“Mommie Queerest” with beards PAGE 21
All aboard the Love Train — with the first same-sex PAGE 5 wedding
Family Portrait: SharRon Cooks makes community service a priority PAGE 23
#TeamBayard plans MLK Day of Service PAGE 7
Jan. 16-22, 2015
Since 1976
PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 39 No. 3
Lesbian gunned down in North philly
Judges mull convictions in Milano case By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com A three-judge panel of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals spent 45 minutes this week pondering whether to void convictions in the Anthony Milano murder case. In December 1987, Frank R. Chester and Richard R. Laird murdered Milano after escorting him out of a Bucks County tavern and kidnapping him to a nearby wooded area. Upon their arrival, Chester kicked and pushed Milano. Then Laird hacked out Milano’s throat with a box cutter, according to court records. Milano was gay, and prosecutors declared it an antigay hate crime, though there were no hate-crime protections in place for the LGBT community. In 1988, Chester and Laird were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. But Chester’s first-degree murder conviction was voided in 2011, due to improper jury instructions by the trial judge. Now Chester wants his remaining convictions voided — including second-degree murder and kidnapping — on the basis that his trial attorney had a conflict of interest. Chester’s trial attorney, Thomas F. Edwards Jr., denies having a conflict of interest in the case. Last year, U.S. District Judge C. Darnell Jones 2d rejected Chester’s claim, but Chester appealed to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. On Jan. 13, Judges Thomas L. Ambro, Thomas M. Hardiman and Kent A. Jordan heard arguments from both sides. Jules Epstein, an attorney for Chester, said Edwards’ life was in “absolute colPAGE 17
By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com
MILLION-DOLLAR MILESTONE: AIDS Fund executive director Robb Reichard (from right), Philadelphia AIDS Thrift co-founder Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou and GayBINGO! host Carlotta Ttendant celebrated a milestone moment at the Jan. 11 BINGO game. Marked by a check presentation at the Gershman Y event, PAT has officially surpassed $1 million in donations to AIDS Fund, which distributes the funding to HIV/AIDS service organizations in the region. Last weekend’s check was for $24,130, of which $4,130 was the first donation by PAT @ Giovanni’s Room, which opened this fall. Photo: Scott A. Drake
A North Philadelphia lesbian was shot in broad daylight Tuesday morning while on her way to work. Kim Jones, 56, was shot in the head at 9:30 a.m. while she was standing on the corner of 12th and Jefferson streets near Temple University, waiting to take the bus to work, police said. The gunman came up behind Jones, who was wearing headphones, and shot her point-blank in the back of the head. Investigators believe Jones was targeted, but a motive had not been announced as of presstime. “She had her purse, she had her cellphone, she had jewelry on, none of which PAGE 17
Center announces new top position at annual meeting By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com Last Saturday the William Way LGBT Community Center held its annual meeting to discuss the organization’s future and goals heading into 2015. Among the business addressed at the meeting was the promotion of Candice Thompson from director of center services to chief operating officer, a position in which she will be responsible for all the internal operations of the center. “I feel really excited to be a part of the center’s growth,” Thompson said. “I am celebrating my 10-year anniversary with the center in April, which is amazing to me, so I bring all of that organization history and insight to this new role.”
The position was created to allow the executive director to focus on external relations and fundraising, while the COO manages the internal operations, according to Thompson. “This is the first time the center will have a COO, so I am really excited to make it a successful, smart investment of resources,” she said. “This position will help the center grow more rapidly and I’m excited to be a part of that. It’s going to be a great year at the center and I’m looking forward to both the challenges and successes that are ahead.” “It’s a very exciting year for us, in addition to the 40th anniversary of the center,” added executive director Chris Bartlett. “We are doing a lot of projects that are going to move the center forward.” This year’s proPAGE 7
FORWARD-CENTER: William Way LGBT Community Center development director Michael Pomante outlined fundraising plans at the annual Cornerstone Brunch Jan. 11 at the center. About 100 people attended the meeting, where the organization’s financials and programs were reviewed. The center also announced that longtime director of center services Candice Thompson was promoted to chief operating officer, a newly created position. Photo: Scott A. Drake
“Day in the Life of” is a monthly feature that tells the unique, day-to-day stories of local LGBT PAGE 16 community members. Meet this month’s subject: André Richard.