Get on the bus
Family Portrait: Claire Baker
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1950s photos generate search to identify gay married couple
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Feb. 22-28, 2013
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Vol. 37 No. 8
Study: PA LGBT population below national average By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A study released last week from an LGBT thinktank found that the percentage of Pennsylvanians who self-identify as LGBT is below the national average. The Williams Institute at UCLA found last week that about 3.5 percent of all U.S. adults nationwide consider themselves LGBT, and about 2.7 percent of Pennsylvania residents identify as community members. The report is based on six months of Gallup surveys from 2012 and is the largest-ever study of LGBT population size in the country. It was initiated after Gallup added the question, “Do you personally identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender?” in its daily tracking interviews. Washington, D.C., reported the highest percentage of LGBTs — 10 percent —, followed by Hawaii at 5.1 percent. North Dakota was ranked last at 1.7 percent. Pennsylvania was among 16 states that reported less than 3 percent of self-identified LGBT residents and is ranked among the bottom 10. PAGE 14
Casey to reintroduce anti-bullying bill By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com U.S. Sen. Bob Casey from Pennsylvania is gearing up to reintroduce the Safe Schools Improvement Act. Casey plans to submit the bill next week. The legislation, which stalled in committee last session, would amend the Safe and DrugFree Schools and Communities Act to require all districts funded through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to introduce codes of conduct that would prohibit bullying and harassment. The mandated antibullying policies must, among other provisions, ban harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Casey said there have not been any changes to the bill since he last introduced it two years ago. “We are going to keep it pretty much the same,” he said in an interview with PGN this week. “Prior to introduction, we might take a look at some provisions. I don’t think it is in need of much amendment because it is pretty simple.” When he last submitted the bill, he did so with 18 cosponsors; this time
FLAGGING THE ISSUE: U.S. Sen. Bob Casey spoke to students at Warren G. Harding Middle School in Bridesburg Feb. 20 about bullying and his soon-to-be-introduced Safe Schools Improvement Act. Casey participated in the launch of Cartoon Network’s new flag-raising campaign as part of its “Stop Bullying: Speak Out” initiative. Casey enumerated the provisions of the SSIA for the students, noting that it mandates federally funded schools institute a code of conduct, take specific bullying-prevention steps and introduce tracking methods for bullying incidents. He plans to reintroduce the measure next week. Photo: Scott A. Drake
around, he and lead sponsor Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) garnered 41 bipartisan cosponsors. He was unsure about the timeline for the legislation, but said it’s feasible the bill could be folded into the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which was his intent last session. “It would help to be a part of that. It would be a moving bill that would get consideration on the floor,” he said. “In order to get the ESEA bill out of the committee, we had to make tough decisions and one of them was to drop Safe Schools from that. This year, I would like find a way to make it part of ESEA or find another path.” Casey said the bill is integral to the education and well-being of students in Pennsylvania and across the country. “The fact that we had heard from people across the state and even beyond the state about the problem made us want to do something that was practical and get to the root of the problem,” he said about the legislation. “When a young person goes to school, PAGE 17
Activists blast Scouts’ job-application form By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com
NOT ALONE NOW: Dozens of guests at the Human Rights Campaign’s Philadelphia Gala took to the stage Feb. 16 as 1980s pop sensation Tiffany closed her set with hit “I Think We’re Alone Now.” The singer posed for pictures with guests at the 17th annual fundraising dinner, which was held at the Loews Hotel, and mingled with fans at the after-party at Sisters. The gala also included the presentation of the Ally for Equality Award to MSNBC anchor Melissa Harris-Perry (inset) and remarks by HRC president Chad Griffin. Photos: Patrick Hagerty
Civil-rights activists are speaking out against a job-application form issued by the national Boy Scouts of America organization that excludes atheists and “known or avowed homosexuals” from employment. The local BSA Cradle of Liberty Council uses the form, but the extent of its use by Cradle has never been publicly clarified, according to court records. Existing case law indicates that Cradle has a right to exclude gays and atheists from jobs that directly affect its ability to convey an exclusionary message. But Cradle doesn’t necessarily have a right to exclude gays and/or
atheists from jobs that have minimal interaction with the general public, according to case law. The city has been locked in a fiveyear legal battle to evict Cradle from a city-owned building on 22nd Street near the Ben Franklin Parkway. Throughout the eviction dispute, Cradle hasn’t clarified the extent to which it relies on the application form to screen out gays and/or atheists. The city’s eviction effort remains pending in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Kera Armstrong, a Cradle spokesperson, didn’t provide a list of Cradle jobs that are open to gays and/or atheists when asked for one by PGN. Margaret A. Downey, president of
the Freethought Society, an advocacy group for atheists, said Cradle needs to clarify its employment opportunities for gays and/or atheists. If Cradle declines to do so, the city should initiate a probe of its employment practices and release the results to the public, she added. “I’m very concerned about the damaging effects of Cradle’s behavior — not just on the LGBT community, but also the nontheist community,” Downey said. Mark McDonald, a spokesperson for the Nutter administration, had no comment about any potential city probe. Downey also said Cradle’s employment practices are directly linked to its membership policies. “ [ C r a d l e ’s ] PAGE 17