‘Motown the Musical’ motors into Philly PAGE 19
AC tourism organization is reorganizing, with LGBT leadership PAGE 5
Family Portrait: Matt Whipple cooks healthy food with a Southern flair PAGE 23 Jan. 9-15, 2015
Since 1976
PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 39 No. 2
Tabu staffer speaks out after Gayborhood attack By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com
BROAD STREET BEAUTIES: A trolley announcing the drag contingent in the Mummer’s Parade made its way down Broad Street Jan. 1. This marked the third year that the collection of local drag stars, who were all bedecked in rainbows, took part in one of Philadelphia’s most well-known traditions, though this year they did not perform at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This year’s Mummers Parade also had its own changes, chiefly that the parade moved from City Hall to Washington Avenue instead of originating in South Philly. Photo: Patrick Hagerty
Accused killer of transwoman sends Bible verses to court By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Charles N. Sargent, who’s accused of stabbing to death transwoman Diamond Williams, then dismembering her body with an ax, has sent a series of Bible verses to court officials. The Bible verses are contained in a 24-page “affidavit of truth” that Sargent sent to Philadelphia SARGENT Common Pleas Court in October. The affidavit is “sealed with the Holy Spirit,” according to Sargent. In the affidavit, Sargent describes himself as a “living, breathing man whose advocate is Yahshua, the Messiah, Lord Jesus, the Christ.” The affidavit states that God has zero tolerance for homosexuality,
prostitution, hypocrisy, deception, incest, bestiality and other “wickedness.” It warns that violators will be killed by “the sword,” if they cause God’s wrath to “flare up.” The affidavit emphasizes obedience to God’s moral code. “If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord, your God, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom,” the affidavit states. Some transgressors are cursed by God, including idolaters, those who dishonor their father or mother and anyone who sleeps with his mother-in-law. But God has mercy for other transgressions, according to the affidavit. “If a thief is caught in the act of housebreaking and beaten to death, there is no bloodguilt involved,” the affidavit states, quoting from Exodus. The affidavit doesn’t go into details about Williams’ homicide. But accordPAGE 7
Philadelphia police are looking to identify and locate the suspects wanted for an attack that landed an employee of a local gay bar in the hospital for a week. At approximately 2:40 a.m. Dec. 27, two men were walking north on 12th Street when they got involved in a verbal dispute with a group of people that escalated into a physical confrontation. No arrests were made as of presstime. One of the victims, Sam Sierra, is gay, but told PGN Tuesday he could not recall if his attackers made any anti-LGBT remarks. “I wish I did, but I honestly don’t know,” Sierra said. Police spokesperson Lt. John Stanford told PGN that investigators do not currently believe the suspects were acting out of bias. “There isn’t any indication that this is an antiLGBT motivated incident,” Stanford said. According to Sierra, 34, who was working the door at Tabu that night, he and his manager, Joe Beese, were walking towards Market Street to catch the El back to their homes in Fishtown. Sierra stopped to uri-
nate in front of the Mitchell & Ness sporting-goods store when the group, consisting of three males and two females, passed and made remarks to Sierra about him urinating. Sierra said he remembers saying something back to the attackers, but does not remember what. That’s when Sierra believes the verbal altercation escalated PAGE 7 into a physical one.
2015 legislative outlook By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com
This year promises to be big for the LGBT community as administrative regime changes take place at the state and local levels and fresh faces in the legislature encounter a bloc of equality advocates determined to push much-needed policy into law. State legislative expectations In 2015, constituents most likely will see the reintroduction of a host of LGBT-related bills that have surfaced in years past, but were consistently met with opposition from Republican legislators. “Certainly, at the least, we will see the introduction of several of the bills we have seen in the
past,” said Andy Hoover, legislative director for American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. “The nondiscrimination bill, hate crimes, school bullying. At the least, those bills will be introduced.” Equality Pennsylvania executive director Ted Martin echoed those predictions. “This session of the legislature, with regard to LGBT issues, will perhaps mimic the last session somewhat, with hopefully a much better outcome,” he said. In addition to the issues mentioned above, Martin also said ensuring transgender people are covered in all policy issues will remain a priority. “And HIV prevention and AIDS are always going to be on our radar,” he added. Nondiscrimination legislation
remains the widest-reaching legislation, addressing perhaps what is the most pervasive LGBT issue in the state — and tops many advocates’ list of priorities for the next session. “We still don’t have a statewide law protecting against nondiscrimination,” Hoover said. “We passed marriage equality, which was huge, but you can get fired for [marrying] if your employer is not welcoming.” A nondiscrimination bill would protect LGBTs in everyday situations: going to a restaurant, buying a home or renting an apartment, shopping for a wedding photographer. State law currently prohibits discrimination on such bases as race and religion, but sexual orientation and gender identity remain excluded from the PAGE 6 list. Several-