pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Vol. 41 No. 1
New Morris file request sent to D.A.
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Jan. 6-12, 2017
Family Portrait: Hazel Edwards fights for trans youth PAGE 23
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
‘Glee’ star to perform during Creating Change conference
All that glitters is not Judy Gold
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GoFundMe page started for cancer patient
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PA court issues Officials: Mummers Parade ‘more inclusive, precedent-setting more diverse’ civil-union ruling By Jeremy Rodriguez jeremy@epgn.com
By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Two Pennsylvania women long locked in a civil union will finally be able to dissolve their legal relationship after a precedent-setting court finding last week. The Pennsylvania Superior Court issued a unanimous ruling Dec. 28 that Freyda Neyman and Florence Buckley’s civil union created “the functional equivalent of marriage for purposes of dissolution.” The couple traveled to Vermont for a civil union in 2002 but ended their relationship later that year. At that time, Vermont law mandated one of the women move to the state for at least six months in order to dissolve the union. The Civil Division of Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas had dissolved a few civil unions, but that practice ceased in 2012, after a Commonwealth Court ruling that civil unions should be treated equal to marriage — the dissolution of which is handled by Family Court. However, a Family Court judge last summer dismissed Neyman’s petition, saying a civil union is not equal to marriage and, thus, the case should not be in the court’s jurisdiction. Neyman filed an appeal to Superior Court. The appellate court found that any future petitions to dissolve civil unions can be handled in Family Court. Tiffany L. Palmer of Jerner & Palmer, P.C., who argued the case with Mazzoni Center legal and public-policy director Thomas W. Ude, Jr., said the opinion importantly stipulates that civil-union divorces be treated equally to divorces for financial purposes. “What’s really exciting about this decision is it doesn’t just give relief to get the divorce decree, but also with respect to financial issues: They can seek alimony and equal distribution of property,” Palmer said. “Things will proceed now under the same rules that govern divorce.” Because they were still tied to one another, neither Neyman nor Buckley were able to marry or add a partner to their health-insurance plans. They had worked out a custody agreement for their nowPAGE 18
Unlike last year’s Mummers Parade, there were no overtly anti-LGBT skits or incidents at
the 2017 event. Prior to this year’s big event, Mummers leadership underwent training from various departments in the city. The coordinators included the
A WHOLE NEW WORLD: Members of the Miss Fancy Brigade adopted a Disney theme for their fifth year marching in the Mummers Parade last Sunday. The drag queens each portrayed a different character from classic Disney films, and each represented an LGBT bar in the area. The brigade performed at several locations throughout the parade, and was shown live on the television broadcast. Unlike last year’s parade, in which one Mummers group performed a parody of Caitlyn Jenner that many deemed transphobic, there were no reports of anti-LGBT skits at this year’s event. Photo: Marcus Neal Gordon
Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, city Director of LGBT Affairs Nellie Fitzpatrick and Jen Childs of 1812 Productions. The city conducted these trainings in response to a skit mocking transgender reality-TV star Caitlyn Jenner’s transition, as well as other homophobic and racist skits and incidents, at last year’s event. Rue Landau, executive director of PCHR, described Sunday’s parade as “more inclusive, more diverse, friendlier, happier and moving toward the best of the Mummers Parade that I hope we will soon achieve in Philadelphia.” Landau acknowledged a few performers wore makeup and had signs that officials deemed offensive but once the division’s leadership was notified, they modified their costumes. “In general, it was a far better parade than we’ve seen
in years past with far fewer offensive acts or individuals,” Landau said. PCHR trained the Mummers leadership and expected them to spread the message to their respective groups, Landau added. “The division leadership stuck to their word and controlled and policed themselves so that if the division leadership was notified of a bad actor in their group, they quickly went to speak to that person and told them what they needed to change.” Landau said she would like to see these trainings continue in the future. “This is an ongoing process of learning about diversity and inclusion. It’s a lot of work to make sure that the Mummers Parade is inclusive of all aspects of Philadelphia but there’s a lot of work to be done,” Landau PAGE 2 said. “Even
N.J. officials urge dismissal of trans suit By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office last week urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to allow trans people born in New Jersey to change the gender on their birth certificate without undergoing gender-confirmation surgery. The plaintiff, “Jane Doe,” is a New Jersey trans woman with gender dysphoria who wants to change the gender on her birth certificate without undergoing surgery. In November, Doe filed suit in federal court in Camden, contending that trans people are entitled to accurate birth certificates, regardless of their surgical status. PAGE 18 The defendants are
CHEERS, QUEERS!: Packed crowds rung in 2017 at The Raven in New Hope. The dance floor, piano lounge, bar and restaurant were packed throughout the day and night. Revelers celebrated midnight with a champagne toast as hundreds of balloons dropped from the ceiling. Photo: Scott A. Drake