Pennsauken School District seeks litigant’s private emails and accounts PAGE 5
Family Portrait: Cory Wade struts his stuff PAGE 31
The feathers, sequins, music and showmanship of Liberace hit the Walnut Street Theatre stage PAGE 29
Mar. 20-26, 2015
Since 1976
PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 39 No. 12
Fran Drescher to headline Pride By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com
BREAKING RECORDS AT THE BARNES: A record 950 people turned out for Our Night Out March 11 at The Barnes Foundation. The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund partnered with Mazzoni Center for the monthly LGBT social, where guests were able to peruse the works at the famed museum for free. “Guests were treated to a fantastic food display and tours of the collection,” said DVLF executive director Samantha Giusti. “It was our largest ONO event yet.” The next ONO will be held April 28 at LaPeg, featuring the work of DVLF grantee The Attic Youth Center. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Philly Pride organizers have snagged a familiar face — from both the silver and small screens — to headline the main stage at this year’s event. The famously funny Fran Drescher, a comedian and actor best known as the star of the CBS sitcom “The Nanny,” will entertain the approximately 10,000 people who will gather at Penn’s Landing June 14. “Fran is someone that every generation knows,” said Philly Pride Presents executive director Franny Price. “She’s funny. She’s smart. It’s going to be very entertaining.” Joining Drescher on the entertainment lineup is Alex Newel, who plays the character “Unique” on Fox’s “Glee,” as well as musician Cary Nokey and band Puddles Pity Party. Pride will have a dual theme this year: commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Annual Reminder Days and recognizing the transgender community. “We wanted to help kick off the 50th-anniversary celebration, which will be taking place just a few weeks after Pride,” said Price. “We also want to salute and recognize the trans community. It’s 2015 and the last thing we want to do is keep the trans
Reform Rabbis name first out leader in Philly
AIDS Law Project expands into South Jersey By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com
By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Leaders of the Jewish Reform movement this week installed their first openly LGBT national president, a move made during a conference in Philadelphia. On Monday, Rabbi Denise Eger became the 60th president PAGE 21 of the Central
community in a ‘community closet.’ It’s time to open the door and say, ‘Come out. We’re here because of you.’” Pride also unveiled the locals who will lead the parade. This year’s grand marshals will be Nellie Fitzpatrick, the city’s new director of LGBT affairs, and Dr. Rachel Levine, the state’s acting physician general and the highest public office-holding transgender woman in the state. “Nellie has been doing a lot of training with the Police Academy over the past year and was another key person involved with Directive 152,” Price said, referring to the new police policy guiding interactions with the trans community. “Dr. Levine’s accomplishment of holding the highest level of public office as a transgender woman is a historic feat.” There will also be two PAGE 21
GREEN GIVING: qFLIX co-producer Thom Cardwell (from left), City of Hope/Northeast Region senior director of development Harry Giordano and qFLIX co-producer James Duggan enjoyed the festivities at “Kiss Me, I’m Irish & Gay.” The sixth-annual fundraiser, held March 15 at U Bar, raised more than $2,000 for cancer-research organization City of Hope and qFLIX, the region’s LGBT film festival, which will have its second incarnation July 7-12. Photo: Scott A. Drake
The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania recently added a legal-services program in South Jersey to its official repertoire of programs. The program is called the AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey. It provides free legal services to people with HIV/AIDS living in Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties. The program was previously operated by All About Hope, an AIDS agency based in Voorhees,
which recently closed. The law project subcontracted with All About Hope to provide free legal services to clients with HIV/AIDS in South Jersey. Now, the law project will provide the services directly, without a subcontractor. “This is all about increasing the number of people that we can serve in South Jersey,” said Ronda B. Goldfein, executive director of the law project. “It’s a very positive step.” She said the transition was smooth, with no interruption of services. The law projPAGE 21
“Day in the Life of” is a monthly feature that tells the unique, day-to-day stories of local LGBT PAGE 14 community members. Meet this month’s subject: Rachel Stevenson