On Saturday, January 10, the William Way LGBT Community Center is excited to host our Annual Meeting and Cornerstone Brunch. All William Way members are invited and encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting, which includes a comprehensive overview of the Center’s 2014 activities, programs, events, and initiatives. Brunch is available for all Cornerstone Members and other invited guests at 10:30 AM, and the Annual Meeting, open to all, starts promptly at noon.

The Annual Meeting is your chance to hear about the Center’s accomplishments over the past year, and its plans for the next, including details about our 40th Anniversary Celebration and exciting news about Reminder 2015, a year-long, city-wide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the modern day gay and lesbian civil rights movement. It’s also an opportunity for you to ask questions of the staff and share your own vision for your Center.

The Center’s Executive Director, Chris Bartlett, will give a “State of the Center” address which will include information about the organization’s new strategic plan, as well as other topics, such as governance, finance, and the Center’s role in building and supporting our community. Bartlett is especially eager to discuss the success of OutBeat and all the work being done to enhance and expand the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives thanks to a generous grant from the William Penn Foundation. Board Treasurer, Anh Dang, will present the Center’s financials for 2013-14, and the approved budget for 2014-15.

Candice Thompson, Director of Center Services, will update the audience about innovative programs, including one of the Center’s newest offerings, Loft23, a social and educational support group for young adults who have aged out of the Attic Youth Center. Thompson will also discuss our ongoing partnership with the John C. Anderson Apartments, a year-in-review of the art gallery and archive exhibitions, and volunteer recruitment and management. Thompson will also review the important work of Out and Faithful to support LGBT-affirming congregations throughout the region.

Michael Pomante, the Center’s Director of Development, will present an overview of the Center’s events and fundraising activities, including Homecoming, Indigo Ball, membership, various annual fund appeals, and the strides we’ve made in connecting with new corporations and foundations. Pomante will also discuss the revamp of IndiGoGo, the Center’s annual dance extravaganza, as well as ongoing collaborations with partner organizations throughout the city.

Finally, the William Way LGBT Community Center’s Board Nominations committee will present the slate of new board members for the 2015-16 term.

The Cornerstone Brunch and Annual Meeting are one of the highlights of the Center’s calendar. We encourage you to save the date so that you can have direct input into the direction of the Center in the upcoming year. We look forward to seeing you on January 10, 2015.

ANNUAL MEETING AND CORNERSTONE BRUNCH

The William Way LGBT Community Center | 1315 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 | www.waygay.org | (215) 732-2220 | info@waygay.org

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1 Annual Meeting and Cornerstone Brunch

2 Greetings from the Executive Director

3 January Calendar

4 January At A Glance

6 Around the Center

6 This Month in LGBT History

7 Body, Works from the Permanent Art Collection

7 John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archive presents Private Lives in Public Spaces

7 Supporting Senior Programs

THIS ISSUE

JAN2015

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Happy Holidays and New Year, dear friends,

As we enter into 2015, I wanted to thank you, as I often do, for the support and energy you provide to our Community Center. Without the interest and commitment you show, we’d be unable to keep the doors open 365 days a year. By keeping our doors open, we’re able to create some real magic. Whether that is providing a warm and safe space for LGBT people on Thanksgiving, or creating programs for our LGBT young adults, or providing employment training for our seniors, or providing gallery space for an innovative artist—there is so much going on here every day because of your support. Please do consider a gift at end of year—it helps us to enter the new year with wind in our sails!

In November, the Center hosted its annual Board/Staff retreat at the beautiful Albatross mansion, home of wonderful Center supporters Kim Brown and Laurie Flint. I was inspired by the energy and creativity of the assembled group. Under the leadership of board member Leona Thomas, a group of board members and staff have worked over the past three years to grow a consensus about the focus of the Center in the upcoming years. These focuses include: 1) innovative programming that grows participation in the Center; 2) increased fundraising to support the operations of the Center; 3) energetic marketing strategies that promote the Center far and wide; and 4) a facilities development plan that will allow us to renovate and further develop our historic structure at 1315 Spruce Street.

The retreat also identified one very important piece of work to do in 2015: that’s to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Center. A committee has been organized to build plans for our 40th year, culminating in our largest Indigo Ball ever—to take place on Saturday, October 10th, 2015 at the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall. Mark that date on your calendar now for what’s bound to

be one of the great events of the year—celebrating the history and future of one of our community’s most cherished institutions.

Out of the November retreat, we have developed marching orders for each of our volunteer committees, and plenty of work to keep us busy for 2015. I’m very excited to say that we’ll be unveiling more of the details of our plans at our upcoming Annual Meeting and Cornerstone Brunch on Saturday, January 10, 2015, and we look forward to discussing these ideas with you, the major supporters and stakeholders of the Center.

We’ll also be celebrating the many members of the Center who have remembered the Center in their legacies—so if you have remembered the Center in a planned gift through a

will or trust, please send me an email to bartlett.cd@gmail.com so that I can be sure to acknowledge you during the brunch.

Earlier in the month I met with David Devan, General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia. Devan is a brilliant visionary for arts and culture in the region, and it was a delight to brainstorm ways that William Way and Opera Philadelphia can cooperate. Later today, I’m meeting with Opera Philadelphia staff to discuss an important collaboration for February 2015: the East Coast premiere of Oscar. This is a new opera featuring the life of Oscar Wilde, and it’s a perfect partnership between Opera Philadelphia and the William Way. We plan to host an evening at the opera (stay tuned for details about tickets) as well as a discussion about this important new opera. If you’re interested in finding out more, please drop me a line at wwccedir@waygay.org.

Finally, I want to welcome new staff member John Anderies, the newly appointed Archivist of the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives at the William Way. Through a three-year grant from the William Penn Foundation, we were able to hire John to work alongside curator Bob Skiba to transform the archives in its soon-to-be-expanded space. Anderies hails from the Archives at the University of Pennsylvania and Haverford College. We are thrilled to bring his expertise to the expansion and further promotion of our archives.

Sincerely

Chris BartlettExecutive Director

GREETINGS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A committee has been organized to build plans for our 40th year, culminating in our largest Indigo Ball ever—to take place on Saturday, October 10th, 2015 at the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall.

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STAFFAvis Albaladejo

Facilities Coordinator John AnderiesArchivist of the

John J. Wilcox, Jr. ArchiveChris Bartlett

Executive DirectorEric Bunting

Facilities Assistant Jim Crouch

Maintenance Technician Will JordanBookkeeper

Ed MillerSenior Programs Coordinator

Ezra NeponInterim Development

CoordinatorMichael Pomante

Development DirectorSteve Serafin

Peer Counseling CoordinatorMarshall Siegel

Front Desk CoordinatorBob Skiba

Curator of the John J. Wilcox, Jr Archive

Candice ThompsonDirector of Center Services

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERSJeff Sotland, Esq.

Co-ChairLaurie Ward

Co-ChairSteve Brando

SecretaryKim Keegan

Treasurer

BOARD MEMBERS

Jocelyn Block Anh Dang

Tricia Dressel Chris Durr

Rudy Flesher Amber Hikes

Adam Hymans Mandeep JangiRobert Lenahan

Paul SteinkeLeona Thomas

JANUARY CALENDAR

The William Way LGBT Community Center is a not-for-progit, 501(c)3 organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communites of Greater Philadelphia.

* Indicates a new program

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ONGOINGArt Gallery: Body: Works from the Center’s permanent art collectionOn view in the gallery: January 9 - February 27, 2015Opening Reception: Friday, January 9, 6-8pmThe Art Committee is pleased to present a special selection of works from the Center’s growing permanent art collection in celebration of the Center’s 40th anniversary in 2015. The exhibition will explore the theme Body as both a play on words to represent the collection of work and as a vehicle through which to celebrate queer bodies, to explore ideas around sexuality and gender identity, and to think critically about the ways in which we use our bodies to affirm our identities.

John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archive presents Private Lives in Public Spaces: Bringing Philadelphia’s LGBT History Out in the OpenDecember 1, 2014 – February 28, 2015The Wilcox exhibition gallery at the Center is pleased to welcome home an exhibition created in partnership with the Philadelphia History Museum through their community voices program. For those who were not able to see it while it was installed at the museum, this is another chance to view the history panels and original materials included in the show including items from the Caulfield and Suarez special collection detailing two men’s journey across the world together, a community photo wall with snapshots of community activists from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and many other items rarely seen by the public from the Center’s archival stacks! The Wilcox gallery is free and open to the public during the Center’s operating hours.

02 JANUARYLoft 23 presents The Exchange LoftFriday, January 2, 16, 6-8 pm (1st and 3rd Fridays) This month, join us for casual conversation and mingling at the Center. Loft23 is an inclusive social/support group where LGBTQ individuals between the ages of 21 and 29 can have engaging and constructive experiences that lead to self-improvement and the development of positive connections within the community. FREE.

05 JANUARYHIV and Hepatitis C Testing (free and confidential)Monday, January 5, 19, 3-6 pm The William Way Community Center is partnering with BEBASHI, founded in 1985 in response to the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS in the African American communities in Philadelphia, to provide free and confidential rapid HIV testing and Hepatitis C testing. Trained counselors will be on-site to provide testing and education. Drop-ins only.

07 JANUARYVolunteer OrientationWednesday, January 7, 7:30 pm Volunteer Orientation is a monthly information session for new volunteers to learn about the Center and the various ways to get involved. Call (215) 732-2220 to register.

09 JANUARYLoft23 presents The Game LoftFriday, January 9, 23, 6-8 pm (2nd and 4th Fridays)

The game loft is a space geared towards gamers (21-29 years old) within the community and is an opportunity to meet new people, play games, and socialize outside of the bar/club scene. There will be board games, a Wii console and PS3 provided within the group space. So come out, join the group and have fun!!!!!! FREE.

10 JANUARYAnnual MeetingSaturday, January 10, 12pmAll William Way members are invited and encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting, which includes a comprehensive overview of the Center’s 2014 activities, programs, events, and initiatives. The Annual Meeting is your chance to hear about the Center’s accomplishments over the past year, and its plans for the next, including details about our 40th Anniversary Celebration and exciting news about Reminder 2015, a year-long, city-wide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the modern day gay and lesbian civil rights movement. It’s also an opportunity for you to ask questions of the staff and share your own vision for your Center.

13 JANUARYSAGEWorks IntroductionTuesday, Jan. 13, 6:30 pm (separate individual session)SageWorks is an employment assistance program for LGBT adults (40+) that provides access to online worksearch sites, job coaching, resume building, career workshops and free computer training courses. This introduction will provide you with information about the program and how you can become involved. Registration required. Take the first step and Register

RECURRING PROGRAMS

JANUARY AT A GLANCE

Bridge ClubMondays, 2 pm“Party” bridge for the experienced player. Reservations required. Please call the Center at 215-732-2220.

Mornings OUT Senior Social (Free)Tuesdays, 10:30 am - 12:30 pmA social/educational group for older men with occasional outings, speakers and events. Light refreshments served.

Chess Club (Free) Sundays, 2 - 4 pm This is an inclusive group seeking players of all skill levels interested in socializing and working on their game. Absolutely free, and you’re guaranteed to hone up on those skills you haven’t used in awhile or to learn new ones!

David Bohnett Cyber Center Free WiFi in our lobby! $1 per 15 minutes for WWCC computer use. LGBT Age 50+ Rap Session

Thursdays, 1 - 2 pm This is a unique forum where people can discuss their feelings and experiences related to being LGBT and age 50 + in a casual, open and non-judgmental environment. This new outlet has been created by and for older adults. Stop in to share what’s on your mind and to just listen to what others have to say.

Library (Free)Mon - Fri 12 - 9 pm Sat 3 - 5 pm, Sun 12 - 5 pm.

Mah-Jongg Thursdays, 12 pm & 7:30 pm For experienced and new players. Mah-jongg is a game of skill, strategy, calculation, and luck for four players. Reservations required call 215-732-2220.

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at http://sage.business-access.com/sage. Once you register online please call the Center to attend one of our introduction sessions. For more information or to RSVP please contact Ed Miller at 215-732-2220 or emiller@waygay.org

17 JANUARYA Penny for Your ThoughtsSaturday, January 17, 2-5 pm This guided discussion on all issues which impact lesbian, bisexual and questioning women will provide an opportunity to address a variety of topics including but not limited to sexuality, role playing, politics, relationships, etc… No subject is off limits! Each question will be written on a 3 by 5 index card, folded in half. The cards are then picked randomly by the facilitator, Yvette Lassiter, MSW, and read to the group at large. FREE. RSVP is required to info@waygay.org or 215-732-2220 as space is limited.

20 JANUARYVolunteer Velada & DinnerTuesday, January 20, 7 pm(Every 3rd Tuesday of the month)Help us fold and assemble our monthly mailing. It’s a big job and we need your help!

21 JANUARYWomen’s WednesdaysWednesday, January 21, 5:30 pm Women’s Wednesdays is a social and cultural program for women 50 and over the third Wednesday of every month from 5:30 - 7:30pm.

22 JANUARYSAGEWorks IntroductionThursday, Jan., 22 pm (separate individual session)SageWorks is an employment assistance program for LGBT adults (40+) that provides access to online worksearch sites, job coaching, resume building, career workshops and free computer training courses. This introduction will provide you with information about the program and how you can become involved. Registration required. Take the first step and Register at http://sage.business-access.com/sage. Once you register online please call the Center to attend one of our introduction sessions. For more information or to RSVP please contact Ed Miller at 215-732-2220 or emiller@waygay.org

24 JANUARYQueer Writer’s CollectiveSaturday, January 24, 3-5 pm(Every 4th Saturday of the month)Join this free group for monthly workshops and discussions to develop your unique queer voice via the written word at the Center. Contact Candice for information at (215) 732-2220 or info@waygay.org. Free.

25 JANUARYSilver FoxesThursday, January 25, 3-5 pm(Every 4th Sunday of the month)For LGBT 50+ folks. A monthly social and discussion group at the Center. Light refreshments will be served and feel welcome to bring other food. This month the Silver Foxes are specially invited to the Center’s holiday dinner on December 26th in leu of their regular monthly meeting.

COMING IN JANUARYOut and Faithful: Living Into Community, The Religious Response to the AIDS CrisisComing in January, check the web site for date and time at www.waygay.orgJoin us for an evening of storytelling, reflection, and connection. The Center has invited storytellers from various faith perspectives and experiences to share their memories and insights around helping individuals and their loved ones find religious support during the height of the AIDS Crisis of the 1980s and 90s. We’ll bring to light the oftentimes invisible face of caring in faith communities and stories of living in times of uncertainty while moving towards resilience. From certain death to long lives, the evening will also explore what religious and spiritual ministries for people with the virus look like today and how they’ve been informed by some of the spiritual trauma experienced by so many in the LGBTQ, ally, and HIV-positive communities.

Peer Counseling Mon - Fri, 6 pm - 9 pm One-to-one confidential counseling. We help with issues such as coming out, sexual identity and expression, relationships, family issues, isolation, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, legal issues, health and safety concerns. This is a free and confidential service. 215-732-TALK (8255).

PhilaVentures: Wissahickon Hike Last Sun of the Month, 2 pm An opportunity for walking at a moderate pace with a talkative group of LGBT folks who like fresh air and exercise! Some ups and downs and uneven paths are found along the way, so wear proper footwear and be ready to hike! This groups meets at 2:00 PM at Cosimo’s Pizza, 8624 Germantown Ave. at Bethlehem Pike.

Rainbow Buddhist MeditationSundays, 4-5 pmThis free group is for both practicing Buddhists and those interested in Buddhism and includes both a discussion and meditation.

Tai Chi Classes (Free)Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 pm Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient Chinese system of mind-body-spirit health, based on the wisdom of the Tao and the I Ching. You will learn the gentle movements and deep breathing of the Yang Style 37 Postures Form. Tai Chi can have many health benefits including: lowering blood pressure; reducing leg, neck and back pain, etc. All ages and all fitness levels are welcome!

TransWay (Free)Thursdays, 7-9 pm A weekly social group for the transgender and gender nonconforming community.

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MAE POLAKOFF AND JOEY HARDMAN

In 1960, Philadelphia activists formed a local chapter of the national Mattachine Society. Mattachine had been formed ten years earlier in California as a support, educational, and activist group with a primarily gay male membership. In Philadelphia, however, not only was the chapter open to both women and men but Philadelphia’s first Mattachine chair was a lesbian—Mae Polakoff, who went by the pseudonym “Mae Josias.” (Concerned with job security, harassment and relationships with family and friends, many early activists used pseudonyms to protect their identities.)

Mae was outgoing and energetic. Friends described her as looking like a blonde “Jewish lady from the suburbs.” She had struck up a relationship with her butch lover, Joey Hardman, after the two met at Rusty’s lesbian bar. Under Plakoff’s leadership, the organization sponsored discussion groups, outings, lectures and plays. Meetings of the 30 or so member group were often held either at Mae’s house in West Philadelphia, or at Joey’s in South Philadelphia. Since Mae worked as a stenographer and ran her own business, Mattachine newsletters were run off on her office mimeograph machine.

Late in 1961, the national organization decided to disband and to revoke all local charters. Mattachine Philadelphia renamed itself the Janus Society of Delaware Valley and continued with Mae Polakoff as president. In December of 1962, Mae publicized the Janus Society and the local homophile movement by appearing on Ed Harvey’s “The Talk of Philadelphia” radio program—a big step in visibility.

In the fall of 1963, Mae Polakoff stepped down as president of the Janus Society, handing over the reins to Clark Polak, who took the organization in a very different, male oriented, direction. Both Mae and Joey quietly faded from the Philadelphia homophile movement.

To learn more about Mae Polakoff, Joey Hardman, the Janus Society and Clark Polak, see Marc Stein’s “City of Sisterly & Brotherly Loves,” University of Chicago Press, 2000.

- Bob Skiba, John J. Wilcox Jr. LGBT Archives of Philadelphia

Photo credit: Joey Hardman and Mae Polakoff, photo courtesy of the John J. Wilcox Jr. LGBT Archives of Philadelphia

THIS MONTH IN LGBT HISTORY

Left: Holiday Decorations by volunteers Frank Mueller and Herb Tapper.

Wells Fargo staff delivering a donation for Senior Programs

#GivingTuesday was a great success!

MorningsOut field trip to UPENN Museum

AROUND THE CENTER

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JOHN J. WILCOX, JR. ARCHIVE PRESENTS PRIVATE LIVES IN PUBLIC SPACES: Bringing Philadelphia’s LGBT History Out in the Open December 1, 2014 – February 28, 2015

The Wilcox exhibition gallery at the Center is pleased to welcome home an exhibition created in partnership with the Philadelphia History Museum through their community voices program. For those who were not able to see it while it was installed at the museum, this is another chance to view the history panels and original materials included in the show including items from the Caulfield and Suarez special collection detailing two men’s journey across the world together, a community photo wall with snapshots of

community activists from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and many other items rarely seen by the public from the Center’s archival stacks! The Wilcox gallery is free and open to the public during the Center’s operating hours.

BODY, WORKS FROM THE PERMANENT ART COLLECTIONThe gallery will feature works from the permanent collection in January and February. Please join us for an opening reception with wine and cheese and members of the Art Gallery Committee on Friday, January 9 from 6-8pm.

The art gallery at the William Way LGBT Community Center will help to celebrate a year-long homage to the organization’s 40th anniversary in 2015 with Body, a show featuring works and artists from the Center’s rich and ever-growing permanent art collection. More than a dozen rarely seen pieces will be showcased in the exhibition and each will touch upon the myriad ways LGBTQ people expose, modify, use, interpret and display their bodies through art, which is a recurring theme running throughout the collection.

“This is an exciting time for the Center’s permanent art collection. The Center is a wonderful collector and steward of queer art, and over the next three to five years we’ll be working to better document, preserve, and produce public programming around the collection, so stay tuned,” -Candice Thompson, Director of Center Services.

The Art Gallery at the William Way Community Center highlights local and emerging LGBTQ artists and is open and free to the public during our normal business hours which are Monday through Friday, 11am-10pm and on weekends from 12 - 5pm. If you have a group and would like to schedule a private tour of the gallery, please contact Candice Thompson at cthompson@waygay.org or 215-732-2220.

SUPPORTING SENIOR PROGRAMSAll of us at the Center would like to thank the individuals, corporations, and foundations that have supported the creation and implementation of senior programs both at the Center and at the John C. Anderson Apartments. For more than a decade, senior services has been one of the strongest as well as the fasting growing programs at the Center, and it’s thanks to your ongoing support that we’ve been able to meet the emergent needs of our seniors—those who started the gay and lesbian civil rights movement, fought the AIDS crisis, and paved the way for the myriad of rights and privileges we, as a community, enjoy today.

In particular, we want to thank the Board of Directors of the dmhFund, as well as Micah Mahjoubian and Mark Segal, for connecting the William Way Community Center to numerous resources that have supported our senior programs—including a grant from the Philadelphia Corporation For Aging (PCA), funding from Pennrose Properties,

and numerous dmhFund grants. When longtime friend, advocate, and supporter of the Center, Mark Segal, and the dmhFund began work on the John C. Anderson Apartments many years ago, they promised the William Way Center that they would support us in pursuing our programs both at 1315 Spruce Street and the new senior living facility, and they continue to deliver on that promise.

The Center staff continues to work tirelessly to raise funds to support current and new programs that will serve our seniors, keep them connected to the community, and advocate for their voices to be heard.

We look forward to our continued partnership with the John C. Anderson Residences and its residents as well as ongoing collaboration with the dmhFund, PCA, and Pennrose Properties. If you’d like more information about ways to support senior programs at the Center, please contact Michael Pomante at 215-732-2220 or mpomante@waygay.org.

Celebrating community with the seniors at the John C. Anderson Apartments at Homecoming 2014.

An untitled work from 1988 that will be on display by Philadelphia artist Clyde Sams (b. 1950, d. 1998) The artist was an outspoken gay activist, long-term member of Dignity, and an Action AIDS volunteer.

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