pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976 Family Portrait: Eric Singel PAGE 19
Vol. 43 No. 1
Jan. 4-10, 2019
G Philly folds
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Philly Bar Association names gay man as new PAGE 5 director
Hot shows for cold months PAGE 17
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Drag queen among Mummers judges By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com The 2019 Mummers Parade may have had more LGBTQ representation on its judging panel, but many spectators said minority groups still need more visibility in Philadelphia’s iconic annual celebration. Ian Morrison, who performs as the popular Philadelphia drag queen Brittany Lynn, served on the parade judging panel for the first time. He was one of only two drag queens in the parade’s history to be a judge, said Leo Dignam, the parade’s director. “The experience was amazing, to be on the other side of things,” Morrison said. “It felt great to represent the community
and take part in something I’ve loved doing for years. I know this tradition — which has made a complete turn around — will continue to thrive and adapt for future generations.” Morrison told PGN prior to the parade that being a Mummers judge was “a much needed step in the right direction for LGBTQ representation” as the parade works to be more inclusive and diverse. Marion McKellan, a first-time Mummers Parade spectator from Wilmington, Del., said she expected to see more queer representation in a city renowned for its LGBT population. “I thought I would at least see a few LGBTQ groups or LGBTQ-inspired
Favorite photos from 2018
themes in the parade, but I haven’t seen any,” she said during Tuesday’s event. “Philly is known for having a lot of queer people but I’m not seeing much of the community here.” According to a 2015 Gallup analysis report, nearly four percent of Philadelphia residents identify as LGBTQ. It is not known how many Mummers identify as LGBTQ, but in recent years, the parade has only seen one LGBTQ-specific Mummer group. The Miss Fancy Brigade, the allLGBT drag mummers group that Morrison helped to form, was not part of this year’s parade, but Dignam said the group has been a crowd favorite since their first appearance in 2014.
Same-sex couple to file complaint in Mexico By Kristen Demilio editor@epgn.com
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The LGBT community isn’t the only underrepresented population when it comes to Mummery. Danielle Wellens, of Philadelphia, also watched this year’s parade for the first time and expressed surprise at the lack of people of color. “The costumes are exciting to see, but I thought I would see more people of color in the parade,” she said. The Mummers Parade has drawn criticism over the years for incorporating racism, sexism and homophobia in its acts, namely among the Comic divisions. Parade organizers implemented new rules for all Mummers that went into effect in 2017’s parade. They are no longer allowed to wear makeup that makes them PAGE 7
Two women turned away from holding their wedding at a Cancun resort plan to file a complaint with the Mexican government for discrimination. Giulia Umile and her fiancée, Jess, last month filled out an application to be married in November 2019 at Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun. They were planning to bring more than 30 guests to the resort, which runs about $800 per room a night in peak season. “We are not performing same-sex weddings at the moment,” Le Blanc wedding coordinator Laura Jiménez wrote in a Dec. 5 email to Umile, who provided a copy to
PGN. Mexico implemented a forward-thinking federal law in 2003 banning all forms of discrimination. Individual states determine certain matters such as civil law. In the state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, same-sex marriage became legal in 2017. Le Blanc is one of 10 beachfront resorts in Cancun, Los Cabos and Jamaica owned by Palace Resorts. Officials from Palace refused to comment on Umile’s wedding. “It is an outright form of discrimination and it is just bad business,” said LGBT-tourism expert and author Jeff Guaracino. “For a luxury resort that proclaims to be an adults-only, all-inclusive resort, it is a surprising misstep.” Umile and her fiancée have since PAGE 5
New podcast examines life of gay black professionals By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com A Philadelphia-based podcasting duo is introducing the voice of gay black professionals to the airwaves — a perspective they said is surprisingly lacking in the popular medium. Justin Bettis, 31, and Maurice Smith, 37, host “Category Is … ” a new, weekly 90-minute podcast on black culture, dating, politics and current events told through the perspective of two gay men of color. The hosts (who happen to be exes who remained friends after their brief relationship) share their experiences as working professionals living in Philadelphia while
providing commentary on trending topics and national news. “When you are of two marginalized communities, people have this idea that LGBTQ people of color have this homogenous thinking,” Bettis said. “We’re both black, gay professionals and we didn’t find that voice in the podcasting world. It was important to us to be examples of black men who are intelligent and well-rounded.” Since the podcast’s debut in October, the duo has released 15 full episodes and five short bonus episodes. The first episode featured the hosts playing a game of 17 questions as an introduction for listeners about who they are, with questions ranging from dating non-negotiables to celebrity
CATEGORY IS… HOSTS JUSTIN BETTIS (LEFT) AND MAURICE SMITH
favorites. The podcast has amassed an average of 300 listens a week with close to 300 Apple Podcast subscribers so far. Named as an homage to the documentary “Paris is Burning,” the program is loosely based on ballroom culture, in which each pop-culture topic or news item is presented as a “category”— similar to the runway categories in ballroom. The hosts also give “10s across the board” to people who have made headlines for inspirational or notable achievements. Other segments include “I Said What I Said,” in which the hosts share unpopular opinions, and a cocktail-recipe-sharing segment called “Whatcha PAGE 9