CommUNITY Vol 3 Iss 4 (May 2015)

Calpernia Addams
Capital PRIDE Sneak Peeks

Say It Loud
Black & Latino Gay Pride
Spring is Here
Real Women Want Curves
Time for a Spiritual Check-up
FEATURES
Celebrate 45 Years as the Communitys
Center with a look back at Pride
A Few From the Archives
pg. 7
We Asked...Facilitators
pg. 8
Capital PRIDE is Huge

pg. 9
Real Women Want Curves
by
Faith Hoffman pg.17
Meet Calpernia
An introduction to Calpernia
Addams, the fascinating Trans*
Activist, Hollywood advisor and
Capital PRIDE Parade Grand
Marshal, Pride Week guest
speaker and entertainer, and
Capital PRIDE performer
pg. 21
Say It Loud: Why have a Black
& Latino Gay Pride?
by
Gabby Santos
pg. 24
#CapitalPRIDEQuotes
pg.22
Steel is not
forged in a
comfortable
place
~Calpernia Addams
On the Cover:
Calpernia Addams
photograph Rob Lebow
This page:
Calpernia Addams
photograph Krista Benson
May 2015
Volume 3, Issue 4
CONTENTS
COLUMNS
Gay Mans Musings
Ewww, I Dont Do Black Guys
by
Nyvek Moshier pg. 10
Trans View
A Little Bit of Everything...
by
Moonhawk Riverstone pg. 14
Ask the Lawyer
by
Geri Pomerantz pg. 17
To Be a Blessing
Time for a Spiritual Check-up
by
Paul P. Jesep pg. 26
Ask Mark Your Tax Questions
by
Mark D. Witecki pg. 29
Money Matters
Diversity and Pride
Out in the Garden
Save the Date
by
Thomas Walling pg. 26
by
Judith Fetterley
pg. 31
The Fashionable and the Frivolous

If the Shoe Fits
by
Alan Bennet Ilagan pg. 32
Michael Cooks and You Can Too
Spring is Here
by
Michael Meade pg. 33
Heres Guffman
Make Voyages! Attempt Them! There is Nothing Else!

by
Patrick White pg. 35
NEWS,UPDATES & INFORMATION

Directors Note
From the Editors Desk
Quick Clips
pg. 6
pg. 6
pg. 9
Affiliates Calendar
Weekly Events Calendar
Special Events Calendar
CommUNITY Calendar
pg. 34
pg. 36
pg. 37
pg. 38
Advertisers Index
pg. 30
24 HOURS OF ONLINE GIVING
5.21.2015
engage. support. give
Pride Center of the Capital Region, 332 Hudson Ave, Albany, NY 12209 (518) 462 - 6138
DIRECTORS
NOTE
Something for everyone!
This time of year in 1970, the
Pride Centers founding year,
our community was just galvanizing locally as New York City
activists were getting ready for
their first ever Pride March to
honor and commemorate the
one year anniversary of the
Stonewall riots. This powerful
tradition has set the stage for
Pride marches and parades
that continue today, and in
May, we are up to our elbows
in planning Capital PRIDE!
As we celebrate our 45th anniversary, we couldnt be more
excited about hosting the biggest Pride in Upstate New
York, and this year will be our
best yet. Stay tuned for details
in this issue of CommUNITY,
and keep an eye out for the
forthcoming Pride Guide!
by
Dr. Franklin Kameny, whose

F R O M T H E objectives were the repeal of
E D I T O R S D E S K anti-gay laws, declassification
Mi chael Wei d ric h of homosexuality as a mental
disorder, and equal treatment
for federal gay employees.

The other day, I was
skimming the headlines on
some LGBTQ news websites
and while I was on the Pink
News (Europes Largest Gay
News Service), I came across
the headline: It has been 50
years since the first gay rights
protest outside the White
House. The article went on to
talk about the April 17, 1965
protest by the Mattachine Society of Washington led by
6
In addition to the great celebrations of our community

that will take place in June,
we are excited about many
other things we have to offer
for our local LGBTQ community to connect, inspire,
engage and support people to
live their best lives. One example is a new project we have
launched with our partners at
St. Annes to ensure our most
at risk young people have the
connections they need. This
project, designed to avert
homelessness is particularly
important for LGBTQ young
people. Keep an eye out for
more information to come on
this important initiative, called
Community Partnerships for
Youth Empowerment. Additionally, our Center Families
group has been growing, and
is connecting more families
and little ones that ever before.
Most recently, we had a wonderful time at the Art Room
with our families using creative expression to bond. Our
Vintage Pride group is busily
planning the second annual
cruise, commenting that many
people made new friends and
saw people they had disconnected with age ago. One participant commented that it was
the best time they had in years,
and it is not to be missed. The
connections made by our
While the Stonewall Riots

four years later is given credit
as the start of the modern day
LGBTQ Rights movement,
this first demonstration was
peaceful with permits and
police protection, smartly
dressed protestors in suits &
ties and skirts & dresses, and
a few gawking tourists but
no incidents. The protest garnered almost no press attention while then President Lyndon B. Johnson was allegedly
very upset by the protest.
No sooner do I finish reading this, that I see the headline: Five Things We Know
communitys center, the Pride

Center, would not be possible without you. If you value
your center, want our youth
to have the vital support they
need, our older adults to make
and have lasting connections,
please consider making a contribution to ensure the work
continues.
This month, we have the
unique opportunity to participate in Give OUT Day on
May 21st, the national day of
LGBT giving. When this began 2 years ago, it was to turn
around a troubling trend- only
5% of LGBT people give to
LGBT causes. You, our local
community heard that call to
action and have responded- we
need each other and we need
our center, so we must support our center. Each year we
are blessed with an incredible
outpouring of support, and we
need you again! Please set the
date on your calendar, schedule a gift by going on our website at www.capitalpridecenter.
org and spread the word!
Our community is thriving
because of you, and we are all
better because of our center!
Curran Streett, Executive Director
About Robby Mook, Hillary

Clintons Openly Gay Campaign Manager. Yes, Hillary is
running for President again.
But this time she has the first
only gay man to manage a serious presidential campaign
beside her and if she wins in
2016, he may well become the
President of the United States
Chief of Staff. From protesting
in front of the White House to
being on the trail to become
the highest ranking employee
of the White House, all in 50
years. My, how far weve come!
Happy PRIDE!
A Few from the Archives...
BE A PART OF IT
BE IN THE PARADE
BE A VENDOR
Registrations are being
excepted for
Parade Entries &
Festival Vendors
for Capital PRIDE 2015
Be a part of
the largest Pride celebration
in upstate New York
download the complete
registration and information
packet at
www.captialpridecenter.org/pride
REGISTRATION
DEADLINE: MAY 15
Albany is where we started our

first Pride Event as a Vendor with
Out Apparel and the community
loves us.. and [and we love] the
ability to feel like we are apart of
such an amazing event!
REGISTER TODAY
www.captialpridecenter.org/pride
CAPITAL PRIDE IS PRODUCED BY
We asked: WHAT INSPIRES YOU... ?

The Pride Center is pleased to introduce our new volunteer adult group
facilitator teams! Facilitators were Darren Cosgrove, MSW - Mens
asked: What inspires you to facilitate Group
I am inspired by group work
groups at the Center? What are you
most excited about in terms of facili- because it offers the space to undertating group(s)? Heres what they had take an intentional process of learning, sharing and growing. The collecto say:
tive engagement that occurs in groups
Stephanie Slominski-Trans Pride is a tool for shared consciousness raisMy inspiration to facilitate groups at ing and community building and I bethe Center is the feeling that this is a lieve that work like that is both pergreat way to give something back to sonally and socially transformative. I
the community that was so instru- am excited to have the opportunity to
mental to my journey. I also feel like I hold space for group members and to
have a background that is not exactly support such a meaningful exchange.
like what I hear from many others
and I may have some experiences that Caroline Russell Smith, LCSW-R
could benefit others. Im excited to get - Saratoga LGBTQ Adult Support
to know everyone, strengthen my own Group
I am inspired by how brave
ties to the community, learn about the
various segments of the trans commu- people are to come into a room and
nity, and the struggles each one faces. share from the heart. When there are
nods of shared understanding, I feel
Alana Sophia OHair-Womens so grateful to be a human and I feel
hopeful about our capacity to help
Group & Trans Pride
Many of my best friends and commu- each other heal and grow.
nity are the people I met at the Pride
Center. Now I volunteer and donate *Saratoga LGBTQ Adult Support Group is an affiliate of the Pride
there so others can have the same re- Center
lationships.
Mariel Martin - Saratoga LGBTQ
Liz Espinoza, LSCW-Womens Adult Support Group
Caroline and talked about creating a
Group
What inspires and excites me about space for LGBTQ-identified adults
this work is the ability to give and be a in Saratoga for years. During Saratopart of a support network for beauti- ga Pride last June, we decided it was
ful and diverse community of women! time. We brought Rion on board and
launched the Saratoga LGBTQ Adult
Support Group, a substance-free,
Mike Chapman-Mens Group
Being part of an organization that inclusive social space for LGBTQtakes pride in and promotes an all- identified adults to find support, coninclusive environment is the greatest versation, and connection. Everyone
feeling. Im very excited and look for- deserves a space to bring their whole
ward to encouraging and empowering self, to be present, seen, and heard,
others to be comfortable in their own and as a group facilitator, it truly is an
skin regardless of gender expression, honor to be able to be a part of holding that space.
sexuality, or form of self-expression.
Im excited to see how our new group
Rion Heroux - Mens Group & unfolds and I appreciate the support
Saratoga LGBTQ Adult Support of the Pride Center in making this
group a reality.
Group
Facilitating groups at the Pride Center
is inspirational because it provides me *Saratoga LGBTQ Adult Support Group is an affiliate of the Pride
with the opportunity to be an agent of Center
change. I love working with the entire
Pride Center team and I look forward
to growing through shared experiences. In the words of Albert Einstein, Pictured in sidebar, top to bottom:
Slominski, Alana Sophia
Only a life lived for others is a life Stephanie
OHair, Liz Espinoza, Mike Chapman,
worthwhile.
Rion Heroux, Darren Cosgrove, MSW,
*Saratoga LGBTQ Adult Support Group is an affiliate of the Pride
Center
Caroline Russell Smith. Not Pictured:

Mariel Martin
Capital PRIDE is Huge
QUICK CLIPS
A Sneal Peek! Events, Amazing

Quotes from the CommunityThe 1st Official look at Capital
PRIDE 2015 (begins on pg 18)
Grand Marshall Calpernia Addams

(Meet her on pg. 21)
The Celebration is on its Way!
(Black & Latino Gay Pride 2015 info pg. 24)
Independant Explosion
(Start up toupes take the production into

thier own hands on pg. 35)
The Pride Centers Capital PRIDE festival in Washington Park has always been popular, but
never as popular as it is today. In the past 2 years alone attendance has more than doubled,
with 2014 being the biggest festival ever- with 25,000 more attendees than in 2008. Every year
Capital PRIDE grows and welcomes not only more and more folk from across the state and new england but also from all walks of life. We cant wait for 2015 to shatter all records! Get yoru friends,
your family, your allies and yourself ready, its going to be the biggest and best PRIDE ever!
Be there for the biggest celebration yet!
Mark your calendar & Schedule

your donation
(More important dates
-calendars begin on pg. 35)
Saturday June 13th, 2015 12-5pm Washington Park, Albany
LETTERS TO THE EDITORmweidrich@capitalpridecenter.org

9
GAY MANS MUSINGS by NYVEK MOSHIER
EWWW, I DONT DO BLACK GUYS
When I first moved to Albany, I found

myself hitting the clubs often. I had never
been surrounded by so many LGBT people in my life. I had been to the clubs with
my ex in the past, but we would inevitably head home to a small town that didnt
exactly possess a diverse community. My
first day living just off from Lark Street
involved witnessing a gay couple walking,
without concern, down the street holding
hands; something never seen in my small
hometown. I felt at home and finally part
of a world that accepted people for who
they were. I finally thought I had found
a community without prejudice. Within
a matter of months I found myself experiencing numerous situations that would
challenge my faith in the community. This
journey began with what was meant to be
a fun night out on the town with my new
roommate.
My first roommate when I moved to
the Albany area was a friend who I had
known for a while, but one whom I had
never really taken the time to get to know
in depth. Ironically, this friend had been
a focus of my exs; who had pursued
him as a romantic interest following our
break up. My new roommate possessed a
shy nature and would usually hide in his
room, so I was stunned when he asked me
to join him out on the town one Friday
night. I always knew my friend was generally shallow, but still I found him to be
good hearted over all. To this day, I cannot hear his name without thinking about
what occurred shortly after we arrived at
the club that night.
We were a few beers in when my roommate finally began to loosen up and actually enjoy himself. In no time we found
ourselves checking out guys and discussing who we felt was hot and who was not.
I pointed across the bar and said Wow,
that man is sexy as all hell. My former
roommates response is one I will never
forget. He looked at the guy I had pointed
to and proceeded to say Ewww, I dont do
Black guys. I was taken aback and deeply
saddened.
Now some of you may be asking, Why
would a White boy from Redneck America be so sensitive to such a statement?
Well, my raising is exactly why it hurt to
10
hear those words cross his lips. Where I

had come from, Gay wasnt the way, only
White was right and anything that wasnt
Christian required crucifying. I grew up
in a world where diversity was most assuredly not celebrated. And since being
gay does not come with a birthmark,
I stood silently by as even those I loved
spewed the most homophobic of language. My heart was broken slowly over
many years. So when I found my strength
as a gay man, I vowed that I would never
make anyone else feel so unwanted, and
even hated, for simply having been born
different than me. I left my hometown
and set out on a mission to find a place
where prejudice was discouraged and acceptance was encouraged.
When an individual is protesting societys refusal to acknowledge his existence

as a human being, his very act of protest
confers dignity on him. Ever since I first
read it, this quote has served to inspire me
when confronted by bigotry. These words
have nurtured an activist nature in me
that has afforded me unforgettable experiences such as marching on Washington
D.C. for Marriage Equality in 2009. These
words are those of one Bayard Rustin, a
man who was proud to be both Black and
Gay in a time when either one of these
identities could have gotten him killed in
even the most liberal parts of this country.
Following my roommates proclamation
that the mixing of races was something
not to be looked upon favorably, even in a
community as diverse as that of the LGBT
community, I found myself inspired to
take on a new challenge. With the words
of Bayard Rustin instilled in both my
heart and soul, I soon set out on a mission
to address not just the bigotry against our
community, but also the bigotry within it.
In the years following my former roommates racist statement, I have found myself involved in many discussions with
friends, family, pride clubs and diversity
panels that have focused on the divisions
within the LGBT community itself. During this time I have found that racism,
sexism and transphobia exist within
many of those who I once considered to
be the most liberal and open minded of
individuals. I have also met many who reject identifying with the community completely; they do not see themselves reflected in it. I know many lesbians who say
that the community is driven by the will
of men who could care less about the sexism that exists in the world. Many Transgender people have told me that they have
felt abandoned by the LG segments of the
community as issues such as Marriage
Equality have taken center stage in recent
years. Numerous Bisexual members of the
community have told me that they feel

caught between two worlds. I have known
many feminine gay men who have stated that they feel that the community worships only the most masculine of men,
while many masculine gay men have
told me that they feel the community
only serves to perpetuate the stereotype
of the Flaming Queen. Ive witnessed
issues with masculine versus feminine in
the lesbian community as well. And then
of course I have heard many of my Black,
Latino and Asian brothers and sisters say
that they only see a sea of white when
glancing upon our community and how
it is represented in the news, entertainment and politics. Now all of these negative views from within the community are
valid to a degree. But still, I see nothing
that cannot be overcome by opening the
lines of communication and expressing a
willingness to acknowledge each others
struggles and embrace each others truths.
I have heard many of

my Black, Latino
and Asian brothers
and sisters say that

they only see a sea of
white when glancing
upon our community
To this day many of my brothers and sisters question my unwavering faith in, and
loyalty to, the community. Many ask me,
How can you have faith in a community
that is so divided? My answer is simple.
I have faith in our community because I
have seen it achieve amazing things when
it has been able to fully unite. And it is
this faith in the community that makes
me believe that it is only through us that
this world will ever be able to truly defeat
bigotry. We are the uniting factor. We are
born of both genders, all races, all nations
and all faiths. We have existed in every
society since the beginning of civilization
and we will be there for the end of it as
well. If we cannot bring true acceptance
and love into this world, then who can?
This question ways heavily on my mind as
Black and Latino LGBT Pride approaches. Because if a White boy from Redneck
America can grow up to respect, honor
and quote an inspirational Black Civil
Rights leader; then anything is possible.
Our communitys greatest strength is its
diversity. So let us unite and use our greatest strength to truly change the world.
Nyvek is a local college student
who has been volunteering with
the Pride Center since 2008.
It was Nyveks passion for
weddings that first got him involved in the fight for marriage
equality and the community as
a whole.
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523 Western Avenue, Suite 2A (second floor) Albany, NY 12203523 Western Avenue, Suite 2A (second floor) Albany, NY 12203
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Thats Amore
Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 7:30 pm
The College of Saint Rose
Massry Center for the Arts
Picotte Recital Hall
1002 Madison Avenue
Albany N.Y.
Sunday, June 21, 2015 at 5:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church
369 Warren Street
(corner of Fourth and Warren)
Hudson N.Y.
Adults $12
Students $9
Under 12 Free
Tickets discounted at:
www.capitalpridecenter.org
Romeos Gifts on
299 Lark Street Albany
The Spotty Dog Books and Ale on 440 Warren
Street Hudson.
"(.$
A portion of the proceeds will benefit The Capital Area Council of Churches Emergency Overflow Homeless Shelter.
Special thanks to the Friends of the First Presbyterian Church of Hudson.
AGMC is an affiliate of the Pride Center of the Capital Region.
13
TR A NS* V IEW
A Little Bit Of Everything....

by
Moonhawk RiverStone
Writing this column on 4/9, todays

news noted that President Obama issued a statement saying reparative
therapy should be outlawed, and (!) he
said lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender in the statement. Are you listening Gov. Cuomo?? Its so nice, the
President always includes Trans* people.
Dept. of Health may find themselves in

court, and does it have to get to that?
Moving on in my perennial May column to talk about the prospects for

GENDA, the Gender Non Discrimination Bill to pass this year seem about
slim and none and it seems no one has
a magic wand here. Likely by the time
you read this column the Assembly will
have passed the bill for the 8th time.
Those of us in various coalitions working on its passage are hard at work to
move it in the Senate. Now with a clear
Republican majority, the majority of
whom are adamantly against granting
Trans* people their rights, were a bit
stuck. It doesnt seem like Gov. Cuomo
is at all as enthusiastic about us Trans*
folk as he was about same-sex marriage, so the likelihood he will spend
a lot of his legislative capital pressing
for us is miniscule. Since most New
Yorkers support GENDA, its all about
getting New Yorkers in Republican districts to vote their constituency rather
than their bias. Well see how that turns
out. Honestly, until transphobia somehow profoundly touches the lives of the
Senators, not much will happen. Stay
tuned.
The biggest problem has been that so

many Trans* people unbeknownst to
them have self-insured plans, not private health insurance and therefore
have NO recourse to coverage. This
will eventually be a huge problem unless some work around can be found.
Remember from last month self insured plans have no governance, no
oversight, no leverage from which to
make positive changes. Its all a matter of back room politics to get those
changes made.
Ive received a lot of push back from

challenging the Governor to step it up
about Trans* issues. Its been pointed
out to me that the Governor has very
generously approved birth certificate
changes and now health care coverage
changes, and we should be busy acknowledging what he is doing... Well,
what is he doing? I keep hearing that
youth under 18 will be included in
the new (5/14) birth certificate change
policy any time now. By the time you
read this, that new policy will be a
year old, and the Youth Inclusive New
York City policy will be 6 months old.
What time is any time now?? This
year? This decade? How about today.
Theres nothing to doing this except a
few sentences on a piece of paper. If the
youth inclusion in the birth certificate
policy doesnt happen shortly, the NYS
14
Then, as Ive been expounding upon

the numerous flaws in both the Medicaid and health insurance coverage for
transgender health and surgeries, we
should be grateful for this mess? Really? I dont think so.
the Trans*
community is
increasing
sophisticated and
irate at being so
short changed
Then there is the problem of private

health insurance plans having very
narrow coverage, in other words almost no coverage at all or having coverage guidelines--demands--actually
that are far and away stricter than the
current WPATH (World Professional
Association for Transgender Health)
standards, endless hoops to jump
through. It would be nice if a) NYS
DOH and the Departments of Finance
and Insurance issued a further regulation that stated the WPATH is the standard of care and that insurance companies cannot have guidelines that exceed
WPATHs as that is blatantly discriminatory for several reasons--lack of
qualified providers being one. The
other problem is many private health
insurance companies do not yet have
their guidelines in place and in their
haste to do so are choosing the stricter
out step with WPATH ones because
they are not educated in transgender
health care. Clients are contacting their

companies for coverage and running
into all sorts of obstacles. Furthermore,
we need more resources and education
widely available in the Trans* community about how to get the coverage and
services you need because its all about
how well you know to play the health
insurance game.
Following on the heels of the private
insurance problems comes the fact that
the proposed Medicaid regulation received an abundance of similar comments addressing the most grievous
flaws in the proposed regulation and
essentially let into regulation the proposed regulation with no changes. So
our comments fell upon deaf ears--not
unexpected, but still frustrating in the
extreme. The two most troublesome
parts of the lack of coverage for Trans*
youth allegedly being blamed on federal law. My suggestion to DOH here
is you cant have a two tier system of
health care, its hugely discriminatory
and NYS DOH should be a leader in
getting federal law (and/or regulation)
changed so that coverage is given to
poor Trans* youth. Or perhaps (?) the
State should spend a little of that 5 billion bank fine money on subsidizing
health care for poor Trans* youth?
That would be doing the right thing. (A
huge fantasy I know, but nothing like
putting it out there.) But, really, you
cant not treat poor kids, thats wrong.
The second problem with the regulation is that all surgeries must be performed by surgeons within New York
State! Guess what? In reality, there are
NONE! Yup! None--or none with any
real qualifications. Now there is a glut
of potential patients all ready to go,
and nowhere to go.
perhaps (?) the State
should spend a little
of that 5 billion
bank fine money on
subsidizing health
care for poor Trans*
youth?
Professionals are in a uproar about

this, and truth be told, Medicaids
transgender health ignorance really
gets exposed here. They never thought
this problem through. Never. Except
now they are. First we heard that reimbursement rates were going to be
so low no one would touch it even if
they were qualified. Now, were hearing
Medicaid might be thinking of figuring
this out with out of state surgeons. Better late than never. Stay tuned on this
one.
Finally, I think the Trans* community
is increasing sophisticated and irate at
being so short changed with the coverage charade that they are going back
into court with class action suits to address these problems right away, keeping DOH on their toes. Good thing.
And finally, just to keep things interesting, the Williams Institute out at
UCLA in California has been given a
grant to figure out how to count how
many of us Trans* folks there really
are. The *TransPop: US Transgender
Population Health Survey will be a
year long study. Stay tuned. Scuttlebutt
is that if youre not figuring out how to
count Trans* minors, the survey will be
useless....Until next time...T

TRANS
VIEW
#133
Rev. Moonhawk
River Stone of
Riverstone Consulting is an Interfaith
Minister, transgender activist, writer,
educator, consultant,
keynote speaker
and psychotherapist
in private practice
for over 25 years
with experience and
extensive expertise
in all aspects of
transgender policy
and health.
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16
ASK THE LAWYER

by
Geri Pomerantz

The end notes for every one of
my monthly columns in Community
starts with The legal rights of
LGBTQ families are an ever-changing
landscape, to be addressed monthly in
this column. This comment could
not be more true this month.
By the time you are reading this article,
the Supreme Court of the United
States will have heard oral argument
in Obergefell v. Hodges and three
other same sex marriage cases from
around the country. There are two
questions for the Supreme Court to
answer as presented in these historical
cases: (1) Does the US Constitution
require the states to issue marriage
licenses to same sex couples and (2)
Does the US Constitution require the
states to recognize same sex marriages
validly performed outside the state.
As of March 2, 2015, there were 65
favorable rulings from around the
country since the Supreme Court
decided the Windsor case in June
2013. In the US, we have marriage
equality in 37 states and the District
of Columbia. A favorable decision in
Obergefell and the related cases, will
be in keeping with the unprecedented
levels of support for marriage equality
throughout the county, even in
the south. See CNN/ORC poll at
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/
images/02/19/rel2f.ob ama.and.
domestic.issues.pdf A decision in the
marriage cases is expected in June.
The legal rights of LGBTQ families

are an ever-changing landscape
Meanwhile, as prom season is upon us,
this months column reminds students
and their families that students have
the right to attend school proms with
the date of their choice (if any), and
dressed in the gender specific clothing
of their choice (if any).
School
districts may not discriminate against
LGBTQ youth by denying students
the right to attend the prom because
school officials believe the students
dress is not gender appropriate or
because the student brings a same sex
date.
For years now, courts have ruled that
students have a constitutional right to
bring same sex dates to proms. See e.g.
Fricke v. Lynch, 491 F. Supp 381 (D. RI
1980). Fricke was a first amendment
case, in which other students objected
to the same sex couple attending
the prom. The court ruled that the
student had a right to bring a samesex date to the high school prom over
objections of other students, stating
that the First Amendment does not
tolerate mob rule by unruly school
children. The court held that the
school has an obligation to protect the
same sex couple.
School districts may

not discriminate against
LGBTQ youth by denying
students the right to
attend the prom because
school officials believe
the students dress is not
gender appropriate or
because the student brings
a same sex date
As to what to wear, Title IX prohibits

discrimination on the basis of sex by
school districts. This prohibition also
applies to sex stereotyping behavior,
such as requiring stereotypical gender
conforming attire. The school district
can no more prohibit a male student
(or student they perceive as male)
from wearing a dress, then they can
require a female student (or student
they perceive as female) to wear eye
makeup.
School officials cannot
discriminate against a student for
failing to conform to stereotypical
gender norms. The bottom line is
that a student should not have to
face adverse consequences based on
a school officials animus toward the
exhibition of behavior considered
to be stereotypically inappropriate
for the students gender or perceived
gender. In addition to the prohibition
against discrimination on the basis of
sex, any negative action with respect
to the students attire may in many
instances implicate the students
freedom of expression protected by
the first amendment.
While not on topic, with the editors
approval, I waited to write my monthly
column to report on the April 13th
decision of Supreme Court, NY
County in Mtr of Hicks v. Department
of Education of the NYC (DOE).
In this case, a teacher received an
unsatisfactory rating in pupil guidance
and instruction upon the allegation
that she referred to a transgender
student as it, amongst other things.
The teacher sought judicial review of
the evaluation. The judge upheld the
administrative determination, finding
that such comment was a sufficient
basis for the unsatisfactory rating.
Moreover, although the teacher
Ask the Lawyer continued on pg. 18
LAW OFFICE OF GERI POMERANTZ, ESQ.

Proudly serving the LGBT community and our friends
Practice focused on family and matrimonial law
694 Columbia Turnpike

East Greenbush, NY
12061
Tel: 518-479-3713
http://pomerantzlaw.org/
17
Ask the Lawyer continued from pg. 17
School officials cannot
discriminate against a
student for failing to
conform to stereotypical
gender norms.
denied having made the offensive

comment, she did concede that
she confronted the student by
questioning the students use of the
womens bathroom and demanded
to see a pass that allowed the
student to use the womens
bathroom. Judge Moulton found
that such conduct by itself would
additionally provide a sufficient
basis for the unsatisfactory rating.
The court noted that the teacher
clearly thought the students use
of the womens bathroom was
inappropriate, and commented
that if student gender differences
are truly honored, then the student
had every right to use the womens
bathroom.
The material in this article is provided

for informational purposes only and
is not intended to give legal advice,
and should not substitute for the
independent advice of counsel. The
views expressed in this column are
solely those of Ms. Pomerantz and
do not reflect the opinion of the Pride
Center.
Geri Pomerantz
is an attorney in
the capital district
with a practice
focused on family
and matrimonial
law,
specifically
including LGBTQ
families.
Geri
conducts continuing legal education
training for other lawyers, and conducts
community education, on issues of
importance to the LGBTQ community.
She recently presented on parentage
issues at the LGBT law day at Albany
Law School. Geri is a member of the
Collaborative Divorce Association of
the Capital District.
She can be reached at
GPEsq@pomerantzlaw.org.
18
A-Prom is just the beginning of an amazing 2

weeks of events. Watch for the full calendar in the
PRIDE Guide (Mid-May) and online:
www.capitalpridecenter.org / pride
19
20

alpernia
Addams is an actress, musician,
author and activist living in
Hollywood, CA.
The story of her
relationship
with murdered
Army
soldier
Barry
Winchell,
Soldiers
Girl,
was nominated for
a Golden Globe,
Emmy and countless other awards,
and has gone on to
become an LGBT
classic around
the globe.
Calpernia
starred in the
first television show
to examine
dating
for
t ranss exu a l
women,Transamerican Love
Story
and has an
extensive listing of other
IMDB credits. Calpernia has
spoken
across the
USA and
internationally
on many
topics,
most recently
at
Oxford University in the
United Kingdom.
Calpernia has been
presented with a
Peabody Award, a
GLAAD Media Award,
the
Servicemembers
Legal Defense Networks
Randy Shilts Visibility
Award, The National Gay &
Lesbian Task Forces Leadership Award, and she is also a
decorated military war veteran recognized by the US Congress for assistance in rescuing
a downed Chinese airliner in Alaskas
Aleutian Islands.
Calpernia has been a Grand Marshall of
the San Francisco Pride Parade as well as
Hollywood, Las Vegas and many others.
She has hosted and presented at events
from the GLAAD Media Awards to the

annual Lavender Law conference. She was
the national face for PFLAGs outreach to
the transsexual community.
Calpernia has spoken extensively on
trans representation in Hollywood, and
has worked with top celebrities and directors to consult on projects that went
on to be nominated for or win Academy
Awards (Oscars), Golden Globes, Emmys
and even a Peabody Award, among many
other awards. Calpernia has spoken on
LGBT issues concerning the US military
as a former combat medic herself, veteran
of the 1st Gulf War and partner to murdered Army PFC Barry Winchell. Her relationship with Barry and his subsequent
murder by homophobic fellow soldiers
was depicted in the film Soldiers Girl,
which has gone on to open many hearts
and minds to trans and gay stories and
influenced former President Bill Clinton
to express regret at the Dont Ask, Dont
Tell policy. Calpernia has also spoken at
the Veterans Administration on healthcare and elder-care for trans veterans who
seek care at the Veterans Hospitals. She
has delivered seminars on workplace policies concerning trans and lesbian/gay/bisexual employees to major multinational
corporations such as Procter & Gamble
and Warner Brothers.
As an entertainer, her business partner
Andrea James and she put on the first
all trans-women cast production of Eve
Enslers international hit play fighting
violence against women and girls: The
Vagina Monologues. They were mentored
by Eve and legendary actress Jane Fonda,
with whom Calpernia went on to perform
the monologues at the 72,000 seat New
Orleans Superdome to raise money for
the women and girls affected by Hurricane Katrina. As a multi-instrumentalist
and songwriter she has toured the US and
Europe playing acoustic music opening
for out gay indie superstar Patrick Wolf
and trans musician Our Lady J. Calpenrias music was featured in Facebooks first
national television commercial, in which
she also starred.
Calpernia also produces and sings in
her own live cabaret show every week
in Hollywood (5 years running), featuring original arrangements of classic Old
Hollywood music by Marilyn Monroe,
Mae West and others alongside original
dance and pop music.
Calpernia will serve as the Grand

Marshal of this years Capital
PRIDE parade as well as a part
of PRIDE Week when she will be
the special guest for a Q&A after
the showing of Transamerica,
Performing at Waterworks Pub
and making a special appearance
on the Capital PRIDE Stage
Meet
This info and more can be found at

www.calpernia.com/aboutme!
Calpernia
21
Welcoming Congregations
Join Us In Exploring Your Spiritual Side At One Of The Welcoming Congregations Below:
Community Congregational
Church (UCC)
221 Columbia Tpke,
Rensselaer
www.clintonheightsucc.org
#CapitalPRIDEQuote:
Id like to think, at least for this moment,
that the best of humanity the ideas of
acceptance and love will triumph over
all else. That starts with a sense of self
love. For now, and for ... Pride, lets be a
little kinder to each other, a little more
forgiving of ourselves, and a little more
careful of our place in the world.
- Alan Bennett Ilagan
PRIDE is about celebrating community,
in the broadest sense possible.
- Rob Hill
As an Ally, the Capital PRIDE
Festival to me also means inclusion
and diversity. Loving and accepting the
differences AND similarities between
us, encouraging others to be more
open minded, challenging stifled and
archaic attitudes and embracing how
far weve come.
- Alison Horgan
Jump right in, be yourself, have fun
and pay it forward!
- Corey Polesel
I am a quite person by nature, PRIDE
allows me to get out and meet and
work with some great people.
- Ed Davis
I would have never thought as a
teenager in the 70s that it would be
possible for something like this. Also,
to show kids its ok to be different is
amazing.
- Frieda Munchon
Community Reformed
Church of Colonie
701 Sand Creek Road,
Colonie
www.coloniereformed.org
(518)869-5589
Congregation Agudat Achim
(Conservative)
2117 Union Street,
Schenectady
www.agudatachim.org (518)
393-9211
Congregation Bnai Shalom
(Reform)
420 Whitehall Road, Albany
www.bnaishalom.albany.ny.us
(518) 482-5283
Congregation Berith Sholom
(Reform)
167 Third Street, Troy
www.berithsholom.org
(518)272-8872
(518)465-5161
First Church in Albany
110 North Pearl Street,
Albany
www.firstchurchinalbany.org
(518)463-4449
First Congregational Church
of Albany
UCC & NACCC
405 Quail Street, Albany
www.firstcongregationalalbany.
org
(518)482-4580
First Lutheran Church
181 Western Avenue, Albany
www.FirstLutheranAlbany.org
(518)463-1326
First Presbyterian Church
362 State Street, Albany
www.firstpresalbany.org
(518)449-7332
First Reformed Church
8 North Church Street,
Schenectady
www.1streformed.com
Congregation Beth Emeth

(Reform)
100 Academy Road, Albany
www.bethemethalbany.org
(518)436-9761
First Unitarian Society of

Schenectady
1221 Wendell Avenue,
Schenectady
www.fussonline.org
(518)374-4446
Congregation Gates of
Heaven (Reform)
842 Ashmore Avenue,
Schenectady
www.cgoh.org
(518)374-8173
First Unitarian Universalist

Society of Albany
405 Washington Avenue,
Albany
www.albanyuu.org
(518)463-7135
Congregation Ohav Shalom

(Conservative)
113 New Krumkill Road,
Albany
www.ohavshalom.org
First United Methodist

Church
603 State Street, Schenectady,
www.gbgm-umc.org/schenectady
(518)374-4403
Congregation Temple Sinai

(Reform)
509 Broadway, Saratoga
Springs
www.templesinai-saratogasprings.org
(518) 584-8730
Eastern Parkway United
Methodist Church
943 Palmer Avenue,
Schenectady
www.easternparkway.weebly.com
(518)374-4306
St. Georges Episcopal
Church
30 North Ferry St.,
Schenectady
www.stgeorgesschenectady.org
Emmanuel Baptist Church
275 State Street, Albany, NY
www.emmanuelalbany.net
First United Methodist

Church, East Greenbush
www.fumceg.org
First United Presbyterian
Church
1915 Fifth Avenue, Troy
www.unitedprestroy.org
(518)272-2771
Friends Meeting (Quaker)
727 Madison Avenue, Albany
(518) 436-8812
Presbyterian New England
Congregational Church,
Saratoga
http://pnecchurch.org/
Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church
501 Albany Shaker Road,
Loudonville
With each step forward we add to a

powerful LGBTQ legacy. Every effort
made in shifting the paradigm of our
existence contributes to our strides
for pride!
- Acey Mercer
Annual Interfaith PRIDE Service

Building Bridges of
Compassion and Community
Monday, June 8
7:00- 8:30 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church of Albany
362 State Street, Albany
PRIDE is important because it is a
All
welcome;
refreshments to follow
celebration about being our true selves.
Its an opportunity to show our peers,
our family and our friends that we are
the same as everyone else while being
wonderfully diverse communityof
equals.
- Scott Levine
22
Join Advocates for Welcoming Congregations to

launch Pride Week as we celebrate ourselves, our
differences and our connections. Come for eclectic
worship, reflect with us on what you know to be true,
and sense the opening to reach out to those who
believe differently.
www.goodshepherdchurchloudonville.org
(518)458-1562
Holy Trinity National
Catholic Church
405 Washington Avenue,
Albany
www.NCCofA.org/holytrin.html
(518)434-8861
Journey United
Church of Christ
500 Kenwood Blvd, Delmar
www.journeyucc.com
Saratoga Springs United
Methodist Church
175 Fifth Avenue,
Saratoga Springs
www.saratogaspringsumc.org
(518)584-3720
Saint Aelreds Priory and
Retreat House
(National Catholic)
670 Bunker Hill Road,
Northville
staelredpriory@aol.com
(518) 863-8086 / (518) 434-8861
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
Main at Madison Avenue, Albany
www.standrewsalbany.org
(518)489-4747
St. Johns Lutheran Church
160 Central Avenue, Albany
www.stjohnsalbany.org
(518)465-7545
Temple Israel
600 New Scotland Avenue, Albany
www.tialbany.org
(518) 438-7858
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation of Saratoga
624 North Broadway,
Saratoga Springs
www.saratoga-uu.org
(518)584-1555
Unity Church in Albany
21 King Avenue, Albany
www.unitychurchinalbany.org
(518)453-3603
Woodstock
Jewish Congregation
(Reconstructionist)
1682 Glasco Turnpike,
Woodstock
www.wjcshul.org
(845)246-1671
Proud To
Be
Open!
Affirming!
Welcoming!
Joyous!
In Our Own Voices and the Pride Center presents:
KEEP
CALM
AND
PARTY
SOBER
An alcohol and drug free event with music, dancing, food, games, and fun!
FREE
June 4
9 pm-Midnight
First Unitarian Universalist
Society of Albany
405 Washington Ave., Albany
Featuring
DJ JEMinii
For more information call
518-432-4188
Co-sponsored by:
23
WHY

Our most frequently asked
question during Pride season is, Why
have Black & Latino Gay Pride? Thats
so racist, divisive, etc. In response,
there is no question that everyone
within the LGBT movement deserves
to celebrate and gather for Pride festivities. However, as LGBT People of
Color we face some particularly difficult issues that require tailored Pride
activities. We face myths of negative
stereotypes, such as the myth that
Black and Latin@ people are more
violent than others. We face realities
such as racism within programs and
the criminal system that leave people
of color with fewer options, greater
obstacles to participate, and less protection. These myths and realities are
painful. LGBT POC who experience
them need support from other LGBT
POC who understand their impact.
by
Gabby Santos
event is also open to allies), restoring

our energy and confidence that oftentimes drained by racism, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of
oppression.
Black & Latino Gay Pride strengthens the community by providing a
voice for LGBT people of color; our
concerns, our needs, our fears, and
vision for our lives. Black & Latino
Gay Pride strengthens our collective
power by providing a voice for those
doubly and triply oppressed and thus
helps meet the needs of our community. Black & Latino Gay Pride also
helps build capacity by providing resources and leadership around ways
in which we as a whole can support
LGBT POC are also faced with additional health disparities and are less
likely to report when they are the victims of violence due to stigma, marginalization and oppression. Black &
Latino Gay Pride offers a Health &
Wellness Expo that provides free, confidential medical screenings.
I only get tested once a year...and
thats at Black and Latino Gay Pride. If
you guys didnt provide it, I wouldnt
do it - Community Member at Black
& Latino Gay Pride
In some ways, Say It Loud! Black &
Latino Gay Pride functions the same
way as other specialized events, such
as Bear or BDSM gatherings (only our
24
each other.
Why the term,

People of Color?
The term, People of Color, is a political statement that represents people as

an oppressed class who have claimed
the power to name and define themselves and their experiences. People
of Color include but are not limited
to: Native American, Africans, Latin@,
African-American, Chinese, Filipinos,
Japanese, Koreans, Thai, Indo-Chinese,
Vietnamese, Pakistanis, Haitian, Panamanian, Latinas and Asian-American.
Does the LGBT
POC movement
need White Allies?
The LGBT POC movement needs
white allies to promote true diversity
and to support a visual statement about
that diversity. The presence of white
allies holds everyone accountable to
working on those issues that oppress
people of color. The LGBT movement
also needs LGBT POC experts to lead
the way in creating culturally-specific
resources. The ultimate success of any
movement lies in the practice of its
theory, and without the presence of all
LGBT people, including LGBT POC,
the movement would lose its credibility. We invite all LGBT people and
allies to Say It Loud! Black & Latino
Gay Pride. We need you, we need each
other.
Say it loud!
BLACK & latino
gay pride 2015
June 6th, Jennings Landing

From noon to 5 p.m.
www.blackandlatinogaypride.com
Featuring:
7th Squeeze
Alex Torres and
His Latin
Orchestra
DeeJay
Jeminii
Comedian Sampson
Official
Afterparty
76 Central Ave.,Albany
A very special appearance by
Anita Antoinette
One of the most popular FINALISTS for NBCS theVoice
25
T O
B E
B L E S S I N G
Time for a Spiritual Check-up by Paul P. Jesep
Too often mind and body health

is emphasized, but the soul is overlooked, taken for granted or simply
unappreciated as a vital part of ones
wellbeing. Whether an individual is a
believer, questioning, or without faith
in a divine power, everyone is spiritual.
Inner wellbeing needs care and nurturing. It requires ongoing focus, discipline, and commitment not unlike
good diet, keeping pounds off, and
working at a quality relationship, platonic or otherwise.
A doctor once told me he wasnt spiritual. He was philosophical. Yet every

morning his kids would jump into bed
with him to talk. He loved it. Time
stood still. Their joy and innocence
put lifes daily challenges in perspective. As I shared with him, those are
not philosophical moments, they are
spiritual.
Falling in love, adopting or having a
baby conceived, and being awed by
springs beauty or autumns rich tapestry of fire are other examples of
spiritual, transcendental experiences.
If you see something extraordinary
in the stars, planets, universe, and
all creation whether trees, animals,
or humans, your perspective changes
about inner life. It can be nurtured
with or without belief in God (experienced gender neutral).
Anyone believer or non-believer
can pray. To whom? Creator or the
cosmos. The next time youre alone
in the car have a conversation. Dont
worry what someone in the next lane
thinks. The person will assume youre
singing or on the speaker phone.
Verbalize fears, hopes, and needs.
Dont ask to win the lottery or for the
irritating neighbor to be vaporized.
Prayer can be grounding and cathartic. It is soulfully proactive to connect
cosmologically with something bigger
than self.
There is sacredness in every human

being. Understandably, many in the
LGBTQ community remain leery of
getting involved with anything even
remotely religious sounding.
Vocal, reactionary anti-gay activists

misquoting sacred texts cause many
LGBTQ families and individuals
angst about God, faith, and religion.
If you and Rush Limbaugh were Yankees fans, would your loyalty shift to
the Mets? Of course not!
Embrace spirituality on your terms,
not on someone elses. Each person answers to conscience, the family theyve made, and ultimately to a
higher power (whether Creator or
the universes karma). Hence, dont
let someone deny you what can be an
extraordinary personal spiritual journey.
Increasingly, same gender couples are
asking whether to have marriage ceremonies officiated by clergy, raise kids
in a faith tradition, or join religious
communities using regular, structured services.
Last October, I solemnized the union
of two men. It was holy. It was sacred.
It was transcendental for everyone
present. It was important to them to
sanctify their union publicly using a
religiously-based ceremony they had
written.
Last December, I had the privilege of
spending quality time with two guys
and their adopted children in the
South. Before each meal the little girl
offered grace. These partnered men
were raising their kids in the Christian tradition including Bible school
at a progressive church. It was beautiful.
LGBTQ families and individuals are
now searching for ways to connect
with the spiritual. Should you join
a church, mosque, temple, or synagogue? How does an LGBTQ person
or family select one? Why should children be raised in faith? What faith?
Isnt faith and spirituality contrary to
logic, science, and common sense? If
youre an atheist, agnostic, or humanist, how do you nurture spiritual wellness on a daily basis without faith and
religion? Meditation? Secular ritual?
How does one reconcile religious homophobia with spiritual hunger?
These and other questions speak to
deeper longings that help ground individuals, their partners, and children
in the holiness of their creation in the
evolving cosmos. It can give life a
fuller, deeper meaning.
Ritual, ceremony, ongoing formal
worship, and celebrating holidays
whether secular or religious offer approaches to explore inner wellbeing.
Its important to remember spiritual
wellness is like exercise, nurturing
quality friendships, or committing to
healthy eating. Inner wellbeing requires constant care, discipline, and
attention.
Spring is the long awaited rebirth of
life. Its an opportunity to do an annual spiritual check-in regarding the
inner wellness of you and your family.
You are spiritual. Nurture the soul.
There is sacredness in every human being

Paul P. Jesep, JD, MPS, MA is an attorney,
corporate chaplain, seminary trained priest,
and founder of Corporate Chaplaincy (www.
CorporateChaplaincy.biz). On June 16, Paul
will offer a morning workshop on LGBTQ
spirituality in Albany, NY at Capital Counseling (www.capitalcounseling.org). Call Jennifer
at 518.465.3813, ext. 117, for more information. Paul speaks, writes, and conducts workshops on ethics, spirituality,
and inner wellbeing from
a secular perspective and
works with individuals and
Employee Assistance Pro-
grams regarding spiritual

health. Paul also writes
a monthly faith column
for The Rainbow Times.
This article is one of a series provided by Advocates for Welcoming Congregations, a Capital Region group that encourages the
welcoming of LGBT persons into the full life and leadership of communities of faith. The group also works to make visible for
members of the LGBT community opportunities for practicing their faith traditions.
26
Upcoming Event
Members
Alliance for Positive Health

Mexican Radio Schenectady
LGBTQ & STRAIGHT-ALLIED
Albany.com
Montgomery County Office for Aging
PROFESSIONALS
Albany Renaissance BBL Hospitality
Northeast Acura
NETWORKING EVENT!
Aras Performance Group, Inc
Rain Modern Chinese
Bank of America/ Merrill Lynch Ronnie Mangione / Wealth Advisory Group
Buenau's Opticians
RBC Wealth Management
Capital District YMCA
Scofield Access Solutions LLC
Canterbury Animal Hospital
Security Plumbing & Heating Supply
Central Avenue BID
Skylands Services, INC
Charles F. Lucas Confectionery / The Grocery
Spectrum 8 Theatre
Classy Body Art
Sunrise Management and Consulting
WEDS. MAY 13, 2015
Corey Jamison Consulting, LLC.
Tri City Rentals
Connections Psychotherapy
Wells Fargo
Consumer Optical
Mark D. Witecki, CPA
Deb Best Practices
Wolffs Biergarten, Schenectady
Deja Vu
Experience and Creative Design, Ltd.
Geri Pomerantz, Esq
Homo Radio / WRPI
Interim Healthcare
Janet Stein / Arbonne International
Jay Zhang Photography
Joseph Roche, Accounting
Journey United Church of Christ
Join us for great food, good company and one of the best
Key Bank
opportunities to make and build business connections in the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Allied community. L&P Media
Mazzone Hospitality / Aperitivo Bistro
6 - 8pm
Nicos Rooftop Tavern
441 State St., Schenectady | $10 suggested donation
The Pride Center Business Alliance is a program of the Pride Center of the Capital Region
- JOIN THE BUSINESS ALLIANCE TODAY! -http://www.capitalpridecenter.org/business-alliance/
Support the Pride Center Business Alliance or become a member:

www.capitalpridecenter.org/resources/business-alliance
27
ASK MARK YO U R TA X Q U ESTI O N S
Welcome to the DEAR MARK column where

you can ask a tax question. Of course some
questions might warrant answers that cannot
be answered to due to the limited space in this
column or warrant more facts due to specific circumstances of the taxpayer.
==========================
Dear Mark,
I received a notice from the IRS showing a large balance due, an amount over
17 thousand dollars. I asked my preparer
what to do and she told me I should pay
it. I really dont think I owe it. The notice
says something about stock sales not reported and appears to show that the stock
did not cost anything to buy no cost information. I am wondering if this is because
I told my broker to put my stocks into a
safer investment. What should I do?
Wondering
Dear Wondering,
It appears you may have received a 1099
from your brokerage showing sales of
stock, dividends etc for the year in question and you didnt report it. Most taxpayers have a basis in their securities they sell.
Contact me to set up an appointment and
I can review the notice. Time is of the essence for these notices. Hopefully the cost
basis information is available for these securities
============================
Dear Mark,
I feel guilty I have been buying things
out of state and did not pay sales tax on
a number of items such as furniture etc.
I want a clear conscience What do I do?
Guilty
Dear Guilty,
Dear Auto Guy,
There is a line on the NYS tax return to

add a use tax to the income tax due on
the return.
============================
You can write off any unreimbursed tools,

uniforms, cleaning of uniforms, education, publications, etc. related to your employment subject to a two percent floor
of adjusted gross income. To be advantageous to you, the amount must be big
enough for you to itemize, given your other deductions for contributions, mortgage
interest property taxes, medical expenses
and other items.
Dear Mr. Witecki,

I see that you are a certified fraud examiner as well as a CPA. I am about to undergo
a divorce from my spouse. What does that
entail.?
Signed,
Broken Hearted
Dear Broken Hearted,
One of the services offered by Certified
Fraud Examiners involves forensic accounting designed to locate hidden assets,
assist in evaluating income hidden and
otherwise, and many other services.
============================
Mark Witecki
I am an free lance artist but also have a job
at a local university. I am starting to sell
some of my work and want to know what
kinds of expenses I can deduct.
No Picasso but good.
Dear No Picasso,
Self employed artists can deduct any ordinary and necessary expenses that are
related to their business, such as supplies,
studio rent if any, insurance, equipment,
conferences, travel and many more expenses. Please contact me for an appointment to review your particular situation.
============================
Mark,
Answers that apply to specific taxpayers may not necessary apply to others.
Changes in tax law and rules may affect answers given at any point. You
can write Mark at Mark Witecki CPA
CFP(R) CFE, 3701 State St, Schenectady, NY 12304. Mark D. Witecki specializes in small businesses and professional
individuals. Mr. Witecki has a B. S. in
Accounting from S. U. N. Y. Albany and
an M. S. in Accounting from Syracuse
University. Mark D. Witecki is a Certified Public Accountant, CERTIFIED
FINANCIAL PLANNER practitioner, Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified
College Planning Specialist and is admitted to practice before the United States
Tax Court. Certified Financial Planner
Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP , CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and federally
registered CFP (with flame design) in the
U.S., which it awards to individuals who
successfully complete CFP Boards initial
and ongoing certification requirements.
Marks office is located at 3701 State
Street, Schenectady, New York
I am an auto mechanic I work for a small

shop and have to buy my own tools. My
current preparer says I cant write them
off. I hear otherwise. What do you think?
Signed me,
Auto Guy
============================= ============================= =============================
Mark D. Witecki
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Financial Planner
Certified Fraud Examiner
Tax Preparation
3701 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12304
(518) 346-4000 f: (518) 346-5196
Certified
Financial
Planner
Board
of
Standards,
Inc.
owns
the
Certified
Marks
CFP
(c).
Certified
Financial
Planner
and
federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S. which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFPs initial and ongoing certification requirements
28
MONEY MATTERS
by
Thomas
J.
Walling
DIVERSITY
AND PRIDE

In keeping with this months
theme of celebrating Pride and diversity in our community, this month I
will discuss how diversity translates
into your investment strategies.
One of the ways to encourage new
ideas is to look at things from different angles. Most research and
development departments are looking to think outside the box. These
vantage points are products of life
experiences and reactions to those
experiences. Imagine one artist who
was brought up with no real adversity
or adventure. Now imagine an artist
who has been through many adversities and adventures. Maybe they are a
little crazy. Whose art is more likely
to be unique and new? It would probably be the interesting one. Translated
into the LGBT experience, we have all
been through adversity or discrimination. That is what makes us unique
and a few of us a little crazy. It almost
seems that we as a people would be
highly sought after for our viewpoints, not fighting for equality in the
workforce.
In retirement and individual investment accounts, diversity of asset
classes (what kind of investments you
own) affects the risk of loss. Asset
classes include stocks of different size
companies, bonds of different time
periods and quality, real estate and

cash to name a few. Every year there is
a winner asset class returnwise, however this changes year to year due to
financial conditions.
Most retirement plans sponsored
by employers use a blend of mutual
funds. These are simply a share of an
account that invests in a certain area.
Some are for growth, some are for
income, and some are for both. They
all contain many positions in different investments. There is a reason for
this. That reason is diversity.
To use an old adage, do not put all
your eggs in one basket. It is like having two old hand rolled glass windows in your home. One is a huge
pane of glass and the other is made
of many small panes. If I were in your
yard trying to throw a ball, which I
am relatively incapable of, which window would you want me by? It would
probably be the one with many panes.
When (not if) I break the window, I
only break a small section and a small
piece of old glass can probably be
found to replace it. If I break the big
window, there is a good chance the
window will be a total loss. The same
applies to your investments.
There is risk imbedded into every investment. Riskier investments usually
have a bigger chance of losing money
short term as well as a bigger chance
of making money long term. Knowing
your risk tolerance helps decide the
appropriate investment mix in your
account. Do you need the money in a
very short period of time? This means
you need something with very little
risk, like cash or a Certificate of Deposit from a bank. If the time frame
for your investment is far off, riskier
investments should be considered in
order to take advantage of potentially
higher long term returns. Talk to your

financial advisor regarding an appropriate risk tolerance. Risk tolerance is
used to describe how much risk can
be taken without losing sleep at night
and can usually be discovered using
some sort of questionnaire.
Diversity has been a cornerstone of
the LGBT equality movement for
some time so lets celebrate all our
differences as well as our united
strength! New ideas and different
viewpoints are the drivers of innovation in products, services, and governance. This has served us well in the
fight for equality.
Diversity has been
a cornerstone of
the LGBT equality
movement for some
time so lets celebrate
all our differences as well
as our united strength!
Thomas J. Walling
CFP is an Investment
Advisor Representative of and offers
securities and investment advice through
Cetera Advisor Networks, LLC. (Member
FINRA/SIPC) and a Registered Investment Advisor. Branch office:235 Lark St.
#43 Albany, NY 12210. He is also past
presenter at the PrideCenter on financial
affairs affecting the LGBT community
as well as for SAGE of NYC. Tom Is past
president of the board of directors of Our
Brothers Keepers Foundation.
Reach Thomas at 518.878.1294 or
ceteranetworks.com
Thomas J. Walling, CFP
INVESTMENT ADVISER REPRESENTATIVE
NY Insurance License #LA910069

235 Lark St., Suite 43
Albany, NY 12210
Direct: 518.878.1294
thomas.walling@ceteranetworks.com
Cetera Advisor Networks, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC
Customized solutions to allow you to

maintain your independence.
www.scofieldsolutions.com
518-956-0345
29
Lifestyle Photography is... Your Everyday, Your Important Moments, Your

Once In A Lifetimes, Your Loved Ones.
Lifestyle Photography
for a Lifetime of Moments
www.Facebook.com/ZhangPhotography
www.JayZhangPhotography.com
JZPhotographicServices@gmail.com
Changes to Womens Group!
Advertisers Index
Albany.com.....32
Albany Gay Mens Chorus....13
Big Gay Cruise.....39
Buenaus Opticians.....15
Canterbury Animal Hospital.....11
Choices Counseling & Consulting.....11
Corey Jamison Consulting.....32
Drue Sanders Custom Jewelers.....16
HomoRadio.....32
Interim Healthcare.....16
Jay Zhang Photography.....30
Law Office of Geri Pomerantz....17
Joseph Roche, Accountant.....31
Ronnie Mangione, Financial Advisor.....11
Northeast Acura.....16
Palace Theater.....19
Parade of Homes.....35
Queer Engineer.....34
Realty USA - The Capital Team.....16
RiverStone Consulting.....32
Saratoga Pride.....34
Say It Loud: Black & Latino Gay Pride - The Celebration.....25
Scofield Access Solutions, LLC.....29
Security Plumbing and Heating Supply.....30
Skylands Services.....11
Spectrum 8 Theatre.....38
The State Room.....13
Tri City Rentals.....40
Welcoming Congregations.....22
Wells Fargo Advisors.....15
Thomas J. Walling, CFP / Cetera Advisor Networks.....29
Mark Witecki CPA, CFP......28
For more info, please contact rgalvan@capitalpridecenter.org
Place your ad in CommUNITY and expand your brand awareness while directly reaching the important LGBTQ market.
For more information contact
Steven @ 518-462-6138 or
sminchin@capitalpridecenter.org
30
out
by
My daughter Emma says, Thank

heavens for the weather. Its the only
thing that keeps us humble. Well,
here it is April 1, and I am inside, not
outside, humbled indeed but mostly
pissed. Everything did not change on
this April 1. The ground is frozen, air
temperature hovers in low 40s, snow
still covers much of the garden, and
theres not a Snowdrop nor a Chionadoxa to be seen. So I am going to shut
my eyes and imagine it is summer,
specifically a day in July, specifically
Friday, July 17, in the late afternoon.
The garden pulses with plants in full
foliage and bloom, over 100 people
have gathered, a caterer discreetly
fills wine glasses and offers up miniquiches. I can smell the fragrance of
the lingering Stewartia blooms; I can
hear fragments of conversation, animated and easy; I can see the orange
flash of day lilies. Its a Cocktails in
Great Gardens fund-raiser for the
Berkshire Botanical Garden, and I am
a happy host.
We in the Capital District are fortunate to have this remarkable botanical garden so close to hand and I feel
privileged to support it. But why
support a botanical garden in the
first place, whether local or distant?
What is the use of such an institution? There are hundreds of botanical gardens in the world, over 500 in
the United States alone. They range
in size from a few acres to many hundreds of acres, and represent a massive investment of human resources.
But no matter how big or little, they
all share one common goal: to expose
visitors to living plant material. For
plant lovers this is reason enough for
their existence; they offer us a chance
to be around plants. But others may
need to be further convinced before
they will part with those membership
dollars.
in
the
garden
Save the Date
Judith Fetterley
Botanical gardens provide information for both the beginning and experienced gardener that is often difficult
to access through the web or even
through books. From an educational perspective, nothing beats seeing
the living shrub if you want to know
what you are getting into if you buy
and plant Hammamelis Palibin, the
lovely lime-green witchhazel. Moreover, botanical gardens usually show
plants at their mature size; since we
often fail to take size at maturity into
account when we plant, this can be an
even more useful educational input.
Botanical gardens like the BBG also
demonstrate the range of plants that
can be grown locally. For gardeners
looking to expand their options, you
can see here what will grow in your
own backyard. Botanical gardens often showcase their plants in interesting combinations and offer models
for designing large and small gardens.
A trip to BBG will not only increase
your pool of possible plants; it can
demonstrate key design principles
that you can use to enhance the impact of your own garden.
We in the Capital District

are fortunate to have this
remarkable botanical
garden so close to hand
Like most botanical gardens, the
BBG also has an extensive program
of classes and workshops on a wide
range of horticultural topics. This
spring, for example, you could take a
class on Growing Great Ornamental Grasses, on the home orchard,
on Sketching Nature, or on how
to plant small trees. You can take a
field trip to Bartholomews Cobble to
study wildflowers and ferns; you can
visit a private garden in Connecticut

that features a small arboretum; you
can join the BBG staff on a trip to the
New York Botanical Garden. If you
are really ambitious, you can enroll
in one of several levels of the Horticulture Certificate Program. And
remember, no matter where you are
on the horticultural spectrum, there
is nothing quite like the pleasure of
visiting a garden which teaches you
so much but which you do not have
to maintain!
Thank heavens for the

weather. Its the only
thing that keeps us
humble.
So SAVE THE DATE, July 17, 5 to 7,
and join me in my garden to support
our own botanical garden. Reservations are required and can be made
closer to the time of the event by contacting the BBG at 413-298-3926 or
on the web at http://www.berkshirebotanical.org/. Lets show the Berkshires that we in the Capital Region
know how to value whats in our own
backyard.
Judith Fetterley lives

and gardens in Glenmont, New York. She
also runs
Perennial Wisdom, a
garden design business
for new and
existing gardens.
Reach Judith at
f etterleyj@gmail.com
31
THE FASHIONABLE AND THE FRIVOLOUS by ALAN BENNET ILAGAN
sometimes theyre cologne

or perfume or similar
sundries. We want to believe
that the right coat will get
us into the right club, that
the perfect suit will grant us
the perfect job, that the best
bow-tie will get us the best
table at the restaurant.
IF THE SHOE FITS
It sparkled.
It glittered.
It glowed.
EVENTS THINGS TO DO CONTESTS
Guide to the Capital Region

DINING NIGHTLIFE DIRECTORY & MORE!
Proudly continuing to serve as the voice

of the LGBT community after 22 years
Live every Sunday 10AM 2 PM
Check us OUT: WRPI 91.5 FM or wrpi.org
518.276.6248
32
homoradio.blogspot.com
Even beneath the

dim undercarriage
of all those miles of
tulle, it somehow
managed to capture
every sliver of light.
It made sense, being
that it was chiseled
of the purest glass,
and
this
was,
after all, a fairy
tale.
Cinderellas
glass
slipper,
probably one of
the most famous
of all accessories, is
legendary in certain
fashion
circles.
Its the ultimate
in
unattainable
glamour,
the
impossibly-high
apex of style (and
very
delicate
substance).
You
know that thing is
NOT comfortable,
and certainly not
practical.
(One
false step on a
cobblestone street is
a bloodbath waiting
to happen.) Yet we
continue to believe
in it, in its beauty
and its power. It
held the key to the
kingdom, the key to
her true loves heart.
We want to instill
such magic in other
objects as well.
Sometimes theyre
shoes, sometimes
theyre bags,
Sometimes that happens.

Sometimes looking the part
results in the desired gains.
But its easy to trick and
tease, and when you lose sight of
the goal, distracted by the beauty
and the glitter of the object that
represents it, it may not result in
what you really want.
Fashion has always been an idea.
Its more than the supple leather
of a handbag. Its deeper than the
softest pile of silky chiffon ruffles
in the grandest gown. Its abstract,
but its not flimsy. It carries its own
currency, conveys its own power.
It is rarely, however, an end unto
itself. Fashion is possibility. Fashion
is what might be. Fashion is the
beginning of the story.
The tale of Cinderella hinges
on a single object of fashion. It
accentuates who she is, but does not
define it. The girl is more than her
shoe. Yet it gives her something. Not
merely a show-stopping entrance
and unforgettable impression, but
the vision she may have always had
of herself made manifest. Cinderella
may have used the magic of a glass
slipper and the beauty of a ball
gown to entrance the Prince, but
something more meaningful had
to keep the spell alive. Without the
right foot to fill it, a glass slipper is
nothing more than an empty bit of
once-molten memory.
Alan Bennett Ilagan is a freelance
writer and amateur photographer
who resides in upstate New York
with his husband Andy. He created
the website www.ALANILAGAN.
com, which contains a repository
of his work, as well as a daily blog;
the website recently celebrated its
tenth anniversary online. He was the manager
of the Romaine Brooks Gallery from 2008 to
2012. His writing has appeared in Instinct, xy
magazine, Capitalmen, Q Northeast, the Windy
City Times, and the Boston Phoenix. Notable
artistic collaborations have been created with
the likes of Steven Underhill, Paul Richmond,
Dennis Dean, and Michael Breyette.
MICHAEL COOKS AND YOU CAN TOO by MICHAEL MEADE

Its the beginning of April as I
type this and theres still snow on the
ground, but today was the first day
you could go outside without bundling up. Spring came late this year,
but its finally here and we can look
forward to increasingly sunny, balmy
days. Its time to turn our thoughts
away from the hearty soups and stews
that kept us warm through the winter
and enjoy some lighter, brighter fare.
Here are two main-course dishes that
feature my favorite Spring vegetable,
fresh asparagus. Enjoy!
Penne with Spring Vegetables

2 Tbs. salt, plus more to taste
3/4 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed,
spears cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 bunches green onions, white and
light green portions, thinly sliced
6 oz. baby spinach, coarsely
chopped
1/2 lb. frozen petite peas
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lb. penne or other medium-size
pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil
over high heat. Add the 2 Tbs. salt
and the asparagus and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer to a
colander to drain; set aside. Return
the water to a boil.
In a large fry pan over medium-low

heat, melt the butter with the olive oil.
Add the green onions and saut until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the
spinach and peas and saut until the
spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.
Add the asparagus, stir in the wine
and cook until most of the alcohol
has evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir
in the cream and cook until heated
through. Add the basil and season
with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, add the pasta to
the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al
dente (tender but firm to the bite), according to the package instructions.
Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the
cooking water.
Add the pasta to the sauce and
toss to combine. Add as much of the
cooking water as needed to loosen
the sauce. Warm briefly over low heat
to blend the flavors. Serve immediately and pass the cheese at the table.
Serves 4.
Spring Vegetable Tart

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 cup shredded cheese
15 to 20 thin asparagus spears,
trimmed
1 small leek, white part only, halved,
rinsed and thinly sliced
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preheat an oven to 400F. Line a
rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the puff pastry on
the baking sheet. Fold over the sides
to make a 1-inch rim, overlapping the
pastry at the corners and pressing it
lightly. Inside the rim, prick the pastry all over with a fork.
Sprinkle half of the cheese over
the bottom of the pastry inside the
rim. Top with the asparagus, laying
the spears vertically in a row from
one side of the pastry to the other.
Sprinkle the leek slices over the asparagus. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the
eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until well
combined. Pour the egg mixture over
the asparagus and leeks and sprinkle
on the remaining cheese. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden
brown, about 10 minutes longer. Let
the tart stand for 10 minutes.
Cut into pieces and serve. Serves 4.
Michael Meade graduated
from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde
Park, New York, worked
at Jacks Oyster House in
Albany and is currently
sous-chef at Thunder Mountain
Curry in Troy.
Questions and comments are
welcome at
33
Affiliate Events
Chorus Rehearsal
The Albany Gay Mens Chorus rehearses on Tuesday evenings
from 6:45 to 9:00pm at the First Lutheran Church.
For more information: www.albanygmc.org, E-mail: albanygmc@yahoo.com, Voice-mail: (518) 459-7563 or join us
on Facebook at: Albany Gay Mens Chorus - AGMC.
Movie Night-Second Tuesday of each month

We will begin at 5PM at Harveys Pub, 14 Phila Street Saratoga
Springs,. From there, we can decide who wants to see what movies and leave accordingly for Bowtie Cinemas.
Lesbian Networking Breakfast
We meet on the third Thursday of each month, at the Country
Corner Caf on Church Street in the upstairs dining room at 7:30
am. Latecomers are welcome.
Monthly GLBTQ Support Group
Second Sunday of the Month
Fallstaff Building, Skidmore College
3-4:30pm.
Contact Caroline with questions: 518.857.9361
QueerEngineer
Get to know us & how you can support
LGBTQ* students in science, technology,
engineering, & mathematics.
/QueerEngineer
@QueerEngineer
A Pride Center of the Capital Region affiliate
34
HERES GUFFMAN by PATRICK WHITE
Make Voyages! Attempt Them! There Is Nothing Else.
When something like Capital Region

theatre is attracting more and more participants and audiences you might think
that continued growth would be nothing but a good thing and something
that all who enjoy theatre would wish
for. You would be wrong. The number
of productions continue to rise and with
every new theatrical season comes the
announcement that a new group or
theatre company has formed to produce
themselves and determine their artistic
path by choosing and casting their own
shows. To these announcements inevitably there will not be a cry of Welcome
and break legs! but Not another!
If you are not hanging out in the green

rooms or facebook pages of those connected you might be forgiven if you
scratched your head at the idea that
theres too much theatre in the tri-city
area. Yes, there are dozens of amateur
companies with thousands of participants and any weekend from October to
May you could reliably choose between
5 or more productions of community
theatre but much of it you would have to
seek out as it gets less than comprehensive coverage in the Times Union and
its not even worth mentioning Metro-
land and theatre in the same breath.
So where does this complaint come

from when news of a new production
happens? Are there folks out there with
4 tickets for the weekend who are now
kicking themselves because theres a
fifth show that they just physically cant
work onto their entertainment calendar? Would that that were so but no,
they claim that there are too many theatre groups in the Capital Region and
to add any more would dilute the talent
pool available to the rest of the shows
casting, specifically of the older more
established theatres that have buildings
and more resources but frequently less
than adventurous scheduling.
To the performers who may be constantly auditioning and passed over
watching the same actors being used
again and again or having to choose
from the same overworked slate of plays
where every show in the area has to be
done by every company, the impulse to
try it on their own is natural and courageous. Their dissatisfaction and hunger
to create will push them in directions
that the older companies never consider anymore. They will have to deal with
spaces that were not meant for performances and have to build new muscles
to design, collaborate promote, and sell
a show.
From my perspective, it cant be anything but a good thing. It will challenge
artists to invest more of themselves in
their work and broaden the selection of
projects for both participants and audience alike. There is an ever growing list
of playwrights yet to be produced in the
Capital Region, their work will inevitably benefit from more production companies. Perhaps one of the new spaces
will catch on and well have a new performance space with an adequate stage,
lighting, seating, backstage and rehearsal space. One can dream and new
ventures inspire that. It will stretch and
grow everyone involved. It will definitely be a learning experience for all and
I for one look forward to new plays in
new spaces.
Patrick White is a Capital Region actor, director and teacher
who is playing Shannon at
Albany Civic Theatre through
5/17 and recently completed
a semester teaching a private acting class for
adults and as adjunct instructor of Acting One
at UAlbany. white.patrick1963@gmail.com
GET INSPIRED AT THE

2015 PARADE OF HOMES
Tour 12 stunning, new custom

homes showcasing the latest
design trends and technology
in residential homes around
the Capital Region.
These lovely homes are
professionally decorated and
vary in size, lifestyle and value.
GeT inspired aT The
2015 Parade of Homes.
May 30 & 31 ~
June 6 & 7th
TickeTs can be purchased aT
capitalregionparadeofhomes.com
or aT The firsT house you visiT
Donation from ticket sales supports the Center for Disability Services.
35
36
Thursday 4/7
Special Events
Capital PRIDE Volunteer Meeting and Social

PRIDE is a celebration of our communty and we cant
do it without the awesome volunteers who step up to
volunteer each year. Grab some friends and join us to
find out all of the opportunities and how you can help
make an important difference in this years Capital
PRIDE. Sample positions inc. Parade Marshals, FEstival
Set-up, Raffle Sales at Events, Stage Set up, Beer Garden positions, Greeters and Goodwill Ambasadors at Events, plus
so much more.
Thursday, May 7
The Pride Center
332 Hudson Ave, Albany
6-7:30 pm
Wednesday 5/16
LGBTQA Professionals Networking Event
Presented by
Dont miss the biggest monthly LGBTQA event in

the Capital Region. This month the Business Alliance brings its Professionals Networking Event to new
heights at Nicos Rooftop Tavern. Plan to be there for
a great atmosphere, food, drink and to make the most
of an opportunity to connect with other lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, queer and allied professionals.
Wednesday, May 13
Nicos Rooftop Tavern
441 State St., Schenectady
6-8 pm
$10 Suggested Donation
for your convenience, you can donate online in advance:
www.capitalpridecenter.org/events/maynetworking
Thursday 5/21
GIVE OUT DAY
Give Out Day is 24 hours of LGBTQ and allied giving and its your chance to make a real difference,
right here in YOUR community. Show your love of an
amazing organization, the Pride Center of the Capital
Region, which gives so much to our LGBTQ community!
Your gift will qualify the Pride Center for thousands of
bonus prize dollars. Prizes are based on the number of
individual donors that donate on May 21st so each
person who donates increases our chances of winning.
Any donations made at the link before May 21st will
not count towards the prizes and leadership boards.
Online Donations can be entered at the following link:
http://goo.gl/bS10dr
Saturday 5/30
Building Our Families: LGBTQ FAmily Story Time
Join us for a fun-filled story time! Come enjoy stories, songs,
and activities with other families! Check out great books from
the library and make crafts! Please bring a snack to share.
This program is best suited for little ones age 5 and under, but
all are welcome!
This event is brought to our community as part of the Pride
Centers Center Families Event
Saturday, May 30th
Voorheesville Public Library
51 School Road
Voorheesville, NY
10:15 am
FREE!
LOOKING AHEAD :
Pride Center Award Nominations Due June 1st
The Pride Center is seeking nominations for the 2015 Annual

Awards to be given out at the Awards Gala on October 16, 2015.
Do you know someone in the Capital Region who does outstanding work for the LGBTQ community? If so, please review
the award categories and submit your nomination today! The
nomination deadline is June 1, 2015.
To nominate an individual, business or organization, download
the Nomination Form from www.capitalpridecenter.org and
return it to the Pride Center Awards Selection Committee, 332
Hudson, Albany, New York 12210 by fax to (518) 462-2101 or
e-mail; cstreett@capitalpridecenter.org
Awards will be selected at the discretion of the Pride Center
Board of Directors. The Pride Center reserves the right to limit
the number of awards and may not give awards in every category. Final selections will be made by the Pride Center Awards Selection
Committee.
***SAVE THE DATE***

***ANNUAL AWARDS GALA 2015***
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015
Hilton Albany
GET EVENT UPDATES, STAY CONNECTED, & SHARE THE SPECIAL EVENTS YOURE MOST EXCITED ABOUT
Thursday, May 21
Online
37
SPORTS/ FUN & GAMES

Gay Skate
Tuesdays: An open skate for the LGBTQ Community! $9.50 w. Skate Rental
/ $6.50 w. your own skates. For more info
contact David at DB40@AOL.com or
(518) 573-3962 - 7-9:30pm
Rollarama Skating Center
2710 Hamburg St., Schenectady
Roller Derby
Hellions of Troy- May 16- 7pm- Home
Bout vs. Fingerlakes LunaChicks - 2710
Hamburg St., Schenectady
Albany All-Stars - June 6th - 195 Washington Ave., Albany
KARAOKE
Mondays: Waterworks Pub - 10pm 2am, No Cover. (18+) 76 Central Ave,
Albany, (518) 465-9079
Thursdays: Oh Bar - 10pm - 1am, No
Cover. (21+) 304 Lark St., Albany, (518)
463-9004
Fridays: Waterworks Pub - 10pm
18+ (w. cover). 76 Central Ave, Albany,
(518) 465-9079
ROCKS- 9pm-12am 77 Central Ave,
Albany, (518) 472-3588
Saturdays: Circus Cafe - 10pm - 2am,
(21+) 392 Broadway, Saratoga, (518)
583-1106
Center Square Pub -10pm - 2am, No
Cover. 32 Dove St., Albany, (518) 729-
38
2880
Calendar
OPEN MIC / LITERARY

Wednesday, 4/18: Live from the Livingroom open mic w. featured poet Paul
Pines- 7pm
The Pride Center, Garden Level
332 Hudson Ave, Albany, (518) 462-6138
Thursday 4/02 & 4/16: Open Minded
Mic & Talent Showcase (for all performers)- sign up 8:30pm start 9:00pm
Rocks
77 Central Ave., Albany
(518) 472-3588
SOCIAL / SUPPORT GROUPS
Out of the Closet I Am (for women
who have sex with women): 1st & 3rd
Wednesdays- 6:30pm-8pm
Mens Empowerment Group: 1st &
3rd Thursdays -6-7:30pm
Voices of Unity (for Transgender
people of color): 2nd & 4th Wednesday
of each month from 6pm-7:30pm
Groups listed above meet at
In Our Own Voices
245 Lark St., Albany
(518) 432-4188
YouthPride! A student led meeting that
centers around helping LGBTQ students
and allied students discuss matters in our
community, schools, and in their Gay
Straight Alliances (GSAs) that they have
in their schools. YouthPride provides
leadership development and an op-
portunity to help plan activities around

GLSENs Days of Action and Days of
Support. 1st Friday of the month 6-9pm
Professor Javas Coffee Sanctuary
217 Wolf Rd., Colonie
Trans Partners Group: provides support for people to discuss and explore
their relationships with trans-identified
or gender non-conforming individuals.
Open to people currently in partnerships
with trans-people or people exploring
their gender identities. Monthly on Tuesdays at 5pm. Contact Faith Hoffman at
faith@choicesconsulting.com for more
information.
Choices Counseling and Consulting
523 Western Ave. Suite 2A
Albany, NY 12203-1617
(518)438-2222
SPECIAL EVENTS
A Thank You Tribue to Frieda Munchon

A BIG Thank You to Frieda!
For All She Does for the Community!
T-Dance,Food, Music, Drink Specials,
Happy Hour Drinks, $4 Long Islands,
Give-a-ways- Sunday, May 17, 5-8pm,
ROCKS, 77 Central Ave., Albany
TRIVIA
Tuesdays: Live Trivia with Frieda

ROCKS - 8-10pm 77 Central Ave, Albany, (518) 472-3588
Wednesdays: Oh Bar - 9pm-12am
304 Lark St., Albany, (518) 463-9004
39
NON-PROFIT
US POSTAGE
P
AID
PERMIT #798
ALBANY, NY
332 Hudson Avenue

Albany, NY 12210
Distinguished Living...Successful Living...Gay Living

Tri City Rentals is a Proud Supporter of the LGBT Community
Visit one of our

24 Fine Capital District
Apartment Communities
www.TriCityRentals.com
518.862.6600

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Calpernia Addams

Capital PRIDE Sneak Peeks

A Few From the Archives

Capital PRIDE is Huge

Geri Pomerantz pg. 17

Thomas Walling pg. 26

The Fashionable and the Frivolous

Make Voyages! Attempt Them! There is Nothing Else!

Patrick White pg. 35

NEWS,UPDATES & INFORMATION

24 HOURS OF ONLINE GIVING

Dr. Franklin Kameny, whose

In addition to the great celebrations of our community

While the Stonewall Riots

communitys center, the Pride

Curran Streett, Executive Director

About Robby Mook, Hillary

A Few from the Archives...

Albany is where we started our

We asked: WHAT INSPIRES YOU... ?

Caroline Russell Smith. Not Pictured:

Capital PRIDE is Huge

A Sneal Peek! Events, Amazing

Grand Marshall Calpernia Addams

The Celebration is on its Way!

(Black & Latino Gay Pride 2015 info pg. 24)

(Start up toupes take the production into

Be there for the biggest celebration yet!

Mark your calendar & Schedule

Saturday June 13th, 2015 12-5pm Washington Park, Albany

LETTERS TO THE EDITORmweidrich@capitalpridecenter.org

GAY MANS MUSINGS by NYVEK MOSHIER

EWWW, I DONT DO BLACK GUYS

When I first moved to Albany, I found

hear those words cross his lips. Where I

When an individual is protesting societys refusal to acknowledge his existence

community have told me that they feel

I have heard many of

and sisters say that

Traditional & Holistic Psychotherapies

Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity

Get more out of both.

Body Image & Eating Disorders

The Living Balance Sheet can help you find

Homestudies & Adoption Services

how to protect and grow your business and

This revolutionary financial model lets you

523 Western Avenue, Suite 2A (second floor) Albany, NY 12203

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FAITH HOFFMAN, LMSW

Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity

Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity

Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity

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Relationship & Parenting Issues

Relationship & Parenting Issues

Healing Trauma & Abuse

Healing Trauma & Abuse

Healing Trauma & Abuse

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