Rising to the occasion
Spring Wedding Issue
Family Portrait: Lifting the curtain on Danny de Vil
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PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 39 No. 10
Two found guilty of 2013 Gayborhood attack By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A judge last week found two men guilty of a 2013 attack in the Gayborhood. On Feb. 27, Common Pleas Judge Giovanni Campbell found Miguel Maldonado and Matthew Morris guilty of aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the Nov. 10, 2013, attack on Nick Forte. The two men were found not guilty of c o n s p i r a c y. MORRIS Robbery, theft (TOP) AND a n d r e l a t e d MALDONADO
charges were previously dropped. They will be sentenced at 9 a.m. May 1 in Room 904 of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. Both men are free on bail, and the judge last week denied the prosecution’s request to revoke bail. The sentencing was deferred for a presentence investigation to determine any factors in either man’s history that should be taken into consideration before a sentence is handed down. Both will also undergo a mental-health evaluation. Maldonado was working as a bouncer at Voyeur the night of the incident; he has since been terminated. Surveillance video captured Maldonado striking Forte, a former PGN employee, with a flashlight, and Morris then pummeling him while he was unconscious on the ground. Forte did not respond to a request for comment by presstime.
Wolf urges LGBT protections in budget address By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com On Tuesday, Gov. Tom Wolf gave a much-anticipated budget address aimed at eliminating the state’s $2.3-billion deficit. Notable in his first formal speech on the matter was his recognition of the correlation between workplace protection for LGBTs and a thriving economy. “The companies and countries that are thriving in today’s global economy are those that are committed to diversity, inclusion and fairness,” Wolf said. “All Pennsylvania families deserve those same opportunities, no matter their race, sexual orientation, where they started life or who they are.” Equality Pennsylvania executive director Ted Martin praised the move.
“The governor was wise to recognize the fact that being fair and treating people equally is a powerful economic tool,” Martin told PGN. “I think his remarks make that clear.” “If people feel safe and secure and respected in the workplace, they tend to work harder, stay at the company longer and make for a better workforce in general,” he added. The $33.8-billion spending plan includes tax increases of about 16 percent and restores cuts to education funding put in place by former Gov. Tom Corbett. Line items relevant to the HIV/ AIDS and LGBT communities largely remained the same as last year. In the Health category, funds for STD screening and testing, AIDS programs and special pharmaceutical services
and local health departments all remain the same as last year. The budget proposed that those programs receive $1.73 million, $17.4 million and $25.4 million, respectively. Total spending on health-related services will increase by 2.1 percent, for a total of $204.2 million. The Human Relations Commission, which falls under the Executive Offices category, will receive a 3.6-percent increase in the 2015-16 budget, compared to last year, for a total of $9.59 million. T h e p r o p o s e d bu d g e t i s not final. Much horse-trading between Wolf and the Republican-controlled legislature is expected to take place over the next couple months as they work to finalize the document. n
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Trial to resume after Black Madam falls ill By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The trial for the transgender hip-hop artist who calls herself Black Madam came to a halt this week when the defendant fell ill, after taking the stand in her own defense. Padge Victoria Windslowe, 43, faces third-degree murder and related charges in connection with the 2011 death of Claudia Aderotimi, a British exotic dancer. Prosecutors say Windslowe injected lowgrade silicone into Aderotimi’s buttocks, which killed the woman. She also faces aggravated-assault charges in connection with another injection that prosecutors
say landed a woman in the hospital. Windslowe took the stand late last week but on Monday complained of chest pains and was admitted to a local hospital. The trial was delayed until Thursday morning, when Windslowe was schedule to resume the stand for cross-examination. Windslowe testified that she was known as the “Michelangelo of buttocks injections” and performed thousands of procedures. A number of women whom Windslowe injected testified earlier last week. When Windslowe was on the stand, she cited Philadelphia native and model Amber Rose as one of her former clients. Prosecutors contend Windslowe attempted to pass herself off as a licensed medical professional, despite having no training and using non-regulated products. The defense has sought to demonstrate that clients came to Windslowe, as opposed to surgeons, because of her reputation. n
RuNWAY ROYALTY: About 50 youth attended a mini-ball sponsored by The Colours Organization Feb. 27 at William Way LGBT Community Center. To get a ticket to the “I Know My Status Ball, guests were required to take an HIV test, and testing and resources were available on site. Youth competed in several categories, with prizes for the winners. Photo: Scott A. Drake