean for LGBT Americans.” Mayor Duffy was presented with a plaque for spearheading a marriage equality resolution that he introduced at the U.S. Conference of Mayors on June 15.

The resolution, titled “Equality and Civil Rights for Gay and Lesbian Americans,” included support for the freedom to marry along with endorsement of federal bills such as Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the Uniting American Families Act, and the Matthew Sheppard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Duffy said in the July issue of The Empty Closet, “I chair the Crime and Social Justice Committee for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. A resolution passed unanimously in my committee supporting full marriage equality rights. The resolution was presented to the entire membership in Providence and passed without debate. While this resolution is symbolic in nature, it sends a powerful message that our nation’s mayors support full marriage equality rights.”

In contrast, on July 11 Governor Paterson announced that he is delaying his plans to make New York the next state to recognize same-sex marriage. The governor released a statement stating that he will renew his effort to pass a gay marriage bill through the state Senate in September.

This is a reversal for the governor, who, three weeks before, had vowed to see a marriage equality bill reach his desk before Senators left for the summer. But the recent end of the month-long stalemate over control of the state Senate is giving the governor second thoughts about making his push now.

Greg Winter, who was at City Hall for the flag-raising, said this news was not going to interfere with his family’s plans for celebrating Pride.

“My partner Joe couldn’t be here today, but I thought it was important to come and be here. Soon enough, our day to pass marriage equality will come. Right now — this week — we should all be celebrating our lives, our accomplishments and being proud of whom we are.”

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Attorney General Martha Coakley have filed a federal challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”), which denies thousands of married same-sex couples in Massachusetts access to over 1,000 federal protections, benefits and obligations.

This lawsuit, which names the United States and the Secretaries and Departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services as defendants, marks the first time that a state has challenged the federal government’s discriminatory treatment of its LGBT citizens.

The complaint in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Department of Health and Human Services et al points out that discrimination against same-sex married couples bears no nexus to the purposes of federal programs like Medicaid.

“The Commonwealth has presented the court with the stark facts of discrimination that should finally spell the end of DOMA,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Excluding our families from equal protections never had anything to do with promoting a legitimate interest, and has everything to do with discrimination.

“DOMA was wrong, discriminatory and mean-spirited when it was enacted in 1996, and today it stands between thousands of married couples and the equal protections they deserve,” Solmonese said. “We applaud the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for stepping forward on behalf of these families and saying, in essence, ‘enough is enough.’ Now it is time for the federal government to take affirmative steps to challenge and repeal this discriminatory law that causes real harm to loving married couples and their children.”

Massachusetts was the first state to recognize equal marriage rights for same-sex couples, granting licenses starting in May 2004. Although thousands of same-sex couples have married in Massachusetts, and are fully equal under the Commonwealth’s laws, they are denied such essential benefits as equal Social Security benefits for surviving spouses, joint tax filing, equal family and medical leave, and many more. Although these couples and all Massachusetts citizens pay equal federal taxes, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can only receive funding for such programs as Medicaid and veterans cemeteries if it creates two separate classes of married people – those who receive equal access and those who do not.

People For the American Way President Michael B. Keegan issued the following statement:

“I was very pleased to see that Massachusetts is doing right by all its citizens and demanding that the federal government stop discriminating against gay and lesbian couples. Attorney General Coakley is absolutely correct to be pushing this lawsuit, and the courts should treat it with the seriousness it deserves.

“Of course, the courts are not the only branch of government that can rectify this problem. President Obama has voiced his support for a full repeal of DOMA. Congress has the ability to pass legislation ending DOMA, and they should do so as soon as possible.

“This lawsuit makes clear that DOMA isn’t just about discriminating against gay people. It discriminates against states that have made the decision to stop prohibiting committed same-sex couples from obtaining the protections that only marriage can afford. The Defense of Marriage Act is on very thin ice, and we’re seeing more cracks every day.”

by Rev. Irene Monroe

At Michael Jackson’s memorial service, the Rev. Al Sharpton gave a rousing speech that had the congregation at the Staple Center rise to their feet at times with shouts of Amen.

Sharpton made one particular statement in his speech to MJ’s three children, addressing the reasons for Jackson’s eccentricities when he said, “I want his children to know there was nothing strange about your daddy, it was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it anyway.”

While clearly Sharpton’s statement hinted at the racism Michael Jackson endured in the music industry as an African American entertainer trying to be a crossover success, Sharpton’s statement totally ignored, much as the black community has in their tribute to Jackson, the homophobia too, from us and the music industry.

Diagnosed with vitiligo, a skin disorder that causes depigmentation in patches of his skin, Jackson bleached his skin, not as a denunciation of his blackness, but rather, as he said, as a way to cosmetically have a more even skin tone.

Just as Michael was black, he was also queer, because he did not conform to our society’s heterosexist norms. And as the man in the mirror faded from black to white, so too did his staged gender performance, from cute straight boy lead singer of the Jackson 5 to an effeminate male solo artist donning outfits in sequins.

And as the consummate drag performer he was, not only a singer and dancer, Jackson was also a shape-shifter.

Jackson transitioned himself first into looking like Diana Ross and then later into looking like his baby sister Janet and then later he transitioned himself into something, well, inhumanly ghastly, as he became more ghostly looking.

Jackson’s gender blending was as transgressive, tabooed, and subversive as his skin bleaching.

He wore many masks until the masks became him.

Jackson’s costumes and accessories range from various signature wigs to his hypermasculine look with his military/marching band outfits, or his classic red (faux) leather look from the “Beat It,” to his more softer look with his white nylon socks that were always prominently displayed beneath his black dress pants when he was doing his famous moonwalk.

Whereas Jackson couldn’t be on the down low about his skin bleaching, he could be and had to be on the down low about his sexuality.

With an entertainment industry that forced Rock Hudson, a movie idol, in the closet until his death, and with a black community that still has light years to go in accepting its own lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer population, Jackson concealed his desire to grow up by donning an asexual Peter Pan image.

But when rumors abounded, nonetheless, that Jackson was gay, so too did rumors that Jackson was a serial pedophile who beguiled young impressionable boys into his bed using the Neverland Ranch as a lure.

Although Jackson was acquitted of all charges, the strangeness Jackson had to deal with that Sharpton did not speak about at Jackson’s memorial was homophobic bigotry, a bigotry that’s predicated on the stereotype that one’s gayness, or perceived gayness, is not only deviant but it is also innately criminal.

“Every time they knocked Michael down he got back up. Every time they counted him out he got back in,” Sharpton said at the tribute.

The child sexual abuse charges not only knocked Jackson down but shocked his fan base. And with the potential of his multimillion dollar recording industry collapsing under false allegations, Jackson had to go into action.

When Jackson tied the knot first with Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’s daughter, in 1994, following the first child molestation charges in 1993, everyone knew that Jackson was in damage control mode. And with his second marriage, rumored to be not consummated, in 1997 to Debbie Rowe, who is the mother of two of Jackson’s three children, you get to see how compulsory heterosexuality exacted a toll on his life.

“We will never understand what he endured … being judged, ridiculed. How much pain can one take? Maybe, now, Michael, they will leave you alone.” Marlon Jackson stated at his brother’s tribute.

And maybe Marlon is right.

Jackson was unquestionably eccentric, and his masks did not always protect him or liberate him because he always had to don them within the restricted boundaries of both race and sexual discrimination.

Perhaps Jackson’s queerness was more a function of society’s homophobia than it was of his own?

By Susan Jordan
The U.S. Conference of Mayors on June 15 passed a resolution in support of ending the exclusion of gay couples from marriage.

The resolution, titled “Equality and Civil Rights for Gay and Lesbian Americans,” included support for the freedom to marry along with endorsement of federal bills such as Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the Uniting American Families Act, and the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

The mayor who proposed the resolution was none other than Mayor Robert Duffy of Rochester.

Duffy told The Empty Closet, “I chair the Crime and Social Justice Committee for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. A resolution passed unanimously in my committee supporting full marriage equality rights. The resolution was presented to the entire membership last Monday morning in Providence and passed without debate.

“A similar resolution was tabled four or five years ago after much debate. It passed without debate this year. While this resolution is symbolic in nature, it sends a powerful message that our nation’s mayors support full marriage equality rights.”

“By passing this resolution, America’s mayors spoke for the families they know and serve in communities across the country, and said that excluding those families from the freedom to marry must stop,” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry and author of “Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People’s Right to Marry”. “The mayors have their fingers on the pulse of the country, and their voices today said loud and clear that ending discrimination in marriage is the way to go.”

In reference to the freedom to marry, the resolution stated, “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports marriage equality for same-sex couples, and the recognition and extension of full equal rights to such unions, including family and medical leave, tax equity, and insurance and retirement benefits, and opposes the enshrinement of discrimination in the federal or state constitutions.”

“The nation’s mayors are proud to take the lead in recognizing the importance of protecting all our citizens equally. It is now time for state legislatures and our federal government to enact the same protections for all our nation’s citizens,” said U.S. Conference of Mayors President Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle.

“The mayors’ leadership reaffirms that the freedom to marry should not be partisan or political, but rather is part of the security and respect all couples who’ve made a commitment to care for one another and who are dealing with life’s ups and downs should have, especially in these challenging economic times,” said Wolfson. “Now the New York State Senate should be the next to lead the nation on the path to equality by swiftly passing the freedom to marry bill into law.”

View the Resolution: http://www.freedomtomarry.org/pdfs/Mayors_Resolution.pdf
Read Online: http://www.freedomtomarry.org/press_center/u.s._conference_of_mayor_passes_resolution.php

By Susan Jordan
The Gay Alliance presented awards and introduced new board members at its annual meeting, held on June 3 at the Youth Center. Around 50 people attended.

The Vinnie and Vicki Awards, given to the man and woman who have done the most for the lgbt community in the past year, were given to Peter Mohr and Judy Cranston.

Mohr, owner of the Bachelor Forum, was described by GAGV Board president Tom Ferrarese as “caring, compassionate and supportive.” Ferrarese said that Mohr has volunteered as a buddy at AIDS Rochester, served on the Corn Hill Association board, volunteered at the HIV Vaccine Trials Unit, and is currently “a major factor behind this year’s Pride”. Mohr’s talents, strength and determination, Ferrarese said, mean that “we are lucky to have him in our community today.”

The late Arnie Pegish, the first owner of the Bachelor Forum, created the Vinnie and Vicki Awards, so the presentation of the Vinnie Award to Peter Mohr was especially meaningful.

Peter Mohr told The Empty Closet, “As the owner of the Bachelor Forum it was an honor to receive the Vinnie Cup award from the GAGV. The evening brought to life the commitment the Gay Alliance has to the Rochester community in the ongoing fight to support the rights of all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation. I know that Arnie Pegish would have been inspired listening to the stories from the young adults who spoke from the heart with confidence and pride about the impact the GAGV has brought to their lives. I’m proud to support and be affiliated with an organization that cultivates an environment of inclusivity for all. I hope that my success continues so that I may continue my support to the GAGV.”

Board member Judy Cranston received the Vicki Award. Cranston, head of the Development Committee, is in charge of arranging corporate sponsorships. Tom Ferrarese praised her energetic, successful fundraising and noted, “Judy pushed us all really hard, and that was good… Without people like Judy and the contributions she has made, we couldn’t do the kind of programs we do.”

Cranston told the EC, “I am honored to receive the Vicki Cup for 2009. The GAGV has provided so much to our community for over three decades. When I had the opportunity to run for a seat on the GAGV board, I saw it as my time to finally give back more substantially than in just my annual membership dues, United Way Funds and event participation. My time on the board has allowed me to better understand all the programs the GAGV offers and find ways to get the word out to more people, with the ultimate goal of increasing donations to the agency. I’m happy to have achieved some level of success in this area.”

Jim Anderson is graphic designer for the Gay Alliance, responsible for formatting The Empty Closet and for creating the many fliers, brochures and other items needed by the agency, including the 2009 Pride Guide. Of Swedish descent, Anderson has lived in Sweden and as a young graphic designer he designed the Absolut vodka bottle – only one element of a long career.

Program Director Scott Fearing said of him, “We wanted to acknowledge this incredible ally.” He paid tribute to Anderson’s passion for social justice issues, saying, “He cares about people and the world and bringing us together.”

Anderson was given the second Arnie Pegish Award, for volunteers and staff who have made the greatest contribution to the Gay Alliance.

Scott Fearing and staff members Kelly Clark and Jess Cohen spoke movingly about the people they serve every day as Gay Alliance staff, and three Youth Group members talked about what the Group has meant to them.

Their comments included: “When I first came to the Youth Center… I was terrified… being here really helped me find myself and come out and I have met many of my best friends…”; “I had no idea what to expect… It didn’t take me long to realize that people were friendly and I quickly lost that shyness…”; “At first I came for the popcorn but soon it became much more.”

Cohen described her fears for the safety of lgbt youth in what is still a homophobic, violent society. She added that joy and fun are also part of the Youth Group experience, citing the Big Gay Prom “lock-in” and how they were “making s’mores at 4:30 a.m.”

Kelly Clark spoke about the Community Safety Program and the Anti Violence Project, which have thrived and grown enormously in the past year. The AVP got five calls in one day in late May; confidential services are provided to everyone who calls, Clark said.

Some of the problems and challenges lgbt community members bring daily to the Gay Alliance include harassing and menacing neighbors, hate crimes, sexual assault and domestic violence. The AVP, administered by Kelly Baumgartner, works with crime victims, offering support including help with court procedures, medical caregivers and victims’ compensation, while the Community Safety Program’s focus on education and prevention encourages behaviors to keep everyone safe and works with the justice system to increase awareness of homophobia and sensitivity to the needs of the lgbt community. Clark said the program’s recent series of Conversations on Forgiveness was one of the most moving experiences she has had; more Conversations are planned for the future.

Ferrarese introduced the full board and said that the financial difficulties experienced by the non-profit agency due to the turbulent economy have largely been solved, and that the Gay Alliance now has a “good budget” and financial stability. The annual report is available on the Alliance website at www.gayalliance.org.

In a powerful public statement on June 15, former Majority Leader Joe Bruno expressed his support for marriage equality for same-sex couples and called for the NYS Senate leadership (whoever that might be) to “allow this bill to move forward.”

In his statement, Joe Bruno said, “This is America and we have unalienable rights. Let everyone decide how to pursue their own happiness. I understand that this issue stirs great passion in many people… However, my instincts tell me that homosexuals who wish to enter into the union of marriage are just like the rest of us and they ought to be free to enter into it.”

“The Pride Agenda thanks former Majority Leader Bruno for standing with our families on this important human rights issue at this critical time in New York,” said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle.

As Majority Leader, Senator Bruno, a Republican, worked with the Pride Agenda to pass more than a dozen pieces of legislation important to New York’s LGBT community, including hate crimes legislation in 2000, the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) in 2002, a bill providing hospital visitation privileges to same-sex partners in 2004 and a bill extending control of partner remains authority in 2005.

“The former Majority Leader has indicated his support today for marriage equality as part of an evolution in his thinking about the issue,” said Van Capelle. “We are grateful for his thoughtful consideration on something that is so important to so many New Yorkers. When former Senator Bruno led the Senate we saw this same careful deliberation and thinking about hate crimes, SONDA and other pieces of legislation that were important to our community. His support and leadership were critical to their passage. We hope his support for marriage equality will help others in the Senate reflect on what he was able to do, and that it will help them in their thinking as they continue to learn about the issue and examine what their position should be.”