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queerVOICE
Prop. 8 Decision
James Duggan
copyright 2010
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"The evidence shows that the movement of marriage
away from a gendered institution and toward an institution free from
state-mandated gender roles reflects an evolution in the understanding of gender
rather than a change in marriage. The exclusion [of gays from marriage] exists
as an artifact of a time when the genders were seen as having distinct roles in
society and in marriage. That time has passed." U.S. District
Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker
Last week's
ruling by Judge Walker that California's
ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional was but a first round victory on
our road to the U.S. Supreme Court having to deal with the issue before them.
But there will be many legal hurdles along that way. Celebratory none the
less, our journey will take some time.
After the ruling, Walker immediately issued a stay on his
decision to allow for appeals to be filed. However, yesterday Walker issued an order to
lift the stay on August 18 at 5 PM PST. Walker's ruling stated
that any further stay would only harm those seeking same-sex marriages.
Advocates for the ban on same-sex marriage will
appeal that decision to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. But there is a question whether they have a
legal standing to make such an appeal since the case was against the State of California.
California's Republican Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown supported the lifting of
the stay and called for same-sex marriages to resume immediately.
The appeals process next step will be in front of
three randomly-selected judges of the 9th Circuit, located in San Francisco, who will then release a
written opinion. Whichever side loses this appeal they will file an
"en banc" complaint to be heard in front of 11 judges on the same
court.
After
the appeals court announces their decision, the losing side can then ask the
U.S. Supreme Court to take the case.
According
reports in Time magazine "legal experts say the Supreme Court will probably take
this case, but it may not if the appeals court reverses Walker's decision or voters reverse Prop. 8
on the ballot. That, after all this time in court, would render any decision
moot."
Whatever the process, we have scored a major
victory along our road to full equality
"Moral disapproval alone is an improper basis
on which to deny rights to gay men and lesbians," Walker wrote. "The evidence shows
conclusively that Proposition 8 enacts, without reason, a private moral view
that same-sex couples are inferior to opposite-sex couples." 
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What It Looks Like From Here
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2010 |
 Bar
AIDS
will launch in Philadelphia
for the first-time ever on August 26 as a way to raise money for local AIDS
service organizations. The citywide fundraiser will be a cooperative effort by
participating nonprofits who will share in the proceeds as the beneficiaries of
Bar AIDS. They include: ActionAIDS,
the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania,
Mazzoni Center
and Philadelphia FIGHT.
Billed as "mix one part night-on-the-two, two parts
fundraiser and a dash of HIV/AIDS awareness" you get Bar AIDS, something in
nature and structure to "Dining Out for Life."
Bar AIDS was originally founded in Chicago five years ago and has been expanding
in other parts of the country.
"We are thrilled that Bar AIDS will be in Philadelphia in 2010. It
has become a crowd favorite in Chicago, and I am
sure it will be a 'Must Do' event in the City of Brotherly Love, too," said Jim Flosi, founder and CEO of EdgeAlliance, the creators of Bar AIDS.
Mark Seaman, Director of Development for Philadelphia FIGHT said that the
response from local coffee houses to bars has been encouraging and expanding
ever since Bar AIDS was announced and the solicitations to businesses began.
Some of the participating venues will include: Café Cret, South Philly Tap Room, Fergie's
Pub, Tabu,
Knock, Woody's, Tavern on Camac,
La Bourse at Sofitel Hotel, City Tap House, Nineteen at the Philadelphia Park Hyatt at the Bellevue, and Bike Stop.
"AIDS as a public
health problem as not disappeared. The World Health Organization recently
announced that AIDS is now the No.1 killer of women between the ages of 18 and
44," said Seaman.
"Pennsylvania ranks No. 6 in the nation is
the number of people reported to be infected with the disease. And as recently
as 2008, new HIV infections in Philadelphia were occurring at a rate more than
five times the national average-more per capita than New York City," he added.
Seaman also is
spearheading a "call for volunteers"
to assist with the success of Bar AIDS on August 26. He explained that
volunteers will be asked "to sell raffle tickets and tell patrons at participating
locations why they should continue to make HIV/AIDS a priority."
Two brief training sessions for all volunteers will
be held at 5:30 pm on August 19 and 24 at ActionAIDS 1216 Arch St, 6th
floor, in Center City.
HIV/AIDS
awareness and education are something sorely needed after the latest reports and studies
came out at the recent World AIDS Conference last month in Vienna, indicated the spread of the
infection, especially in urban centers. As a volunteer for Bar AIDS this year,
you will be personally helping to raise the community's
level of sensitivity and prevention, even contributing against the AIDS-phobia
that exists in the queer community
today.
Why not join us-it's only one night of
volunteering?
For more information,
call Mark Seaman at 215.985.4448,
ext. 105; or visit fight.org
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Thom's Table
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2010 |
Philadelphia restaurateurs and
restaurant groups are expanding into other cities despite the economic
downturn.
 Cuba Libre
Restaurant & Rum Bar recently announced that it will open its fourth location in Washington, D.C., in
September.
Owners Barry
Gutin and Larry Cohen opened the
original Cuba
Libre, 10
South 2nd Street, Old
City, Philadelphia,
then a few years later opened their second location in Atlantic City; and their
third in Orlando.
The team made headlines a few months ago for
bringing esteemed executive chef, Jean-Marie
Lacroix, out of his very brief retirement, to become the chef-partner with
them of their famed Max & Me
Catering.
Congratulations and best of luck to them in
satisfying dinners in the nation's capital!
For more information, call 215.627.0666; or visit cubalibrerestaurant.com
General Manager Ettore Ceraso of Davio's
Northern Italian Steakhouse, 111
South 17th Street, Center City,
Philadelphia, recently announced that their
fourth restaurant opened this month in Atlanta.
This will make their fourth restaurant, Davio's
having originated in Boston and then
expanding to Foxborough,
Massachusetts, before venturing to Philadelphia several years ago, making it
the third location and first out of the home state.
Partners Steve
DiFillippo, Claude Guillaume and
Bennett Hollberg found the perfect
location for Davio's in Atlanta at Phipps Plaza (near Saks Fifth Avenue), 3500
Peachtree Road Northeast.
Bravo and best of luck to them in satisfying
dinners with their Southern palate!
For more information, call 215.563.4810; or visit davios.com
Owner Garth
Weldon of The Prime Rib,
1701 Locust St.,
off of Rittenhouse Square,
Center City,
Philadelphia,
is always coming up with irresistible offers at his civilized steakhouse at the
Radisson-Warwick Hotel.
His latest meal deal is being offered to summer
diners now through August 31. It's "15
for 15" where you can enjoy a 15
ounce cut of their famous Prime Rib for only $15, for one entrée only, per
person, and does not include tax and gratuity, side dishes (always a la carte)
and beverages.
You can book your reservations online at
opentable.com
For more information,
call 215.772.1701; or visit theprimerib.com
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What They Said and Did!
copyrighted 2010
| Is there an exciting, busy, demanding, dynamic, and
employable life after, well, 80? Yes and
more to this question if your America's sweetheart, actress Betty White,
whose perhaps reinvented herself, Madonna-like (or  has she always simply
remained herself with her own remarkable signature?), from "Mama's Place" to
"Golden Girls" (aka "Rose" and she truly is one) to now her "hit" show, "Hot in
Cleveland," with co-stars like Wendie Malick ("You Can't Have It All"). The
eighty-eight-year-old Hollywood veteran was given the last word on the last
page of "Vanity Fair" (August, 2010) where she shared "sound bites" about her
greatest happiness (being with animals) and her greatest extravagance (animal
charities) and her favorite occupation (being with animals) and her most
treasured possession (her golden retriever). What does White actually deplore
in her life? "Being an incurable
workaholic," she confesses. What qualities does she most value in men (a sense
of romance), women (a sense of humor), friends (kindness). What does she most
deplore in people (cruelty). Her life's motto? "Time heals all wounds," she
declares. Any regrets in life? "Losing Allen Ludden [her TV host show husband a
long time ago]," she answers. But what's now her current state of mind? In a
word, White said, "Europhic." ______________________________________ Queer singer, songwriter, and fashion model (he's
definitely a sexy dude), Joel Evan
has lived a career centered around his self identity. In his earlier modeling
days, he used the name, Jet Kanashi (the last name means "sorrow" in Japanese).
Now using his real name, he confessed "that  described me inside and out."
(OutWord Magazine, June 10-24, 2010). But he claims to have learned to live
with whatever sorrow he faces in life and has become, in his own words, "a new
person. I just wanted to be me, and that is what I am now, my real name." Two
months ago he launched his latest single, "Feelin' Dirty" that he worked on
with Scott Anderson of Solar
City. "'Feelin' dirty is
a completely new sound and style for me as an artist and I'm feelin' it! The
track will definitely make for some thrilling and rousing performances. (He
performed it at Sacramento Pride to great critical and audience acclaim in
June.) His previous album, "Embracing the Light," received rave notices from
music critics in both the United States
and Europe. "Beautiful Magazine," a blog site,
further introduced Evan to the rest
of the world, making him an International queer celebrity. That album, Evan explained "explored my take on the levels of
human existence, from the average gay next door to being on a quest for higher
enlightenment." He admits that his songwriting method is simple: "I write the words down that come to my
mind . . . These songs tell the stories of where I've been and where I want to
go." ______________________________________ The renaissance of interest about the central
figures of the Beat generation definitely hasn't lost its momentum, from
current films like the studio-driven, "Howl" starring Hollywood's latest
darling, James Franco, to  the Indie documentary, "William S. Burroughs: A Man
Within," that shared with the viewers some rare footage of Burroughs ("Naked
Lunch," "Queer," and "Junkie") with fellow Beat writer, Allen Ginsberg ("Howl,"
"Reality Sandwiches," "The Fall of America," "Mind Breaths"), the "beat" goes
on. (Both films premiered at Philadelphia QFest 2010 in July.) Now, it's good
timing, that "Jack
Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg: The Letters" (Viking) has just been
released. The 500 pages of correspondence captures the mutual respect,
admiration, jealousy, rivalry, conflict, tension, distrust that two literary
giants (remember Kerouac authored his seminal American masterpiece, "On the
Road,") writing at the same time and for the same audience, and, I think, the
subtext, love between the straight Kerouac and the queer Ginsberg. A love that
might not speak its name exactly but was there nevertheless, and one that
existed throughout their careers and lives but was never consummated. Listen to
an excerpt from one of the letters quoted in The New York Times (August 8,
2010): "Tonight while walking on the
waterfront in the angelic streets I suddenly wanted to tell you how wonderful I
think you are. God's angels are ravishing and fooling me. I saw a whore and an
old man in a lunch cart, and God-their faces! I wondered what god was up to,"Kerouac wrote to Ginsberg. In 1961, the by-then burnt-out Kerouac sadly wondered
about "the enthusiasms of younger men" and declared that their letters "will
make America
cry."
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Coming August 26 . . . Stay Alert for Details
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Do you...
...have something you want to say?
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...have a question you want answered?
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...have news you want to report?
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...have an announcement you want noticed?
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Then email it to
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