'Rainbow' Themes on Display at FPCT

Steve Ferguson (L.) and Rasheed Green in Hoya Saxa Photo: Ken Stanek

The 32^nd annual Baltimore Playwrights Festival started off on the right foot with Rich Espey’s The Rainbow Plays currently running at the Fells Point Corner Theatre.  Mr. Espey, a Baltimore-area resident, is a three-time winner of the Carol Weinberg Award for best play at the Baltimore Playwrights Festival for Fifty-Fifty, Hope’s Arbor, and Following Sarah.

In The Rainbow Plays, under the strong direction of Lisa Davidson who is making her Baltimore directing debut, six distinct mini-plays, each about 10 minutes long representing the different themes contained in the rainbow or gay pride flag are presented.  A seventh play attempts to sum it all up with a humorous, clever, rap-dominated performance.  As in the case of that flag, The Rainbow Plays consist of a tapestry of discrete stories, with the only common thread woven throughout is that they are gay- or lesbian-related.

The rainbow flag, which originally had eight colors and now contains six, was designed by the artist Gilbert Baker in 1978 as a positive alternative to the pink triangle used by the Nazis to identify homosexuals.  Some theorize he was inspired by the death of Judy Garland of “Over the Rainbow” fame—an iconic gay anthem—which occurred just a few days before the Stonewall uprisings in June 1969.  Mr. Baker recently told a Chicago television station: “The rainbow came to mind almost instantly as an obvious expression of diversity and acceptance.”

For full review, visit MD Theatre Guide

One Giant Leap for Equality

The incredibly historic rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on marriage equality remind me of another improbable feat. As Neil Armstrong said upon setting foot on the lunar surface, “One small step for [a] man; one giant leap for mankind.”  Before the 1960’s nobody thought we could land a man on the moon but we did on July 20, 1969.  We are now approaching the 44^th anniversary of that astounding occasion.

The SCOTUS decisions similarly could not have been predicted just a few years ago given what the Court has wrought over the years including Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, and just the day before the marriage rulings were handed down, the lamentable decision on the Voting Rights Act.

I always thought that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA would collapse under litigation based on the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.  And some lower courts saw it the same way.  Yet, SCOTUS with its conservative tilt and conservative Chief Justice, seemed like the time was not quite right to make bold progressive rulings in arguably the most significant civil rights issue in decades.

Bold they weren’t in the case of Proposition 8 in California. Rather than ruling that same-sex couples everywhere in the U.S. have the fundamental right to marry, the Court punted.  The case went back to the lower court because those who appealed that decision to strike down Prop 8 lacked the legal standing.   This meant that same-sex couples in California regained their right to marry. 

As for Section 3 of DOMA, SCOTUS decided by a vote of 5-4 that the federal government must recognize the lawful nuptials of same-sex couples, thus conferring over 1,100 rights, benefits and responsibilities.  That decision applies only to the 13 states (including California) and D.C. where such marriages are valid.

President Obama, arguing that DOMA was unconstitutional, refused to defend it in court and later filed a brief that attacked DOMA on the merits.  The administration is currently taking steps to broaden the benefits of the SCOTUS ruling by moving swiftly to revise regulations so that same-sex couples in states where marriage equality does not exist, can tie the knot in any of the other 14 jurisdictions and receive federal benefits and protections.  

Moreover, the entire DOMA could eventually be scuttled as Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) immediately re-introduced the Respect for Marriage Act in the upper chamber.  It would repeal DOMA and require the U.S. federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages regardless of what state the couple lives in. The number of co-sponsors has increased sharply from 17 just two years ago to 40 presently.
An identical bill was introduced into the House by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D-NY) with the support of 160 co-sponsors, including at least two Republicans.  Alas, this measure will not advance soon as the tea party caucus continues to dominate the GOP-controlled House, and they are not ready to drop DOMA.

The Republicans can’t help themselves.  All that post-election talk about “expanding their tent” evaporated into thin air and not just in terms of their attitudes towards women and immigration reform.  They continue to maintain an anti-gay posture and seem to be stuck in that mire while the rest of the country is moving forward.  House Speaker Boehner and others denounced the SCOTUS decisions proving that the GOP is still enmeshed in and controlled by base politics. 

While the SCOTUS rulings do not have wide applications, what did come down justified the celebrations.  For one thing, the Court could have gone the other route and upheld Prop 8 and DOMA.  That would have been a significant setback for marriage equality advocates, and positive change would be perhaps a generation away.  But this Court, albeit narrowly, handed down decisions that should pave the way for favorable outcomes in the near future.

Emboldened by the SCOTUS rulings especially on DOMA and a surge in public support for marriage equality in recent years, advocates in several states are seeking to overturn existing bans to same-sex marriage via their legislatures or at the ballot box.  Furthermore, it is almost guaranteed that there will be a wave in lawsuits in the non-equality states based on violation of the equal protection clause and the precedent established in the SCOTUS majority opinion. 

Going into the last week of the Pride month of June, many folks were optimistic even hopeful about the Court’s rulings but cautious considering the make-up of the Court.  Justice Anthony Kennedy, who had written the majority opinion in Lawrence v. Texas exactly ten years before that ruling de-criminalized sodomy, was considered the “swing” vote.   But many viewed him as unpredictable based on his stated concern during the oral arguments phase last March about venturing into “unchartered waters.”

Nevertheless, as was the case with the Apollo mission, SCOTUS defied the odds and doubts and came through when few imagined it possible say, four years ago.  And because of the now favorable possibilities, this was indeed one giant leap for equality and the beginning of a new frontier.

Equality Wins!

Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, reverses Prop 8

On the 10^th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that struck down sodomy laws in Lawrence v Texas, June 26, 2013 turned out to be another seminal landmark in the history of LGBT rights.  By a 5-4 decision the Court struck down Section 3 of DOMA—the Defense of Marriage Act—on the grounds that it violated the equal protection clause in the U.S. Constitution.  

In the case, Windsor v the United States, DOMA was viewed by the majority of the Court, whose opinion was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, as unconstitutional “as a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment.”  Justice Scalia was among three justices authoring dissents.

“By creating two contradictory marriage regimes within the same State, DOMA forces same-sex couples to live as married for the purpose of state law but unmarried for the purpose of federal law, thus diminishing the stability and predictability of basic personal relations the State has found it proper to acknowledge and protect,” wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy. “By this dynamic DOMA undermines both the public and private significance of state sanctioned same-sex marriages; for it tells those couples, and all the world, that their otherwise valid marriages are unworthy of federal recognition. This places same-sex couples in an unstable position of being in a second-tier marriage.”

The result is that same-sex couples who were married in states where such nuptials are legal, including Maryland, will be able to enjoy over a thousand Federal rights, benefits and entitlements that are accorded heterosexual couples. They include such Federal benefits as the right to file joint tax returns, federal pension survivors’, Social Security survivors’ benefits and many more.   Government agencies will be required to revamp their regulations to include legally married same-sex couples. 

With the Court’s decision to allow a lower court’s ruling to stand, which struck down Proposition 8 in California based on the equal protection clause, there are now 13 states plus D.C. where same-sex couples can marry. This represents jurisdictions covering over 93 million Americans.

DOMA was signed into law in 1996 by President Bill Clinton in which the Federal government was barred from recognizing same-sex marriages even if they were legal in certain states.  At the time, no such marriages were legal.

The second landmark decision that struck down Proposition 8 was based on standing that upheld the U.S. District Court of California’s ruling, authored by Vaughn Walker.  “We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to,” read the majority opinion in Hollingsworth v. Perry authored by Chief Justice John Roberts. “We decline to do so for the first time here.”

By taking this approach, the Supreme Court nullified Proposition 8 in California but provided no opinion on the rights of states to ban same-sex couples from being legally married.  Observers characterize the Court’s decision as “punting.”  During the oral arguments in March, Justice Kennedy cautioned that the Court was entering “unchartered waters,” which signaled a more likely narrow ruling as opposed to a sweeping broader one, unlike the DOMA ruling.

Hundreds of equality supporters as well as a lesser number of opponents gathered around the Supreme Court building in sweltering heat and humidity cheering the news amidst a sea of rainbow colored flags and signs.  People came from all over the U.S. with some spending the night before to witness history.

“Today the married lives of same-sex couples in Maryland were made whole,” Carrie Evans, executive director of Equality Maryland, told me.   “We can now access the more than 1,000 protections the federal government provides to married couples. And with the ruling in the Perry case, marriage equality returns to California bringing us to 13 states and the District of Columbia that have marriage equality. We will continue our quest in the remaining 37 states until all loving and committed couples in the U.S. have access to marriage equality.”

HRC president Chad Griffin issued a statement that said in part, “Today’s historic decisions put two giant cracks in the dark wall of discrimination that separates committed gay and lesbian couples from full equality.”

Governor Martin O’Malley, who pushed marriage equality in Maryland, weighed in calling the rulings “a powerful step forward for those who live in states like Maryland.”

The White House issued the following statement: “I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act.  This was discrimination enshrined in law.  It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people.  The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it.  We are a people who declared that we are all created equal – and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.

“This ruling is a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law; for children whose parents’ marriages will now be recognized, rightly, as legitimate; for families that, at long last, will get the respect and protection they deserve; and for friends and supporters who have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and have worked hard to persuade their nation to change for the better.” 

“This is a historical day for all gay and lesbians couples,” said Annapolis resident Kim Hinken. “My wife, Adri and I are overjoyed at the repeal of DOMA. Finally, the country recognizes our vows to each other as they do any couple. The legal protections that this ruling allows us will assure that we are seen as a legally married couple in the U.S.”

The Future of Baltimore Pride

Jay W Photos

It had been an uncharacteristically busy run-up to Pride this year for the GLCCB, the organization that has run the annual event since 1977.  The iconic 33 year-old building on W. Chase Street had been sold at the end of May.  Potential new venues are being evaluated. The board of directors removed the interim label from Matt Thorn’s title and appointed him executive director. 

Then the Center got caught in the firestorm of words among business owners and the Mount Vernon Belvedere Association as to the management of the block party and its related problems of the past.  All these taking place in the two weeks leading up to the big weekend.

GLCCB executive director Matt Thorn, who among other positions in our community is also the Pride Committee chairman.  Undaunted, he managed to pull off Pride, and with the help of a cadre of volunteers, did so quite well. 

It wasn’t always a smooth ride in the past.  Invisible to the parade watchers, partiers and festival attendees were behind-the-scenes miscues at various points throughout Pride’s history that included wasteful spending, mounting debt, poor decision-making, a lack of transparency in the planning process, and allegations of theft.  These blemishes are more likely the result of organizational and financial instability that has beset the Center during its long history..

Some of these blunders, which had been concealed from the public by GLCCB leadership over the years, did manage to leak out.  Therefore, it’s not surprising that individuals and groups have floated the idea of wresting Pride away from the Center and running it independently (as done in D.C. and Philly) and presumably more efficiently.  Aside from Pride’s management, many people feel that the current location does not allow for expansion. 

“I think it's all about growth and Pride is a stunted child both because of where it is and because of the natural limitations placed on it by virtue of its oversight,” said a member of the community who asked not to be identified.

Thorn is aware of such criticisms.  “Pride has been a staple event of the GLCCB for many years. While not all of those years have been perfectly managed or executed, Baltimore Pride has consistently been an event enjoyed by thousands each and every year,” he told me.  “According to the large majority, Baltimore Pride 2013 was one of the best run and best executed Prides in recent history, [as evidenced by] statements from attendees, the MVBA and local businesses including Club Hippo, Grand Central and City Cafe. There is always going to be bumps with planning any event especially one of this magnitude but the GLCCB and I are committed to improving the event year after year.”

Mindful of the negativity stemming from past Prides, Thorn adds, “There is little that can be done with previous actions of previous administrations; its history cannot be rewritten.  We can only learn from those actions and what has taken place utilizing them as learning experiences to move forward allowing Baltimore Pride to be better and better.”

It is quite possible, even likely, that a well-managed and run private entity could do an effective job in organizing, planning and running Pride.  But Pride is the principal fundraising effort for the GLCCB; an attempt to deny the Center of those important dollars is ruinous.   

There are steps the GLCCB should take to mitigate the criticism directed at itself, and by extension, Pride.  In no particular order:

Improve the Center’s brand within the community.  The leadership should adhere to the strategic plan and follow the recommendations laid out by the company who developed the plan.  Transparency and community involvement with decision-making is crucial.  People will not respect, support or contribute to an organization that they do not trust.

Be mission-centric.  The relevancy of the GLCCB takes a hit after each Pride within the community because the Center seems dormant until the next cycle.  There are a number of issues the GLCCB can wrap their hands around to the betterment of our community, and there should be a concerted, well-publicized effort to do so.

Consider Pride alternatives.  Either outsource some of the Pride operations to a private entity without damaging the Center’s financial position or task the Pride function to a separate body within the community.  Thorn’s direction of this year’s Pride was admirable, but the executive director needs to concentrate on improving the GLCCB’s relations with the community, developing other revenue streams, and fulfilling the promise that the Center once had.

Become more diverse.  This is not as easy as it sounds but the GLCCB should establish a task force dedicated to encouraging women, African-Americans, transgender and other sexual minorities to get involved and convince them that a strong GLCCB benefits all.

Rally the community around the new home.   When the GLCCB settles into a new space later this year, the leadership should set up a series of open house events and fundraisers to rally the community.  It’s always exciting when a move takes place, so the Center should capitalize on that buzz.

The GLCCB is at the crossroads.  It needs to vigorously demonstrate its willingness to move forward and if and when confidence is restored, so will its stewardship of Pride. 

Matt Thorn is looking ahead.  “Plans are already under way for Baltimore Pride 2014 including extending the event from June 12 through June 22 and adding a multitude of events to the festivities,” he said.  “I understand some of the frustrations that people have and I encourage them to join us on July 22^nd for our Baltimore Pride 2014 inaugural planning session.”

A good start.

Be Totally Proud but Not Totally Satisfied

Pride is such a great time of year—especially when there have been notable victories in our never ending struggle to achieve full equality.  Last year, we in Maryland celebrated the historic passage of marriage equality and we were in the midst of a referendum battle that created uncertainty but also a degree of activism on the part of the LGBT community that had not been seen in previous years. 

Every Pride, it seems, there is something different we can cheer about and reflect upon our improving fortunes, particularly in light of the struggles our predecessors had to endure at the time of Stonewall—the consensus onset of Gay Pride.

This time around we have myriad reasons to be proud.  Marriage equality was finally achieved in Maryland after many years of disappointments.  Having won last November at the ballot box makes the victory even more gratifying 

Starting New Year’s Day, marriage for same-sex couples became legal and hundreds of couples have since rejoiced.  At the Pride festival, there will be a mass wedding.  How sweet is that? Thousands more will be afforded the same standing as our heterosexual counterparts if we can get key portions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA repealed. 

Two other states joined Maryland on Election Night while another beat back a hostile constitutional amendment.  Since then several others rapidly jumped on the bandwagon resulting in a total of 12 states plus DC that have legalized same-sex marriages and adding much momentum to the cause.  Plus a few foreign countries joined the party.  Moreover, some Republicans (gasp!) in Congress announced their support for marriage equality. 

On top of that, we eagerly anticipate a potentially historic Supreme Court ruling on Prop 8 in California and DOMA.  While most observers do not see sweeping, broad rulings from the Court on these cases, both decisions could (and should) be favorable.  We expect to find out by the end of Pride month.  What timing!

Then in the world of sports—a major component of our culture—we witnessed for the first time male athletes coming out in pro basketball and pro soccer while active as did a college basketball player.  There were athletes from various sports publicly declaring their acceptance of a gay teammate with a whopping 92 percent of players in the National Hockey League, according to a recent survey, asserting that a gay teammate would be welcome.  

These developments, one would think, should put an added spring in the steps of the parade marchers on Saturday and make the rainbows a little bit brighter throughout the weekend.  While we can bask in the glow of these victories and prospective ones to come, it goes without saying that there is so much, no, too much work to be done to be fully satisfied.

While basis protections for transgender individuals exist in Baltimore City and in Baltimore, Howard and Montgomery counties, there continues to be a barrier at the state level.  For the past few years, strong efforts to achieve non-discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on gender identity and expression remain elusive.

We also need to address the plight of those LGBT youth who have been discarded by non-accepting family members or as a consequence of poverty and become homeless.  There is a disproportionate amount of LGBT youth among the homeless in Baltimore and it is especially acute among trans youth.  As such, homelessness among our youth increases the chances for violence, poor health and crime—as perpetrators or victims.

And make no mistake, we can enjoy the benefits of marriage equality and other advances, but no matter the decisions by elected officials or votes at the ballot box, there are way too many people out there who do not like us.  It may not be visible or obvious to casual observers, but it is quite apparent when we learn about violence directed towards our community.

You can see evidence of this “anonymous” vitriol spewed on blogs and other Internet-based threads that discuss LGBT rights.  Hiding behind the security and obscurity of a keyboard, folks from all over the country lash into our community with alarming intensity and frequency.  Some of this is attributable to the culture they grew up in that breeds contempt for LGBT people; other causes are probably due to a backlash in the unprecedented rapidity of advances in LGBT rights.

As we have witnessed here, LGBT folks have been attacked, beaten or murdered simply because of who they are.  Law enforcement can do their job and they try, but we need to be vigilant and conscious of our surroundings.  There remains much hatred out there.

This continued disdain towards our community extends into bullying habits at schools.  While jurisdictions have adopted anti-bullying initiatives, the bullying against LGBT teens and pre-teens or those who are perceived to be LGBT, has not waned significantly.  Pressure needs to be applied to localities and school districts to help curtail these incidents.  Bullying contributes to low self-esteem and dropping out and worse, suicides among the kids.

There are also issues on the national stage that need to be legislated like job non-discrimination, immigration reform as it pertains to LGBT people, and HIV/AIDS funding.  Unfortunately the Republicans in the Congress have a stranglehold on any progressive legislation, and redistricting will keep them in place for an extended time.

So while I don’t want to cloudy up a sunny and bright Pride weekend especially in the aftermath of significant political victories, reality has a way of seeping into the mix.  We should all be proud of ourselves, our accomplishments, and the upward trends towards equality, but we should not rest on those laurels or be satisfied.  Understand that our work is far from finished.

An Abundance of 'Nunsense' at Toby's Baltimore

Most of us probably do not know what actually goes on behind the stark, sturdy walls of a traditional convent.  We believe that such an edifice would reflect austerity, include much prayer as well as “proper” behavior among the nuns.  Not so with the Order of the Little Sisters of Dundalk—yes, Dundalk, Md.—whose loopy, hilarious antics take us on an irreverent, non-stop ride,  while good-naturedly spoofing Catholicism and nuns themselves in Nunsense, now playing at Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Baltimore. 

Dan Goggin superbly penned the book, music and lyrics for this farce and as such, Nunsense, which debuted in 1985, became the second longest running off-Broadway show in history behind the Fantasticks.

The production at Toby’s is mostly a madcap combination of vaudeville and slapstick with an ample supply of puns and outstanding music that keeps the audience howling in laughter.  Add to the mix an amazingly talented ensemble under the direction of Mark Minnick and you have one terrific show.

To read the full review, visit Maryland Theater Guide.

Mark Patro: A Man of Pride and Passion

The battle for marriage equality in Maryland was moving into high gear by July 3^rd of last year.  Polls indicated a tight contest on Question 6, creating much uncertainty and apprehension among the state’s thousands of same-sex couples and supporters who were hoping beyond hope that the bill that Governor O’Malley signed into law in March legalizing same-sex marriage would withstand a robust referendum attempt. 

While trying to combat the efforts from well-funded opponents seeking to overturn the law at the ballot box, most advocates knew it would be a struggle to prevail.  Every possible vote was needed to be harvested.  It would be particularly important to register college students, as they represent a large number of the state’s unregistered voters and, based on polling data, would more likely to be supportive.

Accordingly, on that July 3^rd evening, a group of 20 folks from Baltimore and beyond gathered at the GLCCB’s edifice on Chase Street to be trained and certified as voter registration volunteers.  The instruction was to have taken place inside the building but someone didn’t get that memo; the doors were locked.  Undaunted, activist Mark Patro who was to deliver the training, held the session on the sidewalk outside the GLCCB on this particularly sultry, sweat-producing evening.  Despite that speed bump, the voter registration drive was well underway.

Mark didn’t stop there.   He bolstered the Question 6 effort by organizing Light Brigade Maryland—whereby groups of people held battery-charged lit panels that spelled out messages promoting marriage equality.  They visited over two dozen road overpasses, bridges and other venues around the state, but mostly in the Baltimore metropolitan area, to gain the attention of motorists and pedestrians.  It turned out to be a key component of the superior and creative messaging the pro-equality forces crafted during the campaign that helped sway people to vote our way.

This is what Mark Patro does.  Always forward thinking, always strategic, always creative, Mark finds a cause that is clearly progressive and manages to inspire others to reach a specific goal.  He is not a fiery, rah-rah type; in fact, he is rather soft-spoken.  But Mark possesses a lot of energy and passion, and people love to follow his brand of activism, of which he’s had considerable experience.

“My initial involvement in activism was with the impeachment of Richard Nixon; at seventeen I carried a petition for his removal from door to door in the Reisterstown suburb where I spent my teen years,” says Mark, a Towson University graduate and native of Baltimore who was educated in the Baltimore City and Baltimore County public school systems.

Mark decided to come out as gay in the late 1970's and was seeking “community” at the GLCCB. In the early 1980’s he volunteered as a photographer and worked on layout—a manual paste-up process—for the Community Center’s Gay Paper prior to the advent of computer-based page design programs. 

Light Brigade, formed by Mark Patro, in action

Mark explains that “during this period of time I got a closer look at organizing on the grassroots level when others, who were more involved than I, attempted to get an LGB housing and employment protections act through the Baltimore City Council. By the time this passed I was no longer involved with the Community Center.”

He continued his advocacy through intense letter writing to advance LGBT civil rights.  This, along with the efforts of many others, culminated with the passage of statewide protections in 2001 for gays and lesbians.

Things changed dramatically for Mark in 2005.  “I attended my first PFLAG meeting in Howard County, which was a 45 minute drive from my Baltimore County home,” he says.  “For a brief time I drove 30 minutes in the other direction to Churchville where there was a second PFLAG meeting group. While attending both meetings, I decided there was too big a gap between Columbia and Churchville and decided to start the PFLAG chapter in Lutherville.”

He remains as the president of that PFLAG chapter, and the name was changed from PFLAG-Baltimore County to PFLAG-Baltimore to reflect a broader reach.  “The PFLAG work that I’ve done is very near and dear to my heart; and the direct advocacy work that I learned how to do while working with PFLAG has become my new passion. I see my future more full of this kind of work on a broader range of issues,” Mark says.

Mark stepped up that political advocacy when passage of equal rights for same-sex couples was emerging as a top priority.  During the Maryland legislative session of 2009 he testified in favor of the Inheritance Equality bill written by Senator Rich Madaleno.  This bill passed and became law later that year.

Being one of only a handful of LGBT advocates in his northeast Baltimore County legislative district, he volunteered to become district coordinator for Equality Maryland’s annual Lobby Day. With several other dedicated district voters he made this trip for each of the last five years of that seven-year process.  

“I grew comfortable with talking to my senator and delegates to a point where I thought my conversations were sometimes having a positive impact,” Mark points out. “When the law finally passed [in 2012] and the opposition took the signed law to referendum I worked to ensure we would hold on to the right to marry.”

While the battles for marriage equality were being waged in Annapolis, Mark also turned his sights on extending protections in employment, housing and public accommodations based on gender identity and expression.  And for him, it was very significant.

“My proudest moment as an LGBT advocate happened in January 2011,” Mark explains. “This is when the Baltimore County Council passed by a 5-2 vote and amended language to the Baltimore County Code to protect people in Baltimore County on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. I was happy to work with a well-organized coalition of groups including PFLAG, Gender Rights Maryland, Equality Maryland, the Esimorp Network, The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and many clergy and citizen advocates. Councilman Tom Quirk led this effort and I, for one, will be eternally grateful.”

His work with PFLAG, the legislative conversations, and the referendum work resulted in an invitation in the fall of 2012 to join the Moving Maryland Forward Network (MMFN), and in January 2013, he was invited to join the board of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministries (UULM).

“As a member of PFLAG, MMFN & UULM in 2013, I am proud to have worked side by side with folks like Sharon Brackett, Matt Thorn, June Horner, Lea Gilmore, Charlie Cooper, Vinny DeMarco, Lisa Ward and Betty Crowley.”

Mark’s work seems just to be starting.  As stated earlier, his advocacy work brought on a desire to broaden the scope of issues.  “We may have passed a very strong Fire Arm Safety Act in Maryland this year but there is still work to do,” Mark reflects. “The gender identity/expression protections bill still needs to pass on the state level. I feel strongly that we need to understand and implement strong regulations, if not an outright ban on fracking.

“The simple things in our life, which are even more basic than our civil rights, are now being threatened. Labeling genetically modified food should be considered such a right. People need to be able to make a choice about what they eat and feed their children.  Fracking threatens our water supply and our ability to grow food.”

Pride…passion…and limitless issues to confront.  That’s Mark Patro.

Words Do Matter in 'The Submission' at Olney



Ari Butler (Pete), Craig Dolezel (Trevor), Lellee Knighten Hough (Emilie)

and Frank DeJulio (Danny) Photo: Stan Barough

Historically there have been tensions between African-Americans and white gay folks that are rooted in race, privilege, and victimization.  Such conflicts emerged during the debates surrounding same-sex marriage when some of the skirmishes centered on the term “civil rights”.  

Although not related to marriage equality, these strains are ignited in The Submission, now playing at the Olney Theatre Center’s Mulitz-Gudelsky Lab.  The venue is smaller than Olney’s Main Stage and, therefore, provides an intimate, personal view of intense conflict with humorous dialogue interspersed especially in the first part.

Jeff Talbott flexed his writing muscles in The Submission that throws political correctness out the window in a provocative, daring, fast-paced play. Director David Elliott deftly allows the four-member ensemble to perform with both intensity and restraint among a cornucopia of emotions contained in Talbott’s script.

Frank DeJulio plays Danny Larson, a white gay man and a graduate from an unnamed university in New Haven, Conn.   He has been distressed that none of his previous four plays have ever been picked up.  But it seems that his latest work about a poor black family trying to escape the projects just might be his ticket to early retirement.  The problem is, as a white middle-class male, he knows he cannot instill credibility in the play because of his disconnect between himself and the subject matter, so he devises a plan—one that the audience knows has zero chance of success with disaster on the horizon.

Danny submits the play under an “African-sounding” female penname (Shaleeha G’ntamobi to be exact) to the career-launching Humana Festival in Louisville.  When shockingly the play is accepted for production, he hires an African-American actress, Emilie, played by Kellee Knighten Hough to stand in for him at the crucial festival.

Suspicious from the start, Emilie accepts the odd assignment mainly because she loves the play and can use the portion of the profits from the production.  Ultimately she loves the attention, too.   But she cannot understand how a man of Danny’s race could describe so accurately the black experience.

What starts out as two people wary of each other but finding this arrangement to be mutually beneficial, it soon devolves into a bitter, combustible war of words laced with f-bombs and worse.  Emilie doesn’t buy into the idea that Danny’s experience as a gay man can equate to that of a black woman, which becomes the core of the conflict.  With that as the heat, incendiary racial and homophobic epithets become the fuel. 

Emilie presents herself as an intelligent, tough young woman who is well-aware and protective of her culture.  Danny seems too self-absorbed to be fully likeable but can elicit some degree of sympathy from his previous failures. Neither one ostensibly appears to be a racist or a homophobe, but in the heat of verbal combat, they turn into just that.  Words do matter.

Photo: Stan Barough

Danny’s straight, even-keeled friend from college, Trevor, played by Craig Dolezel, becomes Emilie’s lover.  He has the unenviable task of attempting to mediate between two people for whom he deeply cares.  One flaw is that Dolezel’s Trevor and Hough’s Emilie lack the chemistry and warmth to be credible as lovers. 

Until the climactic end, Danny gets support from his more affluent partner Pete, played by Ari Butler.  Pete injects some humor into the drama and had his big moment during a surprising temper tantrum near the end that targets “theatre people”.
As supporting actors in the ensemble, Dolezel and Butler, performed well in their roles.  DeJulio is superb, embracing a full range of emotions that was a joy to observe. 

Hough is also magnificent.  She and DeJulio played off each other brilliantly with passion and force —each vehemently defending their own turf with neither willing to yield the last word. 

Emilie is a sturdy character, but even her apparent strength is compromised by her knee-jerk homophobic reactions during the fiery exchanges that nearly cause them to come to blows in the next to last scene.  And Danny’s racist comments are ironic in that his play about black poverty and dreams for a better life so impressed his adversary.

Scenic and Costume Designer Bill Clark crafted a stellar set with two art deco-style walls on both sides of the intimate, compact stage with colorful rectangular panels.  These panels are cleverly used in scene changes whereby a coffee shop sign would be shown in one and then it would flip to a painting to signify Danny and Pete’s apartment.  Pullout-beds augment the apartment and hotel scenes while two small upholstered benches are used to bisect the stage in half.

Scene changes were also marked by Max Krembs’ rock guitar soundtrack, which was a bit loud, and Chris Dallos’ lighting effects.

Talbott’s The Submission is pure dynamite in more ways than one.  It raises lots of issues, such as competing claims of victimhood and that prejudice may dwell at some level in all of us.  He questions whether a playwright or author needs to have the same racial, ethnic or sexual background as the characters to write about them honestly. 

Fortunately, those are not answered in this play.  But it brings these issues to the surface so that the audience can contemplate them and have those conversations after the performance.  With solid directing, acting, staging and a good thought-provoking script, The Submission is highly recommended.

Running Time: Approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission.

Advisory: The Submission contains adult subject matter and a considerable amount of profanity and is not recommended for children.

The Submission plays through June 9 at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney, MD. For tickets and information call 301-924-3400 or visit online .

Scouts' (Dis)honor

Some issues are simply too thorny to resolve, especially when both sides of the ledger are entrenched in their positions.  It’s difficult, if not impossible, to reach common ground.  While they seem desirable on the surface, compromises don’t always work.  

One example that stands out is the now defunct “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that President Clinton was forced to accept if he wanted gay and lesbian individuals to be able to legally serve in the military.  Neither advocates for gay service members nor anti-gay opponents in the military and Congress were satisfied with the deal.  It was a total flop.

Now we have another so-called compromise from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) which once again satisfies few and disappoints many—from both sides.

On May 23, BSA by an historic vote of 61 percent of the national delegates removed the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation.  But left in place was the organization’s membership policy for all adult leaders of the BSA, which means gay adult scout leaders are still banned. 

This created a situation where a gay youth could become a scout and then be forced to resign when he reaches age 18.  The message is mixed: you’re OK if you’re a gay kid, but not so when you become an adult.  Gay parents of scouts would be barred from being leaders in the organization.

Understandably, the anticipated decision not to end the ban on gay adult leaders elicited significant reactions in the LGBT community. 

PFLAG National perhaps said it best in a statement: “Inclusion, by its very nature, cannot be selective: either you are a welcoming organization or you are not. In going halfway with this policy, the BSA suggests that their members are only capable of being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, courteous and kind until their 18^th birthdays. Once taught, do these traits diminish or disappear once a child comes of age? Shouldn’t being a scout serve as the best training to then lead other scouts in the future? And for same-sex parents who want to participate as leaders in their children’s troops, should the message be that their commitment to their child’s scouting activities is suspect?”

What I find appalling about the policy is the continuation of the stereotype that adult gay men are predatory and must be kept away from children. The unstated implication is that gay men have the desire to prey on minors or even recruit them to play on the gay team.  That is purely inaccurate, discriminatory and inflammatory nonsense.

The same fiction was used by opponents of President Clinton’s initial attempt to stop the ban of gays and lesbians in the military.  Remember how they instilled fear in members of Congress with the “shower” scenario?  “How can there be unit cohesion and effectiveness if openly gay soldiers took showers with their straight comrades?  How can they sleep in the same barracks?”  As we know, this fear-mongering proved to be total bunk.  The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has not caused problems within the military.

That gay men should not be allowed to be around children is preposterous.  Incidences of sexual abuse of minors are mostly perpetrated by straight individuals like relatives, clergy and even former college football coaches. 

In our society, children are around adults—gay and straight—all the time.  They are teachers, school bus drivers, pediatricians, police officers, barbers, soccer coaches—you name it.  While many of the homophobes object to openly gay adults being around kids, life goes on anyway with nary a problem.

BSA should be no different.  But religious organizations like the Mormon Church, which has a big footprint on the BSA, employs the same tired arguments and stereotyping that were frequently heard during the efforts to achieve marriage equality.  The policy that bans gay adult leaders caters to that church and other right wing religious institutions and does not make things right.

Though gay kids will now be allowed in the Scouts, the continued discrimination against gay adults would send the wrong and confusing and precarious message to the millions of young scouts—straight or gay.

“The decision to lift the ban is the first time the organization has welcomed openly gay youth — an important step in the right direction,” Ted Martin, Executive Director of Equality Pennsylvania acknowledged in a statement.  “But the Boy Scouts of America still has a long way to go before it will regain the trust of its donors, members, and the American people, a majority of which think this ban must end not only for kids, but for adults too.  Maintaining the ban on gay adults sends a dangerous message to young people that gay adults, like their friends' parents or even their teachers, can't be trusted.  By banning gay parents, the Boy Scouts are giving credence to long-debunked myths and stereotypes that promote fear, misunderstanding, discrimination, and hate.”

Eventually this policy will change.  But for now, this is just another failed attempt at compromise while BSA basically compromised itself.

Reaching the Heights at Toby's



The ensemble for In The Heights at Toby's Columbia

Qué espectáculo! There are 96,000 reasons to love In The Heights now playing at Toby’s The Dinner Theatre in Columbia through July 21.  But space constraints permit me to go over just a few.  Toby Orenstein and Lawrence B. Munsey ably co-directed this production and took it to new heights with outstanding orchestration, a talented likeable cast, and a superb set.

Lin-Manuel Miranda composed the music and lyrics, and Quiara Alegria Hudes wrote the book for the four-time 2008 Tony Award-winning show, which captured Best Musical among the statues.  It also won a Grammy for Best Musical Album.  Miranda wrote the first draft in 1999 as a sophomore in college, and it was an ongoing project until it moved to Broadway.

The action takes place in the gritty, largely Hispanic Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, near the George Washington Bridge during a typically sultry three-day period surrounding July 4.  Each character has his or her story, but they are all connected in some fashion.  A youthful, vibrant ensemble added spice to this rich mixture of contemporary urban hip-hop, Latin rhythms, family drama, economic hard times, community, love, devotion, expectations, dreams realized and those not fulfilled. 

The setting is realistically amplified by the creative design work by David A. Hopkins.  Placing a series of three dimensional panels depicting New York’s skylines around the upper walls of the theater, it allows Lighting Director Lynn Joslin to illuminate a silhouetted sky to coincide with the time of the day—a wonderful effect.  So detailed is Hopkins that he even had chewing gum stuck to the neighborhood’s light posts.

In the Heights contains many high points in the way of individual musical performances, either as solos or duets.  The main performers along with the rest of the ensemble also burnished their talents in the stirring high-energy production numbers like “96,000,” “Blackout,” and “Carnaval Del Barrio.” 

The ensemble sang and danced with dazzling energy to the music that in some instances contained a mix of Spanish and English lyrics.  However, the songs were composed in a way that one didn’t have to know Spanish to understand their messages.  While some of the numbers are not necessarily melodious, they are all solid because of the powerful and affecting lyrics as well as the amazing vocals by the cast members. 

Numbers, such as “In The Heights,” “Breathe,” “Inutil,” “No Me Diga,” “Paciencia Y Fe,”  “When You’re Home,” “Sunrise,” and “Everything I Know” stood out.  Most of the high tempo songs (and the better ones) are performed in the first act while more ballads can be heard in the second—a distinct change in mood.

Christen Svingos’ choreography presented solid, realistic urban Latino dancing to the thumping beats supplied by the magnificent orchestra led by Cedric D. Lyles.

David Gregory is remarkable in the role of Usnavi, a Dominican-born owner of a small bodega (corner store)  who is a central character throughout.  His passion and hopes are conveyed with great skill.  Most of his dialogue and songs are performed in rap, and he is quite proficient at it.

Crystal Freeman is moving as Abuela (Grandmother) Claudia who practically raised Usnavi after his parents died.  She is the neighborhood’s loveable matriarch, the moral anchor.  Her stellar voice is evident in the tender “Paciencia Y Fe” and “Hundreds of Stories.”

Nadia Harika who plays Vanessa, Unvavi’s love interest, also possesses a glorious singing voice. Her performance in “It Won’t Be Long Now” shined.

Also spectacular with her vocals is Alyssa V. Gomez as Nina.  She was the one member of the “barrio” (neighborhood) who went off to college (Stanford University) on a scholarship only to fail in her first year, deeply disappointing her parents. Her rendition of “Breathe” is memorable, and fortunately she performed in a few other selections.

Nina’s father, the overprotective Kevin and owner of the local taxicab business played by David Bosley-Reynolds, is sturdy in both acting and singing.  He brought his commanding baritone voice that audiences loved as Tevye in Toby’s recent presentation of Fiddler On The Roof  to this production, especially in his emotional solo “Inutil (Useless).”

The always reliable and talented Tina Marie DeSimone is wonderful as Nina’s strong-willed mother Camilla. Skillful in her acting, she shined in her powerful rendition of “Enough.”

Another standout is Marquise White as Benny, who is in love with Nina and an employee of Kevin’s taxi service and is the only non-Hispanic character.  Also possessing strong acting and musical ability, Mr. White was particularly effective in the duets “When You’re Home” and “When The Sun Goes Down” with Ms. Gomez.

Santina Maiolatesi as Daniela, the chatty owner of a beauty salon, was effective in that role and also demonstrated her vocal prowess in “No Me Diga.”  Her employee, Carla, was played well by Olivia Ashley Reed.

Then there is Usnavi’s cousin Sonny, who works with him at the bodega.  Played fabulously by Ryan Alvarado, the character provided most of the comedic moments in the show.  Mr. Alvarado’s timing and stage movements excelled.

Rounding out the sterling cast is Tobias Young, another strong vocalist, as the Piragua Guy and Calvin McCullough as Graffiti Pete.

This production of In The Heights at Toby’s soared thanks to the amazing work in all the theatrical elements as well as the efforts from an enthusiastic, youthful and talented ensemble.

Running Time: Two hours and thirty minutes with an intermission.

In the Heights runs through July 21 at The Dinner Theatre of Columbia, 5900 Symphony Woods Rd., Columbia, MD 21044.  For tickets and information, call 410-730-8311, 1-800-88TOBYS or online.  hocoblogs@@@

The Senseless Loss of Dennis Lane

With Dennis (l.) and Paul Skalny (r.)  on his podcast in 2011

I was devastated by the shocking news of the murder of a great guy Dennis Lane. I was honored to have been a guest on his excellent podcast "And Then There's That," and he made me feel so welcome and comfortable while asking probing questions about the progress of marriage equality in Maryland. 

Dennis cared deeply about the citizens in Howard County and those of Maryland. This is a tragic loss and Dennis will surely be missed by so many. 

My heart goes out to all the people who loved Dennis and were touched by his affability, intelligence and class.

R.I.P Dennis

An Eyewitness to 10 Years of History

The debut article in Baltimore OUTloud

One of the blessings of writing a regular column for Baltimore OUTloud over the past ten years has been the opportunity to witness and report on the myriad events—good and bad—that shaped the continuing progress of LGBT rights.  It has been an eye-opening ride, and I am happy to have chronicled the movement over the years, having missed only three issues during that time.

Of course, I had been writing for Gay Life and before that, the Baltimore Gay Paper, for two decades prior to OUTloud’s debut.  So providing commentary about political and social issues was not new to me. 

Ironically, my first column in the May 16, 2003 issue of Baltimore OUTloud did not discuss an LGBT-specific topic.   Instead, the column titled “Tale of Two Cities” pointed out the economic dysfunction that was taking place in Annapolis and the war-torn morass that was just beginning in Baghdad.  Here, I was surprisingly prophetic; I correctly predicted just two months into the initial attack on Iraq that the conflict would eventually devolve into a quagmire with enormous casualties.

The next installment changed gears dramatically as I opined that the defeat of Clay Aiken in the finale of Season 2 of American Idol was caused in part by his mannerisms and appearance that may have been perceived by the public as his being gay.  That stereotyping probably turned off numerous people who voted instead for the less vocally gifted Ruben Studdard.  For his part, Aiken denied being gay and remained in the closet until just a few years ago.

The “OUTspoken” moniker didn’t occur until the April 1, 2005 issue.  That article, “Come Out and Play Ball,” presented reasons why it would be advantageous for a gay baseball player to come out amidst the steroid scandal that was besetting the sport.  I was proud that piece found its way onto Outsports.com—a site that relates LGBT issues to the world of sports at all levels.

Through the years, covering several hundred editions of the paper, I focused on political matters pertaining to our community both nationally and locally.  The presidential elections of 2004, 2008 and 2012 were illustrative of the challenges we faced and how, as time passed, attitudes towards LGBT folks have shifted. 

We saw the advent of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts and the predictable backlash that was a key component of the 2004 election.  We also witnessed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” arguably the greatest achievement thus far for LGBT equality at the federal level.

The climate for gays in Maryland was dim but improving.  The gubernatorial elections of 2006 and 2010 saw Governor Martin O’Malley defeat the not-so-gay-friendly Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.  In 2012 O’Malley was able to come to terms with his religious beliefs and enthusiastically backed marriage for same-sex couples.  Following previous failures in the legislature this development, along with other factors, led to the historic victory of marriage equality in the General Assembly and at the ballot box, which was unprecedented.

While political roads were traveled frequently in my column during this 10-year period, numerous other issues were explored.  Among them were the plight of LGBT homelessness, the impact of our youth on future achievements, hate crimes, homophobia and race, the meaning of Pride (an annual staple), the dangers of political apathy, strategizing to win over the persuadable political center, transgender discrimination and violence, how the legalization of same-sex marriage would benefit all LGBT folks regardless of their relationship status, the challenges of gays in sports, trashing opponents of LGBT rights, and a number of columns devoted to the influence of our culture, especially television, on our community.

My greatest thrill in writing over this period was being stationed just a few feet from Governor O’Malley’s historic signing of the bill that legalized same-sex marriage for Marylanders and the ensuing raucous celebration.  With his stroke of the pen (and the eventual victory on Election Day) the lives of gay and lesbian families in Maryland were profoundly changed and there existed the sense that all of us—married or not—are no longer considered second class citizens in the eyes of the law.  Following that was the joy of covering the first same-sex marriages that took place in Baltimore’s City Hall on New Year’s Eve.

While I can pat myself on the back for making some predictions that were ultimately correct and being afforded the opportunity to cover significant milestones in the LGBT rights movement, I must also slap myself on the wrist for failing to bring to light other matters involving our community.

In an effort to be positive, I overlooked information I received pertaining to several local LGBT organizations that included mismanagement and the lack of transparency.  Despite the column header “OUTspoken,” in these matters, I confess I had been anything but.  When one is in journalism, there is a responsibility to enlighten readers as to any defects that may exist within those institutions to which community members provide donations.

Journalists who offer their opinions are duty bound to demand accountability from these organizations and not be concerned that their officials will lash out and blame the messenger for their own failures. 

Again, in trying to be positive, I fell into the trap of letting things slide, looking the other way, or not doing due diligence in investigating specific charges in order to avoid being accused of trying to destroy these organizations.  That was never a goal; rather it would simply be to expose these weaknesses and allow the community to demand better results.  Who could argue with that?

During the next 10 years, I hope to improve upon that record and truly be “OUTspoken.”