Yet more random thoughts from a New Yorker

Boy does it feel great to be back in the city! The past few days have felt like a long-awaited reunion with a loved one (in this case New York) whom I have not seen in several years (more like four months with a few brief interludes thrown in for good measure). Okay. Enough of the overtly-romantic Carrie Bradshaw-inspired cliches, but it remains great to be back home in the city I love after nearly four months on the beach.

A few of the random observations I noted to myself this weekend include a gaggle of gays in much better shape than I sunning themselves on the Christopher Street Pier in the post-Hanna sun yesterday, making homemade hummus for my roommate and his visiting friend from Ohio and watching gay men literally jump for joy inside Gym Bar after Serena Williams won the U.S. Open last night. Gotham is not all milk and honey, however, as the fact I locked myself out of my apartment for more than 12 hours because I failed to take the key to the outside door to my building off my key chain before heading to Krash in Manhattan. My friend Andre in Clinton Hill fortunately responded to my 3:30 a.m. text message and allowed me to crash in his apartment to the next day. I was tired and a hot mess because of the humidity, but at least Hanna's rains had yet to begin.

So there's my first New York weekend in more than four months in a nutshell. No politics. No beach. And most importantly no crazy share houses... and thanks to anyone who even remotely allowed me to indulge in a bit of Gotham romanticism a la Bradshaw!

Palin blasts media during RNC speech

With the seemingly endless scrutiny placed on her family and her own record in Alaska, it should come as no surprise Gov. Sarah Palin came out swinging against the media and other detractors during her prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul last night. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, all former running mates against nominee John McCain, echoed Palin's sentiments before she ascended to the stage. The self-described hockey mom followed suit in a performance that arguably came straight from the Republican playbook.

"I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone," Palin said. "But here's a little flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion--I'm going to Washington to serve the people this country."

Any mother would understandably cringe and even bristle at the coverage of their 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy, but this defiant proclamation that mocked the media
arguably came across as incredibly naive. It could also reinforce the argument she does not have the experience necessary for the position for which McCain has tapped. Journalists have a job to do and, for better or for worse, that includes finding out information about a particular candidate--or in this case a vice presidential nominee--and the process through which she was chosen. Palin's record in Alaska is among the many unanswered questions that remain fair game. Let's hope journalists continue to do their jobs and uphold the commitment they have to their readers and the public who want to know who Palin really is.

Fire Island to Bushwick

All good things must come to an end as the all too overused cliche goes. I will board the ferry in less than an hour and will return to Bushwick after nearly four months on the beach. I have honestly been ready to leave Ocean Beach and especially the house in which I have lived for several weeks, but it as truly been a great summer. Below is a commentary I wrote for the Fire Island News that we unfortunately did not have enough room to publish. See you on the flip side!


The end of the summer always presents a bittersweet pill to swallow. The nights grow a bit less balmy with each passing day and the vast majority of Fire Islanders will soon return to the mainland with a myriad of memories that defined their summer on the beach.

I will soon return to Brooklyn, but it remains an honor and a privilege to have had the opportunity to manage this season’s Fire Island News. A handful of my own myriad of memories include the annual Invasion of the Fire Island Pines, watching the sunrise over the beach at the Pines Party, the Fire Island Dance Festival and riding out a particularly nasty June squall line on a water taxi somewhere between Sailors Haven and Ocean Bay Park on the Great South Bay. Fire Island remains one of the most unique places in the world, and its people are certainly among the most interesting and dynamic.

To spend a season on the beach as an openly gay 27-year-old man is certainly one of the most amazing experiences of my life—for one I feel truly blessed. I was truly a pleasure to deliver what I hope proved a quality publication that brought the beach’s unique identity to Fire Islanders and visitors alike. Cheers to a great season and to a happy and healthy off-season.

John McCain taps Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as VP

Less than 24 hours after Barack Obama became the first black person to accept a leading party's presidential nomination, Republican rival John McCain stunned observers--and arguably political insiders--by tapping Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

McCain made the announcement in Dayton, Ohio, moments ago, and Palin introduced herself and her family to those inside the auditorium and the country. The McCain clearly wanted to tap into the potentially lucrative women's vote this November--and perhaps wanted to court Hillary Clinton supporters who may remain disenchanted with Obama's nomination. The question remains, however, who is Palin and what is in her closet. She has denied any wrongdoing, but state lawmakers launched an investigation into the matter.

Palin's conservative credentials have also come under close scrutiny. Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese was quick to criticize her support of a state constitutional amendment to ban marriage for same-sex couples that passed in 1998 and her opposition to an Alaska Supreme Court decision that mandated the state to extend benefits to the partners of its gay and lesbian employees--even though her veto essentially provided these benefits.

"America may not know much about Sarah Palin, but based on what our community has seen of her, we know enough," Solmonese said.

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan further criticized Palin for her stance against abortion.

"John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate proves just how rigid and extreme his administration would be when it comes to a woman's right to choose," she said.

McCain's decision to choose Palin is certainly historic, but a number of serious questions, including whether she has enough experience for the job, remain. She has a lot to prove in the next two months.

Democrats officially nominate Obama for President

After the longest presidential campaign in American history, the Democrats have formally nominated Barack Obama as their party's nominee for president. Former First Lady Hillary Clinton symbolically led the charge just moments ago that put an end to the roll call.

The history I just witnessed on ABC News cannot be understated. The camera panned to a woman of color in the audience who was wiping tears from her eyes as Clinton spoke. That image speaks for itself! Obama has become the first person of color nominated to head a major political party's presidential ticket. Today is one of which all Americans should be proud!

Back on the Beach

Tomorrow marks the last deadline day for the Fire Island News this summer, and I'm honestly feeling a bit bittersweet at the prospect of returning to Bushwick in a little more than a week. The season out here is always far too short, but all good things I suppose must come to an end...

At any rate, I returned to Fire Island around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Roughly the same thing greeted me upon my return to Ocean Beach: hordes of sun hungry day trippers flocking to the beach, the neurotic woman who owns the house in which I live and delayed water taxis. Another day in paradise as the Phil Collins song goes! One unwelcome development, however, occurred very early Sunday morning as I walked home from the dock. A group of stoned "youths" noticed a woman running to catch the last ferry. They joked for her to stop and then proceeded to tell me to keep on walking. One added the additional caveat that "I had better keep on walking."

I immediately began to make remarks back at them. I was exhausted after less than three hours sleep the night before and I had less than zero-tolerance for this stupidity. I refuse to tolerate homophobia in my personal life--and Ocean Beach is certainly no exception. I walked up to a Suffolk Police truck and began to point out the group of kids, but the officer quickly responded they had another call with which they had to deal. A busy night in Ocean Beach I suspect, but perhaps homophobic stupidity is not something they find particularly important...

... at the NLGJA convention in Washington

The common theme of a number of previous postings is the need to leave Fire Island for at least a few days in order to appreciate it even more. And my participation in the annual National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association convention in Washington certainly falls into that rather predictable pattern.

I just moderated a panel with Gay Wired Media editor Ross von Metzke, Advocate editor-in-chief Jon Barrett and Dallas Voice news editor John Wright. The conversation and accompanied questions from the audience were productive. And the feedback on my performance certainly brought me full circle in terms of my previous work history (those in the know are extremely familiar with what I mean!) These conferences, if anything, are a great opportunity to network with colleagues and to meet new contacts, friends and potentially more... as much as time allots of course!

Participants continue to arrive and the first welcoming event is less than an hour and 10 minutes away. Let the networking commence!

More random ramblings

Boy in Bushwick is actually at home today as he prepares to attend the annual National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Convention in Washington. Congressman Ron Paul is on the "Brian Lehrer Show" right now, American gymnast Shawn Johnson finally won her gold in Beijing and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's resignation has observers pondering the future of the country's (and the region's) stability.

I celebrated my 27th birthday on Fire Island this past Saturday with a number of cocktails and toasts, a dinner with friends in the Fire Island Pines and other activities I care not to disclose on this blog. More than 3,000 people packed the beach in the Pines on Sunday for the third annual Ascension Party to benefit both the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and the Fund in the Sun Foundation. The weather was beautiful and I quickly found myself dancing among the hordes of hot Chelsea boys, their admirers and even a Manhattan judicial candidate. This feat was amazing considering I had less than three hours of sleep the night before (again think back to those other activities I care not to disclose on this blog.)

My time on Fire Island is quickly coming to a close. The last issue of the Fire Island News hits the beach next Thursday, and the reality of returning to Brooklyn once again is fast approaching. All good things must, unfortunately, come to an end, but perhaps it came far too soon?

Local Democrats gear up for convention, general election

With the Democratic and Republican conventions two weeks away, local politicos continue to gear up to support their respective candidates and to continue to campaign on their behalf this fall. An article I wrote for both EDGE and the Fire Island News this week details these desires... and the fact it will become all politics all the time once again.


With the Democratic National Convention less than two weeks away, Democrats and activists from across the five boroughs are slated to travel to Denver.

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn [D-Chelsea], state Sen. Tom Duane [D-Chelsea], City Councilmember Rosie Mendez [D-Lower East Side] and United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten are among the nearly two dozen LGBT delegates to the convention. Doctor Marjorie Hill, chief executive officer for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, New York Transgender Rights Organization director Melissa Sklarz and political wunderkind Corey Johnson are among those who will travel to Denver as part of a variety of DNC committees.

In addition to preparations to attend the DNC, local, state and even national politicians have made several trips to Fire Island this summer to court potential voters and raise funds for their campaigns.

Democratic National Committee [DNC] Chair Howard Dean made his annual appearance in the Fire Island Pines on Sunday, Aug. 10, to attend a fundraiser for the Democratic Party. The former Vermont governor and 2004 presidential candidate appeared alongside openly gay Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank and DNC Treasurer and Pines resident Andy Tobias.

DNC officials had yet to tabulate the amount of money raised at the fundraiser as of press time, but Dean urged attendees to support Barack Obama this November.

"We are responsible for maintaining our own democracy-not me, but you," he said. "I believe our country is worth fighting for and this is what it’s all about."

Dean blasted President Bush on a whole host of issues that include the economy and the detention of terrorism suspects held at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. He added he feels alleged torture and other interrogation techniques used against these detainees have further jeopardized the country’s reputation abroad.

"That is the fundamental shame of what the Bush administration has done to our country and the world," Dean said.

He further criticized the administration for the way he feels it has mismanaged the War on Terror.

"We are not safer," Dean said. "We have lost 4,000 people. We are not winning the war in Afghanistan."

Dean also discussed LGBT rights. He signed the country’s first civil unions law in 2000 as governor of Vermont. These unions, domestic partnerships and marriage for same-sex couples are now legal in Massachusetts, California and more than half a dozen other states.

"The extraordinary thing has been since 2000, when George W. Bush took office, one state had marriage equivalency-mine," Dean said. "Now there’s nine. That’s amazing."

He further criticized presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain. Frank specifically referred to the landmark Lawrence vs. Texas decision that overturned the country’s remaining sodomy laws in 2003 as he stressed he feels voters should elect Obama.

"It is almost certain the next president will reshape the Supreme Court," he said. "We can’t afford John McCain."

New York Sen. Charles Schumer agreed. He appeared alongside U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell [D-Wash.] at a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on Aug. 2 that raised more than $120,000. The DSCC’s mission to elect a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate by supporting candidates in Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, New Hampshire and other battleground states.

Press was not allowed to attend the fundraiser, but Schumer, who had endorsed Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign, told WNYC reporter Amy Eddings in an Aug. 7 interview he feels Democrats are poised to pick up a significant number of Senate seats this November.

"The wind is clearly at our back," he said. "People want change." Schumer further conceded a number of former Clinton supporters remain upset the former First Lady will not garner her party’s nomination. He avoided a question about whether he feels Obama would choose Clinton as his running mate. Schumer did add, however, he remains confident the former First Lady will continue to support her former campaign trail rival.

"[She] knows how important it is to take back the government," he said. "These seven years of George Bush have been a disaster."

Schumer and Dean are not the only elected officials and other politicians who have stumped for votes and money on Fire Island this summer. Long Island Congressman Tim Bishop [D-Southampton] held a fundraiser in the Pines in late June, while Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian Foley, who seeks to unseat long-time incumbent state Sen. Caesar Trunzo [R-Brentwood] and Brookhaven Town Councilmember Tim Mazzei have also raised money on the beach in recent weeks. And openly lesbian New York City Council candidate Yetta Kurland is scheduled to hold a fundraiser in the Pines on Aug. 24.

State Assemblywoman Ginny Fields [D-Oakdale] held one of the more unique Fire Island political events on Aug. 2 with the second annual Ginny Fields look-a-like contest at Heaven n’ Earth in Cherry Grove.

Lola Galore and the partner of openly gay state Assemblyman Matthew Titone [D-Staten Island] proved imitation is really the most sincere form of flattery.

"Ginny doesn’t have a purse or a clutch," Titone’s partner pointed out as he dubbed himself Ginny from the Block. "She has a suitcase. That’s what this is all about."

State Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer [D-Far Rockaway], a candidate for Queens Borough President, and Islip Town Councilman Gene Parrington also joined Titone and Fields. It quickly became clear, however, Galore had won the competition.

She reflected upon her hard fought victory.

"I’m just here to celebrate with Ginny," the 2007 Cherry Grove Homecoming Queen said. "I love her and I want to support her."

Fields added she felt flattered by the local queens’ efforts. She feels it remains important to make time to connect with her island constituents and to learn about the issues.

"It’s terrific to have an elected official set their feet on the sand and boardwalks," Fields said.

HRC's Joe Solmonese discusses ENDA, Obama on Fire Island

There remains often intense debate within the movement for LGBT rights as to whether the Human Rights Campaign actually advocates on behalf of LGBT Americans--or is even a relevant force on Capitol Hill and around the country. The organization is, for better or for worse depending upon a person's perspective, remains the largest LGBT organization in the United States with an estimated 800,000 members and a $40 million annual budget.

HRC President Joe Solmonese was quick to point out this fact during our recent interview in the Fire Island Pines. We discussed, among other topics, Barack Obama, the prospects of marriage for same-sex couples in New York and the continued fallout over his decision to endorse a trans-exclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act last fall. The full article from EDGE is below.



Known among many as one of the cradles of the movement for LGBT rights, both the Fire Island Pines and neighboring Cherry Grove routinely draw some of the country’s most influential activists and elected officials. And Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese is the latest to make the trek to the beach.

He spoke to several supporters in the Pines on Aug. 9. Solmonese stressed one of his organization’s biggest priorities are to elect Barack Obama, pro-LGBT candidates in both the U.S. House and Senate and to secure marriage for same-sex couples in New York and other states.

"This is critical," he said.

Solmonese told EDGE in an exclusive interview earlier in the day he feels Fire Islanders remain a critical force in the movement in New York and around the country as activists in the state and around the country expand their efforts to extend nuptials to gays and lesbians.

He asserted their influence will only increase as the state and others move towards the possibility of allowing marriage for same-sex couples in the coming years.

"Someone may be here in the Pines and visiting from [Los Angeles], but the fight for marriage equality is about the next step towards marriage," he said. "It’s not just about New York."

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick overturned a 1913 law on July 31 that prevented gays and lesbians from other states from marrying in the Commonwealth. California became the second state to allow nuptials for same-sex couples to marry after a landmark state Supreme Court ruling took effect in June.

Anti-LGBT organizations successfully collected enough signatures to place an initiative on the ballot this November that would prohibit marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Solmonese expressed confidence this issue will not galvanize the electorate as it did during the 2004 Presidential election. He pointed to Iraq, the slumping economy and high gas prices as the issues on which he feels voters will focus.

"The electorate is so [singularly] focused on these issues and it won’t allow a candidate to change the subject," Solmonese said. "That’s good news."

He further criticized presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain for his opposition to the federal hate crimes bill and other pro-LGBT legislation. Solmonese stressed he feels Obama would work to ensure their passage if elected to the White House.

"Barack Obama is the key to all that happening," he said.

Appointed to head the HRC in March 2005, Solmonese’s most controversial decision remains his endorsement last fall of a version of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act without transgender-specific protections. More than 350 LGBT and allied organizations from around the country formed the United ENDA Coalition as a direct challenge to HRC’s decision. Solmonese maintains a trans-inclusive ENDA simply did not have enough support on Capitol Hill.

He conceded the subsequent debate over ENDA has been challenging for not only his organization but the entire movement. Solmonese maintained, however, the HRC remains committed to securing Congressional support for a trans-inclusive bill.

Solmonese further categorized United ENDA’s mission as "trying to kill the bill." Solmonese added more trans people have come to the HRC to see what they can do to help advance a trans-inclusive version of the bill.

He conceded, however, ENDA still faces a difficult road.

"Our community needs to understand... nothing gets done in a one- shot deal," Solmonese said. "That’s never been a way we’ve built complex and sweeping legislation in this country."

Despite persistent criticisms over its ENDA stance, Solmonese remains confident the HRC continues to have a positive impact on the lives of LGBT Americans. The organization counts roughly 800,000 members and has an annual budget of $40 million. And Solmonese said his membership remains enthusiastic about HRC’s mission and work in Washington and around the country.

"It’s important to remember these 800,000 [people] who continue to respond to what we ask them to do," he said. "There’s an awful lot of people who support us."

Solmonese further maintained a positive outlook towards his organization and its mission.

"Despite all the chatter... in the community, we remain singularly focused on the work ahead," he said.

An August Weekend on Fire Island

It's Monday morning and the predicted downpours have so far failed to materialize over Fire Island. The sun is out and a slight September-esque breeze is in the air--a perfect bookend to a very busy weekend.

Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean made his annual appearance in the Pines yesterday alongside DNC Treasurer Andy Tobias and openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank [D-Mass.]. Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese opened his fundraising pitch at a Saturday evening event with a reference to our interview in the harbor the previous morning. An underwear party at the Ice Palace, a breast cancer benefit in the Grove and Jack Schlegel's annual hat party in the Pines were among the other events that rounded out an extremely packed calendar.

The paper's second to last deadline is tomorrow. My birthday is this Saturday, and that serves as a personal reminder the summer is almost over. A lot has happened here on Fire Island in the three months I have been here--controversial citations issued by National Parks Service rangers in the Meatrack, more than 100 rescues on local beaches due to high surf and rip tides and even a performance by Broadway diva Bernadette Peters. What a summer it has been!

Author reads new book on trans kids on Lower East Side

Transgender and gender variant youth continue to gain more visibility in the media as a result of the high profile murder of Lawrence King inside his Oxnard, Calif., middle school and other crimes that have taken place across the country. This trend is not to say there are those who have a more positive experience or transition, but these young people continue to face innumerable problems as my article in EDGE New York about author Stephanie Brill's book "The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals" details.

There remains an extremely significant amount of ignorance and misunderstanding surrounding the transgender and gender variant experience. Brill told me one of the main reasons she and her colleague, Rachel Pepper, decided to write the book is because of the apparent lack of information available to parents and other family members of these children. She further stressed society needs to make some fundamental changes to accept these children as who they are. "The Transgender Child" certainly provides an opportunity to begin the process to achieve these goals.



With transgender and gender variant children gaining more visibility through the national media, Stephanie Brill and Rachel Pepper decided the time was right to detail the struggles with which these young people and their families struggle.

"The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals" examines a variety of topics that include how to identify a trans child, parental acceptance, response from teachers and classmates, medical and even legal issues. Brill held a reading at Bluestocking Books on the Lower East Side on Sunday, Aug. 3, in addition to singings and other events across the city to promote the book. She told EDGE in a recent telephone interview her work with trans and gender varient children through Gender Spectrum and other organizations motivated her to write "The Transgender Child."

"Through that work, I realized parents were struggling in isolation without access to information to help their children," Brill said.

She further described "The Transgender Child" as the first-of-its-kind book to offer resources and other information for the thousands of families she said are raising trans or gender-variant children. Cleis Press released it on June 1, but Brill reaffirmed her belief the increased publicity surrounding these issues only solidified her desire to write about them.

"It’s a great combination," she said.

Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey and Tyra Banks are among those who have either profiled trans or gender variant youth or examined the variety of issues they face on their programs over the past year. Brill contends Lawrence King’s murder inside an Oxnard, Calif., middle school in February and other cases, such as the death of Angie Zapata inside her Greeley, Colo., apartment on July 17, highlight the need for "greater cultural understanding" of trans or gender variant youth.

"We [societal] need to make some fundamental changes in allowing all members of society to be safe in who they are," Brill said.

Brill further stressed the perspective she brings into the book comes from love and acceptance-or a love-based philosophy.

"I really want everybody to be accepted for who they are and not have to hide or be afraid of being a target or being a target just because of who they are," she said. "We are a nation devoted to individuality and personal expression on many levels, and this is another level that needs to be accepted for children. This is just part of the normal expression of humanity."

Log onto www.genderspectrum.org/index for more information.

An 'away-cation' from Fire Island?

There comes a time towards the beginning of August when locals and seasonal residents alike begin to grow extremely weary of the influx of day trippers, weekenders and other temporary visitors who descend upon Fire Island each weekend. The thought of taking an 'away-cation' from the beach this week became an increasingly alluring thought as I waited for yet another late water taxi to take me home to Ocean Beach on Sunday morning. It was 3:30 a.m., and I was beat from a busy day covering a variety of political and LGBT fundraisers in the Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove--the beach is certainly a fantastic place to spend the summer, but rest assured of the fact I actually work to earn this privilege.

The thought of returning to Bushwick (yes, Bushwick) for a few days firmly planted itself into my mind until I woke up this morning to a refreshingly cool breeze and a crystal clear blue sky. The beautiful early-August morning quickly changed my mind, and I have delayed my Fire Island 'away-cation' by at least one day. I continue to earn my keep as a journalist-on-the-beach, however, in case anyone is at all curious.

Michelle's Law passes U.S. House

Growing up in Southeast Manchester [N.H.] throughout the 1990s, Michelle Morse was a familiar face. We rode the bus to school each day. We shared many of the same teachers. Our mothers attended Pop Warner cheerleading competitions across the state. I moved in New York upon graduation from the University of New Hampshire in May 2004, but news of her death from cancer in November 2005 hit me as a complete and utterly painful shock.

Doctors diagnosed Michelle with cancer during her junior year at Plymouth [N.H.] State University. She faced the agonizing decision of losing her health insurance coverage if she curtailed her studies because of her illness. Michelle chose to remain enrolled at PSU while embarking upon a brave and valiant fight against the disease. And her mother AnnMarie became a tireless advocate on her behalf and in support of those college students who must confront such an unfortunate and utterly unnecessary decision.

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch signed a bill known as "Michelle's Law" in January 2006, and members of the Granite State's Congressional delegation have introduced it in Washington. The U.S. House passed "Michelle's Law" yesterday in a move that represents a significant step forward in AnnMarie's effort to ensure nobody else has to endure the pain with which she and her family continue to deal. The bill also attempts to guarantee college students will never again have to face the cruel choice of risking the loss of their health insurance if they decide to curtail their course load to fight a serious illness.

The American health care system remains one of this country's most scandalous and disgraceful elements. "Michelle's Law" represents a direct challenge to a system that has failed countless millions of Americans. Michelle's legacy will continue to live on through her example and her mother's undying advocacy. I have no doubt she has a smile on her face tonight as she looks down upon the lawmakers in Washington who did the right thing yesterday. May you continue to rest in peace Michelle!

Life's a really good beach!

Yesterday's steady stream of severe thunderstorms may have made Fire Island one of the Tri-State's least desirable places yesterday, but the fine people over at Men's Fitness confirmed what most locals and visitors already know: the beach is one of the top 10 in the country.

The magazine singled out Sailors Haven, a beach between Cherry Grove and Point O' Woods, in a survey of the country's best beaches it published last month. The below article from the fifth issue of this summer's Fire Island News details how Men's Fitness came to its decision and how locals reacted. Their response was as you can probably imagine.


Most Fire Islanders already know their beaches are among the best in the country, and one publication confirmed what most of the News' loyal readers undoubtedly concluded long ago. Men's Fitness named Sailors Haven and Sunken Forest as one of its "10 Hot Spots to Visit This Summer" in an article posted on its Web site on June 16. Writer Devin Pratt described the strand as "one of the best-kept secrets on the East Coast." He further noted the beach provides the "perfect escape" from New York's hustle and bustle.

"With clean, lifeguard-protected beaches that are never crowded, Sailors Haven offers what most other New York beaches can't—peace and quiet," Pratt wrote. "In fact, it's not unusual to walk five or 10 minutes down the beach and not see another person."

The magazine further noted Sunken Forest's nature trails were another added bonus.

"It is a very precious jewel of the park," Fire Island National Seashore spokesperson Paula Valentine said. "We welcome them [visitors] to enjoy it and take the time to explore and appreciate the value that's preserved in a National Parks Service area like the Fire Island seashore."

Sailors Haven joins Island Beach State Park on the Jersey Shore, Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, South Padre Island in Texas, Venice and Zuma Beaches near Los Angeles, Lanikai Beach in Hawaii, Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and Cape Florida State Park near Miami on this year's list. Other South Shore beaches routinely rank among the country's best. Doctor Stephen Leatherman, the director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research who is known as Dr. Beach, ranked Coopers Beach in Southampton and Main Street in East Hampton as two of the country's best beaches in his annual list released earlier this year.

Suzanne Feynman and Joe Pitrelli, sunning themselves last Sunday in Sailors Haven, seemed pleasantly surprised upon learning of the prestigious ranking.

Feynman said she feels the beach is a best kept secret. Sayville resident Robert Belfield agreed.

"The beaches on the South Shore are some of the nicest beaches in the world," he said.

Log onto www.mensfitness.com/sports_and_recreation/outdoor_recreation/77 to read the full article. Also log onto FINS' Web site [www.nps.gov/fiis] for more information.

Activists and politicians seek to reduce summer anti-LGBT attacks

Hate crimes remain some of the most difficult things I have covered as a journalist. They are barbaric. They are gruesome. And they are most importantly reflective of broader prejudice, homophobia and other social ills that continue to leave a bitter stain on society.

Two incidents late last month and on July 7 in the five boroughs were yet another reminder anti-LGBT hate crimes remain a problem in New York. My article for EDGE details how local activists and politicians reacted, and what they say they hope will happen to lessen the incidents of these assaults. Let's hope they work.


As reports of anti-LGBT hate crimes continue to rise in many parts of the country, two incidents in the five boroughs within weeks of each other prove LGBT New Yorkers remain vulnerable to this violence.

A man and a woman attacked a gay man and his partner on a crowded 1 train late last month as they returned from volunteering at a Greenwich Village church. The second incident occurred at Carmen’s Place, a shelter for transgender youth in Astoria, on July 7. Four teenagers allegedly assaulted the Rev. Louis Braxton, Jr., the shelter’s director, with a paint bucket and other objects after he stopped them from attacking a trans woman who was reportedly dancing outside the Steinway Street facility.

The New York Police Department arrested four suspects shortly after the attack, but the first incident took place the day before hundreds of thousands of people poured into Manhattan for the city’s annual LGBT Pride parade. Politicians were quick to react.

"Homophobia must never be tolerated, but it is especially surprising and hurtful that such an attack could occur in the West Village so near to the birthplace of the LGBT movement, and the day before the [LGBT] Pride march," openly lesbian City Council Speaker Christine Quinn [D-Chelsea], openly gay state Sen. Tom Duane [D-Chelsea] and City Councilmember Alan Gerson [D-Tribeca] said in a statement released shortly after the attack took place. "June is the month that we celebrate the LGBT community in New York City and advocate for equal rights and the elimination of intolerance and prejudice, and this attack only goes to show that we still have a long way to go."

The Anti-Violence Project reports the number of reported anti-LGBT hate crimes spikes during the summer. This increase is due, in part, because of the greater visibility LGBT people have during Pride month festivities and other celebrations. The increased attention around the push for marriage for same-sex couples and other issues can also play a factor.

Duane told EDGE in a recent interview from his Manhattan office he feels working with the NYPD in neighborhoods with large LGBT populations is one way to prevent such attacks. He further pointed to a mobile command post on 14th Street during Pride as another potential deterrent.

"It’s an advertisement to gay bashers that they better think twice before they act on homophobic impulses," Duane said.

He added targeting LGBT New Yorkers through newsletters and e-mails are among the other ways to educate them about the potential risks they face from these attacks. And AVP executive director Sharon Stapel pointed to organizing and education through the city’s schools and community centers.

"We are talking about people who live their lives honestly with integrity," she said.

A number of anti-LGBT hate crimes have rocked New York in recent years. A car struck and killed Michael Sandy on the Belt Parkway in Sheepshead Bay in October 2006 as he attempted to flee three men and a teenager who attacked him after they lured him to an isolated beach along Jamaica Bay. A group of men robbed and beat performer Kevin Aviance after leaving an East Village bar in June 2006. Rashawn Brazell’s dismembered remains were found inside a Brooklyn subway tunnel and recycling plant in February 2005. And Richard McCullough stabbed Sakia Gunn to death after he and another man confronted the teen and a group of friends while they waited for a bus in downtown Newark in May 2003 after a night out in Manhattan.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Projects reported earlier this year the number of reported anti-LGBT hate crimes in New York dropped 14 percent in 2007. The state’s hate crimes law includes sexual orientation, but not gender identity and expression. But Stapel stressed, however, she feels New Yorkers across the five boroughs have an important role to play in preventing these attacks.

"As a community, as the LGBT community and as a society as a whole, we have to say this is unacceptable," she said. "We have to recognize that it’s all of our problem. As long as we tolerate violence in a community, we will continue to see violence in that community and other communities."

More Fire Island reflections

The beach in the Fire Island Pines provided locals and visitors alike with an escape from the heat.

Another weekend has come and gone on Fire Island and I am winding up my day at home in Ocean Beach. New Yorkers packed the beach in droves to escape the oppressive heat and humidity that have blanketed most of the Tri-State area over the last several days. My friend Paul made his Fire Island debut this weekend. And the Fire Island Dance Festival once again proved to be one of my favorite events of the season to cover.

My publisher and I have begun to realize the season is more than half over. The fifth issue of the Fire Island News hit the beach last Thursday, and I am almost scared to concede the not so tongue-in-cheek fantasy that is my summer on Fire Island will be over in just a few weeks. I remain completely blessed by this amazing opportunity. I often find myself pinching myself at the opportunities that have come before me in the last couple of months--the Invasion and my conversation with Caroline Rhea following yesterday's dance festival. All good things unfortunately must come to an end, but the next six weeks will almost certainly remain sweet indeed!

New Yorker cover sparks controversy

My publisher and I were putting the fifth issue of this season's Fire Island News to bed yesterday, so I didn't have time to opine about the brouhaha that erupted on Monday over the New Yorker cover that depicts Barack Obama in traditional Muslim clothing and his wife Michelle as a terrorist fist bumping inside the White House with a picture of Osama bin Laden on the wall and the American flag burning in the fire place.

Rumors and speculation surrounding the Obamas' religion and patriotism certainly persist, and the cover obviously attempted to provide some satirical commentary. The New Yorker's readership, which is largely wealthy and progressive Manhattanites and other Gothamites, arguably understood the statement the magazine's editors tried to make. The lesson from this week remains, however, the vast majority of the country does not think like the demographic to which the celebrated publication seeks to reach. The reactions are obviously very real. They touch a sensitive nerve within the Obama campaign and among its supporters and raise a number of questions over how the media continues to cover the ongoing election cycles.

Are the editors of the New Yorker anti-Muslim? Most likely not. But they must consider the impact these election-inspired satires have among a public that is already highly polarized and sensitive.

Gay bishop challenges exclusion from Anglican meeting

Openly gay New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson remains one of the most fascinating--and awe-inspiring--people I have interviewed, and his appearances in London over the last few days continue to prove that point well.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams excluded Robinson from the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference in an effort to prevent further schisms in the religious body, but the Associated Press and other media outlets have reported this decision has almost certainly backfired.

Robinson is an inspiration for millions of gay and lesbian people of faith around the world. He continues to profess his own unique brand of ministry to people, such as himself, who remain at the margins of society and in the communities in which they live. The Anglican Church obviously continues to struggle to maintain some sort of traditional identity that allows the power brokers found within it to keep a sense of control. Robinson represents a very clear and present threat to this hierarchical system. The church is arguably a stronger and frankly more viable institution with his presence and inclusive ministry.

Jackson's verbal misstep against Obama

I always welcome the opportunity to opine on something beyond the trials and tribulations of the movement for LGBT rights, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson's comments towards Barack Obama provide the perfect opportunity to do so.

The civil rights leader sparked consternation after he told a Fox News reporter before an interview he wanted to "cut his [Obama's] nuts off" in response to his "talking down to black people on this faith based..." Jackson, who was expressing his disagreement over Obama's recent comments in black churches about how men of color need to be better fathers, said he didn't realize the microphone was turned on before he made the comments, but they are the latest in a series of verbal missteps that have taken place throughout this campaign.

As with almost everything associated with this contest, however, the comments are simply part of an arguable much bigger picture that needs to be discussed. An argument can be clearly made Obama's candidacy and message transcends politics based on race and other identities--the post-racial politics if you will. Another possible theory is Obama's campaign poses a very real threat to Jackson and other so-called old school civil rights leaders. One thing remains clear: Obama's candidacy has certainly sparked an arguably long overdue conversation in this country about race and its continued implications. This debate will obviously continue.

A Fire Island Invasion

The Fourth of July has come and gone and Fire Island continues to slowly recover from the holiday weekend onslaught. The past few days featured a whirlwind of parties, barbecues, quick jumps into pools, dancing the night away and other activities endemic to the beach. The Invasion of the Fire Island Pines remains the highlight of these myriad of events.

Hundreds of drag queens board a ferry in Cherry Grove to invade the Pines each July 4. The late-John Whyte refused to serve a man dressed as a woman in 1975. Panzi and a group of fellow queens boarded a water taxi the following year and 'invaded' the Pines. The annual commemoration has become one of Fire Island's most revered and celebrated summer events. And this reporter, who donned a cheap Old Navy top, ripped blue jeans and gaudy jewelry as the incomparable Ciara Borealis, was among them.

Seeing thousands of people awaiting the ferry's arrival in the Pines remains one of the most exhilarating moments I have experienced both as a faux queen and a reporter. Fire Island may represent a lot of things to a lot of people--elitism, personal entitlement, a misguided social scene based on parties, drugs and sex, clique-like mentality--but one thing that remains true is the beach (and its events) is one of the most unique places in the world.

The price of progress?

As New Yorkers take time to mark the 39th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots--and their LGBT pride--it is important to take a moment to step back and examine the price so-called progress has had on revered pink institutions in the city and around the country.

The ongoing debate over the citations issued for disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance inside the Meat Rack on Fire Island last month, and the closure of Florent in the Meatpacking District on gay Pride Sunday are two examples of recent incidents or news stories that allow us to reflect upon recent developments. Both the Meat Rack and Florent have secured themselves in local LGBT popular culture. Both the Meat Rack and Florent either attract or have attracted a plethora of gay men and others. And both the Meat rack and Florent as a place in the hearts of more than a few New Yorkers.

The question becomes how progress has affected these two institutions (or perhaps more accurately venues). The Meat rack, while still secure in its place as a forum for sexual liberation, remains a venerable part of the Fire Island experience for many. Florent, on the other hand, became a venerable institution that attracted a wide variety of characters from the neighborhood and other areas. It has now closed while Fire Islanders continue to lament the Fire Island National Seashore's supposed intrusion into their once idyllic woods. Is this progress or is this a step back? The answer to this question certainly lays in the eyes of the beholder, but one thing is certain: the idea of progress continues, for better or worse depending upon one's perspective, continues to transform many pink institutions and venues throughout Gotham and its surrounding environs.

Citations in Fire Island Meatrack Spark Outrage

This story seems to continue to spark conversation and even gossip as the facts of what happened in the famed Meatrack become more and more clear. The article I posted to EDGE Fire Island yesterday certainly seem to clarify from the Fire Island National Seashore's perspective what happened. And it also seeks to report on the variety of reactions residents of both Cherry Grove and the Fire Island Pines continue to have. Stay tuned...


With the height of the all too-short summer season less than a week away, the news of possible arrests inside a strip of beach between Cherry Grove and the Fire Island Pines that has long been a popular cruising spot for gay men sent shock waves through the two hamlets.

The Fire Island National Seashore, which maintains jurisdiction over the Meat Rack, also known as the Carrington Tract, was quick to point out its rangers made no arrests. It did confirm to EDGE, however, they cited two people for disorderly conduct on June 15. Rangers restrained one of these men after he allegedly threw a substance into the weeds and attempted to run away. They cited him for possession of a controlled substance.

Three additional people received citations for disorderly conduct on June 21 for allegedly engaging in sexual activity within view of the trail. FINS spokesperson Paula Valentine categorically denied any raids or targeted policing of gay men inside the Meat Rack motivated these citations. She said the rangers issued them while on what she described as routine patrols-although the first two were issued during an orientation tour for new FINS seasonal staffers.

"They’re there to protect resources and protect people," Valentine said. "If they come across people engaged in activities that are inappropriate for a public place, they are going to have to respond to them."

She further noted FINS received additional funds from the National Parks Service to put more rangers on the beach this season. The seashore has also used this money to provide lifeguards on Barrett Beach, additional canoe and guided programs at both Watch Hill and the Sunken Forest and to resurface the boardwalk at Sailors Haven.

FINS again defended its rangers’ actions.

"Park rangers check for litter and vandalism and impacts to wildlife," it said in a statement released to journalists after a number of gay bloggers and Web sites began to report on what allegedly took place. "Park rangers are also there to provide first aid and emergency medical services. But when an illegal activity is encountered, they are obligated to do their jobs as federal law enforcement officers."

The citations, which many in both the Pines and the Grove initially concluded were arrests, sparked concern and even anger among a number of local residents. The Suffolk County Police Department arrested dozens of gay men during raids in the 1960s on sodomy, indecent exposure and other charges. Local activism eventually stopped these Meat Rack incursions, but these citations brought the issue back to the forefront for some.

"For 40 years, [things have] been running smoothly here," East End resident Philip Otten told EDGE on a recent Tuesday night at Island Breeze in the Grove. "People come here because of the freedom."

Mid-week patrons at Low Tea and Sip n’ Twirl in the Pines also discussed the citations-and resulting hubbub-as they enjoyed their beers and cocktails.

"It’s absolutely frustrating," one Pines resident, who identified himself as Andy, said. "This is an adult island. This is an island about non-censorship. People want to be free."

FINS acting superintendent Sean McGuinness met with members of both the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association and the Cherry Grove Property Owners Association to address local concerns. CGPOA president Larry Lane said McGuinness stressed to him "the issue is resolved" and "we should not have any further problems."

"I’m satisfied for the moment," Lane said. "We’re hoping there will be no further problems."

Valentine further stressed FINS will continue to work with both FIPPOA and CGPOA to respond to any further concerns.

"The key thing is mutual respect on both sides, from every aspect," she said.

Meatrack Update

This sign appeared on a bulletin board in Cherry Grove last Sunday after reports of arrests inside the Meatrack began to circulate wildly across Fire Island--and beyond. [Photo courtesy of Philip Otten]

With all of the gossip, rumor and even innuendo swirling across Fire Island and the gay blogosphere in recent days about what reportedly happened inside the Meatrack, it is important to point out rangers with the Fire Island National Seashore did not arrest anyone. They did, however, issue two citations for disorderly conduct and one for possession of a controlled substance on June 15 and three more for disorderly conduct on June 21. A FINS spokesperson stressed to me yesterday these citations are not part of any calculated attempt to target gay people or raids into the Meatrack, but rather are simply part of routine patrols.

FINS' budget this year provided additional resources to fund more patrols of stretches of beach over which it maintains jurisdiction. This fact explains the numerous accounts of people who said they have seen more rangers inside the Meatrack, also known as the Carrington Tract, in recent weeks. But it also did little to dampen the suspicion and downright outrage many in both Cherry Grove and the Fire Island Pines continued to express to me last night in both hamlets. These citations have certainly handed FINS some very unwelcome attention. And they have also shed an unwanted spotlight onto the Grove and the Pines. The story may fade into oblivion once the facts of what happened become clear, but it certainly opened a can of worms many on Fire Island thought had been permanently sealed long ago.

Arrests in the Meatrack?

A sudden illness kept me in bed for a majority of the past weekend here on Fire Island, but I did have enough energy to purchase two wigs, a playboy handbag and gaudy costume jewelry to compliment my upcoming Invasion costume. One story that stood out from the past several days, however, are the series of arrests that reportedly took place in the Meat Rack over the last two weekends.

A number of Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove residents told Boy in Bushwick over the last few days about these alleged patrols inside the strip of land, known as the Carrington Tract, between the gay hamlets. These sources reported National Park Service rangers reportedly issued summonses and tickets to those found engaging in public sex and urination. This blogger has yet to confirm these accounts, but it is certainly safe to say people in both hamlets are outraged over what has allegedly happened over the last two weeks. Log onto both the Fire Island News, EDGE Fire Island and this blog for further updates.

Buck Angel, a man with a pussy: LGB without the T

The debate over whether transgender people are actually included within the LGBT acronym the leaders of the movement for [gay and lesbian] rights have created certainly shows no signs of abating anytime soon. And the fact that more than a few gay men remain uncomfortable with transgender or gender variant people remains a reality within the movement.

My first ever Village Voice story, which appears in this year's Pride issue, examines what arguably remains a difficult topic about which to talk. Working for one of the country's largest LGBT advocacy organizations for a year and a half certainly provided some valuable insight for this story. And the article simply discusses a reality about which many people within remain arguably uncomfortable to talk.


As the undisputed king of transgender porn, Buck Angel thrives on his ability to deconstruct traditional notions of masculinity. He unabashedly promotes himself as a man with a pussy. Headlining the 2006 Black Party was a career high: "It was super-awesome—the audience was amazing," Angel says. "Everything was really positive."

That was, however, far from the universal view among the thousands of hyper-masculine attendees. The Black Party—the mega dance-and-flesh fest held every March at Roseland—reflects the hyper-masculine ideal that dominates gayborhoods like Hell's Kitchen, South Beach, and the Castro. Joe Jervis, live-blogging during the party, summed up the sentiments of many attendees: "Men who have been fucked, fisted, shackled, flogged, and pissed upon have finally crossed a lurid and yet rarely discussed carnal threshold. They have seen, in person, a pussy."

Angel himself concedes that his unconventional plumbing causes discomfort among gay men: "I don't conform to what you tell me I should do," he says. "The world is not black and white. Sexuality is not black and white. Gender is not black and white. And I'm putting that out there in your face."

Angel's performance at the Black Party was a direct challenge to the men who have pretty much run the gay-rights movement for decades. The transgendered—which encompasses anyone whose gender identity and expression doesn't fit into traditional masculine or feminine roles—may have helped instigate the 1969 police riots at the Stonewall Inn. But since then, the movement has endured an ongoing struggle to find its place at the table, even as it continues to become more institutionalized and more an accepted part of mainstream America.

Transpeople present a threat to the conformity of today's gay leaders. The faces of contemporary gay activism are the well-scrubbed visages of Ellen DeGeneres and gal pal (and soon wife) Portia de Rossi; Rosie O'Donnell and Kelli Carpenter; and such folks as Nathan Lane, Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson, and TV judge David Young. The Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation—two of the largest and most powerful national gay-rights groups in the country—put forward these trained spokespeople to mouth carefully crafted messages and talking points that effectively market their brand of lesbian and gay identity to a largely straight audience.

Despite some notable setbacks, this strategy has largely worked in creating what Suzanna Walters, chair of the Department of Gender Studies at Indiana University, calls "a model of tolerance and acceptance that perpetuates the message: 'We're here, we're queer, but we're no different than you.' That makes these mainstream organizations nervous about their hard-fought gains."

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, a Washington-based lobby, believes this situation has created tension between the transgendered on the one side, and gay men and lesbians on the other: "It becomes easy then to blame some other associated group for attracting the hate and disrespect," she says. "So passable non-trans gay people suspect transpeople—or even non-passable gay people—of being the problem."

Race is another factor. Kai Wright, author of Drifting Towards Love: Black, Brown, Gay and Coming of Age on the Streets of New York, believes that discomfort toward transgender or gender-variant people (sissies and butches) remains particularly entrenched among gay men of color.

"We're more sensitive to it, because the amount of gender policing we do among each other—casually and socially—is striking: Are you man enough, women enough, the right kind of woman?" Wright says. "As individuals, we struggle with gender nonconformity, because it is something that has been thrown at us so much."

This discomfort can be far-reaching. After last year's Gay Pride March, a male bouncer followed Khadijah Farmer, a 27-year-old black lesbian, into the women's restroom of Caliente Cab Company and demanded that she leave because her appearance was too masculine. Farmer received a $35,000 settlement that mandated the implementation of transgender sensitivity training for the popular restaurant's staff.

Michael Silverman, executive director of the New York–based Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, based Farmer's lawsuit on the city-wide anti-gender identity-discrimination law. The bouncer violated city regulations when he targeted Farmer because of what her lawyer described as "unconventional gender expression"—treatment hardly unique to Farmer. "Gender issues are still quite scary and uncomfortable for a lot of people," Silverman says. "It's sort of an us-versus-them, black-and-white, sun-and-moon scenario." But, he adds, "we aren't night and day, or black and white—we're all affected by these questions about gender-based discrimination."

The long-standing complaints by transgender activists that their gay counterparts haven't done enough are based on what they see as a visceral level of discomfort with the subject.

At least one prominent gay leader is willing to come clean about his own issues. Matt Foreman recently left his post as head of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for a position at a gay philanthropic organization. Before that, he headed the Empire State Pride Agenda, the state's major LGBT political lobby. While there, he sparked widespread outrage among New York transgender activists over his decision not to push for trans protections in the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act back in 2002. The bill had been languishing in Albany for three decades before it passed the state legislature. Foreman readily concedes that he feared including such protections would have jeopardized SONDA's passage. He maintains that gay-rights leaders have made significant strides since then: "The people who move the movement do get it," he says.

A highly contentious debate over the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act most clearly exposed the fault lines between the transgendered and the rest of the LGBT coalition. The bill was first introduced back in 1974 as a proposed amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act that would add sexual orientation to the federal non-discrimination statutes. As it turned out, gender identity and expression was only added to ENDA in the late 1990s.

Openly gay Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank introduced two versions of the bill last September—one that included gender identity and expression, and another that didn't—because he feared the inclusive bill did not have enough votes to withstand a challenge on the House floor. This tactic sparked the creation of a coalition of more than 370 local, statewide, and national LGBT organizations, largely spearheaded by Foreman, to support the inclusive bill.

However, the Human Rights Campaign remained conspicuously on the sidelines, even though the nation's largest gay-rights organization had endorsed Frank's bill. HRC has long faced criticism from activists for its perceived bowing and scraping to the D.C. status quo, but this latest maneuver caused Donna Rose, the only transgender member of its board, to resign. Activists staged boisterous and embarrassing protests outside the organization's annual black-tie dinners at the Hilton in midtown and in other cities around the country. The group Radical Homosexual Agenda unfurled a sign that read: "Can't Spell LGBT with HRC! Trans Power Now!"

Activists also unfurled a banner inside the hotel during HRC president Joe Solmonese's speech. Security guards quickly whisked them out, but the absence of two of the city's most prominent openly gay politicians, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and State Senator Tom Duane, who cited "scheduling conflicts," spoke even louder about HRC's freeze-out. "There was consensus and one rogue organization," Keisling dryly notes.

An HRC spokesperson declined repeated requests to comment for this story. Solmonese, however, has gone on record saying that HRC had changed its policy and would only support a trans-inclusive ENDA. This declaration, however, arrived less than a month before Frank introduced his bill. Pauline Park is speaking for most transgender activists when she complains that HRC "values relationships with people in power and access to power more than people in the community."

New York congressman and mayoral contender Anthony Weiner spoke passionately in favor of a transgender-inclusive ENDA on the House floor: "We should also make it clear to those who are watching this discussion: We're not going to negotiate against ourselves," he warned. "Some things are immutable—there are some civil rights that are immutable—and this is one of them."

For his part, Frank tells the Voice that transphobia had nothing to do with his decision to remove gender identity and expression from ENDA; the votes simply didn't add up. But Frank concedes that the "ick factor" among many members of Congress presents a significant impediment to passing an inclusive ENDA.

"Sexuality is a tricky question," he says. "You get into transgender—it embraces all of that—and you have people's fear and dislike of things that are different. Nobody is more different to an average person than a transgender person, and that makes them nervous."

Frank also believes that transgender activists have relied too heavily on mainstream LGBT groups to push the issue. "They haven't done any lobbying yet," he complained. "They insist the gay community will do it, and they are wrong to say the gay community will do it. They have done a very bad job."

Keisling categorically denies Frank's claim. She says that Frank had given her and other organizations their marching orders before last fall's controversy erupted. These included increasing their grassroots efforts outside the Beltway and focusing on specific members of Congress, whom Frank himself identified. "The LGBT movement and our lobbyists, to a large extent, followed Congressman Frank's lead on education around ENDA," she says. "It was his bill."

Keisling also bristles at the suggestion that transgender activists are riding on their gay counterparts' coattails: "Gay activists and organizations were and are, in fact, a very important and effective part of the lobbying for the inclusive ENDA."

Foreman also blasts Frank's criticisms as a way to cover his tracks: "Contrary to Mr. Frank's assertion, all gay activists, including HRC, had been lobbying hard for the inclusive ENDA—not just last year, but for many years before that," he says. "When Mr. Frank and other House leaders turned tail, every single major national and statewide organization—with the exception of HRC and the Log Cabin Republicans—mounted an all-out effort to get the inclusive ENDA back on the table. The scope and depth of this effort surprised the House leadership, and must have embarrassed Mr. Frank."

If anything, the ENDA debacle has emboldened Keisling and her cohorts to lobby Congress even harder. Tammy Baldwin, an openly lesbian Democratic congresswoman from Wisconsin, described her colleagues on the Hill as receptive to their efforts: "People were getting calls in their district offices and in their D.C. offices saying, 'Support a trans-inclusive ENDA,' " Baldwin tells the Voice.

Activists continue to criticize Frank for a willingness to take the "T" out of the LGBT coalition: "Barney is a hero in many ways, but he's hung up on trans issues," Foreman said. "I was once too, so I know all these bullshit arguments inside out."

Frank calls "the transphobic thing" silly. "It's kind of an emotional outburst," he says. "It is easier to yell at your allies than to go out and convert your opponents."

Back in the clubs, bars, and dance floors where the real changes in consciousness occur, however, Buck Angel's career as a man with a pussy continues apace. And he remains as defiant as ever: "There are no rules, as far as I'm concerned," Angel says. "Nobody can deny I am a man. I am not conforming to anyone who says I'm not. Nobody can tell me different."

California same-sex couples to start marrying today

The question of whether marriage for same-sex couples is an issue on which the broader movement for lesbian and gay (and transgender) rights should focus a significant amount of time, energy and especially money is one with several answers. There is an arguable groundswell of people within it who contend this issue is the most important civil rights concern of their generation. There are others who contend marriage is nothing more than a narrow sighted attempt to assimilate into heterosexual society. And there are those who maintain the push for marriage for gay and lesbian couples comes at the expense of anti-LGBT hate crime legislation, socio-economic and racial justice for LGBT people of color and other arguably more important issues.

This debate will certainly continue, but those couples in California who plan to pronounce their commitment to each other before their friends, families and communities starting today will almost certainly celebrate the date for what it is--a groundbreaking milestone towards equality and justice for all. Not everyone in LGBT America will get married. And there are certainly those who may deliberately shun this societal institution, but the choice as to whether one should get married should not lay with the government. Love is love. Commitment is commitment. And the couples who will begin to walk down the aisle today in the Golden State are certainly ready to legally express that reality.

Congratulations!

Fire Island theatre experiences renaissance

Fire Island was, in many ways, an escape for New York's theatre elite as far back as the late 1800s. Oscar Wilde and Christopher Isherwood are among those from Broadway, off-Broadway and other genres who could have been seen on the beach or at then Duffy's Hotel in Cherry Grove.

Local residents are often quick to point out how they feel the Grove is making a come back after years of decline after the AIDS epidemic largely decimated the hamlet in the 1980s and early 1990s. And this season's line-up seems to accurately prove that argument as I reported in EDGE Fire Island.

Many are quick to point out the Grove--and Fire Island in general--is one of the most beautiful places in the world. This writer is inclined to agree, and those within New York's theatre and Broadway elite appear to agree.


As the peak of the all too short summer season on the beach fast approaches, both Cherry Grove and the Fire Island Pines continue to play host to a variety of playwrights, actors, musicians and other fixtures on New York’s theatre, cabaret and concert scene.

Comedienne Michele Balan, Elaine St. George, Jacqueline Jonée and Rose Levine are among the performers slated to appear at the Grove’s Community House this season. The Arts Project of Cherry Grove will also stage its 10th annual "Ocean Aires: Rated X" on Saturday, June 14, and "I Love New York" on Saturday, June 21. "Our Favorite Things" will also show during Labor Day weekend.

Christopher Phillips, a board member for the Arts Project of Cherry Grove, told EDGE in a recent interview these performances and appearances provide local audiences with a unique experience not usually found in traditional venues.

"You really do get a much more intimate view... than anywhere else," he said.

Richard LaFrance, founder and artistic director of the Island Repertory Theatre in the Grove, agreed. Steven Fales will bring "Confessions of a Mormon Boy" to the beach next month. And IRT will stage its adaptation of "Sordid Lives" in August. La France said he feels these productions continue to put local theatre on the map.

"It makes me feel very proud of the work we’re doing out here," he said. "Well-known people in the theatre want to come here-that’s the honor."

In the neighboring Pines, Malcolm Gets and Melissa Errico’s performance at Whyte Hall earlier this month are the latest in a series of concerts and other events on a Fire Island Pines Arts Project calendar that includes Brian Stokes Mitchell ("Man of la Mancha" and "Ragtime"), pianist Henry Wong Doe and vocalist John Putnam.

"[FIPAP] has a long history of bringing arts and culture to the Pines," FIPAP board member Mark Ricigliano said. "As we hold [onto] that tradition, we continue to expand our offerings, from a craft show and comedians and now a cabaret series and classical piano concert."

New York’s theatre and Broadway elite have summered on Fire Island-and especially in the Grove-since the late 1800s. Playwright Oscar Wilde, Catalan actor and bandleader Xavier Cugat, actresses Paulette Goodard and Arlene Francis and gay author Christopher Isherwood are among those who frequented the hamlet during its heyday.

Phillips stressed his hope the APCG’s line-up this summer proves actors and other performers are once again drawn to the Grove.

"The fact these performers want to perform in Cherry Grove is because they feel at home here," he said. "They feel they are with their own."

LaFrance agreed.

"[People] are also coming to Cherry Grove now for the theatre," he said. "We’ve always thought of it as... alternative entertainment, and people do come from all over to see our shows. Theatre is always good for a community."

Log onto Arts Project of Cherry Grove, Island Repertory Theatre and Fire Island Pines Arts Project for more information.

Random reflections from New York

With Pride month in full-swing here in New York, a number of random thoughts continue to go through my mind as I sit in my apartment in Bushwick at this late hour. They include how I can possibly attend at least one Pride-related event over the next two weeks, the joy I felt talking with two Daily News reporters at B Bar in the East Village last night and the anxious feeling I have about my cover story for the Village Voice Pride issue that comes out next Wednesday. This blog is more or less the equivalent of Carrie Bradshaw writing about her socks during an episode in season four of "Sex and the City," or more accurately me simply scraping the bottom of the barrel after hours of writing and editing stories for EDGE.

The parallel to my random thoughts is LGBT New York, as an entity, is arguably a combination of random events, people, occurrences, etc. that are drawn together in some sort of systematic combination of politics, culture and mere existence. These events, people, occurrences and other things all help to create the gay (or lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or gender non-conforming) world in which many of us live. The reality that is gay and lesbian Fire Island remains alive and well for me. Randomness, on the other hand, such as this blog, help to at least slightly alter it.

Fire Island with a slice of turbulence

This sailboat battens down the hatches as a powerful squall line descends upon Cherry Grove on Sunday, June 8.

Another weekend has passed and I'm enjoying the relative cool of Fire Island this morning before I head back into the city later this afternoon. The hot and humid weather over the Tri State during the last few days certainly drew more than a few weary city goers to the beach. It's still very early in the season, however, so the crowds were more manageable than what one may expect.

That said, this weekend marks the start of our third issue. And I spent the weekend capturing the beach's latest swimsuit fashions--no joke! I also interviewed WNYC host Richard Hake at his share in the Pines and spent yet another Saturday night partying in the Grove with new and old friends. I also watched thunderstorms develop over Long Island--the mainland as native Fire Islanders call it--from the roof deck at Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias' and his partner, designer Charles Nolan, yesterday afternoon. These storms turned into a very nasty squall line that raked the beach around 6 p.m. I had the unenviable privilege of riding this storm out on a water taxi between the Grove and Ocean Bay Park with two tweenagers and their parents. I can joke now hazard pay is not included in my compensation with the Fire Island News, but the trip certainly made for a turbulent end to a hot and humid weekend on the beach.

A new era

The New Hampshire primary, which took place on January 8, seems like a arguable distant memory.

The think overcast that hung over Fire Island today cannot contain the excitement of millions of Americans, myself included, over the history that was made last night. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama clinched his party's nomination after a campaign that lasted 16 months. I endorsed him earlier this year ahead of the New Hampshire primary. I continue to support his candidacy, and the site of him announcing his victory in St. Paul last night was nothing short of monumental out of the sheer fact he is the first black person in this country who could arguably become president.

The last 16 months have certainly exposed me to an extremely diverse range of political views. Operatives who represented the candidates on both sides of the aisle guaranteed this journalist had more than his share of material on which to base his coverage. Growing up in New Hampshire gave me a unique perspective as to how the process works--and how candidates try to home their messages, etc. And it's arguably a huge relief that this lengthy process has come to an end. But all of us--even those who backed New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who herself made history with her very strong and determined campaign--can eventually take some solace in the fact Democrats have nominated a black man as their candidate for the White House. This nomination indeed marks a new era in American politics.

A quiet kick-off to Pride month

Another quiet weekend has passed here on Fire Island, but gays and lesbians across the country continue to gear up for the frenzy of parties, marches and other events that traditionally mark Pride month.

Thousands of New Yorkers from across the city descended upon Jackson Heights yesterday for the annual Queens Pride march and street festival while thousands of others gathered in Asbury Park for the 17th annual Jersey Pride. Thunderstorms and torrential downpours largely dampened the annual Out in Sayville festivities here on Fire Island and across the Great South Bay on the mainland, but local drag queens still put on quite a show at Cherry's in Cherry Grove on Saturday night.

The gay ideal–for a lack of a better categorization–has become something of a cliché as pop culture continues to embrace it. Ellen, Carson and Stamford (for those queens who love "Sex and the City") have become everyone's best friends–or at least those who have cable television. The visibility these figures bring is certainly something all of us should celebrate, but the fact remains, however, millions of LGBT people across the country have yet to achieve this very basic of goals. Their parents still kick them out of their homes. Their neighbors still taunt them with anti-LGBT epithets. Governments around the world continue to persecute them. We are doomed to fail as a people if we neglect to recognize our own history–and struggle towards this thing we call equality and justice. Pride month provides all of us an opportunity to remember this history as we celebrate ourselves and the arguable progress we have achieved both as individuals and as a group... so on that socially conscious note: happy Pride!

New York to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages

As activists continue to applaud the California Supreme Court for ruling in favor of nuptials for same-sex couples, New York Gov. David Paterson has directed all state agencies to recognize these unions performed in Massachusetts, Canada and other jurisdictions where they are legal.

This mandate comes in response to a state Appellate Court decision earlier this year that found Patricia Martinez, an employee at Monroe Community College in Rochester who married her partner in Canada, could not be denied health benefits because of the long-standing precedent of recognizing marriages of same-sex couples legally performed in other jurisdictions. The Court of Appeals rejected the college's appeal, and Paterson's directive seems to put New York State on something of a fast-track to extend marriage to same-sex couples here.

Activists continue to pin their hopes for this reality on a Democratic-controlled state Senate next year, but Paterson's directly certainly puts additional wind into their sails as they set their sites towards that goal.

Seven years and counting

Life is often marked by personal and professional milestones and today marks seven years since I came out to myself. I made that fateful decision while waiting for my clothes to dry at a laundromat in Bristol, New Hampshire. It was a cool and rainy May morning, and I had just completed an intense leadership development program sponsored by my alma mater, the University of New Hampshire. I had come to the realization during the five day program that I needed to acknowledge what I had long suspected and come clean -- for a lack of a better categorization -- to myself. One of my group's co-facilitators, who remains one of my best friends, followed a similar path the year before, and his guidance remains an immense source of strength and inspiration. I came out to myself as a bisexual man via my journal, but the rest is... well... history...

Coming out remains a life-changing decision for the arguable vast majority of LGBT people in this country and around the world. One of the more hurtful things that came out as a result of my experience was a gay man at UNH who rather arrogantly tried to convince me of my own personal internalized homophobia in order to potentially justify his own self-imposed superiority complex. I was 19, but words, as they say, truly hurt and it took me a long time to eventually move beyond them. But coming out truly transformed my life. I was finally honest with myself, and the process put me onto the path which eventually brought me to New York, to Fire Island and to this craft we call journalism. What a truly magnificent ride it has been!

A pre-summer share

With jubilation over last Thursday's landmark California Supreme Court decision, a recent ruling on the integrity of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and other pro-LGBT developments over recent months, an easy cliche can be made in terms of activists and others taking some much needed time off -- or at least a few days over this Memorial Day weekend.

My pre-summer share, if you will, on Fire Island began last Friday under cool and rainy day and raw temperatures, but the Mr. Fire Island Leather contest and other events throughout the Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove prove summer lays just around the corner. This island remains a celebration of fantasy and hedonism in many ways, but it rather selfishly feels good to escape the city for a day, a night, or in my case the summer. The beach is waiting, but enjoy a few hours, or days, away from the computer, blackberry and Internet and enjoy the weekend...

Another pre-season Fire Island perspective

This leatherman (he repeatedly requested Boy in Bushwick omit his actual name from this blog) serenades an all too eager crowd at the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove with his rendition of "Bolero" on an accordion clad only in his leather jock strap.



The weekend has come and gone here on Fire Island and I have a few minutes to post what remains a relatively long overdue update of the last few days.

The weather on the beach was absolutely dreadful -- rain with a steady northeast breeze and raw temperatures -- on Friday afternoon upon my arrival with suitcase, two bags full of groceries and my trusty laptop in hand or on shoulder. The weather improved dramatically on Saturday, and I have an ever-darker tan from my day spent running around the beach after the annual Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association meeting.

Leather men from across the region descended upon Cherry Grove for the eighth annual Mr. Fire Island Leather contest. An orgy featuring Gefil Tefish feeding the winner, who entertained this writer and the crowd with his Meat Rack fantasy that included a performance of "Bolero" on his accordion wearing only a leather jock strap and boots, grapes and a bar boy serving him a dildo on a silver platter. To take a page out of Paris Hilton's arguably limited lexicon; it was hot!

Fire Island remains a place to escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. This blog will almost certainly continue to reiterate this talking point about the beach throughout the season -- to the point which it may become nothing more than an overstated cliche. But that fact remains part and parcel of this beautiful beach... and of course the leather men in chaps, jock straps and various metal accountrements are part of the local charm!

California extends marriage to same-sex couples

The collective movement for LGBT rights and its allies continues to rejoice in response to the California Supreme Court's ruling earlier today that overturned the Golden State's ban on marriage for same-sex couples. Activists across the country had prepared for months -- and even years -- for this decision, and they immediately applauded the landmark ruling.

"There is no more important and deeply personal decision than whether to take on the commitment of marriage," Shannon Minter Price, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said in a statement released shortly after the court announced its decision. "With today's ruling, the California Supreme Court declared that lesbians and gay men have an equal right to make that cherished commitment."

Equality California executive director Geoff Kors agreed.

"The California Constitution was written to protect the freedoms and equality of all people, creating a place where every person can realize his or her hopes and dreams," he said. "That is the California we choose to live in - a state that ensures dignity and respect for its diverse communities and families."

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has indicated he plans to respect the decision. He expressed opposition to a proposed amendment to ban marriage for same-sex couples during the Log Cabin Republican's annual convention last month in San Diego. Activists expect opponents of same-sex nuptials will seek to overturn the ruling, but Kors remains confident Californians will support the decision.

"We are confident that Californians will respect the court's ruling for fairness and opportunity and affirm that lesbian and gay Californians deserve full equality under the law," he said.

Yet another hypocrite revealed

New York has experienced a bumper crop of political scandals this season with former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's resignation after his trysts with a prostitute came to light, the revelations surrounding Gov. David Paterson's private life and the New York City Council slush fund scandal that threatened to derail openly lesbian Speaker Christine Quinn's mayoral aspirations. And married Staten Island Congressman Vito Fossella's DUI arrest earlier this month after he visited his daughter with another woman is the latest in this laundry list of indiscretions from our elected officials.

Fossella's transgressions, however, also add him to the long list of so-called family values politicians who emerge as nothing more than hypocrites. The Daily News reported yesterday he refuses to attend family gatherings if his lesbian sister Victoria and her partner are in attendance. Fossella also voted for the federal Marriage Protection Amendment. He supported a bill that would have banned funding for gay couples to adopt children. And Fossella also called upon the Department of Housing and Urban Development to withhold funding for San Francisco unless the city repealed its domestic partner benefits.

Fossella has clearly used gays and lesbians to enhance his reputation among those in Brooklyn and on Staten Island who voted him into office. But even he cannot live up to the narrow definition of family values he and other like-minded hypocrites continue to put forth in the name of political posturing. And he now finds himself laying in the bed he made for himself. Way to go Vito!

A May weekend on Fire Island

I write this blog from the Fire Island News office in Ocean Beach on this cool and increasingly cloudy Sunday afternoon. A cool ocean breeze continues to blow off the 50 degree Atlantic as I await the ferry to bring me back to the mainland. But this cool Sunday afternoon marks the end of my first weekend on Fire Island this season.

Things here in Ocean Beach look more or less the same, but Cherry Grove was abuzz last night with the opening night at the Ice Palace. Long-time resident Sal Piro will manage the ageing complex this season, and it was a rare packed house last night with Porsche, Bella, Rose Levine and an uber-cute new bartender named Evan.

I spent the previous hours in the Pines with my publisher before heading to the Pines Conservation Society fundraiser in Whyte Hall. It makes the unofficial start of the Pines social calendar, and it was truly wonderful to reconnect with long-time contacts and friends, and to make new ones. Architect Scott Bromley even brought me up to the DJ booth that overlooked the scene below.

I am the first person to proclaim one should not take Fire Island too seriously -- after all, it is largely a seasonal enclave south of Long Island where people largely come out to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. But the beach has a charm and identity all its own. The people certainly create the uniqueness that has defined Fire Island over the decades. And I remain blessed to be back out here once again.

What is diversity?

The question posed in the headline is one I have asked myself over the last few days upon my return from New Hampshire on Tuesday afternoon. The University of New Hampshire inducted 17 alumni, including myself, into its Diversity Hall of Fame last Sunday in a ceremony that was followed by a gala dinner on campus in Durham. I reconnected with two classmates I had not seen since I moved to New York. My parents and good friend Adam joined me at the ceremony, and I truly felt honored to attend. That said; I was shocked and somewhat puzzled to receive a Facebook message from one of my fellow inductees that implies his concept of God disapproves homosexuality.

This person made the argument in the context of people following the "logic of the "Social Justice" movement" and how "this movement is not always aligned with GOD!" This person further pointed to how "the Social Justice movement is now being used to push forward the agenda of homosexuality." And this person concludes the "Bible is clear with this issue, and it is important that we do not start to out-think GOD whose ways and thoughts are much higher than ours!"

The UNH administrators who organized the Diversity Hall of Fame certainly have the best of intentions. They are honorable people with the noblest of intentions to raise the profile of non-white heterosexual people in a state where the population remains more than 90 percent Caucasian. This charge is very honorable. But I do question the process through which the nominees are chosen in the context of this person's homophobic comments. I am a 26-year-old gay man who grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire. I am proud of who I am. And I am equally as proud of the work I did during my undergraduate career to advance inclusion and diversity at UNH. But I fear, however, this person's nomination threatens to make a farce out of an event that promised to celebrate those who advance inclusion and diversity in their respective post-UNH communities. These comments fail to deliver on both of these promises. And university officials should look beyond their fundraising and recruitment goals in future attempts to define diversity. This alum expects nothing less.

Boston and the family

It's a beautiful Monday afternoon as I sit outside Quincy Market in Boston having lunch between meetings. I brought my cats to my parents' house in New Hampshire on Friday, and the University of New Hampshire inducted me into its Diversity Hall of Fame in Durham on Saturday. I head back to Brooklyn tomorrow morning, but I leave here with additional piece of mind after coming out to my Aunt Cheryl last night.

This process is a long and often difficult one for many LGBT people in this country and around the world. Many people who have come out to their friends and especially family arguably take their acceptance and support for granted. I have felt particularly drawn to my aunt since I met her a few years ago. She is a very cosmopolitan woman with friends from a variety of diverse backgrounds. My cousins equally embrace this diversity, and it felt almost mandatory to talk about my sexual orientation last night. My aunt and I were talking as she was preparing dinner. My cousin came in and joked my grandmother would diapprove of both of our lifestyles. We all laughed, and that was the end of it. No dramatic speech. No awkward attempts to explain why I like men. It was a simple 10 second conversation that gave me additional peace of mind before we sat down for salmon, sausages and steak. It was a wonderful evening with the family.

Boy in Bushwick celebrates 10,000 hits

As this writer prepares to leave for New Hampshire tomorrow to attend an awards ceremony at the University of New Hampshire, I am proud to report that Boy in Bushwick achieved 10,000 hits yesterday morning.

I launched this blog as a way to reclaim my voice upon my departure from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in February 2007. In many ways it has evolved into a place where I can express my editorial voice. People across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and in countries, including Saudi Arabia, have all logged on to read my thoughts about the movement for LGBT rights and the city in which I live. I thank those who have taken the time to read the blog, and I look forward to another 10,000 hits.