Friday, April 17, 2009

Michael Frary - May 31, 1991

Micheal was a man about town, for sure. I can't recall how we met perhaps at one of the 'better-benefits' or something. I don't even recall seeking him out, he just showed up. It was always fun when he did, too. But don't expect to see him on Sunday night - that was his favorite night at the Saint.

One day when I was working in mid-town when he showed up to go for lunch. He hopped out of the elevator and asked, "Do you have a helmet?" I pointed to my Bike bicycle helmet, the one that Speed Racer might wear and he said, "That'll do ... c'mon!"

So I hopped on the back of his motorcycle, and he zipped us through traffic down to Soho to the How's Bayou Cafe. Burgers & fries and back to Mid-town in an hour. That's when I knew I wanted to get a motorcycle.

Michael Frary had been good friends with Michael Sklar. (It did seem to be the decade of Michael's.) Michael Sklar had just taken delivery of several hundred antique kimonos he had purchased in Japan when he died and Frary inherited them. I bought several of them from him together with some obis and corded belts.

Michael took up with Dr. Jim. I didn't much care for Jim, but Michael did. I suspected some domestic violence there. Michael's mother was an alcoholic and Jim could get pretty unlikeable after Happy Hour.

In the late 80's, Michael was getting sick and decided to return to Hawaii where his mother lived. He took Dr. Jim with him and I never heard from either of them.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Peter Woolven - April 28, 1986

Peter was a senior when I started at McGill and was a member of my fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi. I was 'out' in high school in Baltimore, but hadn't come out yet as a freshman and pledge.
Wow. What a handsome man. Peter was tall and lean, curly blond hair, horn-rimmed glasses and a little mustache. He was clearly patrician, from a good old Montreal family, both smart and bright and athletic.
Peter went into Architecture School and I didn't see much of him except for occasional alumni weekends.
The next I saw Peter was getting off the ferry from Fire Island late in the summer of 1984. He told me he had been coming to Fire Island for several years. As I got on the ferry we quickly exchanged phone numbers and I looked forward to seeing him the following summer, especially in a bathing suit. Its amazing the way the sun makes a blond man's body look just golden.

That was the last time I saw Peter, smiling and golden.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Lance Bradley - April 28, 1988

In the early 80's things were changing in Chelsea. The Chelsea Gym opened up, but there were still crack dealers further down the street. In the summer of 82, there was an outbreak of fag-bashing. The kids from the old neighborhood would beat up the newcomers with baseball bats.

The response from the 6Th Precinct was, "Why don't you get your own baseball bats?"

One response from the community was to start the first Anti Gay Violence Project.

Another was to start up self defense classes. And that's where I met Lance. He was my instructor at SAFE - Safety & Fitness Exchange. The small organization had a growing clientele in Manhattan. They gave classes mostly in schools and in Senior Centers.

I can't remember quite where the classes were, perhaps in PS 10 or Greenwich House, but there was Lance, looking like a porn star and behaving like a coach. I cannot quite complete the details of his face, but clearly recall him in loose green fatigue pants tightened at the waist, tshirt stretched over muscular shoulders and usually a hooded sweatshirt unzipped and pushed up at the arms. He was not a tall man, but strong and shiney, the kind of man you'd want as a brother.

A former Marine turned dancer, a total jock and your best friend. He was the drill Sargent for the gay national guard and taught me to hit and punch and kick, to scream "NO" at the top of my lungs, to defend myself on the streets of Chelsea and in the world.

Lance gave me and others the power to walk up 8th Avenue with strength and dignity.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Ken Dawson - April 9, 1992

Today is the anniversary of the death of Ken Dawson. For those that do not know, Ken was once the Executive Director at SAGE, Senior Action in a Gay Environment. He was among that group of pioneers that were beginning to build solid institutions in the community which inspired the need for a community center in New York. SAGE was one of their first tennants. Ken guided the board and the community at its beginnings and built it a home on 13th Street in the Village. He did all this as friends were dying before him.

He was 30-something, muscle-bear with the warmest, most endearing smile.

Protease inhibitors were just coming out in 1992, but not in time for Ken.