Out of the wintertime blues PAGE 17
Family Portrait: Michael Pomante
Two local out lawyers are seeking election to courts
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Jan. 4-10, 2013
Vol. 37 No. 1
Person of the Year: Dawn Maher By PGN Staff
When a life is lost to violence, family members and friends are left to grapple with the sudden shock, the hole left in their lives by the loss and its far-reaching impact on their daily realities. And — unlike in some other types of loss — they’re faced with the challenge of finding justice for the person who took their loved one. Staying committed to that cause in the face of personal grief and anguish is a harrowing daily feat for far too many Americans. And doing so on behalf of an out and proud transgender family member is a sight too rarely witnessed, despite the high rates of anti-trans crimes. But one local woman has made a stand against violence on behalf of her transgender daughter and the countless
number of transgender victims of violence — teaching the trans community, its supporters and its opponents the meaning and import of unconditional love. Dawn Maher was shopping with her mother when a family member called to say something may have happened to her daughter, Kyra Cordova. “I knew something was really wrong and when I arrived home to two police cars and saw the looks on their faces, I knew and I felt it in my heart,” Maher told PGN in the fall. Cordova’s body was found in the early-morning hours of Sept. 3, Labor Day, in a wooded area off the 1100 block of Adams Avenue in Frankford. She had been shot in the head. Because she had no identification on her, it took police several days to get word out to the
family. Cordova, 27, grew up in Hatfield and graduated from North Penn High School. She had been living in Philadelphia for about five years and worked for a time, first as a volunteer and later as a staff tester, for the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative. She was also involved with relaunching and co-facilitating a trans group at The Attic Youth Center. Days after the family and the community was notified of the murder, on Sept. 13, transadvocacy group Blitz organized a memorial at William Way LGBT Community Center. About 400 people attended, including Maher, her sister Rhonda and other family members, who led a candelight vigil.
GALAEI executive director Elicia Gonzales said she first met Maher at the vigil and was impressed by her selflessness. “From the very beginning, she was just very embracing and
Local LGBT band to perform at inauguration
COLOURS moves to new space, expands youth focus By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com A local organization for LGBT people of color moved into a new, temporary location late last month. The COLOURS Organization, Inc., moved to 4916 Chesnut St. in West Philadelphia Dec. 29, from its original location at 112 N. Broad St. According to executive director Ralph Godbolt, the organization hopes to be at the location for at least a year. Godbolt explained that during the last fiscal year, rent at the Broad Street location amounted to 35 percent of the organization’s budget, but that figure will go down to 20 percent at the West Philadelphia location. The transition will allow for new opportunities, Godbolt said. “Our [Broad Street] office is strictly offices. The new space is a townhouse, which will allow for program space, support groups and additional staff offices.” Godbolt said the new PAGE 14
friendly and didn’t really think of herself at all in the equation, from early on,” Gonzales said. “People would ask, ‘How are you doing, how are you holding up?’ and she was determined from the beginning to make sure the focus stayed on Kyra and on finding justice for Kyra. That was very impressive.” Blitz community liaison Tammyrae Barr said she also met Maher at the vigil. She was struck by Maher’s eagerness to embrace her daughter’s community. “Dawn exhibited resilience and sought to understand the community that her child was living amongst,” Barr said. “Those that truly know the trans*community of Philadelphia know that we PAGE 5
By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com
BROADS ON BROAD: The first-ever LGBT drag group invited to participate in the Mummers Parade stepped off from Broad Street and Washington Avenue New Year’s Day. A Mummer from the Golden Sunrise Fancy Brigade warmed up with performers Navaya Shay (from left), Bridgette Jones, Crystal Electra, Misses P., Brittany Lynn, Porcelain, Mary D’Knight, Stella D’Oro and Cherry Pop. The drag stars led the string bands up to City Hall and later performed in between the Fancy Brigades at the Convention Center. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Philadelphia’s LGBT marching band will be among the performers at President Obama’s inauguration celebration later this month. Members of the Philadelphia Freedom Band will march and play for a second time at the Jan. 21 inauguration, having made their first appearance at Obama’a first inauguration in 2009. This time, the group will take 14 members — a big change from the two members who participated last time. “We were very small in 2008 and had just started up at that point,” said PFB founder and outgoing president Christopher Johansen. “We had our first performance just a couple months before the 2009 Inauguration at OutFest.” The PFB members will be among the participants in a 224-piece band put together by the Lesbian and Gay Band Association, PAGE 13 which will include 28