boston pride guide 2013

BOSTON PRIDE GUIDE 2013 • BOSTONPRIDE.ORG • 3•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

4 • BOSTONPRIDE.ORG • BOSTON PRIDE GUIDE 2013 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

June 2013

Dear Friends:

It is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome as yougather for the 43rd Annual Boston Pride Week.

Boston Pride is more than just a parade; it is a week-long celebration of what makes Boston great – ourdiversity, our strength and our belief in equality forall. Each year, Boston Pride gives us an opportunityto promote these values to the rest of the world bystanding together with our lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender (LGBT) friends and showing our pride.

As Mayor, it has been my honor to lead the pride parade every year I have been in office. This may bemy last year as Mayor, but I will always remain aproud supporter of Boston Pride. I am especiallyproud this year to have been selected as Grand Marshall of the 2013 Boston Pride Parade under ourtheme: “Moving Forward…Proud, Strong, United.”It reminds me that while we have made greatprogress toward equality here in Boston, more worklies ahead.

People often asked me if it was difficult to supportthe LGBT community throughout my years in office. I tell them it was the easiest decision I evermade – to stand with my friends and advocate fordignity, equality and basic human rights. You makeme proud and you make our city proud. Thank youfor your support and friendship.

I want to thank the organizers of Boston Pride formaking this one of the largest all-volunteer pridefestivals in the world. Please enjoy everythingBoston has to offer this week and remember to always show your pride.


Committee expects recordbreaking crowds for week-long eventsBy: Lauren Walleser/TRT Re-porter

Boston Pride Week 2013 willbe held from May 31- June9 in various locations

throughout the city, bringing to-gether more organizations andrecord-breaking crowds than everbefore. The 2013 theme, “Mov-ing Forward…Proud, Strong,United,” was created by theBoston Pride Committee to ac-knowledge the accomplishmentsthe lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender (LGBT) communityhas achieved while acknowledg-ing that there is more work to bedone.

“In my view, Boston’s LGBTcommunity has witnessed muchadversity throughout the fight forequality over the past fewdecades,” said Boston Pride Pres-ident Linda DeMarco. “In work-ing together, the community hasbecome a leader in the fight forLGBT rights. Pride Week this

year will celebrate the impor-tance of continuing to lead thisnation in the fight for equality asa united front.”

The annual Flag Raising willkick off Boston Pride Week onMay 31 in City Hall Plaza and ishosted by Mayor ThomasMenino. Elected officials andothers who support the LGBTcommunity will attend. Meninowas also chosen as the 2013 Pa-rade Grand Marshall through anonline vote open to the entirecommunity.

“Mayor Menino is a true friendof the Boston Pride Committee,and all of the residents and visi-tors of our great city,” said RobZuromski, board member forBoston Pride. “I feel it is a greattribute to our longtime mayor,long time pride participant, andlong-time advocate of theLGBTQ [community] to havehim as our Grand Marshall.”

Other events featured early inthe week include Pride Day atFaneuil Hall, the LGBT SeniorPride Tea Dance, and the RoyalPageant. Boston Pride’s Human

Rights and Education Committeewill present “Out In Sports:Moving Forward – A Panel Dis-cussion on LGBT People inSports” Wednesday, June 5 at theBoston Public Library. The panelwill be moderated by PatrickBurke of the You Can Play Foun-dation. Panelists include SteveBuckley, Boston Herald sportscolumnist; Caitlin Cahow, 2xmedalist, Olympic U.S. Women’sHockey Team, Boston Blades;Nevin Caple, Division 1 basket-ball player at Fairleigh DickinsonUniversity and Founder ofLoveathlete; Keelin Godsey,track and field coach at Williams

College; Pat Griffin, professoremerita at University of Massa-chusetts Amherst, founder ofChanging the Game and authorof Strong Women, Deep Closets;

Steve Harrington, Gay Gamesathlete; and James Nutter of GO!Athletes. Jason Collins, the for-mer Boston Celtic who recentlycame out as gay, will also marchin the parade.

According to Zuromski, in2012, Boston Pride was the firstPride in the nation to have itsown app that helped connect thecommunity with the festivities.

See Moving Forward on p.7

Pride is “Moving Forward… Proud, Strong, United”


Representing ALLWith Pride

Wishing ALL

Great Pride Week!

District 2City Councilor

BILL LINEHAN

p W

Repr

Wishing ALL

h With Prideresenting ALL

AndWishing ALL

Representing ALL

Wishing ALL

Great

Wishing ALL A

eek!Great Pride W

eek!

aid for by t PPaid for by the Committee to Re-elect Bill Linehan

aid for by the Committee to Re-elect Bill Linehan

Moving forward from p. 6

New to Boston Pride this yearis the first "Pride Night at Fen-way Park" to be held June 6. Ac-cording to Sylvain Bruni, boardmember for Boston Pride, BostonPride has partnered with the RedSox to bring the LGBT commu-nity to Fenway Park to cheer forPride and for the Red Sox in theirgame against the Texas Rangers.

“This is the first time ever thatan MLB team put together an of-ficial LGBT event, and we are sovery proud it is happening inBoston,” said Bruni. “The RedSox have demonstrated a strongcommitment to diversity. Thiswill be big!”

The Boston Pride Festival willbe held Saturday, June 8 from 12p.m. to 6 p.m. at City Hall Plazaas the last stop for the BostonPride Parade, which will kick offat noon in Copley Square. TheFestival is the last stop on the pa-rade route and will include enter-tainment, such as The FamilyZones, the Main Stage Lounge,Artisan Avenue, and over 100vendors. This year’s headliner forthe entertainment portion of thefestival will be award-winningmusical duo Karmin, chosen bythe Boston Pride EntertainmentCommittee.

“They are a local band who be-came a YouTube sensation andexploded onthe national sceneover the last year,” said Bruni.“They are a very LGBT-friendlyband with a large gay following.”

Other events include theBoston Pride Block Party: JPEdition, Boston Pride BlockParty: Back Bay Edition, and theBoston Pride Youth Dance.

Bruni and Zuromski acknowl-edged that the theme for BostonPride this year was chosen priorto the tragedy that occurred at the2013 Boston Marathon. How-ever, they also noted the themehas taken on a deeper meaningsince the event.

“This year, we recognize thatour name, Boston Pride, symbol-izes the spirit, courage and con-viction of everyone connected tothe City of Boston, especially inthe aftermath of the tragic bomb-ings at the Boston Marathon,”said De Marco. “The outpouringof support and interest in partici-pation in the Parade and otherPride events has been tremendousas we look forward to a fantasticweek to celebrate the LGBTcommunity.”

For more information and acomplete schedule of Pride Weekevents, please visit: www.boston-pride.org

8 • BOSTONPRIDE.ORG • BOSTON PRIDE GUIDE 2013•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

LGBTQ community reactsto Menino’s departureBy: Lauren Walleser/TRT Re-porter

On Thursday, May 28th,Boston Mayor ThomasMenino announced that he

will not run for reelection afterholding the position for twentyyears. During his time in office,Mayor Menino has been toutedas the most pro-LGBTQ (lesbian,gay, bisexual, transgender andqueer) mayor in U.S. history,most recently by MassEquality,who released a statement follow-ing the mayor’s announcement.

“He was an early supporter ofmarriage equality,” said MassE-quality Executive Director KaraSuffredini. “He was an early sup-porter of transgender equality. Hewas an early supporter of pro-grams addressing public healthneeds related to HIV/AIDS. Andhe has never been shy aboutusing his office as a bully pulpitto encourage other political lead-ers to do the same.”

When Boston citizens beganapplying for marriage licensesafter same-sex marriage becamelegal in Massachusetts in 2004,Mayor Menino’s office ensuredtheir safety as they filed with theCity Clerk. Most recently,Menino participated in theDOMA (Defense of MarriageAct) justice rally at City HallPlaza on March 28th, where heinstructed that the rainbow flagbe flown in honor of the historicSupreme Court hearings beingheld on Proposition 8 andDOMA.

Corey Yarbrough, ExecutiveDirector of the Hispanic BlackGay Coalition (HBGC) and

Joel Marshall, Chair, HBGCBoard of Directors, also sharedtheir gratitude towards MayorMenino.

“His leadership in articulatingthat all people deserve to betreated equally regardless of whothey love helped establish Bostonas one of the most LGBTQ-friendly cities in the nation tolive,” said Yarbrough and Mar-shall. “As our vision states, ‘Weenvision a world where Latino/aand Black LGBTQ individualscan comfortably and unapologet-ically incorporate themselves intheir racial/ethnic communityand mainstream LGBTQ com-munity simultaneously.’ We feelthat Mayor Menino also believesin this vision as his office hasmet with us multiple times overthe years to discuss making ourvision a reality.”

Stephen L. Boswell, MD, Pres-ident and CEO of FenwayHealth, also commented on theMayor’s vital role as an ally forthe LGBTQ community.

“Mayor Menino has been anincredible ally to Boston’s LGBTcommunity from his first term asMayor until today,” Boswell said.“His visible and vocal support ofcivil rights and equality for allBoston residents has helped tomake this city one of the mostwelcoming places for LGBTpeople in the world. We’ll belosing a valuable ally whenMayor Menino leaves office, buthopefully our next Mayor will beequally supportive of our com-munity.”

See Mayor on p. 12

Candidates share trackrecords, passions for sup-porting the communityBy: Lauren Walleser/TRT Re-porter

Boston Mayor ThomasMenino has been touted bymany as the most pro-

LGBTQ mayor in U.S. history.As the candidates line up in therace to replace Menino—who re-cently announced he would notrun for reelection— they sharedhow, if elected, they would con-tinue to support and advance therights of Boston’s LGBTQ (les-bian, gay, bisexual, transgender,and queer) citizens.

Boston City Councilor MichaelP. Ross shared that throughouthis personal and professional life,he has stood up for the rights ofBoston’s LGBTQ community.

“My mother is a 71 year-oldproud and openly gay womanwho has been in a committed re-

lationship with her partner Sherylfor over three decades,” Rosssaid. “My mother taught me thatwe don't judge people by howthey look or who they love, butrather what they do and how theytreat others. This principle hasguided my career in public serv-ice. If elected, I will build on thework of Mayor Menino and my

own advocacy on behalf of equalrights and opportunity of ourLGBTQ friends, neighbors, andloved ones in Boston.”

As for direct action and partici-pation, Ross said he has marchedin the Boston Pride parade for 13consecutive years and was one ofthe first elected officials in Mas-sachusetts to support marriageequality, specifically when theDefense of Marriage Act(DOMA) was proposed in theMassachusetts State Legislature.He said he was the original co-sponsor of transgender legisla-tion that led the way for citiesand towns across the Common-wealth and for recent state legis-lation. He also said he has madeopenly gay leaders key membersof his City Council office staff,including his Chief of Staff.

“I learned from my father, asurvivor of the Holocaust, thatthere is no such thing as an inno-cent bystander and we all have aduty to ensure the society we livein is just, equal and fair,” saidRoss. “As Mayor, the pursuit ofequal rights and opportunity forevery citizen of Boston—includ-ing the LGBTQ community—would be a cornerstone of myadministration and policies tosupport this principle would bemy highest priority.”

John R. Connolly, Boston CityCouncilor At-Large, said he hasbeen a proud ally of the LGBTQcommunity as a city councilor.

He said he led efforts to bring theGay Games to Boston, workedwith Councilor Ayanna Pressleyin support of Hate Crime legisla-tion, and supported TransgenderAwareness Week celebrations.He also served as pro bono legalcounsel to the Pridelights Foun-dation.

“It is imperative that Bostoncontinues to lead the way in pro-tecting individual rights and re-mains a supportive and safehaven for all residents in every

neighborhood,” Connolly said.“We need to ensure that accept-ance is pervasive in our homes,communities, schools, and gov-ernment. Vigorously defendingour most fundamental rights andcontinuously expanding our anti-discrimination laws to protect ourcitizens – irrespective of race,creed or sexual orientation -mustremain a priority.”

Boston City Councilor RobertConsalvo said he applauds

Mayor Menino for his support ofLGBTQ rights in Boston andjoined with him in support for 11years as a Boston City Councilor.

“Early in my career I went towork in Washington, DC for thelate Senator Ted Kennedy, andwatching him fight so hard forthe poor, the voiceless, children,the elderly, and working familieslaid the foundation for my idea ofwhat public service is all about,”Consalvo said. “He taught methat government is about helpingpeople – all people - pure andsimple. I pledge to continue myhigh level of support for theLGBTQ agenda at the local,state, and national levels.”

Consalvo said that despite criti-cism from opponents, one of hisfirst acts in his first campaign forelected office was to march in theGay Pride Parade in Boston withfriends, family, and supporters.

“I was an outspoken supporterof gay marriage right from thestart,” said Consalvo. “I sup-ported and worked for the pas-sage of Boston’s ordinance toban discrimination against trans-gendered persons. I proudly joinin the raising of the Gay Prideflag every year on City HallPlaza, and intend to continue thattradition if elected Mayor.”

Massachusetts State Represen-tative Martin J. Walsh said thathe often talks about the fact thathis vote on Equal Marriage in theMassachusetts House is the votehe is most proud of in his entirelegislative career.

See Hopefuls on p. 37


Mayor from p. 8

According to Boswell, themayor has attended almost everymajor fundraiser for FenwayHealth during his time in officeand played a vital role in thecapital campaign to build theirAnsin Building at 1340 Boyl-ston Street.

“It’s hard to overestimate justhow much of a positive impacthis leadership has had on theoverall health and well-being ofBoston residents and the LGBTcommunity in this city.”

Perhaps his most publicizedact of support for the LGBTQcommunity was MayorMenino’s letter to Chick-fil-Apresident Dan Cathy last yearafter the restaurant chain an-nounced plans to open locationsnear the Freedom Trail inBoston. Because of Chick-fil-A’s open proclamations againstsame-sex marriage, Menino toldCathy the company would notbe welcome in Boston.

“You called supporters of gaymarriage ‘prideful.’ Here inBoston, to borrow your ownwords, we are ‘guilty ascharged.’ We are indeed full ofpride for our support of same-sex marriage and our work toexpand freedom to all people,”Menino wrote in his letter.“There is no place for discrimi-nation on Boston’s FreedomTrail and no place for your com-pany alongside it.”

Rebecca Haag, President and

CEO of AIDS Action, shared ina press release how MayorMenino has been an advocatefor people living with HIV andAIDS throughout his tenure,championing the cause evenwhen other politicians duringthe time were afraid to comeforward with their support.

“In the mid-1980s, during thedarkest days of the AIDS epi-demic, City Councilor Meninoadvocated employing 24 full-time outreach workers in the cityof Boston to educate intravenousdrug users about the risk ofAIDS,” Haag said. “This wascutting edge public policy at thetime. He also insisted on twocommunity health vans to be de-ployed to at-risk neighborhoodsto provide general health educa-tion as well as AIDS preventioninformation and on increasingthe availability of drug treatmentprograms. He also pushed toimplement a needle exchangeprogram in the city.”

According to Haag, the Mayorevent helped raise money for aliver transplant for one of AIDSAction Committee’s employees,Belynda Dunn, when her healthinsurer denied payment for thetransplant due to her HIV posi-tive status.

In a recent interview withWBUR Boston’s NPR, themayor said he would “stay veryengaged in Boston’s future,”after leaving office, but did notgive specific details.

Boston Mayoral hopefuls weigh in on LGBTQ rights, track records

Councilor Robert Consalvo

Councilor Michael Ross

State Rep. Martin J. Walsh


By: Emily Scagel/TRT AssistantEditor

Rising to fame after theircover of Chris Brown’s“Look at Me Now” went

viral on the Internet, pop/hip-hopduo Karmin has accomplishedmuch in only two years. From an

appearance on Ellen to beingsigned to a major record label,the group shows no signs ofslowing down. With over1,200,000 YouTube subscribersand over 216,000,000 views, thefuture is bright for the energeticcouple. Amy Heidemann, one

half of the duo, is known for hersharp rhymes and verbal dexter-ity. Critics and hip-hop artistsalike praise her multi-faceted vo-cals. Her other half, Nick Noo-nan, provides impressiveinstrumental stylings. They bringa new twist to pop and hip-hop,and are sure to exhilarate thecrowd. The Boston-based groupstays true to their roots, as wellas their fans, and is excited toperform at this year’s BostonPride. The Rainbow Times had anopportunity to ask Karmin a fewquestions about this year’s show.The Rainbow Times: Thetheme of Boston Pride this yearis "Moving Forward...Proud,Strong, United." What doesthis mean to you? Can you re-late to this message?Karmin: Yes -- we still considerBoston our home, and this phrasehas a lot more meaning espe-cially following the MarathonBombings. The city did a tremen-dous job of pulling together andpulling through, and that hasnothing to do with being gay,straight, bi, black, white or any-thing like that. We are all Bosto-nians that had to pull togetherand move forward.Q. What was it like to go frombeing an Internet sensation toperforming on SNL and ap-

pearing on Ellen? How hasyour music and career evolvedover this time span?A. Man, that was a trip. I guess itwas kind of like winning the lot-tery -- one day you don't haveanything, and the next day, 8,000emails and a couple millionYouTube hits later, Ellen is call-ing you. It was insane, but we'redefinitely proud of being able tocross over from YouTube and beable to be on shows like SNL andEllen and have a platinum single.On the music side, we have reallyevolved, but also stayed very trueto our roots. Our new album (firstfull length) has a lot of oldschool Karmin elements, likeboth of our voices present, har-monies and of course, full ener-getic tracks. We've also grown somuch musically as well.Q. You are both from smalltowns. How did this impactyour career and get you towhere you are today?A. We both love the fact that wegrew up in small towns. I think ithelps us focus on the non-materi-alist things of life, and helpswhen we actually sit down andtalk with people. Everyone seemsto say, "Wow, you guys areREAL."

Karmin on p. 22

YouTube sensations turnedstars to headline Pride


gear

uPget

out&

Karmin from p. 20

Q. What makes your music andperformances unique? Whatdo you bring to the pop/hip-hop industry that peoplehaven’t heard before?A. Well, we're a duo first of all,and Amy happens to be able tosing like Beyoncé and rap likeBusta, so that by itself tends tohelp [laughs]! Nick is a multi-in-strumentalist and we've startedincorporating other instrumentsin the live show, like the trom-bone, plus we have the energy ofan indie rock band. It's a lot offun! Q. How does the LGBTQ com-munity fit into what you repre-sent as an artist? What does itmean to you to be headliningBoston Pride 2013?A. We're super excited to beheadlining Boston Pride. I thinkbecause we're white, and we're acouple, people don't expect ourmusic to sound the way it does,but it's true to who we are. Wesee the LGBTQ communitybeing true to themselves too, andthat's very inspiring for us asartists.Q.Your website says you wantto “shake things up” with youroriginal music. How do youmake that happen?A. By being different and beingawesome [laughs]. Just kidding

… but seriously. Q. How do you think yourdebut album is being receivedby your fans and new listen-ers? Are you planning yournext album?A. Our first EP "HELLO" wasactually one of the most illegallydownloaded releases of 2012,which is both amazing and terri-ble! [laughs] Regardless, thatsays a lot when people want toget their hands on your music.And yes, our first full lengthalbum is slated for early fall2013. And our first single iscoming out in a month!!! Q. What is the origin of thename “Karmin”? How did thatcome to be your band name?A. We wanted something simple,and something with meaning.“Carmen” in Latin means song,so we combined that with“karma” to get our version of“Karmin.”Q. You’ve shown that you aresuccessful in creating your ownmusic, despite first becomingwell-known through your cov-ers. Who would you say is yourbiggest influence, and howhave they inspired you?A. We're inspired by differentpeople daily. Right now it'sMacklemore and his crew, butwe're always inspired by a goodKanye album and lots of hip-hop,

which shows sonically in ourrecords and also in our live per-formances. We of course love theBeatles as well. Who isn't in-spired by them?Q. You’ve performed at prideevents around the country.What can your fans expectfrom your Boston Pride per-formance? What does it meanto you to be playing at theseevents?A. Expect to bring ear plugs! Justkidding. Our shows always havea crazy amount of energy, danc-ing, white girl rapping and we'vebeen putting a lot more musi-cianship into our shows lately aswell. Ever since the YouTubedays, the LGBTQ communityhas been a supporter of ourmusic, so it means a lot to beable to give back and perform atPride Festivals all over the coun-try. It's very important to be apart of the movement. Not tomention they're ridiculously funto play!Q: Other than headliningBoston Pride, what can we lookforward to with your futureplans?A: The first single from our newalbum will drop shortly afterBoston Pride! Then, it's go time(smiles).To find out more about Karmin,visit www.karminmusic.com.

•••••••••••••

MovingForward...

Proud,Strong,united.


*P

ho

tos

pro

vid

ed

by e

mce

es


*All photos provided by artists



Boston-based band ZHEbrings a unique spin to Top40 music. Hailing them-

selves as a pop/rock/dance/glamband, the five members areknown for their energetic liveperformances and are said to en-gage crowds until they are physi-cally incapable of dancinganymore. Getting their start atMachine Nightclub, they havebeen performing consistentlysince 2010. Composed of BerkleeCollege of Music students, ZHEtakes music very seriously andbrings all they can to their invig-orating live performances. ZHEis sure to rock the stage at BostonPride 2013 and get the crowdmoving. The Rainbow Times satwith ZHE to get more detailsabout their Boston Pride show. The Rainbow Times: Are youexcited to be performing atBoston Pride 2013? What canyour fans expect from yourperformance?ZHE: Of course. Boston Prideholds a lot of memories for us asa whole and we're glad to beback. Expect the unexpected!Q. The theme of Boston Pridethis year is "Moving Forward… Proud, Strong, United."What does this mean to you?A. To me, hearing that remindsme how, even within the LGBTQcommunity, we can experience alot of unpleasant judgment anddiscrimination even within thecommunity itself, and there's noway we're ever going to makeany progress if we continue to doso. So I think it's a good messageand reminder to ourselves thatwe're all different but we all wantthe same thing.Q. What does "ZHE" mean?What is its significance to you?How did you come up with thename?

A. ZHE is a play on a gender-neutral pronoun. It can mean (oreven be pronounced) howeveryou want. We honestly just likedthe sound and the concept ofsomething like that.Q. What makes you unique?How do you engage the audi-ence?A. I don't think there are anyother LGBTQ-centric rock bandsout there in Boston who are will-ing to ‘grab life by the balls’ likewe do. We like to dominate thestage and make the audiencehave as much fun as we do.Q. You are particularly popularamong the LGBTQ communityof Boston. Why do you thinkthis is? A. I think people have a very lim-ited view of what to expect out ofmusic from the LGBTQ commu-nity, and I would like to think wechallenge this image. We're allmusic school students who chan-nel our training and influencesinto something exhilaratinglyglamorous in a way that I feel notmany other people in our positiondo or have done.Q. How did the band start? A: We were asked to perform atMachine nightclub two and a halfyears ago. We have since thentaken up a residency there andare technically the "house band"now. And I can guarantee you theguys in the band will be playingbetter than anyone on that stagethat day. Along with Karmin,Berklee will be making itselfknown.Q. What are the band's plansfor the future?A. We are all involved in numer-ous projects simultaneously. Wenever know what the future willbring, and I kind of like it thatway.

For more information aboutZHE and their Boston Pride per-formance, visit www.boston-pride.org/stage.

ZHE Gets Boston Moving


By: Lisa Keen/Keen News Serv-ice

Nearly every LGBT personknows about “Stonewall” –the spontaneous resistance

to police intimidation of LGBTpatrons at the Stonewall bar inNew York City in June 1969.

Relatively few know aboutHennepin in May 1970.

Events in both places becamepowerful catalysts for change inthe way mainstream societytreats LGBT people.

Stonewall took the form ofhundreds of LGBT people usingriots and defiance in a major city,refusing to obey laws that werehate-motivated and discrimina-tory on their face. Hennepin wasone gay male couple, wearingsuits and ties, walking into acounty clerk’s office in the Mid-west and applying for a marriagelicense.

Stonewall inspired the creationof thousands of LGBT organiza-tions, newspapers, and communi-ties that grew enough politicalstrength to win elections, changelaws, and insist the world under-

stand that gay people are here –“Get Used to It.”

Hennepin garnered a relativelightning flash of media attention– a story in Look magazine, ap-pearances on two nationally tele-vised talk shows, and asummarily dismissed appeal oftheir lawsuit by the U.S.Supreme Court. Its specific goal–to allow same-sex couples toobtain marriage licenses the sameas male-female couples — ap-peared to fail.

Now, 43 years to the monthafter Jack Baker and Mike Mc-Connell walked into the Hen-nepin County clerk’s office andfilled out an application for amarriage license, their quiet revo-lutionary act stands as a monu-ment to perseverance andsuccess.

To say Richard John (Jack)Baker and James Michael Mc-Connell were ahead of their timeis an understatement.

They are considered the firstsame-sex couple to walk into anymunicipal clerk’s office in theUnited States and apply for a

marriage license. They were thefirst to sue the local clerk whentheir application was refused, andthe first to take their lawsuit tothe U.S. Supreme Court.

They are also likely the firstsame-sex couple ever to obtain amarriage license, albeit through asleight of name-change. Accord-ing to a variety of news reports,Baker and McConnell werejoined in marriage by a pastor inSeptember 1971 after they ob-tained a marriage license fromMankato, Minnesota. An un-by-lined “special” article in the

January 7, 1973, New York

Times reported that, in addition totheir initial lawsuit over the re-jected marriage application, Mc-Connell adopted Baker in August1971 “with the goal of securingtax and inheritance advantages.”

“At that time, Mr. Baker legallyassumed the name Pat Lynn Mc-Connell, while continuing to usethe name Baker in his daily af-fairs.” Then Baker, using hisnewly adopted name, filled out amarriage license application withMcConnell in Mankato, a smallcity west of Minneapolis.

Hennepin on p. 31

Hennepin: The quiet revolutionfor LGBT equality, game on


Hennepin from p. 29

“On Aug. 16, 1971, Blue EarthCounty issued the license, and,on Sept. 3, Mr. Baker and Mr.McConnell were married in a pri-vate ceremony in Minneapolis bythe Rev. Roger Lynn of theUnited Methodist Church,” notedthe Times article. Although theBlue Earth County Attorney chal-lenged the legitimacy of the li-cense, a Hennepin County grandjury “found the question notworth pursuing,” and thus, leftthe license intact.

Baker and McConnell’s actionsgarnered other publicity in theearly 1970s – publicity that tooksome courage on their part, giventhe volatility of the time. Theyappeared on the Phil DonahueShow and the David SusskindShow, nationally televised talkshows. They were profiledbriefly in Look magazine’s coverstory on “The American Family.”Their willingness to identifythemselves as gay touched manyindividual gays around the coun-try.

After reading about Baker andMcConnell in Look magazine’scover story, a Birmingham, Ala-bama, man called the telephone

operator in Minneapolis to seewhether there were phone num-bers for Jack Baker and MichaelMcConnell. It’s not that hewanted to call them, it’s that hecould hardly believe there wereother men in the world like him –men who loved men.

“I have secluded myself in anapartment in Birmingham whereI live alone away from parentsand friends,” wrote the man,whose hand-written letter toBaker is part of an archive at theUniversity of Minnesota. “Youand Mr. McConnell have moreguts than any man I have evermet.” He asked them to send himinformation about their gay polit-ical organization to “help make anew life for myself.”

“At seventeen years of age, Ihave already experienced thedeep hurt of loving one who cannever possibly love you,” wroteanother young man, this onefrom a tiny rural town in Mainewho said he had attempted sui-cide. He couldn’t even bring him-self to spell out the word“homosexual” in his letter, andhe cautioned them not to includetheir return address on the enve-lope because “I’m still unable tospeak at home.” But he asked the

couple to write “a hopefulclause” to him if they knew ofany gay organization that mightexist in Maine.

It’s not clear whether Bakerand McConnell were able to helpthe many individual people whowrote to them, but they continuedtheir work of knocking on doorsthat had previously been closedto gay people – doors that manybelieved could get them killed.

The couple lived in a worldrocked by violence over racial in-tegration, President Nixon’s inva-sion of Cambodia, the Kent Stateshootings, and the emergence ofthe more raucous movement forequal protection of the lawlaunched at Stonewall. In manystates, including Minnesota, lawsback then were heavily stackedagainst gay people and it was stillillegal to engage in oral or analsex.

For whatever reasons, thesetwo men believed in the system.They believed that they shouldtrust the system to treat themwith the same rights due to allAmerican citizens. But despitethe powerful burst forward pro-vided by the Stonewall rebellion,many gay people at the time didnot have the courage it took for

Baker and McConnell to applyfor that marriage license on May18, 1970.

“The fear then wasn’t thatyou’d be discriminated against,that was a given,” said one Min-nesota activist of the 1970s, in anarticle by the Associated Presslast December “You were a lotmore afraid that someone mightcome after you with a shotgun.”

McConnell, in fact, lost his jobat the University of Minnesota li-brary because of the couple’s ac-tivism. But still the men forgedonward.

Read the rest of this story on-line at: TheRainbowTimes-Mass.com

YourneWSeverY

daY, Your WaY!th

erai

nbow

tim

esM

ass.

com



Kwanza Jones is more than asinger and songwriter―sheis a fierce advocate for

equality. Her anti-discriminationsong, “#StopHate,” is a call to ac-tion to promote human rights andacceptance. This dynamic artist’sinspiring “Supercharged State-ment” is proclaimed as the ulti-mate guide to motivating oneself,and her energetic dance-pop hitshave earned her four spots on theBillboard charts. A PrincetonUniversity graduate, KwanzaJones is also fully involved in thebusiness and creative aspects ofher career. Her adrenaline pump-ing anthems will have you danc-ing at this year’s Boston Pride.The Rainbow Times sat withJones to get to know more abouther activism, why she thinkswe’re all “ambassadors for equal-ity,” and to find out more abouther performance this year.The Rainbow Times: How do

you describe your music? Whatmakes your music and per-formances unique in the

dance/pop world?Kwanza Jones: Oooooh, it’s

music for superheroes anddivas―or those who want to be! Iwrite and sing anthems for theunstoppable, and I carry that pas-sion into my performances.That’s what makes me unique. Ihave a special brand of energythat unites me and my audiences.We get SUPERCHARGED to-gether and stay SUPER-CHARGED forever.

Q. What is the meaning be-hind “Supercharged”? Howdoes this relate to the LGBTQcommunity?

A. “Supercharged” is aboutloving yourself and knowingyour power; from that knowledgecomes the ability to live free andfearlessly. That’s why I love itwhen I hear people singing thelyrics, “I am Su-Su-SUPER-CHARGED … ,” because theyare acknowledging they are

strong enough, smart enough andbold enough. They are acknowl-edging they are powerful! Thisrelates to the LGBTQ communitybecause, as a whole, this commu-nity understands its power andpromotes inclusion, acceptanceand love.Q. What is an “Ambassador

for Equality”? Why is it impor-tant to bring awareness tothese issues? How do you speakout for equality? Why is it im-portant to you personally to beinvolved?

A. An “Ambassador for Equal-ity” is someone who understandsthat equality is not for a selectfew, but for all. It’s someone whoworks to make sure that peopleof every gender, religion, raceand sexual orientation are notmarginalized. I am an “Ambas-sador for Equality.” I hope youare too. Yes, in the USA, we canall go to school together and yes,the Civil Rights Act was passedand yes, women can vote butthere are still many areas wherethere is inequality based on sex-ual orientation and gender iden-tity.

Awareness is a necessary firststep to encouraging action, andso I speak out.

Kwanza on p. 34

“Supercharged” artist and activist inspiresand empowers audience through music


Kwanza from p. 33

I speak out because so manyothers don’t or won’t. I speak outbecause I believe that one voicecan awaken a nation. I speak outbecause my voice matters, and sodoes yours, and together we canchange the world. I speak out andhelp bring awareness by sharingmy music and my message, in-cluding my song,“#STOPHATE”―which has beencalled “a powerful anti-discrimi-nation anthem.”

Personally, it’s important forme to be involved because I havefamily and friends who are in theLGBTQ community. But it’smore than that, I am involved be-cause it’s a simple matter of fair-ness.Q. Where does your inspirationcome from for your music andyour messages?A. My inspiration comes fromthe human condition -- love, loss,adversity, and most importantly,possibility. That’s also what in-spired my “Supercharged State-ment.”Q. Your music videos have beenfeatured on Logo TV. How doesthe LGBT community fit intowhat you represent as anartist?

A. Yes, Logo TV has shown melots of love! I’m appreciative. Ialso appreciate the love and sup-port I receive from the LGBTQcommunity. As an artist, and as aperson, I represent being unstop-

pable, which I also call being“Supercharged.” The LGBTQcommunity fits into what I repre-sent because in the fight forequality, they will not be de-terred. This community is a beau-tiful example of strength andresilience. These things are at the

core of being SUPER-CHARGED.Q. Why do you think music isthe best method to spread yourmessage of tolerance, equality,and empowerment?

A. Because it’s fun! It makes youmove. It makes you sing, and itmakes you think.Q. The theme of Boston Pridethis year is "Moving For-ward...Proud, Strong, United,"which seems to coincide wellwith your personal convictions.

What does it mean for you tobe performing at this year’sPride? Can you relate to thistheme?A. I am beyond thrilled. I’m hon-ored to perform for Boston at thisyear’s Pride. The theme could bemy mantra because in all I do, Idon’t stop. Life is about growthand connection. Given the tragicevents that happened during themarathon, Boston is truly show-ing the world their special brandof “Boston Pride” and I’m over-joyed to be united in the cause.Q. You’ve performed at manyLGBT events nationwide.What can pride goers look for-ward to with your performancein Boston?A. Well, I can’t give away all mysecrets, but here’s a little hint, “Iam Su-Su-SUPERCHARGED ...getting you Su-Su-SUPER-CHARGED!“ (laughs) So getready for some fist pumping,head bobbing, booty shaking hot-ness as my Gladiators and I takethe stage!

For more information aboutKwanza Jones, visit www.kwan-zajones.com.

I speak out becauseso many others don’tor won’t. I speak out

because I believethat one voice canawaken a nation.

We’re Waiting ...therainbowtimesMass.com


Hopefuls from p. 12“People sometimes ask me if it

was a difficult vote,” Walsh said.“It wasn’t. Sure, I received somecalls from constituents whoweren’t happy. But it was easy. Itwas clearly the right thing to do.I come from the most diverseneighborhood in Boston. In fact,the zip code I live in — 02125— was recently named one ofthe most diverse in the country. Iwill always do all I can to pro-tect the civil rights of all of thepeople of Boston.”

As for his work with theLGBTQ community, Walsh sayshe voted for the TransgenderRights Bill in 2011. He has also

spent time with the young peopleat the Waltham House/Home forLittle Wanderers. Most recently,he co-sponsored H. 2047, a billto establish a commission onLGBT aging, to examine ways tobetter ensure the equality of ac-cess, treatment, care and benefitsfor LGBT older adults and theirloved ones and caregivers.

The Rainbow Times also at-tempted to interview candidatesFelix G. Arroyo, CharlesClemons, Daniel F. Conley, WillDorcena, Bill Walczak, andDavid Portnoy. These candidatesdid not respond to this reporter’squeries by publication.

31

By: Lauren Walleser/TRT Re-porter

What’s the T? — a new docu-mentary by out filmmaker Ce-cilio Asuncion—follows fivetransgender women as they live,dream and share their truth withthe world while exploring theirexperiences and beliefs on trans-gender issues including transi-tioning, finding work, dealingwith bullies and creating a com-munity.

“I knew I wanted to do a filmthat would be different and makea difference,” said Asuncion. “Iremember seeing a young transgirl on the Anderson Coopershow and her story resonatedwith me in the sense that as aGay Asian Male, I didn’t have[many] people to look up to inmainstream media. I wanted todo a documentary that youngtrans girls can see and know that

they can achieve their dreams asthe ladies in the film have.”

Asuncion said he immersedhimself within the transgendercommunity in order to find fivewomen who all audiences wouldrelate to in some way. NyaAmpon, the first woman we meetin the film, works at ASIASF, aSan Francisco restaurant and clubthat supports and employs transwomen. She also aspires to be anadvocate and speak with collegestudents about trans issues.

“I feel that the T in the LGBTisn’t really heard that often,” saidAmpon. “We have a lot of differ-ent stories.”

Cassandra Cass, a well-knownSan Fran-cisco per-former,said shehad beenfeatured in other documentariesand almost said no to this one,but appreciated Asuncion’sunique and artistic style.

“I want people to be enter-tained, because I think if youdon’t entertain people they won’teven get a message,” said Cass.“I think when people understandsomething it’s hard to hate it, so Ijust hope it makes us morehuman.”

In the film, Cass shares howwhen she first told her father shewas going to be a woman, he said

she would be ugly and never findlove. Years later and after view-ing the film with his friends, shesaid she has her father’s support.

“My dad really enjoyed it,”Cass said. “So I figure if a bunchof Iowa farm guys can enjoy thedocumentary then it should be ahit.”

Rakash Armani, an experi-enced nurse who has also earnedwinning titles in the undergroundballroom scene, said she was ap-proached first for the film.

“I got so sick and tired of peo-ple associating transgenderwomen with the cliché of whatthey see on Jerry Springer andMaury, those silly shows, be-

causethat’s re-ally theonly timethat peo-

ple get to see a transgenderwoman on such a public plat-form,” Armani said. “We’re notall these sexual deviants. We’renot all just trying to go out inpublic and fool people.”

Vi Le, a biochemistry majorand vocalist who even auditionedfor The X Factor, said in the filmthat she once considered suicideas she dealt with bullying and thetrials of coming out to her par-ents. She said her mom is nowher biggest fan and even thankedAsuncion for making the film.

“We all have beating hearts anda brain. We all love, laugh, cry,”Le said. “I may have been bornmale, but deep inside I’ve alwaysbeen a woman. This is my jour-ney, and if you don’t know any-thing about my journey, you haveno place to judge me, ever! I amjust a girl in this world hoping tomake my mark and find happi-ness just like everyone else, andalways doing it with a smile! Weare human, and we are diverse ininfinite and ever growing ways.Be open minded and learn to re-spect everyone for who they are.”

Mia Tu Mutch grew up inTexas and dealt with intense iso-lation and discrimination fromher community. She is now an or-ganizer and activist on the SanFrancisco Youth Commission andfounded a nonprofit calledFeather, which is researchingways to make transitioning moreaccessible to transgender people.

“If you would have told meback then that I was going togrow up and live in San Fran-cisco and have all these jobs withall these queer and trans peopleas coworkers, I wouldn’t believehalf of the things that are happen-ing in my life right now becauseit’s way bigger than my greatestdreams,” said Tu Mutch. “Forme, it’s about daring to dreamyour biggest potential and contin-uing to work towards that.”


What’s the T?

This is my journey ... youhave no place to judge me

boston pride guide 2013

Documents