|
|
queerVOICE |
Sometimes I can just sit and stare
at my computer wondering what the heck I'm going to write this week.
While there is so much to say and do at times, I struggle to figure out
what can I possibly say that will help to advance our
rights. So this week rather that writing on one topic I would like
to address a few.
1. I'm
deeply concerned that the current Pennsylvania
anti-discrimination bill (H.B. 300) that will add sexual orientation and gender
identity or expression to the law will not pass a full House,
if the leaders even bring it to a vote. You need to know that there is a strong
likelihood that it will not pass. The projected vote count is just too
close and the Senate is controlled by the Republicans, and Governor Rendell
doesn't seem to be too interested in using his political weight to push for its
passage.
We have been told that Rendell would "absolutely" sign the bill should it make
it to his desk. Should it make it to his desk! Doesn't sound too
promising does it?
If this bill does not pass we have only ourselves to blame. The majority
of the citizens of Pennsylvania
support an anti-discrimination bill that includes queers but a handful of
homophobic elected officials will work to block it. To ensure that they do not
succeed in blocking this bill we MUST lobby our legislators to make sure that
H.B.300 passes.
2. A
special thank you needs to go out to the hundreds of people who descended on Harrisburg to rally for
the passage of H.B. 300. Their efforts are noble and true to our
fight. They took the time out of their personal lives to fight for each
of us, but they can not do it alone . . . as I've already said
we must continue our lobbying efforts until we are equal to our heterosexual
counterparts.
3. The
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Dinner is this Saturday which I
will be attending as a guess of a dear friend, but I would be amiss if I did
not speak my mind about this event. Every year HRC comes to Philadelphia to raise
funds and than leaves. Unlike their arrangement with Dallas' queer community they take every bit
of money they raise here with them. This bothers me to no end.
I have no problem with the HRC coming to Philadelphia
to raise funds but part of that money should be returned to us just as they
do in Dallas.
What's good for Dallas is good for Philadelphia, and with
local contributions dwindling, we need all the help we can
get. We in Philadelphia need to demand
from HRC the same arrangement they have with Dallas otherwise we should consider keeping our
money local and not supporting this event next year.
4. Philadelphia is currently
in the middle of a primary race for a new District Attorney. This is
perhaps the most important election we have seen in years yet there seems to be
little attention being paid to it. QUEERtimes has extended an invitation
to every candidate to write an op-ed piece on why Philadelphia's queer community should
consider supporting them for the office of District Attorney. It's important
you take the time to get to know who these candidates are . . . the
likelihood is that one of them will be Philadelphia's
DA for a very long time to come. Choose wisely!
So that's my two cents for this week.
Remember our rights are ours, not by law but by birth . . . we just need to
work a little harder to secure them. Good Spring to all of you!
|
|
 |
What It Looks Like From Here
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2009 |
 For the next two weeks, your life (and mine) is not
your own. The Philadelphia
Film Festival/CineFest '09 (it's a long title during this
transitional year when two different groups agreed to make certain that the
Philadelphia had a film festival) take over the city and the region, from last
night to April 6, with approximately 250
features, documentaries, shorts, and animation, from more than 49 countries in 37 languages plus panels, special events and guests from Hollywood
to Paris.
Artistic director Raymond Murray, a
veteran of film festivals for decades and the head of TLA Entertainment Group, who are the signature sponsor/producer of
this year's event, and his team of curators, Carol Coombes, associate artistic
director (formerly of Miami LGBT FF and the British Film Institute's London FF
and London LGBT FF), Lewis Tice, Scott Johnston, Jennifer Steinberg, Nicole
Ross and others, have amassed a "cinematic
orgy for ravenous film-lovers" over the 12 day period.
 Some festival highlights are two new series, "Fade to Black: Perspectives in Black Cinema" and "The French Reconnection" (with actor
Julien Baumgartner representing "The Joys of Singing"), among signature favorites,
"Danger After Dark," "Cinema of the Muslim World," "International Comedies" and
"Latino Cinema Today." Two other important series are the "Festival of Independents presented by Dive," premiering films by regional
filmmakers, and "The Quay Brothers
Animation Tribute presented by the University of the Arts."
This year's selection of films is about all kinds of topics, from sports: "The Perfect Season," about the
Phillies winning the World Series with the trophy and the Philly Phanatic in
attendance, "Love, Soccer and Other Categories," "Tyson," (with director James
Toback in attendance) "Sugar," and "Phantom Punch," to food, "Pressure Cooker," "Chef's
Special" and "Food, Inc., to law, "Jury Duty," to art and music, "Rock Prophecies" (with director John Chester in
attendance), "Sita Sings the Blues," "Art & Copy," and "Herb and Dorothy"
(with Dorothy and Herb Vogel, the subjects of the documentary about their
world-class art collections.) to queer
issues, "Of Time and the City," "The Country Teacher," "A Beautiful
Person," "Mommy Is at the
Hairdresser's," "Training Rules," "Not Quite Hollywood" and "Lymelife," the
closing night film.
Headliners coming to Philadelphia will include: Jeff Daniels receiving the Artistic Achievement Award for Acting
(and premiering "The Answer Man"), the Fade to Black Quest Award presented to Alfre Woodard (premiering "American
Violet") and the Vision Award presented by the University of the Arts and the
festival to the (Stephen and Timothy) Quay
Brothers.
Other guests will include: Connie
Stevens, producer/director/screenwriter of the world premiere of "Saving
Grace B. Jones," starring Tatum O'Neal,
directors Jake Willing and Violet Mendoza's "No Boundaries," starring
Mark McGraw (son of Phillies legend
Tug McGraw and brother of singer Tim McGraw), director James Quattroch's "The Nail" The Story of Joey Nardone," starring Tony Luke, Jr., the local sandwich
king.
For tickets, call 267.765.9800, ext. 4; visit phillycinefest.com
[Thom Cardwell serves as the
Development Director for PFF/CineFest 09. This spring will be the 23rd festival
in the city that he has helped to produce.]
|
 |
Thom's Table on the Qt!
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2009 |
|
Zinc features
dinner for "Cezanne and Beyond"
 Zinc,
246 South 11th Street, Philadelphia,
will offer a special, $30 prix-fixe menu of Provence-inspired dishes, created
by chef-owner Olivier De Saint Martin,
in honor of "Cezanne and Beyond" exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art,
from now until May 17 at the 40-seat bistro.
How does a chef pair food to masterpiece paintings of the modern age?
"Paul Cezanne's paintings have a luxuriously
tactile quality; they are delicious to behold, much like a great meal,"
explained De Saint Martin. "Our menu pays homage to his roots in Provence, France,
with classic dishes like ratatouille, and innovative touches, like our 'palette au chocolat' dessert, a
selection of chocolate mousses served on a painter's palette."
Chef De Saint Martin's first-course
menu items include: Soupe au Pistou, Provencal minestrone soup with basil and
Scupions a la Provencale; entrees
like grilled salmon with ratatouille and saffron sauce and farm-raised chicken
with olives and basil stew; and desserts
like La Pomme de Cezanne a la Lavande, baked apple in pastry with lavender
caramel.
The dinner only restaurant is open
Tuesday through Sunday from 5 until 11 p.m. with Sunday Brunch being served
from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For more information, visit zincbarphilly.com 
|
|
Thom's Featured Culinary Event on the Qt!
|
 Saké to me! That's one of the things that you
might be saying during the 5th Annual Saké Fest, a celebration of the
rice-based Chinese-originated 5,000 year old drink later enhanced and refined
by the Japanese who embraced the drink as their own, will return to the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 1200 Market Street, in Center City,
Philadelphia, April 7, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Held each year during the Subaru Cherry
Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia, the Saké Fest introduces area
foodies to the popular Japanese drink that has versatility, similar to wine, in
being paired with everything from cheese and chocolate to the surprise of the
novice saké drinker and all varieties of ethnic foods. In fact, wine and saké share almost the same profile,
both beverages being profiled "for its fragrance, impact, sweet or dry finish,
acidity, presence and complexity."
"Samples of Japanese and American brands along with premium and several rare
sakés will be available, as will regionally micro brewed 'Jizake,' which means
small, regional saké brewer," explained Marnie
Old, an Internationally renowned wine educator and sommelier.
Old is only one of the many area food and beverage industry professionals who
will be participating in this year's Saké Fest. She said that many prominent chefs from area restaurants and catering facilities will
prepare and serve a selection of appetizers, cheeses and foods that will
complement the different types of saké. Pairing beverage with food is another
important aspect of the educating and discovering of the wonders of saké, according
to Old.
Tickets are $55 per person in advance online and $75 at the door (cash only).
All net proceeds will benefit the Japan
America Society of Greater Philadelphia.
For more information and tickets, visit sakefest.com
 |
|
|
What They Said:
copyrighted 2009 |
 What's not to love about Sharon Gless? Somehow the
gay-friendly actress naturally became a lesbian icon with her roles as Christine Cagney of the legendary "Cagney &
Lacey" (she turned down the role twice to the persistence of Barny
Rosenweig which makes Gless feel that 'actors aren't the best judges of
material') and Debbie Novotny (Showtime's long-running popular series, Queer as
Folk, a role she went after on her own, after firing her agent, who didn't want
her to go on "that filthy show"). But Gless has never actually played a lesbian
until now in her role in "Hannah Free." In an interview with journalist
Jerry L. Wheeler (OutFrontColorado, February 25, 2009), Gless said: "I have to say, honestly, I'm such a fan of
Claudia Allen--she writes women better than anyone I know. I'd read the stage
play [Hannah Free] many years ago, but I hadn't read this script, and I
accepted it just because it was her. I knew that it was going to be good and
when I read it, I actually called her up at two in the morning crying. She's a
wonderful, bawdy character--very, very funny. My character is in a nursing home
because she's fallen off a roof fixing it (laughs), and the woman she's loved
is in another wing in a coma, and one of the children she helped raise won't
let me see her to say goodbye."
____________________________
 Queer literary giant Don Weise, newly appointed publisher of Alyson
Books, an independent lesbian and gay press, isn't a household name, though he
should be and might become that. A veteran of the industry that is facing
economic challenges, with "tours of duty" at Carroll & Graf and Cleis
Press, the one-year owner of Alyson, Regent Media (that also owns The Advocate,
here! and gay.com, among other queer communications outlets) has high hopes for
Weise reviving the 28-years-old Alyson Books. Though he gradually cut back from
35 to 25 books a year, he'll continue to choose titles of self-help, erotica
and genre fiction. Weise will feature some of his specialties, memoir,
biography and history, with the inclusion of more books by people of color.
"What's impressive about Don [Weise] is how long he's been in the business, how
many people he knows and how much gay lit he's been involved with," said Liz
Scheier, an editor at the corporate Random House Publishing Group, who organized
LGBT literary events with him. She told The Advocate (February 2009), "All you have to do is walk through [New
York City's] Oscar Wilde Bookshop with him and watch him pick up 20 books he's
edited, while pointing out another 15 authors he knew when they were just
starting out and mentioning another 10 he saw at a party the night before."
Some of those might be Gore Vidal, Edward Albee and Leslie Feinberg. Some
party!
____________________________
 Megastar Barry Manilow faces off with the editors
(Details, April 2009) in the magazine's monthly "Wise Guy" column, talking
about his longtime Vegas gig, being treated like a king (literally, a la Elvis
style), what he calls his "geek" personality, his "brat" period during the
1970's (he says that fame does strange things to people), his humble background
and beginnings in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (where growing up the neighborhood was
so dangerous that taxi drivers refused to go over the bridge). Where do
you sleep these days in Vegas, your second but temporary home (he resides in
Palm Springs where he stays part of every week, only 25 minutes commuter flying
time from the strip) Manilow is asked? "I stay in Elvis' [Presley's] suite. Well, they redecorated it, but
it's like, 11,000 square feet, and it's all pink! With cherubs and
frescoes--it's so Las Vegas,
it's perfect. It's on, like the millionth floor, and it's got a pool outside
and a lawn. It's just overdone--it's overkill. Vegas is the land of overkill."
 |
|
|
Events on the Qt! |
|
Saturday (March 28)
 Shut Up & Dance 2009
For the seventeenth consecutive year, dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet join forces for Shut Up & Dance - a one-night-only benefit performance for MANNA at THE FORREST THEATRE (1114 Walnut Street) on SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM.
MANNA prepares and delivers delicious, nourishing meals and counsel for people at acute nutritional risk due to life-threatening illness, empowering those individuals to battle their illness and improve their quality of life.
Hosted by WXPN Morning Show Personality Michaela Majoun, Shut Up & Dance features original works, choreographed and performed by the dancers. Reserved seating tickets to Shut Up & Dance range from $50 to $100.
The evening's excitement will continue at the Shout with Sole: a spicy after-party with The Dancers from 9:30 PM to midnight at SoleFood Restaurant at Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 1200 Market Street. Hosted by DJ Robert Drake from WXPN, reserved after-party tickets can be purchased for $100.
All tickets can be purchased by calling 215-496-2662 x136, online at mannapa.org, and at MANNA (12 S. 23rd Street, Philadelphia, entrance on Ranstead Street), or at The Forrest Theatre Box Office on 3/28/09 beginning at 12:00 NOON.
Tuesday (April 7)
 Sake Fest 2009
Presented by Event Navigators
Tuesday 7 April 2009 6:00 - 8:30pm
Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Admission: $55 in advance online $75 at the door - CASH ONLY
Purchase tickets here
§ The Only Event of it's Kind in the Region!
§ Experience dozens of Saké varieties
§ Taste the Finest Japanese & US brands
§ Witness the Versatility of Saké
§ Learn how to pair Saké with any food
(Adults 21 & older only)
| |
