Washington Blade - May 27, 2005
Yusef Najafi

Jerry Garmany, a resident of Logan Circle in Washington D.C., had previously won titles in Baltimore's deaf leather community. But when he won the title of Mr. Baltimore Eagle 2005, he did so by defeating five other men, none of whom are deaf.

"When his name was announced as Mr. Baltimore Eagle 2005, I saw tears in the eyes of many," says Rodney Burger, organizer of this year's contest. "The audience loved him."

Jessi HolmanAhart, who had no competitors, easily won the Ms. Baltimore Eagle 2005 honor. HolmanAhart is a 39-year-old lesbian who lives in Baltimore with her partner, Janet HolmanAhart, and their 17-year-old daughter. She says she has been interested in the leather scene since 1990, when she met her partner.

Garmany, 51, also discovered the leather scene when he met his partner, nearly a decade ago at the Green Lantern in D.C. His love for leather eventually brought him to Baltimore because there are no leather title competitions specifically for deaf people in D.C., he says.

" Baltimore was the closest community to D.C. that had a long history of a deaf leather club," Garmany says through a relay phone operator, also known as a communication assistant, or CA. The CA helps deaf people communicate when speaking with someone on a text telephone.

"I went [to Baltimore] and met members of the club," Garmany said, "who encouraged me to compete in their next contest."

In addition to winning Baltimore's deaf leather title in 2003, Garmany won the Mr. Atlantic Deaf Leather 2003 contest.

He joined a gym to prepare for the International Deaf Leather contest in Orlando, Fla., after winning his first title in Baltimore two years ago. In Orlando, he won first runner-up. These days, Garmany says he works out at the gym three or four times a week.

Garmany, who was born deaf, says he is an advocate for people with disabilities. He works at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as an Equal Opportunity specialist.

He will hold the Mr. Baltimore Eagle 2005 title for one year and essentially serve as the group's ambassador.

"I am busy attending several fund-raiser events [including the Family Service Foundation's Deaf AIDS Project in Baltimore], and representing the Baltimore Eagle bar [at] several functions," he says. "The experience and education I have received so far is priceless and has increased my understanding, not only of our community but also of myself."

Garmany originally came to D.C. in 1973 to attend Gallaudet University, a nationally renowned college for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The university, which was founded in 1864, is located in Northeast D.C.

Today the school's gay group, Rainbow Society, attracts between five and 20 people, depending on the time of year.

Anastasia N. Greenberg, a deaf and bisexual sophomore who is studying sociology, is president of Rainbow Society. Greenberg says Garmany's win serves as inspiration to other gays in the deaf community.

"It means a lot because it helps deaf [gays] be recognized by the hearing people," the 19-year-old says. "Some hearing people think that we can't do things and feel sorry for us, but we can do [everything] except hear."

Greenberg says Rainbow Society offers different workshops that touch on topics such as coming out.

Garmany, a native of Fort Payne, Ala., was the only deaf child among 10 children in his family; he was the second to the youngest. He says despite the fact that his parents, who are now both deceased, did not know how to use American Sign Language (ASL), he always felt included.

"My mother made every effort to communicate with me," he says. "[My family] used homemade signs and gestures and sometimes we'd write notes."

Garmany attended the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, in Talladega, Ala.

"I lived in the deaf school for all my elementary through high school studies for 12 years," he says. "I would see [my family] on holidays and summer breaks."

Garmany says he always knew that he is gay, even while attending boarding school as a young boy.

He's found a new family in Baltimore.

"[ Baltimore's] leather community is very good in providing interpreter services for its activities or a leather contest," he says. "They always make sure the deaf leather men and women are [included] in their events, and that was the reason I decided to enter in a competition."

Burger says he doesn't view Garmany as a deaf Mr. Baltimore Eagle.

"I see him as Mr. Baltimore Eagle," he says. "He has much to offer."

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